Verses 1-4
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Here Job expresses some frustration. It seems he asks, “If man is so frail and finite, why does God expect so much from us?” Man is unclean. How then could God make us clean?
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Such is the miracle of the gospel. Job probably did not know much about God's plan for the future, but we know, through the New Testament, that salvation in Christ brings the power to make the unclean clean!
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Simply believe that God is able to make you clean! Remind yourself often that the power of the Spirit in you is enough to make you overcome sinful tendencies and live in obedience to God (Romans 6).
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Verses 5-15
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Job then express frustration over the brevity of life and the mortality of man. It seems that Job did not have much knowledge about life after death. “But man dies...and where is he?” (verse 10). “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (verse 14a).
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Although the physical life we now experience is temporary, there is an eternal life in which we have hope.
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If all you focus on is how hard the present life is, and how quickly it perishes, you too will see little reason for the hardships that God allows us to endure. Remember that the hardships and judgments of this life matter for preserving eternal life for us (1 Corinthians 11:32, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Focus on what's eternal, not what's temporary.
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Job knew at least that some kind of change would come after death (verse 14b), and that this change was something he had to wait for.
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Understand that waiting for positive change while enduring the “hard service” of life is good for building our faith and patience. Embrace waiting and the opportunity for growth that it brings.
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Verses 16-22
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Job acknowledges his general sinfulness in this passage. He understands that God knows his every failure, and he prays for mercy (verse 16b).
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If we are not saved from our sins and from God's wrath through belief in the gospel, the consequences are painful and bring only sorrow. Any hope is destroyed.
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Knowing the pain of sin and death helps us want to seek God in repentance. Remember and give this understanding to others to help bring an urgency to repent.
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