Job to God: 1. The soliloquy of sorrow.
I. A PATHETIC REPRESENTATION OF HUMAN LIFE. In contrast to the fascinating picture sketched by Eliphaz (Job 5:17-27), Job depicts human life in general, and his own sorrowful existence in particular, as:
1. A term of hard service. "Is there not an appointed time [literally, 'a warfare, a term of hard service'] on the earth?' like that of a mercenary soldier hired out for military purposes to a foreign despot; and "are not his days like the days of an hireling?" i.e. a hired slave who has been let out to some pitiless taskmaster; both of whom, the soldier and the slave, "pant for the shadow" on the dial, and "long for their wages," to give them a release from their heavy toils. The language suggests:
2. A heritage of incessant misery. As realized in the experience of Job, this misery was:
(a) Extinction of hope by day; the absolute expiry of everything like expectation of betterment, which must have been a greater burden to the heart of Job than ever the elephantiasis was to his body: "We are kept alive by hope" (Romans 8:24); but within the soul of Job the principle of life was gone.
(b) Want of sleep by night. As sleep is one of God's best gifts to man (Psalms 127:2), restoring nature's exhausted powers, refreshing mind and body both (Ecclesiastes 5:12; Jeremiah 31:26; cf. Shakespeare, 'Henry IV.,' Part II. act 3. so. 1), so is the want of it one of the heaviest afflictions that can befall a sufferer, arising sometimes from excessive labour, as with Jacob (Genesis 31:40); sometimes from intense bodily pain, as in the case of Job (verse 5); sometimes from disturbed thoughts, as with Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:1), Ahasuerus (Esther 6:1), and wicked men (Proverbs 4:16); the restless tossings to and fro of the body keeping time with the inward agitations of the mind.
(c) Bodily pain both day and night, springing from a loathsome malady, detailed (verse 5) as breeding worms in his flesh, covering his skin with earth-coloured scales, causing it to stiffen and emit a purulent discharge, and commonly believed to be elephantiasis (see homiletics on Job 2:7).
3. A period of exceeding"brevity." "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and vanish without hope" (verse 8); i.e. they flee more rapidly than the shuttle passes backwards and forwards in the warp of the weaver's web, and vanish without hope of any to succeed them—i.e. of any days of happiness on earthman affecting emblem of the vanity and shortness of life.
II. A PITIFUL SUPPLICATION FROM HUMAN SORROW.
1. The Being addressed. "Oh, remember!" Though not named, God is meant. It is well, though not always necessary, to invoke God by name in our prayers; but certainly it is better to leave God's name out altogether than to introduce it too frequently into our devotions. That Job called on God in his calamity was a sign that his faith was not yet extinguished, and that he still retained his hold upon the God whom he had formerly professed to serve. It was likewise a more hopeful way of obtaining relief from, or support under, his troubles, since it is always better in our distresses "to cry to God than to complain to creatures" (Caryl).
2. The prayer presented. "Oh, remember!" As applied to God, the word signifies
God remembers when, so to speak, he allows an object to remain in the contemplation of his infinite mind so as to be suitably affected thereby.
Job desires that God would
(1) consider his case;
This, however, does not imply that God ever forgets his people (Isaiah 49:15), though he may sometimes appear to do so (Psalms 13:1); or fails to sympathize with them in trouble (Psalms 103:13; Isaiah 66:13), though afflicted saints may sometimes imagine so (Psalms 44:24; Isaiah 49:14); or is indisposed to succour them (1 Samuel 2:9; Psalms 31:23; Psalms 91:1), though he frequently, for wise and good reasons, delays his intervention (Exodus 14:13; Matthew 14:25; Matthew 15:23).
3. The plea offered. The irrevocableness of life which Job depicts by means of two impressive images, comparing his sorrowful existence to:
(a) His eye should never more see good (verse 7); i.e. it should never more return to enjoy the things that constitute (or are supposed to constitute) earthly felicity (cf. the language of Hezekiah, Isaiah 38:11). Life's pleasures, opportunities, privileges, can only be enjoyed once. Yet good in the highest sense does not terminate with death. When a saint departs from this mortal scene he enters upon the chief good, the experience of nobler pleasures and loftier privileges than ever he possessed on earth (Job 19:27; Philippians 1:21).
(b) Men's eyes should never see him (verse 8); i.e. he should never more mingle in the society of the living, never more participate in the friendships and associations of time, having bid farewell to all companions and loved ones (cf. Ecclesiastes 9:9, Ecclesiastes 9:10)—an argument for living peacefully and lovingly amongst friends, companions, and neighbours, since we must soon be parted from them and they from us.
(c) Even God's eye should fail to see him (verse 8); i.e. God would not be able to do him good after he was dead, the present life being the only season in which man has an opportunity of receiving "gracious" visitation from God. It is too late to give a man a cordial when he is in his grave; and much more is it post horam to look for salvation when life is ended (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Learn:
1. Since life, and especially the Christian life, is a war-service (1 Timothy 6:12), it becomes saints not unnecessarily to entangle themselves with the affairs of this world (2 Timothy 2:4), but to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3).
2. Since God will faithfully recompense his servants (Proverbs 12:14; Romans 2:10; 1 Corinthians 3:8), they whom he has hired should be faithful in the rendering of service to him (Romans 12:11; Ephesians 6:6, Ephesians 6:7).
3. Since the natural life of man, even when taken at its best estate, is altogether vanity (Psalms 39:5, Psalms 39:11), it is the part of wisdom to aspire after that life which will never disappoint (John 4:14), never know affliction (Revelation 7:16, Revelation 7:17), and never pass away (1 John 2:17).
4. Since it is certain that we must all go down into the grave (Job 30:23; Psalms 89:48; John 9:4; Hebrews 9:27), it becomes us to prepare for that event (Psalms 39:4; 2 Kings 20:1; Philippians 1:21: 1 Peter 1:17).
5. Since it is equally certain that we shall all come up again out of our graves (Job 19:26; Daniel 12:2; John 11:23, John 11:24; Acts 24:15), it is folly not to seek before we die the sure and certain hope of a glorious resurrection (Philippians 3:11).