The Fourth Sunday of Easter (OT)

Job 14:1-17

“Man who is born of a woman

is few of days and full of trouble.

²    He comes out like a flower and withers;

he flees like a shadow and continues not.

³    And do you open your eyes on such a one

and bring me into judgment with you?

⁴    Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?

There is not one.

⁵    Since his days are determined,

and the number of his months is with you,

and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,

⁶    look away from him and leave him alone,

that he may enjoy, like a hired hand, his day.

⁷    “For there is hope for a tree,

if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,

and that its shoots will not cease.

⁸    Though its root grow old in the earth,

and its stump die in the soil,

⁹    yet at the scent of water it will bud

and put out branches like a young plant.

¹⁰    But a man dies and is laid low;

man breathes his last, and where is he?

¹¹    As waters fail from a lake

and a river wastes away and dries up,

¹²    so a man lies down and rises not again;

till the heavens are no more he will not awake

or be roused out of his sleep.

¹³    Oh that you would hide me in Sheol,

that you would conceal me until your wrath be past,

that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!

¹⁴    If a man dies, shall he live again?

All the days of my service I would wait,

till my renewal should come.

¹⁵    You would call, and I would answer you;

you would long for the work of your hands.

¹⁶    For then you would number my steps;

you would not keep watch over my sin;

¹⁷    my transgression would be sealed up in a bag,

and you would cover over my iniquity.

If a tree is cut down there is still hope for it to sprout again. There is hope for this tree that has been killed. It can grow and increase. Similar to the Widow's Son who was killed for whatever reason and rises again. But Job's concern is over his personal trouble and distress. Job is looking at his short life, and possible death.

Job knows as you know that we die because of our sins. We suffer because of sin. Job's major question is related to what sin he has committed to cause such suffering. Job will ultimately realize that it is not on account of any individual sin, or massive collection, but that there exists sin in this fallen creation.

Therefore, all men come forth with trouble and distress. All of us have to face the drying up riverbed, or fading flower. People die. But Christ raises people to new life. Job points us to the chief concern, as he pleads that God would cover over his iniquity. God has covered over your iniquity, and sealed away your transgressions. You may lay down and sleep, and Christ will rouse you from sleep.