Job 13-14

Job 13
Again, Job tells his friends that he is not inferior to them and that he would rather speak to God as if to argue his case. He calls them worthless physicians who tell lies. "Their wisdom should be there silence," he says (v5; proverbs 17:28). He asks, "Will you contend unjustly for God?" God judges the intentions of the mind and heart, and Job understands this when he asks his accusers if they would deceive God as one a man (v9; 1 Chronicles 28:9)?

Job hopes in God (v15), but his accusers don't get this. When Job asks to speak one on one with the almighty, his friends say this is not good. Job longs for a one on one relationship with God, but his accusers say that God is distant and cannot be spoken to one on one. Job acknowledges in verse 16 that a godless man may not come before God, but he is righteous and there should be allowed in his presence (v16).

Job begins his request to God saying that if he is to speak to God, God must do two things first, remove his hand from Job and when Job speaks, he must answer or he must call on Job, and Job will answer (v20-v22). Job asks God why he is bringing such turmoil upon him, a man who is like the chaff or a leaf in the wind, whose life is short and who is decaying as they speak (v25-ch14v1).

Job 14
Job continues saying that God should remove this judgment and just allow him to die as a man who is destined to die anyways (v2-v6). He goes on to say that there is hope for a tree because it can grow back after being cut down but not for man, who dies and then rests in the grave (v7-v12). Job asks God to hide him in hell from his wrath; still he says that he will wait until God returns to bring his life change (v13-v14). Job tells of how God withers man as stone and rock, destroying man's hope over time throughout his years on earth and finally overpowers him so that his sons achievements and failures are not even known to him (v16-22).

Depressing, Job, very depressing. It is not so with the believer in Christ. We have a hope in eternal salvation and a promise that we will die (Hebrews 9:27-28). Our bodies decay, but we will be given new bodies by the one who was raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). To all those who hear the truth of the gospel and believe will be given the Spirit, dwelling inside of there bodies as a promise for this eternal salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14). You are a temple to God because of this, so no longer say I can or can't do this or that because you have God to contend FOR you (1 Corinthians 6:19). Rather you should say, when reading God's word, "Yes. I will. This is only what I ought to do" (Luke 17:10).