Job: The Last Thread of Hope

Job 14

My mom and I were in the hospital room when the doctors told my dad there was no hope. The cancer had spread, and all treatments had failed. It would only be a matter of days before he died. We were emotional after the doctors left, but my dad wasn’t having it. He looked at us and said, “Hey, you’re not giving up hope, are you?” We knew it was his way of trying to encourage us. Just a few days later, he passed from death to life. Losing hope is a dreadful experience. Many individuals have taken unimaginable actions when they felt hope was gone. At some point, they concluded that life was no longer worth living. The American psychiatrist Karl Menninger called hope “the major weapon against the suicide impulse.”^[1] When you feel hopeless, reach out for help. If you know someone struggling with hopelessness, guide them to the needed resources. The speeches of Job’s friends wore him down. He responded to their accusations, and in those responses, we find five recurring themes:

1. Disappointment with friends.
2. Disappointment with God.
3. Declaring God’s greatness.
4. Despair.
5. Desiring a court date with God.

Observe the ebb and flow of Job’s emotions. Like anyone facing tough times, Job fluctuates between disappointment, praise, and despair, only to return to praise and disappointment, ultimately longing for that court date with God. Pain and our responses take us on an emotional roller coaster ride. I won’t dwell on the fourth theme of despair; we covered that earlier. Let’s take a day to reflect on Job 14, one of Job’s low points, and explore what we can learn and apply. Job opens this chapter with a short discourse on the brevity of life (14:1-6). He states, “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble” (14:1). The term “trouble” (Heb: rogez) signifies “agitation, nervousness, rage, or anger.” This diverse range of meanings illustrates how physically and emotionally draining life can be. Our days here are indeed “full of trouble” and fleeting. Job compares our time on earth to a flower that blooms and quickly fades. It resembles a shadow that appears and then “continues not” (14:2). Job likens life to a “hired hand” that is employed for only a short time. During our fleeting existence, humanity remains continually under God’s scrutiny (14:3). God determines the number of our days (14:5). Job expresses a desire for God to “look away from him and leave him alone” (14:6). Not only is life brief, but Job states that it concludes with the finality of death (14:7-17). He reflects that when a tree is cut down, it may show signs of life once more. “There is hope for a tree” (14:7), but “a man dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he?” (14:10). Job goes on, "a man lies down and rises not again . . . If a man dies, shall he live again?” (14:12-14) Finally, Job declares that he is out of hope.

Job 14:18-22 But the mountain falls and crumbles away, and the rock is removed from its place; ¹⁹ the waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so you destroy the hope of man. ²⁰ You prevail forever against him, and he passes; you change his countenance, and send him away. ²¹ His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; they are brought low, and he perceives it not. ²² He feels only the pain of his own body, and he mourns only for himself.”

Like the mountains that erode and the soil that washes away with water, Job feels God has shattered his hope. Job is prepared to die and be freed from life’s pain. Let’s focus on three lessons we learn from this passage.

1. Pain plants an array of emotions in our hearts.

Ask anyone enduring pain, and they’ll agree that there are moments when you feel an indescribable spiritual closeness to God. Periods of deep discouragement often follow. Sometimes, it seems that death is the only escape from suffering. These extremes can unfold within a short span. Job is undoubtedly experiencing a challenging period, but he will bounce back. And so will you.

2. The resurrection is our hope.

In Job 14:14, Job asks, “If a man dies, shall he live again?" There are two crucial points to consider here. First, the resurrection is revealed progressively through Scripture. On this side of the cross, we understand the complete narrative of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. The apostle Paul emphasizes that our faith is meaningless and in vain without the resurrection, and that we would be pitied for believing a lie (1 Cor. 15:16-19).

1 Corinthians 15:20-22 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Job will return to the hope of resurrection. As believers, we have complete confidence that we will live eternally with God, knowing that Jesus has conquered sin and death.

3. Pain drives us to a deeper place with God.

We will all face our Job 14 moments when hopelessness invades our souls. But let the pain draw you closer to God. Seek him in your struggles. Cling to him in your sorrows. I love the truth and imagery of Psalm 63:8: “My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” As we hold on to God, he is the One holding on to us. Counselor Larry Crabb wrote this in one of his books,

As a culture, present-day Christianity has redefined spiritual maturity. The reformers knew we were saved to glorify God. We moderns live to be blessed. The mature among us are not thought to be the successful, the happy, the effective people on top of things and doing well . . . We’re more attracted to sermons, books, and conferences that reveal the secrets to fulfillment . . . than to spiritual direction that leads us through affliction into the presence of the Father…. We seem more interested in managing life into a comfortable existence than in letting God spiritually transform us through life’s hardships.[2]

God is at work in writing your story, even in your suffering. Let him transform you through your present challenge. He never wastes our time. PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD Read Job 14. Consider Job’s hopelessness, but don’t stay there. Thank God for the certainty of the resurrection. Talking to God Ask God to teach you in your suffering so you will be transformed to be more like Jesus. Have Questions? Be sure to send your questions to our team. We are happy to assist you as you explore God's Word. Submit your question below, and we'll reply soon. ^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Patient, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 54. [2] Quoted in Charles Swindoll, Job: A Man of Heroic Endurance (Thomas Nelson, 2004), 123-124.