1 At last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth. 2 He said:
3 “Let the day of my birth be erased,
and the night I was conceived.
4 Let that day be turned to darkness.
Let it be lost even to God on high,
and let no light shine on it.
5 Let the darkness and utter gloom claim that day for its own.
Let a black cloud overshadow it,
and let the darkness terrify it.
6 Let that night be blotted off the calendar,
never again to be counted among the days of the year,
never again to appear among the months.
7 Let that night be childless.
Let it have no joy.
8 Let those who are experts at cursing—
whose cursing could rouse Leviathan—
curse that day.
9 Let its morning stars remain dark.
Let it hope for light, but in vain;
may it never see the morning light.
10 Curse that day for failing to shut my mother’s womb,
for letting me be born to see all this trouble.
11 “Why wasn’t I born dead?
Why didn’t I die as I came from the womb?
12 Why was I laid on my mother’s lap?
Why did she nurse me at her breasts?
13 Had I died at birth, I would now be at peace.
I would be asleep and at rest.
14 I would rest with the world’s kings and prime ministers,
whose great buildings now lie in ruins.
15 I would rest with princes, rich in gold,
whose palaces were filled with silver.
16 Why wasn’t I buried like a stillborn child,
like a baby who never lives to see the light?
17 For in death the wicked cause no trouble,
and the weary are at rest.
18 Even captives are at ease in death,
with no guards to curse them.
19 Rich and poor are both there,
and the slave is free from his master.
20 “Oh, why give light to those in misery,
and life to those who are bitter?
21 They long for death, and it won’t come.
They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure.
22 They’re filled with joy when they finally die,
and rejoice when they find the grave.
23 Why is life given to those with no future,
those God has surrounded with difficulties?
24 I cannot eat for sighing;
my groans pour out like water.
25 What I always feared has happened to me.
What I dreaded has come true.
26 I have no peace, no quietness.
I have no rest; only trouble comes.” (NLT)
After sitting in silence for seven days with his friends, Job broke the silence with a powerful and disturbing monologue. Picture him sitting in the dirt. His past is lost, his future is empty, his present is painful. How did Job arrive at this dark, emotional state?
Think about it for a moment.
Time had passed and he has had time to think. As kids say today, “he’s stuck in his own head.”
His friends demonstrated they believed his situation was hopeless. Seven days, after all, was the ancient period of silent grief for one who had died.
Maybe he thought his wife was right after all. She had encouraged him to “curse God and die.” Maybe?
The memory of his past was gone. There was no sign of reflection about any of the good he experienced before his profound losses.
Finally, heaven was silent. Where was God? Where is God?
Job conveyed an image of complete and total hopelessness regarding his present state.
Reflecting on these piercing words of grief, what can we apply from his words as we think about our own suffering? I think we’ve all had our moments of feeling lost, helpless and hopeless.
First, his story and his words are a strong reminder that Christians are not exempt from suffering. Jesus, the man of grief, acquainted with sorrows, experienced suffering. And if Jesus wasn’t exempt from suffering, who are we to think we should not have to suffer in life? (Isaiah 53:1-10)
Second, Christians are not exempt from questions and feelings during suffering. Again, Jesus expressed some strong words himself when from the cross he cried, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
Finally, though Job does not know his end, we know ours, and because of Jesus’ resurrection we shall rise again! We have hope, not because we are good, but because Jesus is God and was raised to life on the third day, obtaining victory over sin, death and the grave!
The good news of the gospel is that Jesus understands our suffering because he suffered.
The good news of the gospel is that Jesus understands our questions because he had a few of his own.
And the good news of the gospel is that Jesus understands our final outcome in life because he is risen!