1 Job Regrets His Birth and Wishes He Had Died at Birth Job s Desire to Die Job 3:1-26
2 Text: Job 3:1-26, Job Regrets His Birth and Wishes He Had Died at Birth Job s Desire to Die Job 3:1-26 1. After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born. 2. Job spoke up and said: 3. Let the day on which I was born perish, and the night that said, A man has been conceived! 4. That day let it be darkness; let not God on high regard it, nor let light shine on it! 5. Let darkness and the deepest shadow claim it; let a cloud settle on it; let whatever blackens the day terrify it! 6. That night let darkness seize it; let it not be included among the days of the year; let it not enter among the number of the months! 7. Indeed, let that night be barren; let no shout of joy penetrate it! 8. Let those who curse the day curse it those who are prepared to rouse Leviathan. 9. Let its morning stars be darkened; let it wait for daylight but find none, nor let it see the first rays of dawn, 10. because it did not shut the doors of my mother s womb on me, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes!
3 11. Why did I not die at birth, and why did I not expire as I came out of the womb? 12. Why did the knees welcome me, and why were there two breasts that I might nurse at them? 13. For now I would be lying down and would be quiet, I would be asleep and then at peace 14. with kings and counselors of the earth who built for themselves places now desolate, 15. or with princes who possessed gold, who filled their palaces with silver. 16. Or why was I not buried like a stillborn infant, like infants who have never seen the light? 17. There the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary are at rest. 18. There the prisoners relax together; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor. 19. Small and great are there, and the slave is free from his master. 20. Why does God give light to one who is in misery, and life to those whose soul is bitter, 21. to those who wait for death that does not come, and search for it more than for hidden treasures, 22. who rejoice even to jubilation, and are exultant when they find the grave? 23. Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, and whom God has hedged in? 24. For my sighing comes in place of my food, and my groanings flow forth like water. 25. For the very thing I dreaded has happened to me, and what I feared has come upon me. 26. I have no ease, I have no quietness; I cannot rest; turmoil has come upon me. (NET)
4 Introduction: Beginning with chapter 3 and continuing through chapter 37 we have the record of a long, heated discussion between Job and his friends. They are all convinced that Job is being punished by God for some wicked sin that he had hidden from them. Job denies their accusations and defends his uprightness. As you wade through the sometime lengthy speeches of the friends you should keep in mind the following: * Eliphaz claimed he had a dream wherein Job s guilt was revealed unto him. Rather than a compassionate friend, his reasoning showed him to be cold and indifferent to Job s suffering. It was his mission to convict Job of having brought his trouble on himself. * Bildad relied on common religious traditions and folk wisdom. He was certain that only wicked sinners are punished; therefore, Job must be guilty of some great sin. * Zophar was a practical man who relied on common sense. He appealed to human experience and wisdom. When Job would not concede that he was guilty, Zophar s attitude and words became more violent and offensive. He was certain that all wisdom resided in him. * Later the three friends are joined by Elihu, a younger man. He was both impetuous and arrogant, claiming to be inspired to speak for God. Remember that all of these men labored under the misapprehension that all human suffering is punishment for per-
5 sonal sin. They were determined to discover and expose Job s hidden sins so they could substantiate their mistaken understanding. By accomplishing that, their teaching would be vindicated. This appears to be more important to them than finding answers and relief for their old friend. The author of the book succeeds in depicting them to be more pitied than Job. Like some Christians, they were smug in their orthodoxy and certain of their interpretation of Job s problems. All recent translations reflect that this section of Job was first written in the poetic style of the Hebrews. Since no one goes around speaking his inner most thoughts in poetic form, we must conclude that the author of this book took their words and cast them in poetic form. If we had been present, the message we heard would have been the same, but the form or style of their delivery would have been like our common parlance. Commentary: Job Regrets His Birth and wishes He Had Died at Birth Job 3:1-19, After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born. Job spoke up and said: Let the day on which I was born perish, and the night that said, A man has been conceived! That day let it be darkness; let not God on high regard it, nor let light shine on it! Let darkness and the deepest shadow claim it; let a cloud settle on it; let whatever blackens the day terrify it! That night let darkness seize it; let it not be included among the days of the year; let it not enter among the number of the months! Indeed, let that night be barren; let no shout of joy penetrate it! Let those who curse the day curse it those who are prepared to rouse Leviathan. Let its morning stars be darkened; let it wait for
6 daylight but find none, nor let it see the first rays of dawn, because it did not shut the doors of my mother s womb on me, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes! Why did I not die at birth, and why did I not expire as I came out of the womb? Why did the knees welcome me, and why were there two breasts that I might nurse at them? For now I would be lying down and would be quiet, I would be asleep and then at peace with kings and counselors of the earth who built for themselves places now desolate, or with princes who possessed gold, who filled their palaces with silver. Or why was I not buried like a stillborn infant, like infants who have never seen the light? There the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary are at rest. There the prisoners relax together; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor. Small and great are there, and the slave is free from his master. (NET) After seven long days of mutual silence, Job (opened) his mouth, and cursed his day...and said: Let the day perish where I was born, And the night which said, There is a man-child conceived. We should not conclude that Job resorted to swearing and cursing as sinners do when tragedy and suffering befall them. He wished he had never been born to live to see such misery. His curse is revealed in the lines that follow (vss. 2-10). Let that day be darkness; Let not God from above seek for it, Neither let the light shine upon it...let it not come into the number of the months. With highly-wrought poetic phrases Job expresses his wish that his birthday could be stricken from the calendar. He wishes those who curse bad days, i.e. sorcerers, would curse the day of his birth. They claimed they
7 could raise up Leviathan, the deadly crocodile. Let them curse the day he was born (vs. 8). He wished this, Because it shut not up the doors of my mother s womb, nor hid trouble from mine eyes. Why died I not from the womb, Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bare me? (3:10-11). In his anguish he asks, Why was I not stillborn rather than to live to see such pain and sorrow? Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should suck? (3:11-12). The knees receiving him refers to his passage from his mother s womb into the hands of the midwife. If he could have died at birth or been a miscarriage (vs. 16), then he could have slept the sleep of death and been free of the anguish and suffering now upon him (vs. 13). When he compared his troubled life to those resting in their tombs, he thought their state of death was better than his sad state. The ancient people knew little, if anything, about life beyond the grave. Christ brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (II Timothy. 1:10). The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus tells us about that state of the dead (Luke 16:19-31, There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. But at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus whose body was covered with sores, who longed to eat what fell from the rich man s table. In addition, the dogs came and licked his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham s side. The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. So he called out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in this fire. But Abraham said, Child, remember that in your lifetime you received
8 your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us. So the rich man said, Then I beg you, father send Lazarus to my father s house (for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don t come into this place of torment. But Abraham said, They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to them. Then the rich man said, No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. He replied to him, If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead. NET). We now know what they could only wonder about or speculate! Job s Desire to Die (20-26) Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, And life unto the bitter in soul; Who long for death, but it cometh not, and dig for it more than for hid treasures; Who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave? (3:20-22). He is asking, Why does God allow me to live in this sad state? I wish I could die. Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in? (vs. 23). He asks, Of what purpose is my life? Any hope of happiness, rest or pleasure has been blocked (hedged in) by God. Note that Job mistakenly thinks that God is doing all of this to him. He has not yet comprehended that it is all the work of Satan. For my sighing cometh before I eat (his breakfast) and my groanings are poured out like water (continually) (vs, 24). For the thing which I fear cometh upon me, and that which I am afraid of cometh unto me
9 (vs. 25). The thing which he so feared was unrelenting pain and misery such as he was now suffering. Now he was caught in the grip of that misery with no strength to escape. I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble cometh (vs. 26). The words of this chapter are an eruption of emotional anguish. Later, in chapter 6:3, Job admits his words had been rash. Those who serve as ministers of Christ will encounter poor souls whose lives have become so painful that they long for death to deliver them. Our task is to comfort them with the promises of God.
10 Questions on Job 3:1-26 1. In what way did Job curse the day of his birth? 2. To what did he refer when he said, Let it not rejoice among the days of the year? (vs. 6) 3. Why did he want to curse the day of his conception? (Vs. 10-13).
11 4. What did Job and his generation know about life beyond the grave? (II Timothy 1:10). 5. Should we assume that all who die sleep and are at rest? 6. Have you ever experienced anything approaching the mental and physical suffering of Job? How were you able to survive it? _