Job 3:2-5 with 38:17 The LORD let Job know death is not yours to desire or demand.

Job and the shadow of death – Job uses the phrase “The Shadow of death” 8 times in 7 verses to describe how he views his life. We will see that Elihu in 34:22 implies that Job was trying to hide his iniquity in the shadow of death.

Death 8 verses * Die 10 * Grave 11 * Pit in 6 * Dust 20 

Swallow down my spittle * Death rather than my life.

My soul is weary of my life

Chapter 7 offers insight and helps us understand Job’s attitude and his desire to die.

V7:3 Shines some light upon Job’s desire to die.

·       months of vanity

·       The four attacks by Satan in Chapter 1 happened in one day. We are not told how long the period time between that day and the day Satan brought the boils upon Job’s body.

·       News did not travel in minutes or even days in Job’s time. It may have been weeks before Job’s “friends” heard of Job’s troubles and they did not travel to Job overnight.

·       It is likely that Job had been suffering from the boils for several months before the three men sat with Job in the ashes. (29:2).

·       His condition had worsened. (2:7 with 7:5)

·       When we consider the time factor it is easier to understand Mrs. Job’s feeling about Job’s suffering and the perfect man’s desire to die.

7:1-16 In these verses Job describes how he viewed his situation 

·       V1-3 Job likened the short life of man to a servant waiting for the end of the work day (the shadow) leading to a time of rest and a hireling waiting to payday. Job seems to look as his death as his payday and time of rest form his suffering.

·       V4-11 Job could not find any hope that he would find any good in the future. His life is as the wind. The only thing seen from wind is it’s affect on something.

·       V13-16 Job looked for comfort and hope of rest in his friends. Instead of refreshing that should have led Job to want to live, Eliphaz only tried to scare Job with a dream which made him to loathe living even more.

·       V16 Job’s desire was that his friends would leave him alone. He said in 6:21 they were nothing to him.

·       See 10:20 Job felt he would find a little relief if the words of the three men would stop.

V12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?

·       The sea and the whale two things the three friends knew were uncontrollable. Watches were set to be able to warn of storms from the sea and ships had to avoid whales.

·       Job seems to wonder if their words were actually coming from fear their fear of what Job said. Did they feel they had to watch keep watch over Job until the storm was passed, did they believe Job’s attitude could not go unchecked? 

7:17-18 At first is seems Job is addressing God in these verses.

·       In Ps 8:3-4; 144:3 David spoke similar words as Job he was awestruck at the notion that The Great and Holy Lord God Almighty would even consider a mere man as himself.

·       But here Job mockingly asked Eliphaz why would a man of his (Eliphaz) prominence even waste his time on a man whose flesh was clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome. 

·       Magnify and set heart – so wrapped up in Job’s suffering

7:19 Job ask if they will contend with him until he dies.

20-21 In these verses it is clear Job is mocking Eliphaz.

·       V20 Job makes it clear he is addressing Eliphaz, the one he mocked in as the “O thou preserver of men”.

·        Eliphaz had set himself up as judge against the foolish man (5:3) implying they (Eliphaz and the other two) had searched the matter (5:27) and determined that Job had become a foolish man whom God was punishing.

·       Eliphaz let Job know he had the answer: (5:8) be happy that God was chastening him.

V21 Job mocks Eliphaz’s attitude and challenges him, as self claimed judge, to pardon and take away his transgression (6:24). Sleep in the dust: Job believed his death is near.

V11 offer more insight into Job attitude about wanting God to end his life. Job was not going to give into the of accusations Eliphaz. He was not going to stop speaking against his words. In this verse you see how the suffering on the outside had begun to cause Job to suffer inwardly. Could the words of Eliphaz have added to Job’s  spiritual suffering?