Life Beyond Death And Man’s Future Destiny-Part-3 Series

Life beyond Death and Man’s future destiny-part-3

We continue with the 3rd part of our study about “Life beyond Death” for this study our text is taken from the Book of Job chapter fourteen. The Book of Job is one of the most celebrated pieces of biblical literature, not only because it explores some of the most profound questions humans ask about their lives, but also because it is extremely well written. The basic question of the book is “why do the righteous suffer if God is loving and all powerful? The book of Job concerns the transforming crisis in the life of a great man who lived perhaps 4000 years ago. It tells about an unexpected disaster in his life, Job loses everything-his wealth, his family, his health and wrestles with question,” Why”?

The book begins with a heavenly debate between God and Satan, moves through three cycles of earthly debate between Job and his friends, and concludes with a dramatic divine ruling of Job’s problem. In this book, suffering itself is not the central theme; rather, the focus is what Job learns from this suffering. In the end, Job acknowledges the sovereignty of God in his life and over all creation, keeping the context in mind let us read the text.

“Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble. They spring up like flowers and wither away; like fleeting shadows, they do not endure. Do you fix your eye on them? Will you bring them before you for judgment? Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!

A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed. If someone dies, will they live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come.” (Job 14:1-5,14NIV)

In our text Job enlarges upon the condition of man, addressing himself also to God. Every man of Adam's fallen race is short-lived. All his show of beauty, happiness, and splendor falls before the stroke of sickness or death, as the flower before the scythe; or passes away like the shadow. The general term of human life is fixed by God himself; in vain are all attempts to prolong it beyond this term. Several attempts have been made in all nations to find an elixir that would expel all the seeds of disease, and keep men in continual health; but all these attempts have failed. God has appointed man’s bounds that he cannot pass; the boundaries of his life the period of his days, beyond which he cannot go; the term of man's life is so peremptorily fixed by God, that he cannot die sooner, nor live longer, than he has determined he should; as the time of a man's birth, so the time of his death is according to the purpose of God. Go has fixed a limit, or has determined the time which he is to live, and he cannot go beyond it.

The Book of Job also reminds us that there is a "cosmic conflict" going on the behind the scenes that we usually know nothing about. Often we wonder why God allows something, and we question or doubt God's goodness, without seeing the full picture. The Book of Job teaches us to trust God under all circumstances. We must trust God, not only when we do not understand, but BECAUSE we do not understand. The psalmist tells us, “God's way is perfect. All the LORD's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.” (Psalm 18:30NLT)If God’s ways are “perfect,” then we can trust that whatever He does—and whatever He allows—is also perfect. Nevertheless, our responsibility to God is to obey Him, to trust Him and to submit to His will, whether we understand it or not. God's perfection is the sources of his own, His providence, though it may sometimes be dark, yet is always wise and just. No matter how great or many the dangers may be, yet God's promise must take effect. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

In chapter 14:1-5 we are led to think about the brevity and frailty of Human Life. Man, as he is short-lived, so he is sad-lived. In Verses 5, there are three things we are here assured of: ------- (1.) That the shortness, misery, and sinfulness of man's life. Our life will come to an end our days upon earth are numbered, and will soon be finished.

(2.) That it is determined, in the counsel and decree of God, how long we shall live and when we shall die. The number of our days is with God, at the disposal of his power, which cannot be controlled, and under the view of his omniscience, which cannot be deceived.