What does Job 14:6 reveal about God's view on human life and suffering? Canonical Text (Job 14:6) “Turn from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day like a hired worker.” Immediate Literary Context Job 14 is Job’s closing lament in the first cycle of speeches. Verses 1–5 stress human brevity (“few of days and full of trouble,” v. 1), and v. 6 is Job’s plea that God grant a respite. The picture is of an employer who dismisses a day-laborer at sundown; Job asks the Sovereign to do the same—to cease scrutinizing him so he can finish his allotted shift in peace. Divine Observation and Human Frailty 1 Samuel 16:7 affirms that “man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Job assumes this intensive divine gaze is unbearably penetrating. Yet Scripture everywhere pairs God’s omniscience with compassion (e.g., Psalm 103:13–14). Job 14:6 shows that even in anguish Job believes God’s regard governs every moment of human life; that governance, however, is not mechanical but relational, open to supplication. God’s Compassionate Restraint God’s self-description in Exodus 34:6—“compassionate and gracious, slow to anger”—implies He can withhold discipline without compromising holiness. The “turn” (Hebrew שְׁעֵה, šĕ‘eh) in v. 6 echoes Psalm 39:13: “Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered.” Both texts presuppose God’s willingness to temper judgment for frail mortals who sincerely cry to Him. The Dignity of Labor and the Rhythm of Rest Calling human life a “day” emphasizes temporality; calling it a “hired worker’s” day affirms dignity in toil (cf. Genesis 2:15). Mosaic Law mandates rest for laborers and beasts alike (Exodus 23:12), revealing a Creator who values humane rhythms. Job reasons from that revelation: if earthly masters grant rest, how much more the heavenly Master. Suffering Within a Fallen Cosmos A young-earth framework (creation “very good,” Genesis 1:31; catastrophic Fall, Genesis 3) explains why real evil exists under a good God. Job 14 does not blame randomness but assumes moral causality: suffering signals a creation in bondage (Romans 8:20). Job’s plea is therefore covenantal, not fatalistic; he addresses a personal Ruler, not blind fate. Eschatological Undercurrent Job elsewhere voices resurrection hope: “After my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” (Job 19:26). Verse 14:6 anticipates that final release. The hired hand’s day ends, wages are paid (Leviticus 19:13), and rest ensues; likewise, the believer’s labor ends in vindication (1 Corinthians 15:58). Christological Fulfillment Jesus embodies God’s answer to Job: He is the true hired servant who “finished” His work (John 19:30) and now offers rest (Matthew 11:28). On the cross Christ bore the divine gaze without relief (Mark 15:34) so the redeemed might experience the Father’s favorable look (2 Corinthians 5:21). Related Scriptures • Psalm 90:13–15 – “Relent, O LORD! … Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us.” • Isaiah 57:16 – God “will not accuse forever, nor always be angry.” • James 5:11 – “You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord—the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” Summary Job 14:6 reveals a God who (1) attentively observes human life, (2) compassionately limits suffering, (3) dignifies labor and provides rest, and (4) ultimately points sufferers to resurrection hope in Christ. The verse invites honest lament while grounding confidence in a just, personal, and redemptive Sovereign. |
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