What does Job 7:17 reveal about God's care for human beings? “What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him,” Verse 18 “that You attend to him every morning and try him every moment?” The Setting • Job, amid deep pain, marvels that the Almighty gives mankind such close attention. • Though spoken in anguish, Job’s words pull back the curtain on divine care: God “sets His heart” on people. Key Phrases Worth Noticing • “exalt him” – God lifts humans to a place of honor in His creation (cf. Genesis 1:26-28). • “set Your heart upon him” – an idiom for personal, affectionate commitment. • “attend to him every morning” – daily, consistent oversight; God’s care is not sporadic. • “try him every moment” – supervision includes loving discipline and refining tests (Hebrews 12:5-11). What This Reveals about God’s Care • Personal—He doesn’t deal with humanity as a faceless mass; He sets His heart on each person. • Elevating—Despite human frailty, God gives dignity, purpose, and stewardship authority. • Continuous—Morning by morning He watches, provides, and corrects. • Intentional—Even trials are purposeful instruments of growth and purification (Romans 8:28-29). • Astonishing—Job’s question underscores how unexpected such divine concern is, magnifying grace. Parallel Passages Reinforcing the Truth • Psalm 8:4-5 – “What is man that You are mindful of him… You have made him a little lower than the angels.” • Isaiah 49:15 – “Can a woman forget her nursing child?... even if she forgets, I will not forget you.” • Matthew 10:29-31 – “You are worth more than many sparrows.” • John 3:16 – Love so great it gave the Son. • 1 Peter 5:7 – “Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” Care and Testing: Two Sides of One Love • God’s nearness means He both comforts and refines. • Testing exposes faith’s genuineness (1 Peter 1:6-7) and produces maturity (James 1:2-4). • The same heart that “exalts” is the heart that “tries,” proof that His involvement is total. Practical Takeaways • Expect God’s attention—He knows your details better than you do. • Interpret trials through love—discipline is fatherly, not punitive. • Respond with humility—if Job, in misery, could recognize God’s close watch, so can we in any season. • Live with dignity—being exalted by God calls for holy, purpose-filled living (Ephesians 4:1). God’s care, as glimpsed in Job 7:17, is intimate, dignifying, constant, and sometimes corrective—yet always motivated by an unfathomable love that sets His very heart upon us. |
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