Connect Job 14:20 with Psalm 90:10 on the brevity of human life. Opening glance at our two texts Job 14:20 — “You forever overpower him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away.” Psalm 90:10 — “The span of our years is seventy— or eighty if we are strong— yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” Observations from Job 14:20 • God’s sovereignty: He “overpowers” man; life’s end is in His hands. • Suddenness: “He passes on” highlights how swiftly life concludes. • Irreversible change: God “changes his countenance,” signaling the finality of death. • Sending away: Death is portrayed as a divine dismissal—life’s appointment ends at God’s word (cf. Hebrews 9:27). Observations from Psalm 90:10 • Limited years: A normal life span is seventy or eighty. • Toil and trouble: Even our strongest years carry “labor and sorrow.” • Swift departure: Time “quickly” passes; we “fly away,” a poetic echo of Job’s “passes on.” • Emphasis on experience: The psalm places emotional color—“labor and sorrow”—on the brief statistics Job supplies. Shared themes: Life’s fleeting nature • Divine timetable: Both passages ground life’s brevity in God’s rule, not random chance. • Transience: Job’s “passes on” parallels Psalm 90’s “fly away,” underscoring momentum toward an endpoint. • Human frailty: Strength (Psalm 90) or honor (Job) cannot prolong days beyond God’s limit (cf. Psalm 103:15-16). • Finality: The “change of countenance” (Job) and “fly away” (Psalm 90) both mark an irreversible transition to life beyond this earth. Why does Scripture stress our short lifespan? • Motivation to wisdom — “Teach us to number our days” (Psalm 90:12) so we steward time well. • Reminder of accountability — “Each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). • Invitation to trust — Life’s brevity drives us to seek the everlasting God (Isaiah 40:28-31). • Exposure of false security — Possessions and achievements cannot halt the clock (Luke 12:16-21). Responding biblically to life’s brevity • Live ready: “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning” (Luke 12:35). • Redeem the time: “Make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). • Pursue eternal priorities: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). • Anchor hope in Christ: “Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:26). Additional passages reinforcing the theme • James 4:14 — Life is “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” • 1 Peter 1:24 — “All flesh is like grass… the grass withers.” • Psalm 39:4-5 — “Let me know how fleeting I am.” • Ecclesiastes 12:1 — “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.” |
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