How does Job 18:13 connect with Romans 6:23 about sin's wages? Key Scriptures • Job 18:13 — “It devours patches of his skin; the firstborn of death devours his limbs.” • Romans 6:23 — “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What Job 18:13 Reveals about Sin’s Cost • Bildad is describing the fate of the wicked: sin invites a relentless, consuming death. • “It devours patches of his skin” pictures decay starting on the outside and working inward—sin’s consequences eat away at life piece by piece. • “The firstborn of death” personifies death as an heir who has full right to claim the sinner’s body. • The verse stresses inevitability: once sin has issued its claim, death methodically collects. Romans 6:23 – Sin’s Payroll in Plain Words • Paul summarizes the universal principle Job illustrates: “The wages of sin is death.” • “Wages” shows death is earned, not accidental; sin always writes the paycheck. • But Paul immediately contrasts God’s intervention—“the gift … eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” • Where Job highlights the debit column, Romans shows the credit possible through Christ. Threads that Tie the Two Passages Together • Same Result: Both texts arrive at death as sin’s inevitable outcome (cf. Genesis 2:17; Ezekiel 18:4). • Personal and Certain: Bildad’s vivid imagery and Paul’s legal term “wages” underline that no one escapes the payout without divine rescue. • Progressive Decay vs. Final Verdict: Job pictures death eating away progressively; Romans states the final verdict. Together they show both the process and the payoff. • Need for Deliverance: Job leaves the reader sensing helplessness; Romans supplies the answer—grace through Christ (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21). • Consistent Witness: From patriarchal wisdom to apostolic doctrine, Scripture speaks with one voice: sin kills; God gives life (James 1:15; Revelation 20:14–15). Why This Matters for Us Today • Sin isn’t just “bad choices”; it is a lethal employer paying out death. • Physical decay, relational breakdowns, and spiritual separation we see around us echo Job’s “devouring” imagery. • Only by accepting God’s free gift in Christ can we escape the payday we have earned and step into the life we were meant for (John 5:24). |
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