What is the meaning of Job 14:14? When a man dies, will he live again? • Job voices the universal question of life after death, revealing both his pain and his longing for assurance. • Though surrounded by suffering and misunderstanding friends, he still entertains the hope that death is not the end (see Ecclesiastes 3:11; Hebrews 9:27). • Other Scriptures answer his question with confidence: Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25-26), and Paul writes that “to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). • Job’s question anticipates the fuller revelation later given in passages like Daniel 12:2 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17. His honest cry points us forward to the certainty of bodily resurrection promised in Revelation 20:12-13. All the days of my hard service I will wait • Job compares his earthly life to the grueling labor of a hired servant (Job 7:1-2). • Waiting in faith does not mean passive resignation; it involves enduring obedience, trusting God’s character even when immediate answers are hidden (Psalm 27:14; Isaiah 40:31). • This mindset echoes later saints: David sings, “I waited patiently for the LORD” (Psalm 40:1), and James exhorts believers to “be patient… until the Lord’s coming” (James 5:7-8). • Job’s perseverance foreshadows the call given to every believer: “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). until my renewal comes • “Renewal” speaks of bodily restoration and vindication, not mere relief from present trials (Job 19:25-27). • The term carries resurrection hope—a coming transformation promised to all who trust in the Redeemer (1 Corinthians 15:51-54; Philippians 3:20-21). • Job looks forward to God personally reversing his losses, much like the final chapters show God restoring him (Job 42:10-17), which serves as a preview of the greater resurrection and eternal life. • Believers today share the same anticipation: “He who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus” (2 Corinthians 4:14). summary Job 14:14 captures the cry of every human heart facing mortality. He asks if life continues beyond the grave, commits to endure faithfully in the meantime, and anchors his hope in a future, God-given renewal. Scripture answers his question affirmatively through Christ’s resurrection, encouraging us to wait with steadfast trust until our own promised restoration. |
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