What is the meaning of Job 36:20? Do not long for the night “Do not long for the night” (Job 36:20a) tells Job to resist the pull of hopelessness. Elihu sees Job drifting toward the same wish he voiced earlier—“Why is light given… to those who long for death?” (Job 3:20–22). Darkness can feel like escape, yet Scripture presses believers toward light: • Psalm 42:5 urges, “Why, my soul, are you downcast?… Put your hope in God.” • John 8:12 reminds, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness.” • 1 Thessalonians 5:5–6 calls us “sons of light… let us not sleep as the others do.” Longing for night is really longing for withdrawal, even for death. Elihu insists God is still working; giving up is never faith’s response. when people vanish from their homes The night also pictures sudden judgment: “when people vanish from their homes” (Job 36:20b). • At the first Passover, “at midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn” (Exodus 12:29–30). • Jesus compares His return to a thief in the night (Matthew 24:42–44). • 2 Peter 3:10 echoes, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief; the heavens will disappear with a roar.” Elihu warns: don’t envy the darkness that swallows others, nor wish for escape through death. God’s night can be a moment of decisive reckoning; desiring it misunderstands both God’s mercy and His justice. summary Job is cautioned against yearning for the oblivion of night and the sudden judgment that accompanies it. Darkness offers no refuge; God invites perseverance in the light, trusting His righteous timing instead of seeking release in despair. |
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