Commentary on the Book of Job part twenty two

                                    Job 14:1-22

In Job 14:13-15, God continued to answer Job's question in verse 10. God assured Job with a sublime revelation that one day God's punishment of him would pass, and He would call Job out of his grave and raise him to life again. In verse 15, God reminded Job that He had created him in His image and that God desired to renew and recreate His original work. This same desire applies to all humans because God has created every human in His image. This revelation was a prophecy that every man's life belongs to God, and He will someday raise every living human still in their graves back to life for Him to recreate. Revelation 20:5; Revelation 21:1-5.

In Job 14:16-17, Job wondered about his sin. If God raises him from the dead and recreates him, what will God do about his sin? In verse 17, God assured Job that He would separate his sin from his raised life and so confine his sin that it will never affect Job again forever. God promised Job that He will provide Job with a righteous recreation. According to Revelation 21:1-5, God will provide every living human raised from the dead with a righteous recreation. Revelation 22:11-12.

In Job 14:18-19, God gave Job a vision that someday He will destroy the earth. At that time, God will wash away all the filth of the earth so that He can recreate a righteous earth. In this process, God will destroy "the hope of man." The hope of man is that somehow he will be able to enjoy a life of sinful power and pleasure on earth forever while ignoring God. God will use His consuming fire to separate every man's unrepentant and rebellious sins from their raised lives, and He will cast their spiritual deaths into the lake of fire forever. I Corinthians 3:11-15; John 12:25; Revelation 20:11-15.

In Job 14:20, God informed Job that He never gives up on mankind. Even after physical death, God will "change his countenance," which means God will recover and recreate His living image that He put into every person that He created. Revelation 21:1-5. But after God has recreated the lives of those He recovers from their graves when He recreates the heavens and the earth, He "sends them away." This judgment of God means that He will not allow them to live with Him in heaven. God has reserved that highest form of salvation only for those He has saved by His grace. God will send those whom He raises from the dead and recreates back to live on His recreated earth. But God will still visit with them and fellowship with them every day just as He did with Adam and Eve.