Commentary on the Book of Job part thirty two

                                     Job 17:1-16

In Job 17:1-7, Job's terrible suffering caused him again to despair. He realized that His friends could not agree with him, and that they could not understand his relationship with God because they would not talk to God. But Job took a little comfort in the fact that at least his friends did not flatter him. Job's friends were not dishonest with him. Job again complained to God because he felt hurt that God had put him in such a condition of utter contempt.

In Job 17:8-9, God gave Job a little light and hope in his despair. God caused Job to perceive that the innocent and the righteous over time will gain strength against despair and darkness.

In Job 17:10, Job complained again to his friends that they did not even try to find wisdom. They seemed to be content with their ignorance.

In Job 17:11-16, Job's hope in His revelations from God began to fade. The little light of hope in his resurrection to life that God had given him had been cut short by the darkness of despair and his approaching grave. Job had become ready to be swallowed by darkness and consumed by worms. All through the Bible (KJB), the word "worms" symbolizes the filth of sin and evil which seeks to consume and destroy the righteous image of God that He has put into every human. Exodus 16:20; Psalm 22:6; Isaiah 14:11; Isaiah 51:8; Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:44,46,48.

But in a general resurrection in the end of the world, God will use His consuming fire to separate out and resurrect to life His good image in every individual human still in their graves from their "worms" which symbolizes total evil, which is the same as spiritual death, and He will cast their spiritual deaths into the lake of fire forever. I Corinthians 3:11-15; John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:5; Revelation 20:11-15. In verses 15 and 16, Job seemed to give up hope entirely. He came to imagine that he and his friends would return to dust in the pit and that would be the end of them. But Job's loss of hope had no effect whatsoever on God. God still loved Job, and He still held on to Job's faith.