What is it about man that God, the Creator of the universe, is so mindful of him? In the greater scheme of things, the whole human race is counted as sinful. There isn’t a single pure man on the face of the earth, past or present. Moreover, as we consider the obvious facts, there is absolutely no reason to suppose a single, completely righteous man would arise in the future. If we consider this context, why would the Lord judge Job so harshly for the sins he committed? After all, who is completely righteous among mankind?
If this is logical and true, why has the Lord singled out Job to make him an example of his wrath? What would such a thing accomplish? Could anything be accomplished by the Lord in judging Job so harshly? Would destroying Job cause mankind to cease sinning? If not, where’s the sense in it all? Would anyone judge a blind man for not appreciating a picturesque view from the top of a mountain or from the valley below? Should a deaf man be judged for not agreeing with or not obeying the command of an authority, if no effort was made to otherwise communicate what was said to him? If no one is righteous before God, why would he judge Job for the sins that all of mankind commit? Where is the justice in that? How does such a deed express the greatness of God? Wouldn’t doing such a thing put a deceitful face upon the Almighty?
If one considers the plight of mankind, he would find that his life short and full of trouble (Job 14:1). One might wonder, however, what length of life would be enough, so that adding one more day would be too much (cp. Genesis 47:9). On the whole, if one’s health were good, and one was able to enjoy a reasonable portion from the Lord, who wouldn’t wish to extend his life one more day, another month or one more year, and at what point would such a desire cease?
In the word of God, the woman is often placed in the light of being the weaker vessel between the male and female (cp. 1Peter 3:7). So, Job’s point might be put: if kind produces kind (cp. Genesis 1:11-12, 21, 24-25), how is it possible that what is characteristically weak should produce something inherently strong? If the Lord were that interested in strength, shouldn’t he have begun with strength? If God were that interested in perfection, shouldn’t he have begun with perfection? The fact that all mankind derives its existence from the woman and her fruit arises after the rebellion had already begun (Genesis 3:20), what should God expect? On his best day, man is still a sinner, and, if one considers the fact that at least some men would desire to refine their evil nature, on the whole, the days of all mankind are full of trouble (Job 14:1; cp. 3:17).
Indeed, man begins life full of promise. His beauty is like that of a flower, but all that might have been is soon clipped, and the hope of accomplishing anything of a lasting nature soon vanishes, like the shadow of a cloud that quickly moves across a field or up the hillside and over a mountain, and is seen no more (Job 14:2). Nothing about man’s life is permanent, because his beauty, his strength, the promise of his making a permanent difference in this world has no substance.
Why, then, would the infinite God so closely scrutinize man’s behavior? Why is he seemingly so worthy of such constant divine vigilance? Moreover, and in the present context, why would he treat Job so unmercifully (Job 14:3)? Is such behavior worthy of so great a God as the Lord, that he should glory in overpowering such a weak vessel as Job?
Finally, Job concludes by making the point that it isn’t possible for man to do what is impossible. The Lord hadn’t endowed him with strength or perfection, nor would the end of man’s labor produce the promise of his beginnings (Job 14:4; cp. verse-2). Kind produces kind! Therefore, God cannot expect mankind to be anything more than what he is. The prophet would say later: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may they also do good, who are accustomed to do evil” (Jeremiah 13:23). In other words, and according to Job, not even God can bring clean out of the unclean, not by command, nor by terror. It simply can’t be done!
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