After a week of sitting silently with his friends Job now unburdens his heart. Job’s suffering means he now wishes he had never been born. In very elegant language he curses the day he was born (v2-10). His depression is so bad that for him life doesn’t appear to be worth living.

This raises a vital question, what makes life worth living? In losing his possessions, his family and his wealth, Job thought life was not worth living. Was he right? Paul would disagree when he wrote that all things in life are rubbish compared to knowing Christ (Phil. 3 v8). We must never downplay the suffering people experience, but we must declare that hope, purpose and worth in life are to be found in knowing Christ, even when all else is lost.

Job then speaks of how it would be better if he had died at birth (v11-16) and he exalts the blessing of the grave (v17-22). Death is gain, but only for the Christian (Phil. 1 v21-23), and only when it is God’s time for us.

Job speaks of himself as a man hedged in (v23); he feels trapped and wants to escape. As well as all the great emotional and physical suffering he has endured, fear also has a real grip on Job (v24-26). Christ through the gift of the Holy Spirit, is the only one who can drive out fear (Romans 8 v15).