Today’s bible study is all about the chapter of Job 3 – Job Deplores His Birth. According to Bible scholars, the events of the book of Job took place approximately before 2100 B.C.
I encourage you all to get your bibles ready and turn to Job 3. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read Job 3 with me. I am using the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, just in case you want to know. All the scripture references that you find in this post are from the NKJV.
In the Bible Study on Job 2, we read about how Job lost his health and was tormented with painful boils. Well, in this Bible study on Job 3, we will go into some depth about Job lamenting his very birth and wishing for his death.
Without any more delay, let us begin!
Job Curses The Day Of His Birth
1 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And Job spoke, and said:
3 “May the day perish on which I was born,
And the night in which it was said,
‘A male child is conceived.’
4 May that day be darkness;
May God above not seek it,
Nor the light shine upon it.
5 May darkness and the shadow of death claim it;
May a cloud settle on it;
May the blackness of the day terrify it.
In Verses 1-5 of Job 3, we see Job’s dejection and desperation. He curses the day of his birth and wished that there was no joy on the day that he was born. He wished that it was only absolute darkness even during the daytime of his actual birthday. In Verse 5, particularly, we see that he wished that the shadow of death claimed his birthday. Moreover, he wanted the day of his birth to be terrified of blackness (darkness).
Job Curses The Night Of His Birth
6 As for that night, may darkness seize it;
May it not rejoice among the days of the year,
May it not come into the number of the months.
7 Oh, may that night be barren!
May no joyful shout come into it!
8 May those curse it who curse the day,
Those who are ready to arouse Leviathan.
9 May the stars of its morning be dark;
May it look for light, but have none,
And not see the dawning of the day;
In Verses 6-9 of Job 3, Job curses also the night of his birthday. He divides his birth date into day and night. In Verses 1-5 he cursed the daytime and now he curses the nighttime. In Verse 6, Job cursed the night with darkness. And he wanted his birthdate to be excluded from all the months and days of that entire year.
In Verses 7-8 he continues to lament and curse the night with barrenness and sorrow. And he said that let those (people who are skilled at rousing Leviathan) who curse the day of his birthday also curse the night of that day.
In Verse 9, Job curses the morning stars to be dark and he curses the morning to not dawn nor find any light even if it searches for it.
Job Explains Why He Is Cursing The Night
10 Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb,
Nor hide sorrow from my eyes.
He explains why the day and night of his birthday should be dark and sorrowful in Verse 10. It is because both the day and night failed to close his mother’s womb and failed to hide sorrow from his eyes. As a result, he was born and now a great test and tragedy have befallen him. He wishes that he was not born at all instead of facing great sorrow now.
Observation
Through verses 6-10, we can understand to some extent what a great test Job faced. His torment was extreme and it was too much to bear. There were worms seeping out of his boils. It is normal for a human being under such extreme torment to lament. He did not even know why he had to face one thing after the other. In Job Chapter 1, he lost his possessions, servants and children. In Job Chapter 2, he lost his entire health and did not even have a supporting wife.
We have to remember that Job was the richest man in all of Northern Arabia at that time. And for a person of Job’s stature to be reduced to such a state of losing everything including his health was indeed too much for him to bear. For that matter, it is too much for any person to bear or undergo what Job went through.
Job Wished That He Was Dead At Birth
11“Why did I not die at birth?
Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?
12 Why did the knees receive me?
Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
13 For now I would have lain still and been quiet,
I would have been asleep;
Then I would have been at rest
14 With kings and counselors of the earth,
Who built ruins for themselves,
15 Or with princes who had gold,
Who filled their houses with silver;
In Verses 11-15, Job moves on from wishing that he was never born to wishing that he was born dead. In Verses 11-12, He wished that he was dead at birth. He wished that his mother’s knees didn’t receive him and nurse him. In Verses 13-14, he goes on to explain why he wished he was dead at birth. According to Job, if he was dead at birth, he would have lain still now and been quiet and asleep along with the dead kings, counsellors and princes. He did not have to suffer the extreme torment of his body.
We Enter With Nothing And Leave With Nothing Materially
In Verses 14-15, he also adds how the buildings (most likely palaces) built by kings and counsellors are now in ruins just like them (because they are now dead). They could be the richest and have the biggest palaces but they cannot live in them forever. Someday they must leave it all behind. While some of their belongings are preserved most of them go to ruins. In like manner, the princes who were once so rich and had gold and filled their houses with silver are now dead and they do not have access to any gold or silver anymore. For birth and death unites people – all are born with nothing and all must leave the earth with nothing, no matter if you are the richest of the rich or poorest of the poor.
Job Wishes That He Was Hidden As A Stillborn Child
16Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child,
Like infants who never saw light?
17 There the wicked cease from troubling,
And there the weary are at rest.
18 There the prisoners resat together;
They do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great are there,
And the servant is free from his master.
In Verse 16 of Job 3, Job wishes that he was hidden like a stillborn child that never saw the light. After cursing the day and night and wishing that he was dead at birth, Job now wishes that he was hidden like a stillborn child. In Verse 17, he explains why. The reason is, in a place of death and hiddenness, the wicked cease from troubling the innocent and the people who are weary are at rest. No one can torment a dead person is what Job meant. And, dead people don’t have to suffer or be weary.
In Verse 18, Job says that the dead people (even the prisoners) have unity in death where there is no oppression nor torment. In Verse 19 he says that both the small and the great are there (dead) and a person who was a servant on earth is now free from his master and he does not need to suffer hardship anymore.
Further Observations On Verses 18 and 19 of Job 3
In Verse 18 of Job3, when Job talks of prisoners having unity in a place of death, He also indirectly compares himself to a prisoner of his own body. Since he is oppressed in his own body and probably also kept hearing the voice of the oppressor regarding his current situation, Job sees death as freedom. He sees death as glorious when compared to his suffering. He is in a way also jealous of the dead people who, according to him, are free and at peace. Job sees dying as the perfect means to escape his current situation. And, he reminisces and thinks about what would have happened if he were never born.
Also, In Verse 19, Job rightly observes that both the least of the least and also the greatest of the great die someday. Nothing lasts forever. These passages are not only melancholic but they are also a reality check.
Job Wishes That He Died With His Illness
20“Why is light given to him who is in misery,
And life to the bitter of soul,
21 Who long for death, but it does not come,
And search for it more than hidden treasures;
22 Who rejoice exceedingly,
And are glad when they can find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
And whom God has hedged in?
In Verses 20-23 Job questions why a miserable person has light. He again longs for death and the grave to be free of his bodily torment. From lamenting and cursing his birthday and night to wishing he was dead at birth and hidden as a stillborn, Job wishes that he died now during his torment. He realizes that his past and his birth cannot change no matter how much he curses it. He cannot change the fact that we were not dead at birth. Nor could he change the fact that he was not hidden like a stillborn from daylight. Hence, he sincerely wishes that he died from his current illness (painful boils and sores that satan put on him).
At this point, according to Job, death is a hidden treasure, for he yearns for death yet it hides from him. In Verse 23, Job questions why does a man with a hidden path and whom God has trapped has light?
Satan Was Successful To Some Extent
In Verse 23 of Job 3, we that as disaster came upon Job one after the other, he thought it was God who had hedged him in to make him suffer. He didn’t understand why all bad things were happening simultaneously and he saw no way out of it. Now that his body was so frail and battered with illness he was frustrated and wished that he died to have relief and be free. In Job 1, when Job lost his possessions and children, instead of cursing God he worshipped God and did not sin. So, Satan challenged God that Job would curse God if he suffered in his flesh and he was allowed to strike Job’s flesh. And Job’s severe affliction caused him to lament that God has trapped him. He didn’t curse God to His face but he surely thought that God brought this disaster on him.
Job, as a human, had honest emotions anyways. Yet, he didn’t know who was truly behind his suffering. Also, he didn’t know about hell and heaven. Not everyone who dies experiences freedom and joy. Some go to heaven and most go to hell where there are infinite times more suffering and evil than what they experienced on earth.
The Reason Why Job Wished His Death
24 For my sighing comes before I eat,
And my groanings pour out like water.
25 For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me,
And what I dreaded has happened to me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, for trouble comes.”
In Verse 24 of Job 3, Job explains why he wished for his death. He said that his sighing comes even before he eats and his groanings are continuous like a stream of water. He did not have a moment’s relief from his torment. There was nothing available on the earth that could cure his illness.
Now, Verse 25 of Job 3, shows something important. He said that “the thing that he has greatly feared had come upon him.” In Job 1 and Job 2, I had written that Satan found a loophole and legal right to attack Job. That legal right was Job’s fear.
The Dangers of Fear
Fear is the key that gives the enemy access to your life. It opens the door to the enemy and he gains a legal right to take legal action against you. The fear that Job had was the legal right that the enemy had to attack Job. The seed of fear brought about Job’s bad harvest. All legal matters are brought before the Lord, as we already saw in the bible study on chapters 1 and 2 of Job. That is why both the angels and satan report to the Lord.
Job did offer sin offerings regularly to the Lord (on behalf of his children’s sins) but he had not rejected his fear (nor made amendments) of losing his possessions, children and his health. He had not yet repented of his fear because he did not know that fear could give the enemy a legal right. He did not know that fear is a seed and when that seed grows it will produce a harvest. In short, his fears became a reality.
Verse 26 of Job 3 continues to talk about how Job was not at ease nor quiet. He had no rest for trouble came upon him.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of the Bible Study on Job 3. Again, it is one of the most melancholic books and chapters in the Holy Bible. What Job faced was too great a test for any man to bear. The most important lesson here is to learn how the enemy gained access to attack Job.
If you have fear in any area of your life, it is now time to repent of it and reject the fear. Instead, stand on God’s promises. Again, if there is one thing that you can take from this Bible Study on Job 3, it is to reject fear from your life. Every time fear kicks in, say NO loudly to fear and repeat God’s promises loudly to yourself as many times as it takes to replace the fear with God’s promise.
Until Next Time!