Why did I not die at birth,
Come out of the womb and pass away? (v. 11)

There are times in our lives when we feel we are better dead than living. Some experience hardships or trauma that make their life miserable. Some may be in a situation where they cannot escape. We can relate to Job’s dialogue in Chapter 3 in many ways. Regardless of how much we want to die, we try to save our lives instinctively if we detect any threats to our bodies. God has designed us that way because He wants us to live. We also learn about ourselves and other human beings while living. For Christians, death is a rest from intense training. We rest until the day when Christ comes.

Job’s lament is not about him wanting to die. It is his cry for help because he cannot understand the reasons behind all the calamities he has experienced. God was not tricked by the devil and caused Job to suffer. God wanted to teach Job something important concerning the whole creation. In this process, God uses the devil. With this understanding, we understand why and how Adam and Eve fell. So the Book of Job helps us to understand why God created all things.

Theologians and ministers often focus on sin, punishment, and the law. But the Book of Job tells us different things. They would argue that Job was born after Adam’s fall so he could not earn righteousness by works. TULIP is right but it does not explain everything, especially the Book of Job.

We are taught that we suffer because of our sins or the sins of our ancestors. Sufferings indeed come because of our sins.

Afterwards, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you. (John 5:14)

Job’s three friends use this rhetoric when talking to Job. However, not all suffering is from sin.

And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. (John 9:2-3)

Whether we suffer because of our sins or some other reasons, we learn about ourselves and most importantly about God.

In this Chapter, Job is close to cursing God by cursing the day he was born. God already knew what Job would think. The integrity of a human is nothing but an illusion. It does not exist.

Only through suffering, we have faith in God. How can we have faith in God without knowing Him or ourselves? Thus, faith is emphasized throughout the Bible.

We must remember that there is no work without faith. And there is no faith without the grace of God. Therefore, the grace of God is total, absolute, complete, and eternal.

If you are going through much suffering, remember that there is an end. And do not be enslaved by another human or ideas made by humans or by sinning. Pray to God for wisdom and help. For Christians, suffering is how God trains and disciplines His people. We certainly do not enjoy suffering. But suffering in our lives is inevitable and necessary. Without slavery, there is no understanding of freedom.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. (John 8:31-36)