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Job 33:19-22
19 He is chastened [yakach] also with pain [mak'ob] upon his bed [mishkab], and the multitude [rob] [riyb] of his bones [`etsem] with strong ['eythan] pain:
20 So that his life [chay] abhorreth [zaham] bread [lechem], and his soul [nephesh] dainty [ta'avah] meat [ma'akal].
21 His flesh [basar] is consumed away [kalah], that it cannot be seen [ro'iy]; and his bones [`etsem] that were not seen [ra'ah] stick out [shaphah] [shaphiy].
22 Yea, his soul [nephesh] draweth near [qarab] unto the grave [shachath], and his life [chay] to the destroyers [muwth]. KJV-Interlinear
19 'Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with unceasing complaint in his bones; 20 So that his life loathes bread, And his soul favorite food. 21 'His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones which were not seen stick out. 22 'Then his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those who bring death. NASB
Providence, fate, chance, external circumstances, luck, outside influences, all of these and more from our daily lives, will have an impact on our lives. All of which point to Gods message to us which we can either consider or ignore.
Here Elihu's example is that of a man who is deathly sick. Illness can fall upon each one of us. None of us are exempt from the many illnesses that this world has to offer. Sometimes it may be a simple cold. Other times we may succumb to something far more deadly.
And in our illness, our education, our intellect, our far advanced logic concerning life, do us no good. Our treatments may vary from throughout the ages. Instead of rubbing leaves and ointments on ourselves as in ancient times, we may take medicines, get shots, undergo surgical treatments and such. But there are still many illnesses for which we have no cure. Even a simply cold can turn into pneumonia and then sudden death if untreated.
But the treatments which have changed over the centuries are not the issue, it is our exposure to illness which has never been defeated, even in these times of advanced medical science.
The common cold, the flu, cancers of various types, genetic disorders and so forth, all pose a very real threat to each one of us.
And often times it takes a real tough illness, one that lays us on our back, sicker than a dog, as it goes, in order to get us to realize that we are not invincible, that we are not the one in ultimate control over our life.
Even death can come knocking, pushing us right up to its edge, before some folks get the message.
Life is not confined to this world alone, but extends on into the next life. And, it is that next life which will last far longer than this one. And, it is that next life for which we should prepare ourselves while we are living in this one.
Ageing and illness, these two characteristics of life are two things over which we have no control.
