After Job responds to Zophar’s unhelpful input, he cries out “You are all worthless physicians. Oh, that you would be silent.” Job understands that God is the Great Physician. And although Job is suffering greatly, he still puts his trust in the Lord saying, “Though He slay me, yet I will trust Him.” Job doesn’t understand that it’s Satan at work, but Job does understand enough to know that he can trust God regardless of his afflictions.
Then Job says, “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!” Job is aware that he is a sinner in need of a Savior. But in the midst of his pain, Job is longing for death and wrestling with the thought of afterlife – “Oh, that You would hide me in the grave, that You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, that You would appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes. You shall call, and I will answer You.” Job doesn’t understand the reason for his pain nor does he understand all about life after death; however, he longs for a change, and he trusts that the Lord will somehow, someway bring that change.
God is sending a Savior, the Mediator Jesus Christ, who will make unclean things clean, who will provide a way for eternal life, and who will offer the change that Job is waiting for. Remember, Job only has a few stories from Scriptures from where he gains his hope. We have the privilege of reading all of God’s promises laid out for us in the Bible from the beginning in Genesis till the end in Revelation. Therefore, we know that the Savior has come and lived a life we can’t live, died a death we deserve, and risen from the grave, giving us assurance that we will one day rise again. Those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ will live forever in heaven where there will be no more pain and suffering; and one day we will receive new bodies that are not affected by illness and decay. Paul writes about this change that Job is longing for, the day we will be made whole for eternity – “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’”
For those in Christ, there is a guaranteed expiration date to all suffering. And for Job, who trusts in the Lord and in His promises, there is an expiration date for his suffering as well, so keep reading. (Job 12:1-14:22)
Chronological Bible in Layman's Terms 