Job 3

Passage overview

Psalm 3 is known as a psalm written by David when he was being pursued by his son Absalom. This chapter clearly shows the intense crisis and fear David faced, and—amid it all—his heart of trust in God. It consists of 8 verses and includes the flow of suffering and despair, prayer and trust, and the assurance of deliverance.

1verseAfter this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.

2verseJob answered:

3verse“Let the day perish in which I was born, the night which said, ‘There is a boy conceived.’

4verseLet that day be darkness. Don’t let God from above seek for it, neither let the light shine on it.

5verseLet darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let all that makes the day black terrify it.

6verseAs for that night, let thick darkness seize on it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of the months.

7verseBehold, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come therein.

8verseLet them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.

9verseLet the stars of its twilight be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the morning,

10versebecause it didn’t shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.

11verse“Why didn’t I die from the womb? Why didn’t I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?

12verseWhy did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should nurse?

13verseFor now I should have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,

14versewith kings and counselors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;

15verseor with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver;

16verseor as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, as infants who never saw light.

17verseThere the wicked cease from troubling. There the weary are at rest.

18verseThere the prisoners are at ease together. They don’t hear the voice of the taskmaster.

19verseThe small and the great are there. The servant is free from his master.

20verse“Why is light given to him who is in misery, life to the bitter in soul,

21versewho long for death, but it doesn’t come; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,

22versewho rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?

23verseWhy is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?

24verseFor my sighing comes before I eat. My groanings are poured out like water.

25verseFor the thing which I fear comes on me, that which I am afraid of comes to me.

26verseI am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither do I have rest; but trouble comes.”

Structure and Flow

Verses 1-2David begins by confessing the reality that many enemies surround him. The situation in which others say that he will not be saved by God makes his despair even greater.
Verses 3-4However, David confesses God as a shield who protects him, the source of his glory, and the One who lifts up his head. He brings before God a prayer of trust, crying out to Him.
Verses 5-6He confesses that God has protected him and caused him to rise, and he is confident that he will not be afraid of the many enemies.
Verses 7-8Finally, David concludes the psalm by asking God for deliverance and proclaiming that deliverance is from God.

Overall Meaning

This psalm shows that although human beings experience fear and discouragement in the midst of extreme crisis, they can also enjoy peace and confidence by trusting in God. David focuses on God, the One who hears his prayers even in despair, and the One who grants salvation, and he entrusts his life to Him. This psalm highlights that the essence of faith does not depend on external circumstances, but on a relationship of trust in God.

Points to Ponder

  • When faced with the fear in life, on whom am I relying?
  • The circumstances can cause me to become discouraged, but can I trust in God’s answers and protection in the midst of them?
  • What challenge does the attitude of faith David demonstrated give me for my posture today?

Try Applying It to Me

  • Let’s learn and practice prayers that seek God’s help even in suffering.
  • Let’s examine our lives so that we can trust God as our protector and lay down the fears of today.
  • Let’s live each day, remembering that a life entrusted to God brings true peace and comfort.

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