In this chapter, Job continues the deliberation to the LORD that he began in v. 20 of ch. 13. His morbid reflections are reminiscent of the vanity and vexation theme of Ecclesiastes. He mourns the despair of human existence and its finality. However, this loss seems self-centered, unlike the Psalmist who regrets the loss of opportunity to praise the LORD (Psa 6:5).

14:1-2  Now Job generalises about man’s expectations from his own experience so hat he can challenge his friends in verse :3.

14:7-10 Job, in a deep depression, compares himself unfavourably with a tree. The tree might be severely pruned so that there is only the stock left. But if it is watered and nourished it will revive but Job sees himself in such a sorry state that there is no hope of revival.

In his despair, Job mourns the lot of humankind.  He seems to believe, at this point, that man lives and then dies forever (v.10).  He points out that, unlike man's hopeless case, new shoots could possibly sprout from a dead tree (vs.7-9).  This interesting figure is echoed by the prophet concerning Jesus (Isa 1:11 cf.1Cor 15:36).  Subsequently, Job seems to have learned about resurrection and salvation (19:25-27).

14:6 In the light of Job’s comments in verses 1-2 Job is saying that his friends should just leave him alone with his sorrows.

14:3 Job now, by highlighting that his friends are ‘or the dust’, suggests that they are not in a position to speak with him. But in reality it is the humanity of our friends that enables them to help us – but it behoves them to rightly assess the situation. The wonderful thing is that Jesus is in just that position -Heb 4:15

14:13 In speaking of being hidden in the grave until God’s wrath is past indicates that Job believed he would come out of the grave – he believed in the resurrection.

Unlike most other prophets, the date of this prophecy is not given in chapter 1 verse 1. Habakkuk cries to God that his prayers are not heard (Hab 1:1-4), but God replies (Hab 1:5-11). The prophet’s second prayer is in Hab 1:12 to Hab 2:1). This first chapter mentions Chaldea (Hab 1:6) as the nation to come against Israel, so that must help us to date the prophecy before the fall of Samaria by the Chaldeans.

Habakkuk (606-604 BC) lived during the reign of Jehoiakim and was contemporary with Jeremiah.   Habakkuk means embracer.  He embraced the Word of God, and, as a prophet, foretold the destruction of Judah by Babylon.  He probably did this just before Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion of Judah in 605 BC.  It is interesting to note some of the descriptions pertaining to Babylon in v.8.   Most likely, the reference to leopards and wolves points to Nimrod.  Nimrod was the hunter who founded Babylon, and was responsible for building the tower of Babel.  He used to train leopards and dogs to hunt.

1:2 So we see that Habakkuk had been praying to God because of the evil in the land of Israel.

1:13  Habakkuk’s problem was to misunderstand the character of God. God, he thought, was ‘too pure’ to witness evil and so presumed that God would not use wicked men to fulfil His will, forgetting that all men are inherently wicked.

1:12-21        Habakkuk seems unable to accept that God will work against Israel using an evil nation stating ‘thou are of purer eyes …’ (1:13)

Is there a contradiction here? Whilst Babylon is condemned for being brutal, it was actually God that had brought the nation to power!

It was in the purpose of God that Judah would go into captivity, and so He prepared Babylon to receive them. We can see this for example in v9 "they gather captives like sand" and v15 "they gather them in their dragnet" speaking of Babylon's policy of taking captives of whole nations. This fulfilled God's will to the letter (see Jer 13:19). So Babylon was prepared by God to do His bidding.

Where it all went wrong can be seen in v11 and v16. They ascribed their success to god's of Babylon, and sacrificed to war weapons, not to God who made them effective. This can be seen worked out in the account of Belshazzar who received the writing on the wall; the end of the Babylonian empire in fulfilment of v12: "you have marked them for correction" (see Dan 5:3-5, 23-28).  

2:21 - 25
2:22 who did no sin Isaiah 53:9
2:22 neither guile was in his mouth Isaiah 53:9
2:23 reviled not again Isaiah 53:7
2:24 bare our sins Isaiah 53:6
2:24 dead to sins Romans 6:2
2:24 live unto righteousness Romans 6:11
2:24 by whose stripes we are healed Isaiah 53:5
2:25 as sheep going astray Isaiah 53:6
2:25 the shepherd Genesis 49:24

Christ is presented as a pattern that we should follow. His life and death are presented as that pattern using, in particular, the language of Isaiah 53 to show us the sort of mind that Jesus had.

This sort of life in Christ is presented as an exposition of the way that one should walk in Christ as described in Romans 6 because those who are 'dead to sin' quoting Romans 6:2 should 'live unto righteousness' quoting Romans 6:11, explaining that living unto righteousness is in fact living unto God. This is not an abstract doctrine nor a subtle difference. We must give over our lives to serving God by doing righteousness' in all aspects of our life in Christ

Israel were called to be a holy nation at Sinai

Likewise brethren and sisters in Christ are called to a special position. We must take care that we do not, like Israel, lose the privilege through our actions.

V.12 - winning people not in the flock over with our good deeds/fruits

V.21 - Christ suffered for us, leaving us an "example" Grk. "hupogra" (5261) meaning "an underwriting, copy for imitation, (fig.) an example" that we should follow in his steps. Thus John 1:14 refers to Christ who was the word made flesh and of whom we read of throughout the word in both the Old and New Testaments.

Peter continues to emphasize the state of believers as strangers and pilgrims (v.11; 1:1).

He describes brethren of Christ as a royal priesthood (v.9).  Contrast this description with that of  Rev 1:6.  The KJV seems to suggest that the brethren of Christ will be kings as well as priests.  However, this is a faulty translation: kings should be rendered kingdom, as modern translations have it.  Jesus will be the only king.

A cornerstone (v.7) is the stone situated at the junction of two walls, being common to both.  Christ is the uniting force between the wall of the Jews and the wall of the Gentiles.  Where one wall finishes (Old Covenant), a new wall takes off (New Covenant).

The sacrifice of Christ on our behalf was representative and not substitutory (v.24), otherwise why would we need to watch our behavior?

2:4  The ‘living stone’ was indeed disallowed of the Jewish leaders. In using this language Peter is warning quite specifically against going back to the law of Moses.

2:5 A ‘spiritual sacrifice’ may well have seemed an odd thing to consider for a Jew but an example of a ‘spiritual sacrifice’ can be found in Hos 14:2 ’the calves of our lips’

2:6,8    Notice that the ‘stone’ of God’s provision cane be either a strength or a stumbling block. I tall depends on the attitude to the gospel. It is not a feature of the stone it is a function of the way in which we view Jesus and his salvation. This was very relevant to the Jews to whom Peter wrote as on the one hand some wanted to return to the law – to them Jesus was a stumbling block whilst others had moved on from the law. To them he was ‘precious’.

2:9 Being a ‘chosen generation’ of itself is of no value to God. Unless that ‘chosen generation’ actually ‘show forth’ the gospel in their lives they are of no value to Him now.

2:9 The exhortation to ‘show fort the praises ...’ quotes Isa 60:6 which is talking about how gentiles will respond to the gospel message.