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The sermon treats Job 5:26 as a divinely consoling promise that believers come to the grave at the fullness appointed by God. Christian death is presented as acceptable, timely, and honorable because Christ governs it and receives His people into glory. Spurgeon grounds hope beyond death in the resurrection, transformation, and return of Christ. The sermon also gives a direct gospel appeal: those traveling toward judgment must turn from sin and trust Jesus’ mercy.
Theological center: Union with Christ and faith in His saving mercy transform death from sin’s terror into a homeward passage to heaven.
Applications: Trust in Jesus for salvation · Trust God’s timing · Hope beyond death · Death is not final for believers
Primary texts: Job 5:26 · 1 Corinthians 15:51 · 1 Thessalonians 4:17
“Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.” Job 5:26 WE do not believe all that Job’s friends said. They spoke very often as uninspired men, for we find them saying many things that are not true. And if we read the book of Job through, we might say with regard to them, “Miserable comforters are ye all,” for they did not speak concerning God’s servant, Job, the thing that was right. But nevertheless, they gave utterance to many holy and pious sentences, which are well worthy of regard as having come from the lips of three men distinguished in their age for their learning, talent, and ability. Three grey-headed sires, who, from experience, were able to speak what they knew. Their mistakes are not to be wondered at, because they had not then that clear, bright, shining light, which we enjoy in these modern times. They had few opportunities to meet together. There were, but few prophets in those days who taught them the things of the kingdom. We only marvel that without the light of the Gospel revelation they were able to discover so much of the truth as they did. However, I must make a remark concerning this chapter, that I cannot but regard it as being in the main, not so much the utterance of the man—who here speaks—Eliphaz the Temanite—but the very Word of God. Not so much the simple saying of the unwise comforter who upbraided Job, as the speech of the great Comforter who consoles His people and who only utters the thing that is right. The opinion is justified by the fact that this chapter is quoted by the apostle Paul. Eliphaz says in the thirteenth verse, “He takes the wise in their own craftiness.” And we find the apostle Paul in the Corinthians saying, “As it is written, he taketh the wise in their own craftiness,” thus giving sanction to this passage as having been inspired of God, at all events as being most certainly truthful. Most certainly the experience of such a man as Eliphaz is worthy of much regard. And when speaking of the general condition of God’s people, that they are hid from the scourge of the tongue, “that they are not afraid of destruction when it cometh,” that they laugh at destruction and famine, and so on, we may accept his words as being proven by experience and authenticated by inspiration. “Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.” Here is a very beautiful comparison, the comparison of the aged Christian—for that I take it lies on the surface of the text—to a shock of corn. Go into the harvest field and you shall see how mu…