Job 21:33

33 The clods [regeb] of the valley [nachal] shall be sweet [mathaq] unto him, and every man ['adam] shall draw [mashak] after ['achar] him, as there are innumerable [micpar] before [paniym] him. KJV-Interlinear

33 'The clods of the valley will gently cover him; Moreover, all men will follow after him, While countless ones go before him. NASB

It is assigned for man to die at least once. Death is a separation. A separation of the soul wherein human life resides, from the physical body wherein biological life resides, and the vessel which God has designed to house our soul for this world.

If a person happens to believe in Christ, then a regenerated human spirit is attached to the soul, and in it resides eternal life. The two, the soul and the spirit, are interconnected and inseparable, and of course the spirit goes where the soul goes after death.

And it is this death, this physical death, which has excited the imaginations of humanity over these many centuries of our history.

Since Adams time, there have been many estimates of just how many humans have been born alive. Some have estimated that number to be approximately one-hundred billion people. Others have estimated that number to be approximately three and a half trillion people.

With the very high infant mortality rate throughout history, the larger number is probably closer to being accurate.

The ultimate truth of life is, that no matter who you think you are, no matter how smart you think you are, no matter how rich or how poor you are, no matter what your accomplishments, achievements, or honors you have achieved or received in this life, your personal reality is that you will one day, die. And in death all that you are, all that you have from this life will be left behind.

And, despite the overwhelming numbers of human beings that have come and gone, people still ignore this reality, and thus ignore the truth of the necessity of their spiritual life.

Even in life we have come to imagine that the dead are uncomfortable while lying in their grave.

We attempt to bring them comfort by planting grass, by placing flowers, by removing the snow from atop the grave site and so forth.

But Job explains here that 'the clods of the valley shall be sweet.' This is a picture of serenity, of peace, of a complete separation from the troubles of this world that we have all become used to.

For believers, death separates us from this life, and now in history, we go immediately before the Lord. All the old things no longer exist. No more sorrow or pain, no more death or separation from the Lord.

For unbelievers, their sorrows are just beginning. It is true that they will be separated from the troubles of this life, but in Torments, there they wait for a more awful and second death.

But Jobs biggest single point here is, that none of us will live forever in this world. No one has any room to boast of their talents or accomplishments from this world. No one can accomplish anything anyway, unless it is permitted by God.

With so many who have come before us, and are no longer around, and with so many who will come after us, and they too will die, we should realize just how insignificant we are. At least insignificant as far as this world is concerned.

But with God, each of our names are known to Him personally. Each believer has a personal one-on-one relationship with God, which makes you extremely important.

In this world and without God, you are nothing and have nothing, and never will amount to more than nothing. This principle should be very clear from this chapter alone.

Even with all of our sophisticated technology, we cannot count the stars nor identify our own genetic code. There will always be those who think that one day, if only given enough time, we will be able to do both of those things.

And such a person ignores the magnitude of the numbers of humans who have come and gone, such that even if you could count all that exists in this universe, and boast about it, man will never defeat death and mans ultimate and certain separation from this life. What then do we gain?

Now is the time to post a prayer.