The remainder of Job's speech is very dark indeed. Death is everywhere. Very soon he will ″take the path of no return″ (Job 16:22). He has no more ″spirit″, no more desire for life; all he has to look forward to is the grave (17:1). He is surrounded by people who look on him and mock him, because they see him as a man under the judgment of God (v. 2).

In verse 3, however, Job seems to come back to the longing for an advocate or intercessor (see 16:18-21). He calls upon God to give him ″the pledge you demand″ or to ″put up security″ for him. Job seems to be asking God to provide some kind of substitute sacrifice who will pay the penalty for his sins, who will satisfy the wrath of God against him, and who will die in his place.

Job's circumstances are dark indeed. If people want a well-known example of what it is to be under God's judgment, Job is an easy man to choose; he is a byword for this. People spit at him (17:6), and his ″eyes″–which in biblical language speak of desire or the love of life–″have grown dim″ as his spirit fails with all his sadness (v. 7). His ″whole frame″–his bones, muscles, sinews, and the whole of his body–″is but a shadow″ just fading away (v. 7). He is an appalling sight.

In verse 10, Job challenges his friends to keep on attacking him, for he has nothing to lose. He has no more life to lead, no more plans to make, no more desires in his heart (v. 11). All he can look forward to is the grave (v. 13). The place where his body will rot (″corruption . . . the worm″) will be to him like a strange pair of parents, his mum and dad (v. 14). As he laments in chapter 3, all is dark as his hope goes with him ″down to the gates of death″ (v. 16).

This is a haunting foreshadow of the sufferings of Christ as He bears the wrath of God for us (2 Corinthians 5:21; Psalm 22:1).