Death Consumes

It consumes the parts of his skin; the firstborn of death consumes his limbs. He is torn from the tent in which he trusted and is brought to the king of terrors. In his tent dwells that which is none of his; sulfur is scattered over his habitation. His roots dry up beneath, and his branches wither above.
Job 18:13-16
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Death Consumes
Reading these verses from Job can be unsettling at times. His friends paint vivid pictures of the plight of the wicked. And when honest with ourselves we must admit that we are wicked and deserve no less than to have “the firstborn of death consumes [our] limbs.”  We have not loved God nor our neighbor, we have sinned n thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and left undone.  The king of terrors is what we should await.  That is, if we were left to ourselves.  Alone and abandoned we would indeed have sulfur scatter over us, yet God is merciful and abounding in His steadfast love. He has not abandoned us and has sent His only Son into our flesh to redeem and rescue us.  All around us we see the effects of sin, as death consumes everything, yet for the believer there is hope.  For in our own death, that is our death to sin in Holy Baptism, we are made new creatures, and need not fear our physical death.  “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5). We have the blessed assurance of victory over sin, death, and the devil, won for us on Calvary’s cross.