Thoughts on Job

A Just View of God

Section 7

Chapter 38 through 40:2

For the past 35 chapters we have heard a lot of talk from man. We have been privy to the debates of a proud and arrogant man against his friends with good intentions, wise information but very little compassion. We have watched as Job slipped further and further into depression and his 'buddies" become more and more frustrated with him. For 35 chapters God has remained silent.

That is about to change.

In Chapters 38, 39 and the first 2 verses of 40 God's righteous condemnation begins to fall on Job. God uses the same arguments as Job and his friends against him with a power and authority that can only come from our Holy God.

Chapter 38

Verse 1 lets us know that God was indeed listening during this time. This should bring both comfort and fear to a backslidden Christian. Comfort, from the fact that God listens to His children even when they misbehave. Fear, because of how He is going to deal with your sin.

I am reminded of my 2 little girls, one nine and one seven. When they do say or do something wrong and they know I have discovered it, they know some sort of punishment is coming. We need to understand that with God, there is no "discovery", nothing takes Him by surprise because He knew the intent of your heart even before the action occurred.

Job was about to come to a full realization of the awesome power of The Mighty King of Glory. (side note: If we believe that God is indeed the King of kings and Lord of lords and we are His children - doesn't that make us princes and princesses? We have full right and authority in the Throne Room, act on our Father's behalf as ambassadors and message bearers, trust totally in His leadership and also have all the responsibility that comes with this position. I believe that we need to grab hold to the power and peace of our true position in the Heavenly Kingdom and start acting like the King's Kids!)

God answered Job out of a whirlwind. This word means a storm or tempest. Basically God's fury was wound up into a pinpoint hurricane and was about to be unleashed on Job. The problem Job has is that he does not have F.E.M.A. or the Red Cross to help. He has to answer for his own self. This is good information for us to know - we cannot shift any blame to others for our thoughts, actions or deeds - we must stand before God alone.

How terrifying this must have been. God almighty speaking to Job from this ravenous storm after 7 days of no sleep, sitting in an ash pit. To hear the Voice of God thunder across the plain of his heart and ask "Who do you think you are?". God has asked me that same question from time to time. "Bubba, ain't you something? Gonna do this all by yourself, huh? Let me know when it crashes down!". This is usually the basic message He gives us when our pride over-sizes our creation. How often we try to “Super-size” our ego’s in our little dixi cup lives.

In verse 3 God commands Job to answer Him like a man. "Stand up and pull all of your wisdom together and ANSWER ME!" The truth is Job could only answer God like a man because that is all he was. Job was not a god, nor did he have any wisdom that did not come from God. Job was living so deep in his flesh and sin that there was no way he could answer any other way.

God said He would question Job and Job would answer. No room for doubt or confusion here! This is the way it is gonna be.

Lets look at these questions God asked Job all those years ago, but let us also allow Him to write them on our heart today, just as if God Almighty is asking you right now and you must answer Him.

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

C'mon Job, where were you? The fact was he wasn't. God knew he was coming, but he was not in existence then.

TELL ME (how much fear does this command bring to you?) if you have understanding. We must understand that we only have any wisdom, knowledge or understanding because God gave it to us. We possess no wisdom that God does not possess, we are not wise enough to give Him counsel and we have no "new" ideas.

These questions should also speak to you about the truth of God's creation and His awesome power. Allow God to tell you of His power and love through this scripture.

Who determined its measurements? Job didn't, neither did you. Who did the original survey work Job, you? I don't think so. God performed the original platting of the universe.

To what are it's foundations fastened? God

Who laid its cornerstone? God

Who set the limits on where the wave of the oceans and seas could rise?

God did

Who commands the morning and decides when the dawn will be? God

Have you ever been to the murky depths of the sea Job? God is there

Have you seen the gates of death Job? God is there

Can you even comprehend the size of this earth Job? God sees it all at once and has full understanding of its workings.

"TELL ME, if you know all this Job, TELL ME"

Where does the light live Job? God knows

Where is the place darkness goes? God knows

Do you know it because you were here when I made these things Job, are that old? No Way

Job, where do I keep the snow or the hail? God knows

How does light work Job? Or how does the wind travel? ANSWER ME JOB

Can you decide the path of a river or a lightning bolt? God does

Job, can you make it rain? Would your fleshly wisdom allow it to rain in a wasteland where no man exists, just to allow a tender blade of grass to grow? God does.

Job, do you assign the stars their seating in the heavens? God does

Do you even know the laws heaven operates under? God does, He ordained them and set them in place.

Can you assign these ordinances to have authority over al the earth? God does

Can you bring wisdom to the minds of man? Can you open up a hardened heart and make it understand God Almighty?

Do you know the numbers of each cloud? Can you pour out the rain from heaven that ends drought and nourishes the ground?

God does

Job, TELL ME, do you provide the food for the lions and the birds to eat? When creation is hungry Job, can you feed them all?

God does.

How long has it been since you stopped to consider what mighty works the Lord is doing in your midst right now. Do you really understand that He is in total control of EVERYTHING? From the mighty Hoover Dam that holds back billions of pounds of water to the daintiest dandelion, God is in control. This is what He is trying to get Job to understand. His friends tried, but failed - will God be able to break through and lead Job to a place where he chooses God over himself? We will see.

We need to see here that God indeed has the power and authority to perform "brain and heart surgery" on Job and force him to believe. This is possible for God to do, in fact it would be a very simple thing for God to change each one of us to be sinless, perfect little servants of Him. We would be 100% obedient, 100% faithful and 100% robot. God has the power and the authority, He is Sovereign God and the creator does indeed have control over the created. Why doesn't He?

Love.

He loves us so much that He gave us a free will and a choice. Will we love Him or will we love the world. Without choice we are little more that robots or worker ants scurrying around the face of the planet.

When God made us He made us different than the critters - we were made by His Hands, in His Image and received the breath of God in our spirit. While animals may act on instinct, we are able to act with love and compassion.

He decided, as is His right, that we would be free to choose our pathway. Him or the world, yes or no, Heaven or hell. There are only two to pick from and each has an assigned end. If you choose not to pick Him, then you are picking eternal death.

The eternal life with God is available to WHOEVER WILL believe. Remember that God desires that none would perish, and is saddened because He knows that many have chosen the wrong path.

Choose your path wisely.

Chapter 39

God continues to barrage Job with questions. They key point being that God is everything and Job is (we are) His creation.

God asks Job if he decided how long the animals birth cycle will be and whether or not they bow down and show him their young. What an awesome picture this gives us. It makes Romans 8 become more alive to realize that all creation cries out to God and is under His Holy Authority.

Wild animals are afraid of man, how could Job possible tame a wild ox?

God can.

Why are ostrich’s wings like storks? God knows

Can man give a horse its mighty strength and speed? God does

Who directs the hawk’s flight? Who commands the graceful eagle to take to the sky? God does.

What a mighty God we serve. God has detailed here His power and authority. He has shown Job the uselessness and relative unimportance of man, even the most "righteous" man in the world when you hold him up to the light of Gods perfect righteousness.

Now the key question. After God Almighty slaps Job right upon his thick head with the truth of the King, what will little Job say? Will he answer in pride or humility?

God asks in chapter 40, verse 2, "Hey Job, you want to argue with God and correct the God of all creation? You think you can rebuke ME? Let’s hear it! ANSWER ME!"

We will look at Jobs response in the next installment.