Job 38
1Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind:
2“Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? 3Brace yourself, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.
4“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. 5Do you know how its dimensions were determined and who did the surveying? 6What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone 7as the morning stars sang together and all the angels*shouted for joy?
8“Who defined the boundaries of the sea as it burst from the womb, 9and as I clothed it with clouds and thick darkness? 10For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores. 11I said, ‘Thus far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!’
12“Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east? 13Have you ever told the daylight to spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night’s wickedness? 14For the features of the earth take shape as the light approaches, and the dawn is robed in red. 15The light disturbs the haunts of the wicked, and it stops the arm that is raised in violence.
16“Have you explored the springs from which the seas come? Have you walked about and explored their depths? 17Do you know where the gates of death are located? Have you seen the gates of utter gloom? 18Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell me about it if you know!
19“Where does the light come from, and where does the darkness go? 20Can you take it to its home? Do you know how to get there? 21But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created, and you are so very experienced! (Job 38:1-21, NLT)
Note: Read the entire chapter to see all of the questions God challenges Job with in this chapter.
The Daily DAVEotional
For the first 37 chapters of Job, we’ve listened to Job consistently defend his innocence against God’s so-called attacks on him, while his “friends” form a tag team of truth-tellers insistent on getting Job to admit his unrighteousness and recognize that he’s obviously experiencing punishment for some sinful act.
It’s at this point that God finally steps in and interrupts the conversation.
He begins with these two words:
“Brace yourself!”
God has some hard questions for Job, who, because he doesn’t understand why he is experiencing such calamity despite his sinless ways, concludes that God must get a rise out of bringing pain and hardship on people simply for the fun of it. I wrote about “Job’s Case of Cognitive Dissonance” here.
For the remainder of the chapter, God asks a series of rhetorical questions, the point of which is to underscore the fact that Job (as well as all humans) know almost nothing about God. He is so far above us, so much mightier and more powerful than us, how can we ever begin to think we can understand Him or His ways?
It is fashionable, especially in today’s culture to malign God’s character because His sense of justice or love or fairness does not match exactly with our own understanding.
Many think of God as selfish or narcissistic because He requires that we worship or “pay attention to Him.”
Others think of God as angry, wrathful or evil because he “slaughtered” all those people in the Old Testament.
But the truth is, we know virtually nothing about God. We think we know so much but we know so little. Our knowledge is limited and yet we think that our limited life experience gives us a front row seat to true enlightenment.
Just as God had some choice words for Job, He has those same words to those of us who might question His motives, His intentions and His character.
God created everything. Do YOU know how he did it? NO. Therefore, you can’t possibly understand the power and the process of creating the universe!
In addition to creating the universe, God also oversees the physical processes in the universe. He is in control of the sunrise and sunset.
What physical processes do you control and oversee? NONE!
So how can you criticize someone who is so far above you? You can’t understand the physical processes, but you think you can understand what justice is?
God’s point is that Job is responding from a position of utter ignorance when it comes to evaluating God, His motives, His character and His intentions.
We do the same thing today. We think that our understanding and our version of justice is correct, even though we have such a limited perspective and very little life experience when compared with the entirety of human history.
How arrogant is it to question the character of the God of the universe? It’s so arrogant that God employs sarcasm to illustrate the absurdity of Job’s baseless position:
But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created, and you are so very experienced! (Job 38:21, NLT)
In my mind, I imagine God saying what I might say to my kids, “But of course, you know EVERYTHING, don’t you?”
The obvious response to this is, “NO. You know NOTHING!”
Therefore, to take the position Job has taken, and to malign God’s character is nothing short of ridiculous!
Reflection
Have you ever lashed out at God and maligned Him for something you didn’t understand? What were the circumstances?
Why do you think people take the illogical position that our understanding of justice or love, or whatever is correct while God’s version of these qualities is distorted or warped?
What are some ways you can lovingly respond to those who might berate God and impugn His character?
Photo by Guillermo Ferla on Unsplash
The Lowedown 