Sunday, March 22, 2015

Job 38: God's Job Description

OK, there may be a bit of a double-meaning in today's title!  In chapter 38, we get both a fleeting description of Job by God, as well as a fairly well fleshed-out "job description" for the Almighty Himself.

When God first shows up in the opening verses of Job 38, He answers Job "out of the whirlwind."  The whirlwind may be descriptive of an actual storm bearing down on Job and his friends, or it may be an allusion to the storm of suffering and trial that Job has been undergoing.  The point is that God Himself actually shows up in the midst of Job's difficulties.  He responds to the challenges and accusations laid out by Job earlier in the book: "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?  Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me."

Be careful what you wish for.  You just might get it.  In this case, Job finally gets the audience with God he's been craving throughout the book.

God initially calls Job out for speaking without knowledge.  After all, Job has been blaming God for his suffering, even though the agent directly responsible was Satan.  One of the big keys to remember about how we behave before God is to always act with humility.  We should always be aware that our knowledge is very limited.

God proves that the knowledge of Job (and us) is extremely limited by launching into a list of the various achievements and activities that He has engaged in.  All of this goes far beyond Job's experience or understanding.  God points out that He is responsible for:

  • Laying the very foundations of the universe itself in the first moments of creation (vs. 4-7).  
  • Setting boundaries for such things as the reach of water (vs. 8-11)
  • Ordaining the rhythm of days and seasons (vs. 12)
  • Keeping the wicked on the ropes (vs. 13-15)
  • Having an entirety of knowledge of the world - even the deepest, darkest realms (vs. 16-18)
  • Understanding the nature of light and darkness (vs. 19-21)
  • Being in charge of the weather and its power (vs. 22-24)
  • Providing even for deserted and abandoned areas (vs. 25-27)
  • Superintending the water cycle of dew, rain, snow and ice (vs. 28-30)
  • Establishing the gravitational movements of the stars and constellations (vs. 31-33)
  • Having the wisdom to operate the ongoing universe (vs. 34-38)
  • Imparting life-preserving instincts in wild animals (vs. 39-41)

For all of our knowledge and wisdom, such as it is, we would not be able to handle even the most minor aspect of God's job description in running the universe.

Always remember: There is a God - and you're not Him!

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