God often uses earth's elements to enshroud his words when talking to people. For Moses, he used a burning bush, for Elijah it was the wind and for Paul, he used a heavenly light. For Job, God chose a storm.
He did not initially speak to Job's friends... just Job. I'm sure they heard what was going on because a storm can be pretty loud. In fact, When Elihu spoke he referred to a storm in his speech. So, I wonder if the storm was in the making while Elihu spoke. I'm just wondering.
God starts telling Job, "Brace yourself like a man; I will question you and you shall answer me.""
Stop for a Minute
Okay, this is where God speaks but stop for a minute and think about what's going on.
We all know that Job has suffered tremendously and he even cursed the day he was born. Job is not thinking of himself too highly but God thinks highly of him and actually recommended him for this test. I can't say that I would want Job to suffer but I am glad that the story has been recorded so that others can see that it is possible to go through difficult circumstances and still trust God. And who knows how many billions of people received inspiration from his story.
During Job's suffering we read that he has complained, questioned God, and was probably just short of demanding answers from God. And from a human perspective, we all would have done the same thing.
God's Perspective
From God's perspective, what was it like? Here is someone who God created in his mothers Womb. Job is his child and he knows all about Job. God is the potter and Job is the clay. And now God watches his masterpiece in distress. I have no idea how that affected God. There is no information to help us understand.
God's speech to Job does not deal with his issue of suffering and pain. I must confess that it puzzles me somewhat. What God does say is that Job has spoken without knowledge. This is true because Job does not know what is going on behind the scenes; although the reader knows the background story.
But even more so Job, as with the rest of us, sorely lacks the wisdom to understand things from God's perspective. So, God questions him.
God gives Job a series of questions to answer. God asks him the hard questions, the who, the what, the where and others.
God's Questions
One of the things that stand out for me is how God moves through creation as he questions. He starts off by asking where was Job when God laid the foundation and who placed the cornerstone? Who drew the dimensions, the lines and barriers so that what he created stayed within its boundaries.
When I hear things like this, I think of an architect who has ideas in his head. Then he sits down with precision instruments and mathematical formulas; although it is probably implemented on computer and draws the ideas in his head. He selects the site to build. And he lays the foundation and sets boundaries. The house goes on sturdy land and the pool is set so that the water does not exceed its boundaries.
This is what God demonstrates here. I did not consider this before but God says the angels shouted and rejoiced because of what he had created. When I lived in Portland Oregon, every year they would build the street of dreams. On these streets were glorious houses that hundreds if not thousands would come to book and marvel. I am sure this is how the Angels marveled and admired and the creations that came from the mind of God.
God asks Joe about light and darkness. He asks him about water and clouds. He asks about storms, snow, hailstorms, the dew and ice. He asks about food for ravens, the nest of the eagle high in the treetops, the fast running ostrich who is careless with her offspring. He talks about the wild donkeys that search for anything green. He talks about the ox and the load that it carries. And God tells him to brace himself like a man and answer these questions.
Here is something that interests me. I never thought of clouds having boundaries but they do. Clouds wrap themselves completely around the earth but they can only go but so high. God set that boundary when he created them.
God's speech to Job does not deal with his issue of suffering and pain. I must confess that it puzzles me somewhat. What God does say is that Job has spoken without knowledge. This is true because Job does not know what is going on behind the scenes; although the reader knows the background story.
But even more so Job, as with the rest of us, sorely lacks the wisdom to understand things from God's perspective. So, God questions him.
God gives Job a series of questions to answer. God asks him the hard questions, the who, the what, the where and others.
God's Questions
One of the things that stand out for me is how God moves through creation as he questions. He starts off by asking where was Job when God laid the foundation and who placed the cornerstone? Who drew the dimensions, the lines and barriers so that what he created stayed within its boundaries.
When I hear things like this, I think of an architect who has ideas in his head. Then he sits down with precision instruments and mathematical formulas; although it is probably implemented on computer and draws the ideas in his head. He selects the site to build. And he lays the foundation and sets boundaries. The house goes on sturdy land and the pool is set so that the water does not exceed its boundaries.
This is what God demonstrates here. I did not consider this before but God says the angels shouted and rejoiced because of what he had created. When I lived in Portland Oregon, every year they would build the street of dreams. On these streets were glorious houses that hundreds if not thousands would come to book and marvel. I am sure this is how the Angels marveled and admired and the creations that came from the mind of God.
God asks Joe about light and darkness. He asks him about water and clouds. He asks about storms, snow, hailstorms, the dew and ice. He asks about food for ravens, the nest of the eagle high in the treetops, the fast running ostrich who is careless with her offspring. He talks about the wild donkeys that search for anything green. He talks about the ox and the load that it carries. And God tells him to brace himself like a man and answer these questions. Here is something that interests me. I never thought of clouds having boundaries but they do. Clouds wrap themselves completely around the earth but they can only go but so high. God set that boundary when he created them.
And this is not the end of God's speech. He continues into the next chapters. Truly an interesting read. The writer is quoting God exactly so that the reader knows exactly what God said.
That's it for today.
That's it for today.
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