Read Job 38:1-42:6Most people are familiar with the story of Job in the Bible. God gave Satan permission to afflict Job with suffering in order to prove to him that Job would never curse God. Job loses everything...his possessions, his wealth, his children, his livestock...and is covered from head to toe in boils. All of this happens in the first 2 chapters, which is the portion of the story that most people have heard of. In Job 3-37, Job laments his dire situation and is visited by several "friends" who do a lot more harm than good. Job is completely miserable and in deep pain, has received no comfort or support from anyone at all, and is left wondering why the heck all this would happen to him. For some reason, the very last section of Job (chapters 38-42) is less well known and is often overlooked. However, these chapters are an extremely powerful portion of Scripture, and I encourage you to read all of them in entirety before I examine them with you now.
Before this point in the book of Job, God has been silent. Now, He shows up in all His majesty and splendor and puts everyone in their place. The theme of His speeches seems to be, "Who are you to question me???" In chapters 38 and 39, the focus is on God's superior knowledge. God uses a series of poignant questions to reveal to Job how small he actually is and how unworthy he is to question or critique Him. God asks Job in 38:2, "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?" He's basically reminding Job that compared to Himself, Job knows absolutely nothing and has no right to put the almighty God on trial.
God asks Job where he was when the earth was formed, when the sea and the clouds came forth, when the boundaries and measurements of the world were established, when the whole solar system was placed in order. God asks Job if he has ever seen His heavenly storehouses, comprehended the earth's expanse, or seen the gates of death. Has Job ever brought about hail, snow, lightning or thunder? Has he made plants grow or ice form? Has he placed the stars in their exact place in the sky's great constellations? Does Job have anything to do with the intricacies of an animal's behavior or development? Does he have any idea how each unique species of animal lives and moves? Does Job have any control over the trillions in the animal kingdom or even begin to comprehend the mysteries of creation?
Can you imagine receiving this series of questions from the supernatural ruler of the universe? No wonder Job's response was, "Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?" (40:4).
In chapters 40 and 41, God is focusing more on His supreme power. It seems to me that the 2 verses that really sum this section up would be 41:10b-11, which say, "Who then is he that can stand before Me? Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine." In this speech God asks Job to look at the fiercest and most powerful creatures on earth that no man can tame. These creatures are terrifying to all who come in contact with them, yet they are nothing compared to the power and might of the Lord. When you think about the fiercest and most powerful creature on earth, you are beginning to get a mere glimpse of the power of God. Why do you think C.S. Lewis used a lion to portray Jesus? The lion is the king of all other creatures and holds the place of supreme power wherever he goes!
I love Job's humble response in 42:1-6. He admits that he has no understanding at all, because God's understanding is too lofty for him to attain (v.3). He confesses that God alone knows all things, and that His purposes will never be shaken (v.2). He ends with the humble statement, "Therefore, I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes" (v. 6).
Have you ever questioned God when tragic things occurred? I know I have. When hurricanes, earthquakes, disease, death, poverty, abuse, and war plague our world, almost everyone asks God why. If only we would reread this section of Scripture when we doubt that God knows what He is doing! Job suffered immensely, and like any other human being, he asked why. Job had lived a blameless life devoted to God and saw no reason to be given such affliction. However, he questioned God without knowledge. He didn't know about that conversation that God had with Satan prior to his suffering. He didn't know that God would later restore everything that had been taken from him two times over and bless him more than ever before (42:10-17). Most of all, Job didn't know that his story would be recorded in Scripture and read by countless people for thousands of years after his death.
As believers, we are going to encounter countless circumstances in our life that we don't understand, and we're going to be tempted to throw a pity party for ourselves and lament about our unfair treatment to anyone who will listen. The next time you are tempted to question God, remember this passage of Scripture. God is the Sovereign Creator of the universe and the King over all. His knowledge and power are so far beyond our comprehension, that we can't even begin to fathom them. Trying to comprehend His ways would be like trying to explain the Internet to an ant. We are small, but He is great. I'll close with Job's famous words, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, Blessed be the name of the Lord" (1:21).
