Year 8, Day 132: Job 38

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In this chapter we get our second glimpse of God in this book.  Remember what the first glimpse was all about.  The first glimpse was God lifting up Satan as an example of a righteous paragon.  We saw God tell Satan about Job, confident that Job’s faith would endure to the end, even in the midst of persecution.  Before we move on to the perspective of God that we see in this chapter, it’s important to point something out.  God was right.  Job remained faithful.  Job is still in relationship with God.  That is the greater context that allows this chapter and the chapters that follow to happen at all.  God was right, Job is still faithful.

That being said, we do get an opportunity to see a different side of God in this chapter.  This side is often seen as wrathful and a righteous judge.  Those perspectives aren’t wrong.  This chapter is all about putting Job in his place.  God takes the opportunity here to demonstrate why He is God and why Job is not.  While Job has been faithful, he has not been without mistakes.  He has questioned God’s motives.  He has accused God of being far away and not listening.  While Job is still in relationship with God, Job has erred.  It’s time for God to point out those errors.

That’s what I love about this chapter.  When the side of God that is the righteous judge steps up, God pulls no punches.  Can Job explain the origin of light?  Can job hold back the water?  Can Job explain exactly how the earth was formed and exactly what it contains?  Can Job command the morning to happen?  The reality is that Job – and all of us – pale in comparison to God.  We think we are so smart, but we are really so little.  We understand only those things that we realize we should understand.  To put it another way, we don’t know what we don’t know.

Human beings are marvelous things, but we are limited.  We don’t understand how much we don’t know and can’t explain!  That’s why the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.  Every good day should start with a healthy reminder of our human limitations.  It keeps us humble.  That’s God’s point to Job.  While Job is in relationship with God, he has lost his humbleness.  Job has gotten brazen and God knows that it is time to put Job in his place and put his brazenness in check.

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