Year 8, Day 134: Job 40

Theological Commentary: Click Here

God gives one last word to Job as we begin this chapter.  Shall someone who knows fault challenge God, who doesn’t?  That puts us all pretty much in place.  As Jesus says, let the one who is without sin throw the first stone.  Being angry – even being angry with God – is a natural human instinct.  However, it’s still wrong.  We have no place to find fault with God.  We have no reason to contend with Him.

I continue to love how Job handles himself.  After hearing from God, he has a short reply.  After receiving a direct challenge from God, he knows enough to just stop talking.  This is the sum of Job’s ultimate argument: “I’m sorry, God.  You’re right.  I’m shutting up, now.”  I love that.  How many times when I am in the wrong would I not be better served by saying, “Wow, I am wrong.  I’m shutting up, now.”

For the rest of the chapter, God reminds Job and Job’s friends about life.  God reminds Job of two things.  First, Job should be humble because one of the largest and most powerful land animals that cannot be tamed, the behemoth, gets all of his strength by eating grass.  This is a display of God’s power.  God can make something that gets all of its nutrients from grass strong and respectable.  How much more can God do with human beings who have a brain with which we can think and plan!

Second, God reminds Job what he should be doing with his time.  Instead of wondering where God is in the midst of Job’s suffering, Job should have been going about God’s will.  Job should have been standing up for the oppressed.  He should have been making sure the proud were humbled.  He should have been resisting the wicked.  This is an incredible reminder.  How often do we allow our worries, concerns, and troubles to distract us from being obedient to the calling that God has for us?

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