Job 38-39
In these chapters we finally have the long awaited answer of God to Job. Job has been pleading and longing to be able to talk with God about his circumstances and now the moment has come.
But God doesn't answer as we might expect. He doesn't comfort and encourage and explain to Job. He doesn't justify his actions and he doesn't initially commend Job to his friends.
No! He appears in a whirlwind and his first words are, "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?" (38:1-3).
How terrifying this must have been!
Not only would Job have experienced the darkened skies and the noise of the howling wind as dust and air was whipped up into a perhaps monstrous magnificence, but then God appeared not to know him, instead demanding that Job answered God's questions.
We wonder why God says, 'Who is this...?' Could it have been a final test to Job's faith in this trial? As if to say, after all his claims to know God, that he trusted him, and that he knew his Redeemer, yet God didn't know him?
It reminds me of the woman who approached Jesus for help. (Matthew 15) She wanted him to heal her daughter but Jesus at first seemed to ignore her and then said he hadn't come to help people outside of Israel.
Jesus knew that he was going to help her, and he knew that he was going to commend the great faith that had been given to her, but he tested her by silence and then refusal, which drew out her faith.
Although painful, terrifying and hugely humbling to feel or hear God saying, 'Who are you?' what a great, great mercy it is when God is saying this to test us and draw out our faith. How terrible it will be if on the great day of judgement when Jesus comes again he says to us, 'I never knew you: depart from me' (Matthew 7:23)
Are we praying to God about something at the moment?
Do we so far feel his silence has been like a 'Who are you...I don't know you'?
Don't give up praying dear reader! If God has previously blessed you or given you longings to know him, then he does know you! He has known you and loved you from eternity. Keep pressing to him, and don't give him rest until he answers you.
But then God also says to Job, "Gird up now thy loins like a man: for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me..."
And now we have the full sense of this, "Who are you...?" as God fires question after question at Job regarding different aspects of creation, commencing with,
"Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare if thou hast understanding".
On and on God questions giving us beautiful glimpses into what actually happened when he spake the world into existence - of the stars and angels all shouting for joy as the earth took form, of the sea gushing into place as a woman's waters break, of the mysteries of the weather - the treasures of the snow and hail and so much more, and then the marvels of the animals he created - the peacocks' beautiful wings and the speed of the ostrich, to name just a few.
As if to say, who and what are you to question God, to think that you can reason with him, to think you have any wisdom, "who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart" (38:36).
Dear readers, what do we think we know?! What pride do we have in even our religious knowledge? Knowledge and wisdom which all comes from God. How little we know of him and his great power. Who are we to question him? What are we in comparison?
Lastly, does this answer of God to Job make us think how he might answer us because of how we approach him?
We perhaps get used to looking for answers in the way our lives are unfolding, the way opportunities are developing or finishing, the messages that ministers bring when they preach, words which stand out to us as we read the Bible, and sitting silently before him, listening for his still small voice which comes as lightly as a breath into our hearts and minds.
But how are we doing this, and how have we prayed? Has it been in a submissive, humble, loving way, or has it been in an angry, demanding, rebellious way as if we have a right to know, a right for certain things to happen or not happen, as if we are entitled?
When things don't go the way we want how easy it is to feel angry at God, to feel hurt that he has let something happen, to think that he doesn't care.
Job had perhaps become too self-assured and confident in expressing his understanding of God, and this great and terrifying way in which God answered 'put him in his place'.
Let us watch our spirit as we come before him and pray for softened hearts, that he might not answer us in a way which terrifies and shakes us, that we might not become assumptive or presumptive, but ever hold him in reverence and esteem, conscious of our unworthiness of his love and compassion.
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