God Speaks to Job - Job 38

Job 38:1-2 "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?"

Now Job starts to learn some things and as my large print Bible says in the heading 'God shows Job's limits'.

The chapter is filled with questions. A teacher often asked questions of students. Not to learn from them but to teach them the answers. God is the master teacher.

v4 "Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding."

v5 "Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?"

v6 "Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof?"

v7 "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

Then in verse 9 we learn the answer:

v9 "When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, v10 And said Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?" v11

The LORD tells us that like a child he has created the universe and told it where it can go and where it cannot go. He was there when the child first started out. But Job was not there then.

The passage contains the Where, Who, the When and the How.

Then Job is asked if he was involved in any of the creation:

v12 "Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; v13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?"

A number of verses start with "Hast Thou" and they show Job his limitations. Then Job is pointed to the stars and to the heavens:

v33 "Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?"

The desolate places where Job has not been are cared for by the LORD:

v26 "To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man v7 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?"

It seems like a good time to say 'I didn't think about that.'

Hast thou, Knowest thou, Canst thou, Wilt thou... All questions for Job to ponder.

v3 "Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee and answer thou me."

You know how children are. They go through phases in their childhood. They are tender babies, curious toddlers, willful, then full of knowledge by the time they are 18 or sooner. While their parents try all along to tell them that they have a lot to learn about life. Job had gone by the book, so to speak, and knew himself that he had lived a good life. Even Job could not equate himself with God. He was not so full of wisdom and good deeds that he could declare that he had no sin or that it was God that made mistakes and not himself. Remember the children 'Mom and Dad are old and they just don't get it'.

Job could have endured his affliction (although he was really going through a lot) without accusing God. Job could have admitted that he was not altogether righteous and taken his chastening as a child instead of laying down a challenge to God. But God is his lovingkindness takes Job as a student and teaches him in person from the whirlwind. See also Exodus 19:36 and Ezekiel 1:4.

We serve a big God. I am so glad that he does not seek out an opportunity to destroy us but rather holds out his hand to us in love. See John 3:16

Psalm 40:1 "I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry."

God shows Job his limitations.

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