Head Change: To know that God speaks to us in many ways, including powerful, awe-inspiring moments.
Heart Change: To feel a renewed sense of awe at the mightiness of God.
Life Change: To submit to the God who created the universe, listening more closely to him as he reminds us of his great power and authority.
Mountains, beaches, stars, puppies, babies . . . creation can be glorious to behold. Which parts of creation most prompt you to worship God?
In recent years, technological advances have allowed us to see images from the far reaches of our universe or sidewalk views of almost every street in the world. At the same time, we can see and understand the microscopic details of a cell’s inner mechanisms. We can see almost everything in creation—both visible and invisible—on the screens of our cell phones. God’s creative genius has never been more available to observe and marvel over.
Seeing his power demonstrated in creation should lead us to trust him more deeply, even when we are in pain and are doubting his goodness. In today’s session, God finally speaks to Job. While he does not give Job an answer to why he is suffering he does redirect Job’s perspective of how to see his pain.
This session covers Job 38–40. Due to the length of this passage, read Job 38:1–21, 31–36; 39: 1–6, 19–20, 26–27; 40:1–14 for a general overview of this section.
1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb,
9 when I made clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
10 and prescribed limits for it
and set bars and doors,
11 and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?
12 “Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
and caused the dawn to know its place,
13 that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
and the wicked be shaken out of it?
14 It is changed like clay under the seal,
and its features stand out like a garment.
15 From the wicked their light is withheld,
and their uplifted arm is broken.
16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea,
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
18 Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
Declare, if you know all this.
19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
and where is the place of darkness,
20 that you may take it to its territory
and that you may discern the paths to its home?
21 You know, for you were born then,
and the number of your days is great!
Job 38-1-21 ESV
31 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
or loose the cords of Orion?
32 Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season,
or can you guide the Bear with its children?
33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you establish their rule on the earth?
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
that a flood of waters may cover you?
35 Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go
and say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts
or given understanding to the mind?
Job 38:31-36 ESV
1“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the does?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill,
and do you know the time when they give birth,
3 when they crouch, bring forth their offspring,
and are delivered of their young?
4 Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open;
they go out and do not return to them.
5 “Who has let the wild donkey go free?
Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
6 to whom I have given the arid plain for his home
and the salt land for his dwelling place?
Job 39:1-6 ESV
19 “Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 Do you make him leap like the locust?
His majestic snorting is terrifying.
Job 39:19-20 ESV
26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars
and spreads his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
and makes his nest on high?
Job 39:26-27 ESV
1 And the Lord said to Job:
2 “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
Job Promises Silence
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4 “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further.”
The Lord Challenges Job
6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
7 “Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
8 Will you even put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?
9 Have you an arm like God,
and can you thunder with a voice like his?
10 “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
11 Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
and look on everyone who is proud and abase him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
and tread down the wicked where they stand.
13 Hide them all in the dust together;
bind their faces in the world below.
14 Then will I also acknowledge to you
that your own right hand can save you.
Job 40:1-14 ESV
DISCUSS
Job 38 is the pivot point for the entire book of Job. The human voices have finally quieted, and the Creator takes center stage. His first words leave no doubt that he is the central character of the creation.
God revealed himself with a thunderous entrance, speaking from “the whirlwind.” The Almighty had arrived. When you think of God speaking to you, what comes to mind? How does your mental assumption of God’s voice correlate to the description here?
God did not get upset with Job’s questions or doubts. What angered God was Job’s accusation that God was unjust and wrong for allowing him to suffer. What do you think is the difference between wrestling with doubt and accusing God of being wrong?
God challenged Job in verses 2 and 3, calling his words “ignorant” and telling him to get ready or brace himself “like a man.” Job had questioned God as if he was an equal, but God reminded him they were not. How common is it in your life to think of God or talk to him in a casual manner? To what degree do you bring your complaints to him as if he were a friend sitting next to you? What tone do you strike when praying about your hurts, fears, griefs?
God is not quiet or tame. He is not passive or apathetic toward his people. He is present, listening and overseeing everything from the smallest fly to the grandest nebulas. In what ways can we seek to tame or tone down God’s power? Do you think we should downplay scenes where he is angry or correcting his people? Why, or why not?
God did not directly answer Job’s questions or tell him why he suffered. Instead, he responds by asking Job a long series of questions. Read Job 38:8, 12–13, 16–21, 31–36; 39:1–6, 19–20, 26–27.
God’s questions are all rhetorical. Francis even called them sarcastic. Of course Job wasn’t there when God created the cosmos or separated the sea from dry land! God’s overwhelming evidence of his might, knowledge, and power highlights Job’s (and our own) limited perspective and power. We are not like God. If we do not know how God made the universe, we cannot possibly fathom how he controls and oversees the universe. What response do you think God is looking for from Job? From us?
God is in control over every inch of the universe and our circumstances. His kingly authority may not dispel our doubt or questions, but it can lead us to trust him. As you think of your current struggles, how does God’s authority over you affect the way you respond to your pain or doubt?
In Job 40:1–4. God switched from a rhetorical defense of his power to a pointed defense of his character. He asked Job and us, “Will we correct him? Will we argue with God?” What kinds of situations have prompted you to argue or question God’s decisions? How did you express your skepticism of his goodness?
Job’s response to God’s speech is much like his response in chapter 1. Recognizing who God is caused Job to humble himself. As Job ruminated on his doubts and his friend’s accusations, something changed—he forgot who God was and questioned his goodness. It is not wrong to have doubts or questions, but we should be careful to not let our doubts turn into accusatory pride. What would it look like to faithfully revere God while working through doubt?
In Job 40:7–14. Job had a serious hang-up: if God runs the world in a way where righteous people can suffer, then God’s sense of justice is flawed. If Job were running the world, suffering would come only to the wicked. To what extent do you agree with Job?
Job’s strategy sounds fair, even right. But if Job were to do what he wants—to only punish the wicked—where would the punishment end? God says If you can punish every evil person, you must have the ability to save yourself. In other words, don’t be so quick to exempt yourself from deserving punishment. How would you define who is good and who is evil? Where, specifically, should we draw the line between those two groups?
By having the audacity to question the fairness of God and justify himself, Job ironically revealed that he was unrighteous all along. His heart was prideful, and in his pride, he overreached, feeling free to judge God. What has suffering taught you about your heart? In what ways have you been surprised to learn your stated views don’t quite match your inner beliefs?
Francis ended by exhorting us to spend time reading God’s words to Job. They will help us get a better handle on the full character of God, which includes his power, his holiness, and his authority. We will stand before God face to face one day, and we will tremble. How much time have you spent thinking about your coming audience with your Creator? What feelings arise as you contemplate that day?
We may never know why we suffer. We will never understand how God controls the cosmos. But what we can know is God is supremely in control, concerned with our hearts, and the way we endure our suffering. He is asking us to trust him, even when we have questions. What does it take for you to trust God—to have faith in him—today?
Job’s pain and grief led him to question God. Our pain and grief often lead us to the same conclusion. But God’s response shows us that we simply do not have the perspective or insight to understand how God made the world, much less guides its movements. We may never know why we are going through our suffering, but we can know God has not lost control of the world or cast us aside. He is near and, in Christ, working all things together for our good. Suffering is a mystery that can lead us to God’s throne, awestruck and humbled.
Meditate on the truth of God’s perfectly good character and ultimate power over all creation. He is a God worth trusting.