Job 38-39: When God Enters The Story...

"Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

'Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.'"

From the third to the thirty-seventh chapter of Job, it has seemed as if God has not existed. Where is God? In the first chapter he was there, having his sovereign plan on Job's life. Yet in the majority of the book, he is merely spoken about, but not seen. Did God disappear? Does he even care?

In the chapters that we are looking at this morning, God enters the story. Don't get me wrong; he was always there, but today, we see his confrontation towards Job. In the past 35 chapters, a lot has happened. Job has complained of his turmoil and even contended against his Creator, all while his friends have given him some pretty bad advice. Nevertheless, God comes in and changes the script. No longer would he let his name be profaned; no longer would he let Job have his way; no longer would Job be allowed to be so arrogant to contend against his Maker.

And thus God enters with a sovereign question: "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?" The answer to this question is obviously Job, and it points to the fact that Job was very messed-up in his thinking. Although his counselors weren't the best, he made matters worse by speaking "words without knowledge." In other words, God is convicting Job of speaking to quickly and rashly, and the next two chapters confirm this point.

In these two chapters, the Lord asks Job a myriad of questions, requesting an answer, although Job certainly cannot answer even one of them. These questions (which you should go back and read for yourself) deal with a variety of things in God's creation, such as dew, ice, goats, donkeys, oxen, horses, and even ostriches. In essence, what the Lord is saying here is this: "Dear Job, I was just wondering, are you God? You've acted like you are, but I don't think you are, because you cannot answer any of these questions that I certainly know the answer to." Job, in the last 35 chapters, stood up against God, but he certainly would no longer. He had complained and contended amidst his trials, and even though he thought he was righteous in doing so, he was not, because he failed to trust in his sovereign God.

Likewise, in our own trials, we must not be like Job. Whereas Job complained and contended against God, we must be silent and trust. Does this mean we cannot plea to God for peace, and even a change of circumstance? Certainly. But if he does not answer, this does not warrant our disobedience. Let us remember from the words of Elihu that Job attempted to justify himself rather than God; surely we ought not to do so. Rather, we must trust God in every situation, knowing that his ways are higher than our ways.

Let us note one more thing in these chapters, that is, that God never told to Job the purpose for his trial. We might expect this, but the answer never comes. Rather, God encourages Job to simply trust him because of his greatness. Thus, we find that the solution to our trials is not knowing the purpose for them, though this is what we often ask for. The solution to our trials is trusting in a God who is able to comprehend things that we cannot understand, create things that we cannot imagine, and orchestrate things in ways that we cannot plan. Amen!