Chapters 38, 39, 40

JOB

Leon L. Combs, M.A., M.Div., Ph.D.

Chapter Thirty Eight

We have been longingly waiting for God to reply and He does so in a very remarkable manner. God has actually appeared to only a few people in history such as Abraham, Moses, and Elijah so this is indeed quite an honor for Job. God will speak to Job about His power and mystery in creation and in His care for animate creatures. But He will not speak on the issues of innocent suffering or retributive justice.

Job 38:1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

The writer uses the covenant name of God, Yahweh, but the people of the east did not know God by this name. This name is not revealed to Israel until centuries later (Exodus 3: 6, 14). This name was used in chapters 1 and 2 so the writer wants us to know this is the same God. It is Yahweh who has been dealing with His people throughout all history and the name tends to bring together the entire Bible with the fulfillment in Jesus Christ. It is important to understand that this is unmediated speech from God so it all needs to be paid close attention. We also see that Yahweh is speaking directly to one person as He answers Job. God speaks to Job out of the whirlwind that is also significant. We read many verses of God appearing in a storm or whirlwind such as the following:

2Ki 2:11-12 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. (12) Elisha saw it and cried out, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

Isa 66:15 For behold, the LORD will come in fire And His chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.

Jer 4:13 "Behold, he goes up like clouds, And his chariots like the whirlwind; His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!"

Exo 19:19-20 When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. (20) The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

Psa 18:13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.

Eze 13:13 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "I will make a violent wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and hailstones to consume it in wrath.

1

Zec 9:14 Then the LORD will appear over them, And His arrow will go forth like lightning; And the Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, And will march in the storm winds of the south.

Isa 29:6 From the LORD of hosts you will be punished with thunder and earthquake and loud noise, With whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire.

Jer 23:19 "Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling tempest; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.

Jer 30:23 Behold, the tempest of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, A sweeping tempest; It will burst on the head of the wicked.

Nah 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

We now want to hear what God has to say.

Job 38:2-3"Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? (3) "Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

God first asks who this man coming before him thinks he is but he has used words without clearly understanding what he was saying. Job has said that God introduced terrible evil into the world:

Job 12:19-25 "He makes priests walk barefoot And overthrows the secure ones. 20) "He deprives the trusted ones of speech And takes away the discernment of the elders. (21) "He pours contempt on nobles And loosens the belt of the strong. (22) "He reveals mysteries from the darkness And brings the deep darkness into light. (23) "He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away. (24) "He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth's people And makes them wander in a pathless waste. (25) "They grope in darkness with no light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.

He has also accused God of bringing disorder into a world that should be ordered:Job 9:5-8 "It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger; (6) Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; (7) Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars; (8) Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea;

Job then has a lot to answer to God concerning his accusations against Him. God then tells Job to tuck his robe into his belt as a warrior getting ready for battle. Then God says that he will ask Job some questions and he can then instruct Him! God does not tell Job what transpired in chapters 1 and 2 and we might wonder why, but much will become clearer as we progress through these last chapters.

Job 38:4-7"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, (5) Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on 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?

2

God now begins to school Job on the creation of the universe. It is a magnificent structure such as seen below and God asks Job first if he was present when God began this creation. Then He asks Job to show his understanding by telling Him who set its measurements and who set the boundaries of it. We need to remember that the people of this time and many centuries into the future thought of the universe like they think of a building. It has to have a foundation, support pillars, a cornerstone, and limits to its development. He asks Job who set up the structures to hold it all together and who laid the stone that would serve as the cornerstone for it. Job had complained about the creation being filled with disorder and evil, but God tells him that when it was created the morning stars all sang together and the angels of God shouted for joy over the beauty of the creation as it was declared by Him as being good. These are not literal stars but are used as metaphors for heavenly beings who rejoiced at the beauty in this creation. They were not just rejoicing at the physical nature of the creation but also at all of its inherent ethical aspects.

Job 38:8-11"Or who enclosed the sea with doors When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb; (9) When I made a cloud its garment And thick darkness its swaddling band, (10) And I placed boundaries on it And set a bolt and doors, (11) And I said, 'Thus far you shall come, but no farther; And here shall your proud waves stop'?

Remember that the sea is a source of danger, evil, chaos, and even death so verse 8 changes the tune to dangers that God controls. The image here is that the sea can burst forth like a baby from the womb to strike terror into the hearts, minds, and bodies of people. God says that He restrains this evil with a cloud as its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band to restrain it. He then placed it into an area with boundaries like a playpen for a baby so that it cannot go anywhere but where He determines it to go. At the door to the enclosure God put a bolt that only He can open.

3

God tells us that He has set limits on what evil can do and like a huge wave is stopped by high cliffs, God controls what it can do. When we remember our discussion on God’s method of governance this brief discussion is easily understood. God rules sovereignly over Satan whom He allows to have some actions like He allowed him to have with Job:

Job 1:12 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.

Job 2:6 So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life."Evil is present in the world but God controls it.

Job 38:12-15"Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place, (13) That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? (14) "It is changed like clay under the seal; And they stand forth like a garment. (15) "From the wicked their light is withheld, And the uplifted arm is broken.

Now God changes His role to that of the general. He is the One who commands the morning to appear and for dawn to have its place in life of man. He can figuratively take hold of the ends of the earth like one would grab the ends of a tablecloth and shake off the waste. He shakes the wicked away from the coming day since they are most active at night. God is telling Job that evil has a temporary place in the universe ever since the fall but He is in absolute control of it so it has to retreat when He commands it to do so. When the two-dimensional clay is pressed with the seal it takes a three-dimensional shape. Similarly the night is changed into a beautiful structure as the daylight shines upon it. It also then stands forth like a garment with color and structure that is not so perceived in the darkness. Each day is then a pledge from God that although evil has its place in the world it is under His control and one day it will be gone just as the sea with its evil connotations will be gone: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. (Rev 21:1) The wheat and the tares will also be allowed to grow together until the day when the angels will separate them (Matt 13:24-30). The “light” of the wicked is darkness and when God acts their “light” is withheld and the arms that bring about evil acts will be broken: "For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness, For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness. (Job 24:17)

Job 38:16-18"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 understood the expanse of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.

God now reveals to Job the place of the dead. There is no place that God has not been or knows intimately about as He controls everything. The springs of the sea and the recesses of the deep are the places where they start and they are inaccessible to man. Similarly the gates of death and deep darkness are places where man can only go once. The expanse of the earth relates to what lies beneath the earth that is similarly not a place man can go. God asks Job if he knows all about these areas and, of course, the answer is no. Only one person born on earth has been there and returned. By the work of Jesus Christ, all Christians no longer have to experience the sting of

4

death. Certainly Job thinks he has experienced some of the aspects of the sting of death but we know differently so we have no fear of death:

1Cor 15:55-57 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" (56) The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; (57) but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

God has now revealed His control over evil in the world and His control over the afterlife.

Job 38:19-21"Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place, (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!

God now brings Job to two other areas of existence, light and darkness. He has already spoken to Job about how the daylight is representative of evil not existing forever and now He asks Job if he knows the way to the place where these two places dwell before they come into existence. If he did know then he would be able to control them. Light and darkness always have ethical meanings also such as goodness and evil, order and disorder, and joy and gloom. If he knew then he would have been there when they were created and so he would be an eternal being. Of course Job has no understanding of where they exist or how to control them for he is a mere mortal being. It was part of God’s plan from before creation that light and darkness would exist. I recommend my article on light: http://livingtheology.com/Light.html.

Job 38:22-24"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, (23) Which I have reserved for the time of distress, For the day of war and battle? (24) "Where is the way that the light is divided, Or the east wind scattered on the earth?

The next five sections teach Job and us to look at the sky as a means of reflection on God’s control of the universe. It is interesting that four of the five concern water, the most abundant substance on earth but one that is not yet completely understood. People of Job’s time thought that there were storehouses of different precipitations above the earth that could be released upon the earth through the “windows of heaven”. The first God mentions is snow that has been used as a weapon of war by God like in When the Almighty scattered the kings there, It was snowing in Zalmon. (Psa 68:14) Also Napoleon and Hitler lost more men due to snow and cold than because of other enemy actions. The next storehouse God mentions is hail that He often used as a weapon:

Jos 10:11 As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

Exo 9:18-26 "Behold, about this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. (19) "Now therefore send, bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die."'" (20) The one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the

5

LORD made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; (21) but he who paid no regard to the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field. (22) Now the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, on man and on beast and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt." (23) Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt. (24) So there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very severe, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. (25) The hail struck all that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; the hail also struck every plant of the field and shattered every tree of the field. (26) Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.

Isa 30:30 And the LORD will cause His voice of authority to be heard, And the descending of His arm to be seen in fierce anger, And in the flame of a consuming fire In cloudburst, downpour and hailstones.

In context the light of verse 24 must be the lightning that is released from the sky in times of storms. The east wind is the strong desert wind that brings drought and heat. Job cannot know how the lightning comes only at certain times (“divided”) and the east wind comes at designated times. If he knew all this then he would be able to control them all and he does not and cannot.

Job 38:25-27"Who has cleft a channel for the flood, Or a way for the thunderbolt, (26) To bring rain on a land without people, On a desert without a man in it, (27) To satisfy the waste and desolate land And to make the seeds of grass to sprout?

God is following up on verse 24 when He speaks of “the way” concerning the division of light. Here there is a way that the water causes a flood by way of the channel that has been cleft, implying that someone made the channel for the water to flow from the storehouse. Similarly someone made a way for the lightning and thunder to come to the ground. That someone has to be God for certainly no man could have done such. Also the rain can come to a land without anyone present and even on a desert without any people. So there are no people to have called down the rain. It is entirely an act of God who causes the seeds of grass to sprout with no people to benefit. God causes the needed water for life to come down and Job has no knowledge of how He does such.

Job 38:28-30"Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew? (29) "From whose womb has come the ice? And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth? (30) "Water becomes hard like stone, And the surface of the deep is imprisoned

God wants Job to understand somewhat His relationship to water in the world. He paints a picture of Him as the originator of the water in its various forms even to the drops of dew that form in the morning. The poetic language is beautiful describing God as the person from whose “womb” even the ice and frost come. When the water changes to ice it becomes hard as stone and covers the surface of the lakes so that nothing can come from them. This last may be a picture of God controlling when evil comes from the sea due to their understanding of the depths

6

of the sea bringing forth evil. God shows Job that he cannot think about the blessings of the rain without also thinking of Him as the controller of death from ice. God is sovereign over all.

Job 38:31-33"Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, Or loose the cords of Orion? (32) "Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, And guide the Bear with her satellites? (33) "Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, Or fix their rule over the earth?

Literally verse 31 reads “which makes Ash Kesil and Kimah”. The translations of Ash Kesil and Kimah are generally supported by ancient texts and especially the Septuagint to the above names although some doubt remains. The ancients often worshipped star clusters that seemed to have certain shapes to which they were familiar. The bear in verse 32 is from the word Ash that often means “the Great Bear”. Kesil means “an insolent, rich man” and was associated with Nimrod who was put into the sky as punishment. It was later called “the Giant” or “the insolent one” and later called “Orion” by the Greeks. Kimah has a meaning of a cluster and later called “Pleiades” by the Greeks. Job is considering the huge spaces of the sky behind his southern horizon as he may have had some insight from travelers. The Pleiades star cluster is also known as the Seven Sisters. It is visible from every place on earth. It can be seen from as far north as the North Pole, and farther south than the southernmost tip of South America. It looks like a small hazy dipper of stars:

Orion is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous and recognizable constellations in the night sky. It was named after Orion, a hunter in Greek mythology. Its brightest stars are Rigel (Beta Orionis) and Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis), a blue-white and a red supergiant, respectively.

7

God asks Job if he has any control over these constellations as to what they look like and when they appear in the sky. God is emphasizing to Job and to all who read these words that He is in absolute control over all that we can see and what we cannot see. Job 38:34-38

"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, So that an abundance of water will 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 innermost being Or given understanding to the mind? (37) "Who can count the clouds by wisdom, Or tip the water jars of the heavens, (38) When the dust hardens into a mass And the clods stick together?

God further tells Job about His control over the world by a series of questions to which Job must answer “no”. God controls when rain falls and how much and He controls the lightning as it seems to tell the world that He is there. The ancients reasoned that someone must be in control so God asks Job who put the wisdom and understanding into the mind that controls the weather. Of course the answer is that nobody is above God so He is the originator of such wisdom and understanding. They viewed the clouds like water jars that could be tilted so that water came forth from them so God is telling Job that He is the one who controls such an event. When there is no rain the dirt hardens into clods that stick together and make it hard to till the soil. God is also in control over those events that seem to bring hardship to farmers. So again God paints the picture of Him being in absolute control over everything.

Job 38:39-41"Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, (40) When they crouch in their dens And lie in wait in their lair? (41) "Who prepares for the raven its nourishment When its young cry to God And wander about without food?

By implication God is telling Job that He is responsible for the animals being able to find food for themselves and their young. Then the vultures can feed off of the leftovers and take care of their young. We also read of similar sayings in other Scripture such as:

Psa 147:9 He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens which cry. Psa 104:21 The young lions roar after their prey And seek their food from God.

8

It seems that God is telling Job that the creation is temporarily designed according to His wisdom and omniscience so that suffering is necessary for the survival of others. This predation may be pointing the way to redemptive suffering by Jesus Christ so as to bring life to all redeemed humanity. By asking questions rather than just telling Job all of these concepts, He is making us all think deeply about the questions. Even in suffering God is in absolute control. He uses secondary sources to accomplish His will but He is sovereign. He has made it very clear in all of these questions that we must repent and submit to Him at all times.

Chapter Thirty Nine

Job 39:1-4 "Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer? (2) "Can you count the months they fulfill, Or do you know the time they give birth? (3) "They kneel down, they bring forth their young, They get rid of their labor pains. (4) "Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field; They leave and do not return to them.

God continues His method of teaching by asking questions. There are cycles to the lives of every living being. God knows the time of every event in the bringing forth of life for these creatures so He certainly knows the time of every event in the lives of His children. There is pain in birth and then a relief from that pain as a new life emerges. Then the offspring grow and learn to function in the world. Then they leave the nest not to return and that brings pain again. This is the cycle of life in which we are all involved. There is a time for everything:

Ecc 3:1-8 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-- (2) A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. (3) A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. (4) A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. (5) A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. (6) A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. (7) A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. (8 A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.

God wants us to learn intimately that He is in control of all that happens in the times of our life and we need to learn to wait on Him. Waiting is maybe the hardest thing God asks us to do.

Job 39:5-8"Who sent out the wild donkey free? And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey, (6) To whom I gave the wilderness for a home And the salt land for his dwelling place? (7) "He scorns the tumult of the city, The shoutings of the driver he does not hear. (8) "He explores the mountains for his pasture And searches after every green thing.

Letting a young person choose the place to live after the adults have raised him is one of the most difficult things to do also. Even the wild donkey has to have a time when he chooses to leave the confines of his home and go somewhere else. God set the time when the young donkey left and He watches as he goes into the wilderness and the salt land for a place to live. These

9

don’t seem to be ideal locations but the city is not the place for the swift donkey. In the wilderness he does not have to listen to the shoutings of drivers. He is free to explore the mountains for his new pasture and to search for needed food. This freedom is the gift of God and the animal chooses to live there without compromising the providential control of God over all creation. Humans certainly feel pain when their child chooses to leave home and search for a new life of his choosing but that also is part of life.

Job 39:9-12"Will the wild ox consent to serve you, Or will he spend the night at your manger? (10) "Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes, Or will he harrow the valleys after you? (11) "Will you trust him because his strength is great And leave your labor to him? (12) "Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain And gather it from your threshing floor?

Here God paints a ridiculous episode from a human perspective. The wild ox is a fierce creature with two horns and is more than six feet across the shoulders. David compares fighting a lion with the fighting of a wild ox: Save me from the lion's mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me. (Psa 22:21) Balaam compares the overwhelming power of God to that of the horns of the wild ox: "God brings them out of Egypt, He is for them like the horns of the wild ox. (Num 23:22) This then is a very dangerous animal that is not to be considered worthy of domestication. God asks Job if this ox would consent to serve him or spend the night in his manger. He further asks if Job can bind the ox with ropes so that he will harrow the valleys after him. Finally He asks Job if he would have confidence in the ox to return the grain and gather it from the threshing floor. The answers to all the questions is “no” for only God can tame a wild ox. It would be wonderful to tame such an animal so that its great strength can be used in farming. But there are many wild and dangerous animals and events in the world and it takes wisdom to know when to approach them and when to leave such to the wisdom of God.

Job 39:13-18"The ostriches' wings flap joyously With the pinion and plumage of love, (14) For she abandons her eggs to the earth And warms them in the dust, (15) And she forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may trample them. (16) "She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers; Though her labor be in vain, she is unconcerned; (17) Because God has made her forget wisdom, And has not given her a share of understanding. (18) "When she lifts herself on high, She laughs at the horse and his rider.

This is a different type of portrait from God for there are no questions included and He speaks of Himself in third person in verse 17. God created a really strange creature who flaps her wings perhaps in a show of love but cannot fly. She goes through the process of developing the eggs but then abandons them after warming them in a nest. She apparently does not take care of the young that do develop from the eggs as she shows them no concern. All of this is because God created her without any wisdom and did not give her a share of understanding. But even though she cannot fly she can run very fast as she laughs at the horse and his rider as she runs past them. Why did God give Job and us this entertaining segment? Perhaps it is because God has created many seemingly strange and paradoxical situations among the creation including in His governing methods. We may not see the reasons for much of what God has done and does but we

10

are only to trust in Him to make it all clear one day. Later we know that Jesus is somewhat of a paradox as He had a very ordinary appearance and was treated horribly but through His paradoxical work is the key to righteousness for God’s people.

Isa 53:2-5 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. (3) He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (4) Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. (5) But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

Job 39:19-25"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 terrible. (21) "He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He goes out to meet the weapons. (22) "He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; And he does not turn back from the sword. (23) "The quiver rattles against him, The flashing spear and javelin. (24) "With shaking and rage he races over the ground, And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet. (25) "As often as the trumpet sounds he says, 'Aha!' And he scents the battle from afar, And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.

God returns to His use of rhetorical questions to get Job thinking about God’s power. We know that horses were used in warfare over 5,000 years ago. The earliest evidence of such use of horses dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 B.C. These were fierce animals that were fitted with armor and had mighty manes:

The word “mane” comes from a word meaning “thunder” that speaks of divine power. They could leap like a locust as they pounce toward the enemy and the snorting noise they made would send fear through the spine of opponents. Before attacking they paw fiercely at the ground and raise up to show his great strength. He goes to meet the weapons of enemies with no fear and that mode of attack has caused much fear in those he opposes. He keeps going toward the swords of the enemy with no fear. The quiver holding the javelin and arrows rattle against his side and those sounds also send fear into the enemy. Imagine this magnificent animal shaking his mane and making terrifying noises as he carries his rider toward the enemy and we get some understanding of why they were so successful in warfare. There is no holding him back from advancing as the trumpet sounds for war. He says “aha” when he hears the trumpet because he was trained for advancing into war to bring death and destruction. He lives to hear the shouting of the captains as the war cry is given. These are terrifying creatures who would be a threat to Job and others but they have a master who is God. It is He who has endowed these creatures with their abilities for warfare. Job must bow before the One who created them and maintains them.

11

Job can visualize these terrifying abilities that give him some insight into God with His omnipotent powers.

Job 39:26-30"Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, Stretching his wings toward the south? (27) "Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up And makes his nest on high? (28) "On the cliff he dwells and lodges, Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible place. (29) "From there he spies out food; His eyes see it from afar. (30) "His young ones also suck up blood; And where the slain are, there is he."

God now turns His attention to predators and their prey. This is an awesome scene of birds that have such abilities to hunt for prey. God paints a gruesome picture of the hawk soaring to the south in his hunt. He makes his nest on a high mountain so his young will be safer from other predators. From this height he has magnificent vision so he can spot a pray far below and soar to get it. He then brings the torn body back to his nest so that the young ones can suck up the blood and eat the flesh. This is a predator who can easily find prey that has already died and makes for an easy catch. All of this is done by the understanding that God has given the hawk. Creation is such that where there is life there is also death in a cycle that will not end until the end of this age when Jesus returns. There is a balance in His creation that only God can understand and oversee. We can only bow to the sovereignty of God and trust Him: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28, again!).

Chapter Forty

Job 40:1-2 Then the LORD said to Job, (2) "Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it."

We have clearly seen that Job is a faultfinder of God. He has reasoned above his understanding and in doing so has sinned in many of his statements. He must come to repentance for those sins even though he has no secret sins for which he has not repented. His three friends were wrong about Job’s sin state but Elihu was right in his accusations against Job for his criticisms of God’s actions and thoughts. Yahweh has allowed Satan to take away Job’s children, his greatness in the community, and his health. But in all this Yahweh has declared that His counsel is correct and His actions are indeed just. Yahweh then commands Job to answer to his false accusations against Him.

Job 40:3-5 Then Job answered the LORD and said, (4) "Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth. (5) "Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add nothing more."

Finally Job does answer Yahweh with an admission that he is insignificant in comparison to God and he symbolically puts his hand over his mouth in an act of condemnation for what he has said

12

about God. He then declares that he will not make any such comments again. He states that he has repeatedly made such sinful comments and he is admitting that he has no basis for making such statements.

Job 40:6-8Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm and said, (7) "Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. (8) "Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?

God then continues to answer Job out of the storm. He again tells Job to tuck in his long shirt so that it does not interfere with his efforts and to act like a man that God created. He states that He will ask Job questions and it is up to Job to answer Him. Verses 6 and 7 are repeats of 38:1, 3. Even with many questions asked previously, Job has yet to answer other than to say that he is an insignificant being with no basis for answering God. Now God asks Job if he dares to turn away His judgment and even condemn Him so that he may be justified. These are actions that Job has indeed taken.

Job 40:9-14 "Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His? (10) "Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity, And clothe yourself with honor and majesty. (11) "Pour out the overflowings of your anger, And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low. (12) "Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him, And tread down the wicked where they stand. (13) "Hide them in the dust together; Bind them in the hidden place. (14) "Then I will also confess to you, That your own right hand can save you.

God first asks Job how he is qualified to rule as He does by the use of His arm that brings forth help for the righteous and punishment for the wicked as later specified in verses such as:

Exo 15:16 "Terror and dread fall upon them; By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone; Until Your people pass over, O LORD, Until the people pass over whom You have purchased.

Psa 89:13-14 You have a strong arm; Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted. (14) Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.

Only God can thunder forth commands with His voice and such is only mentioned in this book and in the last Book such as: Rev 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. God then states some other actions of His that Job cannot perform.

God first asks Job to put on the royal robes of a ruler that imply his eminence and dignity. Then add more of the outward manifestations of honor and majesty. We can imagine the Roman Catholic robes, hats, jewelry, etc. that they wear to impress people with their status as rulers of that religion such as:

13

Now that Job has dressed himself accordingly, let him begin to do some of the duties of God. God tells Job to now pour out a godly anger toward all that deserves such. God twice mentions dealing with people who are proud for that is especially unappealing to God as they should be humble before Him. God tells Job to make the proud look the part as they are before the Ruler of the universe. They should be bowing lowly and humble. God then tells Job to hunt down all the wicked and to wear them down, hide them in the dirt and to bind them in the place of the dead. This placement even of the angels who followed Satan will be mentioned by Jude: And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, (Jude 1:6) God then tells Job that after he has done all of these things then He will tell him that he will be allowed to save himself. All of this helps us to understand the futility of our being able to save ourselves. Only God can do all these actions and therefore only God can save us as later Jesus Christ will indeed do. This is a perfect example of how God must come and be the sinless One to die for our sins so that we might indeed be righteous: He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:21)

Job 40:15-24 "Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you; He eats grass like an ox. (16) "Behold now, his strength in his loins And his power in the muscles of his belly. (17) "He bends his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are knit together. (18) "His bones are tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron. (19) "He is the first of the ways of God; Let his maker bring near his sword. (20) "Surely the mountains bring him food, And all the beasts of the field play there. (21) "Under the lotus plants he lies down, In the covert of the reeds and the marsh. (22) "The lotus plants cover him with shade; The willows of the brook surround him. (23) "If a river rages, he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth. (24) "Can anyone capture him when he is on watch, With barbs can anyone pierce his nose?

God now and in the next chapter describes two terrifying beasts that He has made and that only He can capture. There are many debates about whether these are real animals such as the hippopotamus and crocodile, story-book creatures, or symbolic descriptions of death and Satan.

14

We will examine these possibilities after we have read the description of the Leviathan in the next chapter. First we will look at this description of the Behemoth. The name is the plural form of an animal that might be described as “The Superbeast”. God clearly states that He made this being just as He also made Job. He eats grass like an ox and his loins and belly muscles are incredibly strong. He has a massively powerful tale and his thigh muscles are well developed. His bones are strong as tubes of bronze and his limbs are like bars of iron. He is stated in verse 19 as being the preeminent works of God and so only the One who made him can approach him with a sword to destroy him.

Being fed by the mountains may mean that what washes down from the mountains brings vegetation that he can eat to the valley where many other animals play. He gets some shade from the lotus plants and in the undercover of the reeds and marsh. The willows of the brook surround him and he has no fear of the raging river as he remains confident as the Jordan rushes toward him. There is no human who can conquer him when he is alert to danger and no person can use arrows or spears to pierce his nose as one might do to try to kill him. Only God can conquer him. It is easy to see how people might think of this being descriptive of the hippopotamus or of some story-book creature.

15