Do you know that? (Job 38:1-7)

 

Do you know that? (Job 38:1-7)              

 

1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

² Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

³ Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

⁴ Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

⁵ Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

⁶ Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

⁷ When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

 

 God the creator of this world asks Job about very basic but ultimate questions, like where you were, do you know, can you even do it? This questions can be simplified as “Who you are?” This question reminds me of the congressional hearing.

 

▶Of course the answers of Job were “I don’t know”, ”I cannot”, and “I was not there.”

Job is just a small creature; he couldn’t know what happen during the beginning of this world.

Job realizes he is just a creature that should be quite.

 

Before chapter 38 Job was a person who keep asking thing to God, however after chapter 38: he became a person who questioned by God.

 

Well, it was okay until Job talked about his innocence, but soon after his complain got stronger and he even asked god “Don’t I more justified than you God?”, “I didn’t do nothing, why should I be in pain?”

 

For Job’s attitude, God break Job’s self justifies by asking questions through chapter 38:-41:.

 

▶God’s first set of questions(chapter 38-39) let Job to realize Job’s incapacity.

Job chapter 38 talks about mysterious, and sublimity of universe, and help Job to realize his ignorance.

1. The world built by elaborate architecture.   38:1~21

 

▶Job 38:1

1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

▶verse 2~3,

² Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

³ Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

'Grid up now thy loins' is Hebrew ｅxpressions of “prepare to fight.”

God wanted to do knowledge battle with Job, since Job thinks his right for everything.

 

▶From verse 4 through 7 God asks him about beginning of the world and time.

 

⁴ Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

⁵ Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

⁶ Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

⁷ When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Here, God keeps ask Job “Do you know?”, “Did you there?” about foundation of universe. Job wasn’t there and Job didn’t know a thing.

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▶ Verse 8~11

God said, He is the one who divide oceans and made boundaries between waters and controls.

 

⁸ Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

⁹ When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

¹⁰ And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

¹¹ And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

 

 

▶In verse 12~15, God shows Jobs incapacity by point out that Job never able to ask morning to rise Sun.

¹² Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

¹³ That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

¹⁴ It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

¹⁵ And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

  

▶In verse 16~21, God talks beginning of most far corners of the world, depth of ocean, depth of death and foundation of lights and darkness. 

¹⁶ Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

¹⁷ Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

¹⁸ Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

¹⁹ Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

²⁰ That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

²¹ Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

 

◑2. The world created by God’s blessing and His sovereign freedom (38:22~38)

 

God first talks about the Weather phenomenal, like snow, rain, hail, wind, dew, and frost (v.v.22~30), then He talks about mystery of horoscope and climate controls (v.v.31~38).

Continue for the origin of the universe and Job's absence and ignorance, incompetence.

 

▶V.v. 22~30, Various weather phenomenon.

²² Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

²³ Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

²⁴ By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

²⁵ Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder?

²⁶ To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

²⁷ To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

²⁸ Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

²⁹ Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

³⁰ The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

 

There is a verse that implies God’s sovereign freedom

"To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;?"(v.26).

God who makes rain even where there are no people!

 

He talks about his grace that reaches to everyone.

 

▶Through 31~38, God talks about mystery of horoscope.

 

³¹ Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

³² Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

³³ Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

³⁴ Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

³⁵ Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?

³⁶ Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

³⁷ Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

³⁸ When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

³⁹ Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

⁴⁰ When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

⁴¹ Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

 

God also assembled stars and control it, but the human (Job) doesn’t know about and ignorance about it. (V.v. 31~38).

 God shows Job about secret and mystery of created world which is above human’s imagination.

 

◑Moral and imply

 God asks stubborn Job “Are you the creator” and He lists the knowledge and power of Him that dwell in Universe.

 Job who was complaining about everything to God suddenly realized his position.

It is true, that Job was a victim here, but the attitude that claims his righteousness and fingered others even towards God, wasn’t appropriate even he was a victim. 

In front of God, even perfect man should be humble.

Conclusion:

We think of the book of Job as a book of hardships, but actually it is a book about the faith. Even if the story tells about the hardships of Job’s, but it is not about the hardships, those hardships are tools to explain Job’s faith.

 

Conclusion: Today we should praise our God who made us in mysterious way, controls entire universe by himself, His majesty, His amazing grace and salvation, and His love. Praise these will return His grace to Him, Amen!  

 

2013.7.6. Ik Sun, Ahn