Job Chapter 38:4,5,8,12,39,41

"...The Lord answered Job out of the storm... "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Who marked off its dimensions? Who stretched a measuring line across it? Who shut up the sea behind the doors...Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place? Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions? Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?"

God is impeccable and immutable. He is Almighty. He is the God, Who was, and is, and is to come. He is a prayer answering God. He speaks in a gentle voice, in visions and in dreams to His children. He spoke from storm to Job, the upright and righteous man. He answered Job by asking him questions. The way the questions are asked by God drives home the point that God is sovereign and Omnipotent and He is not answerable to any one. He does not want any one to question Him. Let God be God and let none of us bring Him to the standards of human being. God asked Job in all 83 questions as seen in Job Chapter 38, 39:1-40:2, and Chapter 40:6-41:34. At the end of each cycle of questions Job surrendered to God and repented. He said "...I will lay mind hand upon my mouth." Job 40:4b May we ponder over some of the questions God asked Job. What was the necessity for God to answer Job's complaints? God is gracious. He knows how frail we are. How complaining our nature is. He knows that we are made out of mud. We are prone to commit sins. God, who forgives every one who surrenders to him, answers to Job. The upright man, Job suffered a great deal as a result of Satan touching him, of course, with the permission of God. Never can Satan dare harm any believer in our God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had compassion several times on Israelites, when they repented of their sins. It was this God, the almighty, who permitted Satan to touch Job and consider how faithful and upright a man he was. Initially Satan touched his livestock, his children. However, Satan saw that Job was not denying God. He also saw that he was worshiping God incessantly. Then, Satan obtained permission to touch his body. God gave Satan permission, to touch his body, but not his soul. Satan harmed Job, to the greatest extent possible, so as to see that he denies God. Job did not falter rather he kept on worshiped God. Though he did not deny God, and did not go back on worshipping God, in all his troubles, yet inasmuch as he could not tolerate the sufferings, he developed a complaining attitude towards God. He praised God. He acknowledged God. He said, God gave everything and He took everything; naked he came and naked he will go; he was so perfect that in spite of his wife asking him to deny God, he did not do so. His friends counseled and consoled him. They imbibed courage and confidence in him. But human being as he was, Job, in his weakness complained about his sufferings to his friends. He desired several times that God should answer him. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?" ...who marked its dimensions?" who stretched a measuring line across it?" asked God. God is almighty. He knows his purposes only. We are not to question Him. He is the creator of earth and all that is on it. Can any one say who laid the foundations of the earth? How is it hung in the vast expanse? God stretched the measuring line across the earth.

"Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering the waters. (Gen1: 2)

Earth was formless. God separated waters. He said, "let dry ground appear"

And it was so. It was God who "shut up the sea behind the door." .He called the waters "Seas". Where was man when Seas were ordered to be limited to certain area? Can man contain seas? God ordered the seas that the sea may not go beyond certain limits.

"And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear. And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas"...(Gen 1:9)

God ordered "let there be light" and "he separated the light from the darkness". God created light first and then put sun to rule the light. He made the heavens and the entire starry host, He made the earth and all that is on it and He made the seas and all that is in them. The crown of his creation, was Man. He has depicted his glory and power in all his creation.

"Who provides food for the animals?" Who gave the wisdom for animals to hunt for their prey? It is the God. The lioness waits for its prey, hunts it, kills it and eats it. Who provides the prey for these lions? It is not because of their intelligence that the lions get their prey. It is the God who brings prey to the Lion. Who provides food for the raven? And how does it feed its young. Where did it get such wisdom from, to feed its offspring? Who is that thinking about these young ravens when they cry out to God, for food? It is God who thinks incessantly about all these things. And it is He who is providing food for one and all. Why does Ostrich lay eggs on the ground and let them warm in the sand, unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them, for God did not endow her with wisdom and yet she laughs at horse and its rider. The horse is such an animal that he paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength and charges into fray. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. The ostrich laughs at horse and the horse laughs at the enemy of its rider. What a great creation is this! He made the hunter and He made the prey. He appointed kings and He appointed servants. If every one were to be a king who would then be a servant. We are not authorized to question the wisdom of God. In His own time He gives the best for us. It is the doubt that brings our downfall. God who made us knows how to provide our needs. He took pride in calling Job a righteous person and an upright man. He had full confidence in Job that he will not let Him down. That is the reason why He took initiative to ask Satan, as to whether he considered Job, the righteous man. Satan challenged God, stating that if Job were to be put to tests, he will deny God. And God gave him permission to test Job. Job lived to the expectations. He always worshiped God. Job did not let God down before Satan. The result was that Job was blessed abundantly. He got back more than what he lost. His daughters were most beautiful in the land. God restored to him, riches double than what he lost. Finally Job surrendering to God, said, "...I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:6 when adversities fall on us, let us not blame God, and let us not question God's wisdom. May be we are under test. One thing is sure that God will not tempt any one; rather when one is tempted He provides a way to escape from temptation. When we are in troubles let us glorify God. May the troubles that we are encountering are for bringing glory to His name.

Leslie M John : leslie@lesliejohn.net