SILENCE is painful. When that silence is from God it is especially difficult. We feel the silence deep in our soul. We long for a word from Him.
We wish we could talk to Him but are met by only silence. We seek for Him, but it seems He is not present.
Job and his friends have spent thirty-six chapters of our Biblical book seeking to understand God. We have listened in as they struggled to find some solid ground. Through all that time God was quiet.
Now God breaks the silence. In chapters thirty-eight through forty-one God clears His throat and speaks. He questions and challenges Job, asking more than seventy questions in these chapters. Far from a rhetorical argument, Job is confronted. Job is not coddled.
It is notable that God does not answer Job’s questions. He does not reply to philosophical questions from Job or His friends. Instead, God points to His greatness and majesty. God expects Job to bow in submission.
The most startling truth begins simply God speaks to Job out of the storm 38:1
“Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm.”
Do not read past that verse two quickly. What catches our attention most is NOT what God says. Oh, the Almighty says much in these chapters. But most stunning is that God speaks. The Creator addressed the created.
We do well to understand that God speaks OUT of the storm. We would wish that He would end all the storms, but He does not. He speaks to us out of the storms. Are you facing a storm right now? He speaks to you. Trust Him. Listen to Him.
Throughout these chapters God will make seven challenges to Job. We will listen to those challenges and learn a lesson from each of them.
God’s First Challenge: Who do you Think You Are? (38:2)
“Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?”
God addresses the presumption that man can contend with God. He lets Job knows he does not have the basic knowledge needed to address Him. We learn a simple lesson. God is God and we are NOT. Do not presume that you can correct Him.
God’s Second Challenge: Brace Yourself. You Will Answer Me. (38:3)
Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
God’s implication is simple. Gird up your loins, tighten your belt. This is going to be rough.
Imagine this moment. God tells you to sit down and get ready. The lesson for us is to be cautious when demanding anything from God. We must maintain the balance between awe and honesty.
God’s Third Challenge: You are Not in Charge. (38:4-21)
For the sake of brevity, I will not quote the entire passage but summarize this third challenge. God is saying, I am on the throne and demonstrate my sovereignty.
God makes three arguments to prove His point.
- You are not the creator (Verses 4-11)
- You do not control creation (Verses 12-14) God’s questions assume a negative response.
- You do not control the end (Verses 15-20)
The lesson is that our lives are in God’s hands and not ours. What if the Lord has a different plan for our lives? Can we trust the one who created and controls creation perfectly?
God’s Fourth Challenge: Surely You Know. (38:21-39:30)
In this even larger section Job is challenged to consider the power of nature. God is almost taunting Job when He says, “Surely you know…” He calls attention to the amazing animal kingdom describing the mountain goat, donkey, ok, ostrich, war horse and the eagle. The deeper we dig into the creation; the more unknowable God is.
The lesson is straightforward. You do not understand nature and you cannot control it. Keep your eyes on God’s power in His creation.
God’s Fifth Challenge: Go Ahead and Answer Me (40:1-2)
The Lord said to Job: 2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”
God invites Job to make his case. He asks Job to teach Him a lesson. He asks the faultfinder to find fault. Our lesson is that God does not need our wisdom. We cannot teach him a thing or two.
Job’s Answer (40:3-5)
3 Then Job answered the Lord: 4 “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. 5 I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.”
Job and his friends are finally quiet again. He realizes he should have kept quiet all over again. Job displays great wisdom, finally. Of course, Job’s reaction is mixed with fear. He puts his hand over his mouth.
Sometimes the highest respect we have is when we remain silent. He demonstrates humility, relief, and surrender.
God’s Sixth Challenge: 40:6-14
In this section Job is challenged to go ahead and give his accusation. God invites the servant to challenge him. To make his accusation, Job would have to assume the divine qualities. God’s challenge is to put on the glory and humble the proud.
The lesson for us is obvious. We cannot take the place of God.
God’s Seventh Challenge: (40:15-41:35)
Finally, God invites Job to consider nature. To complete His word God speaks about the amazing and mysterious creatures. He talks about the behemoth who many assume is a hippo, described as a huge, but not threatening grass eater.
We conclude God’s speeches with a lesson to remember, again, that God is God, and we are not. We cannot control nature. We cannot save ourselves.
How do we respond to God? Four words:
- Respect God.
- Fear God.
- Silence before God.
- Worship Him.
