Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.
Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.
The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?
Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;
Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
After the lengthy dialogues between Job and his companions, the LORD finally speaks "out of the whirlwind" (Job 38:1), marking a pivotal moment in the book. This wasn't just a conversation; it was a divine encounter, a face-to-face revelation of God's awesome sovereignty and power. God's opening words, "Who is this that obscures my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me" (Job 38:2-3), immediately set the tone. Job, who had so passionately desired to confront God, was now about to receive his wish, though in a way he never anticipated.
A Divine Confrontation: Humbling Job's Perspective
It's important to recognize the immense power imbalance in this encounter. We, like a stubborn insect refusing to yield, sometimes approach God with a sense of entitlement, questioning His actions and wisdom. But such an attitude is ultimately self-destructive when facing the Almighty.
Instead of directly rebuking Job for his perceived sins, God engages him with a series of probing questions, each designed to reveal the vastness of His creative power and Job's own limited understanding. These weren't questions seeking answers but rather rhetorical devices intended to humble Job and shift his perspective.
The Oral Exam of a Lifetime: Creation's Testimony
The Lord's interrogation begins with the foundational question, "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?" (Job 38:4). For the next two chapters, God leads Job on a breathtaking tour of creation, questioning him about the mysteries of the cosmos, the intricacies of the natural world, and the behaviors of animals (Job 38:4–39:30). How was the world made? What makes the sun rise? Where does the wind come from? Why do the stars shine? Can you command lightning bolts to strike? Do you provide for the animals of the world? Are you able to create a horse?
This divine "oral exam" forces Job to confront the limits of his knowledge and the boundless wisdom of God. God's challenge, "Tell me, if you know all this . . . Don’t you know? . . . you have lived so long!" (Job 38:18, 21), underscores the futility of human attempts to fully grasp the divine mind.
Beyond Defense: Revealing Sovereign Wisdom
In a sense, God's questions served as an answer to Job's accusations. Not that God needed to defend Himself, but Job's persistent questioning of God's justice and his perception of undeserved suffering had led him to a place of sinful arrogance. He began to view his trials as an unfair attack from God.
Therefore, God's purpose in these questions was to humble Job and help him recognize his profound ignorance of God's sovereign wisdom and power. Job didn't understand the reason for his suffering, but God revealed that this was merely the "tip of the iceberg," that there was an immeasurable realm of divine knowledge beyond Job's comprehension.
The Inevitable Response: Silence and Humility
The Lord's relentless questioning leads Job to a place of profound humility and silence. In Job 40, Job is finally given the opportunity to respond, but the courtroom scene has shifted dramatically. God's awe-inspiring and irrefutable opening statement leaves Job speechless. "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who argues with God give an answer!" (Job 40:2).
Job's response is one of utter humility: "I am so insignificant. How can I answer you? . . . I have spoken once, and I will not reply; twice, but now I can add nothing" (Job 40:4-5). He recognizes the vast gulf between his own understanding and the infinite wisdom of God.
A Glimpse of Eternity: Facing God's Presence
This confrontation serves as a powerful foreshadowing of our own future encounter with God. It's one thing to question God's ways from a distance, but it's an entirely different experience to stand before Him face-to-face. Job was moved to repentance. The question for us is: When we stand before God, will we shake our fist in defiance, or will we bow our heads in humility and worship?
Behemoth and Leviathan: Creatures of Divine Design
Within this discourse, God directs Job's attention to Behemoth and Leviathan (Job 40:15–41:34), creatures that represented the epitome of strength, ferocity, and terror in Job's world. Yet, even these formidable beasts were products of God's creative power and wisdom. If humanity cannot fully comprehend the intricacies of these creatures, how much less can we comprehend the mysteries of God's providential dealings?
Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.
Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.
The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?
Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;
Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
After the lengthy dialogues between Job and his companions, the LORD finally speaks "out of the whirlwind" (Job 38:1), marking a pivotal moment in the book. This wasn't just a conversation; it was a divine encounter, a face-to-face revelation of God's awesome sovereignty and power. God's opening words, "Who is this that obscures my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me" (Job 38:2-3), immediately set the tone. Job, who had so passionately desired to confront God, was now about to receive his wish, though in a way he never anticipated.
A Divine Confrontation: Humbling Job's Perspective
It's important to recognize the immense power imbalance in this encounter. We, like a stubborn insect refusing to yield, sometimes approach God with a sense of entitlement, questioning His actions and wisdom. But such an attitude is ultimately self-destructive when facing the Almighty.
Instead of directly rebuking Job for his perceived sins, God engages him with a series of probing questions, each designed to reveal the vastness of His creative power and Job's own limited understanding. These weren't questions seeking answers but rather rhetorical devices intended to humble Job and shift his perspective.
The Oral Exam of a Lifetime: Creation's Testimony
The Lord's interrogation begins with the foundational question, "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?" (Job 38:4). For the next two chapters, God leads Job on a breathtaking tour of creation, questioning him about the mysteries of the cosmos, the intricacies of the natural world, and the behaviors of animals (Job 38:4–39:30). How was the world made? What makes the sun rise? Where does the wind come from? Why do the stars shine? Can you command lightning bolts to strike? Do you provide for the animals of the world? Are you able to create a horse?
This divine "oral exam" forces Job to confront the limits of his knowledge and the boundless wisdom of God. God's challenge, "Tell me, if you know all this . . . Don’t you know? . . . you have lived so long!" (Job 38:18, 21), underscores the futility of human attempts to fully grasp the divine mind.
Beyond Defense: Revealing Sovereign Wisdom
In a sense, God's questions served as an answer to Job's accusations. Not that God needed to defend Himself, but Job's persistent questioning of God's justice and his perception of undeserved suffering had led him to a place of sinful arrogance. He began to view his trials as an unfair attack from God.
Therefore, God's purpose in these questions was to humble Job and help him recognize his profound ignorance of God's sovereign wisdom and power. Job didn't understand the reason for his suffering, but God revealed that this was merely the "tip of the iceberg," that there was an immeasurable realm of divine knowledge beyond Job's comprehension.
The Inevitable Response: Silence and Humility
The Lord's relentless questioning leads Job to a place of profound humility and silence. In Job 40, Job is finally given the opportunity to respond, but the courtroom scene has shifted dramatically. God's awe-inspiring and irrefutable opening statement leaves Job speechless. "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who argues with God give an answer!" (Job 40:2).
Job's response is one of utter humility: "I am so insignificant. How can I answer you? . . . I have spoken once, and I will not reply; twice, but now I can add nothing" (Job 40:4-5). He recognizes the vast gulf between his own understanding and the infinite wisdom of God.
A Glimpse of Eternity: Facing God's Presence
This confrontation serves as a powerful foreshadowing of our own future encounter with God. It's one thing to question God's ways from a distance, but it's an entirely different experience to stand before Him face-to-face. Job was moved to repentance. The question for us is: When we stand before God, will we shake our fist in defiance, or will we bow our heads in humility and worship?
Behemoth and Leviathan: Creatures of Divine Design
Within this discourse, God directs Job's attention to Behemoth and Leviathan (Job 40:15–41:34), creatures that represented the epitome of strength, ferocity, and terror in Job's world. Yet, even these formidable beasts were products of God's creative power and wisdom. If humanity cannot fully comprehend the intricacies of these creatures, how much less can we comprehend the mysteries of God's providential dealings?