The Unexpounded “Why?” (Job 42:11-17)

After more than four years, more than 100,000 words and 69 blog posts/chapters (this being the 70^th), we have come to the end of the remarkable Old Testament book of Job. (And the title of this blog, “Conversations from the Ash Heap”?  I really need to change that sometime J) 

I have alluded to this before, but when Chuck Swindoll announced that that particular Sunday would be the last of his sermon series on the book of Job, the congregation stood and applauded.  They did it good naturedly of course with a lot of respect and love for their pastor. So I am sure there may be some out there in Internetland standing and applauding as we come to the end of this series (and some may even be muttering, “Jeepers, its about time he gets off maggots and misery!”).

In the first portion of this last chapter we learned that Job was healed and his “captivity was turned” (his misfortunes were reversed) and that he was given double of what he had before.

Job has passed the test. He didn’t pray for his friends in order to get off the ash heap – he simply obeyed (unaware of the consequences of his prayer), and he was healed and restored because of his faith. And God didn’t reward him with a double portion because of some divinely mandated mathematical formula – God poured out His blessings out of love and grace.  Gerald H. Wilson says in his commentary on Job that “the restoration, in a sense, resets the clock back to the pre-test situation.”

42:11    “Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.”

Verse 11 begins with “Then…”  Job needed “when” friends – people that would have stuck it out with him and his wife “when” Job’s world fell apart in chapters one and two. Instead, he found himself surrounded by “then” people – those that came running in after things began looking up.

Hartley translates “those who had known him before” as “former close friends.”  Keil and Delitzsch write, “Prosperity now brought those together again whom calamity had frightened away; for the love of men is scarcely anything but a number of coarse or delicate shades of selfishness...Now they all come and rejoice at Job's prosperity…in order to bask therein. He, however, does not thrust them back…they are his guests again…and now their tongues, that were halting thus far, are all at once become eloquent: they mingle congratulations and comfort with their expressions of sorrow at his past misfortune. It is now an easy matter that no longer demands their faith.”

“…for the love of men is scarcely anything but a number of coarse or delicate shades of selfishness…”  That’s a statement that cuts you to the very core.

The pain of Job’s isolation is over.  The willingness of Job to welcome back those that had so maliciously accused and abandoned him gives us another glimpse into the breadth of this man’s character.

42:12 The LORD blessed the latter {days} of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. 

Barnes notes that this new-found prosperity of Job’s did not happen all at once, but was accumulated throughout the remaining 140 years of his life. But Adam Clarke thinks that the opposite happened: that Job’s wealth increased rapidly as each friend and family member brought him something.

13 He had seven sons and three daughters.  14 He named the first Jemimah, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch.  15 In all the land no women were found so fair as Job's daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. 

God knew that without children, all of Job’s wealth and life would be meaningless.  Trapp writes, “Wealth would not be comfortable to Job unless he had children to leave it to.”  We are not sure why they are singled out, but our hero’s daughters received a special place of honor. And there names were not without significance:  Jemimah meant “Turtledove” or “Day-bright,” Keziah meant “Cinnamon” or “Cassia,” (a fragrant scent), and Keren-Happuch meant “A Jar of Eye Paint” or “Horn of Beauty” (the idea was that she was so beautiful that she needed no cosmetics).

They were women of unparalleled beauty and grace.

42:16 After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations.

The number 140 plays a prominent role in Genesis – Abraham was 140 when Isaac married, Jacob was 140 when he returned to Canaan, and the sum of the squares of the numbers 1-7 equals 140! (Does anyone find that fascinating besides me? :>)) 

And it could be that, as his material wealth was doubled, so the remaining years of his life were also doubled. Some conjecture that at the start of this trial Job was 70 years old and he lived another 140 years after that (2 X 70) to the ripe old age of 210! 

42:17    And Job died, an old man and full of days.

Remember the sense of gloom and despair that surrounded these cries of Job in chapters three and ten?  “Why did I not die at birth, come forth from the womb and expire?” (3:11) “I wish I had been carried from the womb to the tomb!” (10:19).

But now weigh those thoughts against the last verse of this book…” Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life.” (NLT)  The word “full” in verse 17 is literally “sated” or “stuffed.”  Job died “stuffed with days.”  Isn’t that a fitting way to end this book?  Job, who for so long endured unimaginable physical, emotional and spiritual pain, died totally satisfied with life – he was stuffed with days! The narrative of Job comes to an end not in suffering, but in satisfaction. 

Job persevered through untold adversity.  Putting one foot in front of another when you have no idea where the path is going takes faith, stamina and great endurance.  God may be saying to you, in your seemingly hopeless situation, “Stick it out!  Don’t give up!“ Here is James 5:11 from The Message, “What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.”

Epilogue:  “We all have Job’s God”

We are never told that Job was ever told about the contest that took place in chapters one and two. But I am sure Job did eventually find out about those heavenly courtroom scenes, the questions that God put to Satan, and the double-dare that Satan threw back at Jehovah.  Maybe Job and his wife, after he began to feel better, stopped by Barnes and Noble at the local mall whereupon Mrs. Job remarked, “Hey look honey!  This new best seller…why it’s the story about your trial!  Let’s get a copy!"

Actually, I think one of the first things that Job did when he got out of the hospital was that he went to each of his employee’s families and cried with them and assured them that he would take care of all of their needs.

Job was sick.  His family was gone and his life lay in ruins.    It was there on the dusty, dirty plains of Uz where the “Why?” was never expounded. It was there that the Divine Mystery was so roughly handled by the Eliphaz crowd of Job’s day.  And yet out of this wreckage Jehovah appeared and brought total healing and satisfaction to Job.  Job’s restoration touched every facet of his life – he was healed physically, emotionally, socially, but most importantly he was healed spiritually.  It was the sense of the presence of God – the Presence that his heart so agonizingly craved – that finally brought a sense of “OK, I don’t need to know the why…I just need to know Him!”

As Keil and Delitzsch put it, “He bows beneath the enshrouded mystery.”

I obviously still have a lot of questions about some of the issues that are presented to us in this book.  But despite those questions I have come away with a greater sense of the majesty and the terrible beauty of God.  In the midst of chaos, heartbreak and darkness, God isn’t alarmed and His plan for us is still on course.  I need to know that.  When life gets difficult and you can hardly see through the tears, I need to know that.    

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “We are not all like Job, but we all have Job’s God. Though we have neither risen to Job’s wealth, nor will, probably, ever sink to Job’s poverty, yet there is the same God above us if we be high, and the same God with his everlasting arms beneath us if we be brought low; and what the Lord did for Job he will do for us, not precisely in the same form, but in the same spirit, and with like design.”

May 3, 2014

Restoration Times Two! (Job 42:7-10)

Because Corrie ten Boom’s family had been hiding Jews during WWII to keep them safe from the Nazis, the entire family was sent to the concentration camps.  Corrie and her sister Betsie found themselves in one of the darkest of those camps – Ravensbruck.  Betsie died in that awful place, but Corrie was released due to a “clerical error.”

After the war she returned to Germany to declare God’s forgiveness and grace.  The following story is an excerpt from the book “Tramp for the Lord” found in a sermon by John Leffler on https://sermons.logos.com

Writes Corrie, “It was 1947, and I’d come from Holland to a defeated Germany with the message that God forgives. It was the truth that they needed most to hear in that bitter, bombed-out land, and I gave them my favorite mental picture. Maybe because the sea is never far from a Hollander’s mind, I liked to think that that’s where forgiven sins were thrown.  ‘When we confess our sins,’ I said, ‘God casts them into the deepest ocean, gone forever. And even though I cannot find a Scripture for it, I believe God then places a sign out there that says, ’NO FISHING ALLOWED.’

The solemn faces stared back at me, not quite daring to believe. And that’s when I saw him, working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a cap with skull and crossbones. It came back with a rush—the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister’s frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. Betsie, how thin you were! That place was Ravensbruck, and the man who was making his way forward had been a guard—one of the most cruel guards.

Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: "A fine message, Fraulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!" And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand. He would not remember me, of course—how could he remember one prisoner among those thousands of women? But I remembered him. I was face-to-face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze…

"You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk," he was saying. "I was a guard there." No, he did not remember me. "But since that time," he went on, "I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein,"—again the hand came out—"will you forgive me?"

And I stood there—I whose sins had again and again been forgiven—and could not forgive. Betsie had died in that place. Could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking? It could have been many seconds that he stood there—hand held out—but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.

In a similar fashion, Job is now asked to enter into a very short, yet difficult phase of his trial.

Job 42:7-9,   “It came about after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.  8 Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you {according to your} folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.’  9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite {and} Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job.”

Being called before an earthly judge is frightening enough, but being called before the Judge of the Universe? After Job’s repentance, God immediately summoned Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar to the bench.  “My wrath,” said God, “is kindled against you three!”   The Message puts verse 7 this way, “After GOD had finished addressing Job, he turned to Eliphaz the Temanite and said, "I’ve had it with you and your two friends. I’m fed up! You haven’t been honest either with me or about me—not the way my friend Job has.”

(Hartley remarks that the absence of any mention of Elihu at this point is puzzling.)

“You have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has” is a rather remarkable statement.  To me, this just doesn’t seem to square with what Job had passionately accused God of doing (and some pretty horrible actions at that).  Remember these words from chapter 19?

19:6 Know then that God has wronged me and has closed His net around me.  7 Behold, I cry, "Violence!' but I get no answer; I shout for help, but there is no justice.  8 He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, and He has put darkness on my paths.  9 He has stripped my honor from me and removed the crown from my head.  10 He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone; and He has uprooted my hope like a tree.  11 He has also kindled His anger against me and considered me as His enemy.”

And yet…“You have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has.”   

Barnes writes, “It is to be remembered…that there was a great difference in the circumstances of Job and the three friends — circumstances modifying the degrees of blameworthiness chargeable to each. Job…expressed himself with irreverence and impatience…but this was done in the agony of mental and bodily suffering, and when provoked by the severe and improper charges of hypocrisy brought by his friends. What (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) said, on the contrary, was unprovoked. It was—when they were free from suffering, and when they were urged to it by no severity of trial. It was, moreover, when every consideration required them to express the language of condolence, and to comfort a suffering friend.”

Matthew Henry writes, “... (this story reminds us that) we cannot judge of men and their sentiments by looking in their faces or purses.”

Did you catch the title of honor ascribed by God to Job four times in verses 7-8?   Four times it’s “My servant Job!”  How reassuring and comforting those three words repeated four times in such a short speech must have been to Job.

42:10 “The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold.”

Job wasn’t healed when he repented, he was healed when he stepped out in faith and prayed for his “friends!”  To set aside his feelings of anger and outrage toward his three closest associates, to pray FOR Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar perhaps had been one of the most difficult chapters of Job’s trial. 

The KJV translates it “God turned the captivity of Job…”  Unforgiveness, bitterness, a desire for revenge holds us in a horrible captivity.  And as appalling as the open, running sores were that scarred his body, they would pale in comparison to the repugnant sore of the soul that festers due to a lack of forgiveness.

Job obeyed…and GOD HEALED HIM!  The noble sheik of Uz stepped out in faith, and, as the cutting accusations of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar still echoed in his heart, prayed FOR his friends!

Corrie continues her story, “For I had to do it—I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. "If you do not forgive men their trespasses," Jesus says, "neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart.

But forgiveness is not an emotion—I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart! "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling." And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust out my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.

"I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!" For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely, as I did then. But even then, I realized it was not my love. I had tried, and did not have the power. It was the power of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion:  Perhaps you feel as though you are trapped in your own “ash heap” experience and need to have your captivity turned.  Perhaps you yearn for your own “Restoration Times Two.”

Forgiveness may be the key that is needed to open the door into a renewed freedom in your spirit.

To hear Corrie’s first hand account of the above story, click on the below "YouTube" link:

Corrie Forgives Her Enemy

Of Things Too Wonderful For Me (Job 42:1-6)

“Nothing can keep the purposes of God from being manifest. His true strength can wait its time until the best minute has come.  No miracle?  No intervention by God? Remember – that is only a commentary on the past.  The future is wide open with possibility!”  (Robert L. Wise in his book “When There Is No Miracle”)

Job was on the precipice of a reversal of fortunes.

Following a divine PowerPoint presentation on the intricate design of the two primordial monsters Behemoth and Leviathan, Job responded to God with the following, “Then Job answered the LORD and said, ‘I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.’” (42:1-2) Keil and Delitzsch write, “Those strange but wondrous monsters are a proof to him that God is able to put everything into operation, and that the plans according to which He acts are beyond the reach of human comprehension.”  

I like that.  “…the plans according to which He acts are beyond the reach of human comprehension.” The apostle Paul echoed that same sentiment when he wrote this in Ephesians 3:20, "Now to Him Who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us..."

God's ultimate plan for Job wasn't maggots and misery; God's plan was to do far more abundantly beyond all that he could possibly ask or even dream about!  And God's plan for you isn't some inconsequential, drab and mundane existence...His plan for you is to share His dream, His passion and His life!

Job’s declaration of faith is worth repeating, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted.” The striking thing about that statement?  He says this, not when he is delivered and healed, but when he is still engulfed in tragedy! 

Notice how these various versions put that verse:

BBE:  I see that You are able to do every thing, and to give effect to all Your designs.

Darby:  I know that Thou canst do everything, and that Thou canst be hindered in no thought of Thine.

Message:  I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset Your plans.

There are two words we should pay close attention to in this section.  The first is the word “purpose.” A few years ago there was a phenomenal best-selling book by Rick Warren titled “The Purpose Driven Life.”  We desperately need to know that there is meaning to our lives – that there is a divine intention, plan and goal. Concerning this word “purpose” found here, Jamison/Faucet/Brown write in their commentary, “The word is designedly chosen to express that, while to Job’s finite view, God’s plans seem bad, to the All-wise One they continue unhindered in their development, and will at last be seen to be as good as they are infinitely wise.

Next, do you see that word “thwart?”  Its kind of a funny word and it essentially means “to oppose successfully; prevent from accomplishing a purpose; to frustrate or baffle.”  From the vantage point of earth, Job’s life-plan (his purpose) seemed to have been thwarted – successfully opposed and frustrated.  But from the vantage point of heaven, it was right on course!  In previous chapters, while Job surveyed the seemingly disorganized and meaningless pattern on the backside of the tapestry of his life (the wreckage, tragedy and sickness that engulfed him), it must have seemed to him that a beautiful tapestry could never possibly be woven out of his life. In his view, the Divine Weaver appeared to be inept.

Prior to chapter 38, it seemed that God’s purpose for Job had been thwarted and that the Managing Director of the Universe had sorely mismanaged Job’s life.

But that is no longer his view. 

“I am convinced,” Job now says out of the wreckage surrounding him, “You can do anything and everything.  Nothing and no one can upset your plans!”

42:3 “”Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?'” "Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know."

Note how these versions put that verse:

Amplified:  You said to me, “Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel by words without knowledge? Therefore I now see I have rashly uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Message:  You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head.

Job repeats what God had asked him earlier (“Who is this that hides council [by words] without knowledge”).    He then humbly acknowledges, “I, I am the one, I have declared that which I did not understand; I have babbled on about things too wonderful for me, which I did not know…”

Hartley says this, “In taking this path Job confirms that humility is essential for a vital relationship with God.  With this concession Job demonstrates that he serves God for himself alone and not for any personal gain or benefit, not even his own justification.  Yahweh's confidence in his servant in the face of the Satan's challenge has been completely vindicated.”

42:4 “Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask you, and you instruct me.' 

Job again repeats what God had asked him at the beginning of chapters 38 and 40.

42:5 “I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees you…”

Theory has turned into reality; the hypothesis and conjecture of seminary have met head on with a supernatural whirlwind.  

“I heard of You…but NOW my eye sees YOU!”

Remember Job’s cry in chapter 19?  "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.  Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!” (25-27). One writer states, “Job's deepest longing has been fulfilled. The vision of Yahweh overwhelms him, filling him with a sense of wonder and awe and reducing all his complaints to insignificance.  In appearing to his servant, Yahweh vindicates Job's integrity!”

Job’s complaints were not insignificant, but upon seeing God, they were reduced to insignificance!  Tragedy and destruction blew his world apart.  But in God’s presence things changed.

42; 6 “Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes."

“That lawsuit I had filed against God in the preceding chapters?” Job says, “Well, I retract it. And not only do I retract my lawsuit….I repent.”

And notice those final words in verse 6, “…in dust and ashes.”  He had been sitting for so long on dust and ashes, but now he finally repents IN dust and ashes!

Do you see what is happening here?  Absolutely nothing has changed at Ashheap Village and yet so much has changed on the inside of Job:  his Ash Heap home is still the same old Ash Heap home; his non-comforting, accusatory friends are still non-comforting and accusatory; he is still penniless; his children are still in their graves; and his body is still racked with pain and disease

But now….my eye sees YOU and EVERYTHING is different!!!

When repentance and brokenness sweep over someone’s heart, the view from the inside changes: the house we hated doesn’t seem to be quite so drab and dilapidated; the spouse we have been incessantly irritated with suddenly seems much more loving (and lovable); the couch that seemed so horribly faded and out of date now doesn’t seem so dated; that old rusty truck doesn’t seem to be quite so old and rusty; and even the squabbling among the kids takes on a sweeter tone.

More often than not, change doesn’t need to happen “out there”…change needs to happen “in here” (in the heart). In the end, Job doesn’t blame God or the Chaldean bandits or the Weather Channel or his wife or the Three Comforters.

He repents.

“…the plans according to which He acts are beyond the reach of human comprehension.” This insight Job has gained through a deep and dark valley of tears. In the end he simply repents and leaves the details to a God Who has prepared “things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

Steve Green’s song “I Repent” serves as a fitting conclusion to this portion of Job: "I Repent"

What's Your Monster Name? (Part II -- The Crocodile Chronicles -- Job 41)

My son-in-law and I were enjoying an August morning trolling up the Flambeau River near Philipps WI.  As I gazed upriver looking no where in particular, I suddenly saw a spectacular sight. My mouth just dropped open and I said to Jay, “Did you see that?!?!” 

I realize that there will be an immediate “Yeah….right!” from some people, but I saw what looked to be about a six foot long fish about 200 yards ahead of the boat come completely out of the water and flip over. 

My son-in-law figured it must have been either a sturgeon or a really large Muskie. 

But my “I-can’t-believe-the-size-of-that-fish!” mouth dropping moment was nothing compared to what Job experienced in chapter 41.  And whereas my experience may have been a little awe-inspiring, his was downright terrifying.

Chapter 41 is a very detailed look at a sea creature called “Leviathan;” and most scholars feel that this chapter 41 monster was some sort of colossal crocodile.  

Picture credit Patrina Malone found on "blog.everythingdinosaur.co"

Picture found on "goodheartextremescience.wordpress.com

The cute little Croc that adorns the label on a pair of “Croc” sandals looks almost huggable.  But huggable they aren’t!   Adam Clarke writes, “It is a creature of enormous voracity and strength, as well as fleetness in swimming. He will attack the largest animals, and even men, with the most daring impetuosity. In proportion to his size he has the largest mouth of all monsters. The upper jaw is armed with forty sharp strong teeth, and the under jaw with thirty-eight. He is clothed with such a coat of mail as cannot be pierced, and can in every direction resist a musket-ball.”

One writer says this, “In some places in Egypt the croc was so venerated that it was adorned with earrings and bracelets and, when it died, was mummified with great care…”

41:1 "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?  2 Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?  3 Will he make many supplications to you, or will he speak to you soft words?

Can you expect soft, tender words from such a beast?  Will there be pillow talk from this monster?

41:4 Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant forever?  5 Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you bind him for your maidens?

 

You perhaps remember an old Pepsi commercial (or was it Coke?) where a litter of little lab puppies frolicked with a young boy as they rolled around playfully on the ground.  Now imagine the same scene, but replace the little puppies with little alligators.

Yikes!

41:6 Will the traders bargain over him? Will they divide him among the merchants? 

As a kid I remember driving through Walker, Minnesota on family vacations.   If we happened to be there during “Musky Days” we would see quite a few enormous muskies ranging between 40-50 lbs hanging near the center of town.  Each fisherman hoped that his would be the largest and win the prize.

In Job’s world they never had “Leviathan Days.”  Why?  Because nobody was brave enough to try to catch one!

41:7 Can you fill his skin with harpoons, or his head with fishing spears?  8 Lay your hand on him; remember the battle; you will not do it again! 

Adam Clarke writes, “He is a dangerous animal; when thou attackest him, be sure of thy advantage; if thou miss, thou art ruined. Depend not on other advantages, if thou miss the first. Kill him at once, or he will kill thee.”

41:9 Behold, your expectation is false; will you be laid low even at the sight of him?  10 No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him; who then is he that can stand before me?  11 Who has given to me that I should repay {him?} {Whatever} is under the whole heaven is Mine.

Concerning verse 9, Keil and Delitzsch write, “If even the strength of one of God’s creatures admits no thought of being able to attack it, how much more should the greatness of the Creator deter man from all resistance!”

41:12 I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his orderly frame.

Having gone over the generalities of this formidable Monster, we now are given explicit descriptions of the “parts” of this animal, specifically his mouth, his teeth, his scales, his eyelids, his nostrils, his neck, and his heart.

41:13 Who can strip off his outer armor? Who can come within his double mail?

On the series “River Monsters,” biologist and extreme angler Jeremy Wade mentioned that certain skins of some of the fish he had caught were so tough that they couldn’t be cut with a knife. Instead, a sawzall was used to cut the hide.  Such is the armor-type hide of the Crocodile.

41:14    Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror.

You need only look at the first picture above to see that “around his teeth there is terror!”

41:15    {His} strong scales are {his} pride, shut up {as with} a tight seal.  16   One is so near to another that no air can come between them.  17         They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated.

A hide so tough that a knife can’t cut it and a musket ball can’t penetrate it!  The New Living Translation puts verse 17 this way, “Each scale sticks tight to the next. They interlock and cannot be penetrated.”

41:18    His sneezes flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.  19 Out of his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth.  20 Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth as {from} a boiling pot and {burning} rushes.  21 His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes forth from his mouth.

Notice the facial features that are mentioned:  his eyelids, his mouth, and his nostrils. And notice these phrases connected to those facial features:  flashing light, sneezes of lightning, burning torches, sparks of fire, nasal smoke, breath hot enough to kindle coal, and a veritable fire breathing monster!

This is not quite the animal that you would want to parade around the Westminster Kennel Club!

41:22 In his neck lodges strength, and dismay leaps before him.  23 The folds of his flesh are joined together, firm on him and immovable.  24 His heart is as hard as a stone, even as hard as a lower millstone.

I like how the “Message” translates this verse, “All muscle he is—sheer and seamless muscle. To meet him is to dance with death.”

41:25 When he raises himself up, the mighty fear; because of the crashing they are bewildered.

One commentary implies that this could loosely be translated, “Because of the crashing they (the onlookers) are so scared they pee their pants!”  They are beside themselves with terror.

41:26 The sword that reaches him cannot avail, nor the spear, the dart or the javelin.  27 He regards iron as straw, bronze as rotten wood.  28 The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones are turned into stubble for him.

29 Clubs are regarded as stubble; He laughs at the rattling of the javelin.

Note the vast array of weapons mentioned in vss. 26-29: the sword, the spear, the dart, the javelin, the arrow, clubs, and the sling.  To Leviathan, iron is considered to be nothing but straw and bronze as rotten wood!

41:30 His underparts are {like} sharp potsherds; He spreads out {like} a threshing sledge on the mire.  31 He makes the depths boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a jar of ointment.  32 Behind him he makes a wake to shine; one would think the deep to be gray-haired.

The Message puts verse 32 in an interesting way, “With a luminous trail stretching out behind him, you might think Ocean had grown a gray beard!”  We do not have time to delve into it here, but if you Google “phosphorescence” there is a striking resemblance to what is described here and the phenomenon of phosphorescence found in the wake of large ships as they travel the oceans.

41:33 Nothing on earth is like him, one made without fear.  34 He looks on everything that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride.

The word “earth” in verse 33 is literally “dust.”  Remarkably, it’s the same word that is found in Genesis 2:7, “…the Lord God formed man from dust of the ground…” and in Job 42:6, “…and I repent in dust and ashes…”  As terrifying as Leviathan is – he is afraid of none, he is subdued by none, and he is prey of none – his realm of terror only reaches to “dust” (this little blue ball called Earth). 

Conclusion:  Job had wanted (even demanded) an audience with God.  Yet Jehovah, in a not so subtle rebuttal, asks, “Are you sure you want to go there?  You are frozen with fear at the sight of Leviathan – are you going to be able to unfreeze yourself long enough to argue with Me?  And do you even want to unfreeze yourself?”

If we were the supreme Comforter-In-Chief, we would probably fluff up Job’s blankets to make him as comfortable as possible, bring him some hot soup and watch a Hallmark Christmas movie with him. 

God’s approach?  “Hey Job, do you want to go see "LEVIATHAN EATS LOUISIANA!" in 3D?   It will scare your socks off!” 

Surprisingly, it is this realization of the awesome majesty/terror of God that brings Job healing and restoration in the very next chapter.  And an encounter with the terror/majesty of God can bring a new perspective and healing to your hopeless circumstances.

What’s Your Monster Name? (Part One: Behemoth [Job 40:15-24])

If you have grandkids, chances are you will get to see some of the greatest movies of all time.  Among the ones I’ve seen are “Toy Story,” “Despicable Me,” “SpyKids,” “Speed Racer,” “Wreck It Ralph,”  “Despicable Me II,” and “The Incredibles.”

One that should have been up for several Academy Awards is “Monsters vs. Aliens.”  And I love the following dialogue between Dr. Cockroach and Missing Link and B.O.B. on the one side and the newly captured 49ft 11inch monster called “Susan” (later named “Ginormica” by her fellow monster team) on the other side:

Dr. Cockroach (bottom center in picture): Gentlemen, I'm afraid we're not making a very good first impression.

Missing Link (bottom right): Well, at least I'm talking! First new monster in years, and we couldn't get, like, a wolfman or a mummy? You know, someone I can play cards with.

Dr. Cockroach: Might we ask for your name, madam?

Susan (the voice of Reese Witherspoon; top left): Susan.

B.O.B (which is an acronym for “Benzoate Ostylezene Bicarbonate,” a more or less indestructible gelatinous blob, bottom left): No, no, no, we mean your monster name. What do people scream when they see you coming? You know, like "Look out! Here comes..."?

[Silence]

Susan: Susan.

Dr. Cockroach: Really?

B.O.B.: [spookily] "Suuuusaaan!" Ooh, I just scared myself! That is scary!

Our granddaughter Natalie does a wonderful impression of that last line.  It’s humorous to see her wave her little arms as she mimics B.O.B. by saying, “Suuuusannn!” 

Job, still in his pitiful state, is presented with the portraits of two of earth’s greatest monsters – Behemoth (here in chapter 40) and Leviathan (chapter 41).  They instilled quite a bit more fear in the hearts of people than did the bride-to-be turned monster “Suuuusannnnnnnnnn.”

40:15 "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?”

The word “Behemoth” literally means “beast,” but it is in the form of what is called in Hebrew a “majestic plural.”  So Behemoth could very well be translated as “Colossal Beast.”  And note that in verse 19 this creature is referred to as “…the first of the ways of God.” Thus Behemoth is presented to us as the largest or most premier of God’s land animals.

While the interpretations of just what Behemoth was have oscillated between the mythical and the real, most lean toward some sort of enormous animal that actually did (or does) exit.  Some refer to this monster as the wild ox, some the elephant, some the rhinoceros, while most commentators seem to settle on the hippopotamus.  A number of the rabbis supposed that a huge monster was referred to, that ate every day “the grass of a thousand mountains.”

But a few seem to feel that this portrait refers to some prehistoric creature such as the brontosaurus.  

Those that argue ardently for the hippo make note of verse 16 and the phrase, “…his power is in the muscles of his belly.”  One of the most vulnerable places of the elephant is its belly; but the underside of the hippo is extremely tough.  Poole says that the belly is so tough as to be almost impenetrable and harder than any other creature’s.  Some writer’s refer to his skin as being able to resist spears and arrows and even bullets! The shields and helmets of ancient soldiers were covered with this Kevlar-like material.

In his commentary, Barnes notes this about the phrase in verse 16 “the muscles of his belly”: “The reference is to the muscles and tendons of this part of the body, and perhaps particularly to the fact that the hippopotamus, by crawling so much on his belly among the stones of the stream or on land, acquires a special hardness or strength in those parts of the body. This clearly proves that the elephant is not intended. In that animal, this is the most tender part of the body. Pliny and Solinus both remark that the elephant has a thick, hard skin on the back, but that the skin of the belly is soft and tender. Pliny says…that the rhinoceros, when about to attack an elephant, “seeks his belly, as if he knew that that was the most tender part.”

But those that argue for the hippo based on verse 16 seem to ignore the first part of verse 17, “He bends his tail like a cedar.”  The arguments they make to fit this phrase into their choice of the hippopotamus with its little curly-cue tail remind me of the sign that hung over the old black smith’s shop, “All kinds of fancy twistings and turnings done here!”

Nothing in this passage from Job contradicts the interpretation of Behemoth as the brontosaurus; however there are elements in this passage that contradict both the hippopotamus (the river horse) and the elephant.

Barnes writes, “The description of the movement of the “tail” here given, would agree much better with some of the extinct orders of animals whose remains have been recently discovered and arranged by Cuvier, than with that of the hippopotamus. Particularly, it would agree with the account of the ichthyosaurus…though the other parts of the animal here described would not accord well with this.

And note this from “Answers in Genesis,”  “In Job 40, the Lord is infallibly describing a real historical creature, called ‘Behemoth’. No known living animal, such as the elephant or hippopotamus, fits the passage adequately. A detailed analysis of the key clause Job 40:17a suggests that the most natural interpretation is that the tail of Behemoth is compared to a cedar for its great size. Consequently, the most reasonable interpretation is that Behemoth was a large animal, now extinct, which had a large tail. Thus some type of extinct dinosaur should still be considered…” (http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/tj/v15/n2/Behemoth)

To continue with the article from “Answers in Genesis, “It is not surprising that before fossils of large extinct animals were found in great numbers, older conservative commentators only tried to identify Behemoth with some of the largest known living animals (even though none of these animals are suitable). The possibility of very large extinct animals did not really occur to them!”

This discourse on Monster Number One ends with this bit of advice in verse 24 (from The Message):  “But you’d never want him for a pet—you’d never be able to housebreak him!”

Brontosaurus?  Hippo?  Elephant? Some other real or mythical creature?  Whatever this monster was, you would never have him for a household pet!

We will get to the question of “Why a treatise on Monsters and what that could possibly have to do with Job’s suffering?” at the end of chapter 41. 

Finally, did you catch the phrase in verse 15, “Behemoth, which I made as well as you”?  I get the feeling that in the midst of this portrait of this massive land creature, God wanted Job to know that He had intimately planned and fashioned Job’s physical frame even before he was born, that He hadn’t given up on him, and that He was also working behind the scenes in the current trial that he found himself engulfed in.

I like these lyrics from the song “Need You Now” by Plumb:

Well, everybody's got a story to tell
And everybody's got a wound to be healed
I want to believe there's beauty here
'Cause oh, I get so tired of holding on
I can't let go, I can't move on
I want to believe there's meaning here

“I want to believe there’s meaning here.”  Job must have thought that.  This first verse (and actually all of the lyrics) seems to fit so well into what Job was going through…you can listen to the song by clicking on this link:  (Need You Now)

The chorus and the rest of the verses are as follows:

How many times have you heard me cry out
"God please take this"?
How many times have you given me strength to
Just keep breathing?
Oh I need you
God, I need you now.

Standing on a road I didn't plan
Wondering how I got to where I am
I'm trying to hear that still small voice
I'm trying to hear above the noise

How many times have you heard me cry out
"God please take this"?
How many times have you given me strength to
Just keep breathing?
Oh I need you
God, I need you now.

Though I walk,
Though I walk through the shadows
And I, I am so afraid
Please stay, please stay right beside me
With every single step I take

How many times have you heard me cry out?
And how many times have you given me strength?

How many times have you heard me cry out
"God please take this"?
How many times have you given me strength to
Just keep breathing?
Oh I need you
God, I need you now.

I need you now
Oh I need you
God, I need you now.
I need you now
I need you now

Seeing Beyond the Question Marks (Job 40:1-14)

In his book “How To Have A Creative Crisis, H. Norman Wright, states, “The three questions most often asked in crisis are: ‘Why God, why?’, ‘When God, when?’ and, ‘Will I survive God?’ And of those three, the most common question of all is, ‘Why God, why?’” 

There are 3,157 question marks in the King James Version of the Bible.  And the book that contains the most?  You guessed it…it’s this story of Job. There are 325 question marks in these chapters – far more than any other book (Jeremiah is second with 195).

Just a handful of those questions:

3:11 Why did I not die at birth?  

3:20 Why is light given to him who suffers?

7:20 Why hast thou set me as Thy target?

7:21 Why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity?

13:24 Why dost Thou hide Thy face and consider me Thine enemy?

19:22 Why do ye persecute me as God does?

21:7 Why do the wicked still live?

Robert L. Wise, in his book “When There Is No Miracle,” states, “…the dilemmas loom so large that we find it difficult to see beyond the question marks…”

40:1-2 “Then the LORD said to Job, 2 ‘Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it.’”

Even though God was much more proficient at verbal combat than Job, God was in no way trying to brow beat Job into submission.  Job had finally come to the realization that, in the presence of the Divine Storm, all of his arguments evaporated as the morning mist.    

It’s interesting to me that God’s first words to Job in chapter 38 are, “Who is he that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?”  And here He asks, “Will the faultfinder contend…?  Throughout these last few chapters there is not the slightest acknowledgment by God of Job’s sufferings (In fact God almost seems to be overly stern and gruff with Job).  And yet we know that God loved Job passionately and zealously defended him in the presence of Satan in the heavenly courtroom.

Are you a faultfinder?  Do you continually grouse about the treatment you have been receiving from God (thinking it’s either inhumane or at the very least unfair)?  Determine to thank God for the little (and big) irritations that come your way.  Nothing happens by happenstance in the life of a Christian.   

.   

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.’"

The famous Sheik of Uz is now “Mr. Insignificant.”  In His severe love God continued to deal with Job, and Job's response seems to be humble and subdued (“I will add nothing more”).  And yet he still does not retract any of his statements (which he finally does in chapter 42) and there still doesn't seem to be a sense of complete surrender on the part of Job. (Although, on the other hand, neither does there seem to be a sense of defiance.) Matthew Henry writes, “Job was greatly humbled by what God had already said, but not sufficiently; he was brought low, but not low enough.” 

Matthew Henry goes on to say, “Those who are truly convinced of sin and penitent for it, yet have need to be more thoroughly convinced and to be made more deeply penitent. Those who are under convictions, who have their sins set in order before their eyes and their hearts broken for them, must learn from this instance not to catch at comfort too soon; it will be everlasting when it comes, and therefore it is necessary that we be prepared for it by deep humiliation, that the wound be searched to the bottom…”

One of the greatest gifts we can receive (and one which we should continually strive for) is that of a broken and contrite heart.  That alone far outweighs any treasures we can gain from this world.

40:6-7 “Then 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. 

Verse 7 is identical to verse 3 in chapter 38, “Now gird up your loins like a man…”  God never lets us sit around and feel sorry for ourselves – no matter how dire the circumstances.  He has GREAT compassion for us, but He will not allow for even the smallest pity party.  In our trials we may just need to determine to “put our pants on” and get on with life.

Note the words, “…out of the storm…” In chapter one a storm destroyed; at the end of the book it’s a storm that brings healing. The full weight of the test (“Can a person love and trust a God that seems to have abandoned them?”) crushed Job for 37 chapters.  But now “out of the storm…” God speaks.   

40:8 Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn me that you may be justified?

Prior to chapter 32 Job had been the questioner, but now God is the One Who is giving the final exam.

Concerning verse 8 of this chapter Poole writes, “Every word in verse 8 is emphatic.”  Note how the version called The Message puts this verse, “Do you presume to tell me what I’m doing wrong? Are you calling me a sinner so you can be a saint?”  In his commentary Trapp paraphrases, “Are you going to ruin My justice to establish your innocence?” 

There seems to be a little Job in most of us.  We complain to God about our circumstances (“I hate my house, I hate my spouse…), but in so doing we set ourselves up as wiser and more omniscient than God. We murmur, “Jeepers God, if I were you, I certainly wouldn’t treat me like that!”  And in our minds we downsize the Creator to a God of manageable size.  We may not have a silver idol sitting in a prominent place in our home, yet the God that occupies our thinking may not be much bigger than a loaf of bread.

Our grumblings could also be an indication that we have concluded that God is inept!  One commentator has written, “Some of His providences are not so easily reconciled to His promises.”  And David Guzik writes, “We might say that Job fell into the trap of thinking that, because he couldn’t figure God out, perhaps God wasn’t fair.”  Even the slightest doubt in the absolute goodness of God can grow and fester into a joy destroying cancer. 

What should be written in bold font over every page of this story is this, “His ways are not our ways!  His thoughts are not our thoughts!”  A couple of lines in a song that Jason Upton sings go like this,

“No mind can comprehend

The love that has no end.”

God’s dealings with us are framed out of the His highest wisdom for our highest good.  Robert l. Wise writes, “My personal experiences have not led me to understand every mystery in God’s hidden strategy.  But I have learned a very important truth:  the empty times can bring a profound depth of insight and understanding that can be found nowhere else.”

40:9 Or do you have an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like His?’”

Perhaps Job thought at one time (in the same vein as Marlon Brando), “I could have been a contender!”  But his arms were simply too short to box with God.

And maybe Job thought he had a voice like that of E.F. Hutton.  Do you remember those commercials?  Someone in the multitude of people gathered would say, “My financial advisor is E.F. Hutton, and E.F. Hutton says….”  And then the crowd would become totally silent and bend their ears to hear what E.F. Hutton had to say. 

But compared to God’s voice, Job’s sounded like the teeny tiny shriek from a teeny tiny mouse.

40:10  "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.”

Listen to how the Amplified version renders verse 10, “Since you question the manner of the Almighty’s rule, deck yourself now with the excellency and dignity of the Supreme Ruler, and yourself undertake the government of the world if you are so wise, and array yourself with honor and majesty.”

A glimpse of the awful majesty of God will help us “see beyond the question marks.”

In the closing chapters it’s a portrait of two “Monsters” that will bring Job to a sense of absolute repentance  and restoration.    

Field Trip! (Flying Camels, Necks of Thunder, and Stars on a Leash) Job 38-39

Sometimes, when it seems that our outlook has gotten a little sour and a  little out of whack, we may just need to play with a puppy. It is widely felt that frolicking with a little canine companion has certain healing virtues.   I realize I am just speculating here, but maybe that’s why “God” spelled backwards is “Dog!”

The following links to a couple of brief YouTube videos show the amazing power of dogs to transform perspectives (and lives).  In the first one, a veteran suffering from PTSD named Blade found a reason to live after meeting DD (Pets for Vets).  In the second one, Tonka, a 150 lb Mastiff/Great Dane mix brought smiles to some very young patients at Cardon Children’s Medical Center (Tonka's Visit to Young Patients).

Maybe this is why God took Job on this field trip in chapters 38-41.  I realize God had several goals in mind during this ecological and cosmological field trip (conveying the majesty of God being one of them), but perhaps part of it was just to help Job get his mind off from his circumstances and misery.

And maybe, just maybe, God wanted to help him smile and laugh.

In the last edition of “Conversations from the Ash Heap” (I’m thinking of changing the title of this to something more uplifting…like “A Moment with Maggots and Misery!”) I mentioned the very unexpected way that God manifested Himself to the little congregation gathered at the local landfill and also the very unexpected way that God introduced Himself to Job (“Put your pants on!  And stand up!”).  (We should note that Job is rebuked but is never derided or ridiculed by God.)

The final chapters of this wonderful book lead us on a field trip through some of earth’s botanical gardens, the zoo and the planetarium (with a short stopover at the Weather Channel).  It is as if the National Geographic Channel has come to Uz! 

Like a torrent, God peppers Job again and again with question after question about His wonderful creation.  Lets take a 30,000 foot view of chapters 38-39, and while we are doing that, ask ourselves, “Why this line of questioning? And why no explanation for Job’s unwarranted suffering?”  This devotional is little different than the others – most of the verses are tacked on at the very end.

Moffat translates 38:2 this way, “Who darkens my design with a cloud of thoughtless words?” I like that translation.  God continues in verse 4, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth.” And He ends this chapter with a very simple, yet biting question, “Who feeds the ravens?  You???”

After briefly asking about the footings of the earth, Jehovah then asks Job about the origins of the oceans (38:8-11) and likens their creation to that of child birth.  The Message puts verse 9 this way, “That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds, and tucked it in safely at night.”

Verses 12-15 recount the marvels of the dawn.  In his commentary Poole puts verse 12 this way, “Have you ever in your life told Dawn to get to his post?”   Hartley writes, “Every morning, just as a maid vigorously shakes the crumbs from a huge table cloth, the rays of dawn reach out and grasp the mountains, the corners of the earth's tablecloth, and shake the wicked off the earth's surface…Job had been concerned that the wicked prospered seemingly unchecked -- but God counters by saying that, just as the ocean rushes up against the shore/bank, so the ‘light’ gives boundaries to the onslaught of the wicked.”

In verse 16-18 it’s a quiz about the springs of the sea; in verses 19-21 its questions about the home of light and darkness.  Poole writes, “The challenge is sarcastically put to Job to direct light and darkness to their respective homes.”   Job had often spoken of wanting to go to the abode of “death.”  But God asks him in verse 17, “Do you know where the gates of death are located? Have you seen the gates of utter gloom?” (NLT)

In verses 22-24 we are introduced to the storehouses of snow and hail.  FI Andersen writes, “The Lord thinks about snow the way a man thinks about gold.”

Hartley gives us this outline for the rest of chapters 38-39:

·         God asks Job about his ability to direct the inanimate world (38:25-38)

·         And to care for the animate world (38:39-39:30)

In verses 25-30 note the amazing array of the structure of the simple compound of water. Water astonishes us in the many forms it can take.  Several years ago, the wind had piled up huge blocks of ice on the western tip of Lake Superior.  The vivid array of various shades of blue spoke loudly of the incredible beauty of God’s creation.

Verse 26 reads this way in the NIV, “To water a land where no man lives, a desert with no-one in it…”  Why is the Creator concerned about watering a land where not a single solitary soul lives?  Maybe it is simply that God enjoys seeing such beauty and enjoys clothing the ground with flowers – irrespective of whether or not we are around to behold it!

We next move from the forms of water to the forms of the heavenly bodies.  Verses 31-33 read, “Can you direct the movement of the stars— binding the cluster of the Pleiades or loosening the cords of Orion? Can you direct the sequence of the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens? Do you know the laws of the universe? Can you use them to regulate the earth?”  Do you see the word “binding” in the first part of those verses?  It’s the same word that is used in 39:10 of “binding an ox.”  Leading the star cluster Pleiades around the Universe is easier for God than a farmer trying to tame the wild ox and hitch it to a plow!

After a brief five-verse stop over at the Weather Channel (in which God asks Job, “Does the lightning report to you in the same fashion as a private presents himself to a general?),  we move from the structure of the world to the creatures living in that world.

In verses 38:39-41 we transition swiftly from the majestic lion to the lowly raven.  In chapter 39 Job is bombarded with question after question about a vast array of animals:

            In verses 1-4 it’s the mountain goat and the deer

            In verses 5-8 it’s the wild donkey

            In verses 9-12 it’s the wild ox

            In verses 13-18 it’s the ostrich

The ostrich? Also known as “The Screamer” (from the Hebrew), the Giant Sparrow or the Flying Camel, it is a comical looking bird whose stupidity is only exceeded by its rapidity.   Reaching at times 9 feet tall and approximately 400 pounds, this flightless bird can run for long distances at 40 mph and some conjecture that it can reach speeds of close to 60 mph for short bursts!  With the largest eyes of any land vertebrate and eggs equaling the size of 2 dozen chicken eggs, it is a creature seemingly in desperate need of even an ounce of wisdom.  Poole writes, “Certainly the ostrich is a remarkable bird and its bizarre and grotesque appearance and behavior is bound to impress anyone who sees it.” “Swifter than the ostrich” is an Arab expression for the fastest of the fast whereas “More stupid than the ostrich was the greatest of insults.

So Jehovah, in the midst of this blistering examination, interjects a little humor by pointing to this odd looking creature that doesn’t seem to have any purpose other than this: maybe it was just created for God’s entertainment!  Maybe the Creator, after watching yet another war erupt on planet earth, at times sighs and says simply, “Hey Gabriel, lets go watch the ostriches for a while and unwind.”

And perhaps He just wanted to get Job to smile.

Over against the “Ostrich Comic Relief Show” we are introduced to the beauty and majesty of the horse.  There could scarcely be a greater contrast written between two of God’s amazing creatures. In verses 19-25 the writer of Job pens one of the most magnificent portraits of the horse found in all of literature.

Unlike the ostrich, the horse is universally honored.  The KJV introduces this segment, “Hast thou given the horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?”  “…neck with thunder…”  What a wonderful word picture!

We read these other phrases from this wonderful passage

            Verse 20 refers to “sneezes of terror”

            Verse 21 states that the horse is so anxious to charge into battle that he paws or scoops out the ground

            Verse 22 he despises what other creatures fear

            Verse 24 he swallows up the ground with his swiftness

            Verse 25 whereas the ostrich is shy and timid, the horse rushes into battle, eager to meet the enemy!

           

The chapter ends in verses 26-30 with a brief description of the splendor of the falcon and the eagle.  Seeing an eagle in the wild is an awe-inspiring sight.  This picture was taken by Iron River WI this past March.

Conclusion: The period of dereliction is over.  El-Shaddai has condescended to an ailing man’s ash-heap.  But in so doing none of Job’s cries and questions have been answered, not even the intense “Why?!?!”  And yet this trip to the zoo and planetarium seem to satisfy Job.  As FI Andersen states eloquently, "To withhold the full story from Job, even after the test was over, keeps him walking by faith, not by sight…Job does not say in the end, ‘Now I see it all.’  He never sees it all…But he sees God!  Perhaps it is better if God never tells any of us the whole of our life story.”

We may not need to see or know the reasons why, we may just need to be in the presence of God.

CHAPTER 38 (New American Standard Version)

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

2          "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!

4          "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?

8          "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 I set a bolt and doors,

11         And I said, 'Thus far you shall come, but no farther; and here shall your proud waves stop'?

12         "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         "And from the wicked their light is withheld, and the uplifted arm is broken.

16         "Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you 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.

19         "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!

22         "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?

25         "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?

28         "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.

31         "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?

34         "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that an abundance of water may 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 has 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?

39         "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?

CHAPTER 39

1          "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.

5          "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 he searches after every green thing.

9          "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?

13         "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.

19         "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 thunder of the captains, and the war cry.

26         "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."

(NAS)