Deep Dive
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Hey, Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.
Finally, God speaks. I don't know if you read the headings in your Bible or not, but when I saw the heading of chapter 38 that said, the Lord answers Job, I was so relieved. This is who I wanted to hear speak, not Job's friends. You probably felt the same way. And if so, we can rest assured that Job definitely wants to hear God speak even more than we do.
Honestly, I hardly want to touch a recap on these chapters. I kind of just want to enjoy them. But I will point out a few things in God's reply to Job. First of all, you may have noticed that when God responds to Job, the word LORD is in all caps. And you may remember what we learned about the word LORD in all caps on day one when we read Genesis 1-3. This is God's personal name, Yahweh, Jehovah.
So right out of the gate here, we see that God is being very personal with Job.
This flies in the face of what Job's friends said would happen next. They said Job would continue to get God's silence and even more harsh consequences if he didn't repent. Well, Job didn't repent. But here God is, speaking to Job directly and intimately. When God first starts speaking to Job, you might have noticed it has nothing to do with Job's problems. God doesn't answer any of Job's questions. He actually starts out by establishing who he is—
That's because everything else is secondary to who God is. He establishes himself as the creator and commander of everything. He initiates, sustains, and fulfills everything in accordance with his plan. And he makes it clear that his attention isn't just to the things we consider to be of utmost importance. He even ordains and orders the predator-prey food chain in the animal kingdom. The lion hunts at his command. He is the one who feeds the raven.
He tells the eagles where to build their nests. Speaking of straw, I think we encounter a prophecy of Jesus in Job 39:9. It says, "Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger?" Because a few thousand years later, Jesus would be born in a cave where the animals were kept at night, and Mary laid him in a manger, which was the feeding trough for animals. So there's a decent chance that an ox kept him company on that night.
Another thing you may remember is that earlier in this book, Job got sarcastic with his friends. And in 3821, God speaks to Job in his own language by using a little sarcasm as well. He's been asking Job all kinds of questions about the creation of the universe. And he says to Job, you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great.
God isn't calling Job old. He's calling Job out for not being eternal. Almost like, listen, were you there? I don't remember seeing you there. Oh, right. I hadn't made you yet. So he puts Job in his place, and rightfully so. He's God. He invented Job, the one who is now questioning him. So Job gets a little bit of a subtle, firm rebuke here. But you know what he doesn't get?
He doesn't get God's anger. God doesn't strike him dead. Instead, he patiently reminds Job of the truth. That's where my God shot was for the day. I loved seeing God draw near to Job despite what everyone said. And I loved seeing God respond to Job's questions even if he didn't answer them.
We can question God. That's part of what happens in a relationship. He's not threatened by your questions, but he's also not required to give you the answers you're seeking. So hold your questions with humility. Ask them with reverence. Remember who made you. Remember who loves you. Remember who feeds the ravens. And remember the God who drew near to Job. Even after Job questioned him. He's your creator. He's your father.
Okay, Bible readers, it's time for our weekly check-in. How's it going? If Job has been hard for you, hang in there. We've only got one day left before we finish this book. Then we're back to Genesis again to meet a man named Abraham. And by the way, no matter when you're listening to this, even if you're quote-unquote behind in the plan, I want to remind you, you're right on time. Keep watching.
Keep looking for God as we read what he loves, what he hates, what motivates him to do what he does. He's revealing a lot about himself in this conversation about Job. We'll continue that tomorrow. So keep looking for your own God shot each day, digging in to see his character in the midst of these stories. He's where the joy is.
The Bible Recap also has a study series on individual books of the Bible. And today, we're celebrating the release of our newest book. Please welcome Acts, the Spirit and the Bride, a 10-session study on God and His Church.
Have you ever wondered how the church started or why followers of Jesus are called Christians or what is an apostle anyway? Pick up your copy of Acts, the Spirit and the Bride today at Amazon, Baker Bookhouse, or wherever you buy books, or click the link in the show notes.