Book: The Challenges of Job (Job, chapters 32-42)

SERIES 3 of 3 in Job  :   PART 4 of 5     :     CHAPTERS 38-41

Study No.17                  Passage: Job 38:1-11         

Title: God – where were you?

 A. Find Out

1. Who now speaks from where? v.1

2. What does the Lord say Job has been doing? v.2

3. What does He tell him to do? v.3

4. Of what does He first question Job? v.4-7

5. Of what then did He question Job? v.8-11

B. Think:

1. What appears to have been Job's only fault?

2. How does the Lord answer him?

3. Why do you think He uses that approach?

C. Comment:

Elihu had previously spoken about a storm and it appears that the Lord now speaks from this storm (v.1), perhaps creating a picture of power to accompany His words. He challenges Job on a number of fronts. First of all He asks who has had the effrontery to speak without knowing what he is talking about (v.2). That is the big accusation made against Job although the Lord does not major on it.

Come on He says, get yourself ready. You want to challenge me? OK but get ready to answer my questions (v.3). Let's see how you'll get on. Note that the Lord doesn't answer Job's queries. He wants to leave him in a place of faith, a place of trust in the Lord, and before he can reach that he has to appreciate the Lord, he has to regain perspective. So the Lord simply asks him questions that indirectly speak about the Lord but make Job realise how small he is.

He asks Job where he was when the Lord created the world (v.4-7). Did he have any part in it? No! Who did? The Lord! No Job, you didn't set its foundations (v.4) or decided its size (v.5), establishing its magnitude (v.6) along with the angels (v.7). The Lord then scales it down to speak about the oceans. No Job, you didn't create the seas (v.8) or the clouds bringing rain (v.9), you didn't establish the seas in place (v.10) and you didn't establish their boundaries (v.11). You didn't but the Lord did! Got it? Perspective coming?

D. Application:

1. Never think too much of yourself.

2. Never speak without knowing what you're talking about!

Book: The Challenges of Job (Job, chapters 32-42)

SERIES 3 of 3 in Job  :   PART 4 of 5     :     CHAPTERS 38-41

Study No.18                 Passage: Job 38:12-30        

Title: God – day, night, snow & rain

A. Find Out

1. What does the Lord next ask Job & what does that do? v.12,13

2. How does He explain that further? v.14,15

3. What three things does He next ask Job about? v.16-18

4. What does He ask him if he understands? v.19-21

5. And what else? v.22-24

6. And what next? v.25-30

B. Think:

1. How would you summarise v.12-15 & v.19-21?

2. What about v.16-18?

3. And what about v.22-30?

C. Comment:

It seems as if the Lord now pounds Job with question after question, questions that are designed to help him realise his smallness and, by implication, God's greatness.

He starts with asking about day and night. Does Job have power to bring the dawn (v.12), the light that brings everything into focus (v.13a,14) and reveals the wicked (v.13b,15). No! Have you ever travelled to the depths of the seas (v.16), or seen the gates to death (v.17), have you traversed the immensity of the earth? (v.18) No! Again, do you know how the light comes and goes? (v.19,20). Surely you are a wise man who knows these things because you have lived for ever? (v.21) A resounding, ‘No!'

Do you know where I bring snow storms from (v.22) that I use to thwart my enemies (v.23), or where the lightning comes from (v.24) or where the winds blow to. Do you provide rain that runs down and waters the desert (v.25,26) so that it springs to life (v.27)? Do you have any say in the provision of rain or dew or ice (v.28-30)? And, of course, the answer to all these things is, No, of course not, I am not God.

And there it is. That is the point of the questioning, to help Job distinguish more clearly between his own smallness, ignorance and vulnerability, and God's greatness and wisdom and power.

D. Application:

1. Have we allowed ourselves to think too much of ourselves?

2. Do we think on God's greatness and worship Him?

Book: The Challenges of Job (Job, chapters 32-42)

SERIES 3 of 3 in Job  :   PART 4 of 5     :     CHAPTERS 38-41

Study No.19                  Passage: Job 38:31-41     

Title: God – what do you know?

A. Find Out:

1. About what does the Lord next question Job? v.31-33

2. What does He next ask him if he can do? v.34,35

3. What then does He ask about? v.36-38

4. What then does He turn to? v.39,40

5. What does He conclude the chapter asking? v.41

B. Think:

1. In questioning Job, how do the subjects the Lord covers go from the

    great to the small?

2. What, again, is the point He is making?

C. Comment:

There is a repetition in these chapters that is almost like the pounding of a drum. It doesn't feel edifying but it fills our consciousness. The Lord continues to pound Job with rhetorical questions, questions with obvious answers, answers that are designed to ensure we have a right perspective.

The Lord has Job look upwards and realise that he had nothing whatsoever to do with establishing the constellations in the night sky (v.31-33). It is so obvious but the implication has to be stated: no, Job, you didn't do this but God did!

Job, have you the power to speak and it rains? (v.34). Do you have a say over when or where lightning strikes (v.35)? No? You are quite powerless aren't you really! Are you able to convey wisdom and understanding (v.36); do you know how all these things work (v.37,38), how to bring rain to break the drought? Can you call an end to such a drought? Well, let's try something more simple: do you provide the food for the lions (v.39,40) when they are hungry? OK. Is that a bit difficult? How about providing the food for the ravens then, when their young need provision (v.41)?

Again and again the Lord continues the highlight the difference between Job and Himself. Job needs his perspective bringing into focus to avoid wrong speaking!

D. Application:

1. Look at the greatness of God's creation and worship Him.

2. Marvel at the wonder of His creation and praise Him.

Book: The Challenges of Job (Job, chapters 32-42)

SERIES 3 of 3 in Job  :   PART 4 of 5     :     CHAPTERS 38-41

Study No.20                  Passage: Job 39:1-30     

Title: God – what do you know of nature?

A. Find Out:

1. About what does the Lord next ask? v.1-4

2. About what next? v.5-8

3. And then? v.9-12

4. And then? v.13-18

5. And then? v.19-25

6. And then? v.26-30

B. Think:

1. Go through each of the six wild creatures here, and carefully observe

    what is being asked about each one.

2. What is the point of this information?

C. Comment:

In a day when excellent Television programmes report so much on the creatures of the world, we may be tempted to think that we know a lot, especially if we are ‘experts' in this field, yet the truth is that whatever we know is still very little in the face of the sum of all knowledge. Move into another area of ‘expertise' and we are lost. So what is the point of this chapter that lists questions about six wild animals – mountain goats (v.1), the wild donkey (v.5), the wild ox (v.9), the ostrich (v.13), the war horse (v.19), and the hawk (v.26)?

In each paragraph the Lord describes certain features of these creatures that make them unique – the goats that breed in the wild (v.3), the donkey that wanders far and near (v.5-8), the ox with his great untameable strength (v.9-12), the ostrich with her apparently wild ways (v.13-18), the horse with his apparent strength and courage (v.19-25), and the hawk who soars in the skies and sees all (v.26-30).

God knows His Creation, He knows the creatures He has made, each with their own distinctives. For us it is a learning process, finding out about all these creatures and many more, but not so for the Lord, for He designed them, He made them and so He knows everything there is to know about them. The gulf between Him and us gets bigger and bigger as we reflect upon these things!

D. Application:

1. God knows everything and has no need to ‘learn' anything.

2. For us everything is part of a learning process.

Book: The Challenges of Job (Job, chapters 32-42)

SERIES 3 of 3 in Job  :   PART 4 of 5     :     CHAPTERS 38-41

Study No.21                  Passage: Job 40:1-14   

Title: God – questions & answers

A. Find Out:

1. What does the Lord ask Job and tell him to do? v.2

2. How does Job respond? v.3-5

3. What does the Lord say will next happen? v.7

4. Of what does the Lord accuse him v.8

5. What does He ask him? v.9

6. How does He ask him to prove himself? v.10-13

7. What would the Lord then admit? v.14

B. Think:

1. How do you think Job's answer is a strictly limited one?

2. How has Job failed in his speeches?

3. How could he possibly put himself on an equal footing with God?

C. Comment:

There comes a pause in the outpouring of questions about Creation and the Lord directly challenges Job about what he has been saying. Yes, by and large he has been right in what he has been saying, but not completely right. He has almost challenged God to correct or accuse Him (v.2).

Now note carefully Job's response: he simply acknowledges his inadequacy in giving answers; he does not confess his failure (v.4,5) so perhaps this is why the Lord continues (v.6) He continues to demand that Job give Him answers (v.7).

Do you have the same strength as God, and the same power? (v.9). If so then put on the same splendour (v.10) as you do the same things: deal with sinful man (implied v.11) bring the proud down, deal with the wicked (v.12), bring them to death (v.13). If you can do all this then I will recognise your power and strength (v.14) and admit you are worth listening to (implied).

Now of course the truth is that Job cannot do these things. He hasn't the might and power and glory of the Lord; that is quite obvious. So, yes, this is a very one-sided conversation but Job needs to realise the folly of his trying to contend with God.

D. Application:

1. We can ask nothing of God but mercy.

2. It is only the foolish man who tries to argue with God.

Book: The Challenges of Job (Job, chapters 32-42)

SERIES 3 of 3 in Job  :   PART 4 of 5     :     CHAPTERS 38-41

Study No.22                  Passage: Job 40:15 - 41:11   

Title: God – great creatures

A. Find Out:

1. What creature does the Lord now ask about? v.15

2. What does He point out about it? v.16-19

3. What picture of it does He portray? v.20-24

4. What creature does He then ask about? v.1

5. What point does he make about it? v.2-10

6. What claim does He eventually make? v.10,11

B. Think:

1. What point does the Lord seem to make about the behemoth?

2. What point is He making about the Leviathan?

3. What final point does He make?

C. Comment:

In the fairly long passage we've considered here now, the Lord focuses simply on two beasts, which the footnotes of your Bible suggest are possibly the elephant or hippopotamus and possibly the crocodile.

First the hippopotamus (v.15) if that is what it is. The Lord reminds Job of the immense strength that it has (v.16-18). Living in days when zoos allow us to go quite close to these creatures, we know the truth of these descriptions, for they are built like a tank! But God can approach them without fear (v.19). He is a creature that lives happily foraging for food (v.20) undisturbed by other animals, resting as his ease (v.21-23) completely secure in his strength. You don't go trying to catch him easily (v.24).

Then there is the crocodile (v.1) who you also don't go trying to catch easily (v.2). Oh no, he's not going to come quietly if you try to catch him (implied by the irony of v.3,4). You're not going to be able to make a pet of him (v.5) for if you think of catching him you're in for a tough time (v.6-9). No, the point being made here is that these wild creatures cannot be controlled but they are small in comparison to God, who owns all creatures (v.11) so it is pure folly to think of standing against the might and power of Almighty God (v.10,11) so don't even think of going there Job!

D. Application:

1. Think on the greatness of God's creatures – get perspective.

2. Think on God's greatness, get perspective and worship Him.

Book: The Challenges of Job (Job, chapters 32-42)

SERIES 3 of 3 in Job  :   PART 4 of 5     :     CHAPTERS 38-41

Study No.23                  Passage: Job 41:12-34

Title: God – Leviathan

A. Find Out:

1. On what further about Leviathan does the Lord comment? v.12-17

2. How does it appear? v.18-21

3. When then does He focus on about it? v.22-24

4. What does this make it? v.25-29

5. Where he goes, what is seen? v.30-32

6. What does the Lord conclude about it? v.33,34

B. Think:

1. What do you think is the point of v.12-25?

2. What follows in v.26-29?

3. What is the overall point of this passage?

C. Comment:

We have possibly just read one of the strangest passages of Scripture in the Bible! It is strange in that it may well leave us wondering, whatever impact can the characteristics of some wild creature have on my spiritual well-being, on my relationship with the Lord? For that is all it is, a description of a mighty creature in God's creation! What is the point the Lord is making by taking a whole chapter to describe this one creature?

The point is not spelled out, so what does it say at surface level? Well, here is a creature that is strong (v.12,13), powerful, armed (v.14) armoured (v.15-17), who is fearsome in appearance (v.18-21), who is so strong and so armoured that even the mighty are terrified when confronted with him (v.22-25). Coming against him with swords or spears (v.26,27) or arrows (v.28) or clubs (v.29) is a complete waste of time. Wherever he goes he leaves a trail of devastation behind him (v.30-32) and there is no other like him (v.33,34).

Now if there is a creature like that in God's creation who make us go in awe of him, how much greater should our awe of Almighty God be? This is a created animal, a mere small piece of God's Creation, yet he scares the life out of us! If the Creation can do that, how much more so the Creator? That is what this should be saying to us!

D. Application:

1. God's Creation in awesome.

2. How much more is the Lord Himself? Worship Him!

Book: The Challenges of Job (Job, chapters 32-42)

SERIES 3 of 3 in Job  :   PART 4 of 5     :     CHAPTERS 38-41

Title: RECAP 4:   "The Lord Speaks” - Ch. 38-41

SUMMARY :  

In this fourth group of 7 studies we have seen the Lord declaring that :

•  Job has spoken without understanding.

•  he needs to regain perspective

•  he didn't make the world or the oceans on it!

•  he doesn't control the daylight, or the snow or rain

•  he doesn't have anything to do with the stars, or the weather

•  he doesn't provide for the wild animals

•  he knows little about a lot of creatures in God's creation.

•  Job has no right to question Him.

•  Job wouldn't stand a chance with the great creatures

•  if they are awesome, how much more is God? (implied)

COMMENT:

  It is possible that we have not found these chapters the most edifying in terms of conveying spiritual principles but perhaps more than any other verses in the Bible they scream at us to look at God's Creation and see the wonder of it and realise the greatness and wonder of the Lord. The apostle Paul spoke of this: “ For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen….. they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him.” That is the terrible possibility that these chapters seek to counteract. May we heed them!

LESSONS?

When we consider God's creation it helps us get ourselves in perspective. We are tiny but the Lord is great and Almighty and worthy of our worship.

PRAY :

  Worship Him. Revere Him for His greatness and for all He has done.

PART 5: "Confrontations & Blessing"

In the last Part we find the Lord confronting both Job and His three friends. His words are very revealing and help clarify the sense and importance of all that has gone before. He also restores Job.