Hello everyone! Welcome to today’s Bible study on Job 26 – Job talks about man’s frailty and God’s majesty. According to Bible scholars, the events of the book of Job took place approximately before 2100 B.C. We are finally half-way through the chapters of Job. Now, that is already something, isn’t it?
I encourage you to turn to Job 26 in your Bible. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read and study Job 26 with me. I mention this in all the Bible Studies because it is through the Holy Spirit that we get fresh revelation and knowledge to understand the word of God. I am using the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, just in case you want to know. All the scriptures that you find highlighted in purple in this post are from the NKJV.
In the Bible Study on Job 25, we read about Bildad questioning man’s righteousness before God. Well, in this Bible study on Job 26, we will read about Job’s reply to Bildad. He speaks about man’s frailty and God’s majesty. As I have already mentioned before, most of the chapters of the book of Job are conversations between Job and his friends. They go back and forth.
Without any further delay, let us study together and learn what is Job Chapter 26 about, shall we?
Man’s Frailty
1 But Job answered and said:
2 “How have you helped him who is without power?
How have you saved the arm that has no strength?
3 How have you counseled one who has no wisdom?
And how have you declared sound advice to many?
4 To whom have you uttered words?
And whose spirit came from you?
In Verses 1-4 of Job 26, Job rebuked Bildad who questioned man’s purity before God in Job 25. He replied to Bildad by marvelling (sarcastically) what a great help he is and how much wisdom lies with him. Job asks Bildad how has he ever helped a man who has no power or saved the arm of a man who had no strength? How has he ever given advice/counsel to a fool and by what means did he provide sound advice to many people? When he helped such people, whose spirit came from Bildad? Was it Bildad’s spirit? Man is frail before God.
Now these are some valid questions that Job asks. When a man thinks that he has wisdom or when a man helps someone who has no power or when he gives sound advice, man often thinks in his frailty that it is him doing it. He thinks that he is so wise and so able to help pthers.
However, that is far from the truth. No man’s wisdom comes by himself. Sure, we can learn from experiences in life. However, divine wisdom is something else. It cannot be learned or obtained from any university or school or teaching. Divine wisdom is imparted by God Himself. When a man helps another, the spirit that comes upon him (the helping spirit or the spirit of giving) is from God.
God’s Majesty
5 “The dead tremble,
Those under the waters and those inhabiting them.
6 Sheol is naked before Him,
And Destruction has no covering.
7 He stretches out the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth on nothing.
8 He binds up the water in His thick clouds,
Yet the clouds are not broken under it.
9 He covers the face of His throne,
And spreads His cloud over it.
10 He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters,
At the boundary of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble,
And are astonished at His rebuke.
12 He stirs up the sea with His power,
And by His understanding He breaks up the storm.
13 By His Spirit He adorned the heavens;
His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
In Verses 5-13 of Job 26, Job talks about how even the dead tremble before God. Even Sheol (the place of the dead) is naked before him. No one can hide anything from God. Destruction and death itself cannot hide from God. He stretches the north over an empty space (nothing) and he hangs the earth on nothing. He binds up water in thick clouds. However, the clouds do not break under the pressure of the water inside them even though clouds are just vapour and fragile. He drew a ciruclar horizon on the seas and oceans and created a boundary between light and darkness.
Even the pillars of Heaven tremble before God and are afraid of His rebuke. He stirs up the sea with His power and they form waves and roar. Only He has the power to break up the violent storm. God fills the heavens by His Spirit (The Holy Spirit). His hand pierced the fleeing serpent (satan) and He kicked him and his cohorts out of heaven.
God Speaks In A Faint Whisper
14 Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?”
In Verse 14 of Job 26, Job said that these are mere examples of His power. No one can fully fathom the exceedingly enormous Power and Majesty of God. He is The Creator! He is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent. Though God is All-powerful and All-Mighty, yet we often hear the faintest whisper of His voice. He does not roar (though He can, but he chooses to speak in a whisper).
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of the bible study lesson on Job 26. I had goosebumps writing this bible study reflecting on God’s Majesty and Power. We ought to praise and worship Our Creator everyday. All Glory, Power And Might belong to Him and Him alone. He is Eternal and cannot be confined. I hope you learnt something from this free bible study and found it helpful in your Bible study journey.
If you have any comments or questions for me, kindly leave them in the comments box below. I highly appreciate it. I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Until Next Time!