Hello everyone! Welcome to today’s Bible study on Job 38 – The Lord Reveals His Omnipotence To Job. According to Bible scholars, the events of the book of Job took place approximately before 2100 B.C.
I encourage you to turn to Job 38 in your Bible. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read and study Job 38 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 37, we read about Elihu proclaiming God’s works and wisdom. Well, in this Bible study on Job 38, we will read about God revealing His omnipotence to Job.
Without any further delay, let us study together Job Chapter 38, shall we?
The Lord Answers Job
1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 “Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
In Verses 1-3 of Job 38, The Lord speaks to Job out of the whirlwind. He asked rhetorically who was the man who had darkened his counsel by speaking without knowledge. Here, He was directly referring to Job as the man who had darkened his counsel. The Lord challenged Job and asked him to prepare himself like a man for interrogation. He said that He will question Job and Job cannot stay quiet or hide but he shall answer Him (if he can find an answer). This meant trouble for Job.
The Lord Questioned Job On The Foundations Of The Earth
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
In Verses 4-7 of Job 38, the Lord asked Job where was he when, He (The Lord) laid the foundations of the earth. He questioned Job rhetorically on who determined the measurements of the earth. Surely, Job must know because he thought that he was wise enough to discern that his affliction was a direct result of God’s punishment. God revealed to Job how He stretched the line upon the earth upon which its foundations were fastened and He laid its (the earth’s) cornerstone so that it is stable. When God created the earth, the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God (the angels) shouted for joy marvelling at God’s work.
Observation
In Verse 7, when God spoke about the morning stars (plural) He was seemingly referring to Lucifer and his group who were originally the worship angels. We can infer that Lucifer is called as the morning star from Isaiah 14:12. The worship angels used to worship and sing to God. So, now we know that even Lucifer marvelled with all the other angels when God created the earth.
The Lord Questions Job About The Sea
8 “Or who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
9 When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10 When I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
11 When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves must stop!’
In Verses 8-11 of Job 38, The Lord questions Job on who shut the sea with doors when it burst forth in full force when it was first created. The Lord made the clouds its garment and thick darkness as its swaddling band. The waters of the sea had to be controlled. God fixed a limit for it and set bars and doors. He drew a limit for the sea and made a boundary (at the shore) where their proud waves stopped.
The Lord Questions Job About The Morning
12 “Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
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 takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
15 From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the upraised arm is broken.
In Verses 12-15 of Job 38, The Lord questioned if Job had commanded the morning since his birth and if he had instructed dawn to know its place. These are rhetoric questions posed by the Lord to Job. It is indeed the Lord who commands the morning and the dawn. He has total power and dominion over nature. The morning and the dawn cover the whole earth like a garment. God withholds their light from the wicked.
The Lord Questions Job About the Deep Things Of The Earth
16 “Have you entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
In Verses 16-18 of Job 38, The Lord continues to question Job if he had ever entered the springs of the sea. He questioned if Job had ever walked in search of the depths of the sea.
Fun fact: More than 80 percent of the ocean are unexpored and unmapped until now. No man has ever set foot at the depths.
The Lord further asked Job if he had ever seen the gates of death and the doors of the shadow of death. Does Job even comprehend the breadth of the earth, God asked. He asked Job to tell him the answer to all these questions. God reveals His omnipotence to Job through these questions. I can picture Job being dumbfounded and trembling along with his friends as God is speaking to him.
Only God knows the answer to all the questions that He asked Job. Remember, He said that the earth is His and everything in it, including us, the things we wear, the food we eat, the houses we live in, the vehicles we drive, etc. everything comes from the earth that God made!
The Lord Questions Job About Light And Darkness
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,
That you may know the paths to its home?
21 Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?
In Verses 19-21 of Job 38, The Lord questions Job about light and darkness. Does Job know the way to the dwelling place of light and darkness? To us they seem as mere natural phenomenons, but, Verse 19 reveals that light and darkness have a dwelling place and only God knows it. No man knows the path to the territory of light or darkness. The Lord questions Job if he existed when light was created. Was Job’s days so great to even think of such things, The Lord questioned. Obviously no. God is eternal and no man has any way of discovering everything that God knows. We can never be His equal yet He in His mercy has made us heirs to the throne through unmerited grace and mercy through His son Jesus Christ.
The Lord Questions Job About Snow And Hail
22 “Have you entered the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
23 Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is light diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
In Verses 22-24 of Job 38, the Lord questioned Job about the treasury of snow and hail. This means that God stores snow in a place in His infinite wisdom. He has reserved these things for times of trouble such as battle and war. He asks Job by what way light is diffused all around the earth and by what way is the east wind scattered over the earth? In my opinion, I don’t think any man has an answer to these questions even today.
The Lord Questions Job About Water, Rain And Ice
25 “Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
27 To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
28 Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30 The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is frozen.
In Verses 25-30 of Job 38, The Lord questions Job rhetorically about water, the thunderbolt, rain, dew drops and the ice. It is indeed only God who has divided a channel for the overflowing water and a path for the thunderbolt. He causes rain to fall on a land where no humans live -in the wilderness, which makes their soil to prosper and bring forth life through grass. He questions Job if the rain has a father and to whom does the drops of dew belong. Where does ice come from and who gives birth to the frost of heaven. The flowing waters become rock solid ice – like a stone and even the surface of deep waters are frozen when God commands it.
Observation
People reading this might think, ‘Oh, science has an answer’. Science does not have all the answers and science didn’t create nature. If it did, we don’t need God. These things such as ice and hail storm and thunderbolts and rain that the Lord is speaking about were created even before man was created on the earth. We must keep this in mind before putting it all under the rug as mere science. Science is a study through which man discovers things that are on the earth that God created and put in place. It is like a treasure hunt. It didn’t appear out of nowhere. Everything has a start except God. He existed even before the beginning of time itself.
The Lord Questions Job About The Constellations
31 “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades,
Or loose the belt of Orion?
32 Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?
In Verses 31-33 of Job 38, God begins to question Job about the constellations. He asks Job if he can bind the cluster of Pleiades together or loosen the belt of Orion? Can Job or any man bring out Mazzaroth in its season? Can Job (or any man) guide the Great Bear constellation with its cubs? Does Job or any man know the ordinances of the heavens? Does Job or any man have the power to set the dominion of heaven’s ordinances over the earth? The Lord yet again reveals His Omnipotence to Job through these questions about the constellations which only He has created in His infinite wisdom and power and might. Come to think of it, He even calls the stars by name.
The Lord Questions Job On Power And Authority
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
35 Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
36 Who has put wisdom in the mind?
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?
In Verses 34-38 of Job 38, The Lord questions Job if he could lift up his voice to the clouds and make an abundance of water to cover him. Can he send out lightnings and will they obey his comand? Would they serve him? The Lord questions Job on who had given wisdom to man and understanding to man’s heart? Is there any one on the earth or above or below who can number the clouds by their wisdom. Can they ever pour out the bottles of heaven (of rain) when their is a drought where dust is harden in clumps and clods cling together.
The Lord Questions Job About Provisions For Wild Animals
39 “Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
41 Who provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?
In Verses 39-41 of Job 38, the Lord after questoning Job on nature moves on to the wild beasts. He asks Job if he could find a prey for the wild lion and satisfy the appetites of young lions when they crouch in their dens and lurk to catch their prey for food. He questions Job on who provides food for the ravens when its young ones cry to God and they wander in search of food. God’s creation such as the wild canimals and birds know who their Creator is even though they dont speak the same language as us and they cry out to Him in their need.
Observation
Why did God talk about nature and wild animals to Job? Why didn’t he compare Job with another human? This is seemingly to prove a point that no man including Job can know all the things that God does even though we are in His image. This was to tell Job that He is God and Job (or any man)was not and never could be. A man cannot be more intelligent or wise than God Himself. A man cannot control a running river or sea or ocean or a waterfall single-handledly. They would simply be swept away. However, God commands them and they obey him. He single-handedly has done all these things and still does.
God seemingly said all these things even about the wild animals to Job to prove that man is not as mighty (physically-speaking) compared to nature and wild animals yet they (nature and wild animals) do not question God. They obey Him at His command and cry out to Him in their need. However, man who is weak physically questions God like Job did forgetting that we are dependent on Him. This is not to be mistaken with the fact that God gave man total dominion over the entire earth. That is an entirely different topic.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of the bible study lesson on Job 38. God reveals His omnipotence to Job through His rhetoric questions. I could imagine Job being dumbstruck at this point. Firstly, because he wouldn’t have been able to digest the fact that God is audibly, directly, speaking to him through the whirlwind after he sought him frantically through his affliction. Secondly, he would have been dumbstruck because he wouldn’t have had any answer to any of the questions that God even asked. I don’t think any man could answer God on all these questions. 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!