Job 38:1–3: “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: ‘Who is this who darkens counsel, by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.'”

January 2nd, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

In chapter 38, God finally spoke to Job from a whirlwind. Perhaps because Job’s final counselor, Elihu, had spoken of a whirlwind, God decided to send one as an introduction to His answer. This was an appearance of God Almighty, talking directly to Job from something like a funnel cloud or hurricane. We remember Job said he wanted to talk with God because he had some questions. It seems God had heard enough from Job and his friends and was now going to remind His people that He was in control, that everything was in His hand.

Job (or anyone) trying to tell God how to run the world is like most of us trying to tell a rocket scientists how to calibrate the trajectory of a satellite launch. Few people in the world are capable of instructing aerospace engineers on how to do their work, and none of us can instruct God on how to run the world. Job was sure that his words up to this point had been filled with wisdom, but God thought differently. The Creator of the cosmos, the self-existent, eternal God Almighty was about to calibrate Job’s thinking.

God began His answer to Job by asking him a series of probing questions that he couldn’t possibly answer, all designed to humble him. For the most part these questions are still unanswerable today. When God said, “Now prepare yourself like a man.” He was telling Job to get ready for battle against Him. Most of us wouldn’t think of it that way, but that’s exactly what’s happening whenever we speak against God and His Word. We are issuing a challenge to God, setting ourselves up against him as an opponent. God reminded Job that he was not in a position to judge God’s actions. God didn’t owe Job (or us) answers, nor did He need to explain His ways to him. But, since God does care about us, He gives us some answers in His word. Not all the answers, but enough to encourage us and sustain us, reminding us of His power and love.

“LORD, thank You for Your unfailing love to us again this day.”