Job 39:26: “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, and spread its wings toward the south?”

January 3rd, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Job had wanted an audience with God, an opportunity to present his case, to ask Him why He had brought such suffering on him. But when God finally spoke to Job, He asked Job questions he couldn’t answer. In Job 39, God questioned Job about his knowledge of animal behavior, including the migration instincts of birds. God was asking, “Are you doing anything to sustain My creation, Job?” God’s point was that Job had neither the understanding nor the ability to change the instincts of animals.

By God’s design, some birds fly thousands of miles between the North Pole and the South Pole every year. One of the farthest flying birds is the arctic tern, traveling 14,000 miles, pole to pole, twice a year. One study found that a tern, taken from its nesting area and transported 3,200 miles away, returned 12.5 days later. The bird flew an average of 10.5 miles per hour, 24 hours per day, and ultimately found its way back to the precise nest it had been taken from.

Natural instinct is part of God’s design. Everything in God’s creation was made with a plan and a purpose, including human lives. That should be comforting to us when it seems that everything is flying out of control around us. Every one of us has unique problems and issues that we rarely see coming at us today, tomorrow, next week, or next year. Although we cannot be sure of what we might have to face, we can be sure of the character of the Creator who tells us that He’s got it all under control. And if we would quit worrying, complaining, fretting, and fuming; and just serve Him, then He will make it all turn out well.

“LORD, we are amazed by You, and give You control of our lives, asking You to make it all turn out well.”

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Job 39 KJV

¹ Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve? ² Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth? ³ They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows. ⁴ Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them. ⁵ Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? ⁶ Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.  ⁷ He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.  ⁸The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing. ⁹ Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? ¹⁰ Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? ¹¹Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? ¹² Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn? ¹³ Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?  ¹⁴ Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust, ¹⁵ And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them. ¹⁶She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear; ¹⁷ Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding. ¹⁸ What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider. ¹⁹ Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? ²⁰Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible. ²¹ He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.   ²² He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword. ²³ The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield. ²⁴ He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. ²⁵ He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. ²⁶ Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south? ²⁷Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?  ²⁸ She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. ²⁹From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off. ³⁰ Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are , there is she.