This is the fourth post in which we are considering God’s questions to Job as He continues to make Job understand that we have no right to question our Creator. I am reminded of other scriptures addressing this subject.
Isaiah 64:8 “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”
Romans 9:20–21 “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?”
The sovereignty of the Creator over His creation should be a source of our meditation just as surely as the miraculous power and authority that is required to sustain it.
Job 38:36–38 “Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart? Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven, When the dust hardens in clumps, And the clods cling together?”
Wisdom is the ability to use what you know effectively for good; it is the ability to be discerning and make proper judgment. Understanding is the ability to interpret meaning and intention and to explain what you know. God is questioning Job as to the source of man’s wisdom and understanding. Even today, can we explain the source behind the workings of the brain? Even in asking the question, point is made that man’s abilities are limited at best.
Even with what we know today, can we really number the clouds—a number that is constantly changing. Do we have the ability to command the clouds and direct the rains of heavens so as to soften the hardened clay of the deserts or to turn the hardened clay into a sticky, muddy mess? The process of seeding the clouds today is a complicated process and is dependent upon working with existing clouds and increasing their production—a process still controversial regarding the results achieved. We certainly can’t do it by speaking a command. And who is the one who numbers the clouds and sets them in motion? God is definitely declaring that it is He.
Job 38:39–41 “Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, When they crouch in their dens, Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait? Who provides food for the raven, When its young ones cry to God, And wander about for lack of food?”
This series of questions turns to the innate ability given the lion (and other predators) regarding hunting food to eat and provide for their young. The raven is probably linked with the lion since it is a carnivore that would feast on the remains of the lion’s kill. God is declaring that He is the source for the skill and instincts of the lion and has provided for the needs of birds like the raven even as He has appointed them to serve in maintaining the balance of nature.
Job 39:1–4 “Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth? Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bear young? They bow down, They bring forth their young, They deliver their offspring. Their young ones are healthy, They grow strong with grain; They depart and do not return to them.”
The questions now address reproduction of the wild animals. God is pointing out to Job that he has no control over when and how they reproduce. Can he explain how they know innately what to do to give birth and how to take care of their young? Can he explain how the young ones know when it is time to go off on their own? Can he explain why there is no lasting bond between parent and offspring? God knows the answer to each one of these questions. Man can only observe the process.
Job 39:5–8 “Who set the wild donkey free? Who loosed the bonds of the onager, Whose home I have made the wilderness, And the barren land his dwelling? He scorns the tumult of the city; He does not heed the shouts of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searches after every green thing.”
This section starts with the thought of who determines which animals roam free and which are made to serve man. It also addresses who determines where the animals are to live. Some were created and equipped to live in the desert, others in the mountains, and others in pastures that are tended by men. Some are naturally vegetarians and others, like those in the previous section, are natural meat eaters. Again, it is all a part of God’s overall plan to maintain the balance of nature and provide for each creature that is part of His creation. The obvious point being made yet again—Man has no control over any animal regarding its natural instincts and placing them where they will most naturally thrive.
Job 39:9–12 “Will the wild ox be willing to serve you? Will he bed by your manger? Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes? Or will he plow the valleys behind you? Will you trust him because his strength is great? Or will you leave your labor to him? Will you trust him to bring home your grain, And gather it to your threshing floor?”
Point is made in this section that there are some animals that man cannot tame. The Hebrew for unicorn makes reference to a wild bull. Some commentators think that the rhinoceros is meant as an obvious type of the unicorn that is known for its prominent horn. The obvious reference is to a grown animal that is too dumb and powerful to be tamed and put to work for man.
The implication of the question—God made this animal and programmed it according to His own purposes.
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