Matters to ponder with a warning and example
Text Job 38:39-40:5 Time 21/09/03 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church
We are in the final section of the Book of Job and we are looking at the speeches of the LORD found in Chapters 38-41. Last week we looked at most of Chapter 38 and the first part of the first speech. Then we noted how Job had longed for a meeting with God. Indeed, it is the obvious way for the book to end. God’s justice has been called into question, what is his answer? Now, when Job’s wish is finally being granted it is, no doubt, not really what he had expected. It is tempting for us too to be dismissive about what is said here as it is far from being what we might have expected. It is tempting to be disappointed. What is going on? Here is a man reduced to nothing and God wants to talk to him about donkeys and ostriches! Some go further. ‘A magnificent impertinence’ one writer called it. Others accuse God of waffling and the psycho-analyst Carl Jung accused God of bullying. For another it is like shaking a rattle at a baby to divert its attention.
As we said last time, however, it is important to remember that whereas up until now we have been considering human answers to the problem of suffering and the answers have been inadequate in both form and content, we now come to God’s own answer. It is, of course, a perfect one in both form and content even though it doesn’t do what we expect.
Part of the problem is our expectations. Instead of giving an answer to the problem of evil or talking about Satan or dealing with the errors of Job’s friends or whatever, the LORD meets with Job in his own world - a world of beauty, order, mystery and wonder - and asks a whole series of questions of his own. On further reflection it is perhaps what we might have expected – not more answers of the sort that man so readily gives but transcendental questions that lift us out of our own little worlds to see the folly of our own wrong attitudes and harsh thoughts towards God. What we have here is a Spirit inspired answer to the problem of suffering that clearly transcends the human wisdom of Job’s day and also of our own. Right up to the end of the book God has things he wants Job to learn, things that have been re-enforced by his sufferings. He reduces Job to silence. If we want to be wise, especially regarding this matter of suffering then we will pay close attention to what we read in these chapters.
Another problem is, perhaps, the way we read these verses. There is a lot of gentle irony here, even humour at times perhaps. It is not harsh sarcasm. He comes to Job as the LORD not as God Almighty.
Last week we looked at 38:1-3. We noted that it is the LORD who speaks, the covenant God, self-existent and yet full of love. He comes in a powerful storm and he demands that Job get ready for a fight.
To God our discussions of suffering are for the most part highly irrelevant and lacking in wisdom. They serve too often only to obscure his glory. We ought to feel rebuked for much of our grumbling and our pontificating on what we hardly understand. What he really wants from us in this matter is for us to meet with him, to sit and listen, to be overpowered by his greatness and our smallness.
We have looked at how that begins to happen in 38:4-38. There God asks Job questions about inanimate nature. We start with questions about the earth and then the sea. Then come questions about dawn falling on earth and revealing its features and then about the depths of the sea and the depths of the earth. Verses 19-21 are about light and darkness and are followed by a whole series of questions about the sky and its weather and where it comes from – first snow, hail, lightning and wind, then rain, dew, ice and frost. That leads on, finally, to questions about our control of the stars in the sky and the clouds and lightning bolts. So the general drift is from the LORD laying the earth’s foundation below us to us counting the clouds above.
In 3:38-30 we move on to animate nature or the animal and bird kingdom and questions related to that world. Some 10 creatures are mentioned altogether in this section, six animals and four birds. Most are wild or undomesticated animals. They may appear to be chosen at random but they are all quite different, showing characteristics of ferocity, helplessness, timidity, strength, bizarre behaviour and wildness.
1. Aspects of God’s dealing with his creatures to ponder
1. Ponder provision for creatures by God. He feeds lions and ravens.
Ponder lions. Verses 39, 40 Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? Lions have been in the news this week. People are concerned that there are so few of them relatively speaking - only 23,000 in the whole of Africa! There was a time when they were a lot more common than they are now. The lion is mentioned more often in the Bible than any other wild animal. It symbolises strength and dignity. Perhaps you have been to Longleat or somewhere like that and seen them quite close up. As you may know, it is the lionesses that do the hunting for food. They are the ones who hunt the prey. The point made here is that in reality it is the LORD who provides for the lions. Neither Job nor anyone else gives any thought to it.
Ponder ravens. Similarly, verse 41 Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food? Ravens are scavenger birds and are well known for their willingness to eat almost anything. Farmers consider them pests. Jesus drew attention to them, of course, as they teach us the folly of worrying. God provides for them and we can be sure he will provide for us. There are mysteries in life. We don’t know, in many cases, why we are suffering as we are but surely we can be confident that the God who provides for the lions and for the ravens will provide for us. If he satisfies the hunger of the lions then surely he will satisfy us, if we look to him? If he provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God then surely we can be confident that he will provide for us too whatever our need.
2. Ponder procreation in nature. God sees the mountain goats and deer give birth.
Ponder mountain goats and deer. The question in 39:1 is Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? There are various types of mountain goats around today such as the ibex, which we have seen down at London Zoo. Perhaps you have seen them too. Because they live in high and remote places they are seldom seen giving birth, although they obviously do. The companion question is Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Deer are very shy creatures and their giving birth is seldom seen either. And so these questions are asked in verse 2 Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? Well, it would seem, Job didn’t know the gestation period for mountain goats or deer and he certainly could not tell you just when they were giving birth. But God had seen it, (3, 4) They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labour pains are ended. Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return.
By now it has been possible to track creatures down and even film such things. Perhaps you have seen footage of deer giving birth to their young. The whole process is full of fascination as something like the Disney film Bambi and live action films show. The point here is that every time such a thing happens God sees it. He knows about it. He created these animals to procreate in this way and he has watched over every birth ever since. Now if God knows about such things then surely he knows all about you and your needs too? Nothing’s hidden from him.
3. Ponder possession of animals. God gives freedom to wild donkeys and wild oxen.
Ponder wild donkeys. By our day we are chiefly used to seeing domesticated donkeys. They are strong, if stubborn animals, and have long been domesticated for use in carrying burdens and pulling carts and so on. Wild donkeys are few and far between these days. Here the focus is on the wild donkey. Verse 5 asks Who let the wild donkey go free? Figuratively Who untied his ropes? God himself answers (6-8) I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. He laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver’s shout. (Again figurative). He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green thing. Yes, man may possess them and tame them, although not without difficulty, but God possesses them and gives them freedom. He lets them roam where they will.
Ponder wild oxen. What is said about wild oxen is similar. Oxen were used in similar ways for pulling carts and especially, of course, for ploughing. Verses 9-12 Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he till the valleys behind you? Will you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him? Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing-floor? Of course, all these questions have to be answered in the negative because while the ox remains wild then none of these things can be done with it. Perhaps we can apply it in this way. While God allows things to run wild, we cannot harness such things in the way that we would like. This is true of our sufferings sometimes. There are such things as pain management and coping with pressure but there are times when it is all beyond us. We should not think at such times that because things are out of our control that they are out of God’s control. We cannot make such assumptions.
4. Ponder propulsion on the ground. God makes ostriches and warhorses fast.
Ponder ostriches. There is quite a bit about the ostrich in verses 13-18. This time we have a description rather than questions as such. Ostriches are strange creatures, as you know, because although they are birds and have wings (they are the largest birds living today being 6-8 feet in height) they cannot actually fly. With their long gangly legs and prominent eyelashes that protect their eyes from sand and dust they are odd looking creatures. They are rather foolish too in the way that they treat their young, as is noted here. Their speed on land, however, is quite phenomenal. They can reach speeds of 60 mph or so and can run at 40 or 50 mph for up to half an hour. Verses 13-18 The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork. She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them. She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labour was in vain, for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense. Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider. Although there is no question then, the obvious point is that it is God who has made the ostrich foolish in some respects but skilful in others – here speed in particular.
Ponder warhorses. Verses 19-25 revert in part to the question method as we think next of another speedy animal. This time the horse and particularly the warhorse, the one domesticated animal that we focus on. One writer calls it ‘one of the most outstanding eulogies of this magnificent creature in all literature.’ Here is speed again but something much more – here is strength, flair, élan, power, bravery, eagerness. Listen to verses 19-25
We are in the final section of the Book of Job and we are looking at the speeches of the LORD found in Chapters 38-41. Last week we looked at most of Chapter 38 and the first part of the first speech. Then we noted how Job had longed for a meeting with God. Indeed, it is the obvious way for the book to end. God’s justice has been called into question, what is his answer? Now, when Job’s wish is finally being granted it is, no doubt, not really what he had expected. It is tempting for us too to be dismissive about what is said here as it is far from being what we might have expected. It is tempting to be disappointed. What is going on? Here is a man reduced to nothing and God wants to talk to him about donkeys and ostriches! Some go further. ‘A magnificent impertinence’ one writer called it. Others accuse God of waffling and the psycho-analyst Carl Jung accused God of bullying. For another it is like shaking a rattle at a baby to divert its attention.
As we said last time, however, it is important to remember that whereas up until now we have been considering human answers to the problem of suffering and the answers have been inadequate in both form and content, we now come to God’s own answer. It is, of course, a perfect one in both form and content even though it doesn’t do what we expect.
Part of the problem is our expectations. Instead of giving an answer to the problem of evil or talking about Satan or dealing with the errors of Job’s friends or whatever, the LORD meets with Job in his own world - a world of beauty, order, mystery and wonder - and asks a whole series of questions of his own. On further reflection it is perhaps what we might have expected – not more answers of the sort that man so readily gives but transcendental questions that lift us out of our own little worlds to see the folly of our own wrong attitudes and harsh thoughts towards God. What we have here is a Spirit inspired answer to the problem of suffering that clearly transcends the human wisdom of Job’s day and also of our own. Right up to the end of the book God has things he wants Job to learn, things that have been re-enforced by his sufferings. He reduces Job to silence. If we want to be wise, especially regarding this matter of suffering then we will pay close attention to what we read in these chapters.
Another problem is, perhaps, the way we read these verses. There is a lot of gentle irony here, even humour at times perhaps. It is not harsh sarcasm. He comes to Job as the LORD not as God Almighty.
Last week we looked at 38:1-3. We noted that it is the LORD who speaks, the covenant God, self-existent and yet full of love. He comes in a powerful storm and he demands that Job get ready for a fight.
To God our discussions of suffering are for the most part highly irrelevant and lacking in wisdom. They serve too often only to obscure his glory. We ought to feel rebuked for much of our grumbling and our pontificating on what we hardly understand. What he really wants from us in this matter is for us to meet with him, to sit and listen, to be overpowered by his greatness and our smallness.
We have looked at how that begins to happen in 38:4-38. There God asks Job questions about inanimate nature. We start with questions about the earth and then the sea. Then come questions about dawn falling on earth and revealing its features and then about the depths of the sea and the depths of the earth. Verses 19-21 are about light and darkness and are followed by a whole series of questions about the sky and its weather and where it comes from – first snow, hail, lightning and wind, then rain, dew, ice and frost. That leads on, finally, to questions about our control of the stars in the sky and the clouds and lightning bolts. So the general drift is from the LORD laying the earth’s foundation below us to us counting the clouds above.
In 3:38-30 we move on to animate nature or the animal and bird kingdom and questions related to that world. Some 10 creatures are mentioned altogether in this section, six animals and four birds. Most are wild or undomesticated animals. They may appear to be chosen at random but they are all quite different, showing characteristics of ferocity, helplessness, timidity, strength, bizarre behaviour and wildness.
1. Aspects of God’s dealing with his creatures to ponder
1. Ponder provision for creatures by God. He feeds lions and ravens.
Ponder lions. Verses 39, 40 Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? Lions have been in the news this week. People are concerned that there are so few of them relatively speaking - only 23,000 in the whole of Africa! There was a time when they were a lot more common than they are now. The lion is mentioned more often in the Bible than any other wild animal. It symbolises strength and dignity. Perhaps you have been to Longleat or somewhere like that and seen them quite close up. As you may know, it is the lionesses that do the hunting for food. They are the ones who hunt the prey. The point made here is that in reality it is the LORD who provides for the lions. Neither Job nor anyone else gives any thought to it.
Ponder ravens. Similarly, verse 41 Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food? Ravens are scavenger birds and are well known for their willingness to eat almost anything. Farmers consider them pests. Jesus drew attention to them, of course, as they teach us the folly of worrying. God provides for them and we can be sure he will provide for us. There are mysteries in life. We don’t know, in many cases, why we are suffering as we are but surely we can be confident that the God who provides for the lions and for the ravens will provide for us. If he satisfies the hunger of the lions then surely he will satisfy us, if we look to him? If he provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God then surely we can be confident that he will provide for us too whatever our need.
2. Ponder procreation in nature. God sees the mountain goats and deer give birth.
Ponder mountain goats and deer. The question in 39:1 is Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? There are various types of mountain goats around today such as the ibex, which we have seen down at London Zoo. Perhaps you have seen them too. Because they live in high and remote places they are seldom seen giving birth, although they obviously do. The companion question is Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Deer are very shy creatures and their giving birth is seldom seen either. And so these questions are asked in verse 2 Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? Well, it would seem, Job didn’t know the gestation period for mountain goats or deer and he certainly could not tell you just when they were giving birth. But God had seen it, (3, 4) They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labour pains are ended. Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return.
By now it has been possible to track creatures down and even film such things. Perhaps you have seen footage of deer giving birth to their young. The whole process is full of fascination as something like the Disney film Bambi and live action films show. The point here is that every time such a thing happens God sees it. He knows about it. He created these animals to procreate in this way and he has watched over every birth ever since. Now if God knows about such things then surely he knows all about you and your needs too? Nothing’s hidden from him.
3. Ponder possession of animals. God gives freedom to wild donkeys and wild oxen.
Ponder wild donkeys. By our day we are chiefly used to seeing domesticated donkeys. They are strong, if stubborn animals, and have long been domesticated for use in carrying burdens and pulling carts and so on. Wild donkeys are few and far between these days. Here the focus is on the wild donkey. Verse 5 asks Who let the wild donkey go free? Figuratively Who untied his ropes? God himself answers (6-8) I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. He laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver’s shout. (Again figurative). He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green thing. Yes, man may possess them and tame them, although not without difficulty, but God possesses them and gives them freedom. He lets them roam where they will.
Ponder wild oxen. What is said about wild oxen is similar. Oxen were used in similar ways for pulling carts and especially, of course, for ploughing. Verses 9-12 Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he till the valleys behind you? Will you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him? Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing-floor? Of course, all these questions have to be answered in the negative because while the ox remains wild then none of these things can be done with it. Perhaps we can apply it in this way. While God allows things to run wild, we cannot harness such things in the way that we would like. This is true of our sufferings sometimes. There are such things as pain management and coping with pressure but there are times when it is all beyond us. We should not think at such times that because things are out of our control that they are out of God’s control. We cannot make such assumptions.
4. Ponder propulsion on the ground. God makes ostriches and warhorses fast.
Ponder ostriches. There is quite a bit about the ostrich in verses 13-18. This time we have a description rather than questions as such. Ostriches are strange creatures, as you know, because although they are birds and have wings (they are the largest birds living today being 6-8 feet in height) they cannot actually fly. With their long gangly legs and prominent eyelashes that protect their eyes from sand and dust they are odd looking creatures. They are rather foolish too in the way that they treat their young, as is noted here. Their speed on land, however, is quite phenomenal. They can reach speeds of 60 mph or so and can run at 40 or 50 mph for up to half an hour. Verses 13-18 The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork. She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them. She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labour was in vain, for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense. Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider. Although there is no question then, the obvious point is that it is God who has made the ostrich foolish in some respects but skilful in others – here speed in particular.
Ponder warhorses. Verses 19-25 revert in part to the question method as we think next of another speedy animal. This time the horse and particularly the warhorse, the one domesticated animal that we focus on. One writer calls it ‘one of the most outstanding eulogies of this magnificent creature in all literature.’ Here is speed again but something much more – here is strength, flair, élan, power, bravery, eagerness. Listen to verses 19-25
Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, (when the spurs dig in) striking terror with his proud snorting? He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds. At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, Aha! He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.
Yes, men ride on horses. Over the centuries they have used them in battle. However, it is God who has made the horse strong and brave and fast and magnificent. There used to be stables in Childs Hill when I first came here but it is gone now and a horse is a rare sight in our streets. I remember early one morning, however, walking up towards the Heath when I came round a corner and there were some 20 or so horses with cavalry officers on horseback out for a morning trot. An amazing sight. You have been to Buckingham Palace or Horse Guards Parade and seen these magnificent creatures, I am sure. Who made them so magnificent? It is God who gave the horse its strong body, its flowing mane, its head and hooves. Now the God who does such things can be trusted. We can look confidently to him. We must.
5. Ponder propulsion though the air. God makes hawks and eagles fly.
Ponder hawks and eagles. Finally, we look up into the sky and to the hawks and eagles. Now you usually have to travel a long way to see eagles and hawks in this country but there are similar birds of prey. Where I come from you see kestrels and near Aberystwyth there are many kites. We went to see kites feeding at Nant-yr-Arian the year before last. It is a magnificent sight. I remember too visiting London Zoo where they had an eagle owl flying just above people’s heads as it swooped for food. So here’s the question (26) Does the hawk (or any other bird of prey) take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings towards the south?
Having begun with the king of beasts, the lion, the LORD ends with the king of birds, the eagle. Verses 27-30 Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high? He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold. From there he seeks out his food; his eyes detect it from afar. His young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there is he. Again, it is a marvellous and evocative description. So we are thinking not only here of the eagle’s magnificent seed as it soars through the air but other matters – the way it builds its nest way up on a bleak crag which it then makes its home. Think of the splendid isolation, the grandeur of the cliff top. Think of its incredible eyesight. From way up in its rocky crag it can look down and see a small lamb or some other creature which it is able to swoop down and take in a moment providing food for its young. It is nature red in beak and talon and we may naturally turn from it in revulsion but here is evidence once more of God’s wisdom and power. The truth is that it is all around us, if we only have eyes to see it. We never need doubt the wisdom and power of God while we are able to see something of the animal kingdom and what it is like.
It is important when we study the Scriptures that we always look to see what we can learn about Christ. Here I think it is important that we remember that all things were made through Christ and for his glory. When we speak then of God’s knowledge, provision, sovereignty, power and wisdom, we are speaking of the knowledge, provision, sovereignty, power and wisdom of Christ. It is this same Christ who lived and died so that all who trust in him may not only be forgiven but know peace even in the midst of suffering.
2. A warning against contending with God
5. Ponder propulsion though the air. God makes hawks and eagles fly.
Ponder hawks and eagles. Finally, we look up into the sky and to the hawks and eagles. Now you usually have to travel a long way to see eagles and hawks in this country but there are similar birds of prey. Where I come from you see kestrels and near Aberystwyth there are many kites. We went to see kites feeding at Nant-yr-Arian the year before last. It is a magnificent sight. I remember too visiting London Zoo where they had an eagle owl flying just above people’s heads as it swooped for food. So here’s the question (26) Does the hawk (or any other bird of prey) take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings towards the south?
Having begun with the king of beasts, the lion, the LORD ends with the king of birds, the eagle. Verses 27-30 Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high? He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold. From there he seeks out his food; his eyes detect it from afar. His young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there is he. Again, it is a marvellous and evocative description. So we are thinking not only here of the eagle’s magnificent seed as it soars through the air but other matters – the way it builds its nest way up on a bleak crag which it then makes its home. Think of the splendid isolation, the grandeur of the cliff top. Think of its incredible eyesight. From way up in its rocky crag it can look down and see a small lamb or some other creature which it is able to swoop down and take in a moment providing food for its young. It is nature red in beak and talon and we may naturally turn from it in revulsion but here is evidence once more of God’s wisdom and power. The truth is that it is all around us, if we only have eyes to see it. We never need doubt the wisdom and power of God while we are able to see something of the animal kingdom and what it is like.
It is important when we study the Scriptures that we always look to see what we can learn about Christ. Here I think it is important that we remember that all things were made through Christ and for his glory. When we speak then of God’s knowledge, provision, sovereignty, power and wisdom, we are speaking of the knowledge, provision, sovereignty, power and wisdom of Christ. It is this same Christ who lived and died so that all who trust in him may not only be forgiven but know peace even in the midst of suffering.
2. A warning against contending with God
To close I want us to concentrate on 40:1-5. Firstly, there is a warning. Verses 1, 2 The LORD said to Job: Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him! This warning is implicit in what we have read and here it is spelled out. God has infinite wisdom and not only did he create this whole universe but he also manages this whole world as he pleases and with great skill. This consideration should convince us that to try and contend with the LORD or to make accusations against him cannot be right. Are you really going to fight against God? Are you really going to correct him and tell him how to run things. We know, surely, that the whole idea is crazy.
3. An example of how to react to God
3. An example of how to react to God
So what do we do in the midst of suffering, especially if we feel we have spoken out unwisely or had thoughts accusing God of unfairness and injustice? Job is great example to us. Verses 3, 4 Then Job answered the LORD: I am unworthy - how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer - twice, but I will say no more. We need to realise our unworthiness and our insolence before God and be silent. We need to humble ourselves before him and recognise that he is in control and he will do as he wills. Surely this should be our attitude whenever we suffer. There are things in our lives that we don’t like, that we hate, things we want to see the back of. However, if we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have to say that God is in control and we need to humble ourselves before him and acknowledge his wisdom. He made the ostrich odd but fast, the warhorse magnificent and fast. He lets the wild donkey roam free. He provides for the lions and ravens. He also wisely acts in our lives so that if we trust in him all will work for our good.
