Well, God showed up, (pt 3), Job 38:39-39-30

Mystery and Power. What are they? A mystery is something that is hidden, unknown, or can not be understood. Power is the force which makes things happen, move, or work. Mystery and Power are the themes of God's speeches to Job. God is reminding Job of the wonder and force within the universe and will reveal to him how the mystery and power in the created world around him relates to his questions about good, evil, suffering, injustice and ultimately, God.

Remember where Job is, emotionally, spiritually and mentally. He lost everything he owned. He lost his servants. He lost his children. He lost his stature within the community around him. They considered him a wicked and evil man because they thought only the wicked suffered. So he has spent the entirety of this book trying to find meaning in his suffering in light of the presence of God. He asked God where He was in the midst of Job's suffering. He asked why God allowed the righteous to suffer and the evil to thrive. He couldn't understand how these things had happened in his life when he had been a faithful and God fearing man. He finally concluded that God was unjust, having somehow erred in the way he had treated Job. He wanted God to give him an answer. Well, in chapters 38-41, God shows up and answers Job quite a bit.

The classic Scooby Doo walking scene.

In the last chapter God confronted Job about the things in the natural world that he could not comprehend or control. He asked Job several questions about the sea, the stars, the created earth, the sun, the snow, the light, and the rain. Through these subjects he showed Job that there were things in the created world Job could neither comprehend or control. There was mystery and power within the created world. Now God turns to the animal kingdom in Job 38:39-39:30. Please read along in your Bible.

Job 38:39-41 - "Job, do you have the power to feed the lions and birds?"
God asks Job if he has the power to provide for the creatures on earth. Does Job supply their needs? Can Job make sure they are fed, nourished, and cared for? The answer, of course, is no. Job is a man of limited power and control. However, God is there and he cares for, provides, and feeds the beasts of the earth by his infinite power and understanding.

Job 39:1-4 - "Job, do you understand how and when the goats and deer give birth?" 
Okay, this seems like a weird, gross, or irrelevant question. I mean, seriously, who cares how and when the deer give birth? However, God is showing Job there is mystery in the created world. Animals are made to create, bear, and nurture their young. All of this happens apart from man's influence and control. This too is evidence of something outside of Job's comprehension or power, yet God understands and cares for these creatures by his wisdom and power.

Job 39:5-12 - "Job, can you control the wild donkey and the ox?" 
The donkey and the ox both live independently of men and rail against man's control. They live alone in mountains and the salt lands, free from men. They resist men's stables and fences. God is reminding Job that there are animals in the created world who cannot be controlled and ruled by Job or any other man. These animals do not serve men, but live according to their own purposes. Even so, God reigns over these animals as their creator, ruler and caretaker.

Yep, there's an ostrich.

Job 39:13-25 - "Job, can you comprehend or control the ostrich or the war horse?" 
(I must confess, I know little about ostriches except that they don't fly and they stick their heads in the ground. I've never read about how they treat their eggs. However, let us just assume that God knew what he was talking about and Job would know what God was talking about? Okay? Good.)

God says a ostrich is a strange bird. It will lay its eggs on the ground and then leave them unprotected. Why, (asks God), would an animal act this way? Can Job understand how a mother bird would forsake its young to destruction? Job doesn't have the capacity to understand this creature. It is mysterious and confusing. Yet God is not confused. God is not frustrated by the strange actions of this bird he created.
Furthermore, can Job control or understand the war horse? Can he understand how this animal is excited by battle and destruction? "He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword," (22). Can Job control the fearful strength of such a powerful creature? "With fearfulness and rage he swallows the ground;" (24).
Yet again there are animals in the created world Job cannot comprehend or control. Only God can understand and control such confounding and powerful creatures.

Because Batman flies...like the birds in God's illustration.

Job 39:26-30 - "Job, how to birds fly?"
Finally, God directs Job's attention to the birds of the air and their powers of flight. Can Job comprehend how the hawk and the eagle soar above the earth? Does he know how they glide above the air and make their home up in the mountains? Does Job command the eagle to fly where he wills it? How can a bird fly in the air and reject the laws of gravity? Once again there are creatures Job cannot comprehend or control.

Comprehension and control. Mystery and power. Throughout this chapter and God's discussion of these creatures, these themes have resonated over and over and over again. God has been beating a dead horse, (not literally), in his discussion of the animals of the earth. Job is a being of limited control and understanding. There are things in the animal kingdom which Job cannot control or fathom by his limited knowledge and resources.

Once again, the problem is not Job's lack of knowledge. Job was aware of these things. The problem is Job's understanding the ramifications of the knowledge he already had. God reminded Job there were creatures he could not understand or control. God also showed the mystery and power of the created world in chapter 38. So what's the point? God was trying to get Job to see that just as there are animals you cannot comprehend or control, so there are things in your life you cannot comprehend or control. There is mystery and power within the world you live in. There is going to be suffering, wickedness, confusion, injustice and weirdness to your life. Yes, bad thing will happen and you will not be able to understand them or control them, (just as bad things happened to Scooby-Doo that he struggled to understand and control).

Now, if we just stopped there we would all need to go home and either drink ourselves into a stupor, immerse ourselves in mindless pleasure, or take a lot of drugs to ease our pain. How else could we live in a world where God acknowledges there is chaos and confusion and men have no control over what happens in their lives? If that is the case, men should eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow they die. If this is all God had said then men should live as they please, do what they please, and disregard any moral or spiritual authority because there is no purpose or hope for life.

However...this is not all God had to say. God raised several examples in the animal kingdom which exposed Job's lack of understanding or lack of power. Yet for every example God was neither confused or out of control. Does God have the power to provide for the lions and the beasts of the field? Yes. Does God understand how animals create babies and nurture their babies to adulthood? Yes. Can God control the wild donkey, ox, or any other created animal which exists? Yes. Does God understand ostriches and why they act so weirdly? Yes. Does God understand the war horse and can he rule over the wildest of animals? Yes. Is there any creature on the earth outside of God's control or comprehension? No. God rules with total wisdom, mercy, and power. He is God. There is nothing outside of his power or understanding.

Therefore, Job, (and consequently you and I), do not have to go home and drown ourselves in tequila and Scooby-snacks. We do not have to submit to sorrow, anxiety, or despair. There is a God who is there. There is a God who rules in control of the universe. There is a God who is in control, who is never confused, and who is never frustrated. God reigns over the universe with wisdom, power, and love. We may not have the capacity to grasp what he is doing. We may not like what is happening in our world, but we can know and rest in a sovereign Lord who runs the universe with complete wisdom, mercy, and power. Nothing is mysterious to God. Nothing is outside of his power. This is the message to Job and to you and I.

To be continued...