Pr Joshua Yong

 Job 38:1-3 – “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.”

How should a Christian make sense of sufferings and loss? Every Christian will face times of adversity, trials and tribulations. During such times, we may be tempted to murmur and complain.  But it is especially during such times when we must learn to hear God’s voice.

Job was a righteous man, but according to God’s permissive will, He allowed Job to go through great sufferings – not because he had sinned. Job suffered greatly. He lost his children, his servants, oxen, asses, sheep, camels, and his possessions; then he lost his health and even his wife told him to curse God and die. In the midst of Job’s sufferings, he began to question and complain against God, and he demanded answers from the Lord (Job 7:20-21; Job 9:16-24; Job 10:18-22; Job 13:3; Job 23:2-5; Job 31:35-37).

It was not until Job 38 that the LORD finally answered Job. But God did not answer according to his demands. God answered Job to teach him the precious spiritual lesson of suffering by way of  the storm.

• The Place of God’s Answer (Job 38:1)

The Bible tells us that God answered Job “out of the whirlwind.” Why did God choose to answer Job out of the whirlwind? There are many ways through which God could have answered Job. God could have spoken with a still small voice or sent a prophet. Yet, God chose to answer through a whirlwind. A whirlwind describes a storm or a tempest. This was a very frightening and powerful demonstration of power. From the internet, we are able to get a sense of how powerful these storms can be. Scientists use a scale to measure and categorise the different types of storms. “The scale starts with a Category 1, which ranges from 74 to 95 mph (119 to 153 km/h). A Category 5 storm has winds of 156 mph (251 km/h) or stronger. An extrapolation of the scale suggests that if a Category 6 were created, it would be in the range of 176-196 mph” (https://www.livescience.com/32179-how-strong-can-a-hurricane-get.html). Storms can be very powerful and frightening. Yet, God chose to use this means through which to speak. The storm may be the last place where we will expect God to speak from. Yet, by speaking through the storm, it left a very deep impression upon Job.

The storm was a demonstration of God’s power and greatness. Job not only heard God’s voice, but saw the manifestation of His power and greatness. It was a sight that humbled and silenced Job. The storm not only demonstrated God’s power, it also declared God’s sovereignty. A whirlwind is very powerful, yet, it is within God’s control. God is the One who controls and calms the storm (Psalm 107:25, 29; Psalm 148:8). Through the storm, God’s voice was heard. By speaking through the storm, God taught Job that nothing happens by chance regardless of how chaotic things may appear.

Like Job we need to see the hand of God and hear the voice of God through the storm. When we see powerful forces at work, we must remember that God is in control over these things.

• The Person in God’s Answer (Job 38:2)

In God’s reply, God addressed Job directly. God asked Job: “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge” (v.2) To “darken” means to “cause darkness” or to “hide.” The word “counsel” describes a “plan” or “purpose”. God asked Job a rhetorical question. The obvious answer here is that Job was the one who obscured God’s purpose and plan for his life with his complaints. Job spoke words without understanding. By these words, Job failed to see the purpose of suffering in his life. Job accused God by implying that the sufferings he experienced were not within God’s counsel.

God directed this question to Job. The focus was on Job. He needed to examine himself and his view of God. Job must not blame his friends or his dire circumstances. Even though his friends had their faults and were unhelpful, Job was the one who spoke these words without understanding.

Job had to be admonished that he might realise the error of his ways in questioning God. When adversities happen in our lives, we must be very careful to guard our hearts. We must not allow our words to accuse God or to challenge God; we must not allow our words to “obscure” the counsel and the purposes of God. We may not see the whole picture and may not be able to understand everything which unfolds. But instead of questioning God, we must trust in God’s purpose and then we will see how God’s purpose will unfold.

• The Preparedness in God’s Answer (Job 38:3)

God commanded Job to gird up his loins like a man and he was challenged to give a reply to what God would speak. In ancient times, people would usually wear an outer robe that stretched all the way to their ankles. In order to prevent their robes from getting in their way when they needed to walk with haste, they would “gird up their loins”. To “gird up the loins” meant to tighten one’s belt and to tuck the skirt of the outer robe into the belt so that it would not hinder an urgent activity. It was an expression of readiness and preparedness.

God wanted Job to listen with readiness. Job had spoken much, but he needed to listen.  As God spoke, Job was to stop wallowing in self-pity.

Are we ready to listen and hear when God speaks? When we face struggles and losses and cry out to the Lord, we must be ready to respond to the Lord’s reply.

Will you listen and pay attention to the voice of God when you face adversities and trials? God may not answer in the way you would expect. When God answers, we must always trust in His sovereign purpose over all things. God’s sovereignty does not work apart from His love and care for His children. Let us learn to hear the voice of God through the storm.