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Day 150 – Thru the Bible
Today we continue in Job and Psalms.
Job 38 & 39 – The Lord answers Job. God responds in two speeches, each followed by a brief response from Job. Aware of God as never before, Job responds by humbly submitting to God’s sovereignty and regretting his earlier words (42:1–6). After telling Job to prepare himself, the Lord asks Job whether he knows how creation was established and if he has the knowledge or ability to govern it or to shape the lives of its wonderful variety of creatures (38:39–40:2).
God reveals Himself to Job in a display of both majestic power and personal presence. What the Lord will now say to Job will be in the context of steadfast love, NOT as judgment for what the friends assumed was Job’s sin.
Elihu had said that Job’s words were generally “without knowledge” (34:35; 35:16). The Lord does not reprove Job so extensively when He indicates that Job darkens counsel by words without knowledge. Job had drawn conclusions about the nature of God from what was revealed on earth. God will remind Job that, even in what is revealed about God and His creation, much is still hidden.
Job had begun by lamenting his birth and the timing of his life (ch. 3). Using the same language of birth, the Lord now asks Job about the birth of the universe. Can Job explain how the origin of the cosmos could or should have been different?
The sons of God (recall 1:6) are the heavenly beings surrounding God’s throne.
The Lord reminds Job that he cannot see fully what the Lord is doing about justice and judgment. Job 38:14 features stand out like a garment. The changing colors of sunrise are compared to the dyeing of a garment. The reference to storehouses that are reserved for the time of trouble is another reminder to Job that the Lord’s rule over the earth takes into account things that are not known on earth.
Mazzaroth is a transliteration of an otherwise unknown Hebrew word. In the context, it must refer to one of the constellations. The Bear is also a constellation, as indicated by its connection with Orion and Pleiades in 9:9.
The Lord now turns from describing His rule over all creation to His rule over specific creatures.
God makes His point, there is much we do not control nor understand.
How does the Lord’s reply help you remember your perspective is extraordinarily limited and ability to understand the complexity of creation is beyond our complete understanding?
Psalm 145 – This last of the Psalms of David hits the high-water mark of praise to God for His exalted greatness and steadfast love (grace). Because of the “unsearchable” greatness of God, David pledges to bless Him every day, to praise His name forever and ever. And because God’s greatness endures, every generation will see and praise God for His character and works.
While the greatness of God’s sovereignty is included in David’s litany of praise, clearly what gets repeated mention is the compassion, kindness, forgiveness, provision, protection, grace, and mercy of God toward those who look to Him. God raises those who fall, He feeds the hungry, He satisfies the desires of all living things. Perhaps verse 17 comes the closest to summarizing the heart of this Psalm: “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His works.” Notice the joining together of qualities in this declaration. God is both righteous and kind. God is great and gracious, majestic and merciful, glorious and good. But these qualities, as amazing as they are, are reserved for those who truly seek and trust Him and love Him. God is near to those “who call on Him”, He fulfills the desire of those “who fear Him” (i.e., give Him proper regard; v. 19), he preserves all those “who love Him.”
We see here, then, the heart expression of this godly king who knows his God! This vision of God—of His greatness and goodness—is what compels David to praise Him every day. And this greatness and goodness is what ultimately culminates in the sending of Jesus to redeem sinners.
How does this Psalm lead you to worship?
What other thoughts or questions does today’s reading bring up?
Some of these notes are from the ESV Gospel Transformation Bible study notes. We highly recommend this study Bible.
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