Commentary on
The Book of Job

Chapter Thirty-eight: God Speaks

God Speaks

God Speaks

Job: chapter 38
¹ 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.

⁴ Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
⁵ Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
⁶ Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
⁷ When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
⁸ Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
⁹ When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,
¹⁰ And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
¹¹ And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
¹² Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
¹³ That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
¹⁴ It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
¹⁵ And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.
¹⁶ Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
¹⁷ Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
¹⁸ Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
¹⁹ Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
²⁰ That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
²¹ Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?
²² Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
²³ Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
²⁴ By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
²⁵ Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
²⁶ To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
²⁷ To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
²⁸ Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
²⁹ Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
³⁰ The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
³¹ Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
³² Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
³³ Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
³⁴ Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
³⁵ Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?
³⁶ Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
³⁷ Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
³⁸ When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
³⁹ Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
⁴⁰ When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
⁴¹ Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

For those who equate sympathy with love, notice that God gives no sympathy. God comes and challenges immediately. Who are you to question me? You know nothing (38:2). God is direct and to the point. You “Darkeneth counsel”, He says, which refers to extinguishing the light (Strong, H2821) of advice (Strong, H6098). Job knows too little and talks too much. This is a common problem with those who are fervently religious. As the saying goes, this is why we have two ears and one mouth.

The curse of the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” is trying to use our own reason when the answers are far beyond our grasp. The result is not a clarity of vision, but rather confusion, offense to our neighbor or to God, heresy and more. Job, who is being condemned for making the answer harder to see rather than easier, is actually the least offensive to God of the current cast of characters. God will show that Job's continued suffering is because he is trying to use reason instead of prayer to fathom the depths of God's way.

Gird Up Your Loins Like a Man

“Gird up now thy loins like a man” (38:3). When preparing to travel a person ties a belt or sash about the midsection (Exod. 12:11). Because of the long loose clothing worn at that time, it was necessary to gather up the garments and belt them before physical exertion such as running (Exod. 12:11; 1 Kings 18:46; 2 Kings 4:29 & 9:1) or fighting (2 Sam. 22:40; 1 Kings 20:11). This also speaks strongly of attentiveness and alertness (Isa. 5:27) and self control (Isa. 11:5). Barnes comments, “The idea here is, ‘Make thyself as strong and vigorous as possible; be prepared to put forth the highest effort.’ God was about to put him to a task which would require all his ability” (Barnes, note to 38:3).

Importantly, the loins are connected to fear. “His thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another” (Dan. 5:6; see also: Isa. 45:1). This is a biblical way of saying, ‘he messed his pants.’ Thus, ‘gird up your loins’ has the additional meaning of ‘be brave’: “gird up thy loins... be not dismayed at their faces” (Jer. 1:17) or as the NIV reads: “Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you.”

God is saying, ‘you wanted to see me, here I am. Are you ready?’ Notice that although Job wants to question God, God has no intention of allowing Job an open floor. “I will demand of thee, and answer thou me” (38:3).

When I Made the World

The rest of this chapter is the Lord asking a torrent of questions (thirty-nine in this chapter and twenty more in the next two chapters according to my notes). These questions are not questions that Job can intelligently answer: “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (38:4), “Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?” (38:16), “Have the gates of death been opened unto thee?” (38:17), “Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?” (38:31). These are questions meant show Job his relative ignorance.

It may appear that God is putting Job down. He is not. God is softening Job for His final point. For this, Job must understand, not in an intellectual way, but in a visceral way, the power and the attentiveness of God. This chapter deals with God's breadth and power. But the imagery includes images such as the womb (38:8 & 29), swaddling bands (38:9), raising children (38:31-32,39, & 41), and imparting wisdom and understanding (38:36).

Intellectually, Job understands the power of God: “Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south” (9:9), and “Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number” (9:10). Job knows that he can't contend with God: “If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand” (9:3), and “Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou” (9:12)? And yet, Job's understanding does not reach the core, for he does ask to contend with God (10:2), and proceeds to build his case (10:3-22).

God has placed a heavy burden on Job. He has allowed Satan to torment Job beyond comprehension. Job's desire to contend with God and to be justified (31:4) is a form of rebellion against this yoke. While Job has not denied God, he has definitely been wagging his finger in God's face. If I place myself in Job's shoes, I would have to think that Job is being mild. I complain when I get a traffic ticket.

Who Can Give Understanding?

“Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart” (38:36)? Job knows very well that he cannot understand his situation apart from God: “where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living” (28:12-13). Yet, he stubbornly insists that God hear him. He presumes that he understands his own situation and that God would not violate the agreement that he presumes to be in force: if I am good, You will bless me.

God tried to penetrate Job's contentious front, through his friends, who unfortunately serve the devil's bidding better. He continues to press through Elihu, and chiefly through the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Job is still resisting, continuing “to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:5). It is now time for Job to stop the rebellion in his heart and to accept what God has placed on him, difficult as it is. He will discover that the most difficult task, the heaviest yoke is light: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:29-30).

Job's rebellion, like all rebellion, stems from the belief that he has been abandoned, rejected. Job believes that God has turned his back on him: “If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice” (9:16). Rejection is this root that God goes after next, as He begins here (38:39) to explain the care with which He maintains all things.

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*All Bible quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise indicated.

Commentary onThe Book of Job