Where were you when I established the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who fixed its dimensions? Certainly you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? What supports its foundations? Or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (38:4-7)
For 35 chapters we have been listening to the back and forth between Job and his so-called friends. They have raked him across the coals, they have questioned his integrity and Job has gotten angrier and more frustrated with every passing chapter. He has attempted to justify himself, and his friends have attempted to prove to him that bad things don’t happen to good people. All along, though, we know that there is more to the story of which they are unaware. Bad things do sometimes happen to good people for a reason; but hey, who among us is really good at the end of the day. You can sense that something is coming as they go at each other, back and forth, repeating the same refrain.
Then it happens; the God who has not spoken since chapter 2 now speaks again directly to Job in chapter 38. He reminds Job that He is God and Job is not. He reminds Him that He is the creator, author and ruler of all things and that Job doesn’t know nearly as much as he thinks. We can sympathize with Job because he didn’t have all the information that God has, but that is the point. He is God and we are not. No matter what happens to us we cannot forget that. He is God, He is in control, He knows what He is doing and He is worthy of our trust and faith.
I love the beautiful language God uses to describe His majesty and sovereignty. Like a father whose mind is way to complex for his toddler son, he condescends and uses simple language to describe His majesty and glory. Creation was likely much more complex than carpentry with measuring lines, dimensions and foundations. Wave mechanics are much more complicated than bars and doors. Astrophysics is more than gates of darkness and roads to light. The chapter goes on to touch on meteorology, astronomy and biology. Like a father explaining complex concepts to 3-year-old, God reminds Job of who He is. He is the architect of the universe and when He created all things “the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy!” What a picture, as the God of the Universe does His work the angels in heaven have no other response but to marvel and sing and shout with joy. When was the last time you stopped and looked around and marveled at how thrilling He is?
