“Have you journeyed to the springs of the se or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of deepest darkness? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all of this.” (Job 38:16-18 NIV)
God was finally returning Job’s call. He was thundering His truth out from the eye of the storm. I can’t imagine Job’s humbling in these moments: surely his sore-laden limbs were shaking in his sandals. God began by asking hard questions: where were you and have you seen? It is clear from the start that Job simply lacked the qualifications to demand answers from an all-powerful God.
In the ‘have you seen’ section, God asks Job about the places he’s been. In ancient times, travel opportunities were surely limited. Trains, planes and automobiles have all contributed greatly to man’s mobility. Besides that, the places God spoke of to Job are still to this day, inaccessible to mere mortals.
God asked Job about places he had never been, likely to prove to Job the smallness of his life beside the infiniteness of God. This line of questioning made me think about my own personal travels. Canada, France, England, Mexico, Turkey, Portugal and Israel. In the grand scheme of the entire globe; I haven’t laid my eyes on much of it. Yet my worldview has expanded with every experience. For me, travel makes me feel smarter and dumber at the same time. When I go to new places, I feel more educated for having seen it, but also alarmed by how little I knew about it and how much we flew over to get there. The world is a huge and complicated place, with many sub-cultures with cultures. The landscape often varies by mile. There is more to see and understand then we have days or comprehension or resources to accomplish.
God has the whole world in His hands. (Isn’t it amazing how Sunday School song theology holds up?) He is – as evidenced in His interrogation with Job – every where at once. But He’s also every when at once: all across the varied globe. He is endlessly, patiently piecing together the tapestry of lives and life cycles, weather systems and eco systems, governments and economies, micro and macro alike. God is every where and every when and all the while-when He is understanding and sustaining. He has a plan where all these growing and dying organism come together to bring Him glory. Who are we to ask questions? To make accusations?
“Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that You can do all things; no purpose ofYours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I didn’t understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”” (Job 42:1-3 NIV)
Lord, please forgive us for our accusations. We don’t know how much we don’t know. Thank You for giving us insight to the complexities of Your divine occupation. We are so glad it’s You in charge and not us. We trust Your gracious sovereignty. Amen.