THE VOICE OF THE ALMIGHTY

            Elihu serves as an intermediary between God and Job.  In prosecuting God’s case against Job he silences him.  At least there is no record of an argumentative response to Elihu from Job.  Now it comes time for God Himself to speak to Job.  Job has made faulty and serious accusations against God.  Job has asserted that God has targeted him as if he were an enemy (Job 7:20; 13:24 & 33:10).  Job implies that God is both absent and apathetic (23:3 & 8-9 and 30:20).  And perhaps most egregiously, Job has charged God with being unfair - - God has deprived me of justice.  He had falsified my case (34:5-6/NEB).  Furthermore, as noted by Elihu, Job has made an untenable and outrageous claim against God:  Thou hast done wrong (36:23b).      

            The voice of The Almighty One speaks, but it is a compassionate thundering (37:5).  As a Father schooling a son, God takes Job on a whirlwind tour.  God peppers Job with one question after another.  Where we you when I made the earth’s foundation? … Have you ever ordered the morning to begin? … Have you ever gone into the storehouse of snow? … Can you bring the stars out at night? …

Who puts wisdom into the mind of men or understanding in the heart? … Who gives food to the birds? … Do you give the horse his might? … Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high?  These rather generic questions, along with numerous others (cf. Job 38-39) work to humble Job.  Yet God Almighty also uses His scalpel to lay bare Job’s soul (Heb.4:12-13).  He holds Job accountable for irreverent and ignorant words:  Who is it that darkens counsel by words without knowledge (38:2).  God interrogates Job asking, Will the faultfinder contend with The Almighty? (40:2).  Then, striking at the heart of Job’s sin, God poses a final question to Job:  Would you say that I am unfair?  Would you blame ME to make yourself look right? (40:8/NCV).

            These questions evoked a confession from Job:  Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to Thee?  I lay my hand on my mouth… (40:4).  If we learn nothing else from the journal of Job, let us realize how misguided a sin it is to accuse God of being unfair.  As Elihu rightly spoke, God is greater than we are … It is impossible for The Almighty to do evil … No one can say to God,  ‘You have done (me) wrong’ (33:12; 34:10 and 36:23b).  To avow THE UNFAIRNESS OF GOD is to speak His holy name in vain (Deut.5:11).