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Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty
37 “At this also my heart trembles
and leaps out of its place.
Keep listening to the thunder of his voice
and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
and his lightning to the corners of the earth.
After it his voice roars;
he thunders with his majestic voice,
and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.
God thunders wondrously with his voice;
he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.
He seals up the hand of every man,
that all men whom he made may know it.
Then the beasts go into their lairs,
and remain in their dens.
From its chamber comes the whirlwind,
and cold from the scattering winds.
By the breath of God ice is given,
and the broad waters are frozen fast.
He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
the clouds scatter his lightning.
They turn around and around by his guidance,
to accomplish all that he commands them
on the face of the habitable world.
Whether for correction or for his land
or for love, he causes it to happen.
“Hear this, O Job;
stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
Do you know how God lays his command upon them
and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
Do you know the balancings of the clouds,
the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge,
you whose garments are hot
when the earth is still because of the south wind?
Can you, like him, spread out the skies,
hard as a cast metal mirror?
Teach us what we shall say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.
Shall it be told him that I would speak?
Did a man ever wish that he would be swallowed up?
“And now no one looks on the light
when it is bright in the skies,
when the wind has passed and cleared them.
Out of the north comes golden splendor;
God is clothed with awesome majesty.
The Almighty—we cannot find him;
he is great in power;
justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.
Therefore men fear him;
he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”
(ESV)
Job 37 Commentary
by Hank Workman
For 37 chapters God allowed the storm to rage against Job. From the opening, as the curtains beyond our world into the heavenlies were cracked to view the throne room of God with Satan standing before Him – to the supposed friends of Job’s listening to themselves blather on about their opinions of God and Job’s situation – the storm has been heavy. God has remained silent throughout. Elihu speaks one more time before he is silenced and God shows up.
God is about to calm the storm.
I’ve thought about these ongoing conversations between Job and his friends. They’ve been brutal to say the least. But they’ve also provoked thoughts in myself wondering if I sometimes speak too much and project my own perspective on others. You know, it’s so easy for all of us to get our own mindsets about situations and how they work spiritually. None of us would want to admit we put God in a box with how He works and reacts.
But indeed we do.
All too often our thought process and experience dictate how we believe God will respond or react. We have a very narrow view of God though. There is no way we can capture the majesty and greatness of who He is. His ways are unpredictable, yet we base our spiritual life upon what we know. And when ‘what we know’ doesn’t add up or go the way we think it should, crisis moves in.
Just consider how all of these friends of Job had it wrong. They had bits and bobs of truth mixed in but didn’t truly know His ways. They missed the mark. Yes, at times they spoke truth – but it was slanted to their own mindset. Do we do the same?
The final words of Elihu show how easily this is done. He finishes his speech to Job with tremendous truth about faith in God. He states it’s far more important to hang on to faith rather than the desire to hear God’s explanation of what has happened. But conclusions once again are based upon our own thinking and many times may have truth mixed in but still fall short.
As all of us struggle from time to time with circumstances that don’t add up – it’s important to realize regardless of what answers are given or not, our faith must rely intact. Even if God does not give us the direct answers of which we seek, our rock solid faith must be set upon Him and not answers.
Job 37 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
We experience and come to know God through Scripture. Another place we come to know Him is through His creation.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
Romans 1:20 NASB
Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created. 6 He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which will not pass away. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps; 8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; 9 Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; 10 Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and winged fowl;
Psalms 148:5-10 NASB
“For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12 NASB
In this chapter, Elihu provides similar thoughts. The modern marvel of God’s atmosphere, weather patterns, and carefully designed creatures testify to the power of His hand. His creation glorifies Him! All we need to do in order to be reminded of His providence and power is to go look outside.
In times of suffering and grief, pain and distrust, we often need to have tangible reminders of God’s power. Sometimes I catch myself just gazing at the incredible detail of a secluded forest, in awe of His amazing glory. It’s so easy to go about our day and completely miss it! Don’t miss it today.