God's Greatness

Each month at the men’s fellowship a topic has been assigned for the speaker to address. We have received what has to be the most absurdly large topic known to man. This subject has infinite boundaries which mankind has been trying to wrap its finite mind around for all time. No one has ever mastered knowledge of it and very few have ever gotten close enough to see it. The subject they assigned me was God. Speak about God. When I first heard that this was my subject I naturally thought of how ludicrous it was to try and speak on such a very large subject. How could I possibly speak to you about God and not go in fifteen hundred directions. He is all loving, all powerful, all merciful, and all encompassing in every scope of the imagination. Then I remembered Job and the struggles he faced. After possibly having to deal with the agony of his children dying and the physical pain he bore for years, God finally answers Job in the last few chapters of the book. God decides he is going to make a point.

Before we get too far let’s review a little bit about Job. During the time of Job’s struggle, he get’s fed up with all the problems and troubles that have bombarded his life. In chapter 30, we find where Job begins blatantly speaking to God about his affliction and questioning God’s goodness by letting it occur. Listen to Job 30:16. “And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of affliction seized me. At night it pierces my bones within me, and my gnawing pains take no rest. By a great force my garment is distorted; it binds me about as the collar of my coat. He has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes. I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me. You have become cruel to me; with the might of Your hand You persecute me.” After such a long time of living such a hard life, Job now speaks out against God’s choices in how he should live. Doesn’t this sound a little familiar? When life gets rough, we get to crying really quick. I am not sure we face half of what Job did but when the electricity goes off and doesn’t come right back on or our car breaks down we get pretty worried. The more we worry; the more we doubt that everything will be fine. The more we doubt; the less we trust God until finally we start blaming Him for our problems. This is but the first step for Job.

The next thing we find Job doing is asserting that he had done nothing wrong. Job claims to have done absolutely nothing to deserve his current situation. Job 31:5 “If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened after deceit let Him weigh me with accurate scales and let God know my integrity. If my step has turned from the way, or y heart follow my eyes, or if any spot has stuck to my hands, let me sow and another eat, and let my crops be uprooted.” You would have to be pretty confident in yourself to say something like this. “Let God know my integrity!” Job must have been absolutely sure he didn’t have a single sin in his life to make such a disclaimer. After he had lamented over the problems he had faced, he then speaks of how much he doesn’t deserve the “punishment” he is receiving. “God, I haven’t done anything to deserve this. Take it away.” God, I haven’t done anything to deserve my car breaking down and my roof getting a leak. I haven’t done anything to deserve my wife being so angry. I haven’t done anything to deserve getting that speeding ticket. I haven’t done anything to deserve… you fill in the blank. I have been a good boy God. I have come to church, gave my tithe, and not looked at dirty pictures, or even thought a dirty thought. I have been good and don’t deserve punishment.

This is the condition of Job when God finally decides to speak on His own behalf.

God has listened to Job and even his friends speak very unwisely about how the infinite God works. They have spoken foolishly about subjects they do not know; even Job. Now God will give his answer which spans from chapter 38 through 41. We will read just the first few verses to get a taste. “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man and I will ask you and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”