Job 39: 1- 30
Can You Do This?
1 “Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth? 2 Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bear young? 3 They bow down, they bring forth their young, they deliver their offspring. 4 Their young ones are healthy, they grow strong with grain; They depart and do not return to them.
In our last study our Lord appeared to Job and the four other men who came to see him. He questioned Job as to His Creation of the Heavens, the planets, stars, and the earth. In today’s chapter we are going to see how this questioning continues. However, the Lord will now bring up to Job the next sequence in His creation this in regards to His Creation of the animals and birds.
Our Lord brings up to Job some questions regarding wild and untamed animals. He first mentions His Creation of wild goats and deer. The Lord highlights the birth.
The wild goat is independent of human use and care. They lived in remote high mountainous areas. Male goats are solitary. The female gestation period averages 170 days or around 5 and ½ months. Does (females) usually give birth to one kid. Kids can follow the mother goat almost immediately after birth. Kids are weaned after 6 months. They live high and away from all other animals. They are unpredictable. It is rare to spot them.
A Christian who is unpredictable, who thinks he is above it all, who independently does his own thing, has trouble functioning in a group, who does not want to be led exhibits the characteristics of a wild goat.
Deer gestation is about 7 months The fawns suckle for only a short time and then they start feeding for themselves in the corn-fields, and are no more burdensome to the doe’s. The buck does not stay to help raise the fawns—the doe raises them alone. If you are a hunter you know that deer are edgy that are easily spooked. Deer make their homes all over. Our Holy God has given them the ability to blend in with their surroundings as He gives them camouflage in their coats of skin.
Sadly, unlike the deer, in today’s society the young of humans stay latched onto their parents and never leave home. Many go off to college and since there is a lousy economy they come back to their parent’s home and many stop seeking a future livelihood.
Our Lord instructed us to go into all the world and make disciples in all nations and baptize them in the name of the Holy Spirit. In truth, we are failing to obey Him. We like the deer try to blend in with society and not make any waves. So, we do not stand out to be hunted. Unlike the deer we do not have camouflage to hide our faith.
5 “Who set the wild donkey free? Who loosed the bonds of the wild donkey, 6 whose home I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwelling? 7 He scorns the tumult of the city; He does not heed the shouts of the driver. 8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searches after every green thing.
The wild donkey is a creature we frequently read of in Scripture. Some commentators say that this animal is untamable. Man is said to be born as the wild donkey's colt, which is hard to be governed. It is not surprising that our Holy Creator includes this animal in His questions to Job
One thing that humans have in common to the wild donkey is the desire for an unbounded liberty He has given a disposition to it, and therefore a dispensation for it. The tame donkey is bound to labor while the wild donkey has no bonds on him. Freedom from service, and liberty to range at pleasure, are but the privileges of a wild donkey. It is a pity that any of the children of men should covet such a liberty, or value themselves on it. It is better to labor and be good for something than ramble and be good for nothing.
I love the singing group ‘The Temptations’. One of the famous songs is Papa Was a Rolling Stone. The lyrics they listed explain exactly a person who likes the same type of independence the animal our Lord describes here;
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
A wild donkey has no enclosed place to lodge. The tame donkey, that labors, and is serviceable to man, has his master's crib to go to both for shelter and food but the wild donkey, that wants his liberty to go and dwell wherever he desires, winds up living in a barren land.
A wild donkey also has no owner, nor will he be in subjection to a human. If people attempt to take him, , he will soon get clear of them. If somehow he has been captured he will not listen to the directions of the human wanting him to do something nor be tamed. He ignores the person’s call.
He does not know the advantages our Holy God would give to him if he just surrendered to the care of a human. He would receive his food and not have to go about all day searching for food in barren lands. Having no owner, he has no feeder, nor is there any provision whereas the laboring donkeys are greatly rewarded for their work by receiving green things in plenty, without their searching for them.
9 “Will the wild ox be willing to serve you? Will he bed by your manger? 10 Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes? Or will he plow the valleys behind you? 11 Will you trust him because his strength is great? Or will you leave your labor to him? 12 Will you trust him to bring home your grain, and gather it to your threshing floor?
The wild ox is a strong and stately proud creature. He is able to serve, but not willing
Our Holy Creator has made some creatures that are willing to serve man, that seem to take a pleasure in serving him, and to have a love for their masters; but there are some animals that will never be brought to serve him. For mankind this is the effect of sin. Man has revolted from his subjection to his Maker, and is therefore justly punished with the revolt of the inferior creatures from their subjection to him; and yet, as an instance of God's good-will to man, there are some that are still serviceable to him. Though the wild bull will not serve him, nor submit to his hand in the furrows, yet there are tame oxen that will, and other animals that are not –‘of a wild nature’.
Because the wild ox will not serve in a domesticated servitude, he will not draw the plough, because He that made him never designed him for it. Therefore he is not so well fed as the tame ox, whose mouth was not to be muzzled in treading out the corn
Wouldn’t you agree that a desire and ability to labor is a gift of God? It is a great mercy if, where God gives strength for service, He gives a heart to do it. It is what we should pray for, and reasons ourselves into, which certain beasts cannot do; for, as among beasts, so among men, those may justly be identified as wild and abandoned to the desert places for their life ends
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s? 14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground, and warms them in the dust; 15 She forgets that a foot may crush them, or that a wild beast may break them. 16 She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers; Her labor is in vain, without concern, 17 because God deprived her of wisdom, and did not endow her with understanding. 18 When she lifts herself on high, she scorns the horse and its rider.
The ostrich is a very unique animal. It is a very large bird, but it never flies. Something that it has in common with the peacock which I believe is a more accurate description than a stork. , that is, it has beautiful feathers. You might have seen some movies where some slave is waving an ostrich’s feather to cool off his human master. Fine feathers make proud birds. The peacock is an emblem of pride; when he struts, and shows his fine feathers. The ostrich too has goodly feathers, and yet is a foolish bird; for wisdom does not always go along with beauty.
God gives his gifts variously, and those gifts are not always the most valuable that make the finest show. Who would not rather have the voice of the nightingale than the tail of the peacock, the eye of the eagle and her soaring wing, , than the large wings and feathers of the ostrich, which can never rise above the earth, and is without natural affection?
We all have the tendency to observe other people and in some cases either envy them or complain to our Holy Master and King that they are getting more blessed by Him than He Is doing for us. Then we also have the tendency to complain that we receive more trouble than what other people experience in their lives. Would you agree? If you have been with us since the start of our study of this book have you not seen the same temptations run through Job’s mind?
Our Holy God points out some very peculiar ways of this bird. For one thing is her carelessness of her young. Most birds, as well as other animals, are strangely guided by natural instinct in providing for the preservation of their young. But the ostrich is a monster in nature, for she drops her eggs anywhere upon the ground and takes no care to hatch them. If the sand and the sun will hatch them, well and good; they may for her, for she will not warm them.
The reason why she does this to her eggs- It is for lack of natural affection To be hardened against young ones, that cannot help themselves and therefore merit compassion, is hard to understand but even more so it is worst of all to be hardened against a mothers own young ones, as though they were not hers, whereas really they are parts of herself.
Please notice why this type of unacceptable behavior occurs. It is because this animal lacks wisdom. Do you see the interesting point here? This intimates that the art which other animals have to nourish and preserve their young is God's gift
As careless as the ostrich is of her eggs so careless many people are of their own souls; they make no provision for them, no proper nest in which they may be safe, leave them exposed to Satan and his temptations, which is a certain evidence that they are deprived of wisdom.
We see in this country over and over again how careless many parents are of their children. If a man does not take care of his own family the bible tells us that he is worse than an infidel. Some parents may care for their young in food, clothing, supplies and shelter but they more are careless of their children's souls, take no care of their education, send them abroad into the world untaught, unarmed, forgetting what corruption there is in the world through lust, which will certainly crush them. Thus their labor in rearing them comes to be in vain. I have some parents say to me that they do not want to force their children to believe in The Lord Jesus Christ. They want them to make their own decision. I tell them straight out that making that decision is ‘stupid’. I ask them if they are believers and that they are going to heaven. Then why would you not do all that you can to introduce your child to the Son of God and Savior of our souls.
The Ostrich leaves her eggs in danger, but, if she herself be in danger, no creature shall strive more to get out of the way of it than the ostrich. Those that are least under the law of natural affection often contend most for the law of self-preservation.
19 “Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with thunder? 20 Can you frighten him like a locust? His majestic snorting strikes terror. 21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He gallops into the clash of arms. 22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; Nor does he turn back from the sword. 23 The quiver rattles against him, the glittering spear and javelin. 24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage; Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded. 25 At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of captains and shouting.
God, having displayed his own power in those creatures that are strong and despise man, here shows it in one scarcely inferior to any of them in strength, and yet very tame and serviceable to man, and that is the horse.
For running and carrying, no creature that is ordinarily in the service of man has so much strength as the horse has, nor is of so stout, bold a spirit, daring, and able to face danger. It is a mercy to fallen and sinful man to have such an animal, which, though very strong, even submits to the control of a child and knows his owner.
The horse’s neck and nostrils are distinct. His neck is clothed with thunder, with a large and flowing mane, which makes him formidable and is an ornament to him. The glory of his nostrils, when he snorts, flings up his head, and throws foam about, is terrible. He is very fierce and furious in battle, and charges with an undaunted courage, though he pushes on in imminent danger of his life.
This description of the war-horse will help to explain that character which is given of presumptuous sinners as we learn from our Holy Spirit in the book of Jeremiah chapter 8, “Every one turned to his course, as the horse rushes into the battle.” When a man's heart is fully set in him to do evil, and he is carried on in a wicked way by the violence of inordinate appetites and passions, there is no making him afraid of the wrath of God and the fatal consequences of sin. Let his own conscience set before him the curse of the law, the death that is the wages of sin, and all the terrors of the Almighty in battle-array; he mocks at this fear, and is not affrighted, neither turns he back from the judgment that awaits both in this life and for eternity.
26 “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, and spread its wings toward the south?
The birds of the air are proofs of the wonderful power of our Mighty Creator. He instills in them certain attributes that other created things lack. The hawk is here described by our Great God. He has taken great care and design in producing in her unique flight ability. It is not only swift and strong but our Holy Maker has developed in her the wisdom to migrate to the south in winter months. This is her wisdom, and it was God that gave her this wisdom, not man.
The hawk only soars on clear days. They build a crude nest of sticks and twigs. They are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything that is already dead. They are birds of prey and show up after slaughter. They do not stick around when the going gets tough. As winter approaches they migrate south.
We are in the world but are not suppose to be of the world. So, a good question to ask is why are we like the Hawk that hangs around dead people? In the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 2 we read, “14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.
Also, we read in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 8 we , “Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
We need to heed the directions of our Precious Holy Spirit who says in Psalm 1, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful”
Please notice the reference how the hawk flies to the south. I find it interesting in the book of Ezekiel chapter 20 this reference to the ‘south’ “45 Furthermore the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 46 “Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the South, 47 and say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be scorched by it. 48 All flesh shall see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.”
To the south in Israel is the Negeb. Today it is a barren desert land. We see here some of the effect of wars and destruction caused by the enemies of Israel for at one time this was a fruitful land abounding with trees. During wartime nations destroy both land and buildings. We read these nuggets of gold from Scripture.
27 Does the eagle mount up at your command, and make its nest on high? 28 On the rock it dwells and resides, on the crag of the rock and the stronghold. 29 From there it spies out the prey; Its eyes observe from afar. 30 Its young ones suck up blood; And where the slain are, there it is.”
The eagle is a royal bird, and yet a bird of prey too. The eagle is here taken notice of, for the height of her flight. No bird soars so high. Also our Great God enjoys how He distributed wisdom to it in strengthening her nest. Her house is her castle and strong-hold; she makes it on high and on the rock, the crag of the rock, which sets her and her young out of the reach of danger.
Secure sinners think themselves as safe in their sins as the eagle in her nest on high, but our Holy Ruler says to mankind through the prophet Jeremiah chapter 49 ‘in the clefts of the rock; but I will bring thee down thence, says the Lord.’
Notice how our Awesome God focuses on the way the eagle searches out her prey - Her eyes behold afar off, not upwards, but downwards. In this she is an emblem of a hypocrite, who, while, in the profession of religion, he seems to rise towards heaven while keeping his eye and heart upon the prey on earth, some temporal advantage, some widow's house or other that he hopes to devour, under pretence of devotion.
The eagle preys upon living animals, which she seizes and tears to pieces, and thence carries to her young ones, which are taught to suck up blood; they do it by instinct, and know no better
Every creature will make towards that which is its proper food; for He that provides the creatures their food has implanted in them that inclination. These and many such instances of natural power and judgment in the creatures, oblige us to confess our own weakness and ignorance and to give glory to God as the fountain of all being, power, wisdom, and perfection.
