When Thunder Roars – Go Indoors Series

Job 37: 1 – 24

When Thunder Roars – Go Indoors

1 “At this also my heart trembles, and leaps from its place. 2 Hear attentively the thunder of His voice, and the rumbling that comes from His mouth. 3 He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth. 4 After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, and He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. 5 God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. 6 For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength. 7 He seals the hand of every man, that all men may know His work. 8 The beasts go into dens, and remain in their lairs. 9 From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind and cold from the scattering winds of the north. 10 By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen. 11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. 12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, that they may do whatever He commands them on the face of the whole earth. 13 He causes it to come, whether for correction, or for His land, or for mercy. 14 “Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. 15 Do you know when God dispatches them, and causes the light of His cloud to shine? 16 Do you know how the clouds are balanced, those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge? 17 Why are your garments hot, when He quiets the earth by the south wind? 18 With Him, have you spread out the skies, strong as a cast metal mirror?19 “Teach us what we should say to Him, For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness. 20 Should He be told that I wish to speak? If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up. 21 Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies, When the wind has passed and cleared them. 22 He comes from the north as golden splendor; With God is awesome majesty. 23 As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, In judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress. 24 Therefore men fear Him; He shows no partiality to any who are wise of heart.”

Many times when someone has a discussion you will receive bits on information flash into your thoughts. Are these from God? Or are these just incidents of your past that has been triggered by certain stimuli. I suggest it can be both.

Picture with me that you are a bystander who is listening to these 5 men argue back and forth. You are out in an open field. Now as Elihu has taken center stage in the discussion the wind starts to pick up. In the distance you can hear thunder and some flashes in the sky which in a southern section is turning a scary black.

Partially you keep an ear and eye on the conversations while with the other eye and ear you are fixed on the approaching storm. You have seen the light flashes and begin to start counting until you hear the drum roll of thunder. Why are you doing this? You are trying to estimate how far this menacing danger is away before you need to run for shelter.

Lightning is a bright flash of electricity produced by a thunderstorm. All thunderstorms produce lightning and are very dangerous. If you hear the sound of thunder, then you are in danger from lightning. Lightning kills and injures more people each year than hurricanes or tornadoes; between 75 to 100 people.

Lightning is an electric current. Within a thundercloud way up in the sky, many small bits of ice (frozen raindrops) bump into each other as they move around in the air. All of those collisions create an electric charge. After a while, the whole cloud fills up with electrical charges. The positive charges or protons form at the top of the cloud and the negative charges or electrons form at the bottom of the cloud. Since opposites attract, that causes a positive charge to build up on the ground beneath the cloud. The grounds electrical charge concentrates around anything that sticks up, such as mountains, people, or single trees. The charge coming up from these points eventually connects with a charge reaching down from the clouds and - zap - lightning strikes!

Thunder is caused by lightning. When a lightning bolt travels from the cloud to the ground it actually opens up a little hole in the air, called a channel. Once then light is gone the air collapses back in and creates a sound wave that we hear as thunder. The reason we see lightning before we hear thunder is because light travels faster than sound