Unanswerable Questions
Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind:
Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?
Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you,
And you must answer them.
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell me, if you know so much.
Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line?...
Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst forth from the womb…
Have you explored the springs from which the seas come?
Have you explored their depths?...
Where does light come from, and where does darkness go?
Can you take each to its home?
Do you know how to get there?...
Can you direct the movement of the stars…?
Can you direct the constellations through the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?
Do you know the laws of the universe?
Can you use them to regulate the earth?...
Do you know when the wild goats give birth?...
Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south?
Is it at your command that the eagle rises to the heights to make its nest?...
"Do you still want to argue with the Almighty?
You are God's critic, but do you have the answers?" (Job 38-40:2, NLT)
Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?
Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you,
And you must answer them.
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell me, if you know so much.
Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line?...
Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst forth from the womb…
Have you explored the springs from which the seas come?
Have you explored their depths?...
Where does light come from, and where does darkness go?
Can you take each to its home?
Do you know how to get there?...
Can you direct the movement of the stars…?
Can you direct the constellations through the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?
Do you know the laws of the universe?
Can you use them to regulate the earth?...
Do you know when the wild goats give birth?...
Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south?
Is it at your command that the eagle rises to the heights to make its nest?...
"Do you still want to argue with the Almighty?
You are God's critic, but do you have the answers?" (Job 38-40:2, NLT)
The book of Job has 42 chapters.
For 37 chapters, God allowed Job and his friends to talk and speculate.
They speculated about God. They speculated about why the righteous suffer. They speculated about Job's guilt or possible innocence. Job questioned God about the fairness of his situation.
God remained silent all through the discourse.
But then God started speaking in chapter 38. God simply started by saying, "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?" God continued with some rather challenging questions and concluded with these words: "Do you still want to argue with the Almighty?
You are God's critic, but do you have the answers?"
The truth is: We are very limited in what we know and understand, but God is all-knowing and all-seeing! There are questions that we simply cannot answer. But there is one thing we can do: We can take God at His word that His plans for us are for our good and not for evil (Jeremiah 29:11).
We might not have the answers, but God does! Let's trust Him no matter what. He does not fail.
Prayer: Lord, please help me to trust you at all times and never doubt your goodness. Amen.