Truth #137 - We know nothing - Job 38-39

Job 38:2-3
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.

In chapters 38-39 we finally come to the end of the discussion of Job and his friends.  In these two chapters and beyond we hear the finality of authority ... for God speaks.   God is about to address all of them, but, as Job 38:1 states:

Job 38:1
​Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

God is specifically speaking to Job.  He will, eventually, speak to his three friends, but, for now, the words are directed directly to Job (out of a whirlwind ... imagine the scene as Job is sitting down on the side of the road with his friends having a theological debate and God decides to join them ... via a whirlwind and audible voice).   As God begins to speak he addresses Job and immediately throws down the gauntlet.  God ask Job directly (and perhaps implies this to his three friends), "Who is this that is clouding the issue with empty words?"   God rebukes them with one single sentence.   All this talk (for over 30 chapters of dialogue), God states, has done nothing but cloud the issue.  They have muddied the waters but opening their mouths and spoken "without knowledge."   God is saying, "Ignorance speaks and makes things worse!"   We think we are so smart. Job's friends and Job himself were so full of their wisdom to each other that they forgot the fundamental thing they should know: They know very little! They thought they could put Job's situation into a three step solution bottle and have the answer for everything. However, God shows them in these two chapters how little they really know and how great He is. Their wisdom and advice really just “darkened counsel by words without knowledge” (38:2).  God challenges Job in verse three by telling him to "Dress for action, I'm about to grill you to see what you REALLY know!"   In the original Hebrew the "dress for action" means to "gird up your loins."   It meant to wrap the long rope you are wearing into a ball and let's start running.   God is warning Job that a quiz is about to come and he better get the "loins" of his mind gathered together so that he can answer God's deeper questions about life.   Studying for a quiz from God is hard work.   When God challenges us He intends to sharpen us and we need to be prepared.  Note what Paul tells young pastor Timothy about being a hard worker in studying God's Word:

2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

We don't know a lot and we need to make sure we are on course for God's wisdom and God's insight into our lives through His word. Listen to others if you will but remember their words tend to darken and cloud true counsel. The best counsel comes from the One who can answer the questions of Job 38, 39.  In these two chapters God embarrasses Job and us.  We can't begin to answer these questions or meet God's challenge.  Our knowledge is like and ant to a Harvard grad times a billion, billion.   We know nothing!!!