God is Awesome! Job 41-42

  Job 41:8-11 (ESV)

Lay your hands on him;

remember the battle—you will not do it again!

Behold, the hope of a man is false;

he is laid low even at the sight of him.

No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.

Who then is he who can stand before me?

Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?

Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.

God is now talking to Job from a whirlwind.  Job wanted his day in court with God, but he is not going to like it.  God is confronting Job about his knowledge of the universe and two animals in particular:  The behemoth and the leviathan.  In this chapter he has just described the awesome power of leviathan and is asking God if he can stand against that beast (only ONE of God’s created animals).   God is telling Job if he dared to confront the leviathan he would live to regret it.   God’s conclusion is that if you can’t even stand before one of my created specimens, how can you dare think you can stand before me?   Job’s response in the previous and next chapter tells you Job’s response:

Job 40:3-5 (ESV)

Job Promises Silence

Then Job answered the LORD and said:

“Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?

I lay my hand on my mouth.

I have spoken once, and I will not answer;

twice, but I will proceed no further.”

Job 42:1-6 (ESV)

Job’s Confession and Repentance

Then Job answered the LORD and said:

“I know that you can do all things,

and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,

things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

‘Hear, and I will speak;

I will question you, and you make it known to me.’

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,

but now my eye sees you;

therefore I despise myself,

and repent in dust and ashes.”

God has made His point.  We would do well to remember that God is who God is and we are only but one of His creation.   Notice how the writer of Hebrews tell us to approach God and understand this dynamic:

Hebrews 12:28-29 (ESV)

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Thankfully, through His Son, God has made a way for us to approach Him.  But Job and his friends began to diminish their awe of God.  God quickly comes in to elevate their mindset.  We would do well to have that same mindset.  If we can’t handle the things of this earth what makes us think we can reduce God to our understanding.   He is an awesome God!