The pillars of heaven tremble
and are astounded at his rebuke.
In Job 26 we begin a six chapter response from Job regarding his friend’s comforting words to him. They are anything but comforting. Job has lost those he loves. Like most people who come to funerals, the friends probably didn’t know what to say. And like people who come to funeral’s, they say too much, or say it in the wrong way. In chapter 25, Job’s friend, Bildad, had just told Job that no one can comprehend God and that we are but maggots and worms before God. Job does not dispute Bildad, but he does challenge his intellect and where he gets his knowledge. Note:
Job 26:2-3 (ESV)
“How you have helped him who has no power!
How you have saved the arm that has no strength!
How you have counseled him who has no wisdom,
and plentifully declared sound knowledge!
Job has become quite sarcastic and delivers this rebuke to Bildad to set up what he is about to say. Job will piggy-back on the concept that man is a but a worm and a maggot. But not in the way Bildad believes. Bildad’s point is that Job is not worth much to God (like a maggot or worm). Job will take this thought and turn it into another direction. Rather than talk about the frailty of man and his obscurity, Job begins to talk about the power of God. He speaks about how the dead tremble (v. 5) at God. He speaks about how death and the grave are naked before God (v. 6). He speaks about how the earth is simply hanging in the air and attached to nothing (v. 7). He then pivots to talk about how God is so powerful He even controls all the drops of water on the earth. In verse 11 he speaks about how the waters (he calls them the pillars of heaven) tremble at God and are astounded at His rebuke. Bildad chose to focus on the insignificance of man and therefore Job’s plight is not even on God’s radar. Job chose to focus on the power of God over drops of water. In the midst of suffering we typically do both. In one sense we see how little we matter in the big scheme of things. We are but small creatures in great big universe. Yet, as Job is telling us, God hung the earth in the sky and although the waters in the universe tremble at Him, it shows that our lives matter to Him. That God is here. That God does see our pain and suffering. Job has no answers, yet. He may not really get one from this book. But he does see the glory and majesty of God and trembles before Him. Sometimes in our loss, that is all we see. But it is enough:
John 14:8 (ESV)
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
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