QUESTIONING GOD

Our generation today, caught up in the whirlwind of busyness, work and triviality, needs to hear the voice of God speak to us in the midst of our daily grind. We need a fresh glimpse of His majesty and holiness that will give us an appropriate fear of God. Only then will we be hesitant to defy His laws and question His will. Only then can we begin to have the proper wisdom that is needed to walk with Him properly. Only then can we understand our real neediness for Jesus. Only then will we live by faith in the grace of God and the midst of our troubles.

All of Job’s presumptuous protests fell silent the day God answered him out of the whirlwind in Job 38-39. While Job’s friends grew weary in their counsel with him, a storm was brewing on the distant northern horizon and was coming right towards them Job 1:19. As the winds increased, bolts of lightning broke through and thunder rumbled across the countryside. I wonder if Job had flashbacks to the windstorm that killed his ten children as he heard the rumble and saw the approaching storm.

Job had questioned God’s justice and sovereign rule. He pleaded for the opportunity to put God on the witness stand in hopes that God would answer Job about his being innocence and explain to him and others why his hurt and pain were clearly unjust. He had questioned why God permits the wicked to prosper while the righteous suffer. Why did he have to face bankruptcy and loose it all? Why did his children have to die so young in a windstorm? Why did he have to endure the pain and agony of a hideous disease that deforms, debilitates, and destroys? Why did all his sorrows bring such pain to his wife that she wanted him to curse God so that he would die and be free of his horrible situation? Why couldn’t he vindicate himself before God and men by extolling his virtues, good works, and all his accomplishments? Sound familiar? Been there, done that myself! Yet, God did not answer any of those specific questions, but He did give Job and all who read his book, all that they would ever need to know, in order to live by faith in the goodness of God’s sovereign will.

With the dark funnel cloud whirling around Job, God spoke to him Job 38:1-3. He began with a gentle yet forceful rebuke, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” Notice Job wisely gave no answer. He was breathless, seated in this incredible, whirling spectacle. All his previous arguing and questioning God seemed inappropriate and insignificant in His presence. Then the Lord spoke a frightening challenge to Job, “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you and you shall answer Me." God then turned the tables on Job and put him on the witness stand Job 38:4-7. He asked him questions about nature that only God could answer. He began by questioning Job’s whereabouts at creation, “Where were you at the foundation of the earth? Did you stretch the plumb line by which I laid the foundation stone? Were you there singing with the angels when the earth, the sea, and the sky exploded into existence?” Psalm 148:2-3. “Do you know when and how I created all these things? Were you there when the land and sea formed? Did you shroud the earth with clouds to water the earth and fill its rivers, lakes, and seas? Did you determine the precise limits of the monthly tides that break on the shore? Have you explored the depths of the seas? Have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?” Job 38:8-21. God paused long enough in his questioning of Job to say, “Tell Me, if you know all this?” then He continued His line of questioning. Then God questioned Job’s power. Then God quizzed Job’s knowledge of animate nature.

You see, God wanted Job to see his lack of understanding about his predicament. In God's questioning Job, Job realized just our unwise he was to even question God. Job learned that his part in his troubles were simply to submit to the One whose ways were beyond his full comprehension. The Lord affirmed His wisdom to Isaiah, when He said, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:8. So if God has all the power, authority, and wisdom to do all these things, why are we so reluctant to trust Him when we need food, clothing, wisdom, and companionship? Why do we find it so hard to trust God in chaos, dangers, wars, pestilence, and disease? When God no longer spoke from the whirlwind, Job knew he had to give some kind of answer to the God of the Whirlwind. Spellbound and tongue-tied, Job could only answer, “Behold, I am vile” Job 40:3-5. In other words, he was admitting he was unworthy and too insignificant to question God’s will and ways. Job’s notion of God’s justice and righteousness was being stretched. The hedge that satan accused God of placing around Job in Job 1:10 became the most dangerous place to be as satan sought to use it as an opportunity to make God and destroy God's most cherished creation. Yet, God used satan's mockery to backfire on him as Job came out of the storm an even more upright servant than before Job's troubles came. The safest place for you and I to ever be on the earth, is in the eye of God’s storm. The disciples too had to learn this as well. Their doubts gave way to trust and faith as they learned that God cares for His people even though they may have to ride out a storm, persevere through winds of adversity, or stand against the forces of hell.

When God ceased speaking, Job attempted to answer the God of the whirlwind Job 41:1-6. God had not informed Job that it was Satan who struck him. He did not know why these things had come upon him or what would happen next. But what he learned in the eye of the storm was the supremacy of God’s power and grace. He now knew God can do everything, except sin, lie, or make mistakes. God not only had the power and authority to do whatever He wanted, but does and will do everything He desires. This God can be trusted, however, because He is holy and sovereign. Whatever He designs or allows to enter our lives serves His good and ours. He also understood that nothing inanimate, animate, or human in nature can thwart God’s Holy purposes-even the choices of vile, wicked men and fallen depraved angels serve God’s pleasures. The lessons of the storm had been learned by Job.

Then Job openly confessed his foolish ways and words. Now after hearing and seeing God, he agreed that God’s ways are holy and best. His place was not to question or reason with God about what he did not understand, but to submit to Him who is eternally holy, just, loving, omnipotent, omniscient, immense, immediate, and full of mercy and grace. Then as an act of utter contrition, he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes. Being in the eye of the storm awakened Job to his own foolishness and sin. He grabbed a handful of dust and ashes and tossed them over him as a sign of his awareness at being a creature of the dust, destined for ashes if it were not for God’s grace.

God still speaks to us at various times and in various ways. Sometimes He speaks loudest in the eye of a storm. He speaks to us today through His Son, His Spirit, and His Word. We may not see His form or hear audible words, but He still speaks. Jesus still speaks comfort to storm riders who can remain in the boat as the storm rages Our part is not to question or reason why, but to trust and obey God’s Word, especially when we sit in the dust and ashes of our lives. A day is soon approaching when God will come in all of His splendor to judge the wicked and reward the righteous. Then we shall see our Kinsman Redeemer and rejoice forevermore!

Hold Fast,
-Bren