Paul wrote those words because God told him to. However, Paul also wrote those words with personal conviction. He had discovered them to be absolutely true. The context of that verse is to born again Christians.
In our text today, God continued to show Job the wonders of His creation. Job needed to get his mind on that which was of greater significance than his personal problems. Job would come to understand that in this sin-cursed world, the devil has some leverage over the affairs of man. However, God is greater than the devil and He can and will give His child the ability to live above his troubles. This is not the charismatic fluff that we hear about. This is not negating the trouble that a person has. It is a different approach to the trouble.
We know that a peacock is a very pretty bird to look at. When it spreads its feathers it is an amazing bird to observe. What part did Job have in that? Or what about the ostrich. The ostrich is a strong and fast bird. Yet it cannot fly. If we would follow the illogic of the evolutionist, ostrich’s should be extinct. God says they are deprived of the wisdom needed to look after their eggs. They lay them in the warmth and leave them. They do not concern themselves with the fact that the foot of a larger animal could crush those eggs. Other animals might break them and eat them for food. None of this matters to the ostrich. The ostrich does not look after her young when they hatch. They have to fend for themselves.
The ostrich is a fast runner. It can outrun a horse. The horse is a strong and fast runner as well. What did Job have to do with either of these creatures. Did he design them? Did he sustain them? The fact that the ostrich does nothing to nurture its young and yet there are still many ostrich’s today speaks to the wisdom and care of God, not of man, nor of chance.
The horse can be trained by man and used in various ways. They too are powerful and they are not afraid of many things. They can be used in battle and they do not fear the sword or the spear. They may be pierced by them and killed, but they do not run away from them. Job had nothing to do with making the horse so aggressive. Job could appreciate the benefits of the horse, but he had nothing to do with its nature.
God continued by speaking of the hawk, which is another magnificent creature. It can soar in the sky and has good vision like an eagle as well. They catch their prey and they know how to protect themselves and their young.
Interestingly the eagle knows where a dead animal or person is at. They go there and they clean up. They feed off those things that are dead. Who gave them that sense to know where these carcasses are? God gave them that ability. God has different creatures designed to keep things orderly to a certain degree in a fallen world. We know that God changed the nature of some of these creatures after the fall. There was no death prior to the fall, and thus there would be no meat for the eagle or the hawk to eat prior to the fall. God changed them to be useful in a fallen world. There is an element of danger there, but they serve their purpose and Job had nothing to do with that. If God did not have these creatures doing their specific work, our world would be messier than it currently is.
Job was getting a front row seat to be able to learn some important life lessons. Unlike Job’s friends, he would learn these lessons. He was being given a lot of information here. God knew it was not going to overload him. God knows what will work and what will not. Job was not unique. We too, need to be given the facts with enough detail to help us to stop and listen to God. That is what we find in many places in the Bible.
God is not willing that any should perish. God is able to work through all the clutter of sin and help the lost to hear and respond to the truth. We might look at a person and think they are too far gone into sin to be saved, but God is a miracle working God. His Word is powerful. Prayer is a necessary tool that God has given us to seek His direction in reaching out to those He sends our way.
Job was not a lost man, but a man of God who needed a much clearer understanding of Who God is. God gave Him the necessary facts and Job responded in the right manner.
Today is the Lord’s day once again. Be sure to get ready and go to a good local church where you and your children can be challenged from the Word of God. Take advantage of the opportunities God has afforded you. As we look at the increasing cost of fuel, it may become more difficult to travel to a good local church. You may need to move closer to the church so that you can enjoy the fellowship of the saints around the Word of God. We are praying that each person would seek the true God today and know His peace and blessing.
Pastor Bartel