The Book of Job

Word Study

"foundations," Hebrew yasdi (יָסְדִי) from yasad, to found, establish. The LORD answers Job at last, but not with the explanation Job sought. Instead He asks, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?" It is the first of scores of unanswerable questions. Job was not there at creation; he did not lay those foundations.

"the earth," eretz (אֶרֶץ). The whole world Job stands on, and the whole scale of the question. Job had wanted to put his case to God, to reason with Him as one who understood; God responds by revealing the infinite distance between Creator and creature.

"declare," hagged (הַגֵּד), tell, make known. God turns the tables and calls for testimony from Job, the very thing Job had wanted to give. This is not God bullying Job, but God graciously restoring Job to his proper place. "O man, who art thou that repliest against God?" (Romans 9:20).

"understanding," binah (בִּינָה), discernment. The condition attached to that summons, "if thou hast understanding," is the sting of it. Job cannot even begin to comprehend the works of God, let alone question His government of the universe. The root of much of our distress is that we forget we are creatures and imagine we could run the universe better than God, or at least that we deserve an explanation from Him. God's questions dismantle that pretension gently but completely. To be reminded that we were not present when God laid the foundations of the earth is humbling and, ultimately, freeing, for it returns us to trusting the God who was there, who is wise beyond our knowing, and who holds the whole creation in His hand.

Explanation

The LORD answers Job at last, but not with the explanation he sought. Instead He asks, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?", the first of scores of unanswerable questions. Job wanted to reason with God as an equal; God reveals the infinite distance between Creator and creature. This is not bullying but grace, restoring Job to his proper place. Much of our distress comes from forgetting we are creatures who imagine we deserve explanations from God. His questions gently dismantle that pretension and return us to trusting the God who was there (Romans 9:20).

Gospel Focus

"Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?", the God who laid the earth's foundations is the very One who came down to redeem us, and this deepens the wonder of the Gospel beyond measure. For the New Testament tells us who laid those foundations: the Lord Jesus Christ, "by whom also he made the worlds" (Hebrews 1:2); "all things were made by him" (John 1:3); "Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth" (Hebrews 1:10). The One who silenced Job with the majesty of creation is the same One who took flesh, wept human tears, and died on a cross. The Creator became a creature to save creatures. And this is our comfort when we, like Job, cannot understand God's ways: the God who was present at creation, who alone comprehends the universe, is not distant or cold, but has drawn near to us in love. We cannot answer His questions, but we can trust His heart, revealed at Calvary. If the God who laid the foundations of the earth loved us enough to lay down His life, then we can rest in His wisdom even when His providence baffles us. We were not there when He made the world, but He was there when He redeemed us, "chosen... in him before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). The Creator who humbles us with His greatness has won us with His grace, and both greatness and grace meet in Jesus Christ, the maker of heaven and earth who became our Saviour.

Word Study

"morning stars," Hebrew kokhvei voqer (כּוֹכְבֵי בֹקֶר). God describes the joy that attended creation, and the first singers are the stars of the dawn. This is a beautiful glimpse into the heavenly realm at the dawn of the world, and it underscores Job's smallness in the grand scheme: he was not even created yet when the stars sang at the making of the world.

"sang together," ron-yachad (רָן־יַחַד), sang for joy together. Not a solo but a chorus, and not mere sound but joy. Creation was a celebration, greeted with worship and gladness.

"sons of God," benei Elohim (בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים), the angels. The parallel line names the heavenly hosts, the angels, who joined the song. The works of God are so glorious that they moved the angels to spontaneous praise.

"shouted for joy," yari'u (יָרִיעוּ), gave a joyful shout. The verse reveals that God's works are worthy of joyful worship, and that the fitting response to the greatness of God is not complaint but praise. And this heavenly joy at creation points forward to an even greater heavenly joy: the joy of the angels over redemption, "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15:10). The God whose creation made the angels sing has done, in the Gospel, a work that makes heaven rejoice even more.

Explanation

God describes the joy that attended creation: "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." As He laid the earth's foundations, the angels burst into song; creation was a celebration greeted with worship. This underscores Job's smallness, he was not yet created when the angels sang, but also reveals that God's works are worthy of joyful praise, and that the fitting response to His greatness is worship, not complaint. This heavenly joy at creation points forward to the angels' greater joy over redemption (Luke 15:10).

Gospel Focus

"When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy", the angels who sang at the first creation sang again at the coming of the Redeemer, and rejoice still over the new creation in Christ. When the Son of God, by whom the worlds were made, was born to redeem the world, "suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest" (Luke 2:13-14). The heavenly choir that greeted creation greeted the Creator's coming in flesh. And the angels rejoice over every sinner brought to new birth, "joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15:10). For the Gospel is a new creation: "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17); "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts" (2 Corinthians 4:6). The same power that laid the foundations of the earth remakes the human heart, and heaven sings. Furthermore, believers are being fitted to join that everlasting song: "ye are come... to an innumerable company of angels" (Hebrews 12:22), and the redeemed shall sing "a new song" before the throne (Revelation 5:9). The joy that attended creation is a foretaste of the joy that will fill heaven and earth when the whole creation is made new in Christ. So while God's questions humble us, they also lift our eyes to worship, to join the morning stars and the sons of God in the song that greets the wondrous works of God, in creation, in the coming of Christ, and in the redemption He has won.

Word Study

"hitherto," Hebrew ad-poh (עַד־פֹּה), up to here. God describes His mastery over the sea, which in ancient thought was the symbol of chaos and untamable power: He "shut up the sea with doors" (v8), set "bars and doors" (v10), and then spoke this boundary word. The mighty, surging ocean, which no man can tame, is under the absolute command of God, and He sets its limit with two syllables.

"no further," velo tosif (וְלֹא תֹסִיף), and you shall add no more. The sea may not add one step to what it has been granted. This is a profound picture of God's sovereignty over all the forces that seem chaotic and threatening, and here is deep comfort for the sufferer: the very forces of chaos and calamity that seem to overwhelm us, the storms of life, the floods of trouble, are under God's decree and can go no further than He allows.

"proud waves," gaon gallekha (גְּאוֹן גַּלֶּיךָ), the pride of your waves. The Hebrew makes the swell of the breakers into arrogance, and even that arrogance must stop exactly where God decrees, held in check by a word. Just as He said to the sea, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further," so He sets a limit on every trial. The waves of Job's suffering seemed boundless, but they too had a boundary set by God. "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee" (Isaiah 43:2). The God who bounds the sea bounds our troubles; nothing in our lives is out of His control.

Explanation

God describes His mastery over the sea, the ancient symbol of chaos: He set its bounds and said, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further." The untamable ocean must stop exactly where God decrees. This is a picture of His sovereignty over all threatening forces, and deep comfort for the sufferer: the storms and floods of life are under God's decree and can go no further than He allows. The waves of Job's suffering seemed boundless, but they too had a boundary set by God (Isaiah 43:2). The God who bounds the sea bounds our troubles.

Gospel Focus

"Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further", the God who set bounds for the raging sea is the Lord Jesus Christ, who with a word stilled the storm, and who bounds every trial of His people. When the disciples were terrified in the tempest, Jesus "arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm" (Mark 4:39). The same voice that said to the sea at creation, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further," spoke peace to the waves of Galilee, and the disciples marveled, "what manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (Mark 4:41). Here is the answer to Job: the God who bounds the sea has come in flesh, and He commands the storms still. For the believer, this is unshakable comfort. Every wave of trouble, every flood of sorrow, is under the command of the risen Christ, and can go no further than He permits. He has said to death itself, the proudest of all waves, "hitherto and no further," for He passed through it and rose again, holding "the keys of hell and of death" (Revelation 1:18). No trial, no temptation, no calamity can overwhelm the child of God beyond the bound Christ sets, "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able" (1 Corinthians 10:13). When the proud waves of life rise against you, remember the God who bounds the sea and stills the storm. He has set the limit; the waves will be stayed; and the same Lord who rules the ocean rides in your boat and will bring you safe to shore.