Divine Dialogue: Job and Jehovah's Speeches in the Book of Job

2. Now Mine Eye Now Mine Eye Seeth Thee Seeth Thee Biblical Studies From The Book Of Job

3. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • Remember…during the course of his own speeches, Job had raised questions about & had even made charges against God • In his agony he had suffered through God’s silence to those questions • God will now begin to answer Job

4. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • Notice that He does not directly respond to what Job had requested Ù the reason why he has been suffering • God spends His whole speech defending His right to act as Sovereign, as seems best to Him

5. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • It appears God initially refers to Job in 38:2 • Job had “darkened counsel by words without knowledge” Ù he had “darkened” God’s purpose by casting Him in an unfavorable light • God then challenges Job 38:3

6. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • God questions Job on creation 38:4-38 • “Explain the earth’s foundation” vv. 4-7 • “Explain how the sea stays put” vv. 8-11 • “Explain the dawning of each day” vv. 12-15 • “Explain the vast detail of all that has been created” vv. 16-18

7. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • God questions Job on creation 38:4-38 • “Explain light & darkness, or tell Me about the snow or hail” vv. 19-24 • God even uses sarcasm on Job v. 21 • “Explain how the earth receives all its precipitation” vv. 25-30 • “Explain the heavens, outer space vv. 31-33

8. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • God questions Job on creation 38:4-38 • “Explain the control of the clouds vv. 34-38 What has been God’s point to Job thus far? The things He has mentioned are all beyond Job’s knowledge, ability to understand. How does this connect to Job’s situation?

9. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • God questions Job on animals 38:39 – 39:30 • “Explain their food provisions” 38:39-41 • “Explain their mating cycles” 39:1-4 • “Explain why some are free, some are not” 39:5-12 • “Explain the oddity of the ostrich” 39:13-18

10. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 Like before, these are all beyond Job’s knowledge and ability to understand. The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • God questions Job on animals 38:39 – 39:30 • “Explain the behavior of the horse, especially in battle” 38:19-25 • “Explain the behavior of the hawk and eagle” 39:26-30

11. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • Job has been reminded of the great distance between himself & the God he questioned • Remember, Job had questioned God’s control of the moral world • The same God that rules that world also rules the created, physical world

12. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • God continues with “unanswerable” truths and challenges for Job 40:1-14 • God views Job as a “faultfinder” who has “contended with God” and as one who has “reproved” God 40:2 • Job now admits the grave mistake he has made 40:3-5

13. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • God continues with “unanswerable” truths and challenges for Job 40:1-14 • God again challenges Job to “gird himself up as a man” and teach God 40:7 cp. 38:3 • He also dares Job to adorn himself in “majesty” and behave like God can…then, they can be peers or equals 40:10-14

14. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • God again argues re: creation 40:15 – 41:34 • This time, He only focuses on 2 different creatures He has made, asking Job to offer his wisdom as to how they function in the created world • Behemoth 40:15-24 • Leviathan 41:1-34 [Hippopotamus] [Crocodile]

15. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • God again argues re: creation 40:15 – 41:34 • Behemoth 40:15-24 • Leviathan 41:1-34 • Were these “real creatures” or mythological beasts? cp. 40:15 • We see them as actual created beings [Hippopotamus] [Crocodile]

16. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • God again argues re: creation 40:15 – 41:34 • Behemoth 40:15-24 • Job is asked to consider this great creature, his awesome size and impressive features • Job must explain how he is provided for, while at the same time he is docile enough that other creatures are not afraid to play in his presence [Hippopotamus]

17. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 • Leviathan 41:1-34 [Crocodile] The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • God again argues re: creation 40:15 – 41:34 • Job is asked to consider this great creature, explain the details of his fierceness • God asks Job for the wisdom to give the intricate details re: this creature that is dreaded and feared by all other creatures, even man

18. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • A Summary… • God has laid before Job an “unanswerable argument” Ù Job was left speechless!! • In cataloging His creation, God had sought to convince Job of the Divine wisdom necessary not just to create it, but to also maintain daily control over and provision for it

19. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • A Summary… • God wanted Job to consider the vastness of the inanimateworld…the heavens & the earth • He wanted him to consider how all this came into existence and how it continues to function flawlessly

20. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • A Summary… • God also wanted Job to consider the animateworld… the individuality of each specie seen • Each has been endowed with its own attributes that enables it to survive • As a whole, such a diverse range of creatures (raven & eagle to hippopotamus & crocodile)

21. The Dialogue Job 3:1 – 42:6 The Speeches Of Jehovah 38:1 – 41:34 • A Summary… • Over all creation is this great God who is aware of and watches over every small detail • The point? • Who is Job that he should question such a Being & how He has reacted towards him in his sufferings?