Day 14 – Job 38-39

God speaks! For us who have been following this conversation and struggling, with Job, to understand the why of all this, it is a welcome relief for God to join the story. Now we will have answers. Now it will all make sense. In the whirlwind (compare to his address to Elijah out of the whisper) he finally answers Job.
But first, he thunders against all 5 characters and their ignorant words. Verse 2 does give some reason to wonder, is all this addressing Job alone, or the others as well? Certainly his question and accusation applies to them all. Yet, the opening makes it clear, at least to me, that this mainly for Job. His ignorance of God and the deeper workings of the cosmos is made clear as God questions where Job was as he brought the universe into being. God’s questions begin with the furthest-most aspects of creation and progresses toward the simplest and most easily studied – the birds and animals. And even in these, God raises questions concerning their habits and instincts which today’s most learned scientists couldn’t truly answer. His point is well made – Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu were correct in warning Job about challenging God and questioning his power. In his answer to Job, God begins by establishing his majestic place above all creation.