Jehovah, the Omniscient

God is greater than man. — Job 33:12

Nature is awe-inspiring. As we view the wonders of earth, from the stark interplay of colors in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado to the towering snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, all we can do is respond with a stream of "Ooh’s" and "Ah’s." Who has not thrilled with the shepherd psalmist as he sang "When I consider thy heavens ... What is man, that thou art mindful of him" (Psalms 8:3, 4)? Or again, "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth forth his handiwork" (Psalms 19:1).

Nature is intimidating. Not only its sheer size, but the intricate balancing necessary to make it all work in soundless harmony challenges the minds of even the brightest scientists. Billions of dollars in research and countless hours in sophisticated laboratories have only scratched the surface of the wonders of the universe.

It is to these wonders and the wisdom that went into their planning that Jehovah refers when he enters the discussion between Job and his companions.

The Challenge--Verses 1 to 3

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

The address of God begins with a ringing rebuke. It is noteworthy that this rebuke is not addressed to Elihu, the speaker whom God interrupts from the whirlwind, nor to the three who Job terms "miserable comforters" (16:2), but to Job. The book of Job opens by describing him as "perfect and upright" and it closes with the commendation that he spoke of God "the thing that is right" (42:7). Yet he is the one singled out for the strong criticism: "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without wisdom?"

One of the tools of the Adversary is the wedge, where one extreme position begets the opposite. This is illustrated well in the book of Job. Job’s early professions of innocence, antagonized by the well-meant accusations of his three friends, degenerate into the self-righteousness which the young man Elihu cites (33:8–13). It is this self-righteousness which God reproves. Jehovah does this by enumerating the wonders of natural creation and challenging Job to answer how they were accomplished.

It is significant that Jehovah speaks "out of the whirlwind." This whirlwind is the great storm from the south that Elihu notices approaching and describes in the preceding two chapters. In the larger symbolic picture of Job, this storm probably refers to the prophetic event known as "the time of trouble" (Daniel 12:1), when man will have reached his extremity and Jehovah will manifest to all that he is indeed the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth. In microcosm, the same is true of each individual of the race — it is only when he reaches the extremity in his personal "whirlwind" that he becomes open to the voice of God.

In the verses that follow, God shows his wisdom in seven distinct areas of creation: 1. the earth itself (verses 4–7); 2. the seas (verses 8–18); 3. the ways of light (verses 19–21); 4. the provision of water resources (verses 22–30); 5. the stars (verses 31–33); 6. the control of climate (verses 34–38); 7. the animal creation (38:39 through chapter 41).

Foundations of the Earth--Verses 4 to 7

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

The language in this passage is architectural. We see the master planner deliberating over his drafting board, determining precise sizes for his project. He is building a home — a home for not only the human race but for countless other species of flora and fauna. It would be a living home, constantly growing and replenishing itself. As scripturally foretold, the earth was made to abide "for ever" (Ecclesiastes 1:4).

Much thought would need to be given to its size and the effect of that size on the gravitational pull its inhabitants could withstand. Its size would determine its atmosphere. The effect of a satellite, or moon, upon its water surfaces was considered. An appropriate and delicate balance must be maintained between the oceans as a reservoir and the arable land surfaces, including provisions for growth through volcanic, glacial and earthquake activity as the subterranean tectonic plates shifted.

The earth is not a solid sphere. Much of the interior is molten and fluid. Stability for the continental land surfaces is attained by giant rock massifs penetrating far below the earth’s surface. Prof. J. W. Gregory locates seven of these, one each below North and South America, Sweden, Siberia, India, Africa, and Australia (Encyclopedia of Modern Knowledge, "The Making of the Earth," pp. 192–3). Another scientist writes of these rock pedestals, "These oldest rocks — that form the basement of continental land masses — often cover large areas, and are spoken of as ‘massifs,’ ‘coigns,’ or ‘shields.’ ... We are here face to face with ... the very floor of the continent, a foundation ‘massif‘ on which the newer sediments have been built during the succeeding geological periods. ... The sediments, which at first were soft, when subjected to crush and super-heated conditions of a later age, became crystalline, and passed into fusion. Granites formed in the folds of the mountain ranges." (The Building of Australia, Part I, Prof. W. Howchin, D.Sc., p. 32.)

The Hebrew word translated "foundations" in verse six is different than the one used in verse four. The latter would be better translated "pedestal," "pillar," or "footing." It is most frequently translated "socket" and is so used for the sockets of the tabernacle in the wilderness. The word "fastened," in the original, has the concept of being sunk deeply into a solid footing. These terms are very appropriate for the size and depth of these massive rock pedestals which form the foundations for the continental land masses.

Verse seven shows that this part of the creative work was some time after the making of the angelic host, which suggests that these innumerable spiritual beings may have been employed in the building process, not only of the universe, but of the particular spot within it forthe habitation of the human race. Their "shouting together for joy" may indicate they were willingly and usefully employed in preparing the earth for human habitation.

The Bounds of the Sea--Verses 8 to 18

Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it, And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed? Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it? It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment. And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken. Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

This section calls to mind the works of the first three creative days of Genesis 1. Here God speaks of the divisions of light and darkness, of sea and cloud, and of sea and dry land. The Genesis account presumes the earth to already exist and to be in an unformed and liquid condition: "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2).

In poetic language, the book of Job sees these waters erupting from below. The words are not incompatible with the waters coming from cooling vapors as the primordial globe began to be prepared for use. Sir James Jeans sees four stages in this process: (1) the earth, at first, as a gas perhaps from the sun; (2) condensing into a liquid at a very high temperature; (3) losing heat, congealing into a hot plastic mass; and (4) cooling into the present solid crust (Encyclopedia of Modern Knowledge, "The World, Whence and How," p. 14).

The Hebrew word for doors signifies a double door, such as a sluice gate. The study of volcanoes illustrates how gases thrown into space contain vast amounts of water vapor. In the case of the earth, this vapor had been "shut up" around the central core before the Creator opened the sluice gates and sent it forth as gases to later condense and fall into pre-formed ocean beds. However, both in the heavens and upon the earth, the accumulations of water had to be carefully controlled.

Passing from the waters below to the waters above, God describes the remaining liquids surrounding the earth as "swaddling-bands." The picture is an apt one. As a new-born child is quickly swathed from head to toe, so the newly-formed earth would be encircled with cloudy vapors.

At first glance, verses twelve to fifteen appear to be almost parenthetical. The discussion turns from the seas to the distinction between light and darkness and then, in verse sixteen, back to the seas. However the two thoughts are related. It was the encircling rings of vapor which prevented the dawn from making its appearance. At first these permitted but little light to penetrate to the surface of the planet, but as they fell, ring after ring, the light became clearer, and finally on the fourth creative day the shape of the light-giving sun and stars and the reflective moon became visible.

The reference to the "placement" of the dayspring, or dawn, is not mere poetic allusion. In the formative processes of the planet, Jehovah planned the earth’s axis to be tilted. This would cause the different portions of the earth’s surface to be at varying angles to the sun through the year, thus producing the varying climate needed for the growing seasons. These were intended to be permanent in the utilization of the earth. "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease" (Genesis 8:22).

While the allusion to the "wicked" in this passage may have some reference to the preference of evil-doers to work their nefarious trades under cover of darkness, we suggest that this is not the primary purpose here. The word here twice rendered "wicked" is the Hebrew ra, meaning calamities of every sort, including natural catastrophes. The intrusion of light on to the surface of the water-enveloped earth had the effect of purifying it.

Verse fourteen is a difficult one to interpret. One scholar has traced no less than twenty different attempts to form an interpretation. Professor Rich, in his Second Memoir on the Ruins of Babylon (page 59), suggests that the metaphor is of the Babylonian cylindrical seal which, when rolled over moist clay, leaves a distinct and intricate impression.

The New International Version phrases it the clearest. "The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment." Two distinct actions are here described. The making of the image by the seal and the revelation of that image by its removal. It was the weight of the super-heated rings above the earth that formed the seal. Their gradual descent would reveal the work which they had wrought, making the features of the new planet "stand out like those of a garment."

Edward Dormath in his A Commentary on the Book of Job (Thomas Nelson, 1984, pp. 581, 582) notes that the clay here referred to is red in color, just as the earth in the eerie half-light then visible would have taken on a red appearance. Perhaps it is for this reason that the paraphrased Living Bible contents itself with wording this verse, "Have you ever robed the dawn in red."

Once again, in the next verse of this section, we meet "the wicked." Once again it is a translation of the Hebrew ra. While the moral lesson is true and obvious, perhaps the verse here, as the rest of the chapter, has reference to the creative process. The beauties of the revealed earth were manifest. But the unfolding light did not illuminate the catastrophes held within these sharply modeled features. Many of the mountains would later reveal their volcanic innards and other beauty spots would later be shaken by mighty earthquakes. These were all a part of the growing process for a planet that was not due to reach its maturity for thousands of years. Living side by side with this growing process would give the human race ample opportunity to see the continuing creative processes. Often these would wreak havoc and leave thousands dead in their wake. But, in due time, even though these earth-growing forces may continue, their strong destructive arms will be broken. As increasing light reveals more and more of the purposes of these natural phenomena, they will be accurately predicted and lose their destructive threat.

Verse 16 is the only biblical use of the word translated "springs," and would be better translated "depths." It is rendered profunda by the Latin Vulgate. The challenge here is to go where man, at that time at least, could not go — the floor of the oceans. It is only in the past century that attempts, even yet imperfect, have been made to map these areas, some plummeting miles below sea level. It is in the comprehension of these that God suggests Job may find some of his answers concerning the principles of Jehovah.

In the next verse the lesson is brought home to Job. In his sorely afflicted condition he felt close to death’s door. "If you do not understand the principles of life," God is saying, "how do you expect to comprehend the details of death?" With such a lack of knowledge, one cannot help but appreciate the faith of Job, who utters such profound thoughts on the subject of death and resurrection!

It will take resurrected man eternal life to fully plumb the depth of planning that has gone into the molding of planet Earth for human habitation. All fields of science will proceed from hypothetical probability to fact, and theory will grow into reality, as mankind probes the limitless breadths of information before him.

The Source of Light--Verses 19 to 21

Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof, That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof? Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

What is the ultimate source of light? While the sun furnishes the bulk of visible light to the earth, we receive additional light from literally billions of other stars, each in its own galactic environment. Light from these distant bodies has traveled millions of years to reach our planet. Even with expensive space probes, and the Hubble telescope, scientists are only beginning to realize the true size of the universe. Speculation as to its origin is still theoretical. The search goes on. But God knew. That is the premise of his answer to Job. Not only did he know, he planned for their placement. Nor is that placement accidental, for each celestial body exerts gravitational pressure on each other body, and thus they must be distributed so as to maintain a precise balance.

Darkness seems too simple to be remarkable. We define it merely as the absence of light. Yet darkness works its own wonders and plays an important role in the continuation of life on earth. Experiments have shown that withholding darkness for long periods of time deprives one of the necessary restorative powers of deep sleep.

God’s challenge to Job is clothed in simple language. Where were you when these laws were formed? Job’s answer, while unspoken, is obvious. These were all before he existed. But it is not the simple challenge of Job’s brevity that makes the chapter so intriguing. It is the complete accord of this language with the works of creation as written both in Genesis and in the fossilized records of nature.

Water Resources--Verses 22 to 30

Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder; To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man; To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth? Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew? Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

Water is the largest single component of earth’s surface. Water comes in many forms — ice, snow, hail, sleet, rain and steam to name but a few. Without refreshing rains or flowing streams for irrigation the entire earth would be a desolate wilderness. A simple yet detailed description of the water cycle is found in Ecclesiastes 1:5–7. "The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again." From the evaporative action of the sun over the oceans, to the role of the winds bringing the clouds inland, to that of the heights delivering the water back to the sea by gravity, the entire weather pattern of the earth is traced in simple, yet poetic language.

A vital feature of this cycle is played by snow. Snow-capped mountains form the reservoirs, replenished by seasonal precipitation, to provide a steady flow of life-giving water to the arable lowlands. Not only do these flowing streams deliver water, but with it fresh supplies of top soil in the form of silt so that the earth continues to grow as a living planet.

Of all the forms of watery precipitation, hail is unique in that it forms no known beneficial purpose. It is the farmer’s bane, repeatedly destroying valuable crops. It wreaks havoc on buildings and the populace as well. Hail was used by the Lord as one of his munitions of war against the enemies of Israel; witness the plagues of Egypt and the hail which laid low the armies of the Amorites at Gibeon (Joshua 10:11). Job is challenged to show how God, out of the same component, makes both the benevolent treasures of the snow and the malevolent armories of warfare.

Verses 25 to 28 describe the action of storms. The "watercourses" are the rain patterns formed by the interplay of high and low pressure zones. They follow sufficiently defined paths to enable today’s weathermen to predict their effects with increasing accuracy days, and even weeks, in advance. Mountains play an important role in this pattern, breaking the clouds so that they drop their precious moisture at the higher elevations, to descend more gradually through the river beds to where they are needed most. As one has remarked, "All Australia needs to become extremely productive is a mountain range near the western seaboard to bring rainfall to the outback."

Two additional water forms are introduced in verse 29 — ice and frost. Frost is the plowman of the Lord. Its crystalline elements embed themselves in the ground and, by expansion, break up the clods of earth around them. Ice, covering the lakes and rivers, serves as an insulator, stabilizing the temperature of these bodies in their greater depths. It preserves an even temperature of four degrees Celsius in larger lakes and smaller ones where high winds do not raise a complicating factor (Encyclopedia Britannica, "Ice and Ice Formations").

Controlling the Stars--Verses 31 to 33

Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

Two distinct lines of knowledge are evident in these verses — astronomic truths and symbolic interpretations. Though Orion is literally having its "bands" (the stars which form the scabbard of the hunter) loosed as the stars separate from each other, the stars of the Pleiades are bound in a cluster and move together. Meanwhile Arcturus, the shepherd constellation at the end of the handle of the Big Dipper (known originally as the large sheepfold) is guiding his sons (the handle stars, or sheep) into the fold (or pot of the dipper). None of this is apparent to the eye, and can only be detected by modern astronomical methods. Yet God expressed these matters accurately to Job.

The introduction of the word Mazzaroth adds an additional line of thought to these verses. Literally the word refers to the constellations of the Zodiac, the twelve signs. These were important in ancient time, not for astrological purposes, but for predictably marking the months and seasons. However, since these signs are designated by animal and other figures, the word is suggestive of a symbolic interpretation to the star signs. This is further bolstered by Genesis 1:14 where one of the purposes of the formation of stars was for "signs." However, care must be exercised in using this line of interpretation to avoid anything akin to astrology, which is condemned in Scripture.

Climactic Patterns--Verses 33 to 38

Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are? Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart? Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven, When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

Jehovah’s words now proceed from the general to the specific. Apparently he is alluding to the whirlwind, out from which Job hears his voice. The challenge here is not only Job’s inability to command the weather to do his bidding, but his inability to plan the weather patterns. The beneficial aspects of lightning had not been studied until the last century when it was found that vast amounts of nitrogen are released when lightning discharges, cleansing the air and providing an essential nutrient for crop development.

Numbering the clouds may refer to understanding the amount of water which must be evaporated to properly irrigate the earth’s surface. However the Hebrew word translated "clouds" apparently refers not so much to the clouds themselves as to their individual particles. The challenge to Job is whether he can know the number of particles in the clouds. These are innumerable. Only the Architect of creation knows the formulae for the composition of each cloud to provide the optimum rainfall.

The Hebrew in verse 38 is ambiguous, capable of two opposite interpretations. Most translators treat it as descriptive of the hard caked earth which needs the rains for softening. Most lexicons, on the other hand, note that the word translated "groweth" is a word used to describe the action of flowing molten metal. From this they derive the thought of hardened earth turning into mud, flowing the formerly caked earth into one moldable mass and thus making it arable. In either case, the description is that the storm is needed to prepare the earth for future growth.

In the allegorical interpretation of the book of Job, the whirlwind that is the focal point from Job 36:27 through 40 depicts the great time of trouble of Daniel 12:1. The wisdom of God in arranging weather patterns for appropriate growing seasons is equally displayed in the role of this time of trouble in preparing the earth for the blessings of the kingdom to follow. The prophet Daniel connects the time of trouble with a rapid growth of knowledge. Both are necessary for the success of the kingdom work, just as both the refreshment of rain and the harsher aspects of frost, hail, and lightning all play their parts in the natural preparation of earth for the new growing seasons ahead.

The Brute Creation--Verses 39 to 41

Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions, When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

Inasmuch as these three verses properly belong to the thirty-ninth chapter, we leave their discussion for another time. Suffice it here to mention that in the next section of God’s discourse to Job, he challenges the afflicted man to understand the care given to the creation of animals, their different periods of gestation, and the thought given to providing food and a suitable habitat for each species.

The net affect of Jehovah’s words provide the very motivation which the human comforters could not — the production of humility and repentance on the part of Job (Job 40:3–5; 42:1–6). It should be the same for each of us. Contemplating the greatness of God — both his omnipotence and his omniscience — should produce humility and repentance in us as well. Truly, God’s ways are higher than man’s ways and his thoughts than man’s thoughts.