Job 37: In Suffering- Listen & Consider

​“At this also my heart trembles
and leaps out of its place.
2     Keep listening to the thunder of his voice
and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3     Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
and his lightning to the corners of the earth.
4     After it his voice roars;
he thunders with his majestic voice,
and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.
5     God thunders wondrously with his voice;
he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
6     For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.
7     He seals up the hand of every man,
that all men whom he made may know it.
8     Then the beasts go into their lairs,
and remain in their dens.
9     From its chamber comes the whirlwind,
and cold from the scattering winds.
10    By the breath of God ice is given,
and the broad waters are frozen fast.
11    He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
the clouds scatter his lightning.
12    They turn around and around by his guidance,
to accomplish all that he commands them
on the face of the habitable world.
13    Whether for correction or for his land
or for love, he causes it to happen.
14    “Hear this, O Job;
stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
15    Do you know how God lays his command upon them
and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
16    Do you know the balancings of the clouds,
the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge,
17    you whose garments are hot
when the earth is still because of the south wind?
18    Can you, like him, spread out the skies,
hard as a cast metal mirror?
19    Teach us what we shall say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.
20    Shall it be told him that I would speak?
Did a man ever wish that he would be swallowed up?
21    “And now no one looks on the light
when it is bright in the skies,
when the wind has passed and cleared them.
22    Out of the north comes golden splendor;
God is clothed with awesome majesty.
23    The Almighty—we cannot find him;
he is great in power;
justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.
24    Therefore men fear him;
he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”
 
Meditation
The overwhelmingly glorious character of God compels Christians to listen to Him through storms of suffering, considering His wonderous works. God’s sovereignty over storms is revealed by His working justice and righteousness through the storm.
 
Elihu is preparing Job to hear God, pleading with Job to “Keep listening,” (2- literally “Listen, Listen!”). Elihu claims to speak for God as a prophet, and no one has interrupted him during his four speeches. Now, Elihu emphatically appeals to Job to keep listening (1-12) and to consider the wonderous works of God (14-20).
 
God speaks through the storms of life. Notice the focus of God speaking in the powerful descriptions of thunder, lightning, ice, whirlwinds, and torrential rain. Five times God’s voice speaking in the storm is mentioned and four other times God’s speaking is summarized in other ways (1-12). God will speak to Job through a storm (38:1).  God speaks to us in the storms of our suffering.
 
“Hear this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderous works of God… the wonderous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge” (14, 16).  God’s sovereign power over storms uses storms to accomplish His work. God’s wonderous work welcomes us to a humble posture of bowing before Him to listen.
 
When the storm clouds clear we can see God clothed in awesome majesty, specifically how His great power stewarded storms to work His just and righteous plan (21-24). This powerful truth is potently revealed in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus and is a personal invitation for believers to listen and consider.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about how Elihu pleads for Job to listen to God speak in the storm and consider God’s wonderous works?
 
-Why is it difficult to listen to God in storms, stopping to hear His voice in humble adoration of His sovereignty over storms?
 
-How does the work of Jesus give us confidence to consider God’s wonderous works, the justice and righteousness He is working through the storms?
 
Key Verse
2     Keep listening to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth… 14 “Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God.