Perhaps I miscounted, but on my first try, I spotted twenty-five question marks in the thirty-eighth chapter of Job. (The number climbs even higher in the next couple of chapters.)
When we look at the breadth of creation, lots of our questions emerge, but these questions in this week’s study text are not questions we ask God, but questions God asks us. These verses are inquiries God makes of Job, but I think we could change the name “Job” to whatever our name might be and the text still makes good sense!
In spite of our efforts to control the forces of nature, as we answer these questions we recognize that God is Creator and we are creatures.
When we abuse the gifts of God’s humongous created order, we reap the brokenness of our sin. Sometimes we recognize the damage we are doing to God’s intent and we make steps to correct our faults. (The church I attend collects plastic to be re-cycled into usable products. Sharon is going to be there every Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 to rescue that plastic from the landfill.)
What do you consider the peak of God’s created beauty? For some it is the crashing waves of the ocean. For some, it is the towering peaks of the mountains. For some it is the wide expanse of the desert. For some it is the brightness of the sun. For some it is the refreshment of a spring rain. For some it is a small patch of grass. For some it is the sky that peeks behind tall buildings. For some it is the rush of a flowing stream. For some it is the quiet of a peaceful lake. For some it is the solid presence of snow and ice. For some it is the row upon row of seasonal crops. For some it is the closeness of a newborn infant. For some....well, you fill in the blank. No wonder the title of this lesson includes the words “Incomprehensible” and “Magnitude.”
And no wonder that Job hears these questions, reminders of the unfolding breadth and height and width of God’s creation. Thanks be to God!
What Someone Else Has Said: In Come Rain or Come Shine (G. P. Putnam’s Sons) Jan Karon describes a scene in which folks stop their talking to look at a sun setting behind a mountain: “You could tell a lot about people who would stop what they were doin’ to watch the Almighty go about His business.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Creator God, You continue to amaze and inspire with Your creative work...”
