Job 38

Job 38:1

Job, a servant of God An EasyEnglish Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on the Book of Job

www.easyenglish.info Keith Simons Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible.

This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

Chapter 38 God begins his speech Chapter 38 About God’s speech In Job’s speeches, Job said that he wanted to meet God. Job wanted God to act as a judge. Then, Job was sure that God would help him. God would declare that Job was innocent. So Job would feel like a prince when he met God (Job 31:37).

However, Job thought that God caused Job’s troubles. Job even spoke as if God was a cruel enemy (Job 16:9-14). So Job argued that he himself was right. And he argued that God was unfair (Job 32:2).

In God’s speech, God did not explain Job’s troubles. Instead, God taught Job. God gave a list of many things that Job could not explain. These things are the work of God. Nobody else could do such things.

Job had spoken as if he himself was very great. He even spoke as if he should be advising God (Job 23:13-17; Job 24:1). But when Job heard God’s speech, Job realised his error (Job 42:1-6). Job was not a proud man. His words might sometimes seem proud. But really, Job was speaking about things that he did not know.

God’s speech is rather like Jesus’ reply in Luke 12:13-15. A man asked Jesus to act as a judge. The man wanted his fair share of his family’s wealth. But Jesus refused to be the judge. Instead, he taught the man that money cannot provide real security. So, we should trust God.

God discussed many subjects in his speech. He spoke about the world, the sea and the sky. He described the behaviour of birds and animals. And he explained why no man should ever accuse God. God himself answers Job v1 Then God himself answered Job. The storm hid God. God said:

v2 Do not doubt the wisdom of my plans! Job, you have spoken about things that you do not know. v3 Prepare yourself as a man! I have a test for you. And you must answer me.

Verse 1

Job had spoken about the clouds in front of God’s throne (royal seat) (Job 26:9). God spoke during the storm.

Verse 2

Elihu had already explained this to Job (Job 34:35).

Verse 3

In the original language of the Book of Job, God’s speech is a long list of questions. These questions were a test for Job. But Job did not know the answers. Or, the answers reminded Job that God was much more powerful than Job.

In Easy English, we prefer to use statements rather than questions. So our translation gives a list of the things that God does. Or, our translation explains the things that Job could not do. This is just the style of our translation. The meaning is the same. God created the world v4 The world is like a building that I built. But you did not see this. v5 You did not see when I decided the size of the world. v6 You did not see how I prepared its base. You did not watch when I fitted its rocks. v7 But the angels (servants of God) saw this. And the stars were there. And everyone sang for joy.

Verses 4-7

God created the world. This was a wonderful event (Proverbs 8:22-31). This event showed God’s wisdom and God’s skill. God’s servants in heaven were so happy to see God’s work. Job did not even see this great event. But Job had spoken as if he was wiser than God (Job 23:13-17). God created the sea v8 The sea is like a child whom I created. You did not see when I made the sea. But this event was like the birth of a child. v9 I decided that clouds would cover the sea, like clothing. I decided that darkness would hide (the deepest parts of the sea). v10 And I caused it to have boundaries. I ruled about its limits. v11 I said, ‘The sea is like a proud child. So, I will decide where the sea may go. It can go here. But it must not go further.’

Verses 8-11

God controls the sea. Job and his friends realised that the sea was a dangerous place. Strange animals lived in the water (chapter 41). The men spoke about terrible floods (Job 22:11). But a great animal, called the hippo, was not afraid of the water (Job 40:23).

God described the sea as if it were a child. People cannot control the sea.

But God decides its boundaries. And God will not allow the sea to flood the whole world (Genesis 9:11). God creates the dawn v12 You did not decide when the morning would appear. v13 But the sun rises on the horizon. Morning comes so that darkness will not always last. And morning comes so that the activities of evil men will end. v14 The light slowly increases. And the world slowly appears. This event is like a pattern that you slowly sew into clothing. Or, like a design that you press into wet clay. (You use clay to make pots.) v15 And, as the light appears, evil men cannot see anything. They die, and their cruel power ends.

Verses 12-15

The men were afraid of the night. During the night, evil people seemed to be more powerful (Job 24:13-17). And the darkness reminded the men about death (Job 10:21-22).

God explained that he causes the morning to begin. The dawn reminds us that evil people cannot always continue their evil behaviour. Their activities by night must end when the day begins. And so the day will come when their lives will end. They will die and then God will be their judge. God knows every place v16 You did not visit the deepest part of the sea. v17 You have not seen hell. You do not know where dead men belong. v18 You do not even know the measurements of the earth. The earth is vast. Tell me, if you know these things!

v19 You do not know where the light belongs. And you do not know where the darkness hides. v20 You cannot take me to those places. You cannot even tell me the route. v21 But you ought to know this! You think that you are so wise! But you are not old enough to know such things.

Verses 16-18

Job did not know where people go after their deaths. He thought that they remained in their graves (Job 3:16-19). Later, he thought about hell (Job 26:5-6). Job’s words seemed to confident. But Job did not really know about such places. He did not even know the size of the earth, where he was actually living. So he could not know about places that he had never visited.

Verses 19-20

Job did not know where the sun went after nightfall. Today we know that the sun is lighting the opposite side of the world. And Job did not know what happens to the darkness during the day.

Verse 21

God was using humour in this verse. The men thought that older people would be wiser (Job 12:12). Job spoke as if he was a very wise man. God joked that Job could not be old enough to be that wise! God controls the weather v22 You have not seen where I store the snow. You have not seen where I store the hail. (Hail is ice, which falls like rain.) v23 But the snow and the hail are ready for the days when there is great trouble. I will use snow and hail when there are battles. And I will use snow and hail when there are wars.

v24 Show me the place where I prepare the lightning. Or, show me the place where the east winds begin.

v25 You do not decide the places where the waters flood. And you do not decide the place where the storm goes. v26 But I send it to places where nobody lives. v27 I send it to dry places, so that grass will grow there.

v28 Rain is not like a child that has a father. v29 And ice has no mother. v30 I cause the water to freeze. When the water becomes ice, as hard as rock, this is my work.

Verses 22-23

God begins to discuss a new subject in these verses. That subject is war.

Job was not sure that God would ever act as judge (Job 24:1). But later, Job remembered that every evil person will die (Job 24:18-24). An evil person cannot continue to cause trouble after his death. So his death is like God’s judgement. And the evil man’s death has two effects. That evil man suffers the punishment that he deserves. And God makes life better for people who were suffering because of that man.

In the Bible, God also used wars. In these wars, God did not belong to one side or the other (Joshua 5:13-14). Instead, God was carrying out his own plans. He was punishing evil people. And he was rescuing good people who trusted him.

God did many wonderful things to win these battles. In Joshua 10:13-14, God delayed the end of the day. In the same battle, God caused large hailstones (ice) to fall from the sky (Joshua 10:11). These things happened to show that God’s people did not win the battle by their own strength. God won the battle. God was punishing evil people. And God was helping his own people.

The Bible describes a future day when God will punish evil nations (Joel 3:2). On that day, there will be a terrible battle. God will use the sky as he fights to save his people (Joel 2:30-32; Joel 3:16). Afterwards, God’s people will not suffer again (Joel 3:17-21). Today, God’s people suffer like Job in this evil world (James 5:10-11). But we should be patient, like Job, because God’s day will come (James 5:7-9). Many people doubt this (2 Peter 3:3-4). But such people forget that God has already punished the world by a flood (Genesis 6:5-8). The Bible says that God will punish the world again by fire (2 Peter 3:5-7). Then he will create a new world, where we shall not suffer (2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 21:1-4).

God continued to discuss war in chapter 39.

Verses 24-30

God controls the weather. And he uses the weather for his own purposes. He even waters the grass where nobody lives (verse 27). A man would not choose to water that grass. But God controls the whole world. He looks after all the plants and animals. God controls the stars v31 But the stars are also my work. You cannot move the stars from their positions in the sky. v32 I cause the various stars to appear in the correct seasons. I arrange their patterns in the sky. v33 But you do not know my rules about the sky. You do not even know the principles that control the earth.

Verses 31-33

Ancient people used to watch the stars for important reasons. The stars are like a calendar, because different stars appear in each season. And the stars also helped travellers to work out the correct direction for their journeys.

So Job knew the patterns of stars. But he could not explain how God arranged these patterns.

Today we know much more about the stars. Each star is powerful, like the sun. And there are millions of stars that we cannot even see. The distances between the stars are immense. The Bible teaches us that God created the stars. People study science. And they discover many things. They might think that they are very intelligent. But they are merely discovering things that God has already done. They are merely describing his work. God controls the sky v34 You do not direct the clouds. You do not control the rain. v35 And you do not order lightning. Lightning is not responsible to you. v36 But I gave wisdom and intelligence to your mind. v37 I know the number of clouds. And I pour water from the sky v38 when the dry ground becomes lumps of mud.

Verses 34-38

Job and his friends had just watched a storm. And the storm impressed them. The lightning was very powerful. The rain changed the solid ground into mud. Job had said that God’s power was like the power of a storm (Job 26:14). But really, God is much more powerful than a storm. In fact, God directs the storm. God provides food for every animal v39 You do not send food for the lion to hunt. v40 The lion waits in a bush, or in its home. But I provide its food.

v41 And I provide food for the raven (bird) when the young birds are hungry. But the raven wanders when it has no food. And its young birds cry to God.

Verses 39-41

There is a difference between the behaviour of lions and ravens. Ravens are large birds.

Lions are strong animals. But most of the time, they rest. They might wait under a bush. It is as if they are waiting for God to provide their food.

Ravens are noisy birds. They do not wait for their food to come to them.

So they are like poor people who wander to search for food. And their noises sound like people who call to God for help (Job 24:10-12). But God said that he provides for ravens as well as lions.

We may be rich or poor. But we all depend on God to supply our food.

© 2005, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

October 2005

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