Page 138 - Job

Reading JOB to Know God

Chapter 12 God Speaks from the Whirlwind

Chapter 38 through 42:6 of Job we have entitled the full answer to the
problem of suffering. Elihu gave a partial answer, but now we are going
to get the full answer. Before I begin discussing this section, let me
introduce it by these first words. Chapter 38:1,
“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, ‘Who
is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?’ ”
Now you would expect God to say that to Elihu. “Who is this that
darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” Because Elihu was the
last one who spoke. But the Lord interrupts Elihu and speaks to “Job out
of the whirlwind”. “Who is this that darkens counsel by words
without knowledge?” – “The LORD answered Job,” not Elihu. He
stops Elihu. God started to speak, and just swallowed up Elihu’s
message.

Instead of getting clearer, the arguments that were put forth and all the
answers that were given and all the solutions that were proposed actually
added darkness. There is a principle involved here about argument. You
never get anywhere when you argue, and you are going to end up worse
off than when you started. Job started off badly, but he ended up a lot
worse after these debates, and no closer to the truth. If you look at 42:1-2,

“Then Job answered the LORD and said, ‘I know that You can do all
things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. Who is this
that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have declared
that which I did not understand.”

You see, Job applies it to himself. God is not talking to Elihu, He is
talking to Job. Chapter 38:1, “The LORD answered Job.” And then it
says, “Out of the whirlwind.” The question is, was that a literal storm.
Could it have been a tornado or cyclone? Possibly, but isn’t it interesting
that tornados are caused by the collision of the opposites. They occur
when high pressure meets low pressure and hot meets cold. True
opposites were meeting, man and God. I will not rule that out. It says

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