Friday: Further Thought – Out of the Whirlwind
Further Thought: “God has permitted a flood of light to be poured upon the world in both science and art; but when professedly scientific men treat upon these subjects from a merely human point of view, they will assuredly come to wrong conclusions. It may be innocent to speculate beyond what God’s word has revealed, if our theories do not contradict facts found in the Scriptures; but those who leave the word of God, and seek to account for His created works upon scientific principles, are drifting without chart or compass upon an unknown ocean.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
The greatest minds, if not guided by the word of God in their research, become bewildered in their attempts to trace the relations of science and revelation. Because the Creator and His works are so far beyond their comprehension that they are unable to explain them by natural laws, they regard Bible history as unreliable. Those who doubt the reliability of the records of the Old and New Testaments, will be led to go a step further, and doubt the existence of God; and then, having lost their anchor, they are left to beat about upon the rocks of infidelity.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 113.
Discussion Questions:
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Elihu Job and companions were informed well beyond expectations. The most that modern science has to offer is a determination of our ability and wisdom to prove our existence with out God.
Science is the creatorship of God exposed to humanity, and,Bible is the evidence of science inspired to help humanity understand by faith of a loving God who created the laws of nature and the sustainor of life. Therefore, any wisdom that counters the Bible is the 'so falsely-called science '.
I agree Simeon. Science is one of God's gifts to man and is not inherently "bad" as asserted by some Christians (if you need heart surgery do you want a preacher or scientifically-trained Doctor to perform it?).
Like every earthly gift God has given us, science has been corrupted by sin. This does not render science useless unless/until it conflicts with the Word of God.
After many blustery speeches, God chose a whirlwind as the backdrop for His response. Despite all their efforts to find answers, God begins and ends His discourse with more questions. These questions, however, lead to the only true significance of Job’s suffering. God’s character is all that matters here. Job, right or wrong, learned to truly trust God with his life, a life that was as flawed as anyone’s.
Sunday: God chose to communicate with a whirlwind that matched the aggressive nature of the debate thus far.
Monday: God often uses questions to answer the perplexities of life.
Tuesday: God pointed out Job’s true state of sinfulness by contrasting him with God’s character.
Wednesday: God has consistently been interested in all His creation and we can trust His powers to save us.
Thursday: God caused Job to repent in dust and ashes, a fitting symbol of the beginning and end of life.
Although we would expect God to validate Job’s innocence, He instead caused him to put his faith and trust back where it belonged. Job needed to be reminded that God was still in control. Just as He rules over the myriad forces of nature, He remained in charge of Job’s circumstances.
God used nature to affirm His power and goodness, and we should be more attentive to the lessons of faith derived from our observations of the natural world. From the lofty grandeur of the mountains to the tiniest hummingbird that visits our backyards, we can learn to trust our Creator with all our cares and worries, and rely on Him to ultimately save us in the heavenly kingdom.
The tendency to forget the role the Holy Spirit in revealing truth to us is common among us. Sometimes the study of nature and even of the Bible is undertaken without inviting the Spirit of Truth (Spirit of God) to be the primary motivation of our thoughts and feelings. What a shame! What an opportunity lost!
There is a very important part of God's voice in the whirl wind that is generally missed.
Does the subject of Satan's involvement reappear in the book of Job?
Yes!
Only he has a different name. Read Job 41, visualize the creature described and you will see a dragon.
The Leviathan in scripture is a symbol of God's arch enemy.
Leviathan is none other than the dragon of Revelation 12. He is "King of the proud". (Job 41:34) He is the dragon of the "sea" stirring things up to bring forth the "princes of pride" emperors, who seek to dominate the earth with their power. (As in Daniel 7, and Rev. 13).
Leviathan (Satan) is a created being, like all the rest of creation, but he is mighty, and has a heart of stone, no mere human can tame him, or control him. But he is a created being nonetheless, dependent upon God for his very life, and is allowed to "play in the "sea", (Psalms 104:26) of humanity, causing strife and commotion for a time.
It was satan who brought the accusations against God in the beginning of the book of Job, and God does in the end reveal Himself to be far greater than this Leviathan, even if humans can't control this dragon. Only God can bind the dragon and throw him in the bottomless pit. (Rev. 20:2)
It is only to God that people can flee and find safety from this monster Leviathan.
Isaiah 27:1 assures us that God's arm and sword " shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
Yes, Revelation 12 tells that dragon, that old serpent, the devil and satan will do his worst to destroy Christ's followers (and destroy Christ Himself if he could) but Christ is the victor!
And through Christ we too can be victors (Rev. 12:11)
Leviathan is that multi-headed dragon of Rev. 12.
Ps. 74:13 talks about multi heads.
In Ps. 74 Leviathan worked through pharaoh, that "proud prince" but God broke his power and delivered Israel.
This is the grand hope and assurance in regards to unjust suffering in the book of Job -
Though an enemy stalks through the human race, God is stronger, God is in control, the dragon will be destroyed.
He is already cast down, and he will be destroyed.
Job at last understood,
Hi Ulrike,
Just want to know more about Leviathan and why you allude to Satan. Thanks
Hi Simeon
The term Leviathan comes from the old Hebrew name, Livyatan, or Liwyāṯān, which means "Twisted; coiled". When the Old Testament was translated into the Greek (Septuagint) it used the word "dragon" in these verses in Job.
Isaiah 27:1 gives us several identifying names for Leviathan, to verify this understanding.
“In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent; even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.”
Thus we see that Leviathan is that crooked serpent, that dragon, and he will be punished and slain by Jehovah Himself in that day.
From the above text it is easy to track down the identity of this enemy of God and man. It is patently absurd to think it is a mere crocodile as some have suggested.
Rev. 12:9 plainly tells us that, that old serpent and great dragon is called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.
Rev. 20:2 reaffirms this: “the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan.”
We find that serpent in Eden in Genesis chapter three, dragging the whole human race into misery and death.
In Psalms 74:13-14 we see Leviathan, that dragon with multiple heads, inspiring the Egyptian army to pursue Israel through the Red Sea. The Exodus of Israel, their deliverance from their enemies and their passage through the Red Sea, and destruction of their enemies in its waters were figures of the liberation of Mankind from the dominion and bondage of Satan, and of his overthrow by Christ in the Red Sea of His blood.
Leviathan is that crocked serpent, that dragon according to Isaiah 27:1, and John in Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 calls that serpent and dragon, the devil and Satan.
The Leviathan, that serpent of Scripture is a symbol of Satan.
Christ, the second Adam will crush the head of the serpent, He conquered that dragon by going to the cross, and someday soon, He will bind that dragon and cast him in the bottomless pit. (Gen. 3:15 Rev. 20:2)
Ulrike. How insightful your comment is. Many thanks for putting together this multi faceted jewel of truth for us.