“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?

Job 40-42:6 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Then the Lord said to Job, ² “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
Let him who rebukes God give an answer.” ³ Then Job answered the Lord and said, ⁴ “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I say in response to You? I put my hand on my mouth. ⁵ I have spoken once, and I will not reply; Or twice, and I will add nothing more.”

⁶ Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind and said, ⁷ “Now tighten the belt on your waist like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. ⁸ Will you really nullify My judgment? Will you condemn Me so that you may be justified? ⁹ Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His? ¹⁰ “Adorn yourself with pride and dignity, And clothe yourself with honor and majesty. ¹¹ Let out your outbursts of anger, And look at everyone who is arrogant, and humble him. ¹² Look at everyone who is arrogant, and humble him, And trample down the wicked where they stand.
¹³ Hide them together in the dust; Imprison them in the hidden place.
¹⁴ Then I will also confess to you, That your own right hand can save you.

¹⁵ “Behold, Behemoth, which I made as well as you; He eats grass like an ox. ¹⁶ Behold, his strength in his waist, And his power in the muscles of his belly. ¹⁷ He hangs his tail like a cedar; The tendons of his thighs are knit together. ¹⁸ His bones are tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron. ¹⁹ “He is the first of the ways of God; Let his Maker bring His sword near.
²⁰ Indeed the mountains bring him food, And all the animals of the field play there. ²¹ He lies down under the lotus plants, In the hiding place of the reeds and the marsh. ²² The lotus plants cover him with shade; The willows of the brook surround him. ²³ If a river rages, he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth. ²⁴ Can anyone capture him when he is on watch, Can anyone pierce his nose with barbs?

41 “Can you drag out Leviathan with a fishhook, And press down his tongue with a rope? ² Can you put a rope in his nose, And pierce his jaw with a hook? ³ Will he make many pleas to you, Or will he speak to you gentle words? ⁴ Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever? ⁵ Will you play with him as with a bird, And tie him down for your young girls? ⁶ Will the traders bargain for him? Will they divide him among the merchants? ⁷ Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears? ⁸ Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle; you will not do it again! ⁹ Behold, your expectation is false; Will you be hurled down even at the sight of him? ¹⁰ No one is so reckless that he dares to stir him; Who then is he who opposes Me? ¹¹ Who has been first to give to Me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the entire heaven is Mine. ¹² “I will not be silent about his limbs, Or his mighty strength, or his graceful frame. ¹³ Who can strip off his outer covering? Who can pierce his double armor? ¹⁴ Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror. ⁵ His strong scales are his pride, Locked as with a tight seal. ¹⁶ One is so close to another
That no air can come between them. ¹⁷ They are joined one to another; They clasp each other and cannot be separated. ¹⁸ His sneezes flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eye of dawn. ¹⁹ From his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth. ²⁰ From his nostrils smoke goes out
As from a boiling pot and burning reeds. ²¹ His breath sets coals aglow,
And a flame goes forth from his mouth. ²² In his neck dwells strength,
And dismay leaps before him. ²³ The folds of his flesh are joined together,
Firm and immovable on him. ²⁴ His heart is as firm as a stone, And as firm as a lower millstone. ²⁵ When he rises up, the mighty are afraid; Because of the crashing they are bewildered. ²⁶ The sword that reaches him cannot prevail, Nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin. ²⁷ He regards iron as straw,
Bronze as rotten wood. ²⁸ The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones are turned into stubble for him. ²⁹ Clubs are regarded as stubble; He laughs at the rattling of the javelin. ³⁰ His underparts are like sharp pieces of pottery;
He spreads out like a threshing sledge on the mud. ³¹ He makes the depths boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a jar of ointment. ³² Behind him he illuminates a pathway; One would think the deep to be gray-haired. ³³ Nothing on earth is like him, One made without fear. ³⁴ He looks on everything that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride.”

42 Then Job answered the Lord and said, ² “I know that You can do all things, And that no plan is impossible for You. ³ ‘Who is this who conceals advice without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I do not know. ⁴ ‘Please listen, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’ ⁵ I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; ⁶ Therefore I retract, And I repent, sitting on dust and ashes.”

1 Corinthians 1:18-21 says:  The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the understanding of those who have understanding, I will confound.” Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.  There are many who would debate the wisdom of the Bible, many who believing they are wise consider the cross to be foolishness. But what of God Himself, who would stand and contend with the Almighty?

In today’s text it says:   Then the Lord said to Job, “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who rebukes God give an answer.” Then Job answered the Lord and said, “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I say in response to You? I put my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not reply; Or twice, and I will add nothing more.” Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind and said, “Now tighten the belt on your waist like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. Will you really nullify My judgment? Will you condemn Me so that you may be justified? Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His? “Adorn yourself with pride and dignity, And clothe yourself with honor and majesty. Let out your outbursts of anger, And look at everyone who is arrogant, and humble him. Look at everyone who is arrogant, and humble him, And trample down the wicked where they stand. Hide them together in the dust; Imprison them in the hidden place. Then I will also confess to you, That your own right hand can save you.”

The text continues: “Behold, Behemoth, which I made as well as you; He eats grass like an ox. Behold, his strength in his waist, And his power in the muscles of his belly. He hangs his tail like a cedar; The tendons of his thighs are knit together. His bones are tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron. He is the first of the ways of God; Let his Maker bring His sword near… If a river rages, he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth. Can anyone capture him when he is on watch, Can anyone pierce his nose with barbs? Can you drag out Leviathan with a fishhook, And press down his tongue with a rope? Can you put a rope in his nose, And pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many pleas to you, Or will he speak to you gentle words? Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird, And tie him down for your young girls? Will the traders bargain for him? Will they divide him among the merchants? Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears? Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle; you will not do it again! Behold, your expectation is false; Will you be hurled down even at the sight of him? No one is so reckless that he dares to stir him; Who then is he who opposes Me? … He looks on everything that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride.”  By the descriptions, we can determine that Behemoth and Leviathan are not creatures that exist today. Instead, they are larger and greater, perhaps dinosaurs now long extinct.  Still, they too, like Job and like each one of us were created by God. Those who doubt the God of creation, do it for one reason. It is not that they know more, it is that to acknowledge the God of creation, is to be subject to Him. They choose instead to explain the awesome magnitude and splendor of creation and the minute and intricate details, with theories and speculation, attributing all that we see; everything that is and was and will be, to a series of accidents.  

Romans 1:18-32 says:  The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools…  Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen…  And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

Job’s response to God was:  “I know that You can do all things, And that no plan is impossible for You.  ‘Who is this who conceals advice without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I do not know.  ‘Please listen, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’ I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; Therefore I retract, And I repent, sitting on dust and ashes.”  Philippians 2:10-11 says: At the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  It is not a matter of if we will acknowledge the Almighty, only when.

Heavenly Father, creator of all things, Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior and King of Kings, precious Holy Spirit, I humbly bow in Your awesome presence and confess that You are Lord, Almighty, the God who is and was and is to come. Amen.