Job 39

I have to admit that the way God comes to Job at the end of the story has always perplexed me somewhat. I mean, Job has been suffering, really suffering, and when God shows up, He almost doesn’t seem to care. Out of nowhere, He comes and just starts asking questions—and questions that seemingly have nothing to do with anything. It’s easy to think, Doesn’t God know what’s going on here?

It does seem sort of ludicrous, doesn’t it? Job has been philosophizing about deep subjects, such as truth, honesty, and justice, and when God arrives on scene, He begins to talk about… the ostrich? (vs 13) At first blush, it doesn’t seem to fit. Something doesn’t seem right.

But consider for a moment what wasn’t said in God’s speech. Think about the things Job’s friends thought God would say to Job if He got the chance. God did not show up and condemn Job. He didn’t accuse Job of being a secret sinner, as Job’s friends did. On the other hand, He didn’t immediately exonerate Job either. Instead, He asks a whole bunch of questions.

Bible commentator Dave Guzik observed this about God’s discourse: “It might seem that God was being harsh with Job; but one must compare what God said with Job with what Job’s accusers thought God should say to him. God did not come to Job as a judge or even a policeman; He came to Job as a teacher—a loving, winsome, vivid, powerful, humorous teacher. God was once again with Job (in His proper relation, of course), and that was enough for Job.”

Indeed, it was enough for Job. God spoke out of the storm. He didn’t banish the storm, and He didn’t calm the storm. Instead, He calmed Job’s heart. The fact that God was there talking to him was the only thing Job needed.

So, if God’s actions in these final chapters of Job seem frustrating, it may be because we’re overlooking the point. While it’s true that God didn’t give the answer Job was looking for or the answer Job’s friends were looking for, that doesn’t mean He didn’t answer. He did answer; His answer was Himself.

And He is still the answer to all of life’s suffering. When He comes to us in the storm, it may not be in a way we expect, it may not be with the outcome we would like, and it may not be with the things we want to hear—but He is still the best and only answer to all the troubles we face in this life. For as Paul said, if He is for us, who can be against us? We can face anything and everything as long as He is near!