Job
38:1–3 (NRSV) Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:
2 “Who
is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird
up your loins like a man,
I will question you, and you shall declare to
me.
NOTE: This is the
first indication throughout the story that Job has fault. Did the Lord see this
ahead of time? Is that why God continued to suggest Job's name to Satan for
consideration? Did God have a purpose long before there was any action? Or does
God simply bring good out of evil as he promises for the believer (Rom 8:28)?
First of all, what is Job's fault? His words that are without knowledge darken
counsel. Said a little bit differently, Job's conclusions are foolish and
lacking in understanding or knowledge, and can't do anything but harm a
listener. Job is wrong, although in only a few respects. As we will see later,
God commends Job at the end (after correcting his words), and chastises his
friends for error, although noticeably, not Elihu. God also has a peculiar
technique that he will use to teach Job in this passage. The majority of God's
statements to Job will be in the form of questions, with very few statements of
facts. One must assume, that most of the questions are rhetorical or questions
with very obvious answers. In which case, the questions themselves become
statements of fact from God. This may be one of the most significant chapters
in the bible, God answering man regarding the purpose of suffering.
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