Job 26 -- Old Testament -- Gospel Daily

Job

Chapter 26

Job Praises God's Cosmic Power and Wisdom

Job responds to Bildad with irony, asking how his friend has helped the powerless or saved the weak, and what wisdom he has offered. Job then demonstrates his own profound understanding of God's creative power: the dead form beneath the waters, Hell and destruction lie naked before Him, He stretches the north over empty space and hangs the earth upon nothing. God binds up waters in thick clouds, holds back the face of His throne, and compasses the waters with bounds. His power divides the sea and strikes through the proud; His spirit garnishes the heavens and His hand has formed the crooked serpent. These are merely parts of God's ways; the thunder of His power none can understand.

God's creative powerCosmic orderDivine mysteryCreation displays GodHuman limitation

¹But Job answered and said,

²How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?

³How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?

⁴To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?

⁵Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.

⁶Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.

⁷He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

⁸He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.

⁹He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.

¹⁰He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

¹¹The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof.

¹²He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.

¹³By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

¹⁴Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?