Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Shrouded Purposes of Good
Do we live in a well-run world?
Let me give you one word concerning God’s Counsel — Inscrutable.
It means “Incapable of investigation.”
As far as Job can perceive it, the purpose of the Almighty is terrible, even possibly appalling.
God began with a gracious work to bring Job to repentance about what he said of God, which was shrouded in darkness and made it impossible for him to see God’s goodness.
What God does is begin to question God concerning the Deeply Wild.
These are not the domesticated, the tamed, or even animals found on the farm.
These are animals outside of the care and control of man.
God gives Job a tour of the part of the created order that lies outside the limits of the domesticated world and order of humanity.
How does man respond when the deeply wild invades our orderly world — when chaos invades order and destroys our hopes and plans?
Job 38:39-41
This is a cinematic sequence that begins with lion cubs.
They’re so cute!
Soft, cuddly, sweet.
Who feeds them?
Lion cubs are hungry, if they’re not fed soon, they will die.
Who feeds the raven?
If not fed, they will die.
Everything looks so vulnerable, so familial.
Everything looks so delicate, maybe even so sweet.
Until we see the lioness lying in wait, stalking her prey.
At the critical moment the lioness chases with unbeatable, speed, and agility.
She separates one of the defenseless grazing gazelles from the family, and tears it apart with ruthless power.
Blood and torn flesh is everywhere.
The final shot shows the lion cubs satisfied with plenty of meat and then the ravens and vultures feed on the abundant leftovers.
That’s an incredible tension in the deeply wild of predators and prey.
If the beauty of gazelles is unspoiled, the beauty of lions and defenseless ravens will end in starvation and death.
We live in a world of predation and starvation as the only alternatives.
What
What is the implication to Job’s suffering?
God is saying He Himself is the one who “hunts the prey for the lion, who satisfies the appetite of the young lions, who provides food for the ravens.”
This is probably irritating to PETA.
And what about when your sweet kitty kills that poor defenseless mouse?
Is this shocking to you?
Well, what about this:
Is it possible that in the counsel of God this age is so ordered that suffering for some is necessary for the survival of others?
Here’s a deeper thought:
What about redemptive suffering?
One innocent man came, suffered, and died — and He was God’s means to bring life to a whole redeemed humanity.
Job
God invites Job to think about the particular time, the significant time, the time when life begins.
Does Job know when the wild mountain goat gives birth?
Do you know the time they give birth?
From conception, to months of waiting, to labor, to birth, to growing and strengthening, to independence “in the open field?”
All due to the generous hand of God alone.
The God who brings “the time of trouble”
Job
Also brings the time of birth and life.
Ecclesiastes 1:
What do we take aways from this?
Job longed for the “set time” for vindication.
And what is God telling Job?
“I am the righteous Lord of time!”
God knows not only with head knowledge, but with personal caring oversight.
He observes the calving, watches with caring love for the mountain goat calving.
He numbers her months, lovingly watching .
Think about what this means for you.
If this is true for lions, ravens, and mountain goats, how much more is it true for human beings in pain struggling to remain believers.
This is God’s veiled answer to why, that He who governs the deeply wild — Governs you.
If God cares for the wild kingdom, how much does He care for you?
And the time of days, months, and years of evil, were governed when God sent His Son to die, ultimately conquering all evil, reversing in one glorious morning of new life all the evil of the world.
Job needed to learn — we need to learn — to entrust ourselves to the righteous Lord of time.
The Precious Gift of Freedom
Even freedom is a precious gift of God to the wild.
Job 39:
The wild donkey, represents the precious gift of freedom, yet still under the absolute providential control of God over all margins of life.
There is not one inch of strange wildness that lies outside the counsel of God — and that includes the wildness of sinful mankind.
The Power and Danger of the Wild
There are some animals that are tremendously powerful and dangerous.
Some bulls are just incredible in size and legendary terrors.
And God is asking Job, “Why not go out into the wild and find one of the massive oxen and feed him from your hand?
You know, be the Ox-Whisperer.”
What ox would do this?
Well, none.
It would be wonderful to subdue and harness the strength of this animal.
Such wisdom and counsel lies with God alone.
Who could control the ostrich?
Job 39:
This illustrates that there are many unintelligible strangeness and paradox in the universe.
Who could ever make sense of it all?
Only God.
The terror of the wild.
Job 39:
The war horse — for many years, this was the ultimate weapon in war.
They were greatly feared.
But think of the strength and beauty and agility and no fear and terror of the horse — no man gives this.
Only God has given the horse such ability and nature.
Predators and prey in the wild
Job 39:
Have you ever watched a hawk or an eagle fly?
It’s an incredible sight.
Soaring on the currents of the wind.
And how high they make their nests — In the cliffs.
And then their eyesight from so high.
The can see the slightest movements of a mouse in tall grass, hundreds of feet in the air.
Then they dive and pounce their prey, tearing it to pieces for its young.
This is no Disney scene of cute animals.
But notice the questioning:
“By your understanding…by your command?”
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