Every Storm Has a Godly Lining

When we have a major weather event like a thunderstorm, hurricane, or tornado, we do not automatically think about God’s role in that weather event because weather events are not a mystery to us. Our scientific knowledge enables us to explain how temperature, pressure, and humidity causes the storm; therefore, we tend to leave God out of the event. However, major weather events should make us think about God because major weather events are a display of raw power, God is the one who created that power, and a major storm reminds us that even after centuries of human achievement we humans still cannot control that power.

Overview

First we’re going to look at Job 36-37. Job 36-37 illustrate how ancient cultures understood all weather activity as an act of God. This helps us understand our view of weather because sometimes the best way to understand something is to understand what it isn’t. In this case we understand our view of weather when we see what our view isn’t.

Second, we’re going to look at Genesis 9 because that passage bluntly tells us we should think about God when we see a rainbow, and a rainbow is also a natural phenomenon that we can explain with scientific knowledge.

Third, we’re going to look at Romans 1 which tells us that all things that all created things testify to God’s power.

Job

At the beginning of Job’s story, he was very wealthy. The Bible also tells us Job was upright and Godly. Satan insisted Job only followed God because he was wealthy, so God gave Satan permission to test Job. Satan destroyed Job’s possessions, killed Job’s children, and afflicted Job with boils from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, but Job stayed loyal to God.

Job and his friends did not know Satan was responsible for Job’s calamity, so they began debating why Job was suffering. Job’s friends believed Job was suffering because he had sinned. Job did not agree. Job believed God had turned against him for some unknown, unjustified reason.

Elihu also tried to convince Job he was suffering because he had sinned. He criticized Job for complaining about God. Elihu said storms demonstrate God’s power, meaning God is superior to Job, meaning Job should not complain about anything God does.

Introduction

Job 36:1 Then Elihu continued and said,
Job 36:2 “Wait for me[Elihu] a little, and I will show you[Job]
That there is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.
Job 36:3 “I[Elihu] will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
Job 36:4 “For truly my[Elihu] words are not false;
One[God or Elihu] who is perfect in knowledge is with you[Job].

Does the pronoun “one” refer to God or Elihu? It seems that the pronoun “one” would refer back to the pronoun “my” which means it refers to Elihu; however, it seems odd that Elihu would claim to be perfect in knowledge. The phrase “perfect in knowledge” makes it sound like Elihu was referring to God. But then the words “with you” at the end also seem to indicate Elihu was referring to himself.

Rewards for the righteous

Job 36:5 “Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any;
He is mighty in strength of understanding.

Verse 5 was Elihu’s response to Job’s claim that God had turned against him for some unknown, unjustified reason. Elihu claimed God does not despise anyone, meaning God was not against Job.

Job 36:6 “He[God] does not keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to the afflicted.
Job 36:7 “He[God] does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But with kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
Job 36:8 “And if they[Kings] are bound in fetters,
And are caught in the cords of affliction,
Job 36:9 Then He[God] declares to them[Kings] their work
And their transgressions, that they have magnified themselves.
Job 36:10 “He[God] opens their[Kings] ear to instruction,
And commands that they return from evil.
Job 36:11 “If they[Kings] hear and serve Him[God],
They will end their days in prosperity
And their years in pleasures.
Job 36:12 “But if they[Kings] do not hear, they shall perish by the sword
And they will die without knowledge.

Punishment for the Wicked

Job 36:13 “But the godless in heart lay up anger;
They do not cry for help when He[God] binds them.
Job 36:14 “They[Godless] die in youth,
And their life perishes among the cult prostitutes.
Job 36:15 “He[God] delivers the afflicted in their affliction,
And opens their ear in time of oppression.

Job and wickedness

Job 36:16 “Then indeed, He[God] enticed you[Job] from the mouth of distress,
Instead of it[mouth of distress], a broad place with no constraint;
And that which was set on your table was full of fatness.

In verse 16 Elihu said God gave Job riches in order to entice Job to leave his wickedness. Starting in verse 17, Elihu told Job he was judgmental and evil and got what he deserved.

Job 36:17 “But you[Job] were full of judgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
Job 36:18 “Beware that wrath does not entice you[Job] to scoffing;
And do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.
Job 36:19 “Will your[Job] riches keep you from distress,
Or all the forces of your strength?
Job 36:20 “Do not long for the night,
When people vanish in their place.
Job 36:21 “Be careful, do not turn to evil,
For you[Job] have preferred this to affliction.

God and Power

Job 36:22 “Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a teacher like Him?
Job 36:23 “Who has appointed Him[God] His way,
And who has said, ‘You[God] have done wrong’?
Job 36:24 “Remember that you[Job] should exalt His[God] work,
Of which men have sung.
Job 36:25 “All men have seen it[God’s work];
Man beholds from afar.
Job 36:26 “Behold, God is exalted, and we[men] do not know Him;
The number of His years is unsearchable.

God and the Storm

Job 36:27-37:13 tell us how people used to view nature. People used to believe all storms were acts of God; thus, when they experienced a storm, they thought of God, His power, and His wrath.

Job 36:27 “For He[God] draws up the drops of water,
They distill rain from the mist,
Job 36:28 Which the clouds pour down,
They[waterdrops] drip upon man abundantly.

Job 36:29 “Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,
The thundering of His[God] pavilion?
Job 36:30 “Behold, He[God] spreads His lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.
Job 36:31 “For by these[lightning] He[God] judges peoples;
He gives food in abundance.
Job 36:32 “He[God] covers His hands with the lightning,
And commands it to strike the mark.
Job 36:33 “Its[Lightning] noise declares His[God’s] presence;
The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.

Elihu’s Fear

Job 37:1 “At this also my[Elihu] heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
Job 37:2 “Listen closely to the thunder of His[God] voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
Job 37:3 “Under the whole heaven He[God] lets it[rumbling] loose,
And His lightning to the ends of the earth.
Job 37:4 “After it[lightning], a voice roars;
He[God] thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.
Job 37:5 “God thunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing great things which we[men] cannot comprehend.
Job 37:6 “For to the snow He[God] says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’

Job 37:7 “He[God] seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.
Job 37:8 “Then the beast goes into its lair
And remains in its den.
Job 37:9 “Out of the south comes the storm,
And out of the north the cold.
Job 37:10 “From the breath of God ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
Job 37:11 “Also with moisture He[God] loads the thick cloud;
He disperses the cloud of His lightning.
Job 37:12 “It[Cloud] changes direction, turning around by His[God] guidance,
That it may do whatever He commands it
On the face of the inhabited earth.
Job 37:13 “Whether for correction, or for His[God] world,
Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

Job vs. God

Job 37:14 “Listen to this, O Job,
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
Job 37:15 “Do you[Job] know how God establishes them[wonders],
And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?
Job 37:16 “Do you[Job] know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The wonders of one perfect in knowledge,
Job 37:17 You[Job] whose garments are hot,
When the land is still because of the south wind?

Job 37:18 “Can you[Job], with Him[God], spread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
Job 37:19 “Teach us[men] what we shall say to Him[God];
We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.
Job 37:20 “Shall it be told Him[God] that I[Elihu] would speak?
Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?
Job 37:21 “Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
Job 37:22 “Out of the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.
Job 37:23 “The Almighty — we[men] cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness.
Job 37:24 “Therefore men fear Him[God];
He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”

Job 36-37 tells us people used to believe all storms were acts of God.

Genesis 9 tells us to think about God’s covenant when we see a rainbow.

God and Rainbows

Gen. 9:11 “I[God] establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.”
Gen. 9:12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations;
Gen. 9:13 I[God] set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.

Gen. 9:14 “It shall come about, when I[God] bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud,
Gen. 9:15 and I[God] will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.
Gen. 9:16 “When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
Gen. 9:17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Job 36-37 tells us people used to believe all storms were acts of God.

Genesis 9 tells us to think about God’s covenant when we see a rainbow.

Romans 1 tells us nature demonstrates God’s power.

Nature and God’s Power

Rom. 1:20 For since the creation of the world His[God’s] invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.