IN VERSE 7 Job shows how that the path of the miner is hidden from the fowls of the air. The birds of prey are noted for their keenness of vision. In soaring far above the earth they can see things on earth which they come down to prey upon, but they cannot discern the path of the miner underneath the earth. The path of faith trodden by those who seek to walk in the wisdom of God cannot be seen by those of this world who, though they may possess great wisdom and discernment in the natural things of this life, nevertheless may be in great ignorance of that which is of God by faith. In 1 Corinthians 2 we have the wisdom of this world and the princes of this world contrasted with the wisdom of God. Had they known this wisdom of God they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Cor 2:8.)
Twice in this chapter Job raises the question as to how this wisdom is found, and then he comes to the conclusion that “God understandeth the way thereof, and He knoweth the place thereof.” Then He declares what God says to man: “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” These two things should go together. If the Lord through His Word reveals to us something in our path that is evil, we should seek grace, strength and purpose of heart to depart from it. It is good for us to remember the Apostle’s exhortation to Timothy: “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.”
Toward the end of the chapter Job makes a remarkable scientific statement. Speaking of God he says, “He looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; to make a weight for the winds; and He weigheth the waters by measure.” These true facts of creation were evidently lost sight of by men, for an Italian, who lived 2,000 years after Job, has been credited with the discovery that the atmosphere had weight. Then, too, scientists have stated that there is the proper division of land and water on the earth in order to sustain life. The rain falls upon the earth and’ the rivers run into the seas, but the power of the sun acts upon the water, drawing it up in vast quantities in the form of vapor. Thus there was a measure for everything, in the mind of God.
Job also declares that God “made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder"; all is ordered and controlled by a divine Creator.
Job tells us it was all His doing, but how much greater is the work of redemption. In creation is manifested the power and skill of God. “All things were made by Him, and for Him,” we read in Colossians 1:16; but God finds His chiefest delight in the work of His beloved Son upon the cross, when He made atonement for sin. There God’s righteousness in dealing with sin was fully vindicated and the basis laid for the eternal blessing of poor ruined sinners, such as we. For as one has remarked, the glory of His grace is the highest aspect of His glory; therefore the Apostle speaks of the gospel as “the gospel of the glory” (2 Cor. 4). Redemption was not fully accomplished and brought down to man until Christ had gone into that glory. But now the glory of God is shining in the face of Jesus Christ, the effect of His having glorified God, and therefore God has glorified Him; and every ray of that glory is the proof that the believer’s sins are gone.
ML-06/19/1960