City Life Starter

The Word: Job 38:1-3

1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:

2“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

3Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me.”

Reflection Questions

1. What type of impact can your words have?
2. Would you speak differently if you knew God was standing in front of you?
3. When you criticize others, do you first make sure you’re justified to do so?

Throughout the Old Testament God often intervenes regarding outward actions; either chastising those guilty of sinful acts or instructing them to perform a specific act. Interestingly, God’s strong reaction in the final chapters of Job is not toward violence or an external action; He is responding to over 30 chapters of dialogue expressed by Job and his friends. God has allowed Satan to take everything away from Job, an innocent man, thusly Job and his friends debate the cause of his misfortune. Job’s friends characterize God as a transactional entity who only allowed this tragedy because of Job’s secret sin, which is not true. Job, also incorrectly, accuses God of injustice for allowing this hardship. Finally, in the last few chapters, God angrily rebukes their words as ignorant and unjustified, exposes their mortal weakness, and showcases His inconceivable glory and creation to them. He never explains why Job suffered, but instead shows them how their critical words were baseless, prideful, and dangerous.

Application

Words have endless power; they can start nuclear wars, soothe entire nations, cause lifelong emotional trauma, and inspire faith. If they weren’t powerful, God wouldn’t have had to intervene on Job’s criticism. I see two major lessons about words in Job’s story:

1. We look like fools when we criticize from unjustified positions. In order to lovingly rebuke, you must be in a position of authority and/or intimacy with the individual. Negatively discussing someone’s actions when you lack the appropriate relationship only satisfies the critic’s ego and unjustly damages the reputation of the critiqued person.
2. Witnessing to others about our experience with God is a privilege, not a right, so we shouldn’t abuse it. God is all-powerful and could save everyone he wanted perfectly in a moment, yet chooses to deliver his Gospel through flawed, sinful humans over thousands of years. He has allowed us the privilege to use our words to glorify His name. When we speak ill of His name out of dissatisfaction with our minuscule lives, we foolishly abuse this privilege. Our words have power because their purpose is to fuel his saving mission; we should use that fuel to reach the destination, not crash the plane.