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| 1 Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, |
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2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel
By words without knowledge?
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Darkeneth ... by words – "Except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?" (1 Cor. 14:9) R1481:4*
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3 Gird up now thy loins like a man;
For I will ask of thee, and declare thou unto me.
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4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Declare, if thou hast understanding.
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The foundations – Illustrated by the rock on which the Great Pyramid is built. C318; R1813:5
Of the earth – "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." (Gen. 1:1) F17
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5 Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest?
Or who stretched the line upon it?
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Laid the measures – The Great Pyramid abounds in significant measurements. C318
The line upon it – The perfection and exactness of the Great Pyramid show it was constructed by a master architect. C318
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6 Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened?
Or who laid the cornerstone thereof?
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The foundations – The socket stones (margin). R1813:5; C329
Fastened – Or, made to sink. The Great Pyramid has four corner socket-stones sunk into solid rock. C318
The corner stone – "The chief corner stone" (Eph. 2:20); The top stone; "The stone which the builders rejected" (Matt. 21:42); "He shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it." (Zech. 4:7) C318, C329
A pyramid has five cornerstones, but the reference here is to one particular cornerstone, the top stone. It is a perfect pyramid in itself, to which the lines of the entire structure conform. C318
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7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
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The morning stars – Early bright ones. R1005:1
All the sons of God – The angelic sons, to whom he was the life-giver. F51; E105; R816:5, R1005:1, R2843:5, R5290:3
Shouted for joy – At the creation of this earth. R1005:1; F17, F18
In the dawn of earth's creative week of 49,000 years. F51
Their interest in the human race was manifested in singing over the works of creation. A220
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8 Or who shut up the sea with doors,
When it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb;
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9 When I made clouds the garment thereof,
And thick darkness a swaddling-band for it,
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Swaddlingband – Heavy rings enveloping the earth. F31, F23-26
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10 And marked out for it my bound,
And set bars and doors,
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11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further;
And here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
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But no further – For 6,000 years the Lord has been letting mankind learn their own lessons, except as their course of sin might interfere with the outworking of God's great plan. R5771:3
God's providence has often interfered in the past, but now we have apparently reached the time when the Lord is saying, "Let loose the winds of strife." R5825:4
God can harness even every opposing element, animate or inanimate, and make them all work together for the accomplishment of his grand designs. R1560:2
That which would work no good, serve no purpose or teach no lesson, he restrains. A250
God has not given present rulers unlimited power, but only so far as it does not interfere with his plans--there it must stop. R799:1
Even the wrath of men and devils shall be controlled by God's providence and made to praise him; and the remainder, which would in any way thwart his ultimate purpose, he will restrain. R1778:4
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12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began,
And caused the dayspring to know its place;
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13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?
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14 It is changed as clay under the seal;
And all things stand forth as a garment:
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15 And from the wicked their light is withholden,
And the high arm is broken.
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16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?
Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep?
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17 Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee?
Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
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18 Hast thou comprehended the earth in its breadth?
Declare, if thou knowest it all.
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19 Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
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20 That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof,
And that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house thereof?
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21 Doubtless, thou knowest, for thou wast then born,
And the number of thy days is great!
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22 Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow,
Or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail,
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Hast thou – Verses 22 and 23 seem to be figurative language, not prophetic. R1762:4[R1762:4]
Hail – Stones of congellation, hail of frozen water. R3344:3*
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23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble,
Against the day of battle and war?
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24 By what way is the light parted,
Or the east wind scattered upon the earth?
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25 Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood,
Or a way for the lightning of the thunder;
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26 To cause it to rain on a land where no man is;
On the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
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27 To satisfy the waste and desolate ground,
And to cause the tender grass to spring forth?
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28 Hath the rain a father?
Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
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29 Out of whose womb came the ice?
And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
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30 The waters are congealed like stone,
And the surface of the deep cohereth.
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31 Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades,
Or loose the bands of Orion?
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Canst thou bind – By their numberless multitude, orderly grouping, continual yet never conflicting movements, perfect harmony, magnitude and mutual benign influence, do the shining host of heaven declare the glory of God. R1391:1
The Lord desired to reassure Job of his superior power and grace. R1390:6, R3424:4
Of Pleiades – While the planets of our solar system revolve around our sun, there is a far mightier center around which countless millions of suns revolve, seemingly associated with the Pleiades, particularly with Alcyone, its central star--thus possibly representing the residence of Jehovah. R5710:2
The probable seat of divine empire. D653; C327; Q813:2
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Bind – Knit together, keep from separating and moving apart.
The sweet influences – The cluster (AV, RV, RVIC).
Of Pleiades – The Pleiades is special in this regard: As seen from earth most star groupings are an illusion, i.e., they are not really a grouping of stars moving together through space. The apparent grouping only works for one standing on the earth. The stars that make up the various constellations are actually hundreds and often thousands of light years apart, often moving in different directions. - Not so with the Pleiades. This is actually a genuine star group, one that is indeed bound together (in a cluster) by gravity and the laws of motion.
The above information does not change the thought that the Pleiades may very well be the symbol of God's throne.
Loose the bands of Orion – This is a most fascinating phrase which could not have been fully understood by the ancients, nor even by those living at the time of our Lord's return. It is only through modern science with the aid of the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes that astronomers have given us the information which lets us know just how remarkable is this statement which God uttered to Job over three thousand years ago.
First let us examine the the Hebrew word that is here translated 'bands.' According to professor Strong (#4189) it is: "Active participle feminine of H4900; something drawing, that is, (figuratively) a cord: - band." In other words it is a 'feminine chord.' This suggests (the only natural feminine chord we can think of), an umbilical chord.
This is most appropriate as it turns out that the Orion nebula is now being referred to by scientists as 'a stellar nursery,' the birthplace of new stars. |
32 Canst thou lead forth the twelve signs of the Zodiac in their season?
Or canst thou guide Ursa Major with her train?
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33 Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens?
Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?
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34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds,
That abundance of waters may cover thee?
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35 Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go,
And say unto thee, Here we are?
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36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts?
Or who hath given understanding to the mind?
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37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
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38 When the dust runneth into a mass,
And the clods cleave fast together?
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39 Canst thou hunt the prey for the lioness,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
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40 When they couch in their dens,
And abide in the booth to lie in wait?
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41 Who provideth for the raven his prey,
When his young ones cry unto God,
And wander for lack of food?
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