THE HAND OF THE ALMIGHTY (2)

“In whose HAND is the LIFE of every living thing, and the BREATH of all mankind” – Job 12:10

Creation explicitly urges humanity to KNOW the workings of THE HAND of the ALMIGHTY: “Who among all these does not KNOW that THE HAND of the LORD has done this, in whose HAND is the LIFE of every living thing, and the BREATH of all mankind” (Job 12: 9-10). Here, Job emphasized the Might of God’s Hand in Creation. He was responding to his friends, particularly Zophar's discourse. He condemned their judgement of him and his character (vv. 1-5). He confronted and contradicted what they had said of the destruction of wicked people in this world, showing that they often prospered (vv. 6-11). He however consented to what they had said of the Wisdom, Power, and Sovereignty of God, and the Dominion of His providence over the children of men and all their affairs; he confirmed this, and enlarged upon it (vv.12-25).

In affirming the wisdom that we cannot judge piety by plenty, or what people have in their heart by what they have in their hand, Job appealed to the lower creatures – the beasts, fowls, and trees: “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you” (vv.7-8). We may from them learn that Wisdom, Power, Goodness, and Sovereign Dominion reside in the HAND of the ALMIGHTY GOD. We can easily gather from the book of the creatures that “the hand of the Lord has done this” (v.9b). His wise Providence guides and governs all things by rules which we are neither acquainted with nor are competent judges of. Therefore, we should learn to accept all His designs in human affairs, though contrary to our measures.

God has absolute propriety in all creatures: “IN WHOSE HAND is the soul of EVERY LIVING THING” (v.10a). All creatures, and humankind particularly, derive their being from the LORD, owe their being to Him, depend upon Him for sustenance, exist at His Mercy, are under His direction and dominion and entirely at His disposal, and at His summons must resign their lives. All souls are His; and He can do what He wills with His own! Interestingly, the name Jehovah is used here (v. 9), and it is the only time that we meet with it in all the discourses between Job and his friends; for God was, in that age, more known by the name of Shaddai – the Almighty.

Job then delved into a noble discourse concerning God’s Wisdom, Power, and Sovereignty – Key components of the Hand of the Almighty!

His Unsearchable Wisdom: “With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding. If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt; If He imprisons a man, there can be no release. If He withholds the waters, they dry up; If He sends them out, they overwhelm the earth” (vv.13-15).

His Incomparable Power: “With Him are strength and prudence. The deceived and the deceiver are His. He leads counselors away plundered, and makes fools of the judges. He loosens the bonds of kings, and binds their waist with a belt. He leads princes away plundered, and overthrows the mighty. He deprives the trusted ones of speech, and takes away the discernment of the elders. He pours contempt on princes, and disarms the mighty” (vv.16-21). None is comparable to the Lord: No counsellor, judge, king, prince, the mighty, orators, or elder!

His Sovereign Dominion over All Creation: “He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings the shadow of death to light. He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them. He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, and makes them wander in a pathless wilderness. They grope in the dark without light, and He makes them stagger like a drunken man” (vv.22-24). Do these not depict the state of things wherever humanity has rejected Divinity? God has got the whole world in HIS HAND!