MIGHTY IN STRENGTH AND WISDOM

“Behold, GOD IS MIGHTY, and despiseth not any: HE IS MIGHTY in STRENGTH and WISDOM” (Job 36:5 kjv)

GOD is MIGHTY IN STRENGTH and WISDOM: “Behold, GOD IS MIGHTY, and despiseth not any: HE IS MIGHTY in STRENGTH and WISDOM” (Job 36:5). The New King James Version says, “Behold, God is Mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in STRENGTH of UNDERSTANDING.” His “Almightiness” is never in doubt; but what we may not have appreciated well enough are the dimensions of His Might, which include Strength and Wisdom. The two are intricately related: “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. With Him are Strength and Prudence…” (Job 12: 13-16a).

This part of Elihu’s fourth speech portrays God acts as righteous Governor, ever ready to defend the injured. God is mighty! He is so great that He has no occasion for unfair or preferential treatment of any class of people. He is wholly independent of all, and can therefore be impartial in His dealings. He does not show special favour to the great and the rich or spare the mighty that are wicked. He does not pass the deprived by with cold neglect because they are poor and powerless, or turn His attention to the great and mighty (vv.5-8). Mighty in Wisdom, God displays perfect Wisdom in upholding His Universe.

Though God may do what He pleases, and none can hinder Him, yet He will not use His Strength or Power to do wrong. God’s Strength is guided and tempered by His Wisdom; hence it cannot be employed to do anything improper or unjust toward His creatures. His greatness does not cause Him (as the greatness of men cause them) to despise or oppress. God cannot do any unrighteous deed; He does not and cannot use or abuse His power to the injury of any of His creatures. That God is mighty in Strength denotes the abundance of His Strength: He is exceedingly strong, but also strong in Wisdom.

The partnership of Strength and Wisdom is consistent in the Scriptures. David sang of it: “Great is our Lord, and of great POWER: His UNDERSTANDING is infinite” (Psa.147:5). Power is Strength’s partner; while Understanding is Wisdom’s twin. God is mighty in Strength and Wisdom; He is great in Power and Infinite in Understanding. Jeremiah also bears witness: “He has made the earth by His POWER, He has established the world by His WISDOM, and has stretched out the heavens by His discretion” (Jer.10:12). In short, by virtue of His Wisdom, God’s Strength is gracious and redemptive.

As believers, the intimacy between Strength and Wisdom teaches us to know our Father-God both in terms of His Power and Strength and His Wisdom and Understanding. Some folks have strength, but not wisdom to make a right use of it, but God abounds as much in wisdom and in strength. He is the only wise and the all wise God – Omnipotent (All-powerful) and Omniscient (All-knowing). As creatures in His Image and likeness, our lives should reflect these dimensions of the Divine. Wisdom and Strength, Understanding and Power, must find full expression and maximum manifestation in and through us. God wants us to be carriers and channels of His Strength and Power as well as Vessels of His Wisdom and Understanding.

Although Wisdom and Strength are not in competition, “Wisdom is the principal thing” (Pro.4:7a); “Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers of the city” (Ecc.7:19). However, the Wiseman also noted both the Value and the vulnerability of Wisdom: “Then I said “Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard…Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good” (Ecc.9: 16, 18). SIN – the Zero factor – can nullify the best of Wisdom and Strength! Praise God, Christ is “the Power of God and the Wisdom of God” (1Cor.1`:24b). In Christ, we become partakers of God’s Power, Strength, and Wisdom!