Job 34:13 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Job 34:13

Comments

These two questions draw attention to the amazing self-sufficiency of God. The answer is of course that no one gave God anything or appointed him, but the questions teach us to marvel at the way God works alone, independently of all others. We understand God partly by thinking about what is not true of him as well as what is true. Consider him first as a being who needed to be instructed to take responsibility for the earth, its creation, its location in space, its material resources, and its populations of creatures including mankind. What an enormous task this would be and what vast consequences come from it. How much knowledge would need to be imparted! But then, quickly set aside this thought and remember that God does not receive a charge from anyone outside himself but that he contains within himself all his own wisdom and initiatives. There is no one who is over him seeing the bigger picture and directing him, but he decides all things by his own wisdom, and he creates all things by his own skill unaided from outside. He has never had to learn but has always possessed this skill and it was always perfect skill that could not be improved. There was no greater being than him who rightfully had ownership of the earth and gave it to him.

Application

Because our thoughts are so finite, we naturally conceive of a God who is limited and we can only advance to a true understanding of God but repeatedly reminding ourselves that he is not like this, not like that. This thinking process stretches our minds and it is the way Elihu leads us to consider the greatness of God. There is no one to whom he is accountable for his work, but he works sovereignly. He is before all things and he made all things. There never was, when God was not. Therefore he and he alone must take credit for all things. Nothing has happened by chance or by luck, but all has infinite planning behind it. He is rightfully the Lord of all and is constrained by nothing other than his own perfect character, which is not in fact a constraint, but perfect freedom.

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Job 34:13 Commentary and Bible Study