Job 41:11 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Job 41:11

Comments

Paul alludes to verse 11 in Romans 11:35 using it to show that the plan of God is so full of wisdom, so comprehensively skilful in its design, so perfect in its anticipation of all events, and so above and beyond anything that the creature can do that, no matter what temporal advantages they have, it is impossible that anyone should put God in their debt. Yet human beings continue to trust in their own wisdom and to believe that by their ingenuity, given enough time and effort, they can do anything, even forcing their Creator into a corner. But some things are impossible no matter how long we have to attempt them. How can the creature overcome the Creator? How can the one who belongs to time defeat the One who belongs to eternity? God has already surrounded us before we start. We can do nothing new, nothing which he has not already foreseen from everlasting ages. What can take him by surprise? What can we give him that he does not already own and has not previously given to us? In the matter of the salvation of Jew and Gentile, both are under obligation to God, and both have been placed in a situation where they owe everything to God’s grace. This is Paul’s application of this truth. But it applies to Job’s case also. How can Job put God in the position where the Lord owes him anything? What argument can anyone present to the Lord that he has not already taken account of? How can the Author of logic be defeated by his own logic? What wisdom can overcome the one who is the imparter of wisdom to every rational mind? How can the building cause a new foundation to be laid underneath it? How can a pot dictate to the potter who made it? We cannot get around this, and yet the pride of man never ceases to try.

Application

Paul says, ‘For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth’ (2 Corinthians 13:8), but whereas the wicked advance the plan of God unwittingly and unwillingly, the righteous are partners with God in bringing about his will. They are at the highest point of any creature on earth that God has made. The wicked are no better than beasts for they are carried along involuntarily by the plan of God,; indeed they are worse than the beasts for they actively oppose God. Nevertheless, by a skill which is irresistible and which cannot be resisted, he uses all of their evil acts to advance his cause and bring about the very thing he intended. This is true even of the devil, who is filled with such hatred for God and for his Christ. The devil was unable to avoid pouring forth his hatred in stirring up the murderous feelings of those who denied Christ justice and put him to death, but in doing so he fulfilled prophecy and put in place that piece in God’s plan which finally destroyed him and all his works.

Ah, but the righteous! They are the conscious ones, the ones who possess knowledge. They have the privilege while they serve the Lord and pray to him of being elevated to the position of fellow workers with God, for they alone are aware of the purpose of all things and work consciously towards the fulfilment of God’s purposes, knowing where they are going, and, to the extent that they are enlightened, aiming at the very same thing that God aims at. They also have the comfort of knowing that even where they are -+ignorant of the purposes of God, because they love the Lord and pray that his kingdom will come, their works will be used for good even though they do not know how.

People read theology as if they can accept what they want and reject what they don’t want, as if having understood it they have made it their own. But all truth belongs to the Lord and we must never forget that. We cannot turn anything he does against him. We cannot bring any argument to bear against him. All truth supports his plan and is consistent with his providence in the world.

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Job 41:11 Commentary and Bible Study