Job 38:11 | KingComments | STEP | In these verses, God is changing the subject. He goes from the earth to the sea and asks Job some questions about it. In those questions He shows that He is both the Maker and the Master of it. He dominates and controls the sea. The origin of the earth has been compared by God to building a house. For the origin of the sea He uses the picture of a birth ( ). Immediately at birth the sea shows its temperament of wildness and ferocity that must be controlled by God. God does not ask Job any further questions about the sea, but describes His way of dealing with it. This shows His complete mastery of it and also His care for it. He even compares the sea to a newborn child who is completely dependent on His care (cf. ). He clothes the sea with “a cloud” and gives her “thick darkness” as “its swaddling band” ( ). This garment gives an appearance that increases the threat that has always posed to man from the sea. It makes him even more aware of his powerlessness and nullity in the face of that power full of threat. If God does not place boundaries on the sea and does not control it ( ), no one can prevent the sea from doing an all destructive work. Great floods by storms, tsunamis and spring tides are impressive proof of this. The water raged in the most terrible way when God used a worldwide flood to judge the earth ( ). Is there a man who can tame or limit the sea? Man, with his abilities, can make all kinds of arrangements to prevent a flood disaster, such as the enormous Delta Works in the Netherlands, to protect its coasts. But a guarantee that a new flood disaster is out of the question cannot even be given by such masterly performances. Only God has the power to stop the water. He places boundaries, and sets a bolt and doors so that it will not go beyond the boundaries without His will (cf. ; ; ). God never loses control of the sea ( ). He may occasionally allow the sea to break through those boundaries. Then He opens the doors to remind man of his total inability to exert any influence on the devastating mass and power of the water. Then He gathers the waters back into the storehouses designated by Him for that purpose ( ) and brings them to rest. God reigns over the sea simply because He “said” to the sea, that is, by His word. The waters obey the word of God ( ). He speaks to them as if they were a person who stands before Him, with their own rebellious will, and to whom He lets it be known what their boundary is to abide by it. If God has complete control over the sea, what right does man, who did not create the sea and cannot control it, have to criticize God for the way He deals with it? We can apply this to the trials and sufferings that can affect the life of a believer. They do not happen by chance to him, but arise from ‘the womb of God’s counsel’ for him. But God is and remains with us in the trials ( ). He has set a boundary to need and misery so that the believer does not perish ( ). With His trials He keeps the pride of men in check, just as He keeps the pride of the waters in check. There has been one moment in history when God has removed all bars and doors, bringing boundless misery upon Someone. That was when the Lord Jesus was made sin on the cross in the three hours of darkness. Then He cried out: “Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me” ( ). There He was immersed in the wrath of God over sin. We cannot fathom what this meant to Him. But we will worship Him eternally for undergoing God’s wrath over sin in our stead.

‏ Job 38:11

The Limits of the Sea

In these verses, God is changing the subject. He goes from the earth to the sea and asks Job some questions about it. In those questions He shows that He is both the Maker and the Master of it. He dominates and controls the sea. The origin of the earth has been compared by God to building a house. For the origin of the sea He uses the picture of a birth (Job 38:8). Immediately at birth the sea shows its temperament of wildness and ferocity that must be controlled by God.

God does not ask Job any further questions about the sea, but describes His way of dealing with it. This shows His complete mastery of it and also His care for it. He even compares the sea to a newborn child who is completely dependent on His care (cf. Eze 16:2-4). He clothes the sea with “a cloud” and gives her “thick darkness” as “its swaddling band” (Job 38:9). This garment gives an appearance that increases the threat that has always posed to man from the sea. It makes him even more aware of his powerlessness and nullity in the face of that power full of threat.

If God does not place boundaries on the sea and does not control it (Job 38:10), no one can prevent the sea from doing an all destructive work. Great floods by storms, tsunamis and spring tides are impressive proof of this. The water raged in the most terrible way when God used a worldwide flood to judge the earth (Gen 7:11 ; Gen 8:2).

Is there a man who can tame or limit the sea? Man, with his abilities, can make all kinds of arrangements to prevent a flood disaster, such as the enormous Delta Works in the Netherlands, to protect its coasts. But a guarantee that a new flood disaster is out of the question cannot even be given by such masterly performances. Only God has the power to stop the water. He places boundaries, and sets a bolt and doors so that it will not go beyond the boundaries without His will (cf. Psa 104:9-10; Jer 5:22; Pro 8:29).

God never loses control of the sea (Job 38:11). He may occasionally allow the sea to break through those boundaries. Then He opens the doors to remind man of his total inability to exert any influence on the devastating mass and power of the water. Then He gathers the waters back into the storehouses designated by Him for that purpose (Psa 33:7) and brings them to rest.

God reigns over the sea simply because He “said” to the sea, that is, by His word. The waters obey the word of God (2Pet 3:5-6). He speaks to them as if they were a person who stands before Him, with their own rebellious will, and to whom He lets it be known what their boundary is to abide by it.

If God has complete control over the sea, what right does man, who did not create the sea and cannot control it, have to criticize God for the way He deals with it? We can apply this to the trials and sufferings that can affect the life of a believer. They do not happen by chance to him, but arise from ‘the womb of God’s counsel’ for him. But God is and remains with us in the trials (Isa 43:2). He has set a boundary to need and misery so that the believer does not perish (1Cor 10:13). With His trials He keeps the pride of men in check, just as He keeps the pride of the waters in check.

There has been one moment in history when God has removed all bars and doors, bringing boundless misery upon Someone. That was when the Lord Jesus was made sin on the cross in the three hours of darkness. Then He cried out: “Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me” (Psa 42:7). There He was immersed in the wrath of God over sin. We cannot fathom what this meant to Him. But we will worship Him eternally for undergoing God’s wrath over sin in our stead.