Job 9:6 | KingComments | STEP | In this section Job continues on the strength and greatness of God. The language he uses is of high quality, and his description is true. But the undertone is that of terrible doubt as to the goodness of God’s great and mighty Person to him. He feels himself no match for that great and mighty God. Neither is he, nor any human being. However, it is not a question of strength, but of trust. And the latter is lacking in Job. He feels wrongfully humiliated by God. In his eyes God abuses His power. In the might of God is therefore painted in its destructive strength. What shall he, puny mortal, begin against a God Who removes mountains and does so in a way that no one notices ( ; )? In the Bible, mountains are an example of firmness and stability. If He overturns mountains in His anger, with what ease does He overturn Job? If He touches the earth with a finger, it shakes out of its place ( ). Its pillars, which give stability to the earth, tremble. Surely, the life of Job is nothing in comparison, is it? He can even change the laws of nature ( ). One word from Him is enough to prevent the sun from rising and the stars darken so that they no longer shine. Job seems to say that God did the same with the sun of life and the shining stars in his life. His days have become dark and the night of misery has no end. God as the Creator of heaven and earth has power over the universe. When He created the heavens, no one was His helper: “He alone stretches out the heavens” ( ; cf. ; ). Even the wild, high waves of the sea are under His authority. For He created the sea ( ). He walks on it, as we can see in the walking of the Lord Jesus on the sea ( ). If the disciples see Him walking in this way, however, it does not bring peace to their hearts, but unrest. This is also the case with Job. Furthermore, Job describes God’s power of creation in the universe in the whole expanse above him ( ). He does this by listing the four most important and brightest constellations that were visible at the time. God created the Bear in the north, the Orion (Evening Star) in the west, the Pleiades (the Seven Stars) in the east, and the chambers of the south (a constellation that was brightly visible four thousand years ago, but now no longer is by shifting of constellations) in the south. Job mentions these constellations not to admire them, as in Psalm 19, but as an explanation of God’s absolute, irresistible strength.

‏ Job 9:6

God’s Irresistible Strength

In this section Job continues on the strength and greatness of God. The language he uses is of high quality, and his description is true. But the undertone is that of terrible doubt as to the goodness of God’s great and mighty Person to him. He feels himself no match for that great and mighty God. Neither is he, nor any human being. However, it is not a question of strength, but of trust. And the latter is lacking in Job. He feels wrongfully humiliated by God. In his eyes God abuses His power. In Job 9:5-7 the might of God is therefore painted in its destructive strength.

What shall he, puny mortal, begin against a God Who removes mountains and does so in a way that no one notices (Job 9:5; Psa 46:2)? In the Bible, mountains are an example of firmness and stability. If He overturns mountains in His anger, with what ease does He overturn Job? If He touches the earth with a finger, it shakes out of its place (Job 9:6). Its pillars, which give stability to the earth, tremble. Surely, the life of Job is nothing in comparison, is it?

He can even change the laws of nature (Job 9:7). One word from Him is enough to prevent the sun from rising and the stars darken so that they no longer shine. Job seems to say that God did the same with the sun of life and the shining stars in his life. His days have become dark and the night of misery has no end.

God as the Creator of heaven and earth has power over the universe. When He created the heavens, no one was His helper: “He alone stretches out the heavens” (Job 9:8; cf. Isa 44:24; Psa 104:2). Even the wild, high waves of the sea are under His authority. For He created the sea (Gen 1:7). He walks on it, as we can see in the walking of the Lord Jesus on the sea (Mt 14:25-26). If the disciples see Him walking in this way, however, it does not bring peace to their hearts, but unrest. This is also the case with Job.

Furthermore, Job describes God’s power of creation in the universe in the whole expanse above him (Job 9:9). He does this by listing the four most important and brightest constellations that were visible at the time. God created the Bear in the north, the Orion (Evening Star) in the west, the Pleiades (the Seven Stars) in the east, and the chambers of the south (a constellation that was brightly visible four thousand years ago, but now no longer is by shifting of constellations) in the south. Job mentions these constellations not to admire them, as in Psalm 19, but as an explanation of God’s absolute, irresistible strength.