The Greatness of God

MEMORY VERSE: “Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.” —Job 42:1,2

JOB 38:1-7,31-33; 40:2

THE greatness of God is set forth many places in the Bible. David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.” (Ps. 19:1,2) Isaiah wrote, “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.”—Isa. 40:28

Jeremiah 9:23,24 reads, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”

If we had only the works of creation through which to see and appraise the characteristics of God it might be extremely difficult at times to discern his “loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness,” for nature can be extremely cruel at times. It is only as we discover the plan of God for the eternal salvation of mankind through the redemptive work of Christ that we discern his loving-kindness in all its fullness. And this, despite all the things which we see and experience that seemingly bear testimony to the contrary.—John 3:16

There are four cardinal attributes of God’s character—wisdom, justice, love, and power. His plan for the redemption and recovery of man from sin and death reveals these attributes. Death is the just penalty for sin. The death of Jesus as man’s Redeemer is one of the evidences of God’s love. His wisdom is also displayed in many ways, particularly in the condemnation of all mankind through the one man Adam, which made it possible to redeem all through the one man Christ Jesus, who “gave himself a ransom for all.”—I Tim. 2:3-6

One of the ways in which God’s almighty power is displayed through his plan is in the resurrection of the dead. He raised Jesus from the dead; He is raising his followers from the dead, and in due time divine power will awaken all mankind from the sleep of death.

Job did not understand these truths of the divine plan as we are privileged to do today, and he found it difficult to harmonize his trying experiences with what he had believed God to be. God spoke to Job “out of the whirlwind,” and asked him a series of questions about the works of creation, which he could not answer. Job’s inability to answer these questions was designed to make him realize how little understanding he really possessed in comparison with the knowledge of God, and how limited his abilities compared with those of God.

After two full chapters of these questions God asks Job, “Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.” (ch. 40:2) The Hebrew word here translated “contendeth” literally means “to grapple.” Job grappled with his calamities, seeking to harmonize them with what he wanted to be. The word “reproveth” is from a Hebrew word meaning right, or correct.

Satan had charged that if calamity came upon Job he would curse God. Job did not do this, but he did find it difficult to understand why God, whom he had served faithfully, would allow him to suffer so much. But when he was confronted with the fact of his own lack of understanding, Job recognized that he had said too much, and he confessed, saying, “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth”—I will keep silence.—ch. 40:3,4

Then follows another series of questions designed to impress Job further with his own folly, and Job perceives their meaning—“I know that thou [God] canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.” To this he added, “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (ch. 42:6) May the contemplation of the greatness of God keep us all humble before him!

QUESTIONS

Quote some scriptures which speak of God’s greatness.

How is God revealed through his plan?

What effect did God’s greatness have on Job?

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