102. The Counsel of God

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Hymns: RHC 319 It Is Well with My Soul, 318 Blessed Assurance, 327 All Things Work Out for Good

Job 37:12-14

1 At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place. 2 Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth. 3 He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth. 4 After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard. 5 God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend. 6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength. 7 He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work. 8 Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places. 9 Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north. 10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened. 11 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud: 

12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth. 13 He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy. 14 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. 

The Counsel of God

OUTLINE

  • By His Voice
    • Commandeth the Lightning, Rain and Snow (v1-6)
      • Determines the Activities of Men and Beasts (7-8)
    • Commandeth the Whirlwind, the Snow, Clouds (v9-11)
  • He Decrees whatsoever Comes to Pass on the Face of the World in the Earth (v12)
  • He Does So for Correction, for His Land and For Mercy (v13)  

Continue…

  • He Decrees whatsoever Comes to Pass on the Face of the World in the Earth (v12)

12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.

From “The Wondrous Works of God”, I propose the title “The Counsel of God” as we enter v12-14.

The counsel of God shall stand. Three times Jesus said “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33). There is no thwarting of God. He cannot be undermined. He cannot be overtaken. His authority is over the face of the world in the earth, explains Elihu to Job. Does Job not know? He needed to know God in a deeper way that will strengthen his faith and fellowship with God. 

In the trials of Job, God sought to imprint His presence in the heart of Job amidst His suffering. Job is a God fearer. He loves God with all his heart, that could be seen in his devotional life. But God sought Job to understand Him even deeper. God sought to establish in Job’s heart an unfailing hope even in the midst of suffering which suffering cannot destroy. The Apostle Paul ascertains this by explaining it in the work of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, in the believer’s life. 

Romans 8:24-39 (KJV) For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what isthe mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

9 Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north. 10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened. 11 Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud: 12 And it is turned round about by his counsels…

His decrees in the world affects and even determines the seasons of life for earthlings and their activities. The activities for winter are mainly indoors. It is quite impossible to stay out in the cold for too long. Elihu traces the snow to the breath of God.

This is made clear when the Apostle Paul said that the counsels of God in His Word is the breath of God, this is the meaning of the word “inspiration” given in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and isprofitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

And so, the thought in verse 13 – 13 He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.

Makes sense! Since God is the Creator and Sustainer of His creation, He is therefore also the determinator of the weather.

When Jesus asked His disciples to sail into the sea of Galilee only to meet a storm, He came to them amidst the storm and calm the storm so that the disciples in the boat were kept safe. All the weather pointed the disciples to their Saviour!

Job is brought to understand all his suffering point him to his Saviour. In human suffering, man realizes his need of God. He is the Great Physician.

God’s purpose when He revealed His counsel is in directing human affairs to point them to Himself.

The common people say that the rain is determined by the planets, which is as bad divinity as it is philosophy, for it is guided and governed by the counsel of God, which extends even to those things that seem most casual and minute, that they may do whatsoever he commands them; for the stormy winds, and the clouds that are driven by them, fulfil his word; and by this means he causes it to rain upon one city and not upon another (Amos 4:7-8). Thus, His will is done upon the face of the world in the earth, that is, among the children of men, to whom God has an eye in all these things, of whom it is said that he made them to dwell on the face of the earth (Acts 17:26). [Matthew Henry]

Amos 4:7-8 (KJV) And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

Acts 17:26 (KJV) And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

  • He Does So for Correction, for His Land and For Mercy (v13)  

13 He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.

The counsel of God in the world as attested by His wondrous works Elihu explains is for the purpose of correction or for his land or for mercy.

The word “correction” is literally “rod, staff, scepter”, for the purpose of discipline. The rod is often used as an emblem of punishment. The idea is, that God, when he pleases, can send the rain upon the earth for the purpose of executing punishment. So, He did on the old world (Genesis 7:11-12), and so the overflowing flood is often now sent to sweep away the works of man, to lay waste his fields, and to cut off the wicked. [Barnes]

Genesis 7:11-12 (KJV) In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

Or for his land – When necessary to render the land productive. He waters it by timely rains. It is called “his land,” meaning that the earth belongs to the Lord, and that he cultivates it as his own (Psalm 24:1). [Barnes]

Psalm 24:1 (KJV) A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Or for mercy – In kindness and benignity to the world. But for this, the earth would become baked and parched, and all vegetation would expire. The idea is, that the rains are entirely under the control of God, and that He can make use of them to accomplish His various purposes – to execute His judgments, or to express His benignity and love. These various uses to which the lightning, the storm, and the rain could be made subservient under the divine direction, seem to have been one of the main ideas in the mind of Elihu, showing the supremacy and the majesty of God. [Barnes]

Matthew Henry observed well, “The inferior creatures, being incapable of doing moral actions, are incapable of receiving rewards and punishments: but, among the children of men, God causes the rain to come, either for the correction of his land or for a mercy to it. Rain sometimes turns into a judgment. It is a scourge to a sinful land; as once it was for the destruction of the whole world, so it is now often for the correction or discipline of some parts of it, by hindering seedness and harvest, raising the waters, and damaging the fruits. At other times it is a blessing. It is for his land, that this may be made fruitful; and, besides that which is just necessary, he gives for mercy, to fatten it and make it more fruitful. See what a necessary dependence we have upon God, when the very same thing, according to the proportion in which it is given, may be either a great judgment or a great mercy, and without God we cannot have either a shower or a fair gleam.”

CONCLUSION

The purpose of God is fulfilled in all that happens before us in His wondrous works and the people of God are commanded to “stand still” to understand and behold it. May it cause His people to search out His good will for your spiritual strengthening. Amen.