Job 38:12–15

This is the man who claimed to sit in judgment on God's moral ways. The first thing done is to overwhelm him with the sense of his utter ignorance and powerlessness in the smallest things of divine energy, even in creation. Where was Job when Jehovah founded the earth? ... He whose understanding stood baffled at such a question was not in a position to judge of His deep things.

Has Job ever commanded a single morning to appear, or caused the dawn to know the place of its appearing? With all his supposed knowledge and power, man cannot command the forces of nature to do his bidding. Day by day the light appears in its appointed place. It floods the earth with light, and the guilty flee from it. Evening falls, and no word of man can stop or hurry this constant action. Only One gave His command at the beginning: "Let there be light." Since that time evening and morning have known their appointed time and place.

Did Job decide when the morning was to dawn? What a question for the man who thought he could in effect make God accountable to him! The morning always follows the night, and what man can change this amazing fact? Job had been feeling the darkness of night in the hard experiences he had suffered. If he could command the morning, then he could bring complete relief to the trials of darkness. But only God can cause the dawn to know its place.

"…that it might take hold of the ends of the earth" — that is, when the sun rises to gild it — "that the wicked might be shaken out of it?" The darkness of night gives the opportunity for murder and burglary and all the other crimes of men, more than any other time. "It is turned as clay to the seal." When the earth is in darkness, you can no more make it out than clay before the seal is pressed into it. But the moment the light shines, there you find its shape and its beauty as God fixed it.

When the millennial day dawns it will embrace "the ends of the earth," and the wicked will be shaken out of it. The wicked love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. At that day the light of "the Sun of righteousness," rising with "healing in His wings," will expose them. The Lord Jesus, the true Light, will so expose the wicked as to shake them out of the earth.

This appeal to day and night is most effective. Shall Job accuse One who is Light, who sees all things as they are? Shall he doubt One who knows the secrets of his heart, and the reason for these chastenings? Do not these questions give a hint that God will cause Job's night to end, and at the appointed time cause His dawn to visit the poor sufferer?

Did Job decide when the morning was to dawn? (v.12). What a question for the man who thought he could in effect make God accountable to him! The morning always follows the night, and what man can change this amazing fact? Job had been feeling the darkness of night in the hard experiences he had suffered. If he could command the morning, then he could bring complete relief to the trials of darkness. But only God can cause the dawn to know its place.

"That it might take hold of the ends of the earth" — that is, when the sun rises to gild it, as it were — "that the wicked might be shaken out of it?" This is because the darkness of the night is exactly what gives the opportunity for murder and burglary and all the other crooked dealings of men more than any other time.

As the mark of the signet-ring on the formless clay, so the light stamps on the face of the earth the varied forms and colours of all things. They stand out like a lovely garment — or the reverse, a scene of ruin — under the light. The light shows all things as they are: "Anything that becomes visible is light" (Eph. 5:13). The night is the light of the wicked; they hate the light, and will not come to it, in case their deeds should be exposed. The coming of the light stops their deeds. Their uplifted arm is broken.

Verse 13 reminds us that when the millennial day dawns it will embrace "the ends of the earth," and the wicked will be shaken out of it. The wicked, who love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil, will at that day be exposed by the light of "the Sun of righteousness" arising with "healing in His wings." The Lord Jesus, the true Light, will so expose the wicked as to shake them out of the earth.

So the light of God's presence detects evil. When He causes the dawning of a new day — "The day of the Lord" — evildoers will be shaken out of the earth. For this reason, His people, who are "children of light, children of the day," order their life by the light. For this reason, in that fair land where there is no night, nothing unclean can enter. It is the home of the light. None could remain there but the sons of light. "Its lamp is the Lamb."

This appeal to day and night is most effective. Shall Job accuse One who is Light, who sees all things as they are? Shall he doubt One who knows the secrets of his heart, and the reason for these chastenings? Do not these questions give a hint that God will cause Job's night to end, and at the appointed time cause His dayspring to visit the poor sufferer?

Has Job ever commanded a single morning to appear, or caused the dawn to know the place of its appearing? With all his supposed knowledge and power, man cannot command the forces of nature to do his bidding. Day by day the light appears in its appointed place. It floods the earth, and the guilty flee from it. Evening falls, and no word of man can stop or hurry this constant action. Only One gave His command at the beginning: "Let there be light." Since that time evening and morning have known their appointed time and place.

Stones with words, letters, or symbols cut into them. In ancient times people pierced these stones and hung them from the arm or the neck by a cord or chain, or set them in rings and wore them on the finger. They pressed the design into pieces of clay attached to official documents. In the East such a document is not considered genuine unless it carries a seal.

"It is turned as clay to the seal." While the earth lies in darkness, you cannot make it out at all. It is like clay before the seal is pressed into it. But the moment the light shines, there you find its shape and its beauty as God fixed it.

The signet-ring leaves its mark on formless clay. In the same way, the light stamps the varied forms and colours of all things on the face of the earth. They stand out like a lovely garment — or the reverse, a scene of ruin — under the light. The light shows all things as they are: "Anything that becomes visible is light" (Eph. 5:13). The night is the light of the wicked; they hate the light and will not come to it, in case their deeds should be exposed.

So the light of God's presence detects evil. When He causes a new day to dawn — "the day of the Lord" — evildoers will be shaken out of the earth. For this reason His people, who are "children of the light and of the day," order their life by the light. For this reason, in that fair land where there is no night, nothing that defiles can enter. It is the home of the light. None could remain there but the sons of light. "The Lamb is the light of it."

This appeal to day and night is most effective. Shall Job accuse One who is Light, who sees all things as they are? Shall he doubt One who knows the secrets of his heart, and the reason for these chastenings? Do not these questions hint that God will end Job's night, and at the appointed time send His dawn to visit the poor sufferer?

The night is the light of the wicked; they hate the light, and will not come to it, in case their deeds should be exposed. The coming of the light stops their deeds. Their uplifted arm is broken.

Because the darkness of the night is exactly what gives the opportunity for murder and burglary and all the other dishonest dealings of men, more than any other time.

A signet ring stamps its mark on shapeless clay. In the same way, the light stamps the varied forms and colours of all things on the face of the earth. Under that light they stand out like a lovely garment — or the opposite, a scene of ruin. The light shows all things as they are: "Anything that becomes visible is light" (Eph. 5:13).

Because the wicked love darkness, light is withheld from them (v.15). Their arm, lifted up in opposition to God, is simply broken. Job should certainly have been deeply impressed by this. He had been dangerously close to raising his arm against God, and in this way acting as the wicked do.

So the light of God's presence detects evil. When He causes a new day to dawn — "the day of the Lord" — evildoers will be shaken out of the earth. For this reason His people, who are "children of light, children of the day," order their lives by the light. For this reason, in that fair land where there is no night, nothing unclean can enter. It is the home of light. None could remain there but the sons of light. "Its lamp is the Lamb."

This appeal to day and night is very effective. Will Job accuse One who is Light, who sees all things as they are? Will he doubt One who knows the secrets of his heart, and the reason for these chastenings? Do these questions not hint that God will bring Job's night to an end, and at the appointed time cause His dawn to visit the poor sufferer?