Job 28:25

"He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven; to make the weight for the winds." It was many hundreds — yes, some thousands — of years later that man discovered the atmosphere has weight. It did not enter into the philosophy of the philosophers then; they knew nothing about it.

It is wisdom far higher than man's conception that "established a weight for the wind" (v.25). Air weighs nothing. Yet the wind has such tremendous weight that it can break rocks in pieces (1 Kings 19:11). God also "apportions the water by measure." Who could even think of measuring the water of the oceans? Yet our great Creator holds all these things under perfect control. Such mighty works show wisdom, no less than power.

"He weighs the waters by measure," so that no matter what comes, the sea is never too full. The circle of waters is always going on. Waters rise up as vapour, and in vast quantities. The power of the sun acts on the waters, and many tons go up every day. There was a measure for it all, in God's mind.

The average height of land above water is 2,300 feet. The average depth of water is 13,000 feet. God in His wisdom planned the right proportion of land and water. This keeps the true balance of nature. With more land and less water, long drought would have followed. Farmers could not have grown good crops, cattle would have died for want of pasture and water, and the earth would have been scorched. With more water and less land, constant flooding would have been the result.

"God understands its way and He knows its place" (v.23). So Job rises high above the speculations of men, who by nature have no idea of wisdom. God alone is the Source of wisdom. He understands it in absolute perfection — He who has established "the ends of the earth" and contemplates all that is "under the whole heaven," as no creature possibly can (v.24).

How sad it is to see men of vast knowledge and deep reasoning powers. They gaze into the glorious heavens and fail to find God or wisdom there. They analyse the dust of the earth, yet do not perceive Him who "worked by weight and measure." The words of the apostle state the solemn fact: "the world did not know God through wisdom" (1 Corinthians 1:21). How blessed it is then to have the true wisdom — "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." We come to know Him through that cross, which sets aside all of man's pride, his wisdom and his righteousness.

He appointed the wind its weight — a remarkable thought and word for these days. He measured out the waters. He controls the rain and the lightning. Yet He also laid down the foundation of all righteousness, and this for favoured man on earth to hear. It is to give God His rights. "The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding." It is to be subject morally to God as Master.

His all-seeing eye sweeps the heavens. He has given its weight to the invisible air, and its appointed proportions to the water. He sends the gentle rain, and with it gives a course to the lightning's flash. He has seen wisdom; no — He is that Wisdom.