Job 9:5

Although he speaks quietly, there is an intense bitterness in what Job says here. Job seems to agree with Bildad that God is just. He says, "Of course He is just, for there is no appeal from whatever He does. He has both wisdom and power, and can overwhelm any useless attempt to reason with Him." This is terrible. This is not a humble man daring to ask God for a reason, as Jeremiah does in a similar situation (Jer. 12:1-4). It is the hardness of despair — might is right, and God has might on His side.

He removes mountains, and they know not that He has overturned them in His wrath; He shakes the earth out of its place, and the pillars of it rock themselves; He commands the sun, and it rises not, and He sets a seal about the stars.

In this part Job enlarges upon the power and greatness of God. The language is noble, the description true, but underneath lies the awful doubt of this great and powerful Being's goodness. God overturns the unconscious mountains in His wrath; He makes the earth to tremble... These are marvelous sweeps of language, taking in the whole heavens. But sadly it is not, "The heavens declare the glory of God." It is a declaration of absolute, unstoppable Power.

God could remove mountains by an earthquake, shaking the earth and causing its most stable influences to tremble. Also, high above the earth, He could command the sun not to rise, that is, as far as we can see... He "alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea." Whether the earth or sky or sea, He is in perfect control. The New Testament gives a precious confirmation of His control of the sea. Jesus "came to them, walking on the sea" (Matt. 14:25). That is clear proof that Jesus is God.

There were no volcanoes in the land of Israel or in the neighbouring countries. Yet the Spirit dictated these records: "who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke" (Ps. 104:32); "He who removes mountains, and they know it not, when He overturns them in His anger" (Job 9:5)... The textbooks of science change twice in every generation. Scripture stands firm. It watches human explanations of the universe get built, and then replaced by ones that seem more likely.

Supposing man adopts a defiant attitude and contends with God; what then? Disaster, and no justification! Sin has made mankind into rebels, so defying God is their first instinct. But Job saw how ruinous such an attitude would be. God is so infinitely great that no rebel can prosper.

Job did not doubt that God would see him through all his difficulties. But he could not work out on what ground of righteousness God would do it. If man was a poor sinful man, and God still showed him saving mercy, how was man to be just? You cannot put justice and sins together until you have Christ. He died for the sins and rose again for the believer's justification. There the sins are completely blotted out.