JOB 37
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 El 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.
Man's work ceases when Yahweh sends the snow. Man is forced to seek shelter. The wise will contemplate Yahweh's power compared to mere man.
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 El 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.
There may be specific purpose in Yahweh's climatic intervention for punishment or correction - Ex 9: 16, Josh 10: 11, 1 Sam 12: 17. Providence may also be perceived in the weather conditions which permitted significant battle victories such as the taking of Constantinople by the Ottomans, the thick fog enveloping the River Hudson, allowing George Washington and his army a safe retreat, the the Russian winter which defeated the Nazis, the 1967 six day war, the storm in Britain on the day of the vote for Brexit. (Leave voters typically more determined being idealistically driven. Many remainers were of the half- hearted variety of voters and unwilling to brave the stormy conditions.)
A thick fog at a moment of crucial importance allowed George Washington and his soldiers to escape inevitable slaughter by the British army and navy. Consequently and eventually America was able to free itself from British rule.Bro Thomas teaches in Eureka that the flight of the woman continued into his own times. America became the wilderness refuge of the woman's remnant.
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 El.
Job was faithful and righteous above all his contemporaries, and completely, actively dedicated to good works, and to service to God and man. He demonstrated his firm and unshakable endurance, and that he unselfishly loved goodness for goodness' sake alone.
But he did not have the necessary total self-abasing humility and recognition of self-nothingness until he was crushed by the divine revelation. The learning of this was the supreme blessing of his entire experience.
The whole lesson of God's self-manifestation to Job is the limitless greatness of God, and the utter littleness of man. If God had stooped to explain Himself to Job before totally humbling him in the recognition of his nothingness, then God would have been conceding man's right to judge God and demand an answer for His ways.
And this right, man must be made to fully realize, that he just does not have. It is absurd and unthinkable that puny little ignorant created man should for one moment question God, Who effortlessly maintains the numberless stars and galaxies in their myriad courses throughout the universe. What is weak, brief-lived, earth crawling man to question his Creator?
But when Job humbled himself, and cast away all self-importance, God graciously went much further to set Job's mind at perfect rest, and doubly compensated him for all his faithfully-borne suffering and shame. He totally vindicated and honored him before his self-righteous friends, and gave Job the joyful, forgiving privilege of being their mediator.
Bro Growcott - Doth Job Fear God For Nought?
15 Dost thou know when Eloah disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?
16 Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
What keeps the CLOUDS-containing countless millions of tons of water - floating in their snowy beauty in the sky?
For here is the heavenly rendezvous of the vast host of tiny water droplets drawn up into the heavens by the sun. Here they become manifest in their shining splendor, ready to pour scourging judgment or gentle blessings upon the earth, according to their great Creator's will.
Bro Growcott - Consider the Heavens
17 How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind?
18 Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?
Mirrors were made of polished metal such as brass plates
19 Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.
20 Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.
21 And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.
22 Fair weather cometh out of the north: with Eloah is terrible majesty.
23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
"We cannot find him out"
"the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth"
Therefore Yahweh reveals himself to Job in Ch 38