What does "Where were you" reveal about human limitations compared to God's wisdom? Setting the Scene in Job 38 Job 38:4: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” God breaks His silence after Job’s long lament and the speeches of his friends. The first words He directs to Job are not explanations but a question that instantly rearranges the courtroom: Job is no longer the plaintiff; he becomes the cross-examined witness. The Challenge in “Where were you” • A rhetorical question designed to expose Job’s absence at creation. • It forces Job to admit he lacks firsthand knowledge of the world’s origin. • It re-positions Job under divine authority—Job must “answer” rather than demand answers. • It highlights the vast, unbridgeable gap between creature and Creator. Human Limitations Exposed • Limited presence: We were not there “when” the earth began (cf. Psalm 90:2). • Limited knowledge: We cannot “tell” how God engineered the universe’s foundations (cf. Proverbs 30:4). • Limited power: We possess no creative ability comparable to God’s (cf. Isaiah 40:26). • Limited perspective: Our view is bound by time, space, and personal experience (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:12). • Limited authority: Without ownership of creation, we lack the right to dictate how God should govern it. God’s Surpassing Wisdom Displayed • Eternal pre-existence: He alone was present before anything else (Psalm 90:2). • Master Builder: “By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations” (Proverbs 3:19). • Sovereign Planner: Every detail of creation operates under His precise order (Jeremiah 10:12). • Incomparable understanding: “His understanding has no limit” (Psalm 147:5). • Unsearchable depth: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Romans 11:33). Living This Truth Today • Embrace humility—accept that our grasp of life’s whys and hows is partial at best. • Choose trust—rest in the One whose wisdom predates the foundation of the world (Isaiah 55:8-9). • Surrender control—quit attempting to manage outcomes only God can see fully. • Worship—acknowledge God’s greatness rather than magnifying our questions. • Find comfort—if the God who laid earth’s foundations oversees your life, nothing is random or purposeless. |
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