What is the meaning of Job 37:5? God thunders • Scripture regularly links thunder with the Lord’s tangible power. At Sinai “there were thunders and lightning” when He descended (Exodus 19:16), and David declared, “The LORD thundered from heaven” (Psalm 18:13). Job’s friend Elihu reminds his hearers that this is no mere metaphor; the audible roll of thunder is an actual display of God’s dominion over creation. • Thunder turns heads and stills conversations. Likewise, God’s interventions in history—from the flood of Genesis 7 to the plagues of Exodus 7–12—demand humanity’s attention. • The verse assures the sufferer that the same God who commands the storm also oversees every detail of human life (Matthew 10:29–31). If He can shake the skies, He can certainly handle the questions Job is asking. Wondrously with His voice • “Wondrously” speaks of more than volume; it points to awe‐inspiring purpose. Psalm 29:3-4 echoes the theme: “The voice of the LORD resounds over the waters; the God of glory thunders… The voice of the LORD is powerful.” • When Jesus cried, “Father, glorify Your name,” some in the crowd said it had thundered (John 12:28–29). Even then, God’s voice produced both wonder and confusion, underscoring that He communicates on His own terms. • His voice called worlds into existence (Genesis 1). It sustains them still (Hebrews 1:3). Every promise, rebuke, and comfort in Scripture carries that same creative authority. He does great things • Elihu shifts from sound to action: “He does great things.” Think of creation itself (Genesis 1-2), the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22), the sun standing still for Joshua (Joshua 10:12-14), or Christ’s resurrection (Matthew 28:5-7). • These works are not distant history. God “alone does great wonders” in every generation (Psalm 136:4) and “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). • For Job, the “great thing” might soon be vindication and deeper understanding; for us, it may be salvation, provision, or sanctification—but always sourced in the same mighty hand. We cannot comprehend • Elihu concludes with humility: the scale of God’s greatness is beyond human calculus. “Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable” (Psalm 145:3). • Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us His thoughts and ways tower above ours; Romans 11:33 exclaims, “How unsearchable are His judgments!” • Accepting our limits is not resignation but worship. We bow, trusting that even unanswered questions rest in the care of a wise, sovereign Father (Job 42:2-3). summary Job 37:5 presses us to listen for God’s thunder, marvel at His wondrous voice, remember His unrivaled deeds, and admit our finite understanding. The verse invites reverent awe, steady trust, and peaceful surrender to the One whose power shakes the heavens yet whose purposes, though often mysterious, are always perfect. |
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