Jul. 08, 2026

'TRIED & TESTED "HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD"

J

God Has Authority Over the Reach of the Heavens (Job 26:7a)

Job 26:7 “He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing.”

Genesis 1:1 ”In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" 

6. God Has Authority Over the Rotation of the Earth (Job 26:7b)

Job 26:7 “He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing.”

God created the earth and it is free of connection to anything; it is hanging in the expanse of heaven.

7. God Has Authority Over the Routine of the Waters- Job 26:8-13

Job 26:8-11 “He binds up the water in His thick clouds, Yet the clouds are not broken under it. 9He covers the face of His throne, And spreads His cloud over it. 10He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters, At the boundary of light and darkness. 11The pillars of heaven tremble, And are astonished at His rebuke.”

It is God who controls both the day and night, and the land and water. He can stir up the seas and cause them to stand still, just as Jesus did: 

Matthew 8:26 “But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” 

Job 26:12-14 “The pillars of heaven tremble, And are astonished at His rebuke. 12He stirs up the sea with His power, And by His understanding He breaks up the storm. 13By His Spirit He adorned the heavens; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent. 14Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, And how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?”

8. GOD’s JUSTICE Is UNAVOIDABLE- Job 27:1-23

*Job’s Defense- Job 27:1-6

Job 27:1-6 “Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said: 2“As God lives, who has taken away my justice, And the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter, 3As long as my breath is in me, And the breath of God in my nostrils, 4My lips will not speak wickedness,
Nor my tongue utter deceit. 5Far be it from me That I should say you are right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. 6My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.”

• Job’s Demand- Job 27:7-12

Job 27:7-12 “May my enemy be like the wicked, And he who rises up against me like the unrighteous. 8For what is the hope of the hypocrite, Though he may gain much, If God takes away his life?
9Will God hear his cry When trouble comes upon him? 10Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call on God? 11“I will teach you about the hand of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal. 12Surely all of you have seen it; Why then do you behave with complete nonsense?”

Job seems to be visualizing his cruel friends getting what they deserve from God.

• Job’s Declaration- Job 27:13-23

Job 27:13-15 “This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:
14If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword; And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread. 15Those who survive him shall be buried in death, And their widows shall not weep.”

Job then describes the plight of the wicked in verse 14-15

Job 27:16-23 “Though he heaps up silver like dust, And piles up clothing like clay. 17He may pile it up, but the just will wear it,
And the innocent will divide the silver. 18He builds his house like a moth, Like a booth which a watchman makes. 19The rich man will lie down, But not be gathered up; He opens his eyes, And he is no more. 20Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night. 21The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; It sweeps him out of his place. 22It hurls against him and does not spare; He flees desperately from its power. 23Men shall clap their hands at him, And shall hiss him out of his place.”

Almost everything Job says in this section about his friends is quoted from things they said previously about him.

9. GOD’s WISDOM Is UNEXPLAINABLE- JOB 28:1-26

*God’s Wisdom Cannot Be Sought- Job 28:1-11

Job begins by using several illustrations of things that are "sought for." 

Job 28:1 “Surely there is a mine for silver, And a place where gold is refined.”

Job 28:2 “Iron is taken from the earth, And copper is smelted from ore.

Job 28:3 “Man puts an end to darkness, And searches every recess For ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.”

Job 28:4-11 “He breaks open a shaft away from people;In places forgotten by feet They hang far away from men; They swing to and fro. 5As for the earth, from it comes bread, But underneath it is turned up as by fire; 6Its stones are the source of sapphires,
And it contains gold dust. 7That path no bird knows, Nor has the falcon’s eye seen it. 8The proud lions have not trodden it, Nor has the fierce lion passed over it. 9He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the roots. 10He cuts out channels in the rocks, And his eye sees every precious thing. 11He dams up the streams from trickling; What is hidden he brings forth to light.”

• God’s Wisdom Cannot Be Bought- Job 28:12-19

Job 28:12-15 “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? 13Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. 14The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ 15It cannot be purchased for gold, Nor can silver be weighed for its price.”

Verse 15 says that wisdom "cannot be purchased for gold, nor can silver be weighed for its price.”

Job 28:16-19 “It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx or sapphire. 17Neither gold nor crystal can equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold. 18No mention shall be made of coral or quartz, For the price of wisdom is above rubies. 19The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold.”

In this chapter alone, Job mentions gold five times, silver once and names seven different precious stones.

• God’s Wisdom Must Be Taught- Job 28:20-28

Job 28:20-23 “From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? 21It is hidden from the eyes of all living, And concealed from the birds of the air. 22Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a report about it with our ears.’ 23God understands its way, And He knows its place.”

So where does wisdom come from? How do we attain wisdom?

Verse 23 says, "God understands its way, and He knows its place.” Wisdom must be received from God!

Job 28:24-28 “For He looks to the ends of the earth, And sees under the whole heavens, 25To establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the waters by measure. 26When He made a law for the rain, And a path for the thunderbolt, 27Then He saw wisdom and declared it; He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out. 28And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.”

Verse 28 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

Psalm 111:10: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.”

To fear the Lord is not to be paralyzed by fear, but to be energized by fear.

The main thought is this: Have a proper and respectful attitude toward God. In humility seek counsel from His Word. Become a student of God's truth and allow Him to become your teacher.

• CONCLUSION

*Our Knowledge of God - A Whisper- Job 26:14

Job 26:14 “Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, And how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?”

• Our Knowledge of God - A Wonder-Romans 11:33

Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” 

Psalm 139:6: "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it." 

• Our Knowledge of God - Worship- Isaiah 55:8-9

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

True worship occurs when we realize the true greatness of God with all of its mysteries.

Our God is great and worthy to be praised!!