By Rachel Ann Labasan

Can you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything about the Almighty? Such knowledge is higher than the heavens! And who are you? It is deeper than the underworld – what do you know? It is broader than the earth and wider than the sea. - Job 11:7-9 (NLT)

The book of Job is a timeless and universal book about a wealthy chieftain who was tested by God. The verses above come from a bit of advice from one of Job’s companions who wanted Job to realize that his present stressful situation didn’t determine who God will be in his life.

Job’s trials came to him in a domino effect: he lost his children, his possessions, contracted a disease, and was abandoned by everybody, including his wife. Zophar, one of Job’s three friends who was with him during those frustrating times, and elaborates on the meaning of “God Almighty” to Job, who was stuck in confusion and despair. With zeal, he exclaims, “Hold on, Job! God is not done with you yet!”

When we hear [Job's] name, terms like faithfulness, endurance, and strength come to our mind.

Originally, the Hebrew word for the name Job is ‘Iyyov’ which means persecuted or hated. Now, when we hear his name, terms like faithfulness, endurance, and strength come to our mind. With the help of his friends and his faith in God he forever changed connotation of his name.

Like Job, when we are in a nerve-racking circumstance, we tend to look down. We feel hopeless, rejected, discouraged, and doomed to fail. We can believe that it is just natural for humans to feel such. We forget to look up and ask ourselves, “Who is the architect of the trees and the forest, of every animal, those mountain ranges, that sky, and the vast universe containing them?” Rephrasing Zophar’s words, “Can I, a mortal man, be able to determine what’s inside of that unrelenting Mind?”

Zophar’s advice to Job reminds us to not underestimate the knowledge and power of God.

Problems will always arise in our personal, family, and communal life. We will face difficulty on a national and even global scale. Zophar’s advice to Job reminds us to not underestimate the knowledge and power of God, especially in the bleak moments. Waves may crash, we might be swayed, but we may find peace in knowing that our Creator’s wisdom is as immeasurable as the ocean.

This line from a song perfectly teaches us the lesson of how one should trust an Almighty God whose knowledge is wider than the sea (v. 9b).

“And I will call upon Your name, and keep my eyes above the waves. When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace, for I am Yours and You are mine.”

Questions for Discussion:

1. What is the stressful situation you are currently facing right now? What does Zophar’s advice to Job in Chapter 11:7-9 mean to you?
2. Is Zophar’s advice also applicable to the crises we face in the national/global scale? Give one particular problem you know.