Job 38:41

Who provideth for the raven his food?— The reason given why the raven is particularly mentioned as an object of the care of Providence, is, because by his clamorous and importunate voice he particularly seems always calling upon him; thence κορασσω from corax, a raven, signifies to ask earnestly, Elian, lib. ii. c. 48. See Dr. Young's Notes on his Paraphrase of the Book of Job.

REFLECTIONS.—1st, Behold the present Deity! what mortal but must tremble before him, with deep silence bow into the dust, and hear with solemn attention what GOD is about to speak!

1. The person who appears is the Almighty Jehovah, probably the eternal Son, visible in human form. See chap. Job 42:5. Out of the whirlwind, in terrible majesty, he utters his voice, and, as Job had so earnestly requested, directs his speech to him. Note; (1.) God hath various ways of speaking to the souls of men: sometimes in the small still voice of secret consolations, sometimes in the awfully distressing thunders of heart-rending convictions; yet in both it is alike the voice of mercy. (2.) They who contend against God, must be made to know at last, how vain their struggle against him, who, when he judgeth, will overcome.

2. The charge laid against job. Who is this that darken-eth counsel, by words without knowledge? Shall a worm dare presume to judge of God's perfections? Shall Job, the righteous Job, object to his wisdom and goodness? Shall he by speeches of folly darken and misrepresent the counsels of providence? How insolent, as well as ignorant, the attempt!

3. God challenges him to answer, since that was what he had so eagerly desired; bids him gird up his loins as a man of war, and produce his strong reasons; or answer his questions concerning things natural and obvious, before he dared pretend to fathom the secrets of Providence.
2nd, With what majesty! with what unutterable dignity, doth God describe his own glorious works! and how can Job pretend to dispute with him, when he is unable to answer one of a thousand of his enquiries.
1. Where was he, when God, alone existing from eternity, began his wonders of creation, and laid the strong foundations of the earth? Was he present, or his wisdom consulted, in proportioning the quantity of matter to be consolidated; or fitting in exact proportion the several parts, to compose the exquisite machine? Could he explain the causes of attraction and gravitation; how the parts cohere? by what basis supported; or by what cornerstone the glorious fabric was held together? How unthought of, without a being, was he, when on the rising glories of creation, the morning stars, spoke into being at God's word, shone forth his praises; or rather bright angelic hosts beheld with enraptured admiration the teeming womb of nature, and heaven's high arch resounded with shouts of joy, and songs of seraphic spirits, adoring the great creator. Note; (1.) God alone is the great author of all; and he who made all with such consummate wisdom, must needs best know how to govern. (2.) If angels in heaven are adoring, should man be silent, to whom the earth is given, and for whose sake it was formed? (3.) In heaven no discord is heard; there they all unite in the great congregation. When shall the sons of God on earth resemble them; divided no more by schisms, sects, and parties; but with one heart, and one mouth, unite together in universal love, and worship God in the same beauty of holiness!

2. He knew no more concerning the limiting of the sea with bounds, than about the creation of the earth. It was God alone, without his help or consultation, who from the embrio of matter first separated the swelling floods, that burst forth at his word, as waters from the travailing womb. Then by his spirit moving on the face of the deep, the separation first was made, and the dry land arose: the ocean retired to its appointed place, laid as a babe in a cradle, and wrapped with swaddling bands of darkness. There, though the billows rage, and lift their curling heads on high, his decree hath fixed their limits, more firm than bars of adamant; Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.

3rdly, God proceeds to confound Job with questions infinitely above mortal understanding; and thereby to teach him his folly in arraigning any of his works and ways.
1. Respecting the light of the morning. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days? to break sooner, or retard the dawn beyond its appointed moment; and caused the day-spring to know its place? when or where to arise? Never: how then could he pretend to alter the dispensations of providence? Swift the morning beam darts to earth's farthest verge, bringing unwelcome light to the deeds of darkness; then the wicked are discovered and seized, and shaken out of the world. Turning to the sun, as clay to the seal, the enlightened hemisphere, which before was darkness and confusion, now appears beautifully illuminated with the beams of day; and all its verdant beauties, trees, plants, herbs, and flowers, like garments clothe and adorn it on every side. But though the light of day returns, spiritual darkness is still spread upon the sinner's soul, and eternal darkness awaits him; or, confined for his crimes in dungeons, he sees no cheering beam; and the arm that he lifted high in iniquity is broken by just judgment. Note; Like the morning-light did Christ, the day-star, arise, and his bright truth has been diffused to the ends of the earth; and though wicked men choose darkness rather, and hate this gospel-day, they shall be seized, convicted, condemned, and executed, doomed to that outer darkness, where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

2. As ignorant was he, [1.] Of the springs of the sea; what fed it in such exact proportion, that it should not be exhausted by the vapour arising from it, or swoln beyond its limits by the rivers which flow into it; as ignorant also was he of its depth, which is unfathomable; and of its treasures, which are unsearchable. [2.] Of the state of the dead, by what diseases or accidents men shall come to the grave; how the union of body and soul is dissolved; by what path we go into the unseen world; in what place the soul remains; who in that world are happy or miserable; and what is there transacted. Note; In awful curiosity the soul now steps sometimes to the verge of time, and casts an eye into the boundless ocean of eternity; but "shadows, clouds, and darkness rest upon it." Yet, though sight fails, and reason is lost, faith can pierce through the thick cloud, and dare, unterrified, launch forth with confidence and comfort into the untried abyss. [3.] Of the dimensions of the earth. Who ever made the survey of all its kingdoms, provinces, hills, dales, with the several measures and extent of each? How much is yet unknown after all human researches; and of what is discovered, how small a part can any one man know by actual survey? and how much less of the breadth and length of the divine counsels? [4.] Where light dwells, and where darkness has its place; and how in succession they go and return, till day and night shall have an end? Secrets these, into which the deepest philosophic inquiries can never adequately penetrate. [5.] Of the snow, hail, and wind. Where the treasuries for each are placed; how they are sent forth in measure and duration; in what manner marshalled, when God employs them as instruments of vengeance to punish guilty mortals? In all which points, a worm of yesterday, as Job was, must confess his ignorance, and therefore ought in silence to adore, without a murmur against any thing that God doth, all of whose works far exceed his understanding.

4thly, How impotent, as well as ignorant, is man, when compared with his Maker! Who can do as God doth? Therefore how dare we contend with him?
1. From him alone cometh the rain; each drop falls from the clouds in its appointed place, and in the exact channel formed for it through the air. The lightning flashes not uncircumscribed, but in the way, extent, and order that he prescribes. The desolate wilderness partakes of the divine care, and herbs and flowers arise where no human footsteps tread, and the beasts of the forest alone maintain their empire. Great parent of all, the rain calls him Father, and the smallest drop of dew distinctly acknowledges him the Maker. The hoary frost that whitens the earth, he only can produce; and when he sends forth his ice, the waters are congealed as the rock, and the face of the deep is solid as the marble pavement. Note; Our hearts are like the desolate and parched ground, till watered with the dew of heavenly grace, but then bring forth fruit unto God.

2. God appeals to him for his weakness. He can do nothing: the clouds will not drop at his bidding, nor the lightnings execute his commands; much less can he reach the higher regions of the stars. He cannot bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades, which usher in the general spring, to retard or hasten it; nor loose the bands of Orion, whose constellation reigns during the cold of winter, that the stormy winds should not blow, nor the frost harden the earth. The southern stars own not his government, nor do the constellations of the north move by his direction. So far from guiding them, he knew not by what laws they were governed; and if their dominion were left to him confusion would soon ensue, and he be at a loss to direct the vast machine. The understanding that man possesses, of whatever kind, in things natural and spiritual, is all derived from him, and therefore it were folly to pretend to be wise above him, from whom all our wisdom comes. We know little, and can do less. Who can number the clouds, or stay the bottles of heaven, when by profuse rain the dust becomes mire, and cleaves fast together in clods? Therefore, with humble acknowledgments of our weakness and ignorance, it becomes us to resign ourselves and our all to his government, who alone is the all-wise Director. Note; (1.) If some pretend to judge of men's fortune by the knowledge of the stars, and others credit their astrological predictions, we may safely conclude the knavery or impudence of the one, and the folly of the other. (2.) Since God is the author of our rational soul, let us improve the measure of knowledge that he hath bestowed upon us, not in endless researches, or vain questions, much less in finding fault with his ways; but in meditation on his glory, and reflecting on the arguments for perfect submission under all his dispensations; and this shall be indeed our wisdom.

3. God proceeds, from the works of his glory above, to his care and providence over the brute creation, in which the next chapter is entirely occupied, and might properly begin here. The lion, as the king of beasts, is first mentioned: man neither can nor durst provide the lions' prey, nor approach them in their hiding-places; but God feeds and fills them. The ravens likewise prove his providential care: useless as they may appear in the creation, their young ones are not suffered to perish for want; but God hears their cry of hunger, and provides for their support. Note; (1.) Doth the providence of God extend to the fierce lion, and the unclean raven? shall they share his kindness; and can his own children have cause to complain of his neglect? No, in no wise. (2.) If the cry of the young raven is heard, surely the prayers of the poor shall not be disregarded. While on our knees we beg for daily bread, we shall not want it.