Sermon 34, Job 9:7-15
The natural world is evoked a lot in Job and, I am learning, all through the Old Testament. Today’s sermon looks heavily at the natural world and I enjoyed reading John Calvin expounding on the wonders of astronomy and physics! As a scientist this was a particularly fun sermon!
The natural world is amazing. But, reflecting on its use in the Bible today I wondered why it’s used in the Bible? I think I had thought that the purpose was for us to marvel at God’s majesty, His creation, His power and I do think that’s true. But there is that word “marvel” which isn’t that helpful or, and here is the rub, self-improving. God holds back the oceans, shaped the mountains, and controls the weather. All true. But Calvin has an interesting line that is very thought provoking and reveals so much.
“…the mountains flow before him like wax in the heat of the sun (Psa. 97:5). That advises us that he could do whatever pleases him anytime he wishes.”
Again, God can do whatever he wants anytime he wishes. So when we observe the natural world we have to acknowledge that this is what God did and that He chose to do it. That’s interesting to me. But Calvin goes further to reveal, using Job’s words, the benefit of thinking about God’s creation, “…we need to make comparison with our frailty, for what are we in comparison to a mountain?”
So that’s it. Recall, always seek humility. Here is a summary quote from today:
“Let us attune our senses to appreciate the order of nature, what we see in heaven and on earth. Let that lead us to God and to conceive of him in a way that humbles us before him to give him all honor.”
I am enjoying being lead in these sermons to focus on God’s attributes and to think about how little anything has to do with me.