Only a whisper ∙

Only a whisper ∙

These are just the fringes of all that he does, merely a whisper of his power. Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power? – Job 26:14

Job 26:11-14

 11 The foundations of heaven tremble; they shudder at his rebuke.

 12 By his power the sea grew calm. By his skill he crushed the great sea monster.

 13 His Spirit made the heavens beautiful, and his power pierced the gliding serpent.

 14 These are just the beginning of all that he does, merely a whisper of his power. Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?

1 Kings 19:11-12

 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.

Of all the knowledge available in the universe, how much do we know? Of all the books in the Library of Congress, how many have we read? And what of the infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Father God, how much do we know about Him?

The answer to all these questions is the same, extraordinarily little.

The Father’s omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence are seen in what has been made. What are the implications of the unlimited power and authority of the One who created and governs everything? Trying to understand the Father through His creation, is foolhardy. It would be like researching one tiny grain of sand, and thinking we had knowledge and comprehension of all the sand in existence.

We hear thunder, but how can we presume to understand thunder by merely hearing it.

Job 26:14 These are just the fringes of all that he does, merely a whisper of his power. Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?

The Hebrew word translated fringes or outskirts is qatsah. It refers to the end or extremity of objects, border regions, or edge. It speaks of something which is only partially disclosed or revealed; the term can be translated outline, glimpse, a small part of, only a fraction of, and only hints of.

Job’s friends saw the Father’s handiwork in nature, and erroneously and arrogantly thought they knew all about Him. They brashly thought they could explain the Father to Job.

Job’s view is diametrically opposed. How can you know the whole from the parts? How can you understand and comprehend an object by only observing its outline or shadow?  How can we possibly reason lesser to the greater and fully comprehend, when the greater is the Father Himself who is infinite?

What we see of the Father in creation is only the fringes of His ways. What we hear is but a whisper of His power! You may read The Book of Nature carefully and still have a great deal more to learn about the Father. Knowing a few facts about God’s creation is not the same as knowing truths about the God of Creation (Wiersbe).

“He truly knows God perfectly that finds Him incomprehensible and unable to know him” (Richard Rolle). The more we learn about the Father and His Word, the more we realize how little we know and how much more there is to discover. “Beware of people who claim to know all about God, for their claim is proof they know neither God nor themselves” (Wiersbe).

Things that are seen, heard, or understood are but an infinitesimally small part of all that the Father is and has done. They provide only a small hint of His greatness.

REFLECT & PRAY

We know and realize only nano tidbits of Who and What Father is.

Father help me to look beyond Your power and listen for Your gentle, soft whisper.

INSIGHT

Often when we think of the Lord God omnipotent, The Father of all, our minds naturally gravitate to things that are immense in time and space. The Father sees everything, made everything, and controls everything (Job 26:7-13)

We wonder at the seeming infinite immensity and complexity of His creation. We marvel at the intelligent design, the precision, and absolute balance, the harnessed and regulated power, and energy. Even seeming chaos and disarray has order and beauty.

According to chaos theory, the apparent randomness of chaotic complex systems is not random at all. Rather the apparent states of disorder and irregularities are actually governed by underlying patterns and laws. There are underlying patterns, interconnectedness, constant feedback loops, repetition, self-similarity, fractals, and self-organization.

The Father does not always act big. When the Father gets personal, very personal, He draws close and speaks in soft whispers. He uses His “inside voice.” Perhaps remembering the Exodus, Elijah set his expectations on the big, powerful, and dramatic. But the Father was not in the powerful wind, the rock-shattering earthquake, or the fire he witnessed.

But the Father did something unexpected. Rather than speak in a grand, momentous, thunderous voice shaking the earth, He spoke in a gentle, quiet whisper, the “sound of sheer silence” (NRSV) (1 Kings 19:11-12).

The Father was gently drawing Elijah back to Him. In fear, Elijah had run for his life. He was now cowering in a cave trying to keep himself safe and out of danger. Pause for a moment, can you see Elijah hiding, trembling in the cave? When someone whispers, you have to get close to hear and understand. The Father is coaxing Elijah to courage. Only when Elijah hears the Father’s whisper, does he finally venture out of the cave. Once again, Elijah was safe in the Father’s presence.

When was the last time you heard His whisper, His still small voice?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 12-07-9