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Job 37:22
22 Fair weather [zahab] cometh ['athah] out of the north [tsaphown]: with God ['elowahh] is terrible [yare'] majesty [howd]. KJV-Interlinear
22 'Out of the north comes golden splendor; Around God is awesome majesty. NASB
In Job we have already studied the gold of Ophir, as being one of the most productive regions and source of the best refined gold. But Elihu emphasizes that the best gold by far comes from the north, out of Asia.
However, gold, is a substance that comes out of the ground. It can be mined, and refined and held in ones hand, or worn on ones person.
But there is an even greater gold, and that gold is found within the majesty of God.
The images that have already been presented, the images of the rising storm, far off on the distant horizon. And this image being followed by the intensifying storm, with its rain and wind and snow, depending on the time of year. All of which are beyond mans control.
Man can only wait the storm out and then begin the recovery and rebuilding process once the storm has passed by.
The terrors of the storm are always preceded by the grace of God, and followed by the grace of God.
And when the storms of life eventually pass by, then the winds subside, the clouds dissipate, and the golden light of the sun, scattered by the thinning clouds, and scattering its brilliant light, turns the sky into a phenomenal show of brilliant colors, and perhaps a rainbow as well. The majesty of God.
Elihu compares the wagon loads and barge loads of gold and objects that have been fashioned out of the gold, can be overwhelming to a person, but the gold of Gods majesty is infinitely beyond the gold of this earth.
Gods majesty is so overwhelming as to cause fear and trepidation to anyone who may come into contact with it, in any manner.
But of course one has to first develop a respect for God and that comes with an understanding of God, and that comes only from a consistent study of the scriptures combined with a pondering of everything you learn, such that you begin to grasp the truths of reality.
Apart from that learning process, a person can never develop a respect for God. And then they are left with the terrible realities of life when they eventually get hammered by life, and this causes them to miss out (darkness) on all of the opportunities for orientation to life, and coming to an understanding of just what and why things happen.
Spiritually negative people may see the gold of this earth, but they can never see the gold of the spiritual life. And that is the best gold of all.
