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Job 38:16-18
16 Hast thou entered [bow'] into the springs [nebek] of the sea [yam]? or hast thou walked [halak] in the search [cheqer] of the depth [tahowm]?
17 Have the gates [sha`ar] of death [maveth] been opened [galah] unto thee? or hast thou seen [ra'ah] the doors [sha`ar] of the shadow of death [tsalmaveth]?
18 Hast thou perceived [biyn] the breadth [rachab] of the earth ['erets]? declare [nagad] if thou knowest [yada`] it all. KJV-Interlinear
16 'Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep? 17 'Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? 18 'Have you understood the expanse of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this. NASB
And so what else is so common to mankind that we should know its beginnings and its ends, its lengths and its breadth?
Here God gives us two simple examples. The seas and the secrets that they hold, and death and the secrets it holds.
Both are right there, close at hand, but neither can be searched out to discover all of their secrets.
Certainly in Job's day, the ocean floor was beyond discovery. And even in our current day, we are now only beginning to discover the vast underwater currents that stream the worlds waters around the globe. We are only now beginning to discover the fountains that spray huge volumes of highly heated water into the ocean depths. Only now are we beginning to discover the vast quantities of life that exist on the ocean floor, even in the deepest of places in the ocean.
But beyond the ocean floor what is there? That question remains unanswered. We can only drill core samples and guess as to the contents of the earths center.
And as for death, Sheol and Hades, what is it we know of them?
Throughout the centuries, man has held hands with man as the latter slips away into death. We see nothing enter when life begins and we see nothing leave when life ends. Can't we catch life in a jar and save it for future use?
But when life leaves the body, it does not return. Angels are at their assigned stations, next to the dying person, there to escort him or her to their next destination. For believers in our current day, the next stop is before the Lord. For unbelievers, the next stop is Torments, one of the four compartments that resides beneath the earth in the underworld we commonly call Hades.
But how many of us have gone there for a visit? How many of us even know where to look? And how many have returned? And the answer to all is, none. If that is your destination, then a temporary stop over is not on your travel agenda.
Though we have discovered a great deal in technology, in science, and such, man has discovered nothing regarding death. We cannot see angels, we cannot see human life. There are many questions of which God knows the answers, but man will never discover in this life.
To man, these questions are complete darkness. To God, the answers are as clear as being seen in the high noonday sun.
Politicians, celebrities, and even poverty-stricken folks may believe that they have the answers, but they do not.
All we have is what God gave us. We live our life in responsibility, while we study the Bible daily. Our Bible study, if nothing else, keeps our eyes open to the distractions of the world. We may not be able to save the world or even change it, but that is of no matter. We are still obligated to be responsible in life while at the same time growing up in His wisdom.
The pattern of world history has already been established, but your personal pattern of life is established by your attitude toward God. Regardless of what path this world takes, God is able to place you on the right path for your life and success in accordance with His will.
Will your life be trouble free, in this life? No. You are going to be troubled with high gas prices, high food prices, subject to unemployment or business downturns. But no matter what this world throws at you, God will have an alternative course for you to follow. It may be difficult from your viewpoint, from time to time, but this is your 'Job' test for life.
Never flinch, and never give up, even to the point of your own death. God has your life in His hands always, and He will never lose you. You are being watched by the angels of heaven, and they celebrate when you successfully pass any given hardship. Why, because you have had the ability to succeed? No. Because you have relied on your faith and you have pursued every obvious avenue that God has placed before you.
Even in not knowing what you should do from one day to the next. Even when you are smothered by the anxieties of life. But you keep on in your spiritual life. And one day passes by, as does one month, and a year and then another. And here you still are, when you should have evaporated from this world long ago. How can that be?
There are many questions for which we will never know the answers. But no matter. Our Bible study is all that we need to succeed, because it reveals our path, our obligations, and our responsibilities.
