God alone wields authority over creation and calls humankind to trust and worship Him with awe.
“Can you send forth lightnings that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?” (Job 38:35)
In this riveting question, the LORD continues His response to Job, challenging him to consider the immeasurable distance between finite human abilities and God’s infinite power. By asking, “Can you send forth lightnings that they may go And say to you, ‘Here we are’?” (v.35), God points to the extraordinary phenomenon of lightning—something beyond human control, yet entirely under the Almighty’s command. This is one of many rhetorical queries in Job 38-41, where God highlights that only He holds mastery over the forces of nature, such as the dawn, the sea, and even mighty creatures. As observed in the teachings compiled from Lesson 2 Valley Times, Job’s confrontation with these questions underscores that mere mortals cannot begin to fathom or govern the intricacies of the universe, much less lecture the One who created all things.
The verse also exposes how human pride can be confronted by the sheer power of the Creator. Lightning, often evoking fear and awe, stands as a manifestation of God’s sovereign will. Job, who lived around the time of the Patriarchs (circa 2100-1800 BC), had demanded an explanation for his suffering, but here God uses this spectacular display of nature to assure Job that the LORD’s wisdom is far deeper and more comprehensive than any man’s reasoning. This notion that only the Maker has ultimate dominion over creation, mentioned alongside passages where angels shouted for joy at the universe’s founding (Job 38:7), expands our view of the divine realm—reminding us that humanity was not present at creation and thus cannot fully comprehend every aspect of God’s design.
God’s interrogation in Job 38:35, therefore, serves as a divine reminder that even the most mysterious and fearsome elements of creation answer only to the Almighty. It connects to New Testament truths where Jesus’s command over storms demonstrates His lordship over nature (Mark 4:39). This continuity from Old to New Testament points to the same unchanging God who is sovereign both then and now, and who invites believers into humble reverence rather than presumption before His immeasurable power.
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Job 38:35 meaning
“Can you send forth lightnings that they may go
And say to you, ‘Here we are’?” (Job 38:35)
In this riveting question, the LORD continues His response to Job, challenging him to consider the immeasurable distance between finite human abilities and God’s infinite power. By asking, “Can you send forth lightnings that they may go And say to you, ‘Here we are’?” (v.35), God points to the extraordinary phenomenon of lightning—something beyond human control, yet entirely under the Almighty’s command. This is one of many rhetorical queries in Job 38-41, where God highlights that only He holds mastery over the forces of nature, such as the dawn, the sea, and even mighty creatures. As observed in the teachings compiled from Lesson 2 Valley Times, Job’s confrontation with these questions underscores that mere mortals cannot begin to fathom or govern the intricacies of the universe, much less lecture the One who created all things.
The verse also exposes how human pride can be confronted by the sheer power of the Creator. Lightning, often evoking fear and awe, stands as a manifestation of God’s sovereign will. Job, who lived around the time of the Patriarchs (circa 2100-1800 BC), had demanded an explanation for his suffering, but here God uses this spectacular display of nature to assure Job that the LORD’s wisdom is far deeper and more comprehensive than any man’s reasoning. This notion that only the Maker has ultimate dominion over creation, mentioned alongside passages where angels shouted for joy at the universe’s founding (Job 38:7), expands our view of the divine realm—reminding us that humanity was not present at creation and thus cannot fully comprehend every aspect of God’s design.
God’s interrogation in Job 38:35, therefore, serves as a divine reminder that even the most mysterious and fearsome elements of creation answer only to the Almighty. It connects to New Testament truths where Jesus’s command over storms demonstrates His lordship over nature (Mark 4:39). This continuity from Old to New Testament points to the same unchanging God who is sovereign both then and now, and who invites believers into humble reverence rather than presumption before His immeasurable power.