Fellow-Redeemed,
Job was an outdoorsman like most people in
the time of the patriarchs, if that was when he lived. Fishermen, farmers, and
shepherds regularly were out in the elements. They were familiar with clouds
and lightening, winds and heat. The laws
of nature controlled much of what they did and when they did it.
Believers like Job looked beyond the laws of
nature. Job recognized these laws as tools in the hands of almighty God. I
suspect the words of the title of our sermon hymn, How Great Thou Art,
passed Job’s lips more than once. Job knew this all-powerful God created and
preserves the earth and the universe.
Job also knew that this God is his Redeemer
from sin. Job knew that one day he would see the resurrected Christ after that
Christ had raised him from death and decay.
We are preparing for the coming birth of that Redeemer, our Redeemer
also. Jesus’ birth is a great wonder; something extraordinary we can grasp only
with the hand of faith.
We confess with the Psalmist in the words of
121:2, “My help comes from the Maker of
heaven and earth,” The wonder of our Savior’s birth stands out like the
insert in one of those pop out cards from the backdrop of The Wonder of God’s Power. He does all things under his perfect
control. He does all things in his perfect knowledge.
An article in last Sunday’s Star described
American Art from the time of the Civil War. Several artists used paintings of
nature and weather to depict the Civil War’s destruction and effect. The almighty God used nature and weather to
teach Job the lesson that the Creator does all things under his perfect
control. The Holy Spirit documents very well in the Book of Job this believer’s
“issues” with God about what was going on in his life at the time.
Elihu speaking in God’s behalf, called on Job
to “Listen to this.” Elihu told Job, “Stop and consider God’s wonders.” When
Job did that, he would have to put his hand over his mouth, and keep silent in
awe because certainly he did not “know
how God controls the clouds and makes lighting flash..how the clouds hang
poised, the wonders of him…” Yet Job knew full well that the wonder of
God’s power was behind it all. Job
believed God was in control of it all even if he did not understand how.
At Christmas, we plan to look again at the
wonder of the Son of God’s conception and birth by the Virgin Mary. Christmas
Eve we hope to look at some other wondrous births the LORD God used in
preparation for Christ; Moses, Isaac, Samuel, and John the Baptist. These births are far short of miraculous
compared to the incarnation of God’s Son. They are wonders none-the- less in
the sense that they all take place under the wonder of God’s power. God was in
control of those births. He made them happen in spite of apparent human
limitations and adverse conditions.
When you were a child, did you ever lie on
your back in a grassy field on a summer’s day and look up at the clouds? Or, stand by the window in your bedroom and
watch the lightening? We recognized God’s almighty power and control in those
things. Likewise, we recognize God’s almighty power and control in the birth of
his eternal Son into the flesh, under the law, to redeem us who are under the
law. [Gal.4:4ff] We see God’s almighty power raise his Son from death to live
and rule over the universe as our Savior from sin.
God’s power in the universe and the gracious
act of our forgiveness and salvation should humble us before him. Humility
before God is our preparation for his coming. It is repentance. We know and
trust that “all things are possible with
God” as Mary told Gabriel. We confess with Elihu, “The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power.” [37:23a]
The Wonder of God’s power is not only that all
things are under his control. In the second place, he does all things in his
perfect knowledge.
It is one thing to have someone in control
and quite another for that someone to know what they are doing. Control does
not necessarily mean knowledge. Elihu described God in the wonder of his power
as “perfect in knowledge.”
Perfect means complete, sound, unimpaired. We
call this God’s omniscience. God knows not only what to do. He knows the best
way to do it and when to do it. We think of God looking at all he had made in
Creation and saying that it was “very
good,” which means perfect. We think of Paul’s words we referred to earlier
about the birth of Christ under the law. It came “when the time had fully come.” In other words at just the right
time.
The wonder of God’s power comes in the timing
of his plan. We will see that laid out before us as we consider on Christmas
Eve The Wonder of It All in that series of special births leading up to Jesus’
birth in the manger in Bethlehem. This place of Jesus’ birth is a good example
of omniscience. God had foretold through the prophet Micah that this would be
the place. God knew that and brought Mary and Joseph to that little town.
How applicable here are the words of Paul we
heard on Thanksgiving Eve, “O the depths
of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” God knew exactly when and where those special
babies would come onto the world scene. He knew how they would carry out their
part in the plan of salvation. In the wonder of his power both in his control
and in his perfect knowledge, God used these births to keep his promise alive
and get it out to the world. God’s knowledge is his wisdom to use sinful men
and women to prepare the way for Christ. It is God's wisdom that he saved us
only through Christ’s holiness and sacrifice because we cannot save ourselves.
Like Job, we can be sure that the Maker of
heaven and earth is the same God who has released us from the power and
punishment of our sin and guilt. He uses his almighty power and his perfect
knowledge. O Lord, my God, how great though art.” Amen. <SDG>