How Great is our God!

Job 26

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, February 10.

Job began a long speech describing the greatness of our God. He first described God’s supremacy over the realm of the dead – the underworld (“under the waters”) known as Sheol and Abaddon (5-6). Next, he praised God’s majesty over the sky (7-11). Finally, to demonstrate God’s preeminence over what is between, Job referenced the ancient sea monster of Rahab in verses 12-13, “He quieted the sea with His power, and by His understanding He shattered Rahab. By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.”

Rahab, described by Job as “the fleeing serpent,” is found in the books of Job, Psalms, and Isaiah. The sea monster was used by the ancients to represent the chaos within creation, which only God had dominion over (Psalm 89:9-11), as well as to later describe the dominion of Egypt, which God defeated to bring about Israel’s freedom (Isaiah 30:7; 51:9; Psalm 87:4). The usage in Job was closely related to the former because Job was praising God for His rule over the chaos that is within creation – above, below, and on the earth. From the beginning, it is God who brought order to the chaos and then filled it with what is good (Genesis 1).

Interestingly, this same ancient cosmology is referenced in the New Testament to describe Jesus’ preeminence over all things in Philippians 2:9-11:

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [emphasis added]

Jesus came to defeat the chaos of creation once and for all – “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16; cf. John 1:3; Romans 11:36; Ephesians 1:10).

God bless you!

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