Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Job Chapter 38
Metaphysically Interpreting Job 38:1-7
38:1Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 38:2Who is this that darkeneth counsel By words without knowledge? 38:3Gird up now thy loins like a man; For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 38:4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. 38:5Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it? 38:6Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner-stone thereof, 38:7When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
July 13, 1947: Job 38:1-7
In what realm were we given dominion over the earth? In the ideal. In actuality our dominion so far has not been fully realized.
What leads anyone to "darken counsel by words without knowledge" ? Lack of understanding, which befogs a person's judgment.
How can we gain and exercise dominion over our world? By applying ourselves to increase our understanding of spiritual truth.
In this lesson why are afflictions represented as a whirlwind? A whirlwind is an uncontrollable phenomenon of nature, and so are afflictions until we learn to meet them in a spirit of constructiveness. Then they no longer overwhelm us.
Can we ever find the answers to life's unanswerable questions? When we enter into the Christ consciousness or consciousness of Truth we can answer them. As we continue to express what is true, we come by degrees to understand what before was obscure.
Is humility of spirit a fitting attitude for us to hold toward life? We do well to approach life in a spirit of humility, especially as long as our grasp of spiritual truth is limited, to say nothing of our understanding of the scientific truths of life and of the natural phenomena of the earth and the universe. Great boastful words are out of place on our lips.
Metaphysically Interpreting Job 38:16-41
38:16Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep? 38:17Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death? 38:18Hast thou comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if thou knowest it all. 38:19Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And as for darkness, where is the place thereof, 38:20That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, And that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house thereof? 38:21Doubtless, thou knowest, for thou wast then born, And the number of thy days is great! 38:22Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow, Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, 38:23Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, Against the day of battle and war? 38:24By what way is the light parted, Or the east wind scattered upon the earth? 38:25Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, Or the way for the lightning of the thunder; 38:26To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; On the wilderness, wherein there is no man; 38:27To satisfy the waste and desolate ground, And to cause the tender grass to spring forth? 38:28Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew? 38:29Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? 38:30The waters hide themselves and become like stone, And the face of the deep is frozen. 38:31Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the bands of Orion? 38:32Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or canst thou guide the Bear with her train? 38:33Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth? 38:34Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover thee? 38:35Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, And say unto thee, Here we are? 38:36Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the mind? 38:37Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven, 38:38When the dust runneth into a mass, And the clods cleave fast together? 38:39Canst thou hunt the prey for the lioness, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, 38:40When they couch in their dens, And abide in the covert to lie in wait? 38:41Who provideth for the raven his prey, When his young ones cry unto God, And wander for lack of food?
July 13, 1947: Job 38:16-18,22,28,31,41
How can we minimize the negations of life (the seas) and increase its constructiveness (the dry land)? By having faith in the power of the Christ mind and by letting this mind have free play in us, we learn to stand on solid ground and no longer question the justice or wisdom of omnipotence.
What do we recognize in our contemplation of the stars? Universal law and order expressed before our eyes. We realize that our life, the inner as well as the outer, is also a part of this order.
From what fact may we infer that we are in our rightful place in the scheme of things? From the fact that the earth affords us a bountiful supply of all that we need to sustain and enjoy our present life, and sufficient scope for the exercise of our intuitive and perceptive powers as well as of our power of adaptation to new conditions, which we may have to meet in the future.
Transcribed by Tom Schulte on 9-12-2013
