Out of The Whirlwind

Q: What does the Bible say about God's response to suffering?

God responds to suffering with His sovereign authority and reveals His greatness, as seen in Job 38. In the book of Job, we see God respond to Job's intense suffering with a divine revelation of His sovereignty and power. In chapters 38 to 40, the Lord answers Job out of the whirlwind, asserting His supremacy as the Creator. Through God's questions to Job—such as where he was during the creation of the earth—God emphasizes His dominion over all creation and challenges human wisdom. This highlights that, while suffering can lead us to question God, His ultimate purpose is to reveal His grace and sovereignty to us. In facing trials, we must remember that God is always in control, and His response may not align with our expectations, but it is rooted in His infinite wisdom and love.

Q: How do we know that God speaks to us in our suffering?

God speaks to us through His Word, revealing His grace and mercy amidst our trials. In moments of suffering, many believers can encounter what is often described as the 'voice of God.' As seen in Job's story, when he was enveloped in trials, the Lord finally spoke out of the whirlwind, underscoring the importance of divine revelation during our most challenging times. This indicates that God's voice transcends ordinary human counsel and speaks directly to our souls, often bringing us to a place of humility and repentance. Through His Word and by the Holy Spirit, God assures us of His presence, comfort, and purpose. Our ability to hear God, especially in suffering, lies in our surrender and openness to His truths, as He strips us of self-reliance and directs our gaze towards Christ, who is our ultimate source of hope.

Q: Why is the concept of God's sovereignty important for Christians?

God's sovereignty assures us that He is in control of all circumstances, including suffering. Understanding God's sovereignty is critical for Christians, particularly when grappling with the certainty of suffering in this life. The sovereignty of God means that He reigns supreme over all life’s events, orchestrating both good and bad for His glory and for the benefit of His people (Romans 8:28). In the book of Job, God's response to Job's suffering reveals not only His power but also His plan. The whirlwind represents God's authority over chaos and affliction. When facing trials, believers can find solace in the promise that all things—whether joyful or painful—are under His providential care, working together to shape us into the image of Christ. This understanding fosters trust and reliance upon God, knowing that He is ultimately using our tribulations for a higher purpose.

So we turn this morning to Job chapter 38 through chapter 40 where the Lord answers Job. Chapter 38 reads, Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Good up now thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou hast understanding. Who have laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who have stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof? when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

Chapter 40. Moreover the Lord answered Job and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? He that reproveth God let him answer it. Then Job answered the Lord and said, Behold, I am vile. What shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer. Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further. Then the Lord answered Job, out of the whirlwind. The Lord answered. Finally in this book the Lord himself speaks directly to Job.

He'd spoken to him through circumstances. He'd sent a trial Job's way through which he declared unto Job in the great tumult of Job's suffering, just who his son is, and just what his son would suffer for Job. He'd preached the gospel in type and figure to Job through Job's very circumstances. But in the midst of the suffering, Job is met with his friends, These counsellors, these comforters who could find nothing but fault with Job, who reasoned and argued with Job and condemned Job and could see nothing but Job's sin as a cause for this suffering. Job is led to defend himself and reason and wonder what has come upon him. And Job's flesh is brought out to complain and to wonder at what God has done. And we hear so much of the to-ing and fro-ing of man's wisdom and man's words until that day when Job's friends gave up answering him because he was righteous in his own eyes.

And when the words of Job were ended and when that young man Elihu declared unto Job concerning the grace of God that brings salvation that God would deliver him from going down into the pit for the Lord have found a ransom and Elihu the young man points Job straight to the gospel straight to Jesus Christ.

And now when the words of men are brought to a close, out of the whirlwind, out of the storm, the Lord answered. Finally the Lord speaks. He sent Elihu to silence these old men, Job included. And now the Lord himself speaks. Earlier in Job, Zophar had cried out, O that God would speak! But he longed to hear God's condemnation of Job. And now finally the Lord answers out of the whirlwind.

And though his speech lays Job in the dust as nothing, ultimately behind the storm, behind the storm, behind the frowning providence, behind the thunderous wind, We hear the blessing of God and the grace of God that ultimately delivered Job out of his trial and set him in rest. The other side of the storm, like the Ark of Noah that was brought to rest on Mount Ararat in a new world. And the latter end of Job was greater than the beginning. Yes, here. The Lord answered Job, out of the whirlwind. And what an answer. What an answer is given him. An answer out of the whirlwind, out of the storm.

When God speaks, when God truly speaks into the souls of men, We know it if God comes unto you in his gospel and speaks not through the speech of a man, not just the words of a man coming to you, not just the reading of words on a page, but when God in His Spirit takes those words, and takes the words of a preacher, and speaks into the soul, out of the whirlwind, we know it. it brings us to our knees it lies us in the dust and we will answer when the Lord comes unto us behold I am vile I'm nothing have mercy upon me Lord the sinner oh what a power there is in the gospel When the Lord speaks, when the Lord spake from heaven on high to Saul when he was riding along the Damascus road, when Christ himself spake out of heaven unto Saul, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Out of a great light shining from heaven, Saul heard a voice he'd never heard. Throughout all his years in religion, throughout all his reading of the scripture, he'd heard the words of God on the page. But he'd never heard the voice of God answering him as it were out of the whirlwind. And when he did, it transformed him.

And when God spake unto Job this day, what a voice he heard. And should God come unto you in the power of the gospel, what a voice you will hear. The day is coming and now is. The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God. live. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind.

What a whirlwind Job had been placed in, what a tempest, what a storm he found himself in, in this great trial. What winds blew upon him that took away his family, that took away his wealth, that took away his health, that brought him into the dust. What a whirlwind. Do you sometimes feel like you're in a whirlwind?

The Lord brings us into various circumstances. We go through calm times in life. When things seem peaceful. When perhaps prosperity increases. And then we come into storms. And great trials come our way. And often these trials are one after the other. and we just about feel like we can cope with the one and then another thing comes upon us and we just about think that we can manage that and another comes upon us and the wind blows us left and right, up and down there comes a point when we feel like we're in a whirlwind and we cannot cope we're spinning around one thing after another one thing after another how weak we are how it exposes our weakness our blindness our lack of wisdom how small we feel in the midst of the storm How might Noah and his house have felt in that ark when the rains came down and that ark was tossed to and fro upon the waters?

How fearful they may have been in themselves! And yet their trust was in the ark that God had put them in. Their trust alone was in Christ. And Job in the midst of this storm was weak and foolish and small. And as he says, behold, I am vile. Yet God had given him faith to say, I know that my Redeemer liveth. He looked by faith out of the storm to that day that would come when God would deliver him. But he was in a whirlwind.

And at last, out of the whirlwind, a voice calls unto him, The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare if thou hast understanding? Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Where were you, Job, when I created the heavens and the earth by my almighty power? by the uttering of my words.

How great the Lord is, how almighty, how all powerful, how small we are. Through these chapters as we've read, The Lord declares His mighty works, His mighty works in creation. In all the things that are in creation. Vastness. The vastness of the universe, the vastness of Pleiades and Orion. The vastness of the created world, the lions, the unicorn. Everything about us. And we seek to reason and to argue and to contend against such a creator.

But here, this God calls out to Job out of the whirlwind, the storm. Often we read of a whirlwind in scripture in various places and it's used repeatedly as a picture of judgment and destruction. How the whirlwind comes through and destroys how we know in this day how tornadoes come and they can just destroy and rip up a town, rip up buildings like they're nothing, like they're cardboard. How powerful are the winds of God when he sends them? How powerful is the judgment of God against sin?

Well you see the scene throughout this entire book, the scene set forth by Job's suffering, by his great trial, is a picture of a whirlwind a picture of a storm that came down not just upon Job in the picture but came down upon the one of whom Job is a figure that came down in judgment against sin upon God's own Son Jesus Christ when he hung in Job's place and suffered what Job should suffer for his own sin and unbelief when Christ hung upon the cross suspended between heaven and earth under the outpouring of God's wrath and judgment against him.

There was the whirlwind. There was the storm of God's wrath. There was the great trial and suffering of which Job's was just a picture. When Christ bore Job's sins in his own body on the tree, when Christ was made sin in Job's place, that Job in Christ should be made the righteousness of God. when Christ was under the curse of the law bearing the guilt of his people when Christ drank the cup of God's wrath in judgment and hung under the billows of God's wrath suffering the whirlwind of judgment against sin Job's sin, Noah's sin, Saul's sin, David's sin, Peter's sin. Believer, your sin. When Christ hung there in judgment, a whirlwind came upon him. whirlwind of destruction, a whirlwind of judgment, a whirlwind of the wrath of God.

And at the end, when the words of Job were ended, when Christ cried out, it is finished, then the Lord as it were from heaven spake. He spake out of the whirlwind. The judgment that came down upon Job in his suffering upon Christ at the cross was the speech of God in judgment. The righteous declaration of God in judgment against him that says unto a wicked world, I am almighty God. creates all things and sustains all things and here in the whirlwind of judgment see my creative work in creating a people in a new world a new heaven and a new earth in delivering them from sin in blotting out their sin in bringing in the righteousness of God and everlasting life. Hearing at the cross the speech of God could not be greater, it could not be louder, the answer to man's unbelief and rebellion could not be louder.

Then the Lord answered Job, out of the whirlwind. Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? He that reproveth God, let him answer it. What an answer this is. God declares in these chapters His great power, His sovereignty in all that He does. And in the face of this, what is man? What are you and I before such a God and such power? In such a storm, such a whirlwind, what are we? Nothing. Nothing. Hence Job cries out, behold, I am vile. What shall I answer thee? We have no answer.

But this speech of God that laid Job in the dust, though stern, though powerful, though fearful, was a speech aimed at Job's old man. The sin in Job. The sinner in Job. The rebellious, unbelieving, doubting, fearing, weak Job. God came down upon that Job, when Job hung with Christ upon the cross. When God poured down judgment upon his own son in Job's place, God took the old man Job. God took his sin, God took his sins and God poured out a whirlwind of judgment against them and declared his mighty axe, his mighty power, his righteousness and brought all of that to nothing. He blotted out Job's sins, he took Job's sin away, he utterly destroyed it. in order that he would bless Job in order that he would put Job in his son in that he would bring Job through the storm in the ark of God in the ark which is Christ he put Job as one of his chosen in his son upon the cross and he took Job's old man of sin and destroyed it in the storm And when Job cried out, I am vile, Job spake of what he was by nature, a sinner. But when Job looked by faith to what he was in Christ, he could say, I know that my Redeemer liveth.

It's behind the stern words of God that may come our way. Behind the storms that he may send through our lifetime, the trials, the tribulations, is a voice of grace and a voice of mercy. Behind these things that break us and bruise us and our trouble into the flesh, God is setting his love upon us. delivering us and washing us clean in the blood of his Son. He sends these things to those he loves.

Why did this storm this whirlwind come upon Job and not upon Bildad and not upon Eliphaz and not upon Zophar? Because God set his love upon Job. and destroyed his old man, judged it in his son, who felt the pain of God's wrath on Job's behalf. Job's suffering was nothing compared to Christ's, but a picture. But God sent this judgment upon his son, in love for Job, to deliver him and bless him.

He judged the old man, the man of sin at the cross. He poured out wrath on the sins of all his people. Upon them, their old man. In God's Son, in Jesus Christ upon the cross. God looked upon his own Son and looked upon his people in him and said, this is my beloved Son. in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him. A voice came out of the whirlwind. Hear ye him. Look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved. Hear my son.

Paul wrote, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Job heard this voice out of the whirlwind and Paul heard the same voice the same voice in the gospel that pointed him to salvation accomplished. He heard the voice of God through the Son, speaking unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

If God should speak to you in this way, in the storm in the gospel in Christ you'll be brought just where Job was behold I am vile what a confession what a place to be brought what reality many make professions of religion professions of accepting Jesus into their heart professions of being a Christian and they know nothing of this they know nothing of the storms nothing of the whirlwind nothing of the depth of their sin to truly cry out in the face of God's almighty power revealed in power to them Behold I am vile, Lord have mercy upon me. Well Job saw it, broken, broken he saw it when God opened his eyes to see just what sin is, just how rebellious he was. just how unbelieving he was even in the midst of trouble just how doubting he was just how blind he was just how foolish he was just how hard-hearted he was to argue and reason with Almighty God like there's some wisdom in man like there's something we know when we're nothing we're so small so weak in comparison when God opened his eyes truly to see this and to see the vastness of the judgment that must come down upon his sin upon Christ who bore it in the whirlwind of God's wrath When Job saw what he was in himself by nature, a vile sinner, he had nothing to say but this, Behold, I am vile! Vile!

What shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer. Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further. God silenced him, he brought him to an end of himself. Is that you? Has God brought you to look at what you are, at who you are and say, I am vile. I'm nothing. I cannot answer. Has he silenced you?

Has he opened your eyes to see in the whirlwind the judgment of God against his son? Has he brought you by the gospel that gospel that he sent unto job in the very circumstances job was placed has he brought you by the gospel to see christ in your place job was broken in this storm he was brought low but through it god was blessing him by giving him a glimpse of what his Saviour, his Redeemer, would suffer for him. Here was the grace of God that brings salvation. This storm was not a rebuke, it was not judgment, it was a blessing. This was God sending the Gospel to Job. stripping him of everything that was of man to leave him with nothing but the faith that God gave him to look unto Christ alone.

Has God come unto you and stripped you of all that you are and all that you have to leave you with nothing but faith in Christ. Has he given you faith to look outside of yourself, beyond your will and your reason, beyond your righteousness, beyond your good works, beyond your understanding, beyond self, to Christ and Christ alone? Has he made you say, I am vile? Has he brought you to see Christ bearing your sins, being made sin in your place, drinking the cup of God's wrath because of your sin?

Have you heard the voice of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God? who is depicted in the scriptures as that wind that bloweth where it listeth that causes one to be born again that comes and blows upon this one and comes and blows upon another one and you cannot tell whence the wind comes and where it's going have you heard this wind and this voice coming unto you that still small voice that sounds in the midst of that wind that speaks within concerning God's Son as we read in Luke's Gospel chapter 3 of Christ when he was baptized the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him and a voice came from heaven which said, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased. That baptism, that spake, that pictured the baptism of fire that Christ would endure upon the cross. That baptism which was a picture of the storm, the whirlwind of judgment that Christ would enter into upon the cross. In the midst of that the Holy Spirit came down like wind upon him and a voice came out of the whirlwind from heaven above.

A voice answered Christ upon the cross when he cried out under his guard, why hast thou forsaken me? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? A voice came from heaven. The Lord answered out of the whirlwind and said, thou art my beloved son in whom i am well pleased in thee i am well pleased yes as god brought you to look by faith upon christ at the cross Has he brought you to see and to hear the testimony from heaven concerning Christ and his finished work? Has he brought you to hear, as it were, this voice out of the whirlwind at the cross, looking upon the Son, and saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased? as he brought you to see Job, as a picture of that suffering, as a picture of Christ in the judgment, as a picture of what would be required to deliver you from your sin, as he brought you to hear the voice in the whirlwind.

At the cross in Matthew 27, We read at the end, when Christ had cried out, it is finished, it is finished. We read, Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold, the veil of the temple was rent. entwined from the top to the bottom and the earth did quake and the rocks rent and the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion And they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake.

And those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. Truly this was the Son of God. Yes, out of that whirlwind. God sent an answer. The earth did quake, the rocks rent, the graves were opened, many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection. When Christ arose, what a voice declared, from heaven on high, this is my beloved Son. In thee I am well pleased.

Perhaps you're looking for Christ in the grave. Perhaps you are in religion, like Job's friends, trying to find God in the darkness of your own understanding. Perhaps you are seeking the living among the dead, trying to climb up to heaven by your own righteousness. Have you come unto that grave from whence Christ arose? Is there in that grave, as we saw before, a young man, an Elihu, who speaks and says unto you, he is not here. Why are you seeking the living among the dead? He's not here. He is risen. He's risen.

And have you heard the Lord answer you out of the whirlwind when you've considered the judgment of God against Christ upon the cross? Have you heard the voice of the Lord out of the whirlwind concerning His Son? This is my beloved Son. Have you seen the love of Christ manifested at the cross? The righteousness of God manifested in judgment and in the love of Christ in laying down his life for sinners. Did he lay down his life for you? Have you seen his grace, his love, his mercy, his loving-kindness? were you crucified with him?

Was your old man nailed to that tree and judged in the storm of God's righteousness? Was it nailed to the tree and taken down and taken outside of the camp like the scapegoat and burnt? Has your old man been taken away and has God given you faith to look to another to look to the one that was laid in the grave to look to the one that was no longer in the grave when they came looking for him to look to the one that came to his disciples and said peace be unto you to look to the one that rose again and ascended to sit on the right hand of God the Father. To look to that man that is sat in heaven today with wounds in his hands and wounds in his feet and a wound in his side that declares a finished salvation. To look to the One that cried out, it is finished. To look to the One that brought in the righteousness of God on behalf of His people. to look to the One that reigns on high as God Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, the One that brought the world and the stars and the firmament into being, the One that creates life from the dead, the One that cries out to Lazarus in the grave, come forth, the One that cries out to dead sinners like you and I, live. as God brought you to faith, to look unto Him as your righteousness, to look unto His blood as that which washed you clean, as He brought you to the Creator, Jesus Christ, the Word of God, that says unto His own, arise, stand up, and follow Me.

Thy sins have been forgiven. Thy faith have made thee whole. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden. Come into everlasting peace, everlasting glory, everlasting life. Come unto me, my bride, my love, and dwell with me forevermore. Yes, as the Lord answered you out of the whirlwind, this is my beloved Son. Hear ye Him. Amen.

Out of The Whirlwind

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's response to suffering?

How do we know that God speaks to us in our suffering?

Why is the concept of God's sovereignty important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Ian Potts

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Out of The Whirlwind

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's response to suffering?

How do we know that God speaks to us in our suffering?

Why is the concept of God's sovereignty important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Ian Potts

Comments

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