Where Were You?

I am thoroughly enjoying the Todd Agnew album Reflection of Something. One song is taken from the book of Job and it's called "Where Were You". Listening to this song has made me reflect on who I am compared to God. Basically, I'm pretty small. I think of the infinite perspective vortex in Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy where people couldn't handle being put in it because they saw how big they were next to the rest of the universe.

The song starts with what we consider to be fair questions. What about injustice? What about when evil people seem to prosper? Here I am doing my best. Why isn't life more fair?

The repeated chorus comes out of Job 38-41 where God asks Job some great questions. Here a couple of my favorites (from the Bible, not from the song):

Job 38:4-7
4"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5Who determined its measurements--surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Job 38:31-33
31"Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
or loose the cords of Orion?
32Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth[b] in their season,
or can you guide the Bear with its children?
33Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you establish their rule on the earth?

And after God lays into him this is all Job can say:

Job 40:3-5
3Then Job answered the LORD and said:


4"Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further."

In other words, Job realizes that he's way out of turn here. How else do you respond when God grabs whole constellations in His hand, shows the stars to you, and asks if you can do that?

The book of Job is easily misunderstood, I think. To someone who is not a believer it looks like nothing more than a bar bet between God and Satan. But I take it as an example of how to persevere in trials. I also see it as a tremendous reminder of how great God really is and how I'm tinier than an electron compared to His greatness. But what ties it altogether for me is that, despite my insignifcance and His grandeur, He loves me and calls me His son. I know I sure don't deserve that.