Know God’s Character, Counsel, and Sovereignty

Job 12:13-25

13 "With Him are wisdom and strength,
He has counsel and understanding.

14 If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a man, there can be no release.

15 If He withholds the waters, they dry up;
If He sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.

16 With Him are strength and prudence.
The deceived and the deceiver are His.

17 He leads counselors away plundered,
And makes fools of the judges.

18 He loosens the bonds of kings,
And binds their waist with a belt.

19 He leads princes away plundered,
And overthrows the mighty.

20 He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.

21 He pours contempt on princes,
And disarms the mighty.

22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.

23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He enlarges nations, and guides them.

24 He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.

25 They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.

Job knew the character and sovereignty of God.  He also understood the futility of man in his own understanding and power apart from God’s.  Wisdom, strength, understanding, and counsel are His alone.  His works cannot be reversed or undone (Isaiah 14:27, 43:13).  His working cannot be undone by our efforts or reasoning, and His judgment and sentence are eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1), by which we understand that we die once and face that judgment (Hebrews 9:27-28); there is no second chance to undo God’s decree after death, no purgatory to get out of jail free apart from God’s work in Christ before death.  God, controls the weather, using even our mismanagement of the environment as tools in His hands to work His plans.  This Sovereignty is certain.  Job knew that.  God has the deceiver in control as well as the ones deceived; He can give liberating truth to the deceived as well as condemn or free the the deceiver.  He controls governments and their leaders absolutely in the vector of His history accordingly.  God alone gives right words to those chosen or takes away the words of those not speaking for Him.  It is His right and in His power to do all these things according to His righteousness of character.  He brings light out of darkness to men to set us free, and causes nations to rise and fall on command, leading them through history by His plan and for His ultimate glory in the end.  He is absolutely sovereign, ruling according to His will and word.  We have understanding or lack it, even as leaders, by His word.  If He takes that understanding away from rulers, they wander aimlessly to nowhere, blind as if walking in darkness or staggering as drunkards.  Job knew these attributes and out-workings of the LORD of himself and those attempting to counsel him, and trusted in God’s counsel over the bad advice and judgment of his friends.  We do well to understand and test counsel against God’s before taking it to heart as well as Hebrews 13:7 advises us.  We are therefore to know God’s character, counsel, and sovereignty.