The dead are in deep anguish, those beneath the waters and all that live in them.   The realm of the dead is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered.   He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.   He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.   He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it.   He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.   The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke.   By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces.   By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent.   And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power? – Job 26:5-14

Job is replying to Bildad who has just posed the rhetorical questions “How then can a mortal be righteous before God?” and “How can one born of woman be pure?”  Bildad is wondering how we can be good enough to be in God’s presence.  Thankfully God has resolved this when he sent Jesus to make us all “good enough” to be in his presence.

The water imagery here is rich and intriguing.  Clouds have been used numerous times to represent God and His presence here on earth.  God’s spirit is present on earth as a Godly condensate.  We are but little clouds that can become bigger through the infusion of His spirit.

In this passage God makes it clear that even though the “clouds” are to be infused with waters they will not burst under the weight.  If we are to pursue the cloud analogy, and our role as “little clouds”, then this statement that the clouds will not burst under the weight takes on new meaning.

It is almost as if the rich spiritual living water that flows from God is in some ways incompatible with our earthly bodies and us “clouds” have difficulty holding it.  But God assures us that we will not burst.  He will not give us too much “spirit” to handle.

The boundary between light and darkness is present on the waters at the horizon….the place of the setting and rising sun.  The beach is the vantage point from which we see the rising and setting of the sun.  God churns up the sea at times and we encounter turbulent water and rip currents.  Job is encountering just such water in his life…but thankfully God can tread upon the waves of the sea.

Prayer: God thank You for the Holy Spirit you share with us during light and dark times.