“And I will call upon Your name”
“Embrace the chaos”
I’m sure we’ve heard this saying before. Typically, we use this saying in situations that are confusing, challenging, messy or overwhelming…chaotic! Not only that, but when we take a step back and look at the situation, we often are telling ourselves that we need to accept the fact that there is nothing we can do to control the situation or fully resolve it. So, what is our alternative? Our alternative is to “Embrace the Chaos” …we tell ourselves that we need to do our best to live within the chaos, have a positive attitude and just survive one moment to the next…regardless of what the result may be.
As I’ve been studying the book of Job, I was struck by a particular passage that gives us a better solution. A more decisive solution. Let’s dive into the Word and see what we find!
Devotional:
Throughout the core chapters of Job, we see this back-and-forth exchange of speeches and discourses between Job and his friends. Instead of being a comfort, his friends speak presumptuously towards Job…claiming that he MUST have done something to deserve the unbearable suffering that he is going through. This MUST be a punishment from God. However, we know from the setup in the beginning of the book that this is not the case.
In chapter 26, Job replies to his friend Bildad and confronts this attitude of presumption from his friends, that they claim to know the ways of God and his purposes behind Job’s suffering. God’s ways, His power and His majesty are so vast…that it is foolish to presume we know God’s purposes behind these types of situations. Who can understand? We can’t possibly comprehend the depth of His power. Pay close attention to the words and phrases in bold…
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
and are astounded at his rebuke.
12 By his power he stilled the sea;
by his understanding he shattered Rahab.
13 By his wind the heavens were made fair;
his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power who can understand?” – Job 26:11-14 ESV
Doesn’t this sound familiar?! This brings up one of my favorite things to do in Bible study…let’s play a game called: “Where have I heard this before?” …
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” -Matthew 8:23-27 ESV
Right away, we should be able to notice a clear connection with these two passages. However, when we look closer at a few details, the richness of this connection starts to come to life.
First, it is important to understand something about the culture of the ancient Near East. The sea was seen as much more than just a large body of water. It was used as symbolism for chaos in ancient stories and literature. Biblehub.com contains a Topical Encyclopedia which gives a great summary for the symbolism of the sea. Here is an excerpt…
“The sea holds a multifaceted symbolism throughout the Bible, representing chaos, mystery, and divine power, as well as a place of transformation and revelation. Its vastness and unpredictability often serve as a metaphor for the unknown and uncontrollable aspects of life, while also illustrating God’s sovereignty over creation.
Chaos and Disorder
In biblical literature, the sea frequently symbolizes chaos and disorder. In the creation narrative, the sea is depicted as a primordial abyss over which the Spirit of God hovers: “Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). This imagery underscores the sea as a symbol of the chaotic forces that God orders and subdues.”1
To drive home this point further, what is the deal with this name ‘Rahab’ in our Job passage? No, it is not the Rahab from Joshua who hid the spies…this is a different ‘Rahab’. The Faithlife study Bible commentary provides a great note on this name…
“Rahab. The Hebrew word used here, rahav, likely refers to a sea monster (compare Psa 89:10; Isa 51:9-10). In the ancient Near East, creatures like these were seen as forces of chaos that needed to be subdued.”2
This sea monster imagery representing chaos appears in stories across different cultures in the ancient Near East, so this is something both Israelite and non-Israelite readers would have picked up on.
We also see this line in the Job passage: “By his wind the heavens were made fair”. The Hebrew word translated here as ‘wind’, is rûaḥ. This word can also be translated as ‘breath’ or ‘spirit’. In fact, this is the same word that appears in Genesis 1:2… “And the Spirit (rûaḥ) of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
So what do we make of these connections? In the Job passage, Job is using this sea imagery to describe God’s total power over the forces of chaos by bringing us back to creation. The creator God subdues and brings order to the chaos from the beginning by His breath, His Spirit, His wind.
In the Matthew passage, we are not simply witnessing a ‘magic trick’. We are seeing a display of power that would almost certainly resonate with the disciples, as their mind would be taken back to passages in their Scriptures like we referenced in Job, that describe this theme of God’s power over the sea and the forces of chaos.
In this moment, Jesus is putting His divinity on display by showing that He is the God of creation…He is the one who subdues and calms the ‘sea’. He is the one who brings order to chaos. This is why the disciples, stunned at what they’ve just witnessed ask the question: “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Back to our intro quote..
When we are faced with chaotic and seemingly impossible situations…maybe our focus can sometimes be in the wrong place. Maybe instead of “Embracing the chaos” …we turn to the one who subdues and brings peace to the chaos. May we turn to Jesus as our comforter, our all-powerful creator. Let’s not presume like Job’s friends did, but instead trust that God has this all in His hand and He will reveal His purposes in His own timing.
This Sunday, we will be singing the song ‘Oceans’ during prelude. My hope is that as we sing the words, our minds are drawn back to passages like this, so we too can marvel at Jesus…the God who subdues the sea and brings peace to the chaos in our lives.
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown, where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep, my faith will stand
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours, You are mine – Oceans
Sean Wagner
- Bible Hub, Topical Encyclopedia – Symbolism of the sea. Topical Bible: Symbolism of the Sea ↩︎
- Faithlife Study Bible – Job 26:12 note: Rahab. Barry, John D., Douglas, Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Micheal R. Grigoni, and David Bomar. 2012, 2016. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA; Lexham Press. ↩︎