Few Words

I will lay my hand upon my mouth.

This verse is both amusing and provides us with a timeless message. It comes after Job and his friends have had long discussions about God. Each one of them has spoken at length about man’s relationship to God, and each one has something different to say. Finally, they are all done. Each one has spoken till there is no more to say, and still there is no final conclusion.

The men have no more words, and now God Himself speaks. He speaks of His own greatness, and how little mankind knows, even about the things God has created. If we don’t even know why mud sticks together, how can we fathom the greatness of God? When Job hears God’s words, he understands that he cannot presume to speak, but must only listen and acknowledge the greatness of God. My mental picture is of these men, seated on the ground, and Job lays his hand over his mouth as a sign that he has spoken without understanding.

The lesson here is unchanged from Job’s time. God is still supreme. When we presume to speak without knowledge, we fail to acknowledge God Himself.

Be not rash with thy mouth,
and let not thine heart be hasty to utter and thing before God:
for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth;
therefore let thy words be few.