Read Job 38:1-18

“Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.” (Job 38:3)

Job was indeed a righteous man before the Almighty, but in his suffering he had become presumptuous. As Job’s discourse comes to an end, he wonders if he will ever hear from God on the question of why. Over and over Job petitions — even challenges — God to reply with an answer from heaven (see Job 13:22, 31:25, 35). Oh — how quickly we feel we deserve something from God. What a sin!

Yet, Job would indeed hear from God. His long lost prayer, or so he thought, would be answered soon enough from the heavens by the Almighty God, but not in the way he expected. God Almighty would not be the defendant in their interplay. No — God need not answer to any man! He is our Maker, not our attendant. He is our Author, not our penman. Our Designer, not our paintbrush. We answer to Him.

Thus, God places Job in the defendant’s seat. God Almighty would be asking all the questions, and He commands Job to get ready.

“Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.” (Job 38:3)

God would actually command Job to do this twice (see Job 40:2). The phrase “prepare yourself” means more literally “gird up your loins.” When men in ancient times prepared for a physically intensive fight they would pull up their robes and tuck them into their belts to allow for more movement. The phrase itself became an idiom to mean “get ready like a man” or as we might as today, “Man up!”

We too often glorify those verses where God speaks to us in a still small voice as a gentle Father, and overlook the disciplinary love of the Father who comes to us in a roar, saying — Man up! Get up! Prepare yourself! (see Hebrews 12:5-11)

So for the next four chapters God will interrogate Job in the knowledge of the Most High. This is the longest discourse of God speaking that we have recorded in the Scriptures.

Job needed this, and after it was finished, he quickly repents and humbles himself:

“… I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know... Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.”” (Job 42:3–6)

God would soon bless Job and restore to him sevenfold of all that he lost (see Job 42:12), but first Job needed to gird up his loins to embrace the Awesomeness and Holiness of the Almighty God.

The Apostle Peter unmistakably borrows this command from the Book of Job and applies it to the Christian life, telling us that we must do the same.

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” (1 Peter 1:13)

Paul would say a similar thing to the Corinthian church, which is best translated in the original King James:

“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, act ye like men, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Perhaps it is not the gentle voice of God, but the shout of His command that we need to hear today. Perhaps it is not God’s tenderness, but His severity that is needed to drive us to action.

When men go to war they don’t need someone to hold their hand — they need a hoorah! When the enemy attacks we are commanded to stand fast, not shrivel up. To wrestle, not cower. To watch and pray, not mope and wine.

If Christ gave us boldness to enter His throne room of grace, have we forgotten that He gave us His boldness for all other parts of this life?  Take up the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith today! Gird up your loins and deflect those fiery darts of the enemy. Take every thought captive and march in the army of the Living God.

“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.” (Luke 12:35–36)