Redefining power and greatness

Thanks Bob for drawing our attention to Job 38-41. I'm not sure the contrast I was making is between God's moral greatness and the extent of God's powers; rather I think my point is that the way that God uses his power - extensive and out of this world as they are - is in love and grace.

I think Job's response in chapter 42 is awe at the 'otherness' of God, at the breadth of God's grasp of detail and the big picture and at the fact that his (Job's) story is only one of the billions God is constantly focused on. I think God's response to Job's repentance is interesting. He first tells Job's very sound friends that they haven't been speaking for him when they've been offering Job advice. Then he restores Job.

The heart of the story is that in the mystery of suffering, God is at work - though we haven't a clue where or how or why (and while we're in the midst of it, we're in the dark and often our friends aren't as helpful as they think they're being!).

But I think this is a different issue from the one I was thinking about in my previous post.

I guess I start from the place that God's power is seen supremely seen in Jesus on the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5) and that expression of power redefines the meaning of the word (hence Colossians 2:15 - disarming power through suffering so we can be forgiven and the world remade).

I'm not sure I'm expressing myself entirely clearly, so I need to think about it some more. Once again thanks, Bob, for your comment.