The Waters Wear the Stones
“The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth, and thou destroyest the hope of man.” (Job 14:19)
This past week, I viewed a video of a helicopter flying over the massive flooding in the Yellowstone National Park area. The torrential rushing of the waters has eroded the walls of the riverbanks, destroying miles of roads, bridges, and parkland. The devastation is so great that it is unknown when the several entrances to the park can be safely reopened. The power of the water is no match for the huge rocks, reinforced concrete roads, rooted trees, and other unmovable objects!
Several of us have seen such damage to our hometowns. Growing up in southeastern Ohio at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, severe flooding was frequent until the Ohio River Locks and Dams were changed to help control the flooding. Even with the completion of these massive changes, flooding continues along those banks and continual renovations exist as a result. Thus again, there is abundant proof of Job’s statement.
But let’s focus on the spiritual meaning of his words. Job is suffering from the afflictions Satan imposed upon him in an attempt to have Job deny his faith in God. Note, “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” (1:22) In this 14th chapter, Job is speaking of death. He speaks of the inability of the body, once dead, to revive as would a tree that is cut down but leaves a stump. Contrariwise, “As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So, man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.” (14: 11-12) Job realized that the natural way of man is for the body to die and return to the dust from which it came (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Through verse twelve, Job isn’t speaking of the soul, but only of the natural body.
Yet beginning in verse thirteen, Job suggests a “new life.” Rhetorically he asks and answers, “If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.” It shows that Job recognizes his accountability. No matter how strong and viral man might be, the passage of time will reduce that strength to sand and wash it from memory as easily as water removes sand (vs. 17 – 18). As long as man shall live in the flesh, he will observe these realities, some of which will result in a painful soul.
If this were all there is to man’s existence, what misery we would have! (1 Corinthians 15:19) The torrents of life’s floods are not careful to preserve anything we count valuable and dear. These same floods are not respective to even spiritual strength and vitality. Such storms of life come upon all of us (Ecclesiastes 9:11). As Job exhibited through all his persecutions, God is the answer to all our concerns! Granted, Job questioned with “Why,” and his friends, Eliphas, Bildad, Zophar, and later Elihu, added nothing in answer to his query. God told Job to stop listening to words without knowledge and observe God and His wondrous works! If God can do all that, then God can help us from the waters that wear the stones! (Job 38 – 42)
Hebrews 13: 5 – 6 means precisely what it says! Christians need to appreciate it and observe those words. There are dozens of things in this life that will try our souls, and wear on us as the flood waters change the landscape without reservation! But God can withstand all these matters, and grant to us a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). No, God doesn’t promise us physical tranquility from the cares of this world; His is a spiritual peace that defies description. Once the soul of man knows that peace with God through obedience to His Word, then and only then do we have no fear of what man (or this world) can do to us: we realize God is with us and will not leave us! That’s Job’s message!
Let the waters wear the stones and allow the mountains of this life to be worn to dust and removed from their places. If our faith in God the Father is as strong as it needs to be, then Matthew 6:33 will have greater meaning to us and we have greater trust in His promises. Yes, we must be wise in our actions, but never to the exclusion of God and His promises. God is greater than our greatest efforts! (Hebrews 12:28). Let’s do our work … and He’ll continue doing His!