Job 37:5-6
⁵ God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.
⁶ He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ (NIV)

This is the distinguishing of God. Thunder is heard after lightning has lit up the darkness. The juxtaposition of light in the dark gives us a glimpse into one of the most difficult questions. Why does God allow so much darkness in the world?

Job reminds us of God appearing to the newly freed Israel from the top of the mountain with thunder and flashes of lightning on top of the darkness caused by a thick cloud. And God spoke in a thunderous voice. We have to ask ourselves why God did this.

The Israelites had been in Egypt for four hundred years. They worshiped Egyptian gods formed by human craftsmen. They had been told that Pharoah was himself a god. And these gods spoke to them. They spoke through Pharoah. They spoke through their religious magicians. They even spoke through the magnificent artistry in which they were formed.

When God appeared at the top of a mountain with fire, lightning, billows of smoke, and a voice thundering from Heaven so that an entire nation could hear Him, He was distinguishing himself from any other type of god they had ever known. The God of Israel was saying, “There is no one like me.”

The word ‘thunder’ here means to distinguish. God must distinguish Himself from all other earthly powers, objects, trends, and thoughts that we worship. And there is no greater distinguishing element than light set in darkness. In the wild of the desert, where the only light was the moon, the sky was suddenly lit up in bursts of lightning. God was distinguishing Himself so they would follow Him because only He could protect and prosper them.

The Lord does allow a great deal of darkness into our world, but only enough to allow His light to shine brightly enough to distinguish Himself. When the world is in utter darkness, He shines brighter. When our life has fallen under deep darkness, His light in us, His love, His words, His power, and strength shine brightly to all who are watching from a distance. We have become the mountain of God where the darkness around us is eclipsed by the Light of His power so that all will not there is no god like our God.

Prayer: Lord, let me be content in the darkness knowing Your light will surely appear and through my testimony, You will be distinguished above all other gods. Amen.