God asks 'Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer?' shifting from general questions about divine provision to specific questions about animal reproduction and birth. The questions establish that Job does not and cannot observe or control the biological processes of wild animals. The focus on birth suggests that divine action is involved in the reproduction of creation, not merely its initial establishment. Job's inability to observe or manage animal birth establishes another gap between human knowledge and agency and divine knowledge and action. The questions suggest that divine attention extends to the intimate biological processes of wild animals, suggesting divine care at a detailed level. Yet the questions also implicitly raise queries: if God attends to the birth of deer, does God attend to human birth and suffering?

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

Publish a note on this verse