Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is blameless in knowledge?
All Commentaries on Job 37:16 Go To Job 37
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
There are some who consider the wondrous works of God, but then they lie down, rather than standing up by acting rightly. They do not follow and respect the power of his doings. This is why Paul also said, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls.” They often indeed admire the judgments of heaven. They love the announcements of their heavenly country when they hear them and are astounded at the wondrous operations of his inward ordaining. But [they] still neglect to attain to these words by their love and their lives. They then become idle. Even while considering in their understanding the wondrous works of God, they do not love it in their lives.
They indeed turn the eye of their minds to thinking on these things, but yet do not manifest their intentions by lifting themselves up from the earthly.…
Elihu therefore, who did not believe that blessed Job had maintained the life that he professed, says, as if advising him, “Stand, and consider the wondrous works of God.” He still further examines him as to future events and adds, as if humbling him for his ignorance, “Do you know when God commanded the rains to show forth the light of his clouds?” If “clouds” are holy preachers, then the rain from the clouds are the words of their preaching. When clouds fly through the air, unless rain descends from above, we do not know what an immensity of water they carry. Unless the glittering sun breaks forth amid the rain, we cannot understand what brightness also is concealed within them. Doubtless, if holy preachers are silent and do not show by their words how great is the brightness of heavenly hope that they bear in their hearts, they seem to be like other people or far more despicable.
