Analyzing Job 12:11

“Job 12:11 says, "Does not the ear test words, as the mouth tastes food?".

This verse is part of a passage where Job compares how the ear tests words to how the mouth tastes food.

Explanation In this passage:

Job is describing God's care and oversight of all creation. He implies that his friends have too narrow a view of God.

Job also asks people to consider what animals, birds, and fish have to say. He suggests that these creatures can teach people about God's hand in the world.”

Job 12:7-10 says:

"But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind."

What Can Animals Teach Us?

Job is making a powerful point: even the natural world testifies to God's wisdom and sovereignty. Let’s break it down:

1. Animals Recognize God’s Hand

   • Job suggests that if we observe nature, we’ll see God’s fingerprints everywhere. Animals live in tune with their environment, depending on the instincts and provisions God has built into creation.

   • Jesus later echoes this idea in Matthew 6:26 when He says, "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them."

2. Lessons from the Beasts

   • Animals rely on God’s provision without anxiety. While humans worry about the future, creatures trust in the cycle of life God has established.

   • They also exhibit wisdom in survival, teamwork (like ants and bees), and even self-sacrifice (some animals protect their young at great cost).

3. Lessons from Birds

   • Birds migrate thousands of miles with precision, relying on instincts designed by their Creator. This reflects divine order.

   • They also sing even in hardship—reminding us to praise God in all circumstances.

4. Lessons from the Earth

   • The seasons, the renewal of life, and the intricate balance of ecosystems all point to God’s sustaining power.

   • The soil teaches us patience—seeds take time to grow, just as God’s plans unfold in our lives.

5. Lessons from Fish

   • Fish live in currents and adapt to the waters around them. Some, like salmon, swim upstream with perseverance, mirroring the Christian walk of faith.

The Big Takeaway

Job is challenging his friends (and us) to open our eyes. If even the animals recognize God’s presence, why do humans often struggle to trust Him? Nature is a testament to God's control, wisdom, and care.

What stands out most to you from Job’s analogy? Do you see any other lessons from animals that reflect God's wisdom?

There are many mysteries in nature—things we observe but can't fully explain scientifically—that align with biblical principles and could point to God's design. Here are a few examples where science hasn’t fully explained the "how," but the Bible provides an explanation for the "why":

1. The Instinct and Navigation of Birds & Animals

• Birds migrate thousands of miles with pinpoint accuracy, often across continents and oceans. Salmon return to the exact river where they were born after years in the ocean.

• Science explains some of this with magnetic fields, the sun’s position, and genetics, but how these creatures "know" where to go remains largely a mystery.

• Biblical Explanation: Job 39:26-27 describes how the hawk and eagle soar by God's wisdom. Jeremiah 8:7 says, "Even the stork in the heavens knows her times; and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming, but my people do not know the rules of the Lord."

2. Animals Sensing Danger Before Humans

• Animals often flee before natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis. They detect something long before humans do.

• Science suggests they sense vibrations or atmospheric changes, but how do they respond before these changes even happen?

• Biblical Explanation: Psalm 104:24-25 speaks of God's wisdom in creating life, showing that animals operate under His design.

3. The Healing Power of Prayer

• Numerous studies show that people who pray and have faith tend to recover faster from illness, even when science can’t explain why.

• Some cases of miraculous healings defy medical explanation. Science calls them "spontaneous remission," but it can’t explain why they happen.

• Biblical Explanation: James 5:14-15 says, "The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up."

4. Human Consciousness & Morality

• Science can describe brain activity, but it cannot explain why humans have self-awareness, emotions, and a moral compass.

• Evolutionary theory suggests morality is a survival mechanism, but it doesn’t explain why people willingly sacrifice themselves for others with no personal benefit.

• Biblical Explanation: Genesis 1:27 says we are made in God’s image, which includes our ability to think, love, and discern right from wrong. Romans 2:15 says God has written His law on our hearts.

5. The Fine-Tuning of the Universe

• The universe is perfectly calibrated for life—any slight change in gravity, atomic structure, or planetary distance would make life impossible.

• Scientists recognize this as the "Fine-Tuning Problem" but can’t explain why it exists.

• Biblical Explanation: Isaiah 45:18 says, "God formed the earth to be inhabited." Psalm 19:1 declares, "The heavens declare the glory of God."

6. The Uniqueness of the Number 7 in Nature

• Many natural cycles follow a seven-day rhythm: human cell regeneration, biorhythms, and even agricultural soil recovery.

• Science acknowledges these patterns but has no definitive reason why a seven-day cycle seems woven into creation.

• Biblical Explanation: God established the seven-day week in Genesis 2:2-3, and throughout the Bible, seven symbolizes completeness.

7. Near-Death Experiences (NDEs)

• Many people who experience clinical death report seeing bright light, meeting Jesus, or gaining knowledge they couldn't have otherwise had.

• Science tries to explain this as brain activity, but some cases involve people accurately describing things they could not have seen or known while unconscious.

• Biblical Explanation: 2 Corinthians 5:8 says, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."

Final Thought: Science Observes, But God Explains

Science is great at studying the "how" of the universe, but there are things that point beyond scientific explanation—things that make more sense when viewed through the lens of God’s design.

Are there any mysteries in nature or life that you’ve noticed that seem to go beyond scientific explanation?