12 “Have you ever in your life commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?
14 “It is changed like clay under the seal;
And they stand forth like a garment.
15 “From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the uplifted arm is broken. Job 38:12-15

You get the distinct impression that the power brokers of the world really believe they can hold sway over the masses, and that their influence extends to nature itself.

The sun rises each morning based on a calculus of the earth’s orbit around the sun and the spinning of the globe on its tilted axis. The precise distance away from the sun, the speed of the rotation, and the selection of the angle of the tilt were all set by an omniscient God. We study this and marvel at his design. Working backward we can see the disastrous effects of any miscalculation. (verse 12)

Accordingly, we all must constantly deal with things coming to light with the dawning of a new day. Each morning it is as if God almighty takes hold of the ends of the earthly rug, steps outside into the sunlight, and mightily snaps it in the wind. (verse 13) The evil plans and schemes of the wicked who occupy the world are therefore flung into the brightness, unless, of course, the omnipotent God wishes for them to dig their own graves.

No, indeed, the wicked will never gain the upper hand, nor will humankind ever control nature, because they didn’t design it or implement it in the first place. When God put his seal on creation, the malleable clay was displaced, reaching its limits and hardening there, never to be trifled with, and the impression left behind was for all eternity. (verse 14)

The wicked can never get quite enough darkness to do what they intend to do before the dawn. It must be frustrating. Let us never think all is lost, especially when we see the sun rising yet again in the east.

In the meantime, it is disheartening to see all those uplifted tight-fisted arms “raised up against the knowledge of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:5). But be heartened! God says and will see to it that “the uplifted arm is broken,” and that the light they need to hatch their diabolical plans is withheld. (verse 15)