Scripture Daily

Context No. 4261 of 4322 · Sirach

Context · Reflection

Sirach 16:18-30: in context

18Behold, heaven, the heaven of heavens, the deep, and the earth, will be moved when he visits. 19The mountains and the foundations of the earth together are shaken with trembling when he looks at them. 20No heart will think about these things. Who could comprehend his ways? 21Like a tempest which no man can see, so, the majority of his works are hidden. 22Who will declare his works of righteousness? Who will wait for them? For his covenant is afar off. 23He who is lacking in understanding thinks about these things. An unwise and erring man thinks foolishly. 24My son, listen to me, learn knowledge, and heed my words with your heart. 25I will impart instruction with precision, and declare knowledge exactly. 26In the judgment of the Lord are his works from the beginning. From the making of them he determined their boundaries. 27He arranged his works for all time, and their beginnings to their generations. They aren’t hungry or weary, and they don’t cease from their works. 28No one pushes aside his neighbor. They will never disobey his word. 29After this also the Lord looked at the earth and filled it with his blessings. 30All manner of living things covered its surface, and they return into it.

Sirach reflects on the greatness of God, before whom heaven and earth tremble when he draws near. And he makes a humbling observation about God's works: the majority of them are hidden, like a tempest no one can see. Who could comprehend his ways? Much of what God does is beyond human understanding, concealed from our sight. Yet Sirach also affirms that God has ordered all his works from the beginning, setting their boundaries, arranging them in wisdom, and filling the earth with his blessings.

Two things hold together here. God's ways are largely hidden from us; we cannot comprehend the fullness of what he is doing, and much of his working is concealed like an unseen wind. And yet nothing is random; God has arranged all his works in wisdom, ordering them and filling the earth with good. What is hidden from us is not disordered; it is governed by a wisdom we cannot fully see.

There is humility and comfort here together. Humility, because so much of God's working is beyond our understanding; we should be slow to think we have God's ways figured out. And comfort, because what we cannot see is not chaos but is ordered by God's wisdom and filled with his blessing. We can trust the wisdom behind the works we cannot comprehend.

Can I rest in humility and trust before the God whose ways are largely hidden from me, not presuming to comprehend all he is doing, yet confident that what I cannot see is not chaos but is ordered by his wisdom and filled with his blessing?

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