The Breath of the Almighty
The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Answer me, if you can; set your words in order before me; take your stand. Behold, I am toward God as you are; I too was pinched off from a piece of clay. Behold, no fear of me need terrify you; my pressure will not be heavy upon you.
Job 33:4–7
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The Breath of the Almighty
Elihu assures Job that he is sincere in his statements and attests to the fact that, like Job, he too is a creation of the Almighty. As we know from Genesis God created everything good which exists. He has made us in His own image. Here Elihu confesses this truth and shows that the third person of the Trinity was part of creation from the very beginning. And unlike the rest of creation, we were made differently. Elihu alludes to it as he says, “I too was pinched off from a piece of clay.” We know that when God created everything, He simply spoke it into existence, “Let there be…” and there was. Yet when it came time to create Adam God did something different. We are told when He formed Adam, “the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7). This is a hands on, intimate creation. God tenderly formed us in His own image. He molded the clay of our bodies into who we are. And then in a picture of Fatherly love, He came face to face with His creation and breathed the breath of life into our nostrils. God’s breath, His Spirit truly makes us alive. We are not simply physical beings, but physical and spiritual, body and soul. And in a garden paradise, after breathing life into Adam, the very first man opened his eyes for the first time and saw the face of God. And in this same way God’s Holy Spirit continues to breathe life into us, through God’s Word and Sacraments, so that when we open our eyes for the first time in faith, we see God and know Him as our father.
Job 33:4–7
+
The Breath of the Almighty
Elihu assures Job that he is sincere in his statements and attests to the fact that, like Job, he too is a creation of the Almighty. As we know from Genesis God created everything good which exists. He has made us in His own image. Here Elihu confesses this truth and shows that the third person of the Trinity was part of creation from the very beginning. And unlike the rest of creation, we were made differently. Elihu alludes to it as he says, “I too was pinched off from a piece of clay.” We know that when God created everything, He simply spoke it into existence, “Let there be…” and there was. Yet when it came time to create Adam God did something different. We are told when He formed Adam, “the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7). This is a hands on, intimate creation. God tenderly formed us in His own image. He molded the clay of our bodies into who we are. And then in a picture of Fatherly love, He came face to face with His creation and breathed the breath of life into our nostrils. God’s breath, His Spirit truly makes us alive. We are not simply physical beings, but physical and spiritual, body and soul. And in a garden paradise, after breathing life into Adam, the very first man opened his eyes for the first time and saw the face of God. And in this same way God’s Holy Spirit continues to breathe life into us, through God’s Word and Sacraments, so that when we open our eyes for the first time in faith, we see God and know Him as our father.
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