In this message I would like to speak a further word concerning God's intention in His appearing to Job.
God's intention in appearing to Job was to expose him, to show him that he really was nothing. God's appearing also implied that He wanted to help Job to know that he was in the wrong realm. When God asked Job so many questions concerning the universe (38:4-38) and concerning the animals (38:39—39:30), His intention was to enable Job to see that he, a person who remained in himself, was considering things regarding the universe and God that were far beyond his capacity. Thus, God questioned Job again and again in order to silence him. God seemed to be saying, "Job, I am doing something that you do not know. I intend to give you something that is not in your realm but is in another realm."
In 40:10 God said to Job, "Deck yourself now with majesty and excellency,/And array yourself with honor and splendor." Here God was actually asking Job about his majesty and excellency and about his honor and splendor, with the intention that Job would realize that he did not have any majesty, excellency, honor, and splendor. In verses 12 and 13 God went on to say, "Look upon everyone who is proud; bring him down;/And tread down the wicked where they stand./Hide them in the dust together;/Bind their faces in the hidden place." Here God was telling Job that he should look at himself and realize that he was proud, even though he had no reason to be proud. Furthermore, God was indicating to Job that he should be abased, that he should be hidden in the dust and even buried there.
Job was in the primitive stage of the divine revelation. Many things that God intended to do in His move, which began with the incarnation, Job knew nothing about. God had many things within Himself, but He could not unveil them to Job. God could not speak to Job about these things.
The word of the Lord Jesus to Nicodemus regarding regeneration can also be applied to Job's situation: "If I told you of the things on earth and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you of the things in heaven?" (John 3:12). As John 16:12 and 13 reveal, the Lord Jesus was even limited in what He could say to His disciples: "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of reality, comes, He will guide you into all the reality; for He will not speak from Himself, but what He hears He will speak; and He will declare to you the things that are coming." Many of these things were revealed to the apostle Paul. Today, following Paul, we speak of such matters as God's economy, the divine dispensing, and the all-inclusive Spirit as the consummation of the processed and consummated Triune God. However, many of today's Christians do not understand these matters and even regard them as nonsense.
God's move from the incarnation to the consummation of the New Jerusalem involves many spiritual things, including regeneration, renewing, sanctification, transformation, glorification, and transfiguration. Because Job was in the primitive stage of the divine revelation, he could not understand any of these things.