But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?' – Job 35:10

Today's Scripture Reading (August 1, 2021): Job 35

It happened in Philippi. Paul and Silas were ministering there, and lives were being changed, and as often happened, that upset those who were making money from the way things were, even if the way things were was the source of pain. Those who had benefitted economically from the system didn't approve of the changes made by Paul and Silas. So, they had them arrested on the charge of creating chaos in the city. Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten with rods, flogged, and then finally thrown into prison. What happened next is remarkable in several ways. 

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here" (Acts 16:25-28)!

When we read the passage, we often seem to concentrate on the miraculous earthquake that set the prisoners free, or maybe that they didn't leave when they had the opportunity but instead used the situation to minister to the jailer. But considering that Paul and Silas had been arrested, beaten, flogged, and then thrown into jail, it seemed to be a perfect moment for worry and just trying to recover, as much as possible in their circumstances, from their injuries. But instead, at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to their God. And that might be, at least for me, the most fantastic aspect of the story.

Elihu points out that when people are oppressed, they cry out to the government, or the king, or whoever seems to hold the power to make the cruelty stop. Our struggle is against unjust systems. If we can, we work hard to overturn those systems, sometimes by working within the system itself by changing the laws, or even through a violent overthrow of the system or even the government. But Elihu's point is, "why is overthrow our first alternative? Why is it that we don't cry out to God, our Maker, the one who gives us songs in the night?"

Maybe it is a question of priority. God might not be the first one to whom we cry out, but we do cry out. And, as we mature in our faith, maybe we cry out more often to the one who gives us songs in the night. In the desert, Hagar would cry out, and God would hear her. In Egypt, Israel would cry out, and God would send Moses. And in a prison in Philippi, Paul and Silas would call out and sing the songs of the one who had created them; songs given for the night. And Paul and Silas wouldn't have to ask Elihu's question; 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?' They knew precisely where their God was; he was sitting with them, helping them to sing their songs in the night.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Job 36