Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
God questions Job about the founding of the earth, asking what its foundations are fastened upon and who laid its cornerstone, to show that the world was established by divine power beyond human knowledge or part. That founding took place at the beginning of the world, when the morning stars sang together and the sons of God and the heavenly host looked on with joy and admiration. When the foundations of the earth were laid, the foundation of the Sabbath was laid with them, so the Sabbath is as old as the world itself and older than Sunday observance. After six days of creation God rested on the seventh day and blessed and sanctified it as holy, instituting it in Eden before the Fall as His memorial of creation to be remembered and kept holy. The Sabbath therefore stands on the authority and eternal word of God and not on human custom or authority, and it was entrusted to humanity to keep pure and to be observed forever by the redeemed and the angels in honor of the Creator.
Creation Language and Setting
Job 38:6 belongs to God's sublime and majestic poetic questioning of Job concerning the creation of the earth. It asks what holds its foundations in place and who laid its cornerstone. Its image of foundations and cornerstone presents the earth as established and ordered by God, with its beginnings lying beyond human power and knowledge.
By asking who fastened its foundations and laid its cornerstone, the verse declares that creation belongs to God and not to humanity. Human beings had no part in making the world or in giving life. The questions expose the limits of human wisdom before mysteries of God that lie beyond finite understanding. They call people to recognize that their knowledge is limited and to trust God.
The fastening of the foundations and the laying of the cornerstone took place at the beginning of the world, at creation in Eden. It occurred when the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy. At that time the heavenly host looked on the Creator's work with admiration and shouted for joy, so that the founding of the earth drew the joyful interest of the loyal angels.
Sabbath Founded at Creation
When the foundations of the earth were fastened and its cornerstone was laid, the foundation of the Sabbath was laid with them, so the Sabbath dates from creation and from the beginning of the world. It is as old as the world itself, and more ancient than Sunday observance. The laying of the earth's foundations marks creation as the time when the Sabbath was also established, and the earth's founding is linked to the founding of the Sabbath. The connection of the laying of the foundations with the beginning of the Seventh-day Sabbath is set in the creation of the world when the morning stars sang together.
At that founding, after six days of creation God completed His work and rested on the seventh day, and blessed and sanctified it and made it holy. He set apart the seventh day as sacred for rest and worship. Instituted in Eden before the Fall, it is God's memorial of creation and a faithful witness every week. It was given to the world as a lasting reminder that God created the world in six days, rested on the seventh, and is the true and living God, and God's memorial — the Sabbath — was given to honor the Creator who made the world and blessed the day of rest. It is commanded to be remembered and kept holy.
The Sabbath therefore dates from creation and rests on God's authority, not on human custom or tradition and not on human authority or human tradition. It bears the sanction of both angels and God, was established by the Ancient of days and commanded by His eternal word, and therefore demands reverence. The God who laid those foundations and instituted the Seventh-day Sabbath when they were laid is the God who made heaven and earth, the only true and living God. He is the author of Christianity and the author of all truth, and honoring Him as supreme gives glory to Him as the Maker of heaven and earth.
The Sabbath founded at creation will be observed forever by the redeemed and the angels in honor of the Creator. The Sabbath's foundation was laid when the heavenly host watched the Creator's work with admiration and shouted for joy, and its origin is placed at creation when God made the world and heaven rejoiced. It is entrusted to humanity to keep pure and holy. God established the Sabbath as essential for humanity in Paradise, for people's spiritual and physical health.
The creation setting also places the enduring law of the Ten Commandments at the creation of the world. At the creation in Eden God instituted the Sabbath of the fourth commandment and constituted marriage as a divine ordinance, fixing both the Sabbath and marriage to the beginning, so that God's institution of marriage stands as firm as the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Deep-thinking witnesses who give glory to Him as supreme will bring even judges and kings in courts of justice, in parliaments and councils, to acknowledge Him.
God questions Job about the founding of the earth, asking what its foundations are fastened upon and who laid its cornerstone, to show that the world was established by divine power beyond human knowledge or part. That founding took place at the beginning of the world, when the morning stars sang together and the sons of God and the heavenly host looked on with joy and admiration. When the foundations of the earth were laid, the foundation of the Sabbath was laid with them, so the Sabbath is as old as the world itself and older than Sunday observance. After six days of creation God rested on the seventh day and blessed and sanctified it as holy, instituting it in Eden before the Fall as His memorial of creation to be remembered and kept holy. The Sabbath therefore stands on the authority and eternal word of God and not on human custom or authority, and it was entrusted to humanity to keep pure and to be observed forever by the redeemed and the angels in honor of the Creator.
Creation Language and Setting
Job 38:6 belongs to God's sublime and majestic poetic questioning of Job concerning the creation of the earth. It asks what holds its foundations in place and who laid its cornerstone. Its image of foundations and cornerstone presents the earth as established and ordered by God, with its beginnings lying beyond human power and knowledge.
By asking who fastened its foundations and laid its cornerstone, the verse declares that creation belongs to God and not to humanity. Human beings had no part in making the world or in giving life. The questions expose the limits of human wisdom before mysteries of God that lie beyond finite understanding. They call people to recognize that their knowledge is limited and to trust God.
The fastening of the foundations and the laying of the cornerstone took place at the beginning of the world, at creation in Eden. It occurred when the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy. At that time the heavenly host looked on the Creator's work with admiration and shouted for joy, so that the founding of the earth drew the joyful interest of the loyal angels.
Sabbath Founded at Creation
When the foundations of the earth were fastened and its cornerstone was laid, the foundation of the Sabbath was laid with them, so the Sabbath dates from creation and from the beginning of the world. It is as old as the world itself, and more ancient than Sunday observance. The laying of the earth's foundations marks creation as the time when the Sabbath was also established, and the earth's founding is linked to the founding of the Sabbath. The connection of the laying of the foundations with the beginning of the Seventh-day Sabbath is set in the creation of the world when the morning stars sang together.
At that founding, after six days of creation God completed His work and rested on the seventh day, and blessed and sanctified it and made it holy. He set apart the seventh day as sacred for rest and worship. Instituted in Eden before the Fall, it is God's memorial of creation and a faithful witness every week. It was given to the world as a lasting reminder that God created the world in six days, rested on the seventh, and is the true and living God, and God's memorial — the Sabbath — was given to honor the Creator who made the world and blessed the day of rest. It is commanded to be remembered and kept holy.
The Sabbath therefore dates from creation and rests on God's authority, not on human custom or tradition and not on human authority or human tradition. It bears the sanction of both angels and God, was established by the Ancient of days and commanded by His eternal word, and therefore demands reverence. The God who laid those foundations and instituted the Seventh-day Sabbath when they were laid is the God who made heaven and earth, the only true and living God. He is the author of Christianity and the author of all truth, and honoring Him as supreme gives glory to Him as the Maker of heaven and earth.
The Sabbath founded at creation will be observed forever by the redeemed and the angels in honor of the Creator. The Sabbath's foundation was laid when the heavenly host watched the Creator's work with admiration and shouted for joy, and its origin is placed at creation when God made the world and heaven rejoiced. It is entrusted to humanity to keep pure and holy. God established the Sabbath as essential for humanity in Paradise, for people's spiritual and physical health.
The creation setting also places the enduring law of the Ten Commandments at the creation of the world. At the creation in Eden God instituted the Sabbath of the fourth commandment and constituted marriage as a divine ordinance, fixing both the Sabbath and marriage to the beginning, so that God's institution of marriage stands as firm as the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Deep-thinking witnesses who give glory to Him as supreme will bring even judges and kings in courts of justice, in parliaments and councils, to acknowledge Him.