Why the whirlwind?

Storms, sea monsters, and God the Creator

What descriptions of God resonate the most with you?

Perhaps you’re partial to the image conjured by the name “Father.” 

Or maybe the vibrant depictions of God as light strike a chord with you, like in Revelation 22:5: “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light...”

Earlier this week, a vicious storm system with hurricane-force winds arrived at my house in Madison, Alabama, as I was completing (what felt like) step 17 of my bedtime routine. 

I know it arrived at about that time because, for one moment, it genuinely sounded like the entire force of the storm was leaning against the back wall of my house. The wind was blowing with such intensity that I had to stop mid-heatless curl routine (IYKYK) and check to make sure the windows and doors on that side of the house were holding strong. 

Later that night, as I laid in bed listening to the rain peppering the windows throughout my Bible study and prayer time, I was reminded of a powerful image that pops up a few different times in scripture: God in the whirlwind. 

But, why? What is the whirlwind? Where do we find it in scripture? And, perhaps most importantly, what does it tell us about God? 

Far from a technical meteorological term, the word “whirlwind” can be used to describe any type of strong wind that moves in a loosely circular motion—it can describe tornadoes, hurricanes, and everything in between. 

It’s an image that is used quite often throughout the Bible, and effectively. Whether you’ve weathered a hurricane, or seen a forest reduced to a pile of toothpicks by an EF-4 tornado, you can gain some sense of the immense, uncontainable power demonstrated by that metaphor. 

Let’s consider two instances from the book of Job: 

God harnessing the power of chaos

When I read Job last summer, I was particularly struck by God’s first appearance to Job after nearly 40 chapters of dialogue. 

Job’s suffering was great, and he made serious claims against God’s character that, though his friends tried to give him answers, had been left effectively unaddressed. But, just in time, God appears—and he does it in such a decisive and powerful way that there can be no doubt that the Creator of the Universe is now on the scene. 

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind…” Job 38:1

God delivers his first response to Job’s laments, a poem of back-to-back rhetorical questions sweeping across the whole of creation, reminding the reader of the source of it all. 

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!” Job 38:4-5

Job is given a chance to respond, but instead judges it prudent to stay silent. So, out of the whirlwind, God begins speaking again, this time using his dialogue to highlight two creatures: Behemoth and Leviathan. 

Creature #2 is the one I want to focus on here; hang with me for a bit. 

We don’t have a specific visual description of Leviathan, but we can assume it refers to some kind of powerful, dangerous sea creature. In ancient near eastern mythology, sea creatures were seen as rivals to pagan gods. The Holman Bible Dictionary puts it this way: 

“Leviathan was seen in ancient legend as a sea monster engaged in primordial warfare with the gods. This creature represented chaos in a personified manner which any creator deity had to overcome in order to create. Leviathan was also seen as a threat to the orderliness of the universe and ultimately to be subdued at the end of time.”

Yet, even the forces of disorder, chaos, and decreation are no match for the almighty God. 34 verses—the entirety of chapter 41—are dedicated to describing the great power of this beast, the bane and primary enemy of every pagan god. Not so for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, though; this creature that strikes fear into men is simply another creation for the God of the universe. 

“Behold, the hope of a man is false;  he is laid low even at the sight of (Leviathan). No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me? Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine." Job 41:9-11

But, how does that tie into the image of the whirlwind? (You’re probably noticing that I have less of a “train of thought” and more of a “multiple mine carts running on crisscrossing tracks” situation going on here, but…I digress.) Here’s the connection, as I see it: 

Less than 10% of the dialogue in Job comes from the mouth of God, yet he dedicates nearly half of that to talking about this sea monster, a creature that even the bravest, strongest men won’t attempt to go near. 

More than that, God’s entire speech is dedicated to reminding Job who really has the power. That’s why I think God’s choice to appear and speak out of the whirlwind is an extremely important signal, meant to draw the reader’s attention to his unquestionable omnipotence. God is the Creator and sustainer of all things, the only one powerful enough to draw the boundaries of the ocean and subdue the forces of chaos that seek to expunge the good work that he has completed. 

In harnessing the power of the wind and taming the mighty Leviathan, God illustrates that he is, without question, capable of binding up the chaos of the cosmos in submission to his goals and his glory. 

And yet—he listens to us.

It’s evident that Job isn’t owed anything from God, yet he receives a response anyway. And though God may not have appeared to you out of a great stormcloud to answer your deepest questions and address your most honest laments (though, if he has, please tell me what that was like), he has given you his response in the form of the Bible, his holy and perfect word. Seek him through reading, prayer, and meditation; I am positive he will reveal his character to you there.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

Now, LMK:

What metaphors, images, or other descriptions of God stand out to you? What do they imply about his character? Drop a comment below!

And a recommendation:

My first read of 2024 was C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces, and I don’t think there are enough words in the English language to describe how dearly I loved that story. It’s captivating, thought-provoking, and thoroughly lovely. Get it here (and then please let me know what you think!!).