“Qatza” is the transliterated Hebrew term for “fringe”. I’m reading through the book of Job right now and something struck me in Job’s discourse in chapter 26. This is quoted from the NIV, Job 26:7-14, bold lettering mine:
7 He spreads out the northern [skies] over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.
8 He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
9 He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it.
10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.
11 The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke.
12 By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces.
13 By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent.
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”
Wow. All the magnificent creation around us – that is just the “outer fringe” of the works of God. What we see is just a whisper of his power and glory.
I love this passage because it reminds us of the unfathomable mystery of God – much like the end of Romans 11 in the New Testament, where Paul discusses how “unsearchable” is the mind and judgement of God.
This gives me comfort that I don’t have to have all the answers about God. I don’t have to fully understand Him in order to confess my faith in Him. I don’t have to scientifically prove Him to believe in His grace and power. What I see is just the outer fringe of His fullness.
