Contemplating Clouds

March 13, 2023 | Marcos Barrios ES ‘24

image description: lightning in field

"Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge." Job 37:16

How often do you think about clouds? Sure, you may notice them. But when was the last time you looked up and pondered them? Did you recognize them as the "wondrous works" of God? 

Clouds are an interesting phenomenon. I'm not a meteorologist, but as I understand it, they form when excess water vapor condenses into tiny water droplets, attaching to dust particles and forming amorphous shapes. Clouds can contain millions of pounds of water and stretch for miles as they float through the sky. 

Clouds obviously play an essential role in the water cycle on the planet, hydrating the ground and filling our lakes and rivers with fresh water. But humans have a complex relationship with clouds. On the one hand, nothing is more beautiful than a bright summer day with a sky full of fluffy white clouds. Yet rumbling dark clouds threaten storms and lightning. On a dreadfully hot day, a passing cloud that obscures the sun is a sweet relief. But on an overcast day you wish the sun would peek through. A sunset is more beautiful when there are clouds that can be illuminated in different colors. But clouds can block out the moon and stars, creating frightful darkness. 

Whatever we think of them, clouds play a surprisingly prominent role in the Bible, even if you wouldn't typically hear a sermon on the topic. Clouds are mentioned more than 150 times throughout  the Bible, often in the most notable places. God promises to put His rainbow in the clouds as a sign of His covenant with Noah. A pillar of the cloud leads the Jews through the promised land. Elijah shuts up the heavens for three and a half years before the clouds return to water the Earth. The Psalms and Proverbs frequently speak of the clouds and their rain. Jesus ascends until the clouds obscure Him. Revelation describes Jesus returning among the clouds. 

Through the centuries, clouds have represented the heavenly and the angelic. Images of heaven as a city in the clouds dominate our cultural perceptions of the afterlife. But what do they mean? The next time we see clouds, what should we remember about God? Thinking about clouds, I've made a few observations. 

First, clouds reflect God's sheer power and strength. 

"He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;

Who makes lightnings for the rain,

Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries."

Psalm 135:7

A fierce storm is terrifying, and God uses clouds to bring his wrath upon the Earth. He made it rain for 40 days and nights across the Earth; He sent storms to disperse armies and punish His enemies. He can flood or dry out the land according to His will. Looking at the clouds reminds us that this world is not ours. We can try our hardest to grab at the mist of a cloud, but only God can hold the clouds in His hands.

Yet clouds also represent God's faithfulness to His people. God frequently uses clouds as a physical sign of His covenants. He tells Noah to look up at the rainbows in the clouds to remind him that the Earth will never again be flooded. He tells the Jews to look up at the pillar of cloud to lead them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. And He tells Christians to look to the heavens to see the Son of Man riding a chariot through the clouds in the fulfillment of His final covenant. 

Finally, clouds illustrate how God's graciousness and faithfulness extend to all---they are given to us as a simple gift of beauty and love. He uses the clouds to take care of the world, giving us water and life, even when we don't deserve it. “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45) And he gives us clouds as a source of beauty and inspiration, a chance to see the creativity and artistry of God. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1).

Keep an eye out for the clouds this Lent season. In a way, these are the same water droplets and clouds that have always existed on Earth. Looking at them is a chance to remember the people and promises that came before us and the hope and joy we look forward to tomorrow.

This piece is a part of a series for Lent 2023. Read more at https://www.yalelogos.com/lent2023