I had this thought when I was reading Daniel Harrell‘s book ‘Nature’s Witness: How evolution can inspire faith.’ (I’m only about half way through so I’m not going to review it here, but I feel I should acknowledge it.) I hadn’t noticed before that in Job 12, Job himself talks about creation and how it speaks to him of God’s wisdom and provision:

7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish of the sea inform you.

9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the LORD has done this?

10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.

So when God speaks to Job in chapters 38-41, God is speaking Job’s language – he’s reminding Job of something he already knows (Elihu doesn’t really need to remind him of it in chpts 36 & 37), but God takes it further and uses it to give Job an answer about why he is suffering. It makes me want to go back to Romans 1: God reveals himself in a number of ways, including the incredible world he’s made – that’s something we just know instinctively.