Sermon – 01/08/2010 pm
The Lord Answers Job – Behemoth and Leviathan
Study Text: Job 40:6-41:34
Brace yourself like a man and I will question you (40:7).
The Lord had not finished with Job just yet. Out of the storm
the Lord again speaks. He warns Job to get ready for some tough
questions. In his suffering Job had not held back on questioning
God. Why was God afflicting him and letting the wicked prosper?
Why was God acting unjustly towards him? Job believed God saw
everything that was happening to him – why then did he not
help him? Was God omnipotent or was he impotent? Actually God
was behind all that was happening to him.
‘Job wanted an interview with the Almighty. He had, as
it were, sworn an affidavit demanding the Almighty appear and
put his indictment in writing (31:35). But God’s defence
wasn’t quite what Job had in mind’ writes Carson.
The Lord’s first barrage of questions had silenced Job,
but the Lord had more to say to this man who questioned God’s
power and justice.
Condemn God Would You?
Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify
yourself? (40:8). All through his suffering Job maintained
his innocence. He examined his life and found no specific sin
to repent of. The Lord had declared him blameless and upright,
so it was not wrong for him to make this claim. But in justifying
himself Job condemned God. He accused God of being in the wrong
for the way he was treating Job. This was the pit into which Job
stumbled.
Job did not understand God and his ways. He must realize not
only the unreasonableness but also the sinfulness of criticizing
Almighty God. Job must remind himself that ‘God is a Spirit,
infinite, eternal and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power,
holiness, justice, goodness, and truth’ (Shorter Catechism,
Question 4). He failed to remember that the fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom. Fear of the Lord was slowly returning
to Job’s heart as the Lord spoke to him out of the storm.
Can you thunder with a voice like God’s? (40:9).
In the argument between Job and his friends many bitter words
were exchanged, and no doubt voices were raised at times. Miserable
comforters you all are (16:2). Even when addressing God,
Job cried out with a loud voice. Cease! Leave me alone!
he said on one occasion (10:20).
The Israelites took on Moses as they complained about the lack
of food in the wilderness, but it was a different matter when
the Lord spoke out of the storm on the mountain. Trembling in
their boots they came to Moses pleading let not God speak
with us lest we die (Exodus 20:19). We only have the words
of the Lord in writing but we can imagine the thunderous voice
that Job heard coming out of the storm.
Have you an arm like God? (40:9) – this means
‘are you as strong as God’. The Lord was in effect
asking Job if he would like to try his hand at running the universe
for a while. He was being very critical of the way God was doing
things. For a start Job would need to appear like the king of
the universe. He would need to put on glory and splendour. He
would need to be arrayed in honour and majesty. Job was dressed
in sackcloth and sat on an ash heap. From this position he was
contending with the Almighty. He was contending with the Lord
who truly is clothed with honour and majesty, who covers himself
with light as a garment and makes the clouds his chariot (Psalm
104:1, 3).
There is a lot that is not right in this world. Poverty continues
to be a blot upon humanity. Rulers promise to put an end to poverty.
They promise to bring in a new world order. But what do we see?
We see violence and oppression all around. We see injustice, with
the rich getting richer through graft, through exploitation or
through dodgy business practices. We see wars all around. Some
rulers want to stop wars while others promote them. In the meantime
many blame God.
The Lord goes to the root of the problems in this world –
pride in the human heart – and challenges Job to do something
about this pride. ‘Bring down the proud and tread on the
wicked’ would you? (40:12). But what can Job do? Not only
would he need wisdom beyond that which the Lord gave to Solomon,
but he would also need power beyond that given to King Solomon.
Such wisdom and power are found in none other than the Son of
God, Jesus Christ our Lord.
‘In an amazing display of condescension God offers to bow
down in deference to Job’s godlike powers if he can demonstrate
his ability to do something about the wickedness in the world.
I will confess to you that you own right hand can save you
(40:14). Job had been usurping God’s role as governor of
the world. He has been lusting after godlike knowledge of good
and evil (cf. Genesis 3:5)’ (Thomas). The Lord
of course knew that Job had no power to do anything about his
own situation, let alone the whole problem of evil in the world.
The words here are ironic. No man can save himself or his brother
(Psalm 49:7-9).
In our suffering we may well feel hard done by. Sometimes we
feel the whole world is against us. Some people say life would
be so much easier if they did not have to deal with other people.
The problem with the world they say is the people in it! The problem
with the church they say is the people in it! Do you sometimes
think you could do a better job than Almighty God? If you had
the power how would you fix things in the world – or in
the church? Let us be thankful that the God of justice and of
mercy rules this world and the church.
Job was powerless to do anything about his situation. His lack
of power was due in part to his lack of knowledge about his real
enemy. We know that behind his suffering was a supernatural adversary
called Satan. Would Job have acted differently if God had told
him about this adversary? Ask yourself if you consider your adversary
when trouble comes your way. Do you put on the whole armour of
God that you might stand and not fall in the evil day? What is
that armour? Truth, righteousness, faith, the gospel of peace,
and the Spirit of God (Ephesians 6).
Can You Catch Behemoth?
The lesson continues. If Job could not ascend to heaven
and judge the wicked let him try something a bit easier. Let him
show his power over some dumb animals. The Lord urges Job to demonstrate
his wisdom and power in catching behemoth and leviathan.
Some men feel a sense of power when they subdue wild animals.
Hunting wild animals has a fascination for them. Others feel as
sense of power in domesticating and controlling a dog or a bird.
In his previous discourse the Lord directed Job’s attention
to the wild animals which God created and cared for. He made Job
realize how little he knew about the world in which he lived –
and Job reckoned he could do a better job than God in running
the world! In this second discourse the Lord told Job to look
at behemoth and catch leviathan, if he could.
Firstly the behemoth. This word which occurs nine times in the
Old Testament means ‘beast’ or ‘cattle’.
Here in the book of Job it refers to a specific beast or great
beast. The description fits a large land animal, most likely a
hippopotamus or possibly an elephant. Some think the description
does not fit any known animal but rather an extinct dinosaur.
The behemoth was a real creature which God made along with human
beings like Job (40: 15).
The hippopotamus is the third largest animal after the whale
and the elephant. It can weigh up to 3 tonnes. It has powerful
hips and can run at great speed over a short distance. Do not
try to outrun a hippo! The hippo has an enormous mouth, being
surpassed only by the whale in this feature. It is as if he can
swallow up the river (40:23). This animal lies in the reeds by
the edge of the river with only his eyes protruding above the
water. The behemoth is a herbivore (40:15) as the hippo is, but
it is also one of the most aggressive and dangerous animals in
the world. No one can put a ring in its nose and lead it away
(40:24).
The hippo is native to Africa, and in ancient times was found
in the Nile. Here the Lord speaks of it as being in the Jordan
(40:23). A certain mythology surrounded this amazing beast –
or ‘horse of the river’ as the Greek name means. But
it is a real animal that is portrayed to Job. Many men working
together with clubs and spears might overpower a hippo, but even
today it is a beast that is feared by the hunter. Job knew there
was no way he could catch or control such a beast. Only God who
made it had such power (40:19).
Can You Catch Leviathan?
The Lord brought another creature to Job’s attention:
a creature called leviathan. This is a transliteration of a Hebrew
word that occurs five times in the Old Testament. It refers to
a monster of the sea. The name was used figuratively to describe
the monstrous ruler of Egypt (Psalm 74:14), and other rulers (Isaiah
27:1). In another Psalm (104:26) the word seems to refer to whales.
Here in Job we have a detailed description of this monster of
the sea, a description that best fits a crocodile – although
reference to smoke going out if his nostrils and a flame out of
his mouth (40:20, 21) leads some to conclude it is a fire-breathing
dragon now extinct.
If the hippo holds a fascination for men then the crocodile does
so even more. It is a fascinating relic from the dinosaur era.
For some this fascination becomes a challenge, a challenge to
overpower this powerful reptile. Paul Hogan portrayed himself
as a macho crocodile hunter in a movie. Steve Irwin took on the
crocodile in the real world. One or two people are killed each
year by crocodiles in Australia.
Can you make friends with a crocodile? Will you play with one
as with a bird (41:5)? We have seen video clips of crocodiles
latching onto their prey with huge powerful jaws and dragging
them under the water. The scales on this reptile resists the spear,
dart and javelin (41:26). No other creature is as fearless as
leviathan. Of all the creatures it is the most proud. It is king
over all the beasts (41:33, 34). Indeed a lion coming to the river
must be alert to the crocodile lurking in the murky waters.
What was the Lord trying to tell Job in this portrayal of behemoth
and leviathan? He invited Job to catch such large and dangerous
beasts if he could. Job wanted to tell God how to run the world
but he could not even subdue the animals God had made. As Job
contemplated standing before leviathan the Lord asked him who
then is able to stand against me. Who has given me anything that
I should pay back? Everything under heaven is mine (41:10,
11).
God made the behemoth along with Job. He made leviathan also.
If these creatures appear powerful, as they are, then consider
the One who made them. ‘If we tremble at the sight of a
beast should we play the bold fellows against God’ said
Calvin. We can see Job shrinking as the Lord makes him realize
his impotence. This is the same Job who would condemn Almighty
God while justifying himself!
God is all powerful. We must stop and consider the mighty works
of God. We are not to fear the creation as many do as they worship
created things. It is tragic to see men, educated men, bowing
down before idols of elephants, monkeys or cows. It is tragic
to see educated men and women becoming so fascinated with animals
while ignoring the Almighty God who created them.
God made these great and powerful creatures. God reminded Job
that he made him also. God is all powerful and he is all wise.
God is just. His is the sovereign Lord of all creation, and the
lesson Job is being asked to learn is that submission is the better
way of discipleship. Submission not rebellion is the way of true
discipleship.
Rev. Dr. Dennis K. Muldoon