TheLordAnswersJob

ChapterForty-One

•  “Ifyouwanttolearnsomethingthatwillreallyhelpyou,learntoseeyourselfasGodseesyouandnotasyouseeyourselfinthedistortedmirrorofyourownself-importance…Planasyoulikeandarrangeeverythingasbestyoucan,yetyouwillalwaysencountersomesufferingwhetheryouwanttoornot.Gowhereveryouwill,youwillalwaysfindthecross…Godwantsyoutolearntoenduretroubleswithoutcomfort,tosubmityourselftotallytohim,andtobecomemorehumblethroughadversity”-ThomasAKempis

•  “ItisgoodformethatIwasafflicted,thatImightlearnyourstatutes.”-Psalms119:71

•  Paul’stestifiedthat“athornwasgivenmeintheflesh,amessengerofSatantoharassme,

.”-2Corinthians12:2

Job41:1-7

“CanyoudrawoutLeviathanwithafishhookorpressdownhistonguewithacord?Canyouputaropeinhisnoseorpiercehisjawwithahook?Willhemakemanypleastoyou?Willhespeaktoyousoftwords?Willhemakea

covenantwithyoutotakehimforyourservantforever?Willyouplaywithhimaswithabird,orwillyouputhimonaleashforyourgirls?Willtradersbargainoverhim?Willtheydividehimupamongthemerchants?Canyoufillhis

skinwithharpoonsorhisheadwithfishingspears?”

TheGreatLeviathan•  ThisamazingcreationofGodwassopowerfulandmightythatawholechapterisdedicatedtohim.

•  Leviathanmeans“twistingone”.•  ManycommentatorsandscholarsbelievebothBehemothandLeviathantobemythicalcreaturesthatareusedasametaphortodescribeGod’smightandpower.

•  However,theBibleseemstodescribeBehemothandLeviathantoberealanimalsthatappearelsewhereinscriptureapartfromthemythicallabel.

•  LeviathanisusedmoreoftenintheBiblethanBehemoth.

•  “Eventhe (Behemoth)ofthefieldpantforyoubecausethewaterbrooksaredriedup,andfirehasdevouredthepasturesofthewilderness.”-Joel1:20

•  “Youcrushedtheheadsof ;yougavehimasfoodforthecreaturesofthewilderness.”-Psalms74:14

•  “Theregotheships,and toaplayinit.”-Psalms104:26

•  “InthatdaytheLORDwithhishardandgreatandstrongswordwillpunishLeviathan ,Leviathan

,andhewillslay thatisinthesea.”-Isaiah27:1

•  IsaiahpointstoallthreenamesofLeviathan,whoalthougharealanimal,becamearepresentationofSatanbecauseofthebeautyandpowerofthiscreature(Genesis3;Revelation12).

•  GodchosethemightyLeviathaninordertodemonstratetoJobhowpowerlesshewasagainstthisanimal.

•  Job’sonlyanswertoGod’slineofquestioningwouldhavebeen,“Ican’t”.

•  “EvenasJobwaspowerlessagainstLeviathan(asallmenare),sohewasalsopowerlessagainstanunleashedSatansetagainsthim.OnlyGodcoulddefeatLeviathanandSatan.“Satanmaybetypifiedherebybehemothandleviathan.Bethatasitmay,thequestionleftwithJobwasthis:‘Canstthou?’Thushewascalledtotherecognitionofhisownimpotenceinmanydirections,andatthesametimetoaremembranceofthepowerofGod.”–Morgan,G.Campbell

Job41:8-11

“Layyourhandsonhim;rememberthebattleyouwillnotdoitagain!Behold,thehopeofamanisfalse;heislaidlowevenatthesightofhim.Nooneissofiercethathedarestostirhimup.Whothenishewhocanstandbeforeme?Whohasfirstgiventome,thatIshouldrepayhim?Whateveris

underthewholeheavenismine.”

ManAgainstLeviathan•  IfamanwastolayahandonLeviathanitwouldhavebeena

battlethathewouldrememberandnotwanttodoitagain.•  Asinglemandidnotdaretostirhimupandwouldhavehada

falsehopetoovercomehimbecauseatthemeresightofLeviathanmanislaidlow.

•  Inthefirstsectionofchapter41,verses1-7,GodaskedJobifhecouldcaptureLeviathan,butuponseeingthiscreaturemenfalldownprobablywithfear.

•  IfmanrespectedandfearedLeviathanthenhowmuchmoreshouldmanrespectandfearthecreatorWhomadethismonster.

•  God’spointwassinceJobcannotchallengenorwanttochallengeLeviathanthenhowcouldheeverhopetostandagainsttheGodwhomadeandrulesLeviathan?

•  ThiswasanothereffectivewayofteachingJobabouthispositionbeforeGod.

•  AteachinginthisportionofScriptureisthatGodhasdominionandruleovertheanimalLeviathanwhoseemstosymbolizeSatan,acreaturewhomGodalsoissovereignover.

Job41:12-21“Iwillnotkeepsilenceconcerninghislimbs,orhismightystrength,orhisgoodlyframe.Whocanstripoffhisoutergarment?Who

wouldcomenearhimwithabridle?Whocanopenthedoorsofhisface?Aroundhisteethisterror.Hisbackismadeofrowsof

shields,shutupcloselyaswithaseal.Oneissoneartoanotherthatnoaircancomebetweenthem.Theyarejoinedonetoanother;theyclaspeachotherandcannotbeseparated.His

sneezingsflashforthlight,andhiseyesareliketheeyelidsofthedawn.Outofhismouthgoflamingtorches;sparksoffireleap

forth.Outofhisnostrilscomesforthsmoke,asfromaboilingpotandburningrushes.Hisbreathkindlescoals,andaflamecomes

forthfromhismouth.”

ADescriptionOfLeviathan•  ThedescriptionofLeviathan,aroundhisteethisterror.Hisback

ismadeofrowsofshieldshasprovedtosomethatthemightyLeviathanisacrocodile.

•  Theproofisshallowatbestbecausealthoughacrocodilehasterrifyingteethandrowsofscalesonhisbodyhedoesnotshootflamesfromhisnostrilsandfirefromhismouth.

•  ThedescriptionofLeviathanseemstobeofanactualdragon.•  LegendsofdragonsdatebackasfarastheancientSumeriansand

almostallculturesaroundtheworldhavelegendsofgreatbeastscalleddragons.

•  Arethesemerelymythologicalcreatures,oraretheselegendsfoundeduponrealhistory?

TerribleTeeth?BackRowof

scales?

FlamingTorchFromNostrilsandMouth?

EyesLikeTheDawn

PowerfulLimbs

“Moreover,dinosaurs,intheformofflyingreptiles,wereafeatureofWelshlifeuntilsurprisinglyrecenttimes.Aslateasthebeginningofthepresentcentury,elderlyfolkatPenllininGlamorganusedtotellofacolonyofwingedserpentsthatlivedinthewoodsaroundPenllinCastle.AsMarieTrevelyantellsus‘ThewoodsaroundPenllinCastle,Glamorgan,hadthereputationofbeingfrequentedbywingedserpents,andtheseweretheterrorofoldandyoungalike.AnagedinhabitantofPenllyne,whodiedafewyearsago,saidthatinhisboyhoodthewingedserpentsweredescribedasverybeautiful.Theywerecoiledwheninrepose,and‘lookedasiftheywerecoveredwithjewelsofallsorts.Someofthemhadcrestssparklingwithallthecoloursoftherainbow.Whendisturbedtheyglidedswiftly,sparklingallover,totheirhidingplaces.Whenangry,theyflewoverpeople’sheads,withoutspreadwings,bright,andsometimeswitheyestoo,likethefeathersinapeacock‘stail’.Hesaiditwas‘nooldstoryinventedtofrightenchildren’,butarealfact.Hisfatherandunclehadkilledsomeofthem,fortheywereasbadasfoxesforpoultry.Theoldmanattributedtheextinctionofthewingedserpentstothefactthattheywere‘terrorsinthefarmyardsandcoverts’”.-COOPER,AfterTheFlood

ChineseMudDragonFossil

MedievalDecorations

St.GeorgeSlayingADragon

BOMBARDIERBEETLE

"Bombardierbeetles[1/2"insize]storetwoseparatechemicals(hydroquinoneandhydrogenperoxide)thatareNOTmixeduntilthreatened.Whenthisoccursthetwochemicalsaresquirtedthrough2tubes,wheretheyaremixedalongwithsmallamountsofcatalyticenzymes.Whenthesechemicalsmixtheyundergoaviolent“exothermic”chemicalreaction.Theboiling,[200degreesFahrenheit]foulsmellingliquidpartiallybecomesagasandisexpelledwithaloudpoppingsound."

Job41:22-34“Inhisneckabidesstrength,andterrordancesbeforehim.Thefoldsofhisfleshsticktogether,firmlycastonhimandimmovable.Hisheartishardasastone,hardasthelowermillstone.Whenheraiseshimselfup

themightyareafraid;atthecrashingtheyarebesidethemselves.Thoughtheswordreacheshim,itdoesnotavail,northespear,thedart,orthejavelin.Hecountsironasstraw,andbronzeasrottenwood.Thearrowcannotmakehimflee;forhimslingstonesareturnedtostubble.Clubsarecountedasstubble;helaughsattherattleofjavelins.His

underpartsarelikesharppotsherds;hespreadshimselflikethreshingsledgeonthemire.Hemakesthedeepboillikeapot;hemakesthesealikeapotofointment.Behindhimheleavesashiningwake;onewould

thinkthedeeptobewhite-haired.Onearththereisnothislike,acreaturewithoutfear.Heseeseverythingthatishigh;heiskingoverall

thesonsofpride.”

TheStrengthOfLeviathan•  ThesectionconcludesbystressingLeviathan’sfearlessmightandstrength.

•  IfJobcouldnotcreatefearinoneofGod'screaturesthenhowfoolishitwasforJobtothinkhecouldbullyGod.

•  Whenheraiseshimselfupthemightyare ;atthecrashingtheyarebesidethemselves.

•  TheweaponsofmanareuselessagainstthestrengthofLeviathan.

•  GodchoseboththeBehemothandtheLeviathantoteachJobthathecouldnotsubdue,control,ormanipulatethesemightycreaturesthatHehadmade.

•  "TheargumenttothesuperiorstrengthofGodismade,nottodiscouragemenfromtryingtohavedealingswithGod,buttoenhanceGod'scapabilityofmanagingtheaffairsoftheuniversesothatmenwilltrustHim.”-Anderson,Francis

•  "Animalsindependentofman(38:39—39:30)andanimalsdangerousandrepulsivetoman(40:15—41:34)wereallagrandzoologicalexhibitiontohelpJobsensethatbecausehehadnothingtodowithmaking,sustaining,orevensubduingthem,itwasunthinkablethathecouldquestiontheirCreator.”-Zuck,Roy