Job 41

“I had a million questions to ask God; but when I met Him, they all fled my mind; and it didn’t seem to matter.” —C M

The storm that Elihu had been describing finally broke, and God spoke to Job out of the storm. The answer to Job’s problems was not an explanation about God, such as the three friends and Elihu had given, but a revelation of God. The four men had declared and defended the greatness of God but had failed to persuade Job. When God displayed His majesty and greatness, it humbled Job and brought him to the place of silent submission before God. That was the turning point.

Swiss psychologist Dr. Paul Tournier wrote in his book Guilt and Grace (Harper & Row, 86), “For God’s answer is not an idea, a proposition, like the conclusion of a theorem; it is Himself. He revealed Himself to Job; Job found personal contact with God.”

We prefer that God speak to us in the sunshine, but sometimes He must speak out of the storm. This is how He spoke to Israel on Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:16–19; Heb. 12:18) and centuries later to Elijah (1 Kings 19:8–11). Ezekiel saw the glory of God in a storm and heard the voice of God speaking to him (Ezek. 1—2). Experiencing this majestic demonstration of God’s power made Job very susceptible to the message God had for him.

God’s address to Job centered on His works in nature and consisted of seventy-seven questions interspersed with divine commentary relating to the questions. The whole purpose of this interrogation was to make Job realize his own inadequacy and inability to meet God as an equal and defend his cause.

“Then summon me, and I will answer,” Job had challenged God, “or let me speak, and you reply” (Job 13: niv). God had now responded to Job’s challenge.

God’s address can be summarized in three questions:

1. “Can you explain My creation?” (38:1–38)

2. “Can you oversee My creation?” (38:39—39:30) Job’s first response (40:1–5)

3. “Can you subdue My creation?” (40:6—41:34) Job’s second response (42:1–6)

The first question dealt with God’s power and wisdom in bringing the universe into being. The second dealt with His providential care of His creatures, and the third centered on two creatures (probably the hippopotamus and the crocodile) that defy man’s ability to subdue them. When Job repented of his self-righteousness, God restored him (vv. 7–17).

God is now called “the Lord,” that is, Jehovah God, a name that (except for 12:9) has not been used in the book of Job since the first two chapters. In their speeches, the men have called Him “God” and “the Almighty” but not “Jehovah.” This is the name that God revealed to Israel centuries later (Ex. 3:13ff.), the name that speaks of His self-existence (“I AM THAT I AM”) and His personal covenant relationship to His people.

Instead of confronting Job again with the broad sweep of His creation, God selected only two creatures and asked Job to consider them. It’s as though God were saying, “My whole universe is too much for you to handle. However, here are two of My best products. What can you do with them?”

The issue now is not the power of God but the justice of God (Job 40:8). Job had said that God was unjust in the way He treated him (6:29; 27:1–6) and in the way He failed to judge the wicked (21:29–31; 24:1–17). In 40:9–14, God asked, “Job, do you have the strength and holy wrath it takes to judge sinners? If so, then start judging them! Humble the proud sinners and crush the wicked! Bury them! You claim that you can do a better job than I can of bringing justice to the world, so I’ll let you do it!”

However, before God turned Job loose on the sinners of the world, He asked him to put on his majestic robes and “practice” on two of His finest creatures, the hippopotamus (vv. 15–24) and the crocodile (41:1–34). If Job succeeded in subduing them, then he would qualify to execute judgment against a sinful world.

The hippopotamus (Job 40:15–24). Most students agree that the animal described is the hippopotamus, although some prefer the elephant or the water buffalo. The word behemoth is the transliteration of a Hebrew word that means “super-beast.” Today’s big-game hunter with his modern weapons would probably not be deterred by the hippo’s size or strength, but this beast was a formidable enemy in the days of arrows and spears.

God reminded Job that He was the Creator of both the hippo and man (v. 15), and yet He made them different. The hippo eats grass and is strong and mighty; Job ate a variety of fine foods and was weak and unable to fight with the hippo. The hippo has a powerful body, with strong muscles and bones like iron rods; while man’s body is (comparatively speaking) weak and easily damaged. The hippo lounges in the river, hidden under the water, and feeds on the vegetation that washes down from the hills; while man has to toil to earn his daily bread. A raging river doesn’t frighten the hippo, and hunters don’t alarm him. In Job’s day, it was next to impossible to capture the hippopotamus; but how easy it is to capture a man!

“Now, Job,” asks the Lord, “can you capture and subdue this great creature? If so, then I’ll believe that you have the power and wisdom to judge the world justly.”

The crocodile (Job 41:1–34). The word leviathan is the transliteration of a Hebrew word, the root of which means “to twist, to writhe.” People used the word to describe the “sea monsters” that were supposed to inhabit the Mediterranean. Psalm 104:25–26 may refer to whales or dolphins. The Jews used the word to describe their enemies (Isa. 27:1), especially Egypt (Ps. 74:13–14). Revelation 12: refers to Satan as “that old serpent.” In mythology, the leviathan was a manyheaded monster that ruled the waters and feared no man.

“Can you capture the leviathan?” asked the Lord. “And if you can, what will you do with him?” (See Job 41:1–11.) Well, what can you do with a captured crocodile? You can’t make a pet out of him, no matter how agreeable he seems to be (vv. 3–5); and the merchants won’t want to buy him from you (v. 6). If you try to train him, you’ll quit in a hurry and never try to do it again (vv. 8–9)! God drew a practical conclusion: “If you can’t come to grips with the crocodile, how will you ever be able to stand before Me?” (vv. 10–11).

In verses 12–24, God gave a poetical description of this great creature’s mighty limbs, fierce teeth and strong jaws, and impregnable covering (vv. 12–17). When the crocodile churns up the river and blows out water, the sun reflects from the vapor; and it looks like fire and smoke from a dragon’s mouth (vv. 18–21). His armor is so strong that he can go anywhere without fear (vv. 22–24).

The chapter closes with a description of the leviathan’s anger and courage (vv. 25–34). People flee from him in fear (v. 25), but he doesn’t flee from them. In verses 26–29, God named eight different weapons that the leviathan laughs at and treats like pieces of straw or rotten wood. Just as this creature fears nothing around him, so he fears nothing under him; for his underside is protected with a covering like sharp pieces of pottery (v. 30). He fears no enemy on the land or in the water (vv. 31–32), for he makes the water to foam like the ingredients in the apothecary’s mixing pot. And when he swims through the water, the wake looks like the white hair of an old man!