Read Job 40:6-42:6.

Introduction⤒🔗

Job was in danger of attempting a blasphemous role reversal: seeking to exchange places with the Judge of all the earth; proclaiming himself to be just and righteous at the expense of God’s own justice and righteousness.

As the Old Testament commentator, John Hartley writes, “In defending his own innocence so emphatically and lashing out so vehemently at God because of his suffering, Job has essentially charged God with acting unjustly. For a mortal to presume himself guiltless and to impugn God’s just governance of the world approaches the sin of presumptuous pride. [But] it is important to observe that the LORD does not accuse Job of any specific sin, thereby agreeing that Job has lived a righteous life.”¹

What we find is that Job is not suffering because of any specific sin he has been harboring and of which he has refused to repent; rather, Job’s suffering has caused him to embrace a sinful attitude, one of self-righteous indignation—a “holier than God” attitude. The fact that Job would entertain, and even embrace, such an attitude is evidence that the remnants of the sinful nature still reside in his heart, and need to be exposed and rebuked by means of the LORD’s disciplinary use of suffering.

Now, in defense of His own divine identity and character, and out of mercy to Job, the LORD addresses this issue. He asks Job, “Would you discredit my justice?” (40:8a) The Hebrew word, 77_ַa_ָ, which may here be translated “discredit,” or, “impugn,” has the meaning, “to break, to violate, to declare void, to reduce to nothing.” Thus, Job is making a very serious allegation against the LORD and His justice. Job has come very close to the point of trusting more in his own upright conduct than in the LORD. By focusing exclusively on his own innocence, Job is in danger of disparaging or even denying God’s justice; that is why the LORD asks Job, “Would you condemn me so that you might be justified?”

In seeking to deliver Job from an attitude of self-righteousness that leads to blasphemous assertions against God’s own righteousness and justice, the LORD confronts Job with two great truths about Himself: 1) His identity as the Majestic King who shall overthrow the proud; and, 2) His identity as the Sovereign Lord who exercises absolute mastery over all His creation.

The LORD’s message to Job is basically the same as that expressed by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter:

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. ⁶Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the appointed time.1 Pet. 5:5b-6

We Must Submit to the LORD Our God, because He is the Majestic King Who Shall Overthrow the Proud←⤒🔗

The LORD asks Job, “Do you have an arm like God?” (40:9a) Does Job possess the awesome power of God that enables Him to enforce His will and accomplish His own sovereign purposes? Note Exodus 15:6, “Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic with power; Your right hand, O LORD, has smashed the enemy to pieces,” and Isaiah 40:10a, “Behold! The Lord GOD is coming with power, and his arm will rule for him.” Again, the LORD asks, Can Job thunder with a voice like God’s? (40:9b)—“God thunders marvelously with his voice; he does great things that are beyond our comprehension” (Job 37:5). “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” (Psl. 33:6)

Job is now challenged to do what only the LORD can do: “Adorn yourself with glory and splendor; clothe yourself with honor and majesty” (40:10). Earthly rulers exhibit their position and authority by means of regal dress and displays of splendor; the LORD’s sovereign position and authority are exhibited by a display of His own divine dignity and majesty. Earthly rulers clothe themselves in royal apparel; the LORD appears in the splendor of His own divine being.

Next, Job is challenged to exert himself as only the LORD can. The LORD challenges Job, “Unleash the fury of your wrath” (40:11a). The unleashing of the LORD’s righteous indignation is described in terms of a mighty torrent of brimstone being poured out upon the ungodly, like the erupting of a mighty volcano, compare Nahum 1:6, “Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him.” The objects of the LORD’s righteous anger are the proud and the wicked (40:11b-12)—all those who exalt themselves in ungodly self-confidence and blasphemous arrogance and all those who willfully and persistently violate the divine standards of holiness and righteousness. When the LORD exerts Himself in His anger, the proud are “abased” and brought low, and the wicked are “trampled down,” or trampled underfoot.

Note how often Scripture speaks of God opposing the proud, one classic example being the poem found in Isaiah 2:10-21, with its re-occurring declaration, “The arrogance of man shall be brought low, and the pride of man shall be humbled, and the LORD alone shall be exalted on that day.” (Isa. 2:11,17) Why is the LORD so opposed to human pride? Because it is claiming authorship for that which does not derive from ourselves and refusing to acknowledge stewardship for what has been given to us: “And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you received it, why do you boast as if it had not been given to you?” (1 Cor. 4:7)

Verse thirteen depicts the final destiny God has ordained for the proud and the wicked; in that verse the LORD exhorts Job to do what only He can do to the wicked: “Bury them all in the dust; cover their faces with a shroud in the grave.” The wicked are buried in the dust; they are covered with dust, an expression of humiliation and contempt. Their faces are covered with a shroud in the grave. The Hebrew term, Jn_ַ טָ, which we have translated as, “the grave,” has been variously interpreted as “a dungeon,” “the dark recesses of Sheol,” “the infernal crypt.”² In light of New Testament revelation, all of these are part of the destiny reserved for the ungodly, compare Matthew 25:41, 46, “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’... ⁴⁶Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

The emphasis of these verses is on the LORD’s indignation and burning anger directed against the ungodly and expressing itself in devastating judgments against them—a testimony to the LORD’s righteousness and the revelation of His righteousness in acts of judgment.

If Job is able to display the majestic grandeur and accomplish the great acts of judgment depicted in verses 11-13, then the LORD will confess of Job, “your own right hand is able to deliver you” (40:14). If Job could undertake and accomplish the great acts of God in defeating the wicked and overthrowing them, he would not need God. He would not need to protest and complain about God’s apparent disinterest in the cause of justice, Job could execute justice himself and on his own behalf. But, obviously, such is not the case. Therefore, Job should submit himself to the LORD his God, the majestic King of heaven who is committed to justice and who will execute judgment in His time.

Let us submit ourselves to the LORD our God; recognizing that He is the majestic King who shall overthrow the proud and judge the wicked:

^10c...[the LORD] will judge the peoples with equity... ^11aLet the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad... ¹³for he is coming, he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his truth.Psl. 96:10c, 11a, 13

We Must Submit to the LORD Our God, because He is the Sovereign Lord Over All His Creation←⤒🔗

The LORD calls upon Job to look at “behemoth,” (the hippopotamus) (40:15-24). At the very outset, the LORD asserts that He has made both behemoth and Job (40:15a). This great creature, like Job himself, is one of the works of God’s hand; there is a connection between Job and behemoth: both are made by God.

The LORD directs Job’s attention to the great strength of behemoth (40:15b-18). The fact that behemoth eats straw compares him to the ox, an animal known for its great strength. A wide variety of terms are used to emphasize the might of this creature: his strength, his power, the muscles of his belly, he stiffens his tail like a cedar, the sinews of his thighs, his bones are like tubes of bronze, his limbs are like rods of iron.

Behemoth is said to “rank first among the works of God;” he is pre-eminent among God’s creatures, the king of the animal realm (40:19-22). Then it is immediately stated, “his Maker can approach him with his sword [as his master]” (40:19)—God is the sovereign Lord over His creatures.

“The hills bring him food” (40:20). The Hebrew word, לוּב, (meaning both “food” and “tribute”), indicates that the hills are pictured as paying tribute to behemoth, while all the wild animals play nearby before him, secure under behemoth’s “kingship.”³ Behemoth lies under the lotus plants and the poplars by the stream surround him (40:21-22); he lies secure and at ease in his natural pavilion of lush foliage and shady trees.

There is nothing that can threaten behemoth; he is secure in his position as king in the natural realm (vs. 23-24). He is secure in the face of natural disaster: “if the river rages, he is not alarmed;” on the contrary, “he is secure, even when the Jordan [River] surges to his mouth” (40:23). Behemoth is secure from all predators, even from human hunters: when he is on watch there is no one who can capture him (40:24).

As previously noted, at the very outset of this passage it is emphasized that just like Job, behemoth, too, is one of God’s creatures. However great and powerful he may be, it must be remembered that behemoth derives his strength from God and is subservient to the Lord of creation.

Next, the LORD directs Job’s attention to “leviathan” (the crocodile) (41:1-34). Whereas the strength of behemoth is emphasized, it is the terror of leviathan that is prominent. By means of rhetorical questions, it is implied that Job cannot master leviathan (41:1-5). Job cannot catch leviathan, as he would hook a fish from the river (41:1). Nor can Job pierce leviathan’s nose and put a rope through it, as he would muzzle a domesticated work animal or beast of burden (41:2). Leviathan will not beg Job for mercy, nor make a covenant with Job to be his slave (41:3-4). Leviathan will not acknowledge Job to be his master and commit himself to Job as a domesticated animal or household pet. Indeed, Job cannot play with leviathan as with a bird, or present him to his daughters as a docile pet (41:5).

Traders do not barter for leviathan as they would for an ox or some other beast of burden, nor can leviathan be divided up among the merchants as fishermen would divide a catch of fish to sell at the market (41:6). Leviathan cannot be conquered with harpoons or fishing spears, as though he were a great fish or even a whale (41:7).

Job is warned, “[If] you lay your hand on him, you will remember the battle and not do it again.” It is futile and extremely dangerous to contend with leviathan (41:8-11). The mere sight of leviathan causes one to despair of ever being able to conquer him (41:9). No man is brave enough, or, so fierce, (i.e. no one is so savage and animal-like), as to challenge leviathan to mortal combat (41:10a). If none dares to challenge leviathan, what man can hope to stand against the LORD—the Creator of leviathan and his sovereign Lord? (41:10b-11)

The LORD now presents a detailed description of leviathan’s anatomy, emphasizing that he is an unconquerable foe (41:12-17). Leviathan is a powerfully built creature that possesses mighty strength (41:12). His scales form an impenetrable coat of armor: “Who can strip off his outer armor? Who can penetrate his double coat of mail?” (41:13) No one dares to pry open “the doors of his mouth” (i.e. his jaws); if they did, they would be confronted with leviathan’s sharp sword-like teeth that provoke terror (41:14). Leviathan’s back is like “rows of shields...tightly joined to one another” (41:15-17); it is as though there were a whole army of shield-bearing soldiers standing guard over him.⁴

Not only is this monster secure in his defenses, but when he takes to the offense he is terrifying (41:18-25). Leviathan is described as a fire-breathing dragon: “Fire brands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. ²⁰Smoke pours from his nostrils” (41:18-21). “In these verses the poetic imagery moves beyond a [natural] animal to a mythical dragon.”⁵ “In terror, [creatures] leap before him” (41:22); the very sight of leviathan leaves both man and beast terror-stricken and fleeing to escape.

The Lord continues His description of leviathan:

The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable. ²⁴His chest is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone. 41:23-24

The description in these verses emphasizes leviathan’s invincibility; he moves all other creatures to terror, but he knows no fear himself, he can be confident in his defense and his strength. It is reiterated that leviathan is a cause of terror to all whom he encounters: “when he rises up, the mighty are terrified.” (41:25)

No human weapon can avail against leviathan (41:26-29). Neither the sword nor the spear, neither the dart nor the javelin, can do him mortal harm (41:26). Indeed, leviathan is so invincible that he treats iron like straw and bronze like rotten wood (41:27). The uselessness of human weapons against leviathan is reiterated: the arrow, the slingshot, the club, the javelin—he holds them all in contempt (41:28-29).

Now we are given a description of leviathan as he slithers through the muddy riverbank and into the water (41:30-32). Because his underside is like jagged potsherds, (i.e. broken pieces of pottery), he leaves marks in the mud like a threshing sled, (an instrument used by the ancients to crush grain) (41:30). When he slips into the water he makes the depths churn like a boiling cauldron (41:31). As he swims away he leaves behind him a glistening wake; the foam makes the deep appear to have white hair (41:32).

The description of leviathan now concludes with the declaration: “Nothing upon earth is his equal...he is king over all the proud” (41:33-34). Because of his great strength and his ability to inflict terror into the hearts of all other creatures, leviathan is the proudest of the proud. But note that there is none comparable to him “upon earth.” The implication is that leviathan, despite all his fearsomeness, is subject to his Maker, who is none other than the God of heaven; note Job 41:11b, where the LORD declares, “Everything under heaven belongs to me.”

The descriptions of behemoth and leviathan go beyond that of a natural hippopotamus and crocodile; especially the description of leviathan takes on mythical proportions (note, in particular, 41:18-21). “As earthly beasts (Behemoth and Leviathan) are identified as the hippopotamus and the crocodile respectively...Nevertheless, into the factual description the author skillfully blends...metaphors drawn from mythic accounts of monsters in order that these beasts may represent both mighty terrestrial creatures and cosmic forces.”⁶ The ancients recognized these terrestrial monsters to be the servants, and at times even the embodiment, of evil, demonic powers.

In this present passage of the Book of Job, the mythical theology of Israel’s pagan neighbors is employed—it is woven into the description of the natural creatures—as a means of vividly declaring the LORD’s sovereign lordship over all His creation: both the creatures that dwell in the realm of nature, (such as the mighty hippopotamus and the fiercely terrifying crocodile), as well as all the hosts that inhabit the spiritual realm, including the devil himself. (Bear in mind that the devil had to gain God’s divine permission to test Job, and limits were imposed on the extent to which he could test Job [Job 1:12].)

All has been created by God, and all is subservient to God. In his Epistle to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul expounds upon the opening verse of Genesis chapter one, revealing the dimensions of the declaration, “God created the heavens and the earth.” In Colossians 1:16 Paul writes, “by him [Christ] were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth.” Paul goes on to define the things of the earth as the “things that are visible,” and the things in the heavens as the “things that are invisible.” Among the “things that are invisible” Paul lists “thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.” He then concludes by stating, “all things have been created through him and for him.”

Let us submit ourselves to the LORD our God, recognizing that He is the sovereign Lord over all His creation and over every creature, both spiritual and earthly.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

At the conclusion of the LORD’s great discourse, Job responds in humble submission to the LORD his God. Addressing the LORD, Job acknowledges, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” (42:2). Job admits that the LORD is the sovereign Lord over all creation. This was also the testimony of the great king, Nebuchadnezzar, after he in his pride had a humbling encounter with the LORD:

[The LORD] does as he pleases with the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can push away his hand, or demand of him, ‘What are you doing?’ Dan. 4:35b

Job admits that he has spoken from a position of ignorance: “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, matters that are too wonderful for me to know” (42:3). Job now recognizes that from his limited human perspective, and by simply focusing upon himself and his present experience, he has not been in any position to take into consideration the cosmic scheme of things and the purpose of his present experience of trial. Note: Job has been unaware of what has been transpiring in the courts of heaven as those things have been revealed to us in chapters 1-2.

As a result of this present encounter with God, Job has come to a far deeper understanding and a much greater appreciation of who the LORD is and, consequently, he now declares, “I abhor [my words] and recant in dust and ashes” (42:6). “To abhor [my words]” means that Job is now ashamed of what he has said and what attitude he has entertained with regard to the LORD and His justice. The Hebrew word, םחַ n_ָ, often translated, “repent,” here bears the meaning, “to retract” a statement, it is used in reference to Job’s former accusation, which slanderously disparaged the LORD’s justice.

Just as Job responded with humble submission to the LORD, so may we, especially when we are tempted to presumptuously challenge His dealings with us, humbly submit ourselves to the LORD our God:

humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, (so that he may exalt you at the appointed time), ⁷by casting all your cares upon him, because he cares for you. 1 Pet. 5:6-7

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. What question does the LORD initially pose to Job? See Job 40:6-8 As the O.T. commentator, John Hartley, writes, “In defending his own innocence so emphatically and lashing out so vehemently at God because of [what Job perceives to be undeserved] suffering, Job has essentially charged God with acting unjustly.” Do you ever find yourself making the same blasphemous role reversal? Who really stands condemned and in need of justification? See 2 Cor. 5:21,

The LORD answered Job out of the tempest. He said, ⁷Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. ⁸Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me so that you might be justified? Job 40:6-8

...[God] made [Christ] who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.2 Cor. 5:21

2. In defense of His own divine identity and integrity, what question does the LORD now pose to Job? See Job 40:9 With what truth is the LORD now confronting Job? Do you, too, like Job, need to be reminded of the awesome power of God, which enables Him to impose His will and accomplish His own sovereign purposes? See Ex. 15:6; Dan. 4:34-35,

Do you have an arm like God’s, can you thunder with a voice like his? Job 40:9

Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic with power. Your right hand, O LORD, has smashed the enemy to pieces. Ex. 15:6

³⁴I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom continues from generation to generation. ³⁵All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can push away his hand, or demand of him, What are you doing? Dan. 4:34-35

3. What does the LORD now challenge Job to do? See Job 40:10-13? By means of this challenge, what is the LORD revealing about His righteousness and His ability to administer justice at His sovereignly-appointed time? See Psl. 7:11-12; Psl.11:5-7,

Adorn yourself with glory and splendor; clothe yourself with honor and majesty. ¹¹Unleash the fury of your wrath; glance at every proud man and humble him. ¹²Glance at every proud man and abase him; trample down the wicked where they stand. ¹³Bury them all in the dust; cover their faces with a shroud in the grave.Job 40:10-13

God is a just judge, and God is angry [with the wicked] every day. ¹²If [the wicked man] does not turn back, [God] will sharpen his sword; he bends his bow and makes it ready. Psl. 7:11-12

The LORD tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence his soul hates. ⁶Upon the wicked he will rain coals, fire and brimstone and burning wind; [this shall be] the portion of their cup. ⁷For the LORD is righteous, he loves righteousness; his countenance beholds the upright. Psl. 11:5-7

4. In chapter 41, the LORD directs Job’s attention to “leviathan” (i.e. the crocodile). Is this a mere crocodile, or does it represent something far more sinister? Note Job 41:18-21 In conclusion, how is leviathan described? See Job 41:33-34 But what does the LORD reveal in Job 41:9-10? Note, especially, vs. 10b As a Christian, do you appreciate the fact that all the forces of evil, both human and spiritual, are subject to the LORD’s sovereign control, answerable to Him (Job 2:1), and are ultimately destined to meet with His righteous judgment? See Rev. 20:10,

His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like the rays of dawn. ¹⁹Fire brands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. ²⁰Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over afire of reeds. ²¹His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart out of his mouth. Job 41:18­-21

Nothing on earth is his equal—a creature without fear. ³⁴Even all those who are exalted fear him; he is king over all the proud. Job 41:33-34

Any hope of subduing [leviathan] is false; one is overwhelmed by the mere sight of him. ¹⁰No one is brave enough to rouse him. Who then is able to stand against me?Job 41:9-10

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. Job 2:1

The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet also are. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Rev. 20:10