I. Introduction
A. Monsters
1. Monsters have long fascinated us: the Loch Ness monster, Bigfoot (Sasquatch), etc.)
2. Over the years, some “monsters” have been reclassified as dinosaurs.
B. God Answers Job
1. In Job 38, God begins to answer Job’s cries to him for understanding.
2. God commands that Job explain how nature works, which he cannot do (Job 40:3-5).
3. In His second speech, God references two terrifying animals to remind Job that there are some things out of man’s control: the Behemoth and the Leviathan.
4. Most translations of the Bible choose to transliterate the Hebrew words for both beasts rather than take a stance on it.
5. What are these two animals and what is God’s point in presenting them to Job in this scene and why does God reference them?
II. Three Possibilities as to the Origins of the Behemoth and Leviathan
A.
1. This doesn’t make much sense given the context.
2. God is illustrating for Job His control of things that Job cannot explain.
a. The illustration works much better if Job has seen the power of these two animals and understands that humans cannot control them.
b. The first nine animals in this conversation are those no one would question as observable by Job (chapters 38-39).
3. In verses 15 & 19, God says that He made the Behemoth. This is a definitive statement that the Behemoth is a created animal, not an imaginary one.
B. and Crocodile
1. Footnotes in some Bibles explain the Behemoth as a hippopotamus and the Leviathan as a crocodile (ASV & NASB footnotes).
2. There are several issues with these two animals being a hippopotamus (Behemoth) and a crocodile (Leviathan).
3. The first issue is that the anatomical descriptions offered do not match those of a hippopotamus and a crocodile.
4. Behemoth
a. “…tail stiff like a cedar…”
b. “…bones like tubes of bronze…”
5. Leviathan
a. Not able to be subdued by man (Job 41:1-11)
b. “Who can strip off his outer garment?”
c. “…back made as row of shields…”
d. “Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.”
e. “His underparts are like sharp potsherds…”
6. While some of these descriptions could be reasonably explained as belonging to some animal we know today, the collective descriptions open up doubt.
7. Many, like Shackelford, suggest that this is a case of hyperbole in Job.
8. The context denotes that these are animals that mankind cannot control; however, there are records of crocodiles being hunted by the Egyptians.
9. One of the biggest influences for this stance comes from a work by Samuel Bochart on the animals in the Bible, published in 1663.
C.
1. Today, there is growing support for the idea that the Behemoth and Leviathan are dinosaurs.
2. The issue many have with this position is that the prevailing view in evolutionary science holds that dinosaurs and human beings could never have coexisted.
a. It is important to remember that paleontology is a relatively new study (formalized in the 19th century) and there have been challenges to the idea that humans and dinosaurs could not have coexisted due to the discovery of soft tissue in fossils. These are not one-off discoveries, nor are they found in isolation. Many of the soft tissue discoveries come from well excavated sites like the Hell-Creek Formation and the Judith River Formation.
b. Many of these discoveries are being scrutinized by both evolutionary scientists and young-earth scientists.
i. One explanation offered by evolutionists is that Fenton Chemistry has aided in soft tissue preservation; however, the challenge is that the fossils in question are found in the same formations where no soft tissue is found, which both sides say is problematic for the other side.
ii. The soft-tissue discoveries have led some scientists to question long-held beliefs.
3. There are also discovered reliefs (pictographs) of dinosaurs and humans, such as those found at Ta Prohm, located in Cambodia, which was constructed in the 12th century AD.
4. While a lot of questions remain, the focus of the passage was never meant to be apologetic; the message to Job is a spiritual one.
III. What’s the Point? God’s Control in the Chaos
A. in the Uncontrollable
1. Humans cannot everything, but we don’t have to.
2. It is interesting that God doesn’t explain to Job why he has suffered.
a. Instead, He tells Job to look at what He governs effortlessly.
b. Job 40:2 Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
3. The Behemoth and Leviathan teach Job that there is out of the control of God.
a. God called Job to examine the world through a divine perspective.
b. In all the examples from nature that God provides in Job 38-41, He reminds Job that even though mankind cannot explain all the intricacies of nature, God still oversees and cares for it.
c. In Matthew 6:25-31, Jesus addresses much of the same idea.
4. Allowing God to do the heavy lifting in our lives provides freedom. Just as He has provided exactly what nature needs, He provides exactly what we need.
B. in the Chaos
1. Job had lost everything. His “comforters” had placed doubts in his mind. He is at his wits end and cries out to God.
a. His reaction is normal. He begins to ask God, “Why?” (Job 30:16-23)
b. He calls on God to explain why all this has happened. (Job 31:35).
2. The comfort that God offers to Job is to be reminded of who is in , not that He will take away all his affliction.
a. In Philippians 4:4-7 reminds us that God may not explain everything to us, but we will never walk through anything alone.
b. We are not promised that we will understand, but we are promised that we will be understood and cared for with a peace that surpasses understanding.
C. During the Chaos
1. Confidence in God doesn’t always look like victory in the eyes of our enemies.
2. We often base our confidence on data, but data isn’t always available or easily analyzed.
3. There is an element of faith that is solely about . Do we trust God to do what He says He will do?
4. Romans 4:16-25 reminds us that God’s plan doesn’t always match our goals, dreams, or visions.
5. Our confidence is found in God, not in ourselves.
IV. Conclusion
A. Monsters
1. When I was little, I was scared of monsters. Truth be told, I am still afraid of monsters—not the kind you see in the movies or in scary books, but the ones we encounter in real life.
2. Some of the monsters of life cannot be controlled by laws, but there is no one and nothing beyond God’s control.
B. Invitation
1. We don’t have to fear monsters because God is in control.
2. Remember the words of the Lord in Revelation 2:10, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life”