Download - The Lord Answers Job
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