Job 40

In this chapter, God continues His response to Job, challenging him directly about his ability to govern the world and bring justice. God reveals His immense power and wisdom, contrasting it with Job's limited understanding. Job humbly recognizes his inability to question God and refrains from further argument.

Job 40:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said:
2 “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4 “Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”

Job acknowledges his insignificance in comparison to God’s majesty. God challenges Job to justify his complaints, but Job responds in humility, admitting that he is unworthy to question God. Job’s decision to remain silent illustrates his submission to God’s wisdom and power, realizing that he cannot contend with the Almighty.

Job 40:6-9 (NKJV)
6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
7 “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me:
8 “Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
9 Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His?”

God continues to challenge Job, urging him to stand and face these questions. He confronts Job’s previous complaints by asking if Job believes he could nullify God’s judgment or question His righteousness. God emphasizes His unparalleled power, reminding Job that he does not possess divine authority or strength to judge the world.

Job 40:10-14 (NKJV)
10 Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and array yourself with glory and beauty.
11 Disperse the rage of your wrath; Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; Tread down the wicked in their place.
13 Hide them in the dust together, Bind their faces in hidden darkness.
14 Then I will also confess to you that your own right hand can save you.

God challenges Job to take on His role of judging the proud and the wicked. If Job could do these things—humbling the proud, destroying the wicked—then perhaps he could claim to have divine power. God sarcastically points out Job’s inability to rule the world justly and effectively, reinforcing that only God can fulfill this role.

Job 40:15-19 (NKJV)
15 “Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox.
16 See now, his strength is in his hips, And his power is in his stomach muscles.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18 His bones are like beams of bronze, His ribs like bars of iron.
19 He is the first of the ways of God; Only He who made him can bring near His sword.”

God now draws Job’s attention to the behemoth, a powerful creature created by God. This enormous beast symbolizes God’s unmatched creative power. Despite its great strength, even the behemoth is under God’s control. By highlighting this, God reminds Job of his limited understanding of creation and power compared to God.

Job 40:20-24 (NKJV)
20 Surely the mountains yield food for him, And all the beasts of the field play there.
21 He lies under the lotus trees, In a covert of reeds and marsh.
22 The lotus trees cover him with their shade; The willows by the brook surround him.
23 Indeed the river may rage, Yet he is not disturbed; He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24 Though he takes it in his eyes, Or one pierces his nose with a snare.

The behemoth lives undisturbed in nature, showcasing its immense power and self-sufficiency. Even when the river rages around it, the behemoth remains unshaken. This demonstrates that no human force can control such a creature, emphasizing that only God, the Creator, has authority over even the most powerful of His creations. Through this, God teaches Job that He alone is in control of all life and order.