Job 41:6 | KingComments | STEP | The second beast that God presents to Job is Leviathan, a sea creature also made by Him ( ). The description shows a beast that has a very different character from the previous beast. It is not an herbivore, like Behemoth, but a predator. The first beast shows the soft, peaceful, feminine side, the second beast shows the brute, ferocious side and is out to destroy. Neither of them can be conquered by humans. The sea in which this beast lives is a picture of rebellious, wicked powers in general and of raging nations in particular ( ; ; ). Therefore there is no more sea on the new earth ( ). But now it is still so that satan rages therein and makes her boil ( ). We see in Leviathan the character of satan as a “roaring lion” ( ). He is completely insensitive and unapproachable, because his heart is “hard as a stone” ( ). God will crush him completely ( ; cf. ). God begins by asking Job if he could draw this great beast out of the water with a fishhook, as if it were a fish that you could easily catch with a fishing rod ( ). The question of God indicates the impossibility for Job to catch that beast. What Job cannot do, God can do (cf. ; ). Then God points Job to the tongue in the mouth of the beast. Is Job able to press down his tongue with a cord, i.e. tie it to the lower jaw? The tongue is used to taste and swallow food. When the tongue is tamed, the beast can no longer swallow. But is Job able to control the tongue? That too is impossible for Job. He can’t even catch it and drag it toward him, let alone get so close that he could grab it by his mouth to bind his tongue. By the way, it would be his end, for the beast would devour him. It is remarkable that the tongue is explicitly mentioned here. Satan is the “father of lies” ( ), and he incites the tongues of men to speak evil (cf. ). “But no one can tame the tongue; it [is a] restless evil [and] full of deadly poison” ( ). But who can? The Lord Jesus! He will finally bring every tongue under His authority. Even the tongue of satan will swear by Him ( ) and confess Him as Lord ( ; ). God continues to tell Job if he can show by any act that he is in control of Leviathan. Is Job able to put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook ( )? These too are actions that require great courage and strength, because they require him to get close to the beast. Job will not dare, for it will result in certain death. He has no power to curb this evil power, which is a picture of satan. Only God has that power. Also here we see that God uses the picture of Leviathan for satan and also for anti-godly powers (e.g. Egypt and Assyria) and persons (e.g. Pharaoh, Gog and Sennacherib) used by satan, as He does more often in the Bible. We see that God does exactly what He asks of Job here: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, … I will put hooks in your jaws” ( ); “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, … I will … put hooks into your jaws” ( ); Sennacherib king of Assyria … I will put My hook in your nose” ( ). In God points out the character of the beast. Does Job think that the beast is willing to beg him not to kill him and to speak sweet, soft words because he recognizes his boss in Job? God here speaks about the beast in a human way, but it makes the intention clear. This beast will never surrender to man and will never be willing to make a covenant with him ( ). Job will never succeed in employing him “for a servant forever”. This situation is the consequence of the Fall. Then man lost the dominion that God had given him over the beasts ( ) and became a slave to satan with all that he had dominion over. Satan is now “the ruler of the world” ( ) and “the god of this age” ( ). We therefore see behind this beast the picture of satan looming up, who will never make a deal with man. He knows that he has man in his power. Only God is above him, as is everyone who is in Christ. Leviathan, a picture of satan, does not allow to be played with like birds that are captured ( ). He is not a toy for little girls, not even if Job would tie him up so that he cannot leave. This is an important warning. Even today there are many people who playfully use evil powers through occult practices (such as turning a glass, commuting, soothsaying) and are fascinated by them. They should know that satan never puts his power at the service of man as entertainment, but pursues his own goals. He is also not a merchandise for traders, from which profit can be made by several merchants because it is such an enormous beast with many parts of its body ( ). He cannot be caught, killed, cut up and sold in parts. He does not let himself be pushed around. When people make large profits with the help of the power of satan and earn their living with it ( ), they make themselves dependent on him, a dependence that will usually cost them their souls. Job should also take a good look at the skin of the beast ( ). Can he fill it with harpoons and spears, so that the beast will be killed? He cannot, for his skin is a scaly armor ( ). The same goes for his head. You won’t get a fish harpoon through that. The last suggestion to Job that he can show that he is the master of this monster is to put his hand on him ( ). No fishhook, no rope, no spears, no fish harpoon, but his hand. Does Job have so much power in his hand, that he can hold the beast under it and make it feel that he is the boss? Job has to think of the (short) battle the beast would have with him, after which he would be devoured. He would never do it again, because he would never be able to do it. Any expectation to overpower this monster is a vain expectation, a lie ( ). Just when you see that beast, you are nothing. Your courage sinks, you are caught by fear and you collapse. With this God’s presentation to Job of Leviathan ends. It has become clear that Job is no match for this monster and that his power is nothing compared to that of this beast. He can in no way exercise any authority over this creature of God. All he can do is look upon it with awe and trembling and stay at a safe distance from it. God here shows Job how hopeless a dispute with the Almighty is for him. Man trembles and loses his courage by the mere sight of one of God’s creatures. Overwhelmed by fear, he withdraws from that power and runs away. How, then, can he presume to enter into a dispute with God? What hope can he have of a lawsuit with Him (cf. )? In the next section God speaks further about Leviathan, but then in connection with the power He has over this mighty beast. Then it becomes clear how powerful He is.

‏ Job 41:6

Leviathan

The second beast that God presents to Job is Leviathan, a sea creature also made by Him (Psa 104:26). The description shows a beast that has a very different character from the previous beast. It is not an herbivore, like Behemoth, but a predator. The first beast shows the soft, peaceful, feminine side, the second beast shows the brute, ferocious side and is out to destroy. Neither of them can be conquered by humans.

The sea in which this beast lives is a picture of rebellious, wicked powers in general and of raging nations in particular (Isa 17:12-13 ; Isa 57:20; Psa 65:7; Rev 17:15). Therefore there is no more sea on the new earth (Rev 21:1). But now it is still so that satan rages therein and makes her boil (Job 41:31). We see in Leviathan the character of satan as a “roaring lion” (1Pet 5:8). He is completely insensitive and unapproachable, because his heart is “hard as a stone” (Job 41:24). God will crush him completely (Psa 74:14; cf. Rom 16:20).

God begins by asking Job if he could draw this great beast out of the water with a fishhook, as if it were a fish that you could easily catch with a fishing rod (Job 41:1). The question of God indicates the impossibility for Job to catch that beast. What Job cannot do, God can do (cf. Eze 29:3-4 ; Eze 38:3-4; Isa 37:29).

Then God points Job to the tongue in the mouth of the beast. Is Job able to press down his tongue with a cord, i.e. tie it to the lower jaw? The tongue is used to taste and swallow food. When the tongue is tamed, the beast can no longer swallow. But is Job able to control the tongue? That too is impossible for Job. He can’t even catch it and drag it toward him, let alone get so close that he could grab it by his mouth to bind his tongue. By the way, it would be his end, for the beast would devour him.

It is remarkable that the tongue is explicitly mentioned here. Satan is the “father of lies” (Jn 8:44), and he incites the tongues of men to speak evil (cf. Jam 3:6). “But no one can tame the tongue; it [is a] restless evil [and] full of deadly poison” (Jam 3:8). But who can? The Lord Jesus! He will finally bring every tongue under His authority. Even the tongue of satan will swear by Him (Isa 45:23) and confess Him as Lord (Rom 14:11; Phil 2:11).

God continues to tell Job if he can show by any act that he is in control of Leviathan. Is Job able to put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook (Job 41:2)? These too are actions that require great courage and strength, because they require him to get close to the beast. Job will not dare, for it will result in certain death. He has no power to curb this evil power, which is a picture of satan. Only God has that power.

Also here we see that God uses the picture of Leviathan for satan and also for anti-godly powers (e.g. Egypt and Assyria) and persons (e.g. Pharaoh, Gog and Sennacherib) used by satan, as He does more often in the Bible. We see that God does exactly what He asks of Job here:

“Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, … I will put hooks in your jaws” (Eze 29:3-4);

“Behold, I am against you, O Gog, … I will … put hooks into your jaws” (Eze 38:3-4);

Sennacherib king of Assyria … I will put My hook in your nose” (Isa 37:21 ; 29).

In Job 41:3 God points out the character of the beast. Does Job think that the beast is willing to beg him not to kill him and to speak sweet, soft words because he recognizes his boss in Job? God here speaks about the beast in a human way, but it makes the intention clear. This beast will never surrender to man and will never be willing to make a covenant with him (Job 41:4). Job will never succeed in employing him “for a servant forever”.

This situation is the consequence of the Fall. Then man lost the dominion that God had given him over the beasts (Gen 1:28) and became a slave to satan with all that he had dominion over. Satan is now “the ruler of the world” (Jn 14:30) and “the god of this age” (2Cor 4:4). We therefore see behind this beast the picture of satan looming up, who will never make a deal with man. He knows that he has man in his power. Only God is above him, as is everyone who is in Christ.

Leviathan, a picture of satan, does not allow to be played with like birds that are captured (Job 41:5). He is not a toy for little girls, not even if Job would tie him up so that he cannot leave. This is an important warning. Even today there are many people who playfully use evil powers through occult practices (such as turning a glass, commuting, soothsaying) and are fascinated by them. They should know that satan never puts his power at the service of man as entertainment, but pursues his own goals.

He is also not a merchandise for traders, from which profit can be made by several merchants because it is such an enormous beast with many parts of its body (Job 41:6). He cannot be caught, killed, cut up and sold in parts. He does not let himself be pushed around. When people make large profits with the help of the power of satan and earn their living with it (Acts 16:16), they make themselves dependent on him, a dependence that will usually cost them their souls.

Job should also take a good look at the skin of the beast (Job 41:7). Can he fill it with harpoons and spears, so that the beast will be killed? He cannot, for his skin is a scaly armor (Job 41:16). The same goes for his head. You won’t get a fish harpoon through that.

The last suggestion to Job that he can show that he is the master of this monster is to put his hand on him (Job 41:8). No fishhook, no rope, no spears, no fish harpoon, but his hand. Does Job have so much power in his hand, that he can hold the beast under it and make it feel that he is the boss? Job has to think of the (short) battle the beast would have with him, after which he would be devoured. He would never do it again, because he would never be able to do it.

Any expectation to overpower this monster is a vain expectation, a lie (Job 41:9). Just when you see that beast, you are nothing. Your courage sinks, you are caught by fear and you collapse. With this God’s presentation to Job of Leviathan ends. It has become clear that Job is no match for this monster and that his power is nothing compared to that of this beast. He can in no way exercise any authority over this creature of God. All he can do is look upon it with awe and trembling and stay at a safe distance from it.

God here shows Job how hopeless a dispute with the Almighty is for him. Man trembles and loses his courage by the mere sight of one of God’s creatures. Overwhelmed by fear, he withdraws from that power and runs away. How, then, can he presume to enter into a dispute with God? What hope can he have of a lawsuit with Him (cf. Job 13:3 ; Job 23:3)?

In the next section God speaks further about Leviathan, but then in connection with the power He has over this mighty beast. Then it becomes clear how powerful He is.