Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further. (Job 40:4-5)
With these famous words and a pregnant hand-to-mouth gesture, Job begins backing away from the God of all creation. In severe suffering, Job has accused God of doing wrong and of remaining silent. But God arrives, speaking out of the whirlwind, to put Job in his place. Job 38:1-39:30 records God’s first speech, recounting the wildness, inscrutability, and uncontrollable power of God’s creation. Duly humbled, Job tries to slink away like an amateur diver whose loosely tied trunks slipped off at surface impact.
But God will have nothing of the sort. “Oh no, you don’t. I’m not done with you yet”:
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.” (Job 40:6-7)
Thus begins a second tirade from the LORD against his servant Job (Job 40:6-41:34), whom God will coerce into speaking one last time (Job 42:1-6).
Why? Why the second speech from God? Why isn’t God willing to let it go when Job humbles himself?
Comparing Job’s Responses
Undoubtedly, Job’s first response (Job 40:3-5) is one of humility and self-degradation. “I am small…I’m shutting up now…” But Christopher Ash observes that Job says nothing about God. While God’s first speech properly demotes Job’s self-esteem, it does not yet promote God’s gargantuan superiority.
In other words, Job has justified himself (Job 31:1-40) and not God (Job 16:7-17); this is Elihu’s chief critique (Job 32:2). And God must get Job not only to stop justifying himself but also to begin justifying God.
So Job releases his self-justification after God’s first speech. But it’s not until after the second speech that he confesses God “can do all things” (Job 42:2a), no purpose of his “can be thwarted” (Job 42:2b), and that “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you” (Job 42:5).
How does God get him there?
Comparing God’s Speeches
God’s first speech focuses on the natural creation. It begins with an obvious question: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4). It continues with a tour of the heavens and the earth (Job 38:5-38). And it ends with a litany of wild creatures beyond Job’s capacity either to understand or to domesticate: lion, raven, mountain goat, wild donkey, wild ox, ostrich, war-horse, hawk (Job 38:39-39:30). In conclusion, God identifies Job as a faultfinder and dares him to justify himself any further (Job 40:1-2).
Seeing his minuscule role in the natural creation, Job properly humbles himself and shuts up (Job 40:3-5).
But God’s second speech must blow Job’s mind even further, and to do so it focuses on the supernatural creation. If Job is to begin justifying God, he must clearly see that he’ll never see clearly. Though he knows how much it hurts to suffer, he’ll never know why God would appoint such suffering in the lives of his beloved people. In short, God must appear bigger, more powerful, and more mysterious than ever before.
So God’s second speech targets the heart of the matter:
Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his? Adorn yourself with majesty…Pour out the overflowings of your anger…Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low and tread down the wicked where they stand. Hide them all in the dust together; bind their faces in the world below. Then will I acknowledge to you that your own right hand can save you.” (Job 40:9-14)
In other words: “Can you do more than get angry at suffering and evil, Job? Can you actually bring them to an end?”
jaci XIII (2010), Creative Commons
He follows up with two case studies, Behemoth (Job 40:15-24) and Leviathan (Job 41:1-34). These ancient but legendary storybook creatures poetically embody all that is wrong with the world and with Job’s life. They seem tame (Job 40:20-23), but really are not (Job 40:24). They will not play nice (Job 41:1-9). They cannot be defeated (Job 41:12-34).
Such is the problem of evil. It will not go away, and Satan ever wanders to and fro looking for someone to devour (Job 1:6-12, 2:1-7). Job can do nothing about this. Not ever. “No one is so fierce that he dares to stir [Leviathan] up” (Job 41:10a).
But someone else can. God asks, “Who then is he who can stand before me?” (Job 41:10b).
And this God will send his Son to wage war on the beast from the land and the beast from the sea (Rev 13). He is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and wages war (Rev 19:11). He will finally capture these beasts and hurl them into the lake of fire (Rev 19:20-21), along with both Satan (Rev 20:10) and death itself (Rev 20:14).
Please remain steadfast in Christ and persevere to the end, Job (James 5:11). God will bring a day with no tears or death, no mourning, nor crying, nor pain (Rev 21:4). Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
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Good post. I do love these passages in Job, so it’s a treat to hear your take. And I like how you describe creation as a supernatural event.
With God’s second speech, Job realizes that he can’t save himself; he needs God to rescue him, one way or another.
But as we’ve briefly discussed, I don’t see the behemoth or leviathan as legendary story book creatures, poetic symbols, or mythological. That doesn’t seem effective to me. I think God is describing these creatures as if they were real, and Job seems to have familiarity with them, so it seems problematic that they could be mythological. As we know, God doesn’t lie or deceive, so would he really condone Job’s belief in mythological beasts by giving them legitimacy? I have trouble with that. But if these were real creatures, such as a dinosaur and marine reptile, then I think the passage becomes much more effective.
I believed that same thing in response to the book of Job. However, God is not quick to anger and is pure love. After all Job went through he remained more faithful than any man. God created Job and knew that he was the most faithful servant. Why else would God allow satan to do what he did to him. God even suggested “ Have u considered my servant JoB? Job endured so much suffering and still remain faithful. At the end when Job did act human, he asked God why? Most would of asked why? If they lost one child. Yet Job lost several children whom he adored. And everything. Else. It is not Gods character to be upset because of a why? Especially when u are Job. God replied back to him in such details. Not to be sarcastic, but because He wanted Reveal And bless Job. I believe as God answered Him in such long details, He was allowing Job to actually see it all unfold. Like he was there. Chapter 42 Job. Says to God, I know you can do all things. And no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. Then In verse 5 ; “ I have heard of you by the hearing ear, But now my eyes have seen you Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. He not repenting because of his questions. He is repenting in response to The almighty awesomeness of God. Job was so blown away by Gods glory and power that he was humbled even more . The cleanest human heart is a filthy rag next to the Holiness of God almighty!. He felt that too. Amen. My revelation on Job.
He doesn’t speak to Job twice. He speaks through Job to Elihu the first time and directly to Job the second.
Job 38:2 (NKJV) “Who [is] this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? This is directed to the counsellor Elihu.
Job 40:2 (NKJV) “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct [Him?] He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”
This portion is directed to the contender Job.
This is why Elihu is not mentioned with the three friends. Good has already dealt extensively with the angry rhetoric of Elihu.
Job 42:7 (NKJV) And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me [what is] right, as My servant Job [has.]
Job 38:2 is directed not to Elihu but to Job. “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind” (Job 38:1).