How does Job 40:15 illustrate God's power through the creation of Behemoth? Setting the Scene • God has just challenged Job’s right to question Him • Immediately after describing His own unmatched wisdom (Job 38–39), the Lord says: “Look now at Behemoth, which I made along with you. He feeds on grass like an ox.” (Job 40:15) • By pointing to a visible, earthly creature, the Lord moves the discussion from abstract ideas to concrete evidence of divine power Behemoth: A Living Witness to God’s Power • “Look … Behemoth” – an invitation to observe, not merely imagine • “Which I made” – direct creation by God, affirming His role as Designer • “Along with you” – created on the same day as mankind (cf. Genesis 1:24-27), underscoring humanity’s creaturely status • “Feeds on grass like an ox” – enormous strength and size combined with a simple plant-eating diet, displaying creative freedom and variety • Later verses (40:16-24) expand on might, bones “like tubes of bronze,” and a tail “like a cedar,” portraying a creature no human can control Creation as a Display of Sovereignty Job 40:15 highlights several facets of divine power: 1. Creative Power – Only God can speak such a formidable animal into existence 2. Sustaining Power – God provides the grass it eats (Psalm 104:14) 3. Ordering Power – Despite its size, Behemoth peacefully coexists within God’s ecosystem, showing that strength submits to the Creator’s boundaries 4. Humbling Power – If Job cannot master Behemoth, how could he dispute the purposes of the One who made it? (cf. Job 40:9) Comparing Behemoth and Humanity • Both are products of Day Six, yet only humanity bears God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27) • Behemoth’s massive strength dwarfs man’s physical capability, reminding Job that worth is rooted in God’s image, not raw power • The contrast presses home the lesson: if Job cannot govern this creature, he must trust the God who governs everything Echoes in Other Scriptures • Psalm 50:10-11 – “Every beast of the forest is Mine… the cattle on a thousand hills.” Ownership underscores authority • Isaiah 40:26 – creation calls us to lift our eyes and behold the greatness of God • Romans 1:20 – “Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes… have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” Behemoth functions as one of those clear evidences Bringing It All Together Job 40:15 uses the sheer reality of Behemoth to anchor God’s argument: if the Lord can fashion, feed, and manage a creature beyond human control, His power over every circumstance—including Job’s suffering—is unquestionable. Observing Behemoth compels Job, and us, to exchange complaint for awe, and to rest in the sovereign Creator who holds both colossal beasts and struggling people in His hands. |
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