20th December 2025

20th December 2025


Pray (ACts) 


Read (Job 40v6-41v34) 


Message (Scott Woodburn)


Job was unable to command the heavens and stars but was he able to master life on earth? In a word, no. The Lord continued His challenge to Job by pointing him to Behemoth and Leviathan. But who or what are these creatures? Leviathan is mentioned five times in Scripture (Job 3v8, Job 41v1, Psalm 74v14, Psalm 104v26 & Isaiah 27v1) while Behemoth is only mentioned in this passage. Some suggest that Leviathan represents a crocodile whilst Behemoth is a hippo. Neither of these creatures live on our island but we know that both can be vicious and highly dangerous.


Yet Leviathan is not just seen as a crocodile in Scriputre, he also symbolises the nation of Egypt which held God's people in slavery and is described as "a dragon in the seas" (Ezekiel 32v2). Furthermore, others argue that Leviathan is a mythological sea monster which was once defeated by the false god Baal. More still see Leviathan as a symbol of evil and chaos which has been at work in the world since the Fall. I think there is a little bit of each of these positions in the Biblical account but in these final verses I suspect the Lord is teaching Job that He is sovereign even over the forces of evil.


So why do we need to think beyond the hippo and crocodile in today's passage? It would seem odd if the Lord's final word to Job was merely about the hippo and the crocodile. There is no one on earth who could master these creatures and so the Lord reminding Job of this fact is probably not meant to be the culmination of the book.


Admittedly, the language used does resemble the hippo and crocodile. Behemoth is described as having great strength (40v16-18) and Leviathan is described as having sharp teeth and a back full of armour (41v14-15). But Leviathan is also described in language which doesn't accurately portray a crocodile. We are told that "Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth. Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. His breath kindles coals, and a flame comes forth from his mouth." (Job 41v19-21).


It is this description of a fire breathing dragon that has caused some well-meaning Christians to say that the Lord here is describing dinosaurs. I don't believe that to be true. Instead I think we are supposed to look beyond the hippo and the crocodile and see Satan himself. His voice was heard at the beginning of Job and now the Lord addresses him at the end of Job. If Leviathan reminds us of a fire breathing dragon then who else should we think or other than Satan who is the great dragon and ancient serpent (Revelation 12v9)?


Indeed, Leviathan is described as "A creature without fear. He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride." (Job 41v33-34). I suspect that we weren't supposed to apply this to the crocodile but it does match Satan perfectly whose sinful arrogance caused a heavenly rebellion and an earthly fall. I think it's interesting too that the hippo is a beast from the earth and the crocodile is a beast from the sea. John will later see similar beasts rising up to join with Satan in his fight against the Lord (Revelation 13).


What do we make of Behemoth & Leviathan? My answer is that the earthly hippo and crocodile are symbols which should cause us to think of the uncontrollable forces of evil in this world. Job was powerless to do anything against Satan and yet the God who made the hippo, crocodile and Satan himself, hooks Leviathan's mouth and sent His only Son to make the death of death. Nothing can pluck us from His hand and evil itself bows before the power of God.


There is mystery here but equally Scripture is not silent. The Lord made all things good and even still, at some point sin was found in Satan. Was God the author of this sin? No - God is good. Was God surprised by this sin? No - He allowed it to be so. Is God fearful of Satan? No - God is sovereign over all. Is this sinful world out of control? No - God ordains everything (good and evil) to come to pass and all of it will result in His glory. Brothers and sisters, wrestle with these things. Sin didn't invade God's world without His knowledge, nor did Satan catch God on the back foot. Just as God is able to walk in the recesses of the deep, so too He puts evil on a leash (Mark 3v27), brings good out of it and will one day place sin and death beneath the feet of Christ.


Could Job do these things? By no means! But he was trusting a God who was able to stand against all of the darkness of this present evil age. Job's God is our God too and nothing will pluck us from His hand. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q50 What is required in the second commandment? The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his Word.