What I Noticed Today (Job 40-42)
- Job 40:1-2. God began with a rebuke and a challenge (Job 38:1-3) and concluded with a rebuke and a challenge (Job 40:1-2).
Job responds to God admitting his insignificance in the scheme of the world, and his inability to answer any of God’s questions (Job 40:3-5).
As with God’s first speech, His second speech also begins with a challenge (Job 40:6-7), and a rebuke (Job 40:8-14). Then God continues with His questions:
- Job 40:15-41:34. God zooms in asking Job specifically about two animals; Behemoth and Leviathan.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- Through all these questions, Job finally realizes how little he knows about God and God’s creation. Job can’t answer the least of God’s questions, so who does he think he is to demand answers from God? We will see a very different Job when we get to Job 42 and his response to God.
- We stomp our feet like petulant children demanding answers of God, and it would be wise for us to remember God is God, and we are not!
Job 41
God’s discussion of Leviathan continues in Job 41:
- Job 41:1-11. A fishhook, rope, cord, and hook are useless at capturing Leviathan. Even larger weapons like a harpoon or a spear are useless. If Job can’t even stand up to Leviathan, what makes him think he can stand up against God?
- Job 41:12-21. God made Leviathan difficult to catch because of its strength, its armor, and its sharp teeth. Its eyes, nostril, and mouth shoot forth fire and smoke.
- Job 41: 22-25. Even mighty people tremble and run when confronted with this mighty beast.
- Job 41:26-34. Even hunters with weapons are unable to subdue it.
Job 42
Job offers his second reply to God in Job 42:
- Job 42:1-2. Job now acknowledges God’s sovereignty and his sinful pride.
- Job 42:3-6. Job quotes God twice, admitting that he talked about things he didn’t really understand. Now that he has seen God (spiritual insight, not physical seeing), he now recognizes that God is far beyond his previous idea of God. Job finally repents in sackcloth and ashes.
In the concluding section of Job 42 and the end of the book of Job, God now turns his remarks to Job’s three friends:
- Job 42:7. God first rebukes the three friends, and specifically Eliphaz, for not speaking correctly about God.
- Job 42:8-9. God directs the three friends to go to Job and make a burnt offering, and Job will pray for them, and I (God) will accept Job’s prayer. God referred to Job as “my servant” four times in verses 7-8. The men did as God instructed, and God accepted Job’s prayer on their behalf.
In verses 10-17, God restored Job after he had prayed for his friends.
- Job lived 140 more years after this and had more children and accumulated great wealth throughout the rest of his life.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- God’s point to Job was that if you can’t even manage to subdue one animal, what makes you think you are in any position to challenge God? Yet Job did repent of his sins. God forgave him and referred to Job as “my servant.” Job also then acted as the mediator between his friends and God.
- Unlike Job’s friends, we do not need another man to pray on our behalf as our mediator. The son of God, Jesus Christ, lived, died, and rose again and sits at the right hand of our Father, and He is our mediator for all time!
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
