Job 40:3–4: “Then Job answered the LORD and said: ‘Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth.'”

January 4th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

In the face of God Almighty’s questions, Job couldn’t help but recognize his own unworthiness and insignificance; and he was amazed by the majesty he saw in God. In response, he said he would be quiet and stop talking. How much less talking would there be if we lived in a continual awareness of the presence of God. We all have questions about life that God has chosen, even in His Word, not to reveal the answers to. The longer we walk with the Lord, the more questions we have and the more we become aware that we will not get all the answers this side of heaven.

God was pointing out Job’s lack of understanding about 2 types of animals in this and the next chapter. Humans cannot control these animals, but God can and does. The first is aptly called Behemoth and the description of this huge animal has been puzzling Scripture readers for centuries. Although some see the hippo or elephant, a careful reading of the text suggests otherwise, with many reading in this a description of a dinosaur. A hippo has a short weak tail, but Behemoth’s large tail is shaped like a “cedar tree.”

The word dinosaur does not appear in Scripture. And British Paleontologist Richard Owen was the first to suggest the word in 1842, when he classified large fossil animals as dinosauria. Although current fossil dating techniques suggest that the last dinosaurs died about 65 million years ago, we may expect that date to be reduced as dating techniques improve. But whatever the species, whatever its size and power, God can control it as easily as an ant. So, is He capable of taking care of our problems today? Indeed.

“Thank You, LORD, for Your power and protection on us this day. We entrust our lives to You.”