JOB LESSON 40

     We will begin this lesson in Job 41:1 "Canst thou draw out
leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord [which] thou lettest
down?"

     "Leviathan" means a serpent, or some believe a crocodile, or sea
monster. God is speaking of the unlikelihood of catching one on a
hook, or of tying his tongue down with a rope.

     Job 41:2 "Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw
through with a thorn?"

     This is speaking of having this thing in total subjection. The
hook in the nose, or through his jaw, would make him easier to handle.

     Job 41:3 "Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he
speak soft [words] unto thee?"

     In this particular verse, it is as if this crocodile is human.
This is a description of the way captives act sometimes. Could this be
hinting at Satan?

     Job 41:4 "Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him
for a servant for ever?"

     Of course, this evil animal, or serpent, will do none of these
things. This serpent would fight to the very end.

     Job 41:5 "Wilt thou play with him as [with] a bird? or wilt thou
bind him for thy maidens?"

     This crocodile, or serpent, would be far too dangerous to play
with, as you would a bird. The maidens liked animals for pets, but
this would not be wise to do with this crocodile. It appears that
people in the time of Job, had pet birds, and antelopes and other
animals that could be domesticated, but the crocodile could not.

     Job 41:6 "Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they
part him among the merchants?"

     Crocodile is eaten in some countries, and perhaps, that is what
is meant by making a "banquet" of him. The merchants could cut him up,
and each take whatever they needed of him.

     Job 41:7 "Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head
with fish spears?"

     This would be highly unlikely to do, because of the rough
exterior of the crocodile. They might harpoon him, but it would be
next to impossible for one man to bring him in.

     Job 41:8 "Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no
more."
     It would be a very dangerous thing to reach out a hand against
the crocodile. You would be missing a hand, and perhaps, a whole body.

     Job 41:9 "Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not [one] be
cast down even at the sight of him?"

     Someone might be brave enough to go to try to capture him, but
just one look at this ferocious thing would cause him to run in
fright.

     Job 41:10 "None [is so] fierce that dare stir him up: who then is
able to stand before me?"

     God is saying, "As ferocious as this crocodile is, he is nothing
to compare to God, who made him". If you would be afraid of a
crocodile, how much more you would be afraid of God?

     Job 41:11 "Who hath prevented me, that I should repay [him?
whatsoever is] under the whole heaven is mine."

     No one can prevent God from doing what He wants to do. The
Creator can do whatever He desires to do with His creation. When it
comes to God, man does not have an opinion. Job's one mistake was
thinking he might contend with God over his fate.

     Job 41:12 "I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his
comely proportion."

     This is just saying, God will not hide any of this.

     Job 41:13 "Who can discover the face of his garment? [or] who can
come [to him] with his double bridle?"

     The only reason for having a double bridle would be because the
animal being bridled was incorrigible. The second bridle would be to
hold in case the first broke. The garment, here, is speaking of his
outer skin. If this scaly skin were removed, he would be easy to kill.

     Job 41:14 "Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth [are]
terrible round about."

     The doors of his face is speaking of those huge jaws with the
equally huge teeth. The top and the bottom jaws are covered with
teeth.  His bite could be vicious.

     Job 41:15  "[His] scales [are his] pride, shut up together [as
with] a close seal."  Job 41:16 "One is so near to another, that no
air can come between them." Job 41:17 "They are joined one to another,
they stick together, that they cannot be sundered."

     This is just speaking of how difficult it would be to get a
spear, or anything else, between the scales of his outer skin. They
are like a shield that could not be penetrated very easily.

     Job 41:18 "By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes [are]
like the eyelids of the morning."

     "Neesings"  means sneezings. The light shining is, possibly, when
the light shines in his eyes. When he would be lying on the bank at
night, the moon might shine in his eyes. They are rather small for
such a great sized animal.

     Job 41:19 "Out of his mouth go burning lamps, [and] sparks of
fire leap out." Job 41:20 "Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as [out]
of a seething pot or caldron." Job 41:21 "His breath kindleth coals,
and a flame goeth out of his mouth."

     This was speaking of him, as if he was a dragon. Crocodiles do
not have fire in their mouths or smoke coming out of their nostrils.
The only thing they do that might make a frightened viewer think these
things, are the wild splashing they do in the water.

     Job 41:22 "In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned
into joy before him."

     His neck is very near the same size as his body. It appears that
wherever he goes, everything in his path runs and hides. He has no
competitor for his territory.

     Job 41:23 "The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are
firm in themselves; they cannot be moved."

     These flakes are, possibly, speaking of his skin which is like
flakes. They are so well put together, that he appears to be in just
one piece. His scales are almost impossible to penetrate. Even his
hide underneath is like very tough leather.

     Job 41:24 "His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a
piece of the nether [millstone]."

     He has a heart of stone. Anything in his way is destroyed without
repentance. A millstone has a hole in the middle to fit on the wheel.
This is just saying the crocodile, or whatever he is, has no heart for
anyone or anything.

     Job 41:25 "When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by
reason of breakings they purify themselves."

     This could be a description of a crocodile or it could easily be
a description of Satan himself. The traits of the crocodile, serpent,
and Satan are very similar. Fear caused many people to worship the
crocodile. Fear drives many to worship Satan, too. They feel they are
headed for certain death when a crocodile breaks upon them.

     Job 41:26 "The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the
spear, the dart, nor the habergeon."

     A sword would be no defense against a crocodile. "Habergeon" is a
javelin, here. Not any of these weapons of war would penetrate the
rough skin of the crocodile. He would snap any of the above weapons in
two with his giant jaws.

     Job 41:27 "He esteemeth iron as straw, [and] brass as rotten
wood."

     The hardest metals are useless against the crocodile. It would
take the bullet of a very large gun to kill a crocodile. A bullet from
a 22 would bounce off his skin, like it would off solid steel.

     Job 41:28 "The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned
with him into stubble."

     A stone in a sling was enough to kill the giant Goliath in the
hands of David. The crocodile has no exposed places where a stone
could hit him, however. It would be impossible for an arrow to
penetrate his skin.

     Job 41:29 "Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the
shaking of a spear."

     None of these weapons of man would be counted as anything by the
crocodile.

     Job 41:30 "Sharp stones [are] under him: he spreadeth sharp
pointed things upon the mire."

     Even the hide underneath his stomach was very tough. He crawled
across jagged rocks, and they did not break his skin. The only thing
that happened, was the stone was just pressed down into the sand on
the bank of the water as he crawled over them.

     Job 41:31 "He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the
sea like a pot of ointment."

     This is speaking of the water being disturbed, as he turned or
spewed water upward.

     Job 41:32 "He maketh a path to shine after him; [one] would think
the deep [to be] hoary."

     The river where his habitation was, is what is called being
{hoary} old.  When he moved in the water, there would be a white
stream of bubbles which followed him.

     Job 41:33 "Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without
fear."  Job 41:34 "He beholdeth all high [things]: he [is] a king over
all the children of pride."

     The crocodile is not afraid of anything on the earth. He could be
classified as king of his territory. Again, this description fits that
serpent the devil well. Satan is king over those filled with pride.

                           Job 40 Questions


1.  What does "leviathan" mean?
2.  What unlikelihood is God speaking of in verse 1?
3.  What is verse 2 talking about?
4.  In verse 3, what observation did the author make of leviathan?
5.  This evil serpent would fight to the ______.
6.  Why could they not make a pet of him?
7.  What was meant by the "banquet" in verse 6?
8.  Why would it be difficult to get a barb under his skin?
9.  If you put out a hand to him, what would happen?
10. Just one look at that ferocious thing would cause a person to
    ______.
11. If you could not stand before leviathan, how could you stand
    before ______.
12. What would be the need of a double bridle?
13. What was the garment in verse 13?
14. What were the doors of his face?
15. They were covered with _________.
16. Why would it be so hard to get a spear through his scales?
17. What are "neesings"?
18. What is the light that is shining?
19. What are verses 19, 20, and 21 describing?
20. What was unusual about his neck?
21. What were the flakes of his flesh?
22. His heart is as a ________.
23. The author believe verse 25 could be a description of what?
24. When a crocodile came toward them, they were filled with _______.
25. What was the "habergeon", in verse 26, speaking of?
26. Darts were counted as _________ by him.
27. He maketh the deep to boil like a _______.