The book of Job challenges modern readers. It feels long-winded and repetitive – “Can I get the one-tweet-per-chapter version of this exchange?” many might ask today.
To make it worse, after a seemingly endless – and to many of us boring – debate, God finally answers Job. Or does he? What is the answer?
The Problem of God’s (Unhelpful?) Answer
Going by some translations, God’s response to Job finishes with an oration on the hippopotamus and the crocodile – a lecture in biology that seems questionable, since several details do not fit these two animals. How on earth does that help Job?
Eric Ortlund addresses this question in Piercing Leviathan: God’s Defeat of Evil in the Book of Job (2021; paid link). He repeatedly points out that Job responds to God’s reply with worship and repentance (Job 42:1-6). So, it must have been a pretty good answer. The key question, then, is what God’s answer really communicates and why it was so persuasive and lifesaving to Job.
Notably, the book’s subtitle speaks not of explaining evil or defending God’s justice, but of evil’s defeat – a bold claim. And one crucial absence in God’s reply to Job deserves mention: God never links Job’s suffering to any wrongdoing. Unlike Job’s friends, God does not question Job’s innocence.
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I have written more extensively on the book of Job as a whole in an earlier issue. Here, I focus on the concluding chapters.
Ortlund summarizes his aim as follows:
Many commentaries follow the course of the debate in chapters 3-37 in generally the same way …, but when it comes to YHWH’s two speeches, widely differing and incompatible interpretations are given, most of which are exegetically and theologically unsatisfying because they cannot explain how the descriptions of Behemoth and Leviathan [Ortlund prefers to leave the Hebrew terms untranslated – no crocodile here] count as a defence of God’s justice (40:8), nor how this defence moves Job from defiant criticism to abject worship. (Ortlund 2021: 4)
Ortlund’s solution is based on understanding Behemoth and Leviathan within the cultural framework of the Ancient Near East as “symbols of cosmic chaos and evil”, in order
to assure Job that God is more intimately acquainted with the magnitude and malignity of the evil at work in his world than Job ever could be, and to promise him that God will one day defeat it (41:7-8). Without explaining to Job why he allowed Job’s ordeal and without offering an apology, God implicitly asks Job through the Leviathan speech to trust him in his way of running the world, allowing evil some real but limited agency – but not for ever. In this way, God defends the justice of his administration of creation (40:8), an administration that sometimes allows terrible suffering. And in response, Job worships. (Ibid.)
God’s First Response: Creatures of the Wild (Job 38-39)
After a torturously long silence (to Job), filled with equally torturously long speeches (to many of us), God finally speaks – from a storm.
Already this is significant. In the Ancient Near East context, the storm evokes warfare: God appears ready for action, much like the storm god Baal facing the sea god Yam or Moth, the god of death. We are back in the world of Canaanite mythology. God confronts chaos and establishes order, while still allowing a measure of disorder (ibid.: 63f, 71-73).
In Job 38:13-15, we even glimpse God’s hidden action against injustice: “the wicked [are] shaken out … and their uplifted arm is broken”.
Beginning in Job 38:39, Job is presented with a parade of wild animals in five pairs: lion, raven, goat, doe, wild donkey, wild ox, ostrich, war horse, hawk, and eagle (ten in total: a full number). These creatures live on the edge of order. They live in wild and arid spaces, where humans cannot live. Except for the horse (included as an animal of war), none of them are domesticated.
They inhabit a realm beyond human control and morality, yet God cares for them and provides for their survival (ibid.: 76–81). Even this chaotic edge of creation is under his rule, and his care for it reflects his goodness (ibid.: 89–99).
That kings like Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal hunted lions and wild donkeys, as displayed on Assyrian reliefs, is not a matter of royal entertainment but conveys a serious message. It shows that the king works to protect his realm and restrain the creatures of the wild. However, sometimes the king is portrayed feeding a lion, showing he is also providing for and controlling the wild. Likewise, God cares for the creatures of the wild and provides for them (ibid.: 76-81).
So why does this move Job to withdraw his complaint? It is not that God suddenly proves his wisdom or power; Job never doubted that. Instead, God invites Job to trust his wisdom in how he governs creation, including its pockets of chaos and evil (ibid.: 85). Ortlund identifies three factors that lead Job to surrender:
- The limits of Job’s knowledge: “The first is that God’s world is much vaster, more complex and more mysterious than Job has recognized”. He does not know enough, certainly to make “sweeping generalizations” (ibid.: 82).
- God’s goodness: “Second, Job is meant to conclude from chapters 38-39 that there is a great deal of order and goodness in God’s world and how it is administered” (ibid.).
- The limited existence of evil: “A third implication from God’s first speech is that his plan for creation does allow some evil and chaos within certain limits – but that this allowance does not mean God is an amoral, uncaring tyrant. The decision God has made about how this world will be governed is to allow pockets of disorder to exist within a much larger order, without immediately annihilating every threatening or violent aspect of creation” (ibid.: 83).
God’s Second Response: Behemoth (Job 40:6-24)
Job’s reaction to God’s second speech is even stronger. What does the discourse on Behemoth and Leviathan add? And who or what are these beings?
We are not dealing with a crocodile and a hippopotamus. Job 40:17 describes a tail that does not match the hippo, and no real animal breathes fire as Leviathan does (Job 41:18-21). The crocodile is not untamable and does not dwell in the open sea. And why add two more animals after we already had a full ‘zoo’ in the two preceding chapters?
Instead, we meet creatures – still creatures! – that symbolize chaos and evil: dark and destructive forces of nature. Leviathan, the “twisting serpent” (Isa. 27:1), is a well-known chaos monster in Canaanite and other mythology. Behemoth (literally animals, plural) is here used as a singular name for a unique, untamable creature. Ortlund nicknames it “Superbeast” (ibid.: 109).
There are parallels to Behemoth in ancient mythology as well. The scene in Job is reminiscent of an episode in the ancient Gilgamesh Epos. At one point, the goddess Ishtar sends the “bull of heaven” against Gilgamesh and his friend, who kill it. In Egyptian mythology, Horus fights and overcomes Seth to become king. Seth is sometimes portrayed in the form of a hippopotamus.
In speaking of these unusual creatures, God is not evading the issue of Job’s complaint about divine justice; Job 40:8 makes this explicit. The conundrum of God’s justice is the subject of what follows. What will God do about these forces of darkness?
The opening context of Job 40:8-13 evokes divine warfare and theophany (a dramatic appearance, as for instance in Habakkuk 3), with references to God’s arm, voice of thunder, glory, and the treading down of the wicked (Job 40:12). God is not indifferent towards evil: the wicked will fall.
It is in this context that Behemoth is introduced in Job 40:15. Verses 19 and 24 suggests only God can confront it. Again, God is not simply giving a lecture – he is declaring his readiness for battle, in his time.
God’s Second Response: Leviathan (Job 41)
Job 41 has two parts. First (Job 41:1-11), we learn that no human can hope to capture or conquer Leviathan. The point of the first part becomes clear in Job 41:10f: If no one can master Leviathan, how much less can anyone contend with God (so ibid.: 114f)?
Second (Job 41:12-32), we are nor reading a static description of Leviathan. We easily miss this, but this is a description of battle – think of the Babylonian myth Enuma Elish, in which Marduk and the other gods fight the sea monster Tiamat. A biblical parallel appears in Psalm 18:7-15, where God comes to David‘s rescue spewing fire and smoke (ibid.: 115f).
Leviathan’s defences are impenetrable: there is no opening in its armor (Job 41:15-17), and human weapons fail (Job 41:26-29). Even “the mighty are afraid” (Job 41:25). The Hebrew word here is elim, which typically refers to divine beings. We hear an echo of the gods trembling before Tiamat in Enuma Elish (ibid.: 117). If heaven’s warriors recoil from creation‘s greatest threat, then surely human efforts are hopeless. And yet Leviathan is still a creature – and its Maker does not fear it.
More than that: God alone can and will subdue this destructive force. In Job’s day, in part; one day, so we may assume, in full.
From Job to Revelation (and the End of Evil)
Let’s take a final leap. The two beasts at the end of Job, one land animal and one sea animal, may have inspired Revelation 13, which also portrays two beasts, one from the sea and one from the land. Revelation focuses on a different expression of evil: not simply nature’s destructive forces or individual wickedness, but systemic, human-embedded evil. This Leviathan emerges from the world of humans.
Where Job assures us that God can handle the monsters of chaos, Revelation assures us he can handle the beasts of history as well. Both books proclaim the same hope: God is not overwhelmed by evil, and one day he will bring it to an end.
Attribution
All images taken from Unsplash and Pixabay (CC0), except for:
Gustave Doré. 1865. Destruction of Leviathan <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Destruction_of_Leviathan.png> Public domain
Raddato, Carole. 2015. Sculpted reliefs depicting Ashurbanipal, the last great Assyrian king, hunting lions, gypsum hall relief from the North Palace of Nineveh (Irak), c. 645-635 BC, British Museum. CC BY-SA 2.0
References
Unless indicated differently, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Ortlund, Eric. 2021. Piercing Leviathan: God’s Defeat of Evil in the Book of Job. New Studies in Biblical Theology, 56 (Apollos; IVP Academic; paid link)
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in this text are ‘affiliate links’. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. If you purchase anything through such a link, you help me cover the cost of Create a Learning Site.
Job: The X/Twitter Edition (One Tweet per Chapter)
You said:
I am sure you know the book of Job as it appears in the Bible. Would you convert this book into a version for people today, in the form of a X / Twitter exchange, a “one-tweet-per-chapter” version?
ChatGPT said:
Absolutely! This is a fun and creative challenge: distilling the 42 chapters of Job into a modern, social-media style format, one tweet per chapter. Each “tweet” will capture the essence of the chapter as if the characters were live-tweeting their experiences or thoughts on X/Twitter today. Here’s a version for a contemporary audience:
Job 1
@HeavenlyCourt trending: Satan says Job only loves God because he’s rich & comfy. God allows a “stress test.” Job loses everything. Still tweets: “#Blessed #NotCursingGod”
Job 2
Round 2: Satan attacks Job’s health. Boils everywhere. His wife: “Just curse God & die.” Job: “Nope. #FaithfulInPain”
Job 3
Job finally tweets: “I wish I’d never been born. #DarkDay #WhyMe”
Job 4
Friend 1 (@Eliphaz): “Bro, no offense, but innocent ppl don’t suffer. Check yourself. #JustSaying”
Job 5
Eliphaz continues: “God disciplines those He loves. Pray & repent, man. #ToughLove”
Job 6
Job: “My grief is heavier than the sea. Friends, you’re zero help. #ComfortFail”
Job 7
Job: “Life is short, miserable, & feels pointless. God, leave me alone for 5 mins. #Sleepless”
Job 8
Friend 2 (@Bildad): “Your kids prob sinned. Own your mistakes. #CauseAndEffect”
Job 9
Job: “Who can argue with God? He’s infinite; I’m dust. #NoAppeal #OutOfMyLeague”
Job 10
Job: “God, why create me just to crush me? #ExistentialCrisis”
Job 11
Friend 3 (@Zophar): “Shut up & repent. You probs deserve worse. #HarshTruth”
Job 12
Job: “Wow, you guys are sooo wise 🙄. Even animals know God runs this world. #SarcasmModeOn”
Job 13
Job: “I’ll speak to God directly. Even if He kills me, I’ll plead my case. #NoFilter”
Job 14
Job: “Life is short like a wilted flower. Wish there was a do-over after death. #HopelessHope”
Job 15
Eliphaz: “You’re arrogant & self-destructive. We know how God works. #ListenToUs”
Job 16
Job: “Y’all are miserable comforters. God seems to be my enemy now. #Alone”
Job 17
Job: “My hope is buried. My eyes are dim. Grave looks comfy tbh. #DeadInside”
Job 18
Bildad: “The wicked get wrecked. Look familiar? #HintHint”
Job 19
Job: “God crushed me & friends ghosted me… BUT I know my Redeemer lives. #FaintHope”
Job 20
Zophar: “Evil = temporary joy → lifelong disaster. Rings a bell? #MathChecksOut”
Job 21
Job: “Counterpoint: wicked ppl often live large. Life ain’t fair. #WhereIsJustice”
Job 22
Eliphaz: “You clearly sinned. Give to the poor & apologize to God. #FixYourLife”
Job 23
Job: “I can’t find God, but I know He knows I’m innocent. #InvisibleJudge”
Job 24
Job: “Criminals thrive, victims suffer. Why no lightning bolts, God? #JusticeDelayed”
Job 25
Bildad: “Humans are maggots. God’s perfect; we’re not. #Perspective”
Job 26
Job: “Thanks for the TED talk. I know God is huge. Duh. #CaptainObvious”
Job 27
Job: “I refuse to fake guilt. I’ll keep my integrity till I die. #NotGuilty”
Job 28
Job: “Wisdom > gold, but only God knows where to find it. #RareTreasure”
Job 29
Job: “Flashback: I was respected, rich, & helped everyone. #GoodOldDays”
Job 30
Job: “Now kids mock me, I’m sick, & God ghosted me. #FromHeroToZero”
Job 31
Job: “Final defense: I lived righteously. If I’m lying, let God judge. #MicDrop”
Job 32
New guy @Elihu joins: “I’m young but y’all are wrong. Listen up. #HotTake”
Job 33
Elihu: “Job, God speaks thru pain to save ppl from worse. #WakeUpCall”
Job 34
Elihu: “God is just; He runs the world fair. #TrustTheProcess”
Job 35
Elihu: “God’s not affected by your rants. But He hears the humble. #PerspectiveShift”
Job 36
Elihu: “God disciplines to teach. He lifts up the obedient. #LifeLesson”
Job 37
Elihu: “God’s power in nature = awe & mystery. #ThunderstormTweet”
Job 38
God replies: “Who are you to question Me? Where were you when I made the universe? #MicDrop”
Job 39
God: “Check out My animals. Wild, free, & awesome. You manage that? #Nope”
Job 40
Job: “😳 I’ll be quiet now…”
God: “Oh we’re not done. Meet Behemoth. #BossLevel”
Job 41
God: “Also, Leviathan. You can’t even touch him. I own him. #CreatorFlex”
Job 42
Job: “I get it now. I repent in dust & ashes. #Humbled”
Epilogue: God restores Job ×2, calls friends out, & Job lives happily ever after. #PlotTwist