Job 40:20 Commentary and Bible Study

God continues to use lofty poetry in speaking to Job. The picture which follows is of a beast which is master of his situation, which fears nothing and is untouched by things that disturb lesser beasts. ‘Surely the mountains bring him forth food’ – how? The streams run off the mountains and produce rivers which water the pastures from which Behemoth feeds. He doesn’t have to go up into mountains; the produce of the mountains comes down to it. The creature ignores the mountains because the mountains are his servant; they serve him day and night. We also can say all the mountain of life serve us. We don’t have to battle with the mountain, with things that are too hard for us. We can be sure that God has arranged all things for our good. We are not to be filled with wild panic and alarm.This giant among the animals is at home in the wild places and finds a table prepared for him by the hand of God. He takes for granted this provision and peacefully enjoys all that God has given to it. There is something in this brute confidence which praises God by relying implicitly on what he alone can furnish. Without asking how this is done or trying to understand the nature of things, he devours what God sets before him and so pleases his Creator by enthusiastically being what he has made it. The Lord looks on and sees that all creation is as intended, even though it is now affected by the fall. Behemoth finds food for his belly, fields in which to play alongside the other beasts of the earth, and even pleasant places in which to lie and enjoy rest and shade. He may not be able to appreciate the beauty of his surroundings, but the scenes in which God has placed him are places of peace and harmony and they elicit the admiration of man. ‘Behold, he drinketh up a river.’ Modern versions help with the translation here. Behemoth is not afraid when the river rises and its waters become turbulent. ‘And hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.’ In other words, when the rivers come up and swell, the torrent doesn’t make Behemoth hurry. He is not troubled; he does not panic; he does not run. He just stands stolidly as though he could let all its waters flow into his mouth; take it all in his path. That is the challenge to Job. This giant has such strength and composure that when the floods come and the river rages and other beasts seek refuge from the rising waters, he continues unconcerned knowing that these things cannot threaten his great strength. He is made for such occasions and is confident that if a Jordan river was to flow into his mouth, he would think little of it. The Jordan river is mentioned as one that is familiar to Job, but stands for any river in spate which becomes a danger to life. If spiritual people do this, God will bless them and feed them. The meaning of verse 24 is obscure, some translating it as a question: ‘Can any capture him by the eyes?’ which makes little sense, or ‘Can any capture him when he is watching?’, but the Hebrew does not indicate an interrogative. The KJV sticks close to the original, ‘He taketh it with his eyes’, meaning that he sees everything. You can’t get close to him. He cannot be taken except by his Creator. Those are the qualities God looks for: Christians who are not easily injured, wounded, susceptible to loss of comforts, but always on the watch, seeing circumstances as provided by God, not capable of being taken by the enemy. Job is to look at this creature as a picture of strength that God values. The last phrase is also translated either as a question or a statement, but the meaning is surely that since he is such a giant, he cannot be taken in the normal way as other animals are taken. Any attempt to make a snare capable of capturing this monster is doomed to failure. So then, here was a creature that shrugged off any suggestion that he might be tamed or captured, yet such a creature had been made by God. Could Job not learn from this great monster which was so calm in adversity? Could he not have the same supreme confidence – not in himself, but in the Lord – so that he could face extreme trials with composure. Couldn’t Job handle these attacks better and meet them with more equilibrium?