
Quote for the Day
“The hills bring him their produce…”
Today's Prayer
This week pray for those that are traveling, that God will give them an understanding of His interlocking support of not only the universe, but their daily lives. Ask God to allow those at home to completely rest in God’s power and God’s plan.
Job 40:15 – 41:34
Job 40:15 – 41:34 (NIV)15 “Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox.16 What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly!17 His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.18 His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like rods of iron.19 He ranks first among the works of God, yet his Maker can approach him with his sword.20 The hills bring him their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby.21 Under the lotus plants he lies, hidden among the reeds in the marsh.22 The lotuses conceal him in their shadow; the poplars by the stream surround him.23 When the river rages, he is not alarmed; he is secure, though the should surge against his mouth.24 Can anyone capture him by the eyes, or trap him and pierce his nose?Job 411 “Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook or tie down his tongue with a rope?2 Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?3 Will he keep begging you for mercy? Will he speak to you with gentle words?4 Will he make an agreement with you for you to take him as your slave for life?5 Can you make a pet of him like a bird or put him on a leash for your girls?6 Will traders barter for him? Will they divide him up among the merchants?7 Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?8 If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the struggle and never do it again!9 Any hope of subduing him is false; the mere sight of him is overpowering.10 No one is fierce enough to rouse him. Who then is able to stand against me?11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.12 “I will not fail to speak of his limbs, his strength and his graceful form.13 Who can strip off his outer coat? Who would approach him with a bridle?14 Who dares open the doors of his mouth, ringed about with his fearsome teeth?15 His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together;16 each is so close to the next that no air can pass between.17 They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted.18 His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like the rays of dawn.19 Firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out.20 Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.21 His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from his mouth.22 Strength resides in his neck; dismay goes before him.23 The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.24 His chest is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone.25 When he rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before his thrashing.26 The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.27 Iron he treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood.28 Arrows do not make him flee; slingstones are like chaff to him.29 A club seems to him but a piece of straw; he laughs at the rattling of the lance.30 His undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.31 He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.32 Behind him he leaves a glistening wake; one would think the deep had white hair.33 Nothing on earth is his equal— a creature without fear.34 He looks down on all that are haughty; he is king over all that are proud.”
Message
Almost as if He knows there will be a rebuttal, God immediately gives Job an additional lesson on how it all ties together. Throughout chapter 40 and 41 we see the immense power in the creation God has brought forth. God tells of creatures man cannot even think of approaching for fear of life and limb. Yet in a very subtle way God has shown how He alone is in control. Look carefully at verses 19 and 20 of chapter 40, “19He ranks first among the works of God, yet his Maker can approach him with his sword. 20 The hills bring him their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby.“ In these short two verses we see God is Creator, God is Sustainer (the hills bring him produce) and God shows the integration of His creation (all the wild animals play nearby). In this passage we see that God has created a powerful and mighty beast, man has no control over this beast, yet this beast fits completely into the overall plan of God. This is the final answer of God to Job. It is as if God is saying, “I have created this vast and complex universe. I sustain and control it, and I alone will determine what is to be.” It is an answer that is hard for us to both accept and understand, but must be viewed in context of God’s full character. We should also ask the question, would we want it any other way? We have comfort and security in knowing God is in control and that God holds us firmly in His hands at all times.