Facing our monsters….

Today God sets Job a challenge. Show me all your power and might and I’ll show you mine. Bring the best you’ve got. Let’s see how you measure up.

Do you have an arm like God’s,
and can your voice thunder like his?
Then adorn yourself with glory and splendour,
and clothe yourself in honour and majesty.
Unleash the fury of your wrath,
look at all who are proud and bring them low,
look at all who are proud and humble them,
crush the wicked where they stand.
Bury them all in the dust together;
shroud their faces in the grave.
Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you.  Job 40:9-14

It’s an unfair challenge, isn’t it? Like bringing a knife to a gunfight (a la Indiana Jones). Everyone knows there is no one who has ever lived who can begin to match God’s glory and splendour and honour and majesty and strength. And yet we try. We try to prove how in control of our own lives we are – how strong and independent and wise….How we don’t need anyone. And we don’t need God telling us what to do.

And to prove the point, who does God bring out in His corner? Behemoth and Leviathan. Mythological beasts of earth and sea. Creatures of unimaginable strength and size. Monsters of chaos and destruction. Primal. Unconquerable. This is Behemoth –

Look at Behemoth,
which I made along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.
What strength it has in its loins,
what power in the muscles of its belly!
Its tail sways like a cedar;
the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.
Its bones are tubes of bronze,
its limbs like rods of iron.
It ranks first among the works of God,
yet its Maker can approach it with his sword.  Job 40:15-19

And the description of Leviathan in Job 41 is wonderfully imaginative and poetic –

I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,
its strength and its graceful form. (v12)
Its back has rows of shields
tightly sealed together;
each is so close to the next
that no air can pass between.
They are joined fast to one another;
they cling together and cannot be parted.
Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
its eyes are like the rays of dawn.
Flames stream from its mouth;
sparks of fire shoot out.
Smoke pours from its nostrils
as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
Its breath sets coals ablaze,
and flames dart from its mouth. (v15-21)
Nothing on earth is its equal—
a creature without fear.
It looks down on all that are haughty;
it is king over all that are proud. (v33-34)

God alone could conceive of such creatures. God alone could bring such creatures into being. God alone could bring these creatures under control. No human could ever hope to stand against such creatures and yet the language here is of them being tamed by God as divine pets –

Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
or trap it and pierce its nose?  Job 40:24

That’s Behemoth being referred to there. And yes, God can. God alone can.

And how about Leviathan, the mighty beast of the seas?

Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook
or tie down its tongue with a rope?
Can you put a cord through its nose
or pierce its jaw with a hook?
Will it keep begging you for mercy?
Will it speak to you with gentle words?
Will it make an agreement with you
for you to take it as your slave for life?
Can you make a pet of it like a bird
or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?  Job 41:1-5

Can you? Can you tame the beast Job? Can you really?

No, but God can. Only God can.

So how futile does Job’s questioning of God now appear? Only God can tame these monsters.

We all face monsters in our own lives, don’t we? Unimaginable terrors. Confusion and chaos that we cannot begin to put into words. Negative thoughts that loom large. Strong addictions that we cannot control. A temper that we cannot tame, however hard we try. Physical struggles that we cannot overcome. We all have our own monsters (demons to face).

But we are not alone. We do not have to do it alone. God can defeat any monster. God can calm our fears. God can walk with us through the chaos and confusion. God alone can help us defeat our thoughts and addictions. God alone can work with us on our temper. God alone can give strength.

There is no monster too big for God. Too scary. God is stronger and mightier than the most terrifying monsters that we can imagine.

We can trust Him to see us through.