06/04/2026
Job 40 NKJV
God’s Power and Wisdom
40 Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said:
2 “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”
Job’s Response to God
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4 “Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
God’s Challenge to Job
6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
7 “Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me:
8 “Would you indeed annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
9 Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder with a voice like His?
10 Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty.
11 Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low;
Tread down the wicked in their place.
13 Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in hidden darkness.
14 Then I will also confess to you
That your own right hand can save you.
15 “Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18 His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.
19 He is the first of the ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
20 Surely the mountains yield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
21 He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
22 The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.
23 Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24 Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.
(We remember that Job had questions for God as to why he was going through this time of suffering. In this chapter we see God having questions for Job. Verse 2 “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”
God is saying to Job answer my questions, if you are qualified to ask question of Me. Job’s Response to God
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4 “Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
It seems that Job is understanding his arrogance in requesting the ability to defend himself in front of God. Like many of us our pride and self-importance color our view of life. God is letting Job know just how small he is in the scheme of things. Job is being humbled, how many of us need to be humbled at times. How often do we question God and His path for us. How often do we blame God for our decisions and choices in life. Ezekiel 28: 17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;
I cast you to the ground,
I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you.
This speaks of the pride of Satan which caused him to be thrown out of heaven. He too thought he could question God and His authority. I myself fight with pride on a daily basis, I too feel self-righteous and judgmental at times. If I do not keep myself in check, it seems God will assist me to check my pride and self-righteousness in ways I do not enjoy.
One other thing that we need to address in this chapter, the behemoth. Some will say God is describing the elephant or Hippo, but does an elephant or Hippo have the tail that is described? To me it seems to be a description of an extinct animal. Could this be what we would call a dinosaur? If so, it would show that man was living with them and communicating about them. For God was speaking to man and they knew what he was speaking of from their knowledge of them. Does this show man their pride and sense of self-righteousness in making assumptions and calling them facts. Are we questioning God in doing so? Do we think we are more knowledgeable than God? Why do we think we have to know everything, is this a side effect of Adam and Eve eating from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil?
God bless and remember God loves you and so do I!)