God's Second Speech--Job 40:6-42:6--Part 1--The Hippopotamus

Job has just conceded that God had won the debate hands down. NOW, God moves forward to win JOB. God's Second Speech falls into three parts, and Job follows with a brief response. This covers Job 40:6-42:6. In this blog, we will discuss the first two segments: Job 40:6-14 and Job 40:15-24.

I. God invites Job to sit on God's throne and be "God for a day" in order to show God how God should deal with people, especially "proud" people [note especially verses 11-12]. Job 40:6-14.
a. God begins his second speech exactly like he began his first speech [see
Job 38:1-3]. Since it is inappropriate for a human being to challenge God to meet a human being in a court trial or in any other situation, God declares that God will question Job [any human being] and then Job [any human being] can respond. Verses 6-7
b. God asks JOB: Are YOU in any type of circumstances to argue that God is wrong and Job has the right to condemn God? Is Job God? Can Job rival God? Such an idea is absurd and totally inappropriate. Verses 8-9. And yet, this is precisely what Job claimed in his speeches. Remember Job 9:13-13; 23:3-12 and often.
c. God now invites Job to put on "God's clothes" to assume this position to rule the world, especially to chastise the "proud." Verses 10-13. Many years ago, there was a program on radio called "Queen for a day." Each day, the coordinators of this program found a women somewhere in the United States and honor her to be queen for a day. When I think of this program, I think of God's invitation to make Job "God for a day." I am afraid that many of us in our heart of hearts think that if we were just God, we would rule the world correctly. Job himself had made that identical proposal as recorded in Job 24:1-12. A parent, a teacher, a senator is constantly the object of criticism from children, students, the public and assume: "If I were
this person, I would do much better. Now, Job has his chance, but he does not respond.
d. God concludes: If you [Job] just showed me [God] how to deal with people, especially "proud" people, I would "take my hat off to you [Job]" and acknowledge that you are right and I am wrong. Verse 14. Of course, this is absurd, and Job never responds.

II. God now parades two of his creatures. The idea here is: God has challenged Job to meet God in a heavy weight boxing match. God agrees, but first, Job must demonstrate his ability to compete by defeating two of God's creatures. Surely, they are inferior to the Creator Himself, God. God first describes the Behemoth, which is probably the Hippopotamus. Job 40:15-24.
a. First, God reminds Job that God "made" [created] the hippopotamus just like God "made" Job and every human being and all creatures. Verse 15.
b. God emphasizes the "strength" and "power" of the hippopotamus. Verses 16-18.
c. The hippopotamus is "the first of the great acts of God," not that God created the hippopotamus first chronologically, but in the sense that the hippopotamus is one of God's most powerful creatures. No human being can compete with the hippopotamus in a "boxing match." "ONLY its MAKER [God] can approach it with the sword." Verse 19.
d. The hippopotamus runs free in the fields and near the rivers, and essentially is in control of his world. No human being would dream of trying to take the hippopotamus with hooks or piece its nose with a snare. This would bring disaster for the human attacker. Verses 20-24.

What are YOUR insights about this first two segments of God's second speech? Would YOU like to be God for a day? Share YOUR thoughts with others. Let me hear from YOU.

John Willis