What animal is a leviathan?

Job 41:11  Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. 

God asks Job: “Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook?” (v.1). What animal is a leviathan? We don’t know for sure. What we know from this text is that it is a sea monster; some said it is a whale or a crocodile. It also seems like a dragon (v.19-21). Its descriptions show that it is not an animal with whom you can play or to whom you can speak soft words (v.2-6), or whose skin can be reached with sharpened weapons (v.7), and is so fearsome that no man would dare to stir him up (v.10).

Why is God talking about the leviathan? What is the point of the lesson? The answer is in the next 2 verses: “No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me? Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine” (v.10-11).

God is telling Job: “If this creature that I have created is so formidable and terrible that men dare not arouse and provoke it, then how is it that they are not afraid to provoke God who created it?” The Creator is greater than His creation. This is a reproof to Job. Job had expressed a desire to carry his cause before God, and to argue his case before Him in vindication of himself. God here shows him how hopeless it would be to contend with the Almighty. If Job is unable to deal with the leviathan, a creature created by God, how then could he contend with its Creator? What makes him think he could win God in a debate?

God's sovereign dominion is shown in this speech. That he is indebted to none of His creatures: “Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?” (v.11, ESV). Can anyone charge the Creator for owing him anything?

God reminds Job (and us): “Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine” (v.11b). He who created all things, owns all things under heaven. Whatever things we think belong to us, are in fact, God’s. God is the rightful Lord and owner of everything under heaven; He does not owe man anything. Since all we have is God’s, and therefore we cannot make God our debtor.

Once, a brother gave 2 reasons why he is not attending church services.

1. THERE ARE HYPOCRITES IN THE CHURCH - Sure, but there are hypocrites everywhere and not just in the church. That’s why they ALL need to come to church: “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick” (Matthew 9: 12). All the more the hypocrites in the church need to attend church services so that they can listen to the sermons and perhaps one day come to true repentance. The church provides the opportunity for them to repent. Only a true hypocrite will think he is not like other man and stays away from church (Luke 18:11).

2. GOD HAS NOT BLESSED ME - This is the mentality that God owes him. “God, I come to church but you did not bless me. Sorry, I’m not coming anymore.” What did Jesus say about serving Him? He said we are just unprofitable servants (Luke 17: 10). The Master is never indebted to His servants.

Some came to Jesus for the wrong reason: “Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled” (John 6:26). Such “disciples” still exist even today.

Let us not contend with God but seek God sincerely and submit to Him as a servant to his Master for after all, everything belongs to Him, even our bodies and souls: “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.