Difference between revisions of "Sermon for March 8th, 2026"

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Job 40:15-24 (INL)

15Behold! Behemoth! My creation (like you!)—he grazes like cattle. 
16Behold the power of his hips, the heft of his paunch. 
17His stump hangs like cedar; sinewed stones intertwine. 
18His bones? Beams of bronze. His limbs? Bars of iron.
19Foremost of God's marvels! Monarch of dry lands!
20For the mountains bring him tribute, where the wild beasts rejoice. 
21He lounges beneath brambles, beds down in the bog. 
22Trees shelter him in shadow; he is surrounded by willows. 
23When the river breaks forth, no fear in his face;
Jordan rages against him; he remains self-assured. 
24Can anyone capture Behemoth with hooks? 
Can anyone pierce his nose with a snare?

The Monsters at the End of the Book - Part I

When I was about five or six years old, one of my favorite books was a Sesame Street book called "The Monster at the End of This Book, Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover." The premise of the book is simple: Grover (a muppet-monster) reads the title of the book he finds himself within, and becomes alarmed at the idea that a monster is waiting for him at the end of the book. So he pleads with the reader not to turn any more pages. When this doesn't work, he builds all kinds of barriers, tries gluing the pages together, and of course nothing works. When you turn the last page, Grover realizes that the only monster there is, in fact, himself. He is overjoyed (and of course a little embarrassed).

Years later, a sequel came out to the book, once again featuring Grover, but this time adding Elmo--who is curious and excited to meet the monster at the end of the book, much to Grover's frustration. Near the end of the book, Grover and Elmo agree to sneak up on the monster--Elmo from the back of the book, and Grover from the front. When the last page turns, they both see each other and scream (You're the monster at the end of the book! No, you are!). Both books are great fun, and are now considered "classics" of children's literature.

So what does any of this have to do with today's scripture reading from the Book of Job, and with us as adult church-goers? Well, I'm so glad you asked!

The Book of Job also features two monsters at the end of the book, which have been the subject of countless depictions in art and literature throughout the centuries, as well as much speculation about what they are, and what they represent. And as with the children's book, these two monsters have probably also been the subject of quite a bit more anxiety and fear than is actually warranted. Described by God himself in chapters 40 and 41, the monsters are called Behemoth and Leviathan. Behemoth is a land monster, and Leviathan is a sea monster. Today, we're going to talk about Behemoth, and next Sunday we'll talk about Leviathan.

In our scripture passage today from Job 40:15-23, God describes Behemoth as a formidable, awe-inspiring creature, and then in the last verse essentially asks the question, "Can this monster be captured or tamed?" We'll come back to that question in a bit, but first I'd like to introduce you to Behemoth, as depicted in some ancient and modern art.

One of the earliest versions of the story of Job was the Septuagint--a Greek translation of the Old Testament that predates the time of Christ. In the Septuagint, chapters 40 and 41 of Job are spliced together, and were taken to describe one single monster. So in many early illustrated manuscripts, this is exactly what you get: Behemo-viathan.

• Illuminated Byzantine Manuscript 1 (9th C., Patmos, Codex 171)
• Illuminated Byzantine Manuscript 2 (9th C., Vatican, Codex Gr. 749)

In several Jewish Apocalyptic Books dating from around the same period (Enoch, Esdras, Baruch) Behemoth appears as one of three monsters, probably derived from Babylonian Mythology: Behemoth (land), Leviathan (sea), and Ziz (air). At the end of time, the monsters will fight each other, before God ultimately kills them and uses them to provide food for the righteous at the heavenly banquet.

• Book of Enoch (Ambrosian Jewish Bible, Milan 13th C.)

The Liber Floridus (book of flowers) is an 11th century Medieval Encyclopedia where Behemoth makes an appearance as the beast ridden by the the Antichrist in the Book of Revelation.

• Devil Steed (Liber Floridus, 11th C.)

However, Behemoth is not always portrayed as a vehicle for evil. In a church in Asinou, Cyprus, Behemoth appears on a mural (along with Leviathan) as the steed for a Saint (probably John the apostle).

• Saint Steed (Asinou Church, 11-14th C.)

In the late middle ages and reformation, Behemoth began to be interpreted more often as an actual creature, and less a mythical one. Aquinas and Calvin both thought the passage described an Elephant.

• Elephant & Dragon (Harley MS 3244, 13th C. Bestiary)
• Behemoth Demon (Dictionnaire Infernal, 1818)

Probably the most famous depiction of Behemoth (and Leviathan) is from Romantic poet and artist William Blake, who was throughout his life obsessed with the Book of Job, and illustrated it in several different mediums.

• Behemoth & Leviathan (Watercolour, Wm. Blake, 1825-74) -

Modern naturalistic interpretations of Behemoth generally point to the hippopotamus:

• Hippopotamus (Angus Library, Illustration, 18th C.)
• BDB Entry (Photo Library)

And, of course, most recently in Evangelical Christianity, some "Young Earth Creationists" have pointed to Behemoth as biblical evidence of dinosaurs:

• Dinosaur (Creation Museum)

Clearly, Behemoth has fascinated readers for centuries, but most of that fascination seems to be centered on the question "What WAS Behemoth?" Mythical monster? Historical creature? It's a great question, and that's appropriate considering that the Book of Job is a book full of questions. Unanswered questions. Through more than 30 chapters, Job questions God about why all these bad things have happened to him. Job's friends show up, and they question his integrity. He questions their friendship. Near the end of the book, God shows up in a whirlwind, but instead of answering Job's questions, God asks Job some questions of his own: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the world?" (among others). Job doesn't have a good answer for that one, and then God goes off on a seeming-tangent, describing this crazy monster, Behemoth. At the end, God asks Job (and presumably all of us) another question: Can anyone capture Behemoth with hooks? Can anyone pierce his nose with a snare? In other words, can anyone conquer or tame this wild monster?

Presumably, the correct answer is no.

But what does that have to do with Job? And what does it have to do with us?

Unlike some interpreters, I don't think God is just showing off here: "Look what amazing things I made! I'm God and you're an insignificant mortal!"

No doubt God does make some pretty amazing things; things that terrify us, things we don't understand. But if there's any clue to understanding Behemoth in the Book of Job, I think it's right there in the first line of our passage: Behold, Behemoth! I created him, just like I created you. In English as well as in Hebrew, that phrase can mean "I created him... and I also created you" or it can mean "I created him like you... I created him similar to you."

In the same way that God meets Job's questions with more questions, I think here he's using Behemoth here to hold up a mirror to Job.

Remember that when God shows up, Job is in a pretty bad state. He's lost everything--his home, his livelihood, and all of his children. He's sitting on a pile of ashes, covered in sores, mired in grief. He is weak. He is vulnerable. And God says to Job, you are strong. I made you like I made Behemoth, foremost of my creations. I didn't create you to be free from pain and suffering; I created you to withstand it. When the river rises up against you, you have nothing to fear. Behemoth cannot be tamed; Behemoth cannot be brought down with hooks and snares...and neither can you.

I think sometimes we're a lot like Grover (the muppet from the children's book). We become so terrified of all the monsters and the monstrosities in the world that we freeze. We decide that we don't want to turn any more pages. We build walls for ourselves and we try to hide behind them. But despite all our protests, the pages of our days keeps turning, and when we get to the end we realize that our story--all the good parts as well as all the scary parts--have always been in the capable hands of a great, heavenly author all along.

We are the only monster at the end of the book, but like Grover, we are lovable. Like Behemoth, we are strong. And like Job, we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of our God.