LIVE: "Have You An Arm Like God?" (Job 40/41), Part 4/5

If you’ve ever caught yourself talking about God like He’s waiting on your permission, you’re not alone, and you’re not the first. We open with a hard question: why can’t we “domesticate” creation, yet we keep trying to domesticate the Creator? From there, we walk straight into Job’s confrontation with God and let the text do what it does best, expose human pride and shrink our inflated sense of control.

Job 41 becomes the center of gravity as we look at Leviathan and Behemoth, not as trivia, but as God’s argument. If no one can subdue these creatures, who can stand before the One who made them? That Creator over creature logic presses on modern assumptions about free will, salvation, and the subtle idea that God “can’t move” unless we allow Him. We also connect the theme to Babel’s “make a name” impulse and preview how Romans will keep pushing the same fault line between worshiping the created and worshiping the Creator.

The conversation turns personal as we talk about the fear of the Lord, the danger of careless speech, and how God’s sternness can be a Father’s tough love meant for sanctification, not destruction. If a man like Job can err, what does that say about how seriously we should handle doctrine and the words we put in God’s mouth? Subscribe for more Bible-driven conversations, share this with someone who wrestles with control, and leave a review telling us what challenged you most.

Transcript

Why We Try To Tame God

SPEAKER_01 0:00

They can't domesticate creation, but they believe they can domesticate God. This is their problem. They think that they could wield God through the agency of their own wills. Man is sin sick and believes that in the deadness of his heart and his wickedness of his will, that he can domesticate God. Think about this. This is what God is telling Job. You can't, you can't domesticate these animals. But you want to tell me what I should be doing on your behalf. You want to tell me that I should be responding to you in some kind of way. See, this is what man does today. Modern Christianity wants to domesticate God. The doctrines of grace that we talk about here, we don't run down that path. We know that God is sovereign and we need to submit to him. Because our submission to him in all humility is subjecting ourselves to his domestication of ourselves under his dominion and rule and sovereignty. Do you understand what I'm saying? This is what this is what God is telling Joe. You don't domesticate me. You can't even domesticate Leviathan and behemoth. And you want to tell me how I should be dealing with you. Do you think you can you can domesticate me?

Babel Pride And Permission Theology

SPEAKER_01 2:15

Sister Sean, go ahead.

SPEAKER_05 2:17

Yeah, uh Brother Brian mentioned it about the Tower of Babel, where you know they were trying to reach heaven and they thought that they could make a name. And this is what we're seeing in this religious world that people are trying to make names for themselves rather than glorifying God. And thinking that you can reach God through human effort and you fail.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

That's right. Amen, sister. Sister Mariah, I want you to I want you to elaborate on that comment you just made. I like it. Elaborate on that some more.

SPEAKER_02 2:48

Yeah, you know, when it comes to salvation, people will say, well, God doesn't force no man to come to him. But I they they in turn think that they force God to give them salvation.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

That's right. Listen to what she said. This is this, I'm telling you, this is God doesn't force men don't, they they they get offended at the thought of being forced by God to do anything. But they believe God can't move without them, which puts them, gives them power over God. What did we just say that that was domesticating Christianity today, modern Christianity today, believes they can domesticate God. He can't move or do anything one way or the other unless we allow him. Let go and let God. That is attempting to domesticate him. I will let you have rule over me. I will let you, I will allow you, I give you permission to own me. Who's God in that scenario?

SPEAKER_00 4:25

Man, thinking they are.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Man, thinking they are. Absolutely correct. Absolutely. Great comment, great comments there. Job

Leviathan As A Mirror For Us

SPEAKER_01 4:38

41, verse 9, 9 through 11. God continues with Job and he says, Behold, the hope of him is in vain. The hope of him is in vain, dealing with the Leviathan. Shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? None is so fierce that dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand before me? See? He's like saying, Listen, you can't handle Behemoth. You can't handle Leviathan. What makes you think you can stand up to me? This is what he's saying. Who then can stand before me? He says, Who has prevented me that I should repay him? See, this is what Christians today believe is happening when they when when they come to faith. They believe that it happened because they prevented God and that he should repay them for their wise, for their wisdom. Then God says, whatsoever is under the whole heaven, he says, is mine. Everything under heaven belongs to me. If no one is brave enough to challenge Bohemoth or Leviathan, then no man can stand before God who made them. And notice, he points out that man, in terms of strength and dominion, is less than Leviathan and Bohemoth. See, we think that because we have reason and rationale, that it gives us power over these creatures. But God says no. And he says that if you can't control them, what makes you think you can contend with me, Job? Do you really think you stand in a place where you can contend with me? I created everything, I made everything, and everything answers to me. And everything has its existence and its being by me. I created it and I sustained it. All these foolish people who call themselves Christians, who believe that the salvation of God is in their hands, they are fools and not Christians. Because listen, God spoke to Job, but he gave us a more sure word of prophecy so that there can be no mistake about who's really in charge, who really governs, whose providence oversees all things. We have this Bible, a more sure word of prophecy. We have more than what Job has, and yet we haven't learned the lessons that Job has learned. Many of us, that is, that call ourselves Christians. But we will all stand before God and we're going to know. We're going to know. So the argument moves from the creator, from the creature to the creator.

Creator Over Creature And Salvation

SPEAKER_01 8:55

And it's interesting because after this chapter, we have chapter forty-two. And then I'm going to start the book of Romans. In the first chapter of the book, we're going to deal with God addressing man, man's worship of the create of the creature versus the creator. Romans is next. And we're going to get dirty. No punches will be pulled. None. I don't know how many of you are going to be my friends. Once we get past chapter one. But if man cannot tame a beast, like I said, how can he be ex how can he be expected to basically domesticate God? He can't.

Did Job’s Friends Hear God Speak

SPEAKER_01 9:55

Sister Lisa, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 9:57

So I have a question, and I I have read this, but it's not coming to my mind, although it has occurred to me. You know, Joe, God is speaking, you know, a lot here to Job. And it it occurs to me that probably Elihu and the three friends are all there as well. So I'm I'm thinking, could it be that God is speaking to Job in this way because he's intimate with Job, but yet basically letting them all know who do you all, you know, without saying it, could it be that he's that he's he's giving it to the friends more so than Job? Because I don't know if I'm explaining this or explaining my question. It just seems to me like what Job did in saying that the Lord is being cruel to me. And again, it it's from my human perspective, so forgive me for not. No, I know Brian, he's not addressing his friends to Job, but maybe he's saying it all in a way so they're all getting the point. So I guess my question is did the friends were the friends witness to this encounter between God and Job? Because if they are witnessing it, I would suggest, and I would just I would wonder if a lot of this stuff is directed at the friends versus Job.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

No, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_03 11:56

No?

SPEAKER_01 11:57

No, I don't think so. I don't I don't think so. And like I said, I'd be open to the challenge of that, but I believe that he is speaking directly to Job. I believe I believe that this is this is a message. I think that God is answering Job specifically. And I and I think that uh the primary, remember, Job is the subject of this whole narrative. He's the subject, and he's the one that is in the most need of this discourse that God is leveling against him at this particular, at this particular moment. And so I believe that's a great question. Whether they hear it or not, I don't know. We don't we have no insight into that. Whether they hear it or not, we don't know. All we know is what God tells the three friends. But I think it's an excellent question because because I think that there is an aspect to this where Job now, or when this is all said and done, where Job ends up becoming this sort of mediator between these other these other people, but being equipped with this knowledge that he's been given right now. But the long and short of it is I don't see any evidence. I believe that it is clear that he is definitely addressing Job himself. And this and this is, I mean, and when you look at the the opening verses of when God speaks, he talks, it says, God answered Job. The Lord answered Job. You we see that several times. He's answering Job specifically.

SPEAKER_03 13:33

And so we don't know whether the men hear him, though.

SPEAKER_01 13:37

We don't know if they hear him or not. It doesn't it doesn't say that they could, but they might not. I don't think so. I think that Job is just is getting this. However, God dealt with Job before, and how he spoke to him, whether it's personal, I don't know what that is because the Bible doesn't tell us. But we do know that he's having dialogue with Job. He's having dialogue, they're having an exchange. I mean, even between, even in chapter four, in chapter 40, uh, verse one and two, in the beginning, verses, you have Job speaking to God after God speaks in 39. And then in verse 1 and 2 or verse 40, Job steps in, says, you know, there's two verses where he speaks, and then God takes over again. So they're they're having some kind, some type of an exchange.

SPEAKER_03 14:22

Okay, good. Thank you. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:23

Excuse me. So they're having exchange. Brother Pat, what do you think?

SPEAKER_06 14:28

I think that we make a mistake if we view the people in the Bible as good guys versus bad guys. Like David is the good guy, Goliath is the bad guy. Grace is the difference. That's the difference. I like what something that Spirchin once said that there's never been a great man of God save Christ himself. But God has used depraved sinners for great things. Right. There's nothing in Job that makes him better than his friends. Right? Save the grace of God that uses him for loyal service.

SPEAKER_01 15:08

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 15:09

Amen, brother.

SPEAKER_01 15:11

Absolutely. Absolutely. So where was I? Let's see, verse 9. We're making some good, some good ground here. Let's see what time it is right now. I'll go a little bit a little bit more. So, verse 40 or chapter 41, verse 12. God

Leviathan’s Power And God’s Point

SPEAKER_01 15:33

continues with Leviathan. And he says, I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. Who can discover the face of his garment? Who can come to him with his double bridle? Who can open the doors of his face? His teeth are terrible and round about. His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close, as with a close seal. One is so near to another that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another. They stick together that they cannot be sundered or basically broken up or torn in pieces. And so he points out that this creature, whatever it is, we know it's in the water for sure, but this creature's strength and this armor are being described here. And the scales, he says, are like a shield that can't be pierced. That's what he's talking about. He talks about the teeth being terrible, and the body is strongly made. And so he's pointing out that this creature is designed in such a way that man cannot overcome it. Man cannot overcome God. Man must be overcome by God. And I think this is the big lesson here. This is the big lesson here. And so God is saying, listen, you've seen, Job, how massive these animals are, how big they are, how powerful they are, how they are this impenetrable force of nature. If that's how these animals are, you need to understand and get some idea, some small tiny inkling of what it must be like to see me. And God is infinitely above legions of both of these animals. On top of the most the highest angels. And God is trying to show Job, you, my son, my servant. You are nothing. You are right when you say you are vile. You are right when you suggest shutting your mouth and putting your hands over your mouth. You are right in doing so. I am the Lord God Almighty. I'm not Leviathan. I'm not Behemoth. I'm grander, larger. I created them. I control them. I created you, and I control you. You do what I say, Job. The only benefit and privilege that you have is the benefit and privilege that I've given you, which is to know what is being done to you by me. You don't subdue me, I subdue you. See, that's the God of the Bible that I know when I read it. And that's the God of the Bible that is sovereign in every aspect of his existence. In every aspect. Verse 18. By his knees, talking about Leviathan, in other words, sneezing. By his sneezing, a light does shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth goes burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils goes smoke, as out of a seething pot or cauldron. His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth. And I believe now that he's speaking more in poetic terms, but you know, I think that's what he's he's trying to get this vivid image of how powerful this animal really is, showing that this animal is terrible and is and is powerful and is overwhelming in his presence and disposition. And the imagery of fire and smoke, it shows that this creature is worthy to be feared. Worthy to be feared. So whether you take it literally or whether you take it figuratively, the point still remains that this creature is beyond human power and it inspires and incites and elicits fear. And God is trying to point out to Job that's this animal, these two animals are this fearful. And Job, you need to understand something. I created them out of boredom. Again, I'm being, I'm using language. Not saying, suggesting that God was bored. Don't go saying that I say God is bored. What I'm saying is, this is something that these animals, as great and as terrible, and as awesome and as big and as powerful as they are, this was just another day for God. As people say, that was just another, that's just another Tuesday or Wednesday or whatever. That was nothing. Nothing for him. Nothing. 21, or verse 22. God continues, his neck remains strong. Or his neck remains strong. And sorrow is turned into joy before him. The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm in themselves. They cannot be moved. His heart is as firm as a stone, yet as hard as a piece of neither of nether millstone. When he raises up himself, the mighty are afraid. By reason of breakings, they Purify themselves themselves. I always say this word wrong, sorry. He esteems iron. Listen to this. He esteems iron as straw, and he treats brass as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee. Slingstones are turned with him into stubble. Darts are counted as stubble. He laughs at the shaking of a spear. This creature is shown to be absolutely without any fear or dread of anything outside of himself. And when it comes to human weapons are concerned, virtually invulnerable. Invulnerable. The strongest of men are completely afraid. And the weapons are of men useless against these creatures. So again, God is showing that human strength and humans' weapons are powerless against such a creature. And yet God created them. And God is greater than them. And so we now close these last verses. Verse 30 through 34. Sharp stones are under him. He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment. He makes a path to shine after him. One would think the deep to be hoary. Upon earth, there is none like him, who is made without fear. He beholds all high things. He is king over all the children of pride. So chapter 41 concludes here by describing this creature's power in the water. And it teaches that in the water his strength is unmatched. And it is called King over all the children of pride, meaning that is greater than all of the other proud and powerful creatures, the greatest one of them all. So at the end here, we find the lesson to be very clear and without any ambiguity whatsoever. If man cannot subdue one of God's creatures, how can he contend with God? Sister

Fear Of God And Careful Words

SPEAKER_01 24:54

Tyson, what do you think, sister?

SPEAKER_04 24:59

Oh God knows what he's doing, man. And the fear of him is the beginning of wisdom. The reverence of him.

SPEAKER_01 25:10

Amen. Sister Meg, your thoughts.

SPEAKER_00 25:18

Yeah, if I was Job, I would have kept my mouth shut too. Yeah, I, you know, when we it really makes you examine yourself on speaking, even in any sense, like even when we read and study the word of God, to making sure that we are biblically precise. And I think that I, you know, we've heard you say that multiple times before, but to me, this is really these two chapters have really hit home for me, and making sure that when we speak the words of God, we need to be very, very careful. You know, and because that tongue, the same mouth that we worship the Lord from, the same mouth that we glorify him, the same mouth that we pray on behalf of our brothers and sisters and intercede, is the same mouth that can slay somebody and cut somebody and and do the opposite of what what it was made to do. That's right. And that is scary.

SPEAKER_01 26:24

Yeah, it really is. And I I I think that I think that it's definitely scary, especially when it comes to things that may that may warrant the chastisement of the Lord. And I also think that we run it we run ourselves into the same situation when we uh uh speak harshly or crudely uh even amongst ourselves. And you know, and this this this this should be humbling to us on so many different levels. And it's hard even for me to even put these studies this study together and to not reflect on the misuse of inappropriate speech, whether it be toward God in my thinking, in my heart, my mind, or whether it's toward uh any of you, brothers and sisters. But it it it certainly helps us if we take these things to heart, it makes us it should make us mindful of how we speak and how and how really unruly our tongues really are. And this is what Job is being dealt with by with by God. And and and I and I have to say, I don't, I don't, you know, we we we can speculate on God's tone, but no matter how you look at it, I think it it is I I think he is speaking as a stern father. That's how I see it. And and I'm sure many of you may may agree, some may have some extra elements to that, and that's fine. But one thing's for sure, he wasn't out to destroy Job. He was definitely his goal was to build Job up and to expand his understanding of God and to increase uh his his understanding, his awareness, his discipline as a servant, and an understanding that what God does, only God can do. And God doesn't lean on man or seek man's aid or assistance in any kind of way. And this shows itself in the most clear clear way when it comes to our salvation. So, you know, something to think about. Sister pe Sister Mariah, what do you think?

SPEAKER_02 29:00

Yeah. Wow, God just is amazing. And I'm actually just like reflecting on 10 where it says, none is so fierce that they dare stir him up. Who is then able to stand before me? And it makes me think about the people who are like in the wild or in the wilderness, and they like amongst lions or just things that are just not as described as this beast is, right? And you know, they barely even want to make peeps, you know, they're quiet as a mouse, and they're just in awe. And and so it's like that's how we should be before the Lord as well, you know, and yet a lot of people make the most terrible accusations and charge God foolishly. And but behind a lot of their doctrine, you can actually see how they view God. Me and Brother Pat were talking about this the other night. It's like, you know, and that they should be careful in that, you know, when you're saying about eternal security or predestination, it actually just turns around and says that you think God is evil and you think God is unjust. And and you know, so man, it's just a lot of reflecting on how great just these creatures are that I don't even want to deal with. I don't want to deal with a whale in the sea, you know. I see videos and I'm praying to God through the video, like, oh Lord, if I was there, please. So, you know, I I just can only imagine how much more glory and honor and praise that the Lord deserves.

SPEAKER_01 30:49

Amen, sister. Brother Pat, your thoughts.

SPEAKER_06 30:54

My

Tough Love Chastening And Taking God Seriously

SPEAKER_06 30:55

thoughts are that I I do agree with you that this is a a father giving tough love to a son. Because if it weren't the case, he would have let Job off the hook. God could have not said anything about it, and what would have happened? Job probably would have done it more throughout his life, behavior would have increased. It would have been a downfall, like like uh like of Saul, right? Right? Sin doesn't stay in a in a compartment. You can't just keep a little sin for yourself and and it doesn't grow. If you if you have a little closet of sin in your life, it's not gonna stay in that closet. Right. So don't deceive yourself. That's the first thing. Right. So when God when God chastises his children, it is it's sanctification, I really believe, that's going on here. Yeah. Another thing that can I say one uh one one last thing, Jonathan, about this? Sure. I see Job as a very serious person who with a heart who loves God and cares about God's desire. And even he, even Job, a man who is that serious and that dedicated and that concerned and has God on his thought and mind, even he can err. So in our society, when we're not even trying, right, when we're not even digging into God's word, you know, what when you know what I mean? We we will just see a televangelist on TV and just just believe it. You know what I mean? With no thought, no care. What kind of trouble could we get into? Right? Right. If a man like Job can get can air, boy, we need to start taking God seriously and and watching what we believe about him and what we say about him.

SPEAKER_01 33:00

Right. Absolutely. I totally agree with that. Totally agree with that. Sister May, go ahead. You're

Praying For Job Like Sight

SPEAKER_01 33:05

gonna say something.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

You know, the other thing that I was just thinking about just now is what is what about everything that we have to go through in this life? I believe Job is an example to us all that God is going to get us to this moment in our walk and in our sanctification. The same moment that Job was at. When Job when when when Job says, God, I heard of thee by the by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes have seen. And I think that he's every single believer is going to, he will get us to this place in our sanctification. And with Job, it was very extreme, right? From from the world standards. But what if this is something that we pray for in our own life? A prayer that we pray that says, Lord, I want to see like Job saw at the end. And Lord, I ask that you have mercy on me because you know, in this moment, but whatever that takes, Lord God, to get me to that place, so be it.

SPEAKER_01 34:15

You know, that's that's a that's that's a good insight, too.