Monday, April 08, 2013

Leviathan and Job

My interpretation of Leviathan in Job is confirmed in other scriptures.

  • Job had prophesied that Leviathan was the cause of evil, without understanding at the beginning of his conversation with his friends.

    Those who curse, rouse and release Leviathan (Job 3:8).
    People who curse others release the powers of evil, referred to her by Leviathan.

  • Asaph prophesied that God would bruise the head of Leviathan (Psalm 74:14). This links back to the curse in Genesis 3:15, where God warned that the “seed of the woman” would “bruise the head of the serpent”. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy on the cross.

  • Isaiah prophesied that God would destroy Leviathan.

    In that day,
    the Lord will punish with his sword—
    his fierce, great and powerful sword—
    Leviathan the twisting serpent,
    Leviathan the fleeing serpent;
    he will slay the dragon of the sea (Is 27:1).
    This prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus when he destroyed the power of the devil. He is called the dragon of the sea, because he hides among the people of the earth.

The book of Job provides a clear answer to those who seek an answer to the problem of evil.
  • Evil is not an act of God.
  • Evil is not always the result of sin, although sin can sometimes amplify the power of evil.
  • Evil is not proof that God is not good.
  • Evil is not proof that there are limits on God’s power.
  • Evil is always caused by the evil one and his spiritual forces.
In Job 1,2, the evil one is Satan the accuser in the presence of God.
In Job 41, the evil one is Leviathan, the terrible and fearsome power of evil at work on the earth.

God will not give the enemy glory that he does not deserve, so he did not give Job a full description of his operations. He just gave Job enough for him to understand what he was up against something evil.

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