Job’s Creatures – The Behemoth

The LORD introduces Behemoth in the story of Job (Job 40:15-24). In chapter 38, God begins to respond to Job and his friends with a series of questions that showcase His strength and power. When God mentions behemoth, He continues to highlight His own might. Behemoth was a powerful creature, while Job was not.

Behemoth is unique to Job because he is the only Biblical writer to mention this creature. The word behemoth is the plural form used to describe a creature unlike any others familiar to modern man. The LORD describes Behemoth as a land creature.

He eats grass as an ox (40:15).

He has a tail that moves like a cedar tree (40:17).

He is a thirsty creature that “drinketh up a river” (40:23).

There have been attempts to identify this creature as something we know, like an elephant or hippopotamus, but its tail is much smaller than a cedar tree.

There is no reason to doubt that this creature was a real being now extinct. It is possible that it was one of the many dinosaurs of long ago. God’s point to Job was that He created this creature and knows all about it. God also made Job and knew all about him, too. As a point of application, God made you and knows everything about you as well.

Once again, the lesson we can learn from behemoth is that God is mighty and in control. We may not be able to control life’s events, but we can know the God who governs everything. The clear application is that we should trust this Almighty God. As God continued in the narrative to Job (chapter 40), He told Job that man cannot challenge or succeed against God. Man cannot rebuke God. Job’s response was, “I am vile” (Job 40:4). That should be our response to the Almighty God. The pride of man must be humbled (40:12), and with that, God says, “Behold now, behemoth, …” and in beholding behemoth, we should behold God. (LEH)