My interest was first peaked in the book of Job early in 2012. I don’t see anything potentially more challenging to our contemporary Christianity than this book. It is at odds with all that is hellish and any remnant of hellishness in us will perhaps be revealed in the exposition of this book. It is considered by most scholars to be the earliest of the Old Testament books and my two cents would be that if we can stomach what the book of Job contains then we are on a good foundation to take in the rest of the Bible. If you will wrestle with God’s word in Job you will be rewarded; that is if you don't cop-out with easy excuses saying “I follow Jesus and not Job” as though Christ could be separated from his word. Before I continue remember that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1). God loves the book of Job and he loves it when we read it, know it, remain steadfast and refuse to be offended by it.
I want to seek to answer who Leviathan in Job 41 is in order to establish something else that is much more glorious.
1 “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook
or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Can you put a rope in his nose
or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3 Will he make many pleas to you?
Will he speak to you soft words?
4 Will he make a covenant with you
to take him for your servant forever?
5 Will you play with him as with a bird,
or will you put him on a leash for your girls?...
34 ...He sees everything that is high;
he is king over all the sons of pride.”
(Job 41:1-5, 34)
God asks Job 70+ rhetorical questions in chapters 38-41 of the book, they are directed at humbling Job and bringing him low. Because God is making a distinction between himself and Job through these questions I do not believe that it would be far off to say that God is not merely telling Job of his potential power, but of his actual power. It makes no difference whether or not these rhetorical questions are all things that God does or simply all things that he could do. However, I would lean toward believing that they are things that God does do, that God’s purpose is not merely to make a distinction between his potential power and Job’s power, but to declare his actual power and Job’s nothingness.
I think that it is particularly interesting to note the questions God asks about Leviathan, “will he make many pleas to you?” and “will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever?” and “will you play with his as with a bird, or will you put him on a leash for your girls?” It is fascinating the ease with which God declares his total and sovereign power over Leviathan. This will only become more interesting as we continue.
21 For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain. 27:1 In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. 2 In that day, “A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! 3 I, the Lord, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone punish it, I keep it night and day..." (Isaiah 26:21-27:3)
Here in Isaiah 26 and 27 we have the conclusion of what some call Isaiah’s mini-apocalypse. Isaiah 26:21 is speaking of the final day of judgement, the second advent "the Lord coming out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.” We then read that at this time “the earth… will no more cover its slain” so we know this is an eschatological prophecy of judgment as well as resurrection. Then in 27:1 we read that “in that day…The Lord… will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon…” After Leviathan is punished we read again “In that day, ‘A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! I, the Lord, am its keeper…’”
We have the Lord coming from heaven to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their sin followed by Leviathan’s punishment, followed by 27:2-13 which all speaks clearly of the eschatological salvation and restoration of Israel. My point is “Leviathan” is used here in the context of the last days and not as a mere sea monster that used to give sailors a hard time. Likewise there are other places in which the “sea” is commonly interpreted to mean the peoples and nations of the earth (Daniel 7:2-3; Revelation 13:1; and most clearly Revelation 17:15).
"7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” (Revelation 12:7-12)
I believe personally that this section of scripture is speaking of the middle of Daniel’s 70th week, but one need not hold to my particular end-times schema to see the point that I’m wanting to draw out. The Leviathan spoken of in Job 41 is the same Leviathan of Isaiah 27:1 and likewise the same “dragon” and “satan” that is thrown down at this point in Revelation 12. Are there two dragon-like, serpent-like creatures warranting judgment between these verses in Isaiah 27 and Revelation 12 or one creature, Satan himself?
The character who is being destroyed in Isaiah 27 is none other than Satan Himself called “Leviathan.” If this be the case then Job 41 in its entirety is a chapter about God’s sovereignty over Satan. This brings Job 41:34 into perspective that Leviathan is "king over all the sons of pride” Which also finds reference in John 8:44 when Jesus says to those unbelieving Pharisees "You are of your father the devil.” The pharisees were the epitome of the “sons of pride” and Jesus clearly says, “You are of your father the devil.”
To strengthen this further we read in Colossians 1:15-17
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
We would be hard pressed to expand “rulers or authorities” (Rom 8:38; 1 Cor 2:6, 8; Eph 3:10; 6:12; Col 2:15; 1 Pet 3:22) in this context outside of the kingdom of darkness in the new testament. Even demonic rulers and authorities were created through him and for him and even they are presently sustained by him.
Hebrews 1:3 likewise says it beautifully,
"He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” If he upholds the universe then he upholds the particles in it. If he upholds the biggest thing imaginable, then he has no issues upholding with the smallest things. Even devils are sustained by the word of his power for his purposes.
Let’s read these words again from Job 41 with worship in our hearts that the Lord alone is sovereign, no devil or created thing is outside of his power and for this I rejoice exceedingly.
1 “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook
or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Can you put a rope in his nose
or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3 Will he make many pleas to you?
Will he speak to you soft words?
4 Will he make a covenant with you
to take him for your servant forever?
5 Will you play with him as with a bird,
or will you put him on a leash for your girls?...
Even the evil that befalls me has behind it the sovereign hand of God, therefore it has in it His divine kindness and divine purpose. This is most joyous and precious to me.