The Bible Dept. — Day 325: Job 40–42

Host: Dr. Manny Arango (ARMA Courses)
Date: November 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Manny Arango brings the 325th day of the Bible reading journey to a close with the dramatic conclusion of the Book of Job, covering chapters 40, 41, and 42. This episode digs deep into one of Scripture’s most mythologically rich sections: God’s — Yahweh’s — extended speech about the chaos creatures, Behemoth and Leviathan. Dr. Arango breaks down their theological significance, dispels common misconceptions, offers practical application for today’s listeners, and highlights how these climactic chapters reveal the untamable, wild nature of God.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Thematic Climax: God Reveals Himself

• Main Point: The Book of Job is not to reveal Job, but Yahweh — the nature and character of God.
  • “The 30,000ft idea is that the book of Job is not designed for us to get to know Job. The book of Job is actually designed for us to get to know Yahweh, to get to know God.” (00:56)
• God’s self-revelation in Job’s final chapters is both profound and transformative — for Job and for the reader.

2. Chaos Creatures: Behemoth and Leviathan

• Ancient Context: These creatures represent chaos in ancient Near Eastern mythology, familiar to readers of Israel’s neighbors.

  • “Behemoth and Leviathan are chaos creatures, okay? This is deeply mythological language, which makes most modern people really, really uncomfortable. But…in the ancient world, mythological creatures are normal.” (04:05)
  • Many cultures depicted the creator subduing chaos monsters, but Genesis stands apart: God creates chaos creatures and calls them good.
    • “Genesis chapter one...God created Leviathan and it’s a good part of his creation...that mixed into this ordered world is a form of chaos.” (05:20)

• Behemoth (Land Creature):

  • Parallels with Job: “God is using Behemoth to teach Job about what Job needs to be like.” (10:01)
  • “A raging river does not alarm it. This is what Yahweh is saying to Job. You have now...encountered a raging river that threatens to drown you. But you shouldn’t be alarmed. Joe, be like Behemoth. Be strong, okay?” (11:58)

• Leviathan (Sea Creature):

  • Detailed description in Job 41.
  • “Leviathan cannot be tamed. Leviathan cannot be domesticated. Leviathan cannot be controlled...Leviathan's mouth cannot be forced open. Leviathan is wild…” (17:02)

3. Yahweh as Leviathan: A Radical Interpretation

• Exegetical Shift: Dr. Arango, following biblical scholar Dr. John Walton, argues that in Job 41, God is identifying Himself with Leviathan, not as its conqueror but in its untamable, wild, unmasterable nature.

  • “Yahweh is saying Job is Behemoth and he is Leviathan. Yahweh is comparing himself to Leviathan.” (15:48)

• Memorable Quote:

  • “‘If you can’t even contend with Leviathan, the strongest thing I’ve made, you definitely can’t contend with me.’” (16:24)

• Conclusion: The Leviathan passage ultimately underscores that just as Job cannot control Leviathan, so too is God beyond human control or manipulation.

  • “[God’s message:] You cannot act righteous and think that your righteousness then manipulates me into blessing you. I will not be manipulated. I will not be controlled. I will not be tamed.” (18:55)

4. Human Desire for Control Versus God’s Unpredictable Goodness

• Analogy: Mechanics, engineers, and most humans seek to control or manipulate things by understanding them. But with God, this is impossible.
  • “The point of the Bible is to actually get you to a place where you realize God cannot in any way be controlled at all. And that thing in you that wants to control others or control God or to control your life, that's the thing that needs to die.” (21:07)

5. Timeless Truths and Literary Reflections

• C.S. Lewis Connection: Dr. Arango draws from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” to encapsulate Job’s message about God’s wildness:

  • “He’s wild, you know, not like a tame lion...You mustn’t press him...” (23:15)
  • “Safe?...Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” (24:16)

• Application: Many desire a “safe,” manageable God — like a genie — but real faith is relationship with a God who cannot be manipulated.

6. Epilogue Insights: Job’s Restoration and Transformation

• Key Narrative Twist: God corrects Job’s friends, not Job, highlighting that the true error is presuming to speak for, or control, God.
  • “Job comes to a place in chapter 42, verse 1 where he says this...‘Surely I spoke of things I did not understand…My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.’” (27:21)
• Job’s blessing is restored only after he repents of trying to put God in a box:
  • “He thought that God could be tamed by his good actions, and now he knows. My righteousness is as filthy rags before the Lord. My righteousness gets me nothing.” (28:13)
• Big takeaway: Blessings are a gift, not a reward for righteousness, and God’s ways remain wild, untamable, and unpredictable.

7. Final Reflections & Call to Encounter the True God

• “The pain of the suffering was there to transform Job into the kind of person that no longer thinks that he’s entitled to the things that he’s worked for because of his righteousness. But now he can actually just receive blessing from God as a gift...” (29:54)
• “I don’t want some neutered God. I want a God that actually has real power. And I think that if we can fall in love with the real God of the Bible and not the God of our imaginations, we could actually know Him. And to know him is to love Him.” (31:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Bible’s Purpose:

  • “The book of Job is actually designed for us to get to know Yahweh, to get to know God.” (00:56)

• On God’s Wild, Untamable Nature:

  • “Yahweh cannot be tamed. Yahweh cannot be domesticated. Yahweh cannot be controlled. Yahweh cannot be subdued. Yahweh cannot be wounded. Yahweh cannot be harnessed. Yahweh’s mouth cannot be forced open. Yahweh is open, wild.” (17:20)

• On Human Control and Disappointment:

  • “If you think, yep, if I pull this lever, if I do this, I can get this. Yep. Nope. Wrong.” (21:38)

• CS Lewis, via Dr. Arango:

  • “He’s wild, you know, not like a tame lion. You mustn’t press him.” (23:15)
  • “‘Safe?...Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.’” (24:16)

• On Suffering, Entitlement, and Grace:

  • “The pain of the suffering was there to transform Job into the kind of person that no longer thinks that he’s entitled to the things that he’s worked for because of his righteousness. But now he can actually just receive blessing from God as a gift...” (29:54)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 — Episode introduction, purpose, and overview of Job 40–42
• 04:05 — Mythological context: Chaos creatures in the ancient world
• 10:01 — Dissecting Behemoth as a model for Job
• 15:48 — Introduction of Leviathan and God identifying Himself with Leviathan
• 18:55 — The grand point: God cannot be tamed or manipulated
• 21:07 — Application: the urge to control, and letting go
• 23:15 — C.S. Lewis and Aslan: “Not a tame lion”
• 24:16 — “Safe?... But he’s good.”
• 27:21 — Job’s repentance and transformation
• 29:54 — Blessings as a gift, not a wage
• 31:10 — Final reflections on the wild, true God of the Bible

Summary

Dr. Manny Arango brings the Book of Job to its stunning philosophical and theological climax, arguing that God uses Leviathan, the chaos creature, not as a foe to crush but as an illustration of His own unmasterable mystery. The message to Job — and to all who wrestle with suffering and divine justice — is to abandon attempts to control, manipulate, or domesticate God. Instead, the reader is called to embrace a wild, gracious, untamable God whose blessings are gifts, not the result of transactions. Dr. Arango ties the episode together with literary wisdom from C.S. Lewis, memorable illustrations, and a passionate invitation to know — and love — the real God of the Bible, not a genie, nor a safe, neutered deity but a sovereign, unpredictable King.