Controversy will always follow God’s Word until Christ returns and forces an unbelieving world to believe. There is no doubt that the time we are living in is filled with false doctrines and people turning away from accepting God’s Word as the sole authority of truth (1 Tim. 4:1). The only way that believers can guard against lies is to be firmly grounded in the Bible. We are to study His Word and always be ready to give an answer for our faith (2 Tim. 2:15, 1 Peter 3:15).
Christians should believe the Bible to be true and error-free. If a person does not believe that, then how can they be certain of their salvation? The Gospel message contains the phrase “according to the Scriptures” twice:
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
If we believe the Bible to be true and infallible, then we must accept that there are deeper truths found within this precious Book that require diligent study.
The Bible describes two incredible creatures that are often attributed to the evidence of dinosaurs co-existing with mankind called behemoth:
“Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.” – Job 40:15-24
And leviathan:
“In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.” – Isaiah 27:1
There are two common beliefs about these creatures. The first opinion is that behemoth is a brachiosaurus and that leviathan is a plesiosaurus. The second belief is that these are creatures that have been exaggerated and are referring to possibly a hippopotamus and a crocodile respectively.
We must follow the rule that the Bible will speak for itself and be grateful that God has given us this opportunity to study His perfect Word (Prov. 25:2)!
Leviathan
The prophet Isaiah spoke of this leviathan that will be slain by God Himself. Would God hold a grudge against a plesiosaurus or a crocodile? How could one dinosaur or reptile offend God so much that He would put it into His Word that destruction will befall this creature? 1 Corinthians 14:33 tells us that God is not the author of confusion, so we must follow Paul’s instruction given to us in 2 Timothy 2:15.
“In that day…” tells us that there is a time appointed when this creature will face God’s wrath. Notice that Isaiah refers to leviathan as a serpent and a dragon. Who else is described this way?
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” – Revelation 12:9
Behemoth
As with the previous creature, we must ask ourselves if God would be angry with a dinosaur or other beast. Notice that God mentioned that He can make His sword to approach this beast. The Word of God is compared to a sword in Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12, and Revelation 19:15. Also, notice that this creature is referred to as “the chief of the ways of God”. Satan was referred to as the “anointed cherub” (Ek. 28:14). Anointed is synonymous with chief (Acts 10:38, Eph. 2:20).
Additionally, the context of Job 40:15-24 is pride (v12). Satan’s fall was due to his pride.
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” – Isaiah 14:12-15
“Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee… Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. ” – Ezekiel 28:15,17
Notice how pride is connected to behemoth in Job chapter 40. Immediately in the next chapter, God spoke about leviathan and ended the chapter with “he beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride” (41:34).
When we compare Scripture with Scripture, we can see that these passages were not speaking of dinosaurs or modern beasts that were simply misunderstood; these passages were giving us more insight into who Satan is and his eventual destruction by God Almighty!