Book of Job

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A Merry Christmas to you also, sister.

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The first eleven verses of chapter 38 God is speaking to Job, humbling him. He is referencing the creation. Job had made the same mistake that we see many people making today, thinking that he had it all figured out and knew all there was to know without accepting or seeking God's knowledge. We are given the account of creation for several reasons in the Bible and one of those is for us to know the awesome and unlimited extent of God's power.

Job 38:30  The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

Here in this verse God is referring to the ocean being covered with ice. I believe that He is speaking of the ice age that secularists say did not exist at this time but at a much earlier date.

Chapters 39 and 40 mentions numerous animals such as the unicorn and ostrich. It is unknown for sure exactly which animal is being referred to that was translated into the word unicorn in the KJV. It is interesting to note that Job knew what an ostrich was yet most "experts" that, like Job, think they know it all when it comes to life on earth say that this is impossible as ostrich's have only existed in an area far from where Job was. Another message to mankind that is just like God is telling Job here, that they know very, very little.

Of all these animals mentioned the one that has caused the most controversy in Chapter 40 is the behemoth. This one even gives us a description of this beast. This has been deemed to mean a great bull by some, a hippopotamus by others and an elephant. Recently though there are a great number of people coming to believe that it may be a dinosaur that is being spoken of.

Whether this is a dinosaur or not we cannot be certain. Of this though we can be certain and that is dinosaurs and mankind did live together on earth. The Bible clearly states that all land animals and man were both created on the sixth day of creation.

In chapter 41 we see another creature that has caused as much controversy as the behemoth in chapter 40. It is called the leviathan. This creature used to be considered as speaking of a whale or a crocodile. Personally I do not see a correlation to either of these. I have seen many crocodiles and alligators myself and none of them fits this description except in the stretched out imagination of those that wish to explain it as such. The description of this creature is beyond anything that we see living today.

This creature is described as having scales which neither of these creatures have. When the creature sneezes a light shines forth. His breath set coals on fire. While we may not be too sure about the behemoth, I am convinced that this is speaking of an extinct sea creature that is considered a relative of the dinosaurs. It fits the many depictions that we see in ancient drawings of dragons and dinosaur like sea monsters.

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The Trinity in Creation

The Scriptures teach us that God created all things both in the spiritual and physical realms. Moses informs us that “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). It is beyond doubt amongst Bible-believers that God was responsible for Creation for there are too many references to suggest otherwise. We find in Isaiah 40:28 that He is called the Creator, “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding.” Clear statements confirming this fact are seen also in Isaiah 42:5, “Thus saith God the LORD, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein”; Isaiah 45:18, “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else”; Mark 13:19, “For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be”.

The word “created” (bara) is used to describe the activity of God’s exclusivity. As He said in Isaiah 45:18, “I am the LORD; and there is none else”, therefore it is true to say that He alone is the Author of Creation.

The method that God used to create the universe was the power of His spoken word. This can be seen in Genesis 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,24,26 - “And God said ...” Therefore God spoke the heavens and the earth into existence through the word of His mouth; “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: He layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:6-9); “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for He commanded, and they were created” (Psalm 148:5); “Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together” (Isaiah 48:13); “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3).

The evidence regarding the divine persons involved in Creation to this point reveals that God created everything through His Word. In the light of the fact that we accept that God is Trinity we should consider whether the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were united in the work of Creation. As we investigate this we find clear evidence that all three members of the Godhead are actively involved in Creation.

The Father’s work in Creation
It is never questioned amongst those who uphold Scripture (and to some extent this includes the cults) that God the Father is the Author of creation and that it is the work of His hands and word. The references seen above reveal this fact, yet there are others which confirm these, “Thus saith the LORD, Thy redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself” (Isaiah 44:24); “I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded” (Isaiah 45:12). These are clear statements of direct creation by God.

The Lord Jesus’ work in Creation
Jesus is described as The Word in John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” It is of great significance that John begins his Gospel account with the same words as Genesis, I.e. “In the beginning”. Since we understand that it was through God’s spoken word that all things were created it should not surprise us to see that Jesus is “the Word”. But John goes further and tells us that the Word is “God”. Therefore we see Jesus is seen as very much active in the work of creation. So as to emphasis what he intends his readers to understand the apostle John tells us that the Word - the Lord Jesus Christ created everything that it in the universe. In fact we are informed by Jesus Himself that He existed before the creative words were spoken, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). This is why Jesus is called “The Alpha and Omega I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending” (Revelation 1:8 ).

The apostle Paul also reveals that Jesus was the Creator of the universe and all that is in it. We read in Colossians 1:16-17, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and He is before all things, and by him all things consist.” The “all things” must include heaven and earth, material and spiritual, visible and invisible. Since only God can create things out of nothing (ex nihilo) we have to agree that Jesus must be God. In Romans 11:36 we read, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever.” Such words can only be applied to the Creator. As Creator Jesus continues to sustain all created things by His power, for it is He that holds the created universe together.

Hebrews chapter one offers us further information regarding the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in Creation. In verses one to two we read, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds”. This reveals that there is nothing that Jesus Christ did not make. By combining this with what John said at the start of his Gospel, how that “without him was not any thing made that was made” we come to a clear conclusion to what Jesus’ role was in Creation.

We begin to see clearly that God created everything there is, and that He “created all things by Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:9). We learn from these verses that God the Father created everything, and that God the Son created everything. Not only are we presented with further evidence of Christ’s divinity, but also the existence of the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit’s work in Creation
We have to not have to dig very far into God’s word before we come face to face with the activity of the Holy Spirit in Creation. Genesis 1:2 reads, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Everything was without form until the Holy Spirit began to move over the face of the waters. This is not an “active force” but the active presence of Almighty God. The word “Spirit” comes from the Hebrew “ruach” (sometimes translated ‘breath’). The Holy Spirit gives life to the otherwise lifeless creation. Job informs us, “The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life” (33:4), therefore He is the Life-giver in relation to the total work of the six days of Creation.

What we see happening is that God created the universe through the power of His Holy Spirit. This is exactly what Psalm 104:30 tells us, “Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth”, or as Job 26:13 says, “By His spirit He hath garnished the heavens”.

Now we see a fuller picture of what the Godhead’s work was during the six days of creation. They worked in unity. Each part of creation was a sovereign act of each member of the Trinity. None of it would have been produced without the co-operation of each one. Psalm 33:6 explains this in a nutshell, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth”. Nevertheless the first chapter of Genesis, when seen in the light of other Scriptures, reveal that God the Father spoke the Word (Jesus Christ is that Word) and the Holy Spirit moved. Creation was the will of God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

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More on the Unicorn mentioned in Job 39:9-10.

The original Hebrew word for this is re'êm  re'êym  rêym  rêm. It is used six times in scripture. Num 23:22, Num 24:8, Psa 29:6, Psa 92:10, in addition to Job 39:9 and 10. We have very little information that fully describes this creature. We do get the idea that it is of great ferocity and strength (Num 23:22) and being wild is quite untameable and untrustworthy as a beast that would be usable for farming (Job39:9). In one place in scripture it is indicated that it has only one horn, (Psa_92:10) yet another place as having multiple horns  (Deu_33:17). It is said that the young have remarkable agility (Psa_29:6).

It is to be noted that this is not the same as the mythological unicorn that we picture today. This unicorn got it's origins in Syria in the approximate time of 600 BC. It is believed that it was mistakenly pictured in this manner by the Syrians from a poor description given to them of the Indian Rhinoceros.

There are some that think that this is an extinct wild ox, ox-antelope, bison, and others think it to be the white antelope known by the Arabs as rim, yet others think it is a rhinoceros.

So where does the word unicorn in the Bible have it's origins. The word unicorn gets it's origin from the Latin word unicornus (meaning having one horn) as it is found in the Vulgate. In Greek manuscripts it was monokeros (mono meaning one and keras meaning horn).