Jehovah went on to speak of his creative works. In a sense, he gave Job a brief tour of what humans today might call the natural sciences, touching on such subjects as astronomy, biology, geology, and physics. In particular, Jehovah described a number of animals then found in Job’s part of the world—the lion, the raven, the mountain goat, the wild donkey, the wild bull, the ostrich, the horse, the falcon, the eagle, Behemoth (evidently the hippopotamus), and finally Leviathan (likely the crocodile). Imagine the privilege of attending a lecture about the natural world delivered by the Creator of the universe!b

Teaching About Humility and Love

What was the point of all of this? Job urgently needed a dose of humility. By complaining of what he thought was mistreatment at Jehovah’s hand, Job was only increasing his own pain, distancing himself from his loving Father. So Jehovah asked again and again where Job was when such marvels came into existence and whether Job could feed, control, or tame the creatures He had made. If Job could not master even the basic elements of Jehovah’s creation, how could he presume to judge the Creator? Were not Jehovah’s ways and thoughts far beyond the scope of Job’s limited view?

In all that Jehovah said, there was also a strong undercurrent of love. It is as though Jehovah were reasoning with Job: ‘My son, if I can create and care for all these things, do you really think that I will fail to care for you? Would I really abandon you, rob you of your children, your security, your health? Am I not the only One who can restore your losses and heal your terrible pain?’