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Job 41:9-10
9 Behold, the hope [towcheleth] of him is in vain [kazab]: shall not one be cast down [tuwl] even at the sight [mar'eh] of him?
10 None is so fierce ['akzar] that dare stir him up [`uwr] [`uwr]: who then is able to stand [yatsab] before [paniym] me? KJV-Interlinear
9 'Behold, your expectation is false; Will you be laid low even at the sight of him? 10 'No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him; Who then is he that can stand before Me? NASB
African crocodiles can get up to 24 feet (7.5 meters) in length and weight over 1700 pounds (771 kg). That is larger than two big SUV's end to end. Probably should have mentioned this earlier. If you were thinking about an alligator and all of those alligators wrestlers on television, then this should help make it clear as to what God is talking about.
No fool would dare attempt taking on this kind of croc. The saltwater croc's of northwestern Australia, or the crocs of the African jungles cannot be compared with the alligators of America. That would be like comparing an adult male lion to a pet house cat.
Would you take on a speeding freight train by standing in the middle of the tracks? Could you stop it? No.
And neither could you take on one of these huge crocodiles, or similar huge animals.
If you were out for a walk, and suddenly came around a corner and found yourself face to face with one of these, then you would be 'laid low,' as the verse states. Humbled to say the least. Would you try to wake him up if he were sleeping? No. You would slowly and quietly back away. Oh, and by the way, you cannot outrun one of these guys, unless you have a really good head start.
The toughest guy in the world would not be stupid enough to take on one of these.
Now, given that the crocodile is only an animal, and given that man has never been able to take on one of these huge creatures, hand-to-hand, then what possibilities are there for taking on God?
If a lightning bolt was traveling straight at your nose, could you hold up your hand and stop it?
If a rushing flood was coming right at you, could you holdup your hand and stop it?
If a storm was swirling around you, could you hold up your hand and subdue it?
Who would be so foolish as to try?
And yet most people live their lives without God in their lives. God who created us all, who holds all things together so that we at least have a continued existence. And where is the awe, the inspiration, the humility with respect to God and His plan for each of our lives?
We are at least smart enough to know that confrontation with a croc is not a wise move, but we do not seem to be smart enough to know that defining our own existence while disregarding God, is not a very smart approach to life.
Most of us will not face crocodiles in our life, but we will face unemployment, business downturns, economic problems, social problems, emotional problems, and each of these can be just as overwhelming as facing down a crocodile. Do we face them on our own terms, or do we call for assistance?
Do we take on life on our own, or do we use the many resources that are available to us in this world?
Well, is it any different in our spiritual life? God is far easier to contact than a loan broker, or a doctor, or some other person you might know. And God will look after, and care far more, for your interests, than all of the greedy leaches out there who just want to get you through the line and onto the next customer.
