Online Sermons
Lesson #6 - Behemoth
Series: One WordLESSON #6 – BEHEMOTH
Intro: Did God create the dinosaurs? Did the dinosaurs predate mankind or did dinosaurs and man at one time co-exist?
While this question for some may simply a matter of intrigue, it actually relates to the trustworthiness of the Bible.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) WHAT DO THE SCRIPTURES SAY?
The Genesis record (Gen.1:24, 26 & 31) notes that on the sixth day, God said,
‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind;’…
Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness;’…and there was evening and morning, the sixth day.
As science confirms, many of the dinosaurs were earth-bound creatures (land animals).
It’s important to our discussion to note that these “beasts of the earth” were created on the same day as mankind.
Evolutionists generally assign dinosaurs to a time dating around 200M to 60 Million BC.
Those who argue for each day of creation being an “age” (sometimes referred to as “creation evolutionists”),
seem to overlook the all-important symbiotic relationships that is critical to the survival of all of creation (land, sea and air).
Human footprints have been discovered with dinosaur fossils.
Human drawings and ancient artifacts have now confirmed the presence of dinosaurs contemporaneous with mankind.
2) COULD THE BEHEMOTH AND LEVIATHAN HAVE BEEN DINOSAURS?
Job 40:15f describes an earth-bound creature known as a “Behemoth”.
Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly. He bends his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are like tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron.
While some suggests that this creature was an elephant of hippopotamus, some think it sounds more like a sauropod.
He bends his tail like a cedar may indicates a tail of great size and the cedars of Lebanon grew quite large.
The Hebrew word implies a colossal beast - - cf. Ps.92:12; Isa.2:13 & 37:24; Ezk.17:23 & 31:3 and Amos 2:9)
Jer.51:34 describes the ruthless of the king of Babylon saying, he has swallowed me like a MONSTER.
Job 41:1f refers to a water-bound creature known as “Leviathan”.
While some translations render this as a crocodile, the language sounds as if it was much bigger than a croq.
Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose?
Or pierce his jaw with a hook?…(Vss.7-8) Can you fill his skin with harpoons, or his head with fishing spears?
Lay your hand on him; remember the battle; you will not do it again!
Could Leviathan have been something related to a plesiosaurs?
Several Old Testament passages speak of SEA MONSTERS. cf. Gen.1:21 and Ps.74:13 & 148:7
Isa.30:6 speaks of a FLYING SERPENT.
3. WHAT BECAME OF THESE CREATURES?
Did they die off early? Did Noah take some on the ark? Did most die in the flood?
The flood (Gen.6, 7 & 8) is not at all an unreasonable explanation for the fossil deposits.
Has science secured a truly foolproof means of dating fossils?
P.S. If you have a special interest in this study, some of our brethren have created a very enlightening website: apologeticspress.org
It provides materials for all educational levels and is especially helpful in discussing dinosaurs with children.
