Shark Week!

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MP4 Video - 1080p (153.67 MB)
MP4 Video - 720p (92.68 MB)
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Shark Week!

MP4 Video - 1080p (153.67 MB)
MP4 Video - 720p (92.68 MB)
MP3 Audio (2.92 MB)
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What is behind our fascination with sharks? And are sharks in the Bible?

Transcript

[Steve Myers] This week on television is an event that takes place every year. On the "Discovery Channel," it's Shark Week. What is our fascination when it comes to sharks? I'm sure it's partly the danger, just the mystery that surrounds them. I mean, it is quite an interesting creature, when you consider just the viciousness of what a great white can be like.

Now, one thing that came to mind as I thought about Shark Week, as I heard an advertisement for it this week, Job 41 came to mind. Job 41, an interesting section of Scripture because it talks about a giant sea creature. The Bible calls it Leviathan. And chapter 41 describes it as huge, and strong, and vicious. In fact, verse 5 says it can't be tamed or it can't be tied down, and it's frightening. Verse 9, "It's frightening even to look at it. It overwhelms you, and you better get away from it because it's got fearsome teeth," it says, "terrible teeth" in verse 14. And it says, there's no way you're gonna overcome it, not with a sword, not with a spear, not with a dart, not with a javelin. Verse 33 says, "Nothing on earth is its equal, a creature without fear." I mean, this is scary in its description.

Now, what is it? Well, that's the interesting part as well. Scholars will debate what exactly this is talking about. And that's kind of where Shark Week comes in. Some scholars think it may be a shark. Others say, "Well, no, it's a crocodile of some kind or some say it's a whale or some say it's some kind of giant sea reptile, or some even argue maybe it's a dinosaur since Job's probably one of the oldest books in the Bible.

Maybe that's what it is. Well, when you think about it, that part doesn't really matter. What does matter is the conclusion to this whole matter from God's perspective. What it says about this, this creature that is just awesome in its presence, scary in its sight, you know, what about this? Well in verse 10, it says that "This creature is so fierce, who would dare stir him up?" But what does God say? God says, "Who has preceded me that I should pay him?" He says, "Everything under heaven is mine."

In other words, all right, here's this amazingly scary monster, it could be a shark, or a reptile, or some kind of crazy animal out there in the sea, and yet, who is sovereign? Who is over and above?

You see, God is emphasizing, leviathans might, in a way, to show our weakness, Job's weakness, our frailty, but yet who's in charge?

You see, we kind of live in shark-infested waters today. We've got the COVID-19 all around us and people are deathly afraid. And yet who is in charge? You know, the shark, like Leviathan, God ultimately is in charge. And when we remember that, it doesn't matter what's in the waters around us. When we count on God, we look to Him, we realize His might, His sovereignty, we turn to Him, it's gonna be okay because we have something that's so much more powerful than anything that could come up against us. And so, remember Job 41, it's Shark Week, but we've got somebody on our side that is so much more powerful and someone that loves us, and wants the best for us.

That's BT Daily. We'll see you next time.