Ok, so I had heard of Leviathan before. I had read (skimmed) over the descriptions in Genesis and Job, but this time, reading through Job, I now find myself compelled to believe in them.
If the Lord is going to take the time to use a mighty beast, for which Job had clear context and understanding, to base his rebuke, shouldn't we believe in its existence? Even if it is extinct, and we are not able to find it yet in the fossil record, the description is one that we must believe.
Sometimes, I think we take liberties with the text of Scripture that we were never supposed to take. We begin to think that we know enough to say things like, "Well, if there really are/were dragons, wouldn't we know about them by now?" Personally, I find such notions audacious and dangerously close to elevating the cumulative understanding of man (science, history), to an authoritative plane with the Word of God. Do we, or do we not affirm the words of Scripture as breathed out from the mouth of the Almighty? Do we hold with sincerity, even the most remarkable claims, such as the descriptions given in Job? Is Scripture our sole authority, or is it merely a high level of informative? How proud are we as exegetes, when we bring our understanding to bear on the text? Is that not what the indictment against Job and his friends was all about?
And regarding the potential use of myth in this passage, I guess, a question would need to be answered: Why would God come up with a mythical creature, to show Job how little he was? That would almost be an absurdity, given the rest of the argumentation in Job, and God's previous presentation of his majesty.
And lest you think that I am overreacting here, go read the description GIVEN BY GOD of his own creation, and tell me if you decide not to believe in dragons!
Job 41
Enjoy.
Especially when they breath fire. :D and coupled with the fact that EVERY major civilization around the world (even when completely isolated) has some sort of dragon creature in its mythology. Coincidence?
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