Discussing
What’s Godzilla doing in the Book of Job?

Josh Larsen

Josh Larsen
May 18, 2014

Like Leviathan in the Book of Job, the 2014 Godzilla is a humbling figure, a magnificent monster that emphasizes humanity's insignificance.

Jonathan Downie
May 19, 2014

I read an interesting perspective recently from, I think, John Ortberg. The basic argument was that we tend to read God's monologue in Job as almost belittling, if not shaming. Yet, to Jews, it would have read as a list of God's outrageous goodness: pouring precious water on land without people, caring for animals that have no use, creating creatures that cannot be trained or sold or domesticated.

What if the image of the out of control leviathan is to be read as God's out of control goodness? What if, instead of threatening our dominion, it is actually supposed to strengthen our faith and love in and for the one who created the world He gave us dominion over?

We might watch Godzilla and be in awe of the creature, might Job be asking us to be in awe of the Creator?

Josh Larsen
TC Staff
May 20, 2014

I like this take, Jonathan. And as for whether or not Godzilla could ever be a force of good, the creature ends up being so in this latest movie. (I won't spoil exactly how.)

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