...and perhaps Lunch & Dinner! Afterall, how much meat would be stored on such an awesome beast?
For some reason, I have not been able to get this thought out of my mind, so I am going to attempt to write down what I believe the Scriptures are trying to communicate to us. Please forgive my poor transmission this late evening.
Leviathan is spoken of at least 5 times in scripture, in Job, Psalms and Isaiah. All of these references are Post-Flood, but that is another matter entirely. I believe it's clear Leviathan is a sea serpent/dragon, and according to God, is the most fearsome of His creations.
When God wanted to humble Job and reduce him to right size, he pointed Job to Behemoth & Leviathan. Behemoth was a testimony of God's might and size (if God is creator of Behemoth He must be Omnipotent). Leviathan is a testimony of God's sovereignty and how He deserves to be feared. If God created and can subdue Leviathan, then this God of wonders, "the Almighty" as Job knew Him was worthy of fear, adoration and caused Job to see himself in a new light..."I am vile, I repent, I abhor...mySELF" was the patriarch's response of contrition. What may not be as clear to us (who have never seen a Leviathan) was certainly clear to Job, who evidently did, and he got the message.
On earth there is nothing like him, (Leviathan)
Which is made without fear.
34 He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all the children of pride.” Job - 41:33-34
God's last words to Job were "children of Pride".
The picture is that somehow, Leviathan is a type of Satan, who we also know to be depicted in Scripture as a dragon. This Dragon of old, this serpent, was the forerunner of pride, and all who drew after him. "I will ascend"... Those who are in his kingdom are children of pride.
With that in mind, consider God's prophetic judgment of Leviathan in Isaiah 27:1
In that day the LORD with His severe sword, great and strong,
Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent,
Leviathan that twisted serpent; (Hath God REALLY said?)
And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.
Why would God need to punish Leviathan? Unless...it's a prophetic picture of the coming judgment on Satan. Satan has had many falls in Scripture, but his final end is forthcoming.
Here is the cool picture I have been looking at. When the children of Israel departed from Egypt, they were still unclear as to who exactly this "desert deity" was. Yes, he had great power and that was evidenced by the 10 plagues. Besides that, they had received no law, no revelation of God's mercy as Moses had yet to on the mount, and they were still attached to their lives in Egypt. So God was about to do something really dramatic, and pictorally (is that a word?) clear.
He brings them to the Red Sea, divides the Sea, and literally and spiritually ends their identity in Egypt by baptizing them in the Sea (see 1 Corinthians 10). God buried Pharaoh in death, (who is also a type of Satan)and they were no longer under his rule, no longer in Egypt (the House of Bondage) and were now receiving a new identity in the Lord.
I believe God wanted to demonstrate to the children of Israel his power, his authority, his sovereignty all at once, and He did so in a way that the children of Israel would never forget.
According to Hebrew culture, if you can eat something you are victorious over it. Do you remember when the spies were sent into the land and they saw the giants? Everyone was afraid except for Caleb and Joshua. What was their response? Caleb said, "Let us not fear them, for they will be our bread". What does that mean? Basically, God will give us the victory, and from that victory we will be sustained in life, new life in God, come into the inheritance and dwell in the land...flowing with milk and honey.
But before they ate "Giants for Dinner" they ate Leviathan for Breakfast!
Psalm 74:12-14
For God is my King from of old,
Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You divided the sea by Your strength;
You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
14 You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces,
And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
Wow. Hear, the psalmist is referencing three key things: Salvation, Red Sea Crossing, and Leviathan being eaten. Strange, no? It's a picture! God was doing something miraculous by demonstrating His sovereignty not only over the sea, but even the most fearsome creation like Leviathan. It's a picture of salvation. Jesus Christ CRUSHED THE HEAD OF THE SERPENT, just like Leviathan's head(s) were crushed! Then, God's children fed on the spoils! Isn't that so like the Lord and so like the Gospel?
We are taken out of the kingdom of Satan and transferred into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Baptized and identified in Christ, and given freedom (not to sin) and victory over death and the dragon. As they sat there on the beach, eating Levia-thins (like wheat thins...ha!) they were seeing God as all powerful, sovereign GOD! And now, we have the Scriptures to view the whole scene prophetically.
So next time the dragon comes breathing fiery threats against you and the church, or the serpent sticks out his forked tongue at you and speaks lies and deceit, just remember that your God has broken his head on the seas of identification and salvation, and you will eat him for breakfast.