Behemoth Word on the Week 6th February 2021.
There are a number of human Behemoth’s flourishing financially in today’s world (Job Chapter 40 verses 15 to 24). They go by names like ‘Amazon’, ‘Apple’ or ‘Google’ etc. and, like the Biblical Behemoth are known for their size and strength.
Perhaps they are more like Leviathan (literally that which twists around) the great mythological serpent (Job Chapter 3 verse 8 and 41 verses 1 to 34). These companies have grown to have a dominating position. Their growth is stimulated by recording details of each customer on their data base and using the information to focus advertisers to match the customer’s details.
Just as Leviathan has multiple heads (Psalm 74 verses 12 to 14) these Companies have, with the exception of Facebook, each has had a new chief executive. The latest to step down it Jeff Bezos of Amazon. His income is growing at the rate of €160 million per day or €1,850 per second!
Covid has helped Amazon. It has caused Governments to lockdown whole populations who become dependent on companies like Amazon to supply their needs delivering them to their door. They are following this up by building large warehouses which they stock with product which they know from their data are what the customer wants.
This all started years ago by selling books! There has been talk of taxing these companies with a ‘windfall tax’ to redistribute the profits made out of trading during the Covid pandemic. The difficulty is that they scarcely pay any tax at present as they trade globally and locate their ‘Registered Office’ in the country with the lowest tax. Like Leviathan they are hard to control!
The Bible speaks of something which is far more precious than the wealth of Amazon and that is our salvation. It is not money but the life’s blood of the crucified Christ that is the most precious thing on earth. And it is so because it alone can transform a sinner to a follower of Jesus with a new life on earth and a future inheritance in heaven (1 Peter chapter 1 verses 17 to 21).
Salvation comes in three tenses. The believer can say “I have believed” recalling the time he first committed his life to Christ. “I am being saved” recognising that God continues to work in him. “And I will be saved” looking by faith to the inheritance in heaven.
The Apostle Peter, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, gives us a wonderful summery of this salvation in 1 Peter Chapter 1 verses 3 to 9.
Amazon may be able to deliver the goods but only Christ can satisfy the heart.