Is There A Fire Breathing Sea Monster In the Bible?

In the book of Job chapters 40 and 41 God is talking to Job and describes two very interesting creatures that taken literally seem to be describing prehistoric dinosaurs-and if that’s not enough, one of them breathes fire.

"His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. (19) Out of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out. (20) Smoke goes out of his nostrils, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes. (21) His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes out of his mouth." Job 41:18-21 NKJV

Is God serious? Can this be what I think it is? How are we to interpret this passage of the Bible? Does it matter if we take it literally or metaphorically? Some would say it doesn’t matter it makes for good Bible trivia. But the Bible says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” 2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV There are more implications to this passage of Scripture than you may think and your salvation may depend on it. I want to focus on the sea creature in chapter 41.

If a bombardier beetle can shoot out near boiling hot liquid from the rear tip of its abdomen then, perhaps, there once was an animal with some capacity to shoot fire from its mouth. Are the legends and stories of mythical fire-breathing dragons based on mere imagination or could they be in some part based in truth? Is it naturally impossible for an animal or giant sea creature to produce some type of combustion? Is that beyond God's creative abilities? Does it defy any laws of nature? Not that I'm aware of. There are thousands of extinct animals that modern man has never seen living and fossilized bones just don't tell us enough.

Let's get more practical. I've read cows burp methane gas and it is combustible when lit. Would it be all that difficult to have some sort of sparking mechanism or chemical ignition system in the throat of an aquatic dinosaur? C'mon an eel can generate up to 600 volts a pop, and this was a sea creature. The real matter is do you relegate the conversation God had with Job to mere fantasy and fairytale because you have trouble believing some of the facts? Was it a real conversation talking about real things or not?

One of the central tenants of sound Biblical interpretation is to take the bible literally unless there are clear indications to the contrary. I don't think that one fact of fire-breathing in the midst of all the rest of details to describe this animal is a clear indication it should be taken hypothetically or metaphorically. Yes, initially it offends my sense of truth and reality because I have filed fire-breathing dragons under fairy tale and fiction inside my brain. But the context leads me to believe God is describing a couple of the most fierce and terrible creatures still alive and witnessed by Job to remind Job God is so big and powerful he even created the biggest and most powerful creatures and nothing is impossible for God. Some very respectable Bible commentaries attempt to explain this creature as a crocodile but we all know crocodiles don’t emit fire from their mouths. The creature described by God had to be known by Job or the purpose and logic of the conversation totally breaks down.

If you don't take Job chapter 41 literally then what other events that defy modern science in the Bible do you turn into a fable? And by what criteria? Impossible by scientific standards? The flood and Noah's ark. Everyone knows that's not scientifically possible. Crossing of the Red Sea. Immaculate conception. Turning water into wine. Walking on water. Raising the dead. Heaven. Hell. The supernatural. GOD.

The Bible is not a science book but it does have science and deals with real people, in real history and real events. This type of subject does not involve salvation or the person of Jesus Christ directly BUT it does strike at the heart of Biblical authority and chunk enough of the “irrational and unbelievable” parts of the Bible into the “not possible” category and it has the potential to erode a person's confidence and faith in the written Word of God bit by little bit and that can be a slippery slope that can lead to undermining a person's salvation and relationship with Jesus Christ.