Job

Job Chapter 18

Bildad Speaks: God Punishes the Wicked

Job 18:1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.
3 Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?

This is Bildad's second remarks to Job and it gets worse. Usually when arguments and speech gets this intense with no change on either side of the argument, it's time to move on and everyone leave things in the hands of the Lord. People should cool off, leave and just wait awhile seeking God on behalf of the person in trouble. Our human trait sometimes causes us to be determined to win arguments and force others to see our viewpoint as we see it.

Well, sometimes we are the ones in the wrong. Best to move on and stop speaking. Allow time for all of us to think on our own. Continuing on and on usually ends up making things worse not better. Bildad accuses Job of treating them as vile beasts. Actually that sounds about how I see them; as vile beasts.

Job 18:4 He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place?
5 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.
6 The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.
7 The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.
8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.

These are the words of Bildad and not of the Lord but this does describe how the wicked really are. They are afraid and it causes them their evil to return upon themselves. Sort of reminds me of the old Road Runner cartoons I watched as a young child. Instead of coming to repentance many just get worse and become dangerous to those around them. They steal, kill and destroy anyone that gets in their way but what goes around comes around, we reap what we sow. It's true that the wicked will will be judged and their light put out. It will happen. But.... this does not apply to Job. It's like someone telling us something bad they are going through and then we quote a scripture, "Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out." A true saying perhaps but applied at the wrong time and probably to the wrong person.

Job 18:9 The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.

The word gin means a snare or a trap. Again, we see words misapplied to Job. Instead of comfort, he is falsely accused.

Job 18:10 The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.
11 Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.
12 His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side.

The wicked will be hungry, never satisfied, and he will be headed for destruction. This should be a warning to all that are wicked. Unless they repent and turn to Christ, they shall face destruction. Again this is good words of warning but applied wrongly to one that is not wicked.

Job 18:13 It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.
14 His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.
15 It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.
16 His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.
17 His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.
18 He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
19 He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.
20 They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted.
21 Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

Bildad's words are describing many evil persons throughout the ages. I'm thinking of Hitler, Stalin, Nero, and so many of the past who were so wicked and full of hate that their fate if they never repented, is described here in full. If Bildad would have been talking to Hitler, he would have been right on. So sad though that he would think of Job in that light. He has known Job for years so how can this be that he would now forget all the good Job has done and assume that his troubles are because he is an evil person.

It seems to me that Bildad's words may be a result of having motives in his own life that are wrong. Perhaps envy?

Thinking evil happens to a person is because he deserves it, is common among many religions and people in general. We see clearly if we read until the end of this book that it is not always the case. True that we reap what we sow in life but bad does occasionally happen to innocent people. This we do not always understand and we need to either leave that in the hands of God or pray for understanding. For the righteous their eternal end is always good. DC

Job Chapter 19