Job

Job Chapter 8

Bildad Speaks: Job Should Repent

Job 8:1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

He accuses Job of having words that destroy like the wind. He is saying that Job's words amount to nothing like a wind blowing something away.

Job 8:3 Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?
4 If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;

This must have really hurt Job. Bildad believes God doesn't send judgment for nothing and Job's children must have sinned and deserved to be destroyed.

I have seen many good people suffer things they did not deserve. Bad things happen to good people, so this is a subject to stay clear of. The rain falls upon the just and unjust but those that trust in the Lord have a comforter to help them through the bad things and in the end, they inherit eternal life with the Heavenly Father.

Sometimes suffering may be caused by God's judgment. The law of reaping and sowing is in effect but there are times when the innocent suffer. The suffering of our savior, Jesus, as a big example. He didn't deserve to die, be beaten and mocked by wicked men; but He willingly submitted to it temporarily until He was able to complete what He came to do. He was a sacrifice for our sins.

There also are times when we eat or drink things that are unhealthy to the body. We may not get enough exercise and also times when we do not take a day of rest but work continually. So some things are caused by our own habits, not because we have evil in our hearts or God is judging us for something we did or did not do.

There are sometimes things happen we do not understand at all and will not until we stand before God. To go to someone who is going through what Job went through and make assumptions is cruel though. Yet many have done that. My sister's baby died of SIDs as a baby. The baby didn't sin. In his case, we just don't know why. Some are saying vaccines in babies may be causing those baby deaths but we didn't know that at the time. More information is coming out. I'm hoping they discover the reason for this type of death in infants and not cover up the truth. That time was a nightmare for all of us. That was years ago and my sister is doing fine now and is very faithful to God in her life. She had two more children after his death.

Job 8:5 If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

Actually Job's increase does happen in the end but he doesn't know that at the time of his suffering. However, Bildad makes is seem like Job should seek God and repent of his sin. He makes the assumption that Job did something bad that caused God to judge him.

Job 8:8 For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:
9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)
10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?

Some things Bildad and the others say are true statements but in reading them we must remember that they are not the words of God that we call scripture, it is their opinions, some of which are good opinions and may agree with some of the actual words of God but in Bildad's case they are misapplied to the wrong person at the wrong time.

I agree that we should consider the ways of those that went before us if they walked in wisdom and in the word of God. Especially if the present generation is living in the mire of sin, we need the older generations advice and counsel. For those that had ancestors that did evil though and the newer generation found Jesus Christ and started to live in holiness, they need to guard against returning to the old ways of the past.

Still whether Bildad's advice is good or bad, it is thrown out at Job like a dart and lands upon Job adding to his suffering.

Job 8:11 Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?
12 Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.
13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:
14 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.
15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

A broom can get rid of a spider web and his hope is gone. All these sayings are true. Truly those that forget God will perish. They assume though that Job is a hypocrite and has forgotten God. Oh, how that must have grieved Job.

Job 8:16 He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.
17 His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.

We've all seen trees and plants that were once green and flourishing, get too much sun and not much water, start to die. I saw a beautiful plant looking bad one time and gave it some water and it started to revive. Still this doesn't apply to faithful Job.

Job 8:18 If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.
19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.
20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:
21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.
22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.

Some of these statements of Bildad are true statements and those that are living away from God and in the depth of sin should take heed to them, but truth can really do more harm than good if it is meant as an accusation to an innocent person. It would be like a person accused of committing murder but he is innocent yet day after day the family of the murderer is able to accuse, bad mouth and condemn to death the innocent person. One day we all stand before God and God will make things right out in the open in front of the whole world. Nothing is hid from our creator. We can choose now whether we receive God into our lives or reject Him. I have never regreted the day I received Jesus into my own life. He has truly never forsaken me as He said. He never forsook Job at any point and left him to die in his misery. DC

Job Chapter 9