Punishment for the Wicked

Job 18:1-21 

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

2 "How long till you put an end to words?
Gain understanding, and afterward we will speak.

3 Why are we counted as beasts,
And regarded as stupid in your sight?

4 You who tear yourself in anger,
Shall the earth be forsaken for you?
Or shall the rock be removed from its place?

5 "The light of the wicked indeed goes out,
And the flame of his fire does not shine.

6 The light is dark in his tent,
And his lamp beside him is put out.

7 The steps of his strength are shortened,
And his own counsel casts him down.

8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet,
And he walks into a snare.

9 The net takes him by the heel,
And a snare lays hold of him.

10 A noose is hidden for him on the ground,
And a trap for him in the road.

11 Terrors frighten him on every side,
And drive him to his feet.

12 His strength is starved,
And destruction is ready at his side.

13 It devours patches of his skin;
The firstborn of death devours his limbs.

14 He is uprooted from the shelter of his tent,
And they parade him before the king of terrors.

15 They dwell in his tent who are none of his;
Brimstone is scattered on his dwelling.

16 His roots are dried out below,
And his branch withers above.

17 The memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name among the renowned.

18 He is driven from light into darkness,
And chased out of the world.

19 He has neither son nor posterity among his people,
Nor any remaining in his dwellings.

20 Those in the west are astonished at his day,
As those in the east are frightened.

21 Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him who does not know God."

Bildad, the self-appointed counselor and neighboring friend of Job, attacks his friend with reasoning about punishment for the wicked.  Many things which Bildad says here are true in general, but they are misapplied in condemning judgment to Job because Bildad does not know the true reason for Job’s circumstances.  It is certainly not punishment from God, and assuming suffering is a direct result of specific sins is not for us to judge others in this way.  Bildad begins by telling Job to stop talking and get some understanding, which meant to agree with the assessment and judgment of his counselors.  He thought Job to be high and mighty, that he was always right and the world had to stop and listen to him, the very thing that the three counselors were doing to Job!  He even said in verse 7 about ones own counsel bringing that one down, and further that they are trapped, terrified, weakened, and left homeless.  Such wicked ones have no root or fruit, and are quickly forgotten by those who matter.  They are driven into darkness, unseen and without any lasting impact in the world.  These are signs of one who does not know God, in other words.  These things hold truth, but are out of context and misapplied to Job by these supposedly well-meaning friends.  Yet their own counsel applies more to themselves, revealing their hypocritical condemnation and judgment by God and not for Job.  We do well to learn from these bad examples and not jump to pass sentence on others whom God is the only Judge of.  Let us struggle like Job and learn from his adversity, not repeating his missteps nor the accusations of bad and hasty counsel which only is a prideful attempt to justify ourselves and our supposed wisdom.  We do well to humbly call to mind that we are all wicked by birth and nature, rightly deserving God’s judgment if not for the forgiveness in the work of the grace of Christ and His righteousness in which we stand.  Amen!