Job 8:1-22
Bildad: Job Should Repent
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “How long will you speak these things,
And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?
3 Does God subvert judgment?
Or does the Almighty pervert justice?
4 If your sons have sinned against Him,
He has cast them away for their transgression.
5 If you would earnestly seek God
And make your supplication to the Almighty,
6 If you were pure and upright,
Surely now He would awake for you,
And prosper your rightful dwelling place.
7 Though your beginning was small,
Yet your latter end would increase abundantly.
8 “For inquire, please, of the former age,
And consider the things discovered by their fathers;
9 For we were born yesterday, and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are a shadow.
10 Will they not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from their heart?
11 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the reeds flourish without water?
12 While it is yet green and not cut down,
It withers before any other plant.
13 So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish,
14 Whose confidence shall be cut off,
And whose trust is a spider’s web.
15 He leans on his house, but it does not stand.
He holds it fast, but it does not endure.
16 He grows green in the sun,
And his branches spread out in his garden.
17 His roots wrap around the rock heap,
And look for a place in the stones.
18 If he is destroyed from his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’
19 “Behold, this is the joy of His way,
And out of the earth others will grow.
20 Behold, God will not cast away the blameless,
Nor will He uphold the evildoers.
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughing,
And your lips with rejoicing.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.”
Job’s friend Bildad heard Job defending himself from the assumptions and accusations of Eliphaz and then began judging Job and calling him to repent since he obviously must have sinned before God in his estimation to suffer such things. He began by asking how Job could just vent hot air like wind that has no substance of truth according to Bildad. He takes the attributes of God and assumes how they apply, stating truth that the LORD is just and punishes sin to hold men accountable to Him. But then he assumes Job has sinned and pleads with him to repent, seeking God and asking forgiveness because if Job was pure and upright (Job 1:8 and 2:3) then he would awaken God to hear him as he deserved by admitting his sin and would increase in prosperity again. Bildad urged him to recall those who went before him and learn from them the transitory nature of life and insinuated that the lessons they give were meant to move the heart to obey God more faithfully. He compared the need for plants to have fertile ground and water to grow and bear fruit or it withers and dies. He compared this analogy to those who forget God and His word to be hypocrites without true trust in God’s word or a house on a shaky foundation of disobedience to that word, ready to fall (Luke 6:49). He also compared this sin to a plant growing in the sun but on rocky soil (Matthew 13:5) that leads to destruction as if not seen anymore by the LORD. According to the friend of Job, he had to find joy in God’s way to multiply but mercy was found to be for the blameless and judgment for those doing evil. He judged Job’s heart motives and assumed his suffering was a result of blame. He urged Job to rejoice in turning back to God to laugh and rejoice once more (James 5:11) as he would find compassion and mercy if he repented of the sin which his friend assumed was the cause of Job’s suffering. Then his enemies who turned against him would be ashamed and their evil intentions and actions would be thwarted. These things sounded good in principle but they were assumptions for Job’s plight caused by the adversary in the heavenly realm to discredit God’s blessings on Job by allowing such unearned attacks on his body, life, and character. We do well to remember that the enemy still wanders the earth like a lion waiting to attack and deceive us (2 Timothy 4:17-18, 1 Peter 5:8-9) still. May we not judge the motives and intentions of one another as we leave that to the Lord when it is not proven, and may we be aware of the wiles (Ephesians 6:11) of the devil who comes against us for our testimony (Revelation 12:17) of the gospel. We do well to remember the unfounded accusations of Bildad against the heart of Job and stand humbly firm in following God’s word no matter what assumptions are leveled in unfounded judgment against us when we are called righteous and blameless like Job (2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 3:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Jude 1:24) in Christ.
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