Bad Counsel Needs to be Confronted by Truth - Job 8-10

 Job 8:20 - 9:2 (ESV) (The end of Bidad’s speech toward Job)

“Behold, God will not reject a blameless man,

nor take the hand of evildoers.

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter,

and your lips with shouting.

Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,

and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”

Job Replies: There Is No Arbiter

Then Job answered and said:

“Truly I know that it is so:

But how can a man be in the right before God?

Bildad, one of Job’s three friends, has waxed eloquently that God punishes the wicked, but helps the blameless.  His point, like that of many people’s world view is that “bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people.”    The issue, as Job states in his reply to Bildad, is, “How can man be in the right before God.”   

Our world has the same view point as that of Bildad.   We have our own measurement of “good” and apply it loosely to our philosophy of life.   So, the person who thinks they are doing good by stopping someone from doing something is confronted by the person wanting to do that something, because they think that something is good.   We see this in our modern day fight about climate.  Some think they are doing good by stopping others from destroying the planet.  But, those they are stopping think they are doing good because they are using the planet for better things (in their mind).   In man’s mind, “good” is a relative term.  That is how Bildad is using it.   Job, however, sees God in His absolute holiness.   Job is asking a question based upon His view of God in that holiness.  In Job’s mind all men are bad, since God is the only good and sets the standard.   Bildad is trying to prove to Job that his condition is based upon his performance.  But, Job is trying to show Bildad that there is no one who can perform in a holy way to please God.   

We are so quick to condemn others and forget that we are all under condemnation.  It is only by the righteousness of God, imparted by the Son of God, that allows man to have blessings from God.  We can condemn those who are suffering and believe it is because of their sin.  But, we have to also accept that we all have sinned and all fall short of God’s glory.   That is Job’s point.   It does not give him relief from his suffering but it does give him relief from his tormentor, Bildad.