“Indeed, the light of the wicked is put out,
and the flame of his fire does not shine.
The light is dark in his tent,
and his lamp above him is put out.
His strong steps are shortened,
and his own schemes throw him down.
For he is cast into a net by his own feet,
and he walks on its mesh.
A trap seizes him by the heel;
a snare lays hold of him.
A rope is hidden for him in the ground,
a trap for him in the path.
Job’s friend Bildad spoke the above words to Job in the midst of Job’s suffering and pain. His inference is that Job is wicked and that is why all this disaster has happened to him or is happening to him, currently. Bildad has no evidence that Job is wicked, however, Bildad has just observed in his life and probably is using some internal logic that the wicked suffer and the righteous flourish. This is a nice thought but it is not based upon good theology. We have no idea of Job’s friend’s background. Since most date the book of Job sometime between 800 BC and 500 BC we can assume the three friends had the resources of the Torah and some prophetic books. Solomon’s works would have been finished. As were a number of the historical books. The stories of Joseph certainly would have been common knowledge. The mistreatment of innocent Joseph could have served as a theological lesson for Job’s friends. They may have even heard the story of Daniel and his three friends, tossed into the fiery furnace. We are not sure what sources of data Bildad was using for the above passage but it is clear that his logic is that Job is suffering, only the wicked suffer, therefore Job must be wicked. The challenge with Bildad, and all of us at times, is that his logic has no room for God’s intervention in Job’s life. Job’s response to Bildad (chapter 19) will actually talk about that thought. Job believes God has stepped into his life and not in a good way. Job has no idea why this is happening to him but he does recognize God’s hand in the mix. If Bildad would just consider God’s intervention, God stepping into a life, God being sovereign over all affairs of man, he might back off his taunting of Job. The above ten verses are only one-half of his taunt. Job is suffering and Bildad is blaming Job and accusing him of being a wicked man. Seems logical. But when God is engaged in our lives, logic often fails us.
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