September 27, 2023
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Reading along with us in Job? Here’s today’s reading:
Job 8 (NIV)
Bildad
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
2“How long will you say such things?
Your words are a blustering wind.
3 Does God pervert justice?
Does the Almighty pervert what is right?…..Continue Reading
Job 8: Bildad the Shumite joins the conversation, straight at Job. He speaks truthful words, pulling examples from nature that one can easily surmise the response.
Vss 4 to 7 poses what I kinda thought, his children were evil, not walking with God. Maybe, maybe not. But verse 7 reflects the future end of Job, he will greatly increase in the end! Bildad had that right!
But he followed Eliphaz in opinion.
“Bildad fheweth that Iob is a finner, becaufe God punifheth the wicked, and preferueth the good.”
Appreciating Puritan thought tonight!
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Bildad being just as presumptuous and even more obnoxious than Eliphaz: No sympathy for his friend’s suffering, no love. Instead he tells Job he’s a windbag who should shut up, and then blames the death of his children on their (presumed) hidden sin.
I agree with Steve here. Bildad doesn’t appear to have an ounce of compassion for his friend. I am also left wondering if Job and his family are blameless or not. Just repent seems to miss the point.
Wow! Bildad does not hold back. He shows little empathy for Job here and tells him to stop whining and accept the fact that he brought this on himself. He is not candy coating anything for him and while he does finish the chapter with the hope of restoration, he clearly is another friend that isn’t necessarily going to God in prayer for answers but rather using his own observations to come to a conclusion of what has left Job in his current state.
Job 5
Job 6
My quote was from the Geneva Bible 1560 marginal notes, contemporary thought of that reformation period, and pertinent to how the puritans saw it. My post erased that, my error.
Job 8
Bildad is now commenting but before we mention his talk lets talk about the meaning of his name and his approach. Bildad means [son of contention, Lord Adad or old friendship. One meaning of his name is Lord of Hadad which means to shout.] He was inclined to be loud, insistent and boisterous in his declarations. He is before us as the religious dogmatist whose dogmatism vested upon human tradition. Bildad sought to convince Job of his wrongs. The wisdom of man and tradition has it`s limit`s. What has been handed down and accepted by each succeeding generation as truth, is not necessarily so. [ All the Men of the Bible] Again just like Eliphaz he is making the wrong assumptions and therefore coming out with the wrong conclusions. He is assuming that both Job and his children sinned. Maybe Job`s children did sin or not sin we don`t really know but we do know why God allowed these sufferings to happen and it wasn`t anything to do with the sin of his children. We know by the conversation God had with Satan. So Bildad is coming to the wrong conclusion and thinking that it is because of their sin that God has caused these sufferings. For he thinks that God wouldn`t allow any bad things to happen to God fearing people. So because of that belief Job and his children must had sinned. How wrong is that to think that God wouldn`t allow bad things to happen to God fearing people. He is so sure of himself that he can`t see any other possibility that he could be wrong. But we live in a fallen world because of Adam`s sin and the whole creation groans because of it. And we do know that God allows things to happen to His children for many different reasons. Some are for His glory like healing blind, raising the dead, etc. Some to help us grow and trust Him. Some because of their sin. Some because of other`s sins. For we all do affect each other. Some to guide and to fulfill His purpose such as Joseph in the Bible when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. I am sure there could be many more we could think of and then there could be other`s we will never know for we are not God. So let`s not be like Bildad or Eliphaz thinking that the only reason that God allows suffering to His children[ us] is because of sin. God help us as we walk together in Godly wisdom and compassion toward each other and toward the people who need the Saviour.
Bildad That’s a friend.? Even to say that jobs children died because of their sins. Verse 14. To say that job trusts in something else than God. If job was guilty of sinning and knew of his sin. After losing all that had lost. Don’t you think he would have dropped to his knees the first day of attack. A humble righteousness Man who loved God? His so-called friends we’re on the super spiritual judgement pedestal
Job 8
Heartless Bildad.
Job8
Job 8