Job and Bildad

Bildad was the king of the Shuhites; he descended from Shuah, Abraham’s son by Keturah. Eliphaz reminded Job that the sin of sinners is their ruin and Bildad continues by suggesting to Job that hypocrites are destroyed by saying “When your children sinned against Him, He gave them over to the penalty of their sin.” Job 8:4 (NIV)

Bildad did not know if Job’s children sinned, he only assumed they had because they perished. As Christians, we should be careful not to think as Jobs’ friends did that when others fall on hard times it is because of some great sin.

“Job’s present miseries gave him a sensible conviction, that in ordering and disposing of a man’s outward condition in this world, God acts by sovereignty; that is, the best do not always fare best, nor the worst fare worst in this life, God reserves full and exact distribution of rewards and punishments for the future state.” Henry, M. (1979). JOB. In Job-Isaiah (2nd ed., p. 23). NELSON

This trap is easy to fall into, believing that if we live righteously and follow God, we will be healthy, and wealthy. If you think that being healthy and prosperous is a state of mind, then you may be correct. But remember Job, there are always other factors involved that we may never know. God only is the one who knows the whole picture and controls the events, or in Job’s case allows someone else to manage the events.

Job pleads with God, “Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit. But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind” Job 10:8-13 New International Version (NIV)

Reading the book of Job in one seating gives you a good understanding of not only God, Satan, and the Angels, but also of our world, the universe, and creation. Read the prologue (1:1-5), and the Epilogue (42:7-17) for a good picture of what is going on. It’s interesting to note that while Job was still suffering, he prayed for his friends and the Lord accepted his prayer, forgiving his three friends.

Source by Hubert Clark Crowell