Day 1,059: Job 8- We Don't Live At The Fair

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “How long will you say these things,
    and the words of your mouth be a great wind?
3 Does God pervert justice?
    Or does the Almighty pervert the right?

4 If your children have sinned against him,
    he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression.
5 If you will seek God
    and plead with the Almighty for mercy,
6 if you are pure and upright,
    surely then he will rouse himself for you
    and restore your rightful habitation.

7 And though your beginning was small,
    your latter days will be very great.
8 “For inquire, please, of bygone ages,
    and consider what the fathers have searched out.

9 For we are but of yesterday and know nothing,
    for our days on earth are a shadow.

10 Will they not teach you and tell you
    and utter words out of their understanding?
11 “Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh?
    Can reeds flourish where there is no water?
12 While yet in flower and not cut down,
    they wither before any other plant.
13 Such are the paths of all who forget God;
    the hope of the godless shall perish.

14 His confidence is severed,
    and his trust is a spider's web.
15 He leans against his house, but it does not stand;
    he lays hold of it, but it does not endure.
16 He is a lush plant before the sun,
    and his shoots spread over his garden.

17 His roots entwine the stone heap;
    he looks upon a house of stones.

18 If he is destroyed from his place,
    then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’
19 Behold, this is the joy of his way,
    and out of the soil others will spring.
 
20 “Behold, God will not reject a blameless man,
    nor take the hand of evildoers.

21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter,
    and your lips with shouting.

22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
    and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”
 
Meditation
God is the standard of justice and defines what is “fair.” If you have raised children, you know humans are not born with this understanding of life. Friends of ours had a consistent, quick response when their children would say, “This is not fair!” They would say “You don’t live at the fair.” We quickly adopted and over used this response with our own children. There is a greater reality wisdom inhabits as creatures living in a fallen world.
 
Bildad comes in hot, seemingly very angry with Job, imposing my children’s perspective on Job’s suffering. Bildad establishes God’s fairness as the foundation of his assault (1-3). Because God is fair, if Job is “upright” then everything will be alright (4-7). Bildad appeals to tradition to build his case (8-10) before illustrating and concluding his moralistic argument (11-22).
 
Bildad’s perspective is the same as children who scream “not fair” and other moralistic frameworks- and it is totally misguided. We cannot manipulate God with our moral performance! In fact, we know Job is upright (1:1, 8; 2:3) and his actions proved this from parenting (1:5) to managing his estate (1:3). Moralistic mindsets blind us, distorting basic facts about God and life because of a misguided framework.
 
The reader sees what Bildad was blind to: Job’s suffering is permitted by God not because of his unrighteousness but because Job was righteous! Job’s suffering is not punitive, punishing Job for his sins.  Moralism misses the opportunity to see a greater purpose for suffering, labor pains giving new life and furthering God’s glory.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Where do you see the logic of Bildad’s argument, especially in verses 1-6?
 
-Do you identify with this faulty framework, imposing a moralistic worldview on God and creatures struggling to live in a fallen world (including yourself)?
 
-How does the suffering of Jesus give us a new perspective on our struggles and suffering? Where do you need to apply this truth/ reality to your life?
 
Key Verse
5 If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy, 6 if you are pure and upright, surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful habitation.