Bildad Misspeaks God's Justice

February 20, 2022 Background Scripture: Job 8 Lesson Passage: Job 8:1 -10, 20 - 22 The cultural behavior of those in the Book of Job, and Job's age, suggest that the events took place during the times of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. On the other hand, the theology being expressed suggests that this could have taken place at any time—including today! This type of theology tends to define God on human terms. Unfortunately, when we speak of God in human terms, we don't always remember that we can never think of God's character as being on our level. Bildad spoke of God's actions as "cause and effect". In other words, he described God as responding based on our actions or inactions. Bildad even suggested that Job should consider the teachings of their ancestors who lived before them. The theology was simple: If a godly person experiences hardship, then somehow, they have offended God and He is punishing them. On the other hand, if a godly person does well, then God rewards them. This theology is no different than the "prosperity gospel" proclaimed by many today. Perhaps the biggest flaw with this theology is that it ignores the sovereignty of God. God does whatever He chooses to do. God is not bound by anything to act based on another's actions—or twisted desires! If God chooses to bless a wicked person, He will. If God chooses to withhold blessings from the righteous, He will do that too. When we ignore God's sovereignty, we see Him as one dimensional and predictable. Idol gods are great for this type of thinking. We define what idol gods are and what they do. We determine how to get them to respond in the manner of our choosing. In essence, we decide the character of idol gods. This is not the case with God. We cannot comprehend the mind or character of the only living God. We only know what God chooses to reveal to us. Job's struggle was that his experiences were inconsistent with what he thought he understood about God. Job prayed earnestly for God to open his understanding and enlighten him. Job knew that something was going on that was beyond his understanding of God. It was unfortunate that as Job wrestled with this mental conflict, his friends came to see him, and then they judged him based on their own misunderstanding about God. In our ignorance, we want the justice of God to be a very simple concept too. We are woefully unprepared for such a simple concept of divine justice. First, this type of justice does not allow for grace. Secondly, this type of justice does not presuppose that God will ever temper His divine justice with mercy. And then worst of all, this simple concept of divine justice means our actions could tie God's hands and leave us to face the consequences of our sins. We can all thank God today that there are so many things we don't understand about Him. But as we consider this lesson, let us apply the same thoughts when we witness the misf01tunes of others. A difficult life is not synonymous with the absence of God's grace. Neither does it mean that the person is reaping what they have sown. Sometimes God gets glory when He sustains the righteous as we endure hardship. The answer to one's thorn in the flesh just might be: "My grace is sufficient; for My strength is made perfect in your weakness." We should learn from Bildad a lesson in how to comfort others as they endure hardships in life. We should be extremely careful to not go beyond what God has allowed us to understand about Him and His ways. When we lack understanding, it is tempting to misspeak concerning God. Robert C. Hudson January 8, 2022