ESV Chronological Plan, Day 19 | Job 8-10

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Job 8:1-10:22

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

(A) I was caught off guard by the offensiveness of Bildad saying to Job, "If your children sinned against God, then He has delivered them into the hand of their transgression" (Job 8:4). If Job had been anything less than the fully upright and humble man that this book says he was, then the whole Book of Job might have ended right there! But, beyond that, we as the readers also know that Bildad was wrong. Bildad had a pretty simple religious outlook that said good people get good things, and bad people get bad things. In the words of Christopher Ash: "There is no place in Bildad’s thinking, as there was not in Eliphaz’s, for innocent suffering. And therefore, there is no place for the cross of Christ and no hope of any gospel." We shouldn't view things the same way as Bildad. We should avoid a religious mindset which looks down on those who are depressed, downtrodden, and oppressed, and instead we should instead see ourselves as similar to others. We should view God as gracious and giving. And we should not see our relationships with God as a transaction where we perform good deeds and expect God to reciprocate with earthly blessings, like some sort of providential cosmic vending machine. Rather, we should see our relationship with God as one where He uses all things to highlight His glory and draw us to Himself. 

(B) Bildad shows us two things about learning from tradition--one lesson is intentional on his part, and the other is unintentional. He says, "inquire of bygone ages, and consider what the fathers have searched out. For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, for our days on earth are a shadow" (Job 8:8-9). By telling Job to inquire of bygone ages, the intentional (and true) lesson is that we can learn important lessons by looking at how previous generations have addressed important problems or figured out tricky moral conundrums. They might not have got it right, but they at least made some headway towards figuring things out. Traditions are important for at least that reason: they represent the previous generation's hard work in building things or figuring things out. But they're not always helpful. The unintentional (and true) lesson that Bildad teaches us about tradition, though, is that traditions can be wrong. The prosperity theology that Bildad professes, he says, is the historical view of God where he is from. But if that's true, then that kind of tradition is worthless. We should be willing to learn from those who came before us, though in the end we might realize that we need to go in a different direction than they did.

(C) In this reading, there is a troubling assertion on Job's part that God is like a bully who is out to get him, and who can't be reasoned with because He uses His might to remain in the right. Here is what the Life Application Study Bible says: "'Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me.' Job was saying, 'In spite of my good life, God is determined to condemn me.' As his suffering continued, he became more impatient. Although Job remained loyal to God, he made statements he would later regret. In times of extended sickness or prolonged pain, it is natural for people to doubt, to despair, or to become impatient. During those times, people need someone to listen to them, to help them work through their feelings and frustrations. Your patience with their impatience will help them...  In frustration, Job jumped to the false conclusion that God was out to get him. Wrong assumptions lead to wrong conclusions. We dare not take our limited experiences and jump to conclusions about life in general. If you find yourself doubting God, remember that you don’t have all the facts. God wants only the very best for your life. Many people endure great pain, but ultimately they find some greater good came from it. When you’re struggling, don’t assume the worst."

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

Job and Bildad are both guilty of different errors in today's reading. Bildad assumes that suffering is evidence of someone's own wickedness, and Job feels like God is out to get him without reason. What they both lacked was insight into what God was doing and why. When we are in distress, we can come to God and ask Him to share insight into why things are happening in certain ways. We can also read Scripture, which shows us the heart of God.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a suggested prayer prompt: "God, I don't always see things clearly, and I don't always get to see everything from your perspective. But I want to be humble before You. Help me through prayer and time in your Word to begin to see things with your eyes. When difficulties come my way, help me to draw closer to you. Help me to see you accurately through the way that You have acted in history, and in how You have revealed Yourself through Scripture over and over again. And as I learn about You in Your Word, help me to approach you with humility and a desire to learn. Amen."