Hopelessness? Conviction?

Job 25

The way that the Bible is written, sometimes we have the freedom to read into a situation and let our imagination play a little. We should not make a habit of this, but there are times that it is ok. My mind did just that with this text. It is a very short chapter that is really only questions.

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Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

2 Dominion and fear are with him,

He maketh peace in his high places.

3 Is there any number of his armies?

And upon whom doth not his light arise?

4 How then can man be justified with God?

Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not;

Yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

6 How much less man, that is a worm?

And the son of man, which is a worm?

Job 25

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If I had to guess, if I allow my imagination to read into his questions, I think Bildad is pondering and struggling with the things Job has said. Job has spoken some really heavy doctrine about salvation and judgment for the saved and lost. This has challenged the very foundation that Bildad's theology was built on. Bildad's beliefs placed him completely at the mercy of God and he had no responsibility. All he could do is try to live a good life and hope for the best. At this point, after hearing Job's teachings, I believe Bildad might have been experiencing some conviction.

Two points that Job's friends were very clear on were the holiness and sovereignty of Go. That is really the point of Bildad's questions. "Dominion and Fear are with him" speaks of God's sovereignty. He is in control of all of creation. Paul wrote, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him" (Colossians 1:16). He goes on to say that because God is all powerful, there is peace in heaven. No one can really challenge his authority and dominion (He maketh peace in his high places).

In verse 3, Bildad speaks of the army of God. God's army is angels. We do not know how many angels God has, but it is more than enough. Their primary purpose is not fighting, but worship. However, if need be, they can and will fight. Man needn't think that he can wage war with any angel. A single angel is more powerful than any army on the earth. This is demonstrated II Kings 19:35. Not to mention, the weapons of any military are physical; what good are those against the spiritual realm.

"And upon whom doth not his light arise?" speaks of the scope of God's reign. There is nowhere that God is not the sovereign of and nowhere that we can go to escape his authority and power. Paul spoke of this twice.

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For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Romans 14:11

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:10-11

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In Philippians, Paul went even farther than Bildad. He said "things in the earth, and things under the earth". Even those things that light does not hit are subject to God's rule and authority.

Verses 4-5 get to the crux of the issue. God is holy and righteous, so how can man be justified with him? That is a great question! How can we who are sinful be found guiltless and a sinless God? Jesus, speaking on this very issue said, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). Before this, his disciples had asked how they could get into heaven if rich people would have a hard time?

Bildad's statement is that people are sinful. Even the stars and moon do not compare to God's holiness and therefore his glory. If this is true for them, then what hope does mankind have? This is a very logical thought process. How can we ever make ourselves right with God? The answer is, we can't.

"With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Man is not capable of reconciling himself to God, but God is perfectly capable of reconciling man to himself. That is what Jesus accomplished on the cross and in the tomb. Again we can look at the words of Paul, "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven" (Colossians 1:20).

I believe Bildad was searching at this point. He did not yet understand what Job meant by his "Redeemer". I really hope that he learned. At the end of the book, Bildad would get an example of the intercessory work of Jesus through Job. Maybe that example was what it took for Bildad to put his faith in the coming Messiah.

One final thought, do our lives cause people to question the foundation upon which their faith is built? If their faith is not in Jesus, then we must cause them to question their foundation. It is the only hope they have to find salvation. As long as the believe that they can do it, they are on the road to Hell. What message are we sending them? Do we make them feel like they are ok because we proclaim a message of "It doesn't matter what you believe? If you believe that Jesus is God you are going to heaven." This things are NOT true. Many people who believe that Jesus is God will bust Hell wide open because they never received the salvation he offers.

Father help my words and the life I live cause people to question their faith if it is not founded in the truth of your word. I pray that you would use me to help draw people to you. I pray that you would use me to reach the lost.