Seeing What They Want To See
- Justin Ray
- Jun 28, 2020
- 5 min read
Job 8
This chapter is why we have the Book of Job, and not the Book of Justin. It is this point in the story where I would have sent the whole lot of Job's friends down the road. The claws were out. If Eliphaz's subtle comments did not hurt Job, Bildad's comments surely did. He not only accuses Job of being a terrible sinner but goes after Job's children as well.
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 How long wilt thou speak these things?
And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?
3 Doth God pervert judgment?
Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?
Job 8:1-3
Let me rephrase Bildad's words in verse 2 in a little more modern language, "Are you still talking you blow hard?" Can you imagine the audacity of this guy? He comes to Job's home and that is the first recorded words he speaks. I do not care if he was a friend or not, I would have shown him the door before he even got to the rest of his speech. Of course, knowing the rest of the story, I would have also missed out on a great blessing. Still, that takes nerve to open up a dialogue like that. At this point, all Job has done is expressed his agony and despair of life. That should have been understandable and elicited some sympathy, but not with these guys.
Verse 3 becomes Bildad's justification for his whole argument. As will be their practice, Job's friends will continue to take a factual statement about God and misapply it. In trying to defend the character of God, they actually attack it. Verse three eludes to a fact about God. He does not pervert judgment or justice. He is just in these things. However, this does not mean that everything that happens to us is God's judgment or justice because of our actions. Again, we are seeing this idea of karma from his friends.
If thy children have sinned against him,
And he have cast them away for their transgression;
Job 8:4
If verse 2 would have caused me to verbally throw my friends out of my house, verse 4 would have made me want to physically throw them out. Bildad attacked Job's children! He said that God killed Job's children because they were so evil. Can you imagine who that must have made Job feel? It is one thing to attack a man; it is totally different when you go after his children.
The picture above is of a British crime family. I picked it because that is how I imagined Bildad viewed Job and his children. That is not the picture I got of the family when I read Job chapter 1. It does reveal how cultural perceptions of God can lead to false beliefs and hurtful consequences.
Let me give an example of an American cultural perception of God's word. I heard growing up that blacks and whites should not marry because God's word teaches that we should not be "unequally yoked". I know from personal testimonies that people were asked to leave churches because they were interracial couples. Sadly, this still happens today. All because a scripture is misapplied to support a preconceived cultural ideology. That is absolutely not what that verse teaches. Here is the whole verse:
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
II Corinthians 6:14
The subject of being "unequally yoked" is dealing with believers and unbelievers. The color of skin, place of birth, or any other distinction we may make has nothing to do with being unequally yoked. Paul is speaking about being bound to someone who does not have the same values as you because they are not saved. This not only deals with marriage but with business partnerships.
I'm not trying to get off on a soapbox. I simply wanted to give an example of how this same problem can be a part of our lives as well. It isn't something that only happened in ancient history. We may have ideas that are not supported by God's word. That doesn't necessarily make them wrong. When they become wrong is when we blame our ideas on God or misapply is word. Then we attack his character.
If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes,
And make thy supplication to the Almighty;
6 If thou wert pure and upright;
Surely now he would awake for thee,
And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
7 Though thy beginning was small,
Yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
Job 8:5-7
Bildad continues to try to speak for God without anything to support his claims. This section smacks of a prosperity gospel mindset. "If you live a good life, and have enough faith, God will give you the desires of your heart." That is not exactly what Bildad said, but he did go off in a works based direction. He told Job that if he would pray and offer sacrifices that God would "wake up" for him. He also tells Job that if he lives a good life god will bless him. "Job you don't have health, wealth, and happiness because you are not living good enough."
No where in the Bible are we promised this. As a matter of fact, Jesus said that it would often be the opposite.
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Matthew 10:34-36
This does simply imply family strife. If a father was at "variance" with a son because he was a Christian, the son very well could lose his inheritance as well. Often times there was (and still is) physical persecution as well. So, for the cause of Christ, a person can lose health, wealth, and family. Jesus's words disprove what Job's friends were trying to tell him.
Paul also told us about this.
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
II Timothy 3:12
Job and his children were not perfect, but they were not the monsters that Bildad was trying to make them out to be. Job was a man of prayer and sacrifice. He trusted in God. These things did not happen to him because his sins were so great that he was getting some kind of cosmic karma. Job was in an advanced course for patience, faith, obedience, and personally getting to know God. In the mean time, his friends were still in elementary school.
Father help me to not have ideas about you that I try to bend scripture to fit. I know this is easy to fall into. If I do have any of these, help me to see them and remove them. Also, I pray that I would never use any misconceptions about you to attack others. Help me to love and encourage, but when needed, to rebuke and correct based on the truth of your word.
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