Job 8:5–6

Bildad now takes up what is fast becoming an argument. He shows less of the courtesy and dignity that marked the speech of Eliphaz, and more harshness toward Job, apparently caused by Job's bitter charge against God. For all his ignorance of God's principles, Bildad is jealous for the honor of God, and will not let anyone accuse Him. He is right about that. But he fails to convince Job, because of the root error in the thinking of all three friends: God must punish sin, so Job must be a sinner, since he is being punished.

Bildad condemned Job's dead sons, then went on to attack Job himself. He told Job that if he would seek God earnestly in prayer, and if he were pure and upright, then God would certainly rouse Himself for him at once and turn his misery into prosperity (vv.5-6). Of course, in saying this he implied that Job had not been pure and upright, and had not sought God earnestly before.

So instead of bluster and complaint, let Job simply turn to God the Almighty in earnest prayer. Then, if only he is pure, he will soon find that God crowns his home with prosperity, and that his last days flourish beyond his first. And so it happened — but not at all in the way Bildad imagined. Bildad falls back on the old sayings of earlier generations to support the idea that God repays every man strictly, here and now.

In seven places the word for God [El] is combined with Shaddai, which is usually translated "the Almighty." Some understand the name to mean "Almighty in sustaining resources" (like a mother's breasts for her baby). It occurs 48 times in the Old Testament, and the book of Job accounts for no fewer than 31 of them. In that book one thought stands out above all others: the Lord is Almighty. That suits the book well, since it tells the story of God's controversy with Job, who found no relief or blessing until he came to a right view of himself in God's presence.

Things that are true, but misunderstood and misapplied, can do more harm than many a thing that is false. Misapplied truth lends the apparent authority of God to an error, and that error carries all the more weight because it comes as truth. If someone says a foolish thing, or a plainly false one, people dismiss it. But no believer can brush aside the truth of God. So if the truth of God is used wrongly — if it is used to crush someone God cares about deeply at that moment, how foreign and offensive that is to His mind!

They did not know God's character, or His purpose in dealing with His dear servant. They were completely mistaken. They did not know how to present God to Job, and so they did not know how to bring Job's conscience into God's presence. Instead of leading him to judge himself, they only fed his desire to defend himself… They said some true things; but they did not have the truth.

He did not understand Job's case at all. He could only conclude that God was punishing Job for wickedness, though God had called Job a righteous man. God's anger burned against Bildad. But Bildad and his two companions brought a sacrifice, and when Job prayed for them, God accepted him.

Bildad condemned Job's dead sons, then went on to attack Job himself. He told Job this: if he would seek God with earnest prayer, and if he were pure and upright, then God would surely wake up for him at once and turn his misery into prosperity (vv. 5-6). Of course, in saying this he implied that Job had not been pure and upright and had not earnestly sought God before.

Instead of bluster and complaint, let Job only turn to God the Almighty with earnest prayer. Then he will soon find — provided he himself is pure — that prosperity from Him will crown his home. His latter end will flourish beyond the beginning.

Bildad here sharply rebukes Job, telling him that the words of his mouth are like a strong wind, and that if he were pure and upright God would wake up for him. So he throws Job back on himself even more. He implies that Job's trials are judicial payments for sin. In fact they were the discipline of God, leading him to the full end of himself. Job knew that he had done nothing to deserve it. But he had to learn that he could claim nothing. His friends knew this no more than he did; they stood on righteousness alone.

"If you were pure and upright" — ah, there they were at it again! So it was not only the children who had sinned! "If you were pure and upright" — why, Job was much more so than they were! "If you were pure and upright, surely now He would wake up for you." Certainly not. The Lord was going to bring the trial to its full completion. He allowed all these discussions to bring out everything that was in their hearts. Then He came in with His own word and cast down completely these principles that governed the three friends — and Job could not properly answer them.

Next, he proves the justice of those ways. He tells Job there is restoring mercy for him, if he will only turn to God in prayer. "If you are pure and upright" — there is a strong hint of suspicion here — God will restore everything, and bless Job's latter end. This did come true, but in a very different way from what Bildad expected. Job is not blessed for his purity, and not for confessing the evil they suspected in him.

Things that are true, but misunderstood and misapplied, may do more harm than many a thing that is false. Misapplied truth gives the apparent authority of God to an error, and that error carries all the more weight because it comes as the truth.

This is just where Job's friends were. They saw that God loves righteousness and hates evil, and that Job was suffering. What conclusion did they draw from it all? That if Job had been a righteous person, God would have accepted him. They were on wrong ground altogether. It is quite true, and blessedly true, that God loves righteousness. But the fallacy lies in the idea that a man can be righteous with God. That thought must always produce either self-righteousness, or despair and misery.