Job 8:12

The papyrus lifts its head so high by no strength of its own. Its height comes from the plentiful mud where it thrives for its short day. The same is true of the reed or bulrush of the East, which grows from sheer excess of moisture, not from solid ground. This is so true that they do not decay slowly, like other plants, but are the first to wither without being cut down.

The water-reed, or papyrus, grows thick and lush while water is around its roots. As soon as the water is gone, it withers faster than any other plant. So is the prosperity of the wicked, who for a time spreads himself as a green bay tree. The hope of the ungodly — not merely the hypocrite — perishes.

Things always grow for a reason. But Bildad read that reason wrongly in Job's case. He also says that a reed may wither while still green, and he uses this as a picture of those who forget God. True enough. But he was wrongly suggesting that Job had forgotten God. Job's hope seemed to be perishing, so Bildad took him for a hypocrite. It is certainly true that the hypocrite's hope will perish, but to apply this to Job was totally unfair.

A believer should not make haste; he should wait where he does not have the assurance of God's mind. Least of all should he have put the worst possible construction on what he did not understand. He did just that. It made Job's trial harder and provoked his spirit, which then gave an appearance of evil to those who suspected evil. So the confusion grew worse, and the true answer lay hidden in deeper darkness from their eyes. Did it ever occur to the three friends that the wise thing would have been to pray, instead of talking, judging, and condemning?

This is all true of the stony-ground hearers. But it is not true of Job, and not true of the soul that truly trusts in Christ. The water that is in him is a well of water, springing up into everlasting life. "The hypocrite's hope will perish" — but the feeblest sheep of Christ will never perish. But suppose he looks at his own imagined greenness, at his own boasted goodness. Then it will fade away, and Satan gains the advantage. At conversion there may be much freshness of soul, like the green reed. But beware of trusting in it. When the real character of the flesh comes out, the setback is often as great as the joy was. Then the darts fly: "Have I deceived myself?" "Perhaps I have no root in Christ." Then what darkness of soul, what confusion! The eye is off Christ, and the heart is listening to Satan. Even the very first question, that of justification, is no longer settled. It was just so with Job at the end of Bildad's speech.