Smoodock's Blog

It seems that Job’s friends had spent some time discussing Job’s condition and came to a general consensus that he had sinned and was hiding his sin. This implies one of two paradigms. First, it may be this decision had come during the seven days they spent with Job in silence, which implies that some of that time had not been spent actually with Job. Secondly, they may have come to this conclusion before they sat with him, while they were astonished with Job’s condition. In either case, however, this is a matter of conjecture. Nevertheless, in whatever manner they had come to agree among themselves about Job’s circumstances, each of them presumed Job had sinned and remained unrepentant, despite the fact that not one of the three could identify or prove Job’s wickedness.

If the above is true and logical, the arguments of the friends are based upon preconceived notions based upon what they believed about God and life in general, vis-à-vis what comprises their worldview. It is this worldview, which demands that Job must have sinned to have come to his present condition. God is just, and Job is being punished! However, if Eliphaz sought to be tactful in his judgment with Job, Bildad held himself to no such restraint. He would be blunt, delivering his judgment strait from the shoulder for maximum impact.

Bildad the Shuhite is the second of Job’s friends (cp. Job 2:11), and he speaks next (Job 8:1). It has been said that Bildad is a descendant of Shuah, Abraham’s sixth son by Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2), but this is merely a guess. We simply have no real evidence of what nations Job’s friends descend. In any event, Bildad takes issue with Job’s words, calling them a tempest or a mighty wind that blows away everything before it, implying Job’s presumed disregard for Eliphaz’s argument. Consider how Bildad begins his response and builds his argument. Not once does he bring up anything specific that Job claimed. He simply does to Job what he accuses Job of doing to Eliphaz. He brushes aside everything Job has said by generalizing it as a mighty tempest. Then, he asks: “How long will you speak these things” (Job 8:2)? What things? Bildad simply doesn’t say. His argument simply brushes it all aside, as he appeals to the wisdom of tradition.

Bildad presumes that the Lord has punished Job. Therefore, if it can be agreed that God is not guilty of perverting judgment or justice, the only conclusion must be that Job has sinned (Job 8:3). This is nothing more than an echo of Eliphaz’s argument, (Job 4:17)? However, Job has denied that he had sinned to the degree of warranting such a response from God (Job 6:1-4), concerning which Job stands accused by his friends.

While Eliphaz hinted at Job’s children sinning (Job 5:4), Bildad comes right out and claims they had sinned, and they received their just deserts from God (Job 8:4). Then, almost as though his words about Job’s children contained no malice aforethought, Bildad goes on to encourage Job to repent of his sin, and God would reward him (Job 8:5-6)! Talk about a tempest that blows away all arguments in its path (verse-2), Bildad displays no mercy in his response to his friend. He shows no regard for Job’s logic or for his unimaginably painful condition. Instead, he clings to the idea that God is just, and his judgments are always correct. With this as his foundational truth, Job’s present condition must be the result of the Lord’s just judgment.

It is astonishing to see such blindness in otherwise good people. These are Job’s friends, and, obviously, they depict the kind of folks a man like Job would entertain during good times. Yet, they display such callous emotions toward Job. Nevertheless, this is the natural response of just about all folks who hold erroneous views about God and life. They simply are not aware of the severity or the rudeness of their religious attitudes toward those with whom they differ. Once one believes he or she is defending God or defending his purposes, there doesn’t seem to be a limit to the ill-will that will be displayed toward others, friend or foe, in order to appear to be on God’s side!

Bildad concludes his argument for Job to repent by saying God would awake for Job. In other words, the Lord would respond in kind and cause Job to prosper, and although it may begin small, in the end Job’s prosperity would be evident to all (Job 8:6-7).