Job Lesson 16: Chapter 8: Bildad Resonds

In Chapter 7 Job seems to mock Eliphaz’s implications.

In Chapter 8 Bildad adds to Eliphaz’s implications that Job’s guilt that caused all his trouble. Notice the “thys” and the “thees” in Ch 8. Bildad tied what he is saying directly to Job. Also note the “ifs”

The statements Bildad made are true of the paths of all that forget God and the hypocrite (14) but they were not true of Job!

V2 Bildad began by using Job’s own words of 6:26. But like Eliphaz he goes farther by calling Job’s words as a strong wind Bildad believed Job’s words upholding his integrity and his refusal to admit his guilt would cause long term damage to Job and others. Bildad was doing what Job accused them of in 7:12, setting a watch over him.

V3-4 As Eliphaz did, Bildad mentions death of children. He implied God, through his judgment and perfect justice, cast away Job’s children because of their transgressions.

·       Job 1:5 states Job’s children were sanctified through the burnt offering made by Job.

V5-7 Bibdad tied prosperity to righteousness. An Old Testament belief that was often true. God’s promised prosperity in the land to Israel “IF” they kept his commandments.

·       Bildad placed the cause of Job’s troubles back upon Job by inferring that if he had been pure and upright, seeking God all along and making supplication for his children the Almighty would have been awake or willing to respond and make Job more prosperous than ever. (1:5)

V8-10. We do not know what wisdom was passed down from Noah through his sons to men in Gen 11:11-25. It sees to me he implied that those these men would testify that Job’s loss of prosperity was directly related to his iniquity. (agree with Bildad)

V11-19 The hope of the the hypocrite and those who forget God. 

·       V14 There few things as fragile as a spider’s web. What will happen to a spiders web in a strong wind?

·       V17 Roots growing in heaps or piles of stones should bring to mind Mat 13:5. Think of when farmers would gather stones as they plowed the field and toss them in a pile in a corner the only thing that could grow was thorns, thistles and weeds.

·       V18-19 The hope of the hypocrite and those who forget God is week will not stand or endure. Their joy they find in their way is like their hope. Bildad once again throws Job’s words back at him (7:10). When they are gone they won’t be remembered,

Vs 20 Bibdad makes a very true statement, “Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers”.

V21-22 What else could job believe than that Bildad called Job a hypocrite and if he was the man he claimed be than those who hated him would be clothed in shame instead of Job and he would be rejoicing and laughing at their state.

Bildad: God had cast Job away because he was evil.

·       Question: do you believe Job was a man who would be pleased and laughing at when he would see a wicked sitting is ashes covered with boils because of his wickedness? Or would Job be concerned over their future eternal end?

V18-19 “but out of the earth shall others grow”: when you chop off a weed at the surface of the ground it is like the weeds never existed. But suckers will grow out of the ground from it’s roots and be just like weed that was cut off.

·       Parents who have forgotten God will often raise children who do not know God.

·       It seems to me that Bildad and Eliphaz accused Job of being a hypocrite and a man who forgot God. And God destroyed his children because they were just like their father and Job’s line of iniquity had to be stopped.

·       Job 21

Satan’s devices: Deceive seemingly godly men to misuse Biblical truth to destroy the testimony of those whom God declares perfect.