Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. (Job 2:11)
In the previous lessons, we studied were Job's friend, Eliphaz the Temanite, accused Job of not being as upright and righteous as he had "pretended" to be, and that God was punishing him and all he had because of it. That was a false assumption! Now Bildad the Shuhite would take his opportunity to speak, and pretty much accuse Job of the same thing.
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: “How long will you speak these things, and the words of your mouth be like a strong wind? Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice? If your sons have sinned against Him, He has cast them away for their transgression. If you would earnestly seek God and make your supplication to the Almighty, If you were pure and upright, surely now He would awake for you, and prosper your rightful dwelling place. Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly. (Job 8:1-7)
“For inquire, please, of the former age, and consider the things discovered by their fathers; for we were born yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow. Will they not teach you and tell you, and utter words from their heart? (Job 8:8-10)
Cause and effect, we've all studied it, because something happens the consequence is thus. Bildad believed Job caused his current consequences because of something he had done, namely not being pure and upright as he appeared to be. He even charged Job inquire, of the former age, in other words, look back and see if that was truly the case, the what happened in the past always determined the consequences of the future. Again, this sounds good and logical, but it's not necessarily true.
“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water? While it is yet green and not cut down, it withers before any other plant. So are the paths of all who forget God; and the hope of the hypocrite shall perish, whose confidence shall be cut off, and whose trust is a spider’s web. He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure. He grows green in the sun, and his branches spread out in his garden. His roots wrap around the rock heap, and look for a place in the stones. If he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’ (Job 8:11-18)
Bildad went on to say that just like a great tree, when it is cut down, in time the place where it once stood wouldn't even be detectable. And his conclusion is that that is what God does with the unrepentant sinners, like Job's sons, for if your sons have sinned against Him, He has cast them away for their transgression. “Behold, this is the joy of His way, and out of the earth others will grow. Behold, God will not cast away the blameless, nor will He uphold the evildoers. He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, and your lips with rejoicing. Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.” (Job 8:19-22) However, BIldad concluded that Job still had time to repent, and then God would restore him, filling his mouth with laughing, and his lips with rejoicing.
Then Job answered and said: “Truly I know it is so, but how can a man be righteous before God? If one wished to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? He removes the mountains, and they do not know when He overturns them in His anger; He shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; He alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea; He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, [constellations] and the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number. If He goes by me, I do not see Him; if He moves past, I do not perceive Him; if He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’ God will not withdraw His anger, the allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him. (Job 9:1-13)
Job acknowledged that God is Almighty, Omnipotent (all powerful), Omniscient (all knowing), and Omnipresent (everywhere). We have absolutely no control over Him. We can either accept what He allows and does and deal with it in faith, or we can harden our hearts against Him; however, Happy is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. (Proverbs 28:14) “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8) We won't always understand the "why", but we have to have faith, hope and trust in Him that He will bring us through, according to His Will and purpose. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Job continued, “How then can I answer Him, and choose my words to reason with Him? For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge. If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice. For He crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause. He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness. If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; and if of justice, who will appoint my day in court? Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse. (Job 9:14-20)
Basically Job is saying, we have no arguments against God. We can either choose to ask God to have mercy and deliver us from whatever we're going through, praying, "not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) Or, we can waste our time and energy complaining, which is what Job would continue to do, as we will study in the next lesson...
In the previous lessons, we studied were Job's friend, Eliphaz the Temanite, accused Job of not being as upright and righteous as he had "pretended" to be, and that God was punishing him and all he had because of it. That was a false assumption! Now Bildad the Shuhite would take his opportunity to speak, and pretty much accuse Job of the same thing.
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: “How long will you speak these things, and the words of your mouth be like a strong wind? Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice? If your sons have sinned against Him, He has cast them away for their transgression. If you would earnestly seek God and make your supplication to the Almighty, If you were pure and upright, surely now He would awake for you, and prosper your rightful dwelling place. Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly. (Job 8:1-7)
“For inquire, please, of the former age, and consider the things discovered by their fathers; for we were born yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow. Will they not teach you and tell you, and utter words from their heart? (Job 8:8-10)
Cause and effect, we've all studied it, because something happens the consequence is thus. Bildad believed Job caused his current consequences because of something he had done, namely not being pure and upright as he appeared to be. He even charged Job inquire, of the former age, in other words, look back and see if that was truly the case, the what happened in the past always determined the consequences of the future. Again, this sounds good and logical, but it's not necessarily true.
“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water? While it is yet green and not cut down, it withers before any other plant. So are the paths of all who forget God; and the hope of the hypocrite shall perish, whose confidence shall be cut off, and whose trust is a spider’s web. He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure. He grows green in the sun, and his branches spread out in his garden. His roots wrap around the rock heap, and look for a place in the stones. If he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’ (Job 8:11-18)
Bildad went on to say that just like a great tree, when it is cut down, in time the place where it once stood wouldn't even be detectable. And his conclusion is that that is what God does with the unrepentant sinners, like Job's sons, for if your sons have sinned against Him, He has cast them away for their transgression. “Behold, this is the joy of His way, and out of the earth others will grow. Behold, God will not cast away the blameless, nor will He uphold the evildoers. He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, and your lips with rejoicing. Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.” (Job 8:19-22) However, BIldad concluded that Job still had time to repent, and then God would restore him, filling his mouth with laughing, and his lips with rejoicing.
Then Job answered and said: “Truly I know it is so, but how can a man be righteous before God? If one wished to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? He removes the mountains, and they do not know when He overturns them in His anger; He shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; He alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea; He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, [constellations] and the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number. If He goes by me, I do not see Him; if He moves past, I do not perceive Him; if He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’ God will not withdraw His anger, the allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him. (Job 9:1-13)
Job acknowledged that God is Almighty, Omnipotent (all powerful), Omniscient (all knowing), and Omnipresent (everywhere). We have absolutely no control over Him. We can either accept what He allows and does and deal with it in faith, or we can harden our hearts against Him; however, Happy is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. (Proverbs 28:14) “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8) We won't always understand the "why", but we have to have faith, hope and trust in Him that He will bring us through, according to His Will and purpose. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Job continued, “How then can I answer Him, and choose my words to reason with Him? For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge. If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice. For He crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause. He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness. If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; and if of justice, who will appoint my day in court? Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse. (Job 9:14-20)
Basically Job is saying, we have no arguments against God. We can either choose to ask God to have mercy and deliver us from whatever we're going through, praying, "not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) Or, we can waste our time and energy complaining, which is what Job would continue to do, as we will study in the next lesson...
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