Today in God's Word—June 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
June 13, Job 18
His strength is famished, and calamity is ready for his stumbling. It consumes the part of his skin; the firstborn of death consumes his limbs. He is torn from the tent in which he trusted and is brought to the king of terrors.
- Bildad, Job 18:12-14
It's both normal and natural for people to disagree. I am sure if you and I sat down for a conversation, we could eventually find some topic about which we did not agree. I obviously would want you to agree with me because this topic is important. I want to save you from your mistaken point of view. I think you would suspect that my attempts to persuade you are not entirely altruistic. When I start getting defensive and aggressive about the topic we're discussing, you might suspect my pride is involved in my words and behavior.
Perhaps you've had some experience with such conversations. What's the usual pattern of such disagreements? First, you might raise your voice a little and speak with stronger force behind your words. Then I might feel attacked, insulted or accused, and I would retaliate by intensifying my comments back to you. And if flesh instead of the Spirit of God is controlling one or both parties, it's likely that our pleasant conversation might disintegrate into a verbal battle.
After the first round of speeches, and even after Eliphaz's second one, Job still maintained his integrity. He did not confess the wickedness his friends were certain he had committed. Job even insulted his attackers, saying they were worthless counselors. Then Bildad, whose first speech was not exactly a model of goodwill and decorum, unleashed his second barrage of harsh words on poor Job. Perhaps he was frustrated by Job’s stubborn insistence, or Job's criticism of their efforts had stung.
For whatever reason, Bildad launched into a verbal slideshow of terrors awaiting the wicked. But in this speech, "the wicked" was an
expression Bildad used to describe one wicked person in particular, Job. All his personal pronouns were singular. All the “he” and “him” statements in the speech pointed to Job. Bildad told Job he had said nothing of worth in his statements. He criticized Job's complaint, and sarcastically asked if the world itself should be rearranged to suit Job. Not all that follows in Bildad's speech is biblical or even right. But the images are strong and scary. Job was doomed to experience all these terrible things because of his gross wickedness. Bildad personified the calamity that had befallen Job. He said Calamity had sapped Job's strength, and set him up for a fall. He attacked poor Job's afflicted skin, citing his terrible open sores as evidence that Calamity was eating him alive. Calamity, Death's firstborn, would devour Job's limbs next, like some kind of flesh-eating leprosy. Calamity would rip him out of his tent (his body) and deliver him to Death, the king of terrors.
Bildad assaulted Job with his brutal speech. He concluded with an accusation that this unrighteous person was Job. The terrible fate he had vividly described was Job’s fate. He implied that Job did not even know God.
As we ponder Bildad’s words, we should ask, "Who was Bildad's speechwriter? Who gave him these harsh, discouraging words?" These cruel attacks on Job were not coming from the mind of God, but from the dark heart of Satan. Bildad and the other friends were puppets of Satan's rage against faithful Job. Satan used these men to goad Job, to inflict even more pain on him until he would finally collapse, forsake his faith and renounce his trust in God.
We followers of Jesus have our marching orders. We are to announce the good news of Christ to all. That does not give us license to become contentious with those who resist our message of good news. Bildad’s ugly speech should remind us that harsh, manipulative statements do more to drive people away than persuade them.
Maybe this tendency of humans to escalate differing opinions into all out verbal conflict is a good reason to listen to Solomon's wise counsel: "The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out." I do not want to be insulted or accused by anyone. So I should not treat others that way. Jesus said it this way: "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets."
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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