Bildad’s Rebuke: Understanding God’s Justice in Job 8

✨ Executive Summary

Job 8 presents Bildad’s initial response to Job’s lament, a discourse centered on the unwavering justice of God. Bildad contends that Job’s suffering must be due to his own sin or the sin of his children, emphasizing a retributive theology prevalent in his time. His argument draws on the wisdom of past generations and observations of the natural world to illustrate the consequences of wickedness and the prosperity of the righteous. The chapter, however, reveals a limited understanding of God’s sovereignty and the complexities of suffering, failing to grasp the depth of Job’s integrity and the nature of divine testing. This commentary explores Bildad’s arguments in the light of Coptic Orthodox theology, examining the importance of discerning God’s will and the multifaceted nature of His justice, which extends beyond simple retribution and includes aspects of mercy, healing, and ultimate redemption. Bildad’s Rebuke: Understanding God’s Justice in Job 8 calls us to deeper discernment.

Bildad, one of Job’s friends, offers a stern rebuke, attempting to explain Job’s suffering through the lens of divine justice. He argues that God does not pervert justice and that Job’s present predicament is likely a consequence of either his own sin or that of his children. This chapter provides a window into ancient Near Eastern beliefs about divine retribution and offers an opportunity to explore the complexities of suffering within the framework of Coptic Orthodox theological understanding.

📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary

Job 8:1-2

Job 8:1 (KJV): Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

Job 8:1 (NKJV): 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?

Bildad begins his address with a sharp rebuke, questioning the duration and nature of Job’s complaints. He likens Job’s words to a “strong wind,” suggesting they are empty, forceful, and ultimately destructive. Bildad’s opening indicates a lack of empathy and a judgmental attitude towards Job’s suffering. From a Coptic Orthodox perspective, while righteous judgment has its place, it should always be tempered with love and compassion. As St. Isaac the Syrian teaches, “Blessed is the man who understands the weakness of another and covers it with his love” (ܛܘܒܰܘܗܝ ܠܓܰܒܪܳܐ ܕܰܡܶܣܬܰܟܰܠ ܠܟܺܪܝܳܬܳܐ ܕܚܰܒܪܶܗ ܘܡܰܟܣܶܝ ܠܳܗ ܒܚܘܼܒܳܐ). We are called to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), not to exacerbate them with harsh words.

• Spiritual Application: Before offering advice or correction, examine your heart and ensure your words are rooted in love and a desire to help, not to condemn. Consider the context and sensitivity of the situation.

Job 8:3

Job 8:3 (KJV): Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

Job 8:3 (NKJV): Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice?

Here, Bildad establishes the foundation of his argument: the absolute justice of God. He rhetorically asks if God would ever pervert judgment or justice. The answer, according to Bildad, is an emphatic “no.” This concept aligns with the Coptic Orthodox understanding of God’s righteousness, but Bildad’s application of this principle is where his error lies. While God is indeed just, His justice is often intertwined with His mercy, a concept that Bildad seems to neglect. The Old Testament affirms God’s righteousness (Psalm 89:14), and the New Testament reveals His boundless love (John 3:16). God’s justice is not always immediately apparent to human understanding, as demonstrated by the suffering of the righteous throughout scripture.

• Spiritual Application: Trust in God’s justice, even when circumstances seem unfair or incomprehensible. Remember that God sees the bigger picture and works all things together for good (Romans 8:28), even if the path involves suffering.

Job 8:4-7

Job 8:4 (KJV): If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;

Job 8:4 (NKJV): If your children have sinned against Him, And He has cast them away for their transgression,

Job 8:5 (KJV): If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

Job 8:5 (NKJV): If you would seek God and plead with the Almighty,

Job 8:6 (KJV): If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

Job 8:6 (NKJV): If you were pure and upright, Surely now He would awake for you, And prosper your rightful dwelling place.

Job 8:7 (KJV): Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

Job 8:7 (NKJV): Though your beginning was small, Yet your latter end would increase abundantly.

Bildad suggests that Job’s children might have sinned, leading to their demise, and that Job himself must have some hidden sin if he seeks God and is pure and upright, then God will restore him, and his latter days will be prosperous. This represents a simplistic cause-and-effect theology. From a Coptic perspective, this view is problematic because it ignores the complexities of suffering and the mystery of God’s will. As St. Basil the Great said, “Πολλαὶ καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ κρίσεις τοῦ Θεοῦ” (Pollai kai anexichniastoi hai kriseis tou Theou – “Many and unsearchable are the judgments of God” – Homilia in Psalmum 32). God’s judgments are often beyond our comprehension, and suffering can have various purposes, including testing, refinement, and the opportunity to display faith and perseverance.

• Spiritual Application: Do not assume that suffering is always a direct consequence of sin. Instead, use times of hardship as opportunities for deeper repentance, prayer, and reliance on God’s grace. Remember that even in suffering, God can bring about good.

Job 8:8-10

Job 8:8 (KJV): For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

Job 8:8 (NKJV): “For inquire, please, of the former age, And consider the things discovered by their fathers;

Job 8:9 (KJV): (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)

Job 8:9 (NKJV): For we were born yesterday, and know nothing, Because our days on earth are a shadow.

Job 8:10 (KJV): Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?

Job 8:10 (NKJV): Will they not teach you and tell you, And utter words from their heart?

Bildad emphasizes the importance of learning from past generations, acknowledging the limitations of present knowledge. He suggests that the wisdom of the ancients confirms his view of divine retribution. This appeal to tradition is valuable, and in the Coptic Orthodox Church, we highly value the wisdom of the Holy Fathers and the traditions passed down through generations. However, tradition must be interpreted within the light of Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Not every tradition or belief is necessarily correct, and we must always test everything against the truth of God’s Word. The ancient Egyptians, for example, with whom Bildad’s culture would have interacted, held beliefs significantly different from true monotheism.

• Spiritual Application: Value the wisdom of the past, but always discern and test it against the truth of Scripture and the teachings of the Church. Don’t blindly accept everything simply because it is old.

Job 8:11-19

Job 8:11 (KJV): Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?

Job 8:11 (NKJV): Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water?

Job 8:12 (KJV): Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

Job 8:12 (NKJV): While it is yet green and not cut down, It withers before any other plant.

Job 8:13 (KJV): So are the ways of all that forget God; and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish:

Job 8:13 (NKJV): So are the ways of all who forget God; And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish.

Job 8:14 (KJV): Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web.

Job 8:14 (NKJV): Indeed, his hope will be cut off, And his trust a spider’s web.

Job 8:15 (KJV): He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

Job 8:15 (NKJV): He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure.

Job 8:16 (KJV): He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.

Job 8:16 (NKJV): He grows green in the sun, And his branches spread out in his garden.

Job 8:17 (KJV): His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.

Job 8:17 (NKJV): His roots wrap around the rock heap, And look for a place in the stones.

Job 8:18 (KJV): If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.

Job 8:18 (NKJV): If he is swallowed up from his place, Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’

Job 8:19 (KJV): Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.

Job 8:19 (NKJV): Behold, this is the joy of his way, And out of the earth others will grow.

Bildad uses vivid imagery from nature to illustrate the fleeting nature of the wicked. He compares them to plants that wither quickly without proper sustenance. This imagery connects with the agricultural society of that time and serves to underscore the idea that those who forget God will ultimately perish. While the analogy itself is valid, Bildad’s application to Job is flawed. It is not always evident who is truly righteous and who is not, and outward appearances can be deceiving. The parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30) reminds us that judgment is ultimately God’s domain. The link between “those who forget God” and the need to dohost services helps clarify Bildad’s meaning here. It stresses that forgetting God leads to instability and fleeting joy.

• Spiritual Application: Focus on cultivating deep roots in faith and obedience to God. Don’t be deceived by outward appearances or fleeting prosperity. Strive for lasting spiritual fruit that endures through trials and tribulations.

Job 8:20-22

Job 8:20 (KJV): Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

Job 8:20 (NKJV): Behold, God will not cast away the blameless, Nor will He help the evildoers.

Job 8:21 (KJV): Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.

Job 8:21 (NKJV): He will yet fill your mouth with laughing And your lips with rejoicing.

Job 8:22 (KJV): They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.

Job 8:22 (NKJV): Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, And the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.”

Bildad concludes with a promise that God will not cast away a blameless man and that the wicked will ultimately be shamed. He implies that if Job is indeed blameless, God will restore him to joy and prosperity. This is a hopeful message, but it still lacks the nuance of God’s mysterious ways. God’s love extends even to the wicked, and He desires their repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Furthermore, even the righteous may experience suffering, not as a punishment, but as a means of spiritual growth and a participation in the sufferings of Christ (Philippians 3:10).

• Spiritual Application: Hold fast to hope and trust in God’s goodness, even in the midst of suffering. Remember that God’s plans are higher than our own and that He works all things together for good for those who love Him.

🤔 Key Reflections and Teachings

Here are some key reflections stemming from Job 8:

• The Limits of Retributive Theology: Bildad’s simplistic view of divine retribution fails to account for the complexities of suffering and the mystery of God’s will.
• The Importance of Compassion: Bildad’s judgmental attitude towards Job lacks empathy and fails to offer genuine comfort or support.
• The Value of Discernment: We must discern the wisdom of the past, testing it against the truth of Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• The Sovereignty of God: God’s ways are often beyond our understanding, and we must trust in His sovereignty even when we cannot see His purpose.
• The Nature of True Righteousness: True righteousness is not merely outward conformity to rules but an inward transformation of the heart that leads to love, compassion, and humility.
• The Hope in Suffering: Suffering can be a means of spiritual growth, testing, and participation in the sufferings of Christ.

❓ FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about Job 8:

• Q: Is Bildad’s view of God’s justice entirely wrong?

  A: While Bildad correctly affirms God’s justice, his understanding is incomplete. He focuses solely on retribution, neglecting the aspects of mercy, healing, and redemption that are also central to God’s character. His approach is overly simplistic and doesn’t account for the complexities of human experience and divine purpose.

• Q: How does Job 8 relate to the New Testament teachings on suffering?

  A: Job 8 offers a contrasting perspective to the New Testament understanding of suffering. While Bildad sees suffering primarily as punishment for sin, the New Testament reveals that suffering can also be a means of spiritual growth, testing, and participation in the sufferings of Christ (Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:10). Jesus Himself, though sinless, endured immense suffering.

• Q: What is the practical application of Job 8 for modern Christians?

  A: Job 8 reminds us to avoid simplistic explanations for suffering and to approach those who are hurting with compassion and empathy. It also encourages us to trust in God’s justice, even when we don’t understand His ways, and to seek deeper understanding through prayer, Scripture, and the wisdom of the Church Fathers.

🕊️ Conclusion

Bildad’s Rebuke: Understanding God’s Justice in Job 8 offers a glimpse into ancient Near Eastern perspectives on suffering and divine justice, but it also highlights the limitations of a purely retributive theology. While Bildad’s affirmation of God’s righteousness is important, his application of this principle to Job’s situation reveals a lack of compassion and a failure to grasp the complexities of God’s will. As Coptic Orthodox Christians, we are called to a more nuanced understanding of divine justice, one that encompasses both retribution and mercy, judgment and healing. May we strive to approach those who suffer with empathy, offering comfort and support while trusting in God’s ultimate plan for good. This involves actively praying for those who suffer, seeking to understand their burdens, and offering practical assistance wherever possible.

Tags

Job, Bildad, Suffering, Justice, Coptic Orthodox, Theology, Divine Retribution, Wisdom Literature, Old Testament, Commentary

Meta Description

Explore Bildad’s arguments in Job 8 through a Coptic Orthodox lens. Uncover the complexities of divine justice, suffering, and the importance of compassion. Bildad’s Rebuke: Understanding God’s Justice in Job 8 commentary.