Job 8:1-22
Q.1. Who did Bildad blame for the loss of Job’s children? How did Bildad understand Job’s plight? – (Job 8:1-7)
What a great comforter Bildad was! He claimed that God punished Job’s sons for their sins (Job 8:4). He said – “Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right? (Job 8:3). He then suggested – 5 “If you would seek God and implore the compassion of the Almighty, 6 If you are pure and upright, surely now He would rouse Himself for you and restore your righteous estate (Job 8:5-6). He considered that suffering was punishment for evil, and if Job was blameless, then God would respond to his cries and restore him. However, this flew in the face of the truth as revealed in the opening chapters of Job and asserted that all suffering is deserved. This is a cruel suggestion to make to someone undergoing trials.
Q.2. What advice did Bildad give Job? What did he imply about Job’s reason for suffering? What comfort did Bildad claim that God gives those who suffer? – (Job 8:8-22)
He then recommended that Job review history – 8 “Please inquire of past generations, and consider the things searched out by their fathers … 10 “Will they not teach you and tell you, and bring forth words from their minds? (Job8:8& 10). This too was an unreasonable suggestion for someone in the midst of suffering. It was like asking someone with a terminal illness to write a thesis. His illustrations may have been fine but his explanation was painful and unhelpful – “So are the paths of all who forget God; and the hope of the godless will perish (Job 8:13). Again he questioned Job’s character – “Lo, God will not reject a man of integrity, nor will He support the evildoers (Job 8:20).