Job
chapter 18 reminds me of someone practicing “tough love’ without
the “love” part. In contrast, 1 Corinthians chapter 13 gives us a
beautiful description of what love looks like. It says in part,
“Love
is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking”
(13:4-5). Today’s chapter recounts the unrestrained attack against
Job’s claim of being righteous. With real cruelty, Job’s friend
uses his appearance and situation to evaluate Job’s spiritual
condition. The chapter begins, “Bildad
the Shuhite replied:
‘When
will you end these speeches… are we… considered stupid in your
sight?”
Basically he is saying; I can see you are covered in sores and
scabs, so clearly you have done something to cause it. Bildad has
this very shallow religion:
Bad things happen to bad people, and since you are experiencing bad
things, you are a bad person. He observes Job’s situation and
forces it to fit into his immature faith. For the rest of the
chapter, Bildad states his case directly to Job. “You
who
tear
yourself to pieces in your anger… The lamp of the wicked is snuffed
out…
The
light in his tent becomes dark… his own schemes throw him down“.
It sounds like Job’s friend is gloating over his misery. What
causes us to root for someone to fail? Jesus told one of the very
religious men the biggest obstacle to love, “But
to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little”
(Luke 7:47). Have you been forgiven much?
Bildad
continues his assessment with the tact of a fashion critic. He sees
Job and proceeds to link everything to the end result of rebellion
against God. “His
feet thrust him into a net and he wanders into its mesh.
A
trap seizes him by the heel; a snare holds him fast.”
He pictures Job as a man who does one evil deed after the next and
then must deal with the unpleasant consequences. “Terrors
startle him on every side… disaster is ready for him when he
falls.”
“I told you so” is not helpful while wounds are still tender. A
loving parent takes no joy in the bad test grade or the hurt after a
teenage break-up. Love often needs no lecture.
“Love
is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not
delight in evil but rejoices with the truth”
(1 Corinthians 13:6). Bildad
continues, “It
eats away parts of his skin; death’s firstborn devours his limbs.“
It
seems that Bildad is cheering for the wrong team.
“He
is torn from the security of his tent and marched off to the king of
terrors.”
Do you think Job is still listening?
The
chapter concludes with what sounds like something a judge might say
while pronouncing the sentence to a convicted man. Bildad offers Job
no hope and no comfort. He even gives a final outrage by pointing
out that all of Job’s children are dead and he has no one to carry
on his name. “His
roots dry up below and his branches wither above. The memory of him
perishes from the earth; he has no name in the land. He has no
offspring or descendants among his people, no survivor where once he
lived.
Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man; such is the place of one
who knows not God.”
Is there someone in your life that has tuned you out? Perhaps you
are too much like Bildad? 1 Corinthians adds a few more words top
remember in dealing with those we love. “Love
always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves“.
The author adds; this type of love, “never
fails”
(13:7-8). Don’t let bitterness keep you from experiencing God’s
love and forgiveness.