Lesson 19 Job 8:1-7

I. Introduction
A. We are now finished with Job's response to Eliphaz's first address.
B. Starting in chapter eight Bildad offers his views concerning Job's plight.
C. In our study, we saw that Eliphaz was a religious dogmatist.
a. Eliphaz saw Job's suffering as a direct result of sin.
D. We will see, as we study Bildad's speech, that his dogmatism was based on human tradition.
E. Bildad's speech may be divided into five parts.
1. Bildad's reproach of Job. {vs.1-2}
2. Is God unjust? {vs.3-7}
3. The light of the past. {vs.8-10}
4. The way of the wicked. {vs.11-19}
5. Divine recompense for the righteous. {vs.20-22}
II. Bildad's reproach of Job. {vs.1-2}
A. With all of his ignorance of Divine principles, Bildad is jealous of the honor of God, and cannot allow Him to be accused.
B. Job's words that he spoke concerning Eliphaz's address are like a blast of bitter complaint and charge against God as far as Bildad was concerned.
C. In his disgust for the words of Job, Bildad wants to know how long he is going to keep up with such an attitude.
1. It must be noted here that Bildad's rebuke, though harsh, is a just correction of the extreme rashness of Job's words.
III. Is God unjust? {vs.3-7}
A. The justice of God.
1. The justice of God is that aspect of His holiness which is seen in His treatment of
His creatures.
a. God has instituted a moral government.
b. God has imposed just laws upon His creatures.
c. God executes His laws through a bestowal system of reward and punishment.
d. Reward {remunerative justice} is based on Divine love.
e. Punishment {punitive justice} is the penalty for violating the law.
f. Justice demands punishment.
g. The vicarious atonement of Christ satisfied the demand for punishment for the believer.
B. Bildad's question insinuates that Job has called God unjust.
1. Bildad felt that Job did not consider himself a sinner and therefore deemed God unjust.
C. Bildad offers two proofs of God's justice.
1. The death of Job's children. vs.4
a. Bildad assumed that Job's children reaped the due reward of their wickedness.
2. He tells Job that there is restoring mercy for him. vs.5
D. In Bildad's two statements we see that he feels sure that he has the answer to misery and happiness.
1. Bildad believes that untimely death, sickness, adversity in every form, are alike signs of God's
anger.
2. Bildad applies his beliefs on Job.
E. Bildad errs in that he equates all suffering is, in each and every case, the consequence of ill-doing.
F. Bildad urges Job to seek God betimes. vs.5
1. At face value, this is sound advice for all believers.
2. We must seek God for four reasons.
a. Because we have nothing of ourselves.
b. Because none is so present as He.
c. Because none is able to help as He.
d. Because there is none so willing to help us as He.
3. We seek God through prayer.
G. Though thy beginning was small. vs.7
1. Bildad here suggests that if Job were right with God he would continue to grow in prosperity.
2. Small beginnings in certain cases are productive of great ends.