Bible Study

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Expository Commentary on the Book of Job
Bible Study – 10
Bildad's Counsel: Right Theology, Wrong Application
By God's permission, Job was afflicted by Satan. He lost all of his children and possessions, and eventually his own body was severely afflicted. His skin was covered with worms and dust; it cracked and oozed with sores. His suffering was beyond human imagination.
Seeing Job's condition, three friends came to comfort him: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. However, none of them truly understood the depth of Job's pain. Instead, each of them tried to explain his suffering according to their own understanding of God.
Eliphaz believed that Job's suffering was the result of hidden sin. Therefore, he urged Job to confess his sins and seek God's mercy. His central argument was, "God is just; therefore, He does not act unjustly."
Next came Bildad. Let us now consider the main points of his counsel.
Without truly understanding Job's grief, Bildad accused him of speaking against God. He dismissed Job's lament by saying, "Your words are a blustering wind."
Bildad strongly emphasized God's justice but failed to recognize His mercy and grace. He even suggested that Job's children had died because of their own sins, adding further pain to a grieving father.
Bildad's argument was that God never makes mistakes. While this is certainly true, it is only part of the truth. The Bible teaches that God is not only perfectly just but also full of mercy and grace.
Bildad then urged Job to learn from the wisdom and experience of previous generations (Job 8:8–10). In other words, he appealed to tradition and the testimony of the ancestors.
He also used three illustrations from nature to support his argument.
1. The Papyrus Reed
A papyrus reed cannot grow without water; it quickly withers when the water is gone. In the same way, Bildad argued that those who forget God cannot endure.
2. The Spider's Web
A spider's web is too fragile to support anyone who trusts in it. Likewise, the hope of the godless is weak and will ultimately fail.
3. A Uprooted Plant
A healthy plant may flourish for a time, but once it is uprooted, it quickly disappears without a trace. In the same way, Bildad claimed that the prosperity of the wicked is only temporary.
The Summary of Bildad's Counsel
According to Bildad, God is just; therefore, He would never punish an innocent person. If Job would repent and seek God, the Lord would restore and bless him once again (Job 8:5–7).
The problem was that Bildad wrongly concluded that Job's suffering must have been the result of some hidden sin.
Lessons We Learn
Although Bildad's illustrations from nature expressed genuine spiritual principles, he applied those truths incorrectly to Job's situation.
The Bible teaches us that even a true doctrine, when applied to the wrong person at the wrong time, can wound instead of heal.
Therefore, we should never be quick to judge those who suffer. Instead, we must approach them with compassion, wisdom, and humility.
*In summary:
Right Theology, Wrong Application.*