Job's First Reply to Bildad the Need for a “Mediator”
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JOB 9 Job’s First Reply to Bildad The Need for a “Mediator” Introduction : In this chapter Job responds to Bildad’s first discourse and expresses his theological understanding of things. The irony is that Job’s understanding of God’s character and purposes is directly responsible for his anguish, which only magnifies his frustration and anguish. Job also begins to verbalize the reasons he is confused about what has happened to him. In v.1 Job begins by saying that he basically agrees with the points Bildad has made. Job believes he is “blameless”, that is, he knows he has not done anything immoral or unethical to deserve such proportionate “punishment”. But on the other hand he also knows that God will not allow the wicked man to prosper and will judge him for his evil deeds. Job may be thinking something like, “Is God judging me and if so, why?” However, Job has not considered that his terrible calamity is the work of Satan rather than God, which is understandable—Job’s relationship is with God not Satan. So Job is not even considering that aspect of things. At one point Job actually considers having the attitude of “grin and bear it” concerning his troubles. In v.27 he says, “ If I say 'I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile’ ." But in the very next verse, v.28 , he says, “ I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent ”, indicating that he might be guilty of some dreadful sin he may be ignorant of. After going back-and-forth in this debate Job finally bemoans the fact that he needs a MEDIATOR qualified to represent him before God’s judgment seat. In vv.32-33 Job speaking of God’s holiness says, “For He is not a man, as I am, that I may answer Him, and that we should go to court together. Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both .” This chapter points us to the need for a Mediator between God and man, but one whom is appropriate and whom God will accept. vv. 1-3 JOB AGREES WITH BILDAD —BUT CAN RIGHTEOUSNESS BE ATTAINED [1 Then Job answered and said: 2 “Truly I know it is so, but how can a man be righteous before God? 3 If one wished to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.”] The first thing Job says in response to Bildad is to agree with him. He knows that the “hope of the hypocrite shall perish ” {Job 8:13 } and that “God will not cast away the blameless, nor will He uphold the evildoers ” { Job 8:20 }. But that only made Job’s plight worse—why then was he suffering? He knows that he has not done anything so immoral or wicked as to be proportionate to his suffering. Job has suffered greatly, perhaps more than any other person except the Lord Jesus Christ. He had all his livestock taken from him; 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 oxen and 500 donkeys, which represented all his wealth; about $34 million at current prices (2014) { Job 1:13-17 }. He had lost his children, 7 sons and 3 daughters, all in the same day he lost his wealth! { Job 1:18-19 }. 1 Job Chapter 9 Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © July 2014 If that weren’t enough, shortly thereafter, Job lost his health after God allowed Satan to afflict him with a horrible skin disease. This illness affected him with open sores from the top of his head to the soles of his feet { Job 2:7 }. These would putrefy and get infested with maggots {Job 7:5 }, which required him to fashion a scrapping tool to clean out his open wounds { Job 2:8 }. Job must have considered his terrible disease as a “living death”—one which he didn’t think he would recover from { Job 6:11; 7:6-10; 17:1 }. Additionally, Job also lost his position as a city official ; acting as counselor, protector, judge, arbitrator, even as a “savior”. Thus Job lost his valuable influence and powerful ability to “deliver the poor who cried out, the fatherless and the one who had no helper ” and “ break the fangs of the wicked and pluck the victim from his teeth ” { Job 27:7-17 }. In this capacity Job proved himself to be a man who was blameless, righteous and full of integrity, and this only further added to his confusion. Job had reason to believe that he is “blameless”, that is, he knows he has not done anything immoral or unethical to deserve such proportionate “punishment”. But on the other hand he also knows that God will not allow the wicked man to prosper and will judge him for his evil deeds. Job may be thinking something like, “Is God judging me and if so, why?” So it is completely understandable that Job is genuinely trying figure out the reason for his great suffering when he knows he has been blameless and has acted in righteousness. God Himself has already given this testimony about Job: Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man , one who fears God and shuns evil ?”—Job 1:8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man , one who fears God and shuns evil ? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” —Job 2:3 Also, Job could not have possibly known [at the time] that it was Satan who was the instigator of his troubles. Thus, he directs his anguish and frustration towards God, even accusing Him of having made him a “target” { Job 7:20 }. All this is contributing to the confusion of Job. God indeed does do things which are “past finding out ”, but does such seemingly undeserved suffering fall into that category? So Job is trying to understand if the God whom he has faithfully served, the One-and-only Creator God, fickle? Is He capricious like the gods of the pagans? Deep down I believe Job knows his God is not capricious because his discourse in chapter 21 affirms Job’s understanding of God’s dealings with the “wicked”. In Job 4:17 Eliphaz recounts a “ night vision ” he had in which the “hair-raising” spirit asks two rhetorical questions: (1) “ Can a mortal be more righteous than God ?” and (2) “ Can a man be more pure than his Maker ?” Both of these questions have the obvious, and emphatic, answer; “No!”. Now Job uses almost the same wording to ask another question; “ How can a man be righteous before God? ” 2 Job Chapter 9 Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © July 2014 However, it is very important to recognize that Job’s question is not rhetorical in nature. This question is fundamental and the consequences of answering it correctly or incorrectly will have eternal ramifications. To answer this question, the only example Job may have had would have been Abraham 1. In regards to God judging the wicked but saving the righteous we are told: And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?”…..”Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”…..And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”—Gen 18:23, 25, 32- 33 In regards to how a man can become righteous before God 2: After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”…….And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the LORD , and He accounted it to him for righteousness . —Gen. 15:1, 4-6 A person becomes righteous in agreeing with God and believing what He says! Fortunately, the New Testament gloriously gives us the answer to Job’s desperate question, his heartfelt plea, as well as for millions of others—an answer to the question which has eternal ramifications; “ But how can a man be righteous before God? ” For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness”…….He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness”. —Rom 4:2-3, 20-22 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.