Who Made You Judge? Series

Job 8: 1 – 22

Who Made You Judge?

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: 2 “How long will you speak these things, and the words of your mouth be like a strong wind? 3 Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice? 4 If your sons have sinned against Him, He has cast them away for their transgression. 5 If you would earnestly seek God and make your supplication to the Almighty, 6 if you were pure and upright, surely now He would awake for you, and prosper your rightful dwelling place. 7 Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly. 8 “For inquire, please, of the former age, and consider the things discovered by their fathers; 9 For we were born yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow. 10 Will they not teach you and tell you, and utter words from their heart? 11 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water? 12 While it is yet green and not cut down, it withers before any other plant. 13 So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish, 14 Whose confidence shall be cut off, and whose trust is a spider’s web. 15 He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure. 16 He grows green in the sun, and his branches spread out in his garden. 17 His roots wrap around the rock heap, and look for a place in the stones. 18 If he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’ 19 “Behold, this is the joy of His way, and out of the earth others will grow. 20 Behold, God will not cast away the blameless, nor will He uphold the evildoers. 21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, and your lips with rejoicing. 22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.”

As I was reviewing this chapter a certain saying kept circulating through my mind – ‘Let me add my two cents.’ Have you ever heard of this statement before?

"My two cents" and its longer version "put my two cents in" is an American idiomatic expression, taken from the original British idiom expression: to put in "my two pennies worth" or "my tuppence worth." It used to preface the tentative stating of one’s opinion. By deprecating the opinion to follow — suggesting its value is only two cents, a very small amount — the user of the phrase hopes to lessen the impact of a possibly contentious statement, showing politeness and humility. However, it is also sometimes used with irony when expressing a strongly felt opinion. The phrase is also used out of habit to preface un-contentious opinions.

In other words ‘your input is pretty much worth less.’

If you have been with us through the previous studies in the book of Job, it is easy to see that these so-called friends are not being friends.

We have heard from one of the guys now another one by the name of Bildad is going to add his two cents to the verbal beating of Job. This guy is a small man. Not only is he short in stature [He was only a shoe height in size – since these chapters are stressful this is my version of adding a little lightness] he was very little and short on being a friend and comforter.

The first speaker Eliphaz did not reply to what Job had said in answer to him, but left it to Bildad, whom he believed to be of the same mind with himself in this affair. Eliphaz had undertaken to show that because Job was sorely afflicted he was certainly a wicked man. We learn that Bildad is much of the same mind. He will conclude that Job is a wicked man, that is, unless God speedily appears for his relief. In this chapter he endeavors to convince Job;

I. That he had spoken too passionately (v.2).

II. That he and his children had suffered justly (v.3, v.4).

III. That, if he were a true penitent, God would soon turn his captivity (v.5-7).

IV. That it was a usual thing for providence to extinguish the joys and hopes of wicked men as his were extinguished; and therefore that they had reason to suspect him for being a hypocrite (v.8-19).

V. That they would be abundantly confirmed in their suspicion unless God did speedily appear for his relief (v.20-22).

If we were to contrast the three friends we could get away in saying that Eliphaz was emotional. He relies on experience (4:8) and visions (4:12). Bildad on the other hand is the strong willed. Having arrived at a consensus he charges ahead with no diplomatic niceties. Zophar, we will see has a problem with head and mouth disease. He speaks without engaging the brain. He is cold and aloof.