Job 8 - Bildad's turn

We now get the second of Job's comforters, Bildad the Shuhite.

Bildad didn't reckon much to Job's utterings, describing them as blustering wind. The essence of Bildad's words are that God is just in all that he does. With reference to the demise of Job's children, he says that they were receiving fair judgement for their sin. Now there could be an element of truth in this. We often talk about how Job's fortunes were restored to a better position than he started with, and indeed the book itself says this. However, his children who died clearly were not better off! Now what it says in Job 1:5 indicates that they may well have sinned.

Whatever the case, Bildad urges Job to be upright and everything will work out fine in the end. Now most of us have given similar advice to people!

Bildad then continues, saying how the wicked will always come to a sticky end eventually. Conversely, surely God will not forget the righteous.

Now all this is sound stuff, who can argue with it? Well Job is about to do so!