Job 18

Read Job 18

Verses chosen for meditation: Job 18: 1-3 ESV: 

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: “How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and then we will speak. Why are we counted as cattle? Why are we stupid in your sight?

Reflect

This maybe the second time that Bildad speaks. But he's already off to a bad start in what he's going to say. Instead of giving a listening ear, he's lashing out in anger. He's taking issue with everything Job had said. He's even openly saying that Job is deserving of the suffering, which in a way serves as punishment for his wickedness.

What kind of a counsel do you think it is? What kind of a friend is Bildad?

By some chance, have we encountered anyone like him? Or have we been like that to anyone?

Relate

Anyone attempting to play the role of a counsellor or friend to someone in dire straits needs to keep a cool head. There's no room for an angry or retaliatory outburst.

Does Bildad sound like he means well or is he acting up, no longer able to take in anymore of his friend's 'nonsense'? It seems the latter. It's ironic then that Bildad should be the one blowing a fuse when he's not the one suffering or experiencing the pain. Can't possibly imagine how he would react if he were in Job's shoes. He would probably have fared much worse.

As a friend or counsellor, Bildad offers no comfort to Job at all. He only adds to his misery. Come to think of it, Job is under tremendous stress on all fronts. No one is there to empathise with him for the immense pain he's going through. Nothing could be as cruel and torturous as his plight. Therefore, hurtful comments and treatments from friends like Bildad really cut deep, but there's nothing he could do. That ‘nothing’ ironically shows the tenacity of Job, the fibre of his will.

Bildad can be the voice we sometimes hear that condemns us. A voice, which misrepresents God. A voice we could do well by hearing less of. It would do us well too by not looking at suffering always as a retribution, or the result of sin and wickedness. It's time we learn to take a high view of suffering. Though the purpose often eludes us, suffering is intended for our good when God allows it. Paul knew exactly what he said: I want to know Christ---yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death (Philippians 3: 10).

Indeed, the Cross is the paragon of suffering. It's a pity that Job did not have the comfort of knowing that someone would one day suffer as much as him, for a fault that was not also his. Like Job, doing nothing ironically demonstrated the fibre of his will – a will that is totally submissive to God's overarching will.

Let’s then behold the man or woman who suffers, and not berate them.

There's a song from the musical 'If my people', which I've come to like very much ever since my class staged a musical of our own at Victoria Theatre aeons ago. 

Here's an abridged version of the powerfully evocative lyrics of the song 'Behold the Man':

Behold the Man

Wounded and bruised, crowned with thorns.

He was despised, rejected. (2X)

Behold the Man

Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.

We hid our faces from him. (2X)

We did not know that it was for our sins he died.

That for us the Son of God was crucified,

That in love He bore our sorrow and pain.

And in love He willingly suffered.

Behold the Man 

(words by Jimmy Owens)

Rest

Lord, we behold you, man of sorrow, acquainted with grief. In love, you bore our sorrow and pain. In love, you willingly suffered. May we not hide our faces from you. Oh, may we behold you. 

Naville Chia