For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage:  Job 8:1-7

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:

2 ‘How long will you say such things?
    Your words are a blustering wind.
3 Does God pervert justice?
    Does the Almighty pervert what is right?
4 When your children sinned against him,
    he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
    and plead with the Almighty,
6 if you are pure and upright,
    even now he will rouse himself on your behalf
    and restore you to your prosperous state.
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
    so prosperous will your future be.

A. Find Out

1. How does Bildad describe Job’s words? v.2
2. What does he ask about God? v.3
3. What reason does he give for what happened to Job’s children? v.4
4. What does he advise Job to do? v.5
5. What does he say the Lord will do? v.6
6. How will the future be? v.7

B. Think:

1. What part of Job’s suffering does Bildad deal with?
2. What is his reasoning for that?  How can that help Job?

C. Comment:

Bildad speaks for the first time and chastises Job for his words which are just like a gusting wind (v.2). Look, he says, whatever else you may think about what has happened (implied) God doesn’t pervert justice (v.3) and so what has happened must have a cause. When your children died, it must have been because they sinned and deserved it (v.4), and that’s not your fault (implied). Look, if you are upright (v.6a) and if you will look to God and call upon Him (v.5), surely He will hear you and answer and come and act on your behalf (v.6b) and restore you to your place of integrity and renown as you were before. No, surely when He does that His blessing will be so great that what you were will appear small by comparison, so prosperous will your future be (v.7)

Within this Bildad speaks three truths that we need to heed (even if they don’t apply in Job’s case to be the answer to what has been happening). First, God is righteous and just (v.3). That is always true. Second, Sin is a cause for judgement or apparent catastrophe – a man reaps what he sows (Gal 6:7) – that is true although it is not the reason here why Job’s children died. Third, when we turn to the Lord in repentance, He does answer with blessing and our latter days are better than our former ones. But again Job doesn’t have anything to repent of in this situation so yes, these are all true – but not in Job’s case.

D. Application:

1. Learn to recognise that specific truths may be truths, but are not necessarily true for our present situation.
2. Learn the truths here.

Passage: Job 8:8-22

8 ‘Ask the former generations
    and find out what their ancestors learned,
9 for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,
    and our days on earth are but a shadow.
10 Will they not instruct you and tell you?
    Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?
    Can reeds thrive without water?
12 While still growing and uncut,
    they wither more quickly than grass.
13 Such is the destiny of all who forget God;
    so perishes the hope of the godless.
14 What they trust in is fragile;
    what they rely on is a spider’s web.
15 They lean on the web, but it gives way;
    they cling to it, but it does not hold.
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
    spreading its shoots over the garden;
17 it entwines its roots round a pile of rocks
    and looks for a place among the stones.
18 But when it is torn from its spot,
    that place disowns it and says, “I never saw you.”
19 Surely its life withers away,
    and from the soil other plants grow.

20 ‘Surely God does not reject one who is blameless
    or strengthen the hands of evildoers.
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
    and your lips with shouts of joy.
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame,
    and the tents of the wicked will be no more.’

A. Find Out

1. What does Bildad says Job should do, and why? v.8-10
2. What are the godless like? v.13,11,12
3. What else is he like? v.14,15
4. To what else is he compared? v.16-19
5. How does God deal with men? v.20
6. So what will yet happen to Job? v.21,22

B. Think:

1. What point does he make in verses 8 to 10?
2. What points does he make in the 3 examples he uses?
3. What is he confident about in respect of Job?

C. Comment:

Bildad is sure that God will yet bless Job – as long as Job does not act as the ungodly do and forget God. But first he appeals to the learning of the sages of the past (v.8) who presumably have taught them, for they are yet by comparison still young (v.9), for they will help (v.10).

Then he gives 3 comparisons to show the destiny of the ungodly (who forget God v.13a).  First, he speak about papyrus that grows near water  (v.11) which, if the water dries up, soon withers (v.11b,12) i.e. without spiritual life the ungodly soon perish. Then he thinks of a spider’s web which is so fragile (v.14). Such is the hope of the ungodly, that soon proves to have no strength (v.15). Third, there is the plant near water that grows but when it is grown, if it is torn up it will soon die (v.16-19). Yet again a warning against losing contact with God!

Finally he reiterates his confidence in God’s righteousness that will not reject a blameless man (v.20) and so Job will be restored and will again know laughter and joy (v.21) and will put the wicked to shame (v.22). In all this Bildad is not empathising with Job but is indeed speaking truths – even if they don’t specifically apply to Job who hasn’t fallen away and forgotten the Lord. Yet it is a good reminder to Job not to drift into ungodliness in his suffering.

D. Application:

1. In suffering we are called to remain faithful to the Lord.
2. Ungodliness does have serious consequences!