Job 18:1-16: a reflection

1Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, 2“How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak. 3Why are we counted as animals, which have become unclean in your sight? 4You who tear yourself in your anger, will the earth be forsaken for you? Or will the rock be removed out of its place? 5“Yes, the light of the wicked will be put out. The spark of his fire won’t shine. 6The light will be dark in his tent. His lamp above him will be put out. 7The steps of his strength will be shortened. His own counsel will cast him down. 8For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he wanders into its mesh. 9A snare will take him by the heel. A trap will catch him. 10A noose is hidden for him in the ground, a trap for him on the path. 11Terrors will make him afraid on every side, and will chase him at his heels. 12His strength will be famished. Calamity will be ready at his side. 13The members of his body will be devoured. The firstborn of death will devour his members. 14He will be rooted out of the security of his tent. He will be brought to the king of terrors. 15There will dwell in his tent that which is none of his. Sulfur will be scattered on his habitation. 16His roots will be dried up beneath. His branch will be cut off above.

Bildad answers Job with a long, vivid description of the fate of the wicked: the light of the wicked put out, his lamp darkened, snares and traps and terrors on every side, his roots dried up. Much of what Bildad says may be true of the wicked in a general way; but he is aiming it at Job, a suffering man, implying that Job's afflictions prove him wicked. He wields true-sounding words as a weapon against a man already in agony, adding to his suffering rather than comforting it. The doctrine may sound right, but it is cruelly misapplied to the suffering.

Notice the danger in Bildad's speech: true-sounding words wrongly aimed at a suffering man. What he says about the wicked may hold in general; but he aims it at Job, implying that Job's suffering is proof of his wickedness. He uses doctrine as a weapon against a man in agony, when what Job needed was comfort, not accusation. The words, however true they might be in their place, were cruelly misapplied to the suffering Job, adding to his pain. Right-sounding doctrine, harshly and wrongly aimed at the afflicted, wounds rather than heals.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can wield true-sounding words harshly against the suffering, when they need comfort. When others suffer, we can be tempted to explain their suffering, to imply it is deserved, to wield doctrine that may be true in general as though it condemned them, as Bildad did to Job; but the suffering more often need comfort than accusation. Do not wield true-sounding words harshly against those who are suffering, implying their affliction proves them guilty; offer comfort rather than accusation, as Job needed comfort, not Bildad's condemnation. Be careful not to aim right-sounding doctrine harshly at the suffering, as Bildad aimed his words at afflicted Job; give the suffering comfort rather than accusation, for words that may be true in their place can wound cruelly when wrongly aimed at those in agony, and the afflicted need our comfort, not our condemnation.

Lord, Bildad answers Job with a long, vivid description of the fate of the wicked: the light of the wicked put out, his lamp darkened, snares and traps and terrors on every side, his roots dried up. Much of what Bildad says may be true of the wicked in a general way; but he is aiming it at Job, a suffering man, implying that Job's afflictions prove him wicked. He wields true-sounding words as a weapon against a man already in agony, adding to his suffering rather than comforting it. Show me the danger in Bildad's speech: true-sounding words wrongly aimed at a suffering man. What he says about the wicked may hold in general; but he aims it at Job, implying that Job's suffering is proof of his wickedness. He uses doctrine as a weapon against a man in agony, when what Job needed was comfort, not accusation. Right-sounding doctrine, harshly and wrongly aimed at the afflicted, wounds rather than heals. Take that to my heart, for I too can wield true-sounding words harshly against the suffering, when they need comfort. When others suffer, I can be tempted to explain their suffering, to imply it is deserved, to wield doctrine that may be true in general as though it condemned them, as Bildad did to Job; but the suffering more often need comfort than accusation. Keep me from wielding true-sounding words harshly against those who are suffering, implying their affliction proves them guilty; help me offer comfort rather than accusation, Lord, as Job needed comfort, not Bildad's condemnation.