Job 25:1-6: a reflection

1Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, 2“Dominion and fear are with him. He makes peace in his high places. 3Can his armies be counted? On whom does his light not arise? 4How then can man be just with God? Or how can he who is born of a woman be clean? 5Behold, even the moon has no brightness, and the stars are not pure in his sight; 6How much less man, who is a worm, and the son of man, who is a worm!”

Bildad, one of Job's friends, speaks of the greatness and holiness of God and then raises a question that has no easy answer: How then can man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be clean? Before the holiness of God, even the moon and stars are not pure, Bildad says; how much less a mortal. His point, though pressed coldly against Job, contains a real and searching truth: none of us can stand clean and righteous before a holy God on our own.

Notice the question, which is deeper than Bildad knew: how can a mortal be righteous before God? It is one of the weightiest questions a person can ask. Measured against God's holiness, none of us is pure; our own righteousness falls short. Bildad raised the question but had no answer to give, only the crushing weight of human unworthiness, leaving Job, and us, seemingly without hope of standing clean before God.

But the gospel answers the question Bildad could only raise. How can a mortal be righteous before God? Not by our own righteousness, which indeed falls short, but by the righteousness God provides as a gift, the righteousness of Christ received through faith. What Bildad could not answer, the cross does: God himself makes the unrighteous righteous, clothing us in a righteousness not our own. When you feel the weight of your own unworthiness before a holy God, do not stop where Bildad stopped, in hopelessness. Bring the question to Christ, who is the answer. You cannot make yourself righteous before God; but God, in Christ, makes you righteous as a gift.

Lord, Bildad asked how a mortal can be righteous before you, and had no answer but the crushing weight of human unworthiness. Thank you that the gospel answers what he could only ask. I cannot stand clean and righteous before you on my own; my own righteousness falls short of your holiness. But you provide in Christ a righteousness not my own, received as a gift through faith, clothing the unrighteous in the righteousness of your Son. When I feel the weight of my unworthiness before you, keep me from stopping in Bildad's hopelessness. Lead me to Christ, who is the answer. You make the unrighteous righteous; thank you for that gift.