Day 25 – Chapters 25-26

“Dominion and awe belong to Him who establishes peace in His heights. Is there any number to His troops? And upon whom does His light not rise? How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be clean who is born of woman? If even the moon has no brightness and the stars are pure in His sight, how much less man, that maggot, and the son of man, that worm?” (25:2-6)

In the continuing disputation with Job, Bildad now asserts his belief that man is inferior. To him, humans are worth very little because of their humble origin. One commentator describes his reasoning in the following manner; “If God does not consider the moon and stars to shine brightly, he considers human beings to be even less. To him they are maggots and worms”; “When God looks at the moon and the stars he considers them to be dim lights. When he looks at human beings they are nothing more to him than maggots and worms.”^[1] Bildad’s purpose is to point out to Job just how insignificant humans are to God.

Job’s reaction is quick and acerbic. “Well, you’ve certainly been a great help to a helpless man! You came to the rescue just in the nick of time! What wonderful advice you’ve given to a mixed-up man! What amazing insights you’ve provided! Where in the world did you learn all this? How did you become so inspired” (26:1-4, The Message)? I thoroughly understand Job’s reaction here. Clearly Bildad does not have the kind of relationship with God that Job enjoys. There is no way to get around the fact of his suffering, but Job, to this point, still refuses to sin against God. If you really want to find how committed a person is in their relationship with the Lord, watch and see what they do under pressure. I’m not referring to getting angry, everyone does that; but what does a person do or even say when pressed to or beyond the breaking point?

I have occasion to listen to prank phone calls on a certain morning radio program and while they are often funny I am struck by how easily the objects of these prank phone calls are pulled into a carnality of which they are normally ashamed. Everyone has a breaking point, but one should never allow situations they may encounter or counsel given without wisdom to cause them to sin against God. Job demonstrates two very important things for us today. First, one does not need to passively take the false accusations and foolish advice and counsel of those who call themselves helping. Second, one can say what needs to be said without debasing themselves or bringing shame to the name of our Lord. The Apostle Paul counseled us to be angry, but to not sin (Ephesians 4:26). Today let us adhere to that counsel.

Gracious heavenly Father, We are not always able to control our anger and frustration. We have said things that did not honor You and were hurtful to those to whom they were directed. Forgive us when we have lived beneath our privilege and dishonored Your name and our calling. Help us to own our anger without committing sin. Keep us from making excuses to explain away our sin and help us constructively channel our emotions to the glory of Your precious name. Amen.

^[1] William David Reyburn, A Handbook on the Book of Job (UBS Handbook Series, New York: United Bible Societies, 1992), 468.