INTRODUCTION
People often ask the question; “why do bad things happen to good people?”. The assumption is that good people should not suffer for any reason. They forgot that as long as we live in this world, we are bound to face challenges. This could come in form of natural disasters, barrenness, prolonged illnesses, wrong accusations, unemployment, betrayals, financial constraints etc. Some people believe that when one is in Christ, he/she is free from challenges. This is a misconception (John 16:33). Our disposition to these challenges attests to the level of our faith and spiritual maturity.
As a traditionalist, Bildad felt that Job was being irreverent towards God. Thus, in his anger, he rebuked Job for what he said in his last speech. Since Job assumed that he was right (Job 6:29, 30), Bildad argued that Job wrongly assumed that God was unjust by afflicting him. Bildad’s argument was based on the premise that the calamity of Job’s life came as a result of sin on the part of Job. Since Job had argued that man is shaped in life by unbearable trials that are brought on him by God, Bildad affirmed that God was just in whatever he did in the life of man. Does God pervert justice/judgement? This was the premise upon which Bildad based his argument. Since God is the Almighty, then everything that comes from him is just. Man has no right to question his plight since God could not deal unjustly with man.
•Do you agree on the idea that one’s lot in life is deserved? Why or why not?
•What are the good and bad ways we sometimes respond to those who are suffering?
The words in Vs. 11-12 are true, but they do not apply to Job. They are issues that are beyond human understanding; they can really cause disaffection among people. Bildad was there when Job pleaded for forgiveness in Job 7:21, but he did not consider that to be enough. If Job really repented according to him, the results in Vs 21-22 are sure to follow. With the best of intentions, we too can make wrong diagnoses of other peoples’ problems, on the basis of our firm but wrong belief.
• How often do we condemn others and justify ourselves?
• Are we knowledgeable and wise enough to state with certainty how God always act?
• God’s ways are always higher than our own. God’s purposes are often beyond the understanding of men.
Doth God pervert judgement? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? Job 8:3.
