Welcome to BibleBum where we are exploring the entire Bible in one year to better learn how to follow God’s instructions and discover the purpose for our lives.  The BibleBum blog uses The One Year Chronological Bible, the New Living Translation version.  At the end of each day’s reading, Rob, a cultural history aficionado and seminary graduate, answers questions from Leigh An, the blogger host, about the daily scripture.  To start from the beginning, click on “Index” and select Day 1.

Job 22-25

Questions & Observations

O. (Job 22:1-30): Just more accusations.  Eliphaz assumes he knows all of God’s thinking.

Q. (23:1-17): Eighth speech?  I thought the no. 7 was a symbol of completeness.  OK, we’ll carry on.  Job seems to be OK with everything in this speech until 23:15-17.  It seems that the dark side — giving in to thinking he has done wrong and being punished for it and/or giving up on God — is knocking hard on Job’s door.  Am I interpreting this correctly?

A. It does appear that Job is getting warn down.

O. (24:22-25): Job poses the questions of why are the wicked not punished in the first half of his speech, but he answers them in the second.  Job talks a lot of dark and light.  He’s trying to say walk in the path of the light (God) because evil lurks in the dark (Satan)? Since Satan is a player in Job’s despair, I see him listening closely.  I imagine Satan rising and falling with the tone of speeches between Job and his friends.

Q. (25:1-6): Bildad’s speech is interesting.  It sounds like he is saying that Job can’t possibly be undeserving of punishment because he is human, and thus not perfect.  No one can shine like God.  I am unclear about verses 4-6.  What is Bildad saying about being born of a woman?  Is he just referring to all humans?  There is no jab against women here, right?  And, 5-6 confuses me because God loves His people.  Why would He refer to them as worms, even in a comparison.  I don’t think that is how He thinks of us, His creation.  Putting this in perspective, this is NOT God’s words, it’s Bildad’s.

A. I think all of the words spoken here are that of Bildad and not God.  I think there is no particular jab at women here; Bildad is using a fancy way of saying “every human ever born”.  I think that scripture is clear that God cares greatly for us (though this does not make us free to do as we please) and does not think of us as worms.  Bildad, like his friends, is speaking for himself here, and not for God.