Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.

Job

CHAPTER 17

1 My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me. 2 Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation? 3 Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me? 4 For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them. 5 He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail. 6 He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret. 7 Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow. 8 Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.

Job considers himself almost dead. He is uncomfortable enough, but these "mockers" have come disguised as friends, and make the situation even worse (verses 1-2).
Job entreats God to be in partnership with him because certainly no man will commit to partnership with him. (verse 3)
Indeed, if we do not have the comfort of God's presence, we are most miserable.
Job considers that his friends having shown no compassion are "without understanding" (verse 4). They certainly shall receive no reward from God for their constant provocation.
They have broken the law of God, having talked about Job and not trying to comfort him (verse 5). They will find the same problem when they are old and dying in sickness. Their children will fail to be comforters to them.
Job had been a "tabret," before, but now he is a "byword" and only a "shadow of a man." (verses 6-7).
When good men suffer it is indeed an astonishment (verse 8). Just as surely as the righteous ("innocent") man would stir himself against a hypocrite, the righteous man is astonished at good men suffering.
Are we not astonished when earthquakes or volcanoes take hundreds of lives? Are we not taken aback by tornadoes and hurricanes destroying the innocent with the unrighteous?
But again, let me point out: finite man cannot understand the ways of the infinite God.

9 The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. 10 But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you. 11 My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. 12 They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness. 13 If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness. 14 I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou are my mother, and my sister. 15 And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it? 16 They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

The truly righteous will not forsake faith in God's grace and mercy (verse 9). Instead, his faith shall grow stronger each day. Job is not forsaking faith that God is righteous and just. Job is not forsaking faith that God has mercy and is gracious. Job is only questioning WHY this is happening to him.
But these friends who have come to him are reverting to a "works" doctrine (verse 10). They are supporting a belief that God's grace ONLY comes by works of righteousness. In other words they believe a man can EARN his salvation.
Job's desires for the future in this life are gone (verse 11). The night is far spent, but the day is even shorter (verse 12).
Job is simply waiting on death (verse 13). He is quite willing to leave this suffering and die (verse 14).
He sees no hope for a future in the physical realm (verse 15). All his hopes are in the ashes of his repentance, and he desires the "rest" that comes from death (verse 16).

Chapter 18

1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, 2 How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak. 3 Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?

From Bildad's words, it seems that he rudely interrupted Job's last speech.
He is obviously angry at being called void of understanding (verse 3).

4 He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place?

Bildad accuses Job of tearing at his own soul with his words. He intimates that Job thinks God should change the situations of the world just for Job's sake.
Friends, God WILL CHANGE the world situation just for His children's sake! Sometimes we go through periods of astonishement and concern because we don't understand what's happening. But we must realize that God can even change the course of the world for His people, and has done so on several occasions.
Bildad's failure to recognize this is ignorance indeed.

5 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. 6 The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him. 7 The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down. 8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.

Again, Bildad takes a true principal and applies it in a wrong manner.
The truly wicked (without God) will indeed come to no good end. That person is indeed "cast into a net by his own feet." He causes his own destruction by willingly rebelling against God.
However, one man cannot know another man's heart as pertains to his relationship with God. Certainly we shall not join the devil in accusing men of faithlessness because of their physical condition or social station in life.

9 The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him. 10 The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way. 11 Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet. 12 His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side. 13 It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength. 14 His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors. 15 It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation. 16 His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off. 17 His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street. 18 He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. 19 He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings. 20 They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted. 21 Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

Bildad goes on and on about the awfulness of those who refuse God.
But then he commits JUDGMENT of Job (verse 21).
In his estimation Job is "wicked" and "knoweth not God."
Friends, it is not our place to determine a person's salvation.
Yes, if we see a brother in sin, we should go to him and try to compassionately restore him in faith (James 5:19-20).
But we should never assume the position of GOD and determine in our own eyes whether a person is saved or lost. We are mere men. We cannot see into the depths of the heart as can God.
Judgmentalism leads to criticism. This is the principal we learn from Bildad.

Please continue in Bible Study with us.