Behold, Bildad

So good to have you with us tonight if you've got your Bible Job chapter 8 Job chapter 8 just 22 verses this evening

This is our 10th message In the book of Job and this will conclude our time for this year And we'll pick it up in January when we start our Wednesday evenings again But right now I just want to look with you at the book of Job the 8th chapter and look that this is Bildad now Who's going to be on the scene? And so tonight we're gonna behold Bildad he is the second of the two counselors or three counselors that comes and offers his advice to Job Now what started out as a really great idea? Deteriorated very quickly things went south things went sour things became very sarcastic very quickly as Eliphaz and Bildad Began to speak yet Bildad was was less charitable

He was blunt He was severe He was the classic rationalist He was very analytical very theoretical In all of his approach, but there was no emotion

No, no empathy on his part whatsoever As you recall Eliphaz was was experiential in his approach He said I have learned and I've observed I have seen he says everything was from what he had experienced Trying to help Job understand things from an experiential point of view but now Bildad takes control of the conversation and his counsel, unfortunately will Be just as empty as Eliphaz's was so let's begin Job 8 verse number one Notice with me point number one how he Criticizes Job and he criticizes Job in four ways It says then Bildad the Shuhite answered

How long will you say these things and the words of your mouth? Be a mighty wind what Kind of counsel is that how critical can you possibly be? He calls Job a windbag He says Joe how long are you gonna keep? Babbling on and on and on now why he does that I have no idea But you know Job would probably speak simply because when he spoke it would take his mind off of his pain And maybe that would help him a little bit. I don't I don't know but to criticize him for his comments Telling him that they were too long was so insensitive Job Was just looking for some kind of encouraging word Something that would be empathetic toward his situation, but Bildad like Eliphaz Had no emotion no empathy So he criticizes his comments and then he criticizes his creed

Look what he says in verse number Three does God prefer justice or does the Almighty pervert what is right? He wants to criticize Job's creed because he believes that Job has questioned The justice and Judgments of God the word pervert means to twist and He was concerned that that's what Job was doing now We know that Genesis 18 25 says shall not the judge of all the earth do that? Which is right and then back in the book of Deuteronomy the 32nd chapter in the fourth verse it says the rock his work is perfect for all his ways are just and God is faithful and And Without injustice righteous and upright as he So Job knew that God was righteous Job knew that God was just that wasn't a question in Job's mind but Eliphaz or excuse me Bildad believes that he had insinuated that God was unjust for him to be in the situation that he was in But that's not the case Because God this God is righteous just and holy and so he criticizes Job's view of God, although Job has not said that he is insinuating that Job is Speaking those words and then he says this he criticizes his children He says if your sons sinned against him, then he delivered them into the power of their transgression What an indictment Against Job

Here's a man in grief

He's lost all ten children, right? And he's sitting in pain and now he accuses his children of transgression or at least Job's transgression that killed his children So I don't know about you, but that's not how you you know console someone who's in pain But this is build dad's approach because he's so non-emotional he's very Analytical in his approach to Job and then he criticizes his character verse 5 if you would seek God and implore the compassion of the Almighty If you are pure and upright surely now he would rouse himself for you and restore your righteous estate Though your beginning was insignificant yet

Your end will increase Greatly, he accuses Job and criticizes Job of not seeking God How does he know Job hasn't sought God? How does he know Job is not walking with God intimately daily Well, he assumes that because of the great tragedy that's come upon his life He just assumes that because you are experiencing all this tragedy You must be a sinner You must not be pure You must not be righteous

You must not be seeking God Well, it very well could be that him seeking God has brought him to this place where he is because God is going to teach Much more about him But you see build dad doesn't take that into account He is so missing the boat He has not heard the heart of Job it's like the husband-wife relationship Okay, the wife has an issue

So she begins to address the issue and talk about it with a husband He hears the words But doesn't necessarily hear the heart of his wife So he begins to analyze the words he begins to critique the words he begins to Theorize about what words he is saying and then gives her an answer based on her words not based on the heart that's speaking and thus you have marital conflict because she says my husband doesn't listen to me My husband doesn't hear me and he says I heard every word you said it's not the words you need to hear It's the heart you need to hear

How do I know that? I'm speaking from experience now, right? Because I need to listen to my wife's heart and understand what's going on on the inside of her I can hear her words and come to a Criticism of her words or I can listen for her heart and begin to understand what's really going on inside of her Well, neither Eliphaz nor bill dad Did that and build that is very critical and so he criticizes Job he criticizes his comments He criticizes the children his creed his character and then he calls for Job listen He calls for Job to trust in human wisdom

Look what he says first number eight Please inquire of past generations and consider the things searched out by their fathers For we are only of yesterday and know nothing because our days on earth are as a shadow Will they not teach you and tell you and bring forth words from their minds now? Think about that

He is asking Job to consider the traditions of the past So look at the men of the past and go and search out What they have experienced and what they've gone through listen who's got time for that Job doesn't have time to go down to the library and read up on this stuff He's gonna have time to go around searching for these men who have gone through these past experiences He's in pain Enormous pain he needs counsel He needs wisdom He needs direction

He needs help He doesn't need someone to tell him that there are other men down that have lived before us who have answers You need to search them out Job You need to go see and see what their minds say What the problem with that is is he's turning him away from Heavenly wisdom to earthly wisdom He's pointing him in the wrong direction no, I'm I can imagine a build that has has at at best Job's interest in terms of what has happened in the past, but Pray tell what person has gone through what Job's gone for it

How could they ever begin to speak to him? about the things of Their lives or things that they have heard of or things that they have seen when a reality Job Has faced things way beyond anything you and I could ever imagine plus them so he accuses Job of not seeking God not Searching after God

He says about Job that he is not pure and upright But God has already said that he's pure and upright now remember build that has no idea about the conversation in heaven Job doesn't Eliphaz doesn't build that doesn't so far doesn't Eli who doesn't none of them do right we do because we've read the narrative we do because we have the story but they did not and so they come to a conclusion a conclusion that's erroneous a conclusion that's not true, but They want to justify their counsel So he criticizes Job and then he calls on Job not to search out truth But to search out human wisdom men from the past So he in essence is directing them away from God now granted They didn't have a Bible that they could open up and read and study We understand that we do right We can open up the scriptures and we can read the scriptures and we can search for wisdom knowing that the Bible gives us wisdom Didn't have a Bible, right? and so Maybe build ads whole emphasis was on godly wisdom from the past and men who were walking with the Lord doesn't say that But maybe that was what he inferred So he criticizes Job and then he calls on Job to trust in human wisdom and then he begins to condemn Job Listen to this

Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes grow without water? While it's still green and not cut down yet It withers before any other plant So are the paths of all who forgot God? She said look, you know about the papyrus, you know, it lives in moisture lot needs lots of water But once the water is gone it dries up and it withers So that's you You're withering Why? Simply because you have forgotten God Now, is it true that if we forget God, it's gonna hinder our walk with the Lord

Yes, that's very true But one thing Job hasn't forgotten is his God That's why when he criticizes his children when in chapter 1 of verse number 5 He would make sacrifices on behalf of his children on behalf of sins that they might have committed Remember way back in Job chapter 1 we studied that he is criticizing Job's leadership of his children and now he's telling him that they have sinned or at least you have sinned Job and now they're dead and Yet Job is a pure upright blameless man fearing God turning away from evil seeking God looking out to become closer with God and Now he's being criticized Now he's being condemned he's being condemned because Bill dead is saying you have forgotten God You have forgotten all that he is and and all that he wants to teach you One thing Job never forgot was his God He would always reference the Lord He was one who was walking with his God But you see build that didn't have a chance to observe that in Job's life on a regular basis

He knew about Job He was friends of Job But to accuse him of not seeking God and walking after God and living a pure and upright life That's just not Job We know that and we've never met the man except on the page of Scripture and build that was his friend And if that's what he accuses Job of So he condemns him So are the paths of those who forget God and the hope of the godless will perish

In other words, if you forget God You are living a life of godlessness And your hope it's gonna perish Job they says whose confidence is fragile and whose trust a Spider's web he trusts in his house, but it does not stand he oats fast to it, but it does not endure He's saying you not only have you forgotten your God you have failed to truly trust your God Your trust is in things that don't matter They're like a spider's web you ever leaned against the spider's web doesn't hold anything up except a spider or a fly it catches, right? Doesn't hold us up

He says look you like the guy who trusted his house and as rich as his possessions There's nothing there It's hopeless Job So he's condemning Job's lifestyle

He's condemning Job's heart he's coming down on Job And the rock rock thing about this is that Job never says anything Job was completely quiet You think he went a whole off and hit the guy when he talks about his kids, but he doesn't do that he just sits there and listens and listens to the reprimand that he receives which makes you appreciate Job even all the more because What will we do? How would we react? And so as you read on it says He thrives before the Sun and his shoot spread out over his garden his roots wrap around a rock pile He grasped the house of stones if he is removed from the place that it will deny him saying I never saw you Behold, this is the joy of his way and out of the dust others will spring in other words Job because you're not a righteous man

You have no joy Well, of course he has no joy he's living in pain he's lost everything So he condemns Job He criticizes Job He calls on Job to trusted human wisdom and then lastly he he confronts Job He says Job look though God will not reject a man of integrity other words If you're a man of integrity He's not gonna reject you

We already know he's a blameless guy We already know he's an upright guy He says nor will he support the evildoers? God doesn't support evildoers Job and then he says he will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouting if you truly are a man of integrity and Those who hate you will be clothed with shame and the tent of the wicked will be no longer In other words, the wicked will lose the and the righteous will will be victorious There's nothing about what build that says That has any inkling as to what's happening in Job's life He has missed it completely He's like the man who asked his wife this question If you could have anything in the world for one day What would you want? She responded with a smile

Well, I'd really love to be six again Early the next morning the morning after her birthday He got her up and off they went to a nearby Waffle House for waffles and whipped cream and a tall glass of milk Next they headed to a local theme park What a day He put her on every ride in the park the death slide the cyclone whip the screaming loop The wall of fear the double ring Ferris wheel everything they had she rode Five hours later

She staggers out of the theme park with her husband her heads reeling Her stomach is still churning off to McDonald's next he ordered two Big Macs along with extra fives and a thick chocolate shake After they took in an exciting animated movie the latest Hollywood blockbuster They had popcorn and Pepsi's and a bag of M&Ms topping off the day full of fabulous six-year-old adventures Exhausted she stumbles into the house late that evening with her husband and collapses on the bed That was when he leaned over and softly whispered in her ear

Well, dear, how'd you like being six again? When I opened and she said well, I actually meant my dress size That's bill that He is completely missed Everything Job has said He wants to use theories He wants to talk about Water and marshes and papyri and he wants to talk about men of the past and he wants to talk about everything about what? except what Job needs Job can sit there say, you know, what about my oozing sores that are they're filled with maggots

Do you have anything for them? Do you have anything for for what's going on inside of me emotionally right now Do you have any words of wisdom at all build that? But he doesn't Because bill dad doesn't approach Job from anything other than an analytical Theoretical point of view he doesn't really understand what's happening in the life of Joe because he comes with a Preconceived idea as to why Job is the way he is You can never do that Because you just don't know You just don't know But you know what there is somebody who does know And that is the Lord God of Israel So turn with me your Bible to the book of Isaiah for a moment I want to show you something last week

Remember that Isaiah 40 Isaiah 41 I'm gonna take you to Isaiah chapter 9 because Isaiah is telling them that hope is coming Hope is coming to Israel in the form of their Messiah and we're gonna read a Very familiar verse of Scripture that you know very well Isaiah 9 verse number 6 for a child will be born to us a Son will be given to us and the government will rest on his shoulders and His name will be called wonderful counselor mighty God eternal father prince of peace Notice what it says and his name will be called Not his names are But his name will be called 800 times in the Old Testament The word Shema is used with the Lord 200 times in the New Testament So a thousand times in Scripture, it's always in the singular and never in the plural Because God doesn't have names If he only has a name When the Bible speaks of a name it speaks of attributes speaks of character

It speaks of abilities So when it talks about the name of the Lord The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous run to it and are safe, right? It doesn't mean that God's name is mr Strong Tower It means that that is the character of God

That's who he is And so this son that's given this child that is born is a unique person He's going to be wonderful and that speaks of his Incomprehensiveness Because he goes beyond anything you can ever imagine He's going to be called counselor Because he's absolutely invaluable He's going to be called mighty God because he's invincible He'll be called the eternal father because he is Interminable

In other words, he cannot or he is unending or incapable of ever being Terminated and then lastly he is called the Prince of Peace In other words, he is incomparable But notice what he says he says he will be called counselor Counselor Israel had received all kinds of counsel from the wrong people and they listened to wrong counsel But they needed the ultimate counselor to come and that would be the Messiah But the Bible says that the never a man spoke as this man spoke in Matthew chapter 7 They had never heard anyone speak like the Christ He spoke with authority He spoke with compassion He spoke with mercy

In fact, he said come unto me all you that labor and heavy laden Take my yoke upon you learn from me for I am Gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls He's the one who is able to do for Israel what no one else could do Well, the same is true for for you and me This Messiah that we're going to celebrate Over the next several weeks into the month of December who came to this earth Is the counselor? It's unfortunate that for the most part as Christians we don't go to him for counsel But why should we Let me tell you why because this counselor is Close So close He's actually in You that's how close he is There is no counselor

You will ever go to That will be as close to you as Christ In other words, the Bible says in Hebrews 13 verse number 5. I will never leave you nor Will I forsake you? in fact The psalmist said in Psalm 139 if I ascend to heaven you are there if I make my bed and she'll behold you are there The credentials of the Messiah are undeniable The credentials of the Messiah are so Unique That he is the one we go to for counsel

There's no one closer than he is The great mystery of the Old Testament was Christ in you the hope of glory Paul speaks of that in Colossians chapter 1 right? That which was concealed in the old would reveal in the new Was that Christ would actually be in you He'd live within us He'd put his spirit within us He would make his abode with us and so we realized that that there is no counselor who is as close to you as Christ is in other words No matter where you go Your counselor is there If you have a physical counselor that you go to He's not gonna be with you at the grocery store He's not gonna be with you at home He's not gonna be with you at work This counselor is That's how close he is But not only is he close he's confidential He's confidential Hebrews 2 17 says that he's our faithful and merciful high priest In other words the things you tell him he tells no one else you see You can't trust anybody else to keep confidential what you tell them But you can with Christ Because he is the merciful and faithful high priest You can safely share with him Your deepest thoughts He knows them anyway So you just will share it with him So verbalize it you can't keep anything from him

He already knows because he's so close So he's close He's confidential But he's compassionate

He's compassionate Job's three friends were anything but compassionate But our Lord is it says that he was 415 he was tempted in all things as we are yet without sin If you've been rejected He's been rejected because he knows rejection If you've ever been lonely There is no one more lonely than the Christ If you've ever been persecuted None of us have been persecuted like the Christ If you've been treated unjustly unfairly No one Has been me been treated more unfairly or unjustly than the perfect Son of God if you've been abused if you've been treated in a way that is Way beyond one could ever imagine The Christ is tempted at all points like we are yet without sin In other words, no matter what bill dad said he could not relate to Job Eliphaz could not relate to Job nor so far nor Elihu But Christ can relate to Job Just like for you No one in the room can necessarily relate to what you're going through whatever it may be the Christ can Christ can that's the one you cry out to That's the one you go to He wants you to come to him He wants you to cry out to him

He wants you to call upon his name That's what he wants you to do He's close He's cognizant or excuse me He's confidential He's compassionate and therefore he is cognizant He's cognizant of everything Listen to what the Bible says in John 2 25

He did not need anyone to testify Concerning man for he himself knew What was in man? In other words, no one had to tell him anything about anybody else Because he already knew When you go to a counselor you have to tell him what's happening in your marriage You have to tell him what's happening in your own personal life, right? Because he doesn't know But not with Christ He already knows He knows about your marriage He knows about your failures He knows about your temptations He knows about your sin He knows everything No one is like that except the Christ Why would you spend your time going to someone? Who doesn't know you at all? Why would you spend your time going to talk to someone? That's never with you when you go through the issues you're going through Christ is Because he's in you He is so close that no matter when you're tempted no matter when you're persecuted no matter when you're abused No matter how bad things are he's there No, is he there he knows all what's going on

He knows what you're gonna say before the words are on your lips That's a song 139 tells us So he knows all these things He doesn't have to be taught anything You don't have to inform him as to what's happening So he can sort of understand He already understands because he already knows Because he's already been tempted at all points like we are yet without sin That's why Christ is the ultimate counselor so when Isaiah is saying to the nation of Israel this Messiah Who is divine? Because he's the Son Given he's also human because he's a child that's born This God man is Wonderful counselor mighty God Everlasting Father Prince of Peace But you gotta know when he comes He knows everything He knows what's in man You don't do a form of anything You don't have to give him any statistics

He knows them all He knows everything He's actually going to be in you They didn't know that in Isaiah's prophecy, but he actually would be in them based on the promise of the New Covenant and How that would be revealed in a unique and special way through the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in the New Testament So our Lord would be in them So not only is he close not only is he Confidential no easy compassion cognizant In fact Psalm 32 8 says I will counsel you with my eye on you I'm gonna counsel you with my eye on you

In other words, I'm always watching you You know, God's never so busy that he misses what you're doing because he was watching somebody else Do you ever think about that? We have a lot of children in our family, right? We could watch one and Miss what happens with the other seven? Right because they might be in another room or we could watch three or four or five of them because they're all around us but miss what's happening with five six and seven Back there, right? Because you don't know That's not that way with God I Will counsel you with my eye upon you In other words he sees it all he knows it all He's experienced it all And he's the God of truth That will counsel you give you direction and lead you in the way of righteousness So this counselor is close confidential compassionate cognizant but more than that He's capable

He is capable of doing anything He wants to do And nobody else is the Bible says Ephesians 3 verse number 20

He is able to do far more abundantly far exceedingly above whatever you can ever ask Whatever you think He says I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go Only the mighty God can be the ultimate counselor The Almighty King of the universe He is the only one capable of healing you Only one capable of helping you only one capable of sustaining you Only one capable of comforting you the only one capable of counseling you He's the only one capable of doing anything for you Because he never goes tired Never becomes weary He is the everlasting God as we talked about last week and he is the God of the universe and That's what would lead over in Isaiah chapter 26 These words to be spoken your name Even your memory is the desire of our souls Your name Oh Lord, what is his name? Wonderful counselor mighty God everlasting father prince of peace Isaiah 40 be called Everlasting God the Lord the creator of the ends of the earth Lord your name Even the memory of your name is the ultimate desire of our souls In other words just to remember who you are Is everything and so what you have in? Scripture is We know someone 1924 says that thy testimonies are my counselors How does God counsel us? How does he instruct us in the way that we should go? He's given us his word This is the thing that Job didn't have Job did not have the Word of God that he could open and read and study and come to a clearer understanding of the Character and nature of the goddess earth you do I do We had this glorious opportunity to be able to say Lord

What is it you have from me on this day? When I go through suffering and tribulation and hardship and difficulty adversity, whatever it may be Loneliness rejection loss no matter what it is You're going through God says I'm your counselor. I Need you to come to me I'm already into in you. I already know everything about you There's no one more compassionate than I am Let me be the one to help you because I'm the only one people of doing so when you're lonely I Feel that I feel that loneliness with my presence When you're helpless, I give you my strength to sustain you

This is what I do God is in the position to do for you what nobody else can and as Christians We have the glorious opportunity to walk with God to talk with God to lean upon God to follow God to serve God because he is our Counselor our wonderful counselor who is the mighty God Job had some counselors They like most counselors are Miserable counselors, they could not comfort Job and even though they had some good Theological background and training they could not touch the deepest part of that man Because only Christ can do that Christ can touch the deepest part of a person because his words are life And he he infuses life in you in me And so when you go through hardship and difficulty no matter what it may be You have a counselor You have the only counselor that matters Who is close enough to you? To understand everything who is compassionate enough to meet and to feel the needs that you have Who knows all things about you without ever having to be told? completely confidential and the only one capable of Moving you from point A to point B as you trust and follow him Let me pray with you Father we thank you Lord for your word and pray that Lord you direct us in the way that we should go That we might honor and glorify your name

Thank you father that you're our counselor Thank you Lord that we can trust you and believe in you Thank you Lord that no matter what happens Lord you are with us and father you want us to call on your name May we do so every day of our lives without fail in Jesus name Amen