Verses 1-6

3. Bildad"s third speech ch25

The brevity of this speech reflects the fact that Job"s companions were running out of arguments. Job"s responses were at least silencing them, if not convincing them.

Bildad seems to have abandoned the earlier theme of the wicked person"s fate because of what Job had just pointed out. Instead, he merely emphasized the sinfulness and insignificance of all people, and God"s greatness. Perhaps he hoped Job would admit to being a sinner, since the whole human race is unclean. He felt Job was absurd in thinking that he could argue before God.

Job 25:4 restates a basic question that had come up earlier in the debate ( Job 4:17; Job 9:2 b; Job 15:14). The answer did not come in this book, but it came later with subsequent good news of God"s grace. Perhaps Bildad raised it here to convince Job that neither he nor anyone else could be as guiltless as Job claimed to be. The illustrations that follow in Job 25:5-6 support his point.

Interestingly this last statement, the last of all those recorded in the book that Job"s three friends uttered, is a very depressing one. These men had come to comfort Job, but their words and worldview made that impossible.

"The best way to help discouraged and hurting people is to listen with your heart and not just with your ears. It"s not what they say but why they say it that is important. Let them know that you understand their pain by reflecting back to them in different words just what they say to you. Don"t argue or try to convince them with logical reasoning. There will be time for that later; meanwhile, patiently accept their feelings-even their bitter words against God-and build bridges, not walls." [Note: Wiersbe, pp35-36.]