Daily Bible Devotionals

“Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: ‘Dominion and fear belong to Him; He makes peace in His high places. Is there any number to His armies? Upon whom does His light not rise? How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? If even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in His sight, how much less man, who is a maggot, and a son of man, who is a worm?’” Job 25:1-6 (NKJV)

Whenever one steps away from God’s Word and attempts to establish righteousness apart from it, they eventually have to deal with two opposing factors: 1) God’s complete holiness and 2) man’s incurable spiritual inadequacy.

If we say mankind can earn his salvation through some system of good works, we exaggerate man’s righteousness and humiliate God’s holiness. If we say, God is holy and impossible for man to please, then mankind is hopeless. So, here is humanity’s dilemma: How can imperfect people commune with holy God? Every major religion errs in one of these two perspectives.  

So, what distinguishes the follower of Jesus in such a way that we can confidently say, “We are saved!”? The distinguishing factor is God’s grace and mercy. Grace, in that He offers humanity a salvation we could not afford and do not deserve.  

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (CSB)

Mercy, in that God offers to not give us the punishment we deserve for our sins.

“…But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! Romans 5:8 (HCSB)

In today’s passage, which is actually the entire 25th chapter, Bildad’s theology contradicts his earlier arguments, along with those of his friends. Up to this point, the arguments have been simple: If a man is righteous, God will bless him; if he is unrighteous, God will judge him. Today, Bildad says it is impossible for anyone “born of a woman” to be considered righteous before God! That’s what we call a flip-flop, which is always the ultimate intellectual end of religion, apart from God’s Word. Only in the Bible do we find a God who imputes righteousness on the basis of faith, as opposed to works. Only in the Bible do we find a Messiah who is fully God and fully man, who becomes our sin offering and offers salvation, free of charge, to all who would accept it.

Satan’s argument (spoken through Job’s friend Bildad) cuts to the righteousness and deity of Jesus. Notice his language, “How can those born of a woman be clean?” The fact is that Jesus was born of a woman; the Word made flesh. And He walked among us in human form. (John 1:14) God bridged the gap between Himself and mankind through the God-man, Jesus, distinguishing as “saved” those who follow His Son.

“Yet God keeps pulling the mighty along – they get up even when not trusting their own lives. However, even if God lets them rest in safety, His eyes are on their ways. They are exalted for a little while; and then they are gone, brought low, gathered in like all others, shriveled up like ears of grain. And even if it isn’t so now, still no one can prove me a liar and show that my words are worthless.” Job 24:22-25 (CJB)

Job has been suffering the insults & accusations of his friends, who hold to a “theology” that claims God only punishes those who do evil, and He only rewards those who do good. Amid such a caustic environment, Job (in today’s chapter) gives evidence to the contrary of his friends’ beliefs.

“Men are groaning in the city, the mortally wounded are crying for help, yet God finds nothing amiss!” Job 24:12 (CJB)

Job points to the apparent injustices in their midst, where men who do wicked prosper, and the righteous suffer. But Job goes further to suggest a reckoning is coming.

“Yet God keeps pulling the mighty along – they get up even when not trusting their own lives. However, even if God lets them rest in safety, His eyes are on their ways. They are exalted for a little while; and then they are gone, brought low, gathered in like all others, shriveled up like ears of grain.” Job 24:22-24 (CJB)

Yes, we will all die someday. Both the righteous and unrighteous must face death. To be honest, I am not afraid to die. That’s not to say I want to suffer! It’s just that believers should not fear death. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Job says that what is to be feared is to be absent from the body but not in the Lord’s presence! True, the wicked may die with millions in the bank, healthy children, and smiles on their lips, but then there is judgment and eternal separation from God.  

People who believe in Heaven do so by faith. But the same is true for those who believe in Hell. Interestingly, those who reject the Bible’s description and requirements concerning salvation also reject its claims of judgment. One can reject the notion of God, Jesus, the need for salvation, Heaven, and Hell - but rejecting those truths does not mean they don’t exist. Job is telling his friends that a reckoning is coming, believe it or not.

“And even if it isn’t so now, still no one can prove me a liar and show that my words are worthless.” Job 24:25 (CJB)

Are you ready for the reckoning?

“If I head east, His isn’t there; If I head west, I won’t detect Him, if I turn north, I don’t spot Him; in the south He is veiled, and I still don’t see Him. Yet He knows the way I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My feet have stayed in His footsteps; I keep to His way without turning aside. I don’t withdraw from His lips’ command; I treasure His words more than my daily food.” Job 23:8-12 (CJB)

Because I have taught the Bible in coffeehouses, I am always on the lookout for a new cool location. On one occasion, I stumbled onto a vibey coffeehouse, almost hidden in a downtown neighborhood. The shop’s owner told me he considered his business to be a ministry, so I began thinking we had another Bible study location. But when I asked him to define what he meant by the word “ministry,” the owner told me he was a “universalist Christian.” What?  Oxymoron. Basically, he believes all religions lead to Heaven, and no specific religion has a corner on the complete truth.

Now, if “Christian” means “follower of Christ” (lit: follower of Messiah), how could this fellow deny the words of Jesus?

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life: No one comes to the Father except  through Me.” John 14:6 (ESV)

According to Job, God cannot be found in the “discipline-without-personal-relationship” philosophies that define Eastern religion. God also cannot be found in the “Liberty-without-accountability” philosophies that define Western religion. Go to the North or South, and you won’t find Him there, either. God can only be fully found in His Word, as Job admits at the end of today’s passage.

Can we honestly say, as Job professed, that our feet have stayed in the path of Jesus’ footsteps? He is, after all, the Word made flesh.  

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14a (ESV)

Can we say that we have kept His way and not strayed to the right or left (east or west) of it?

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law My servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7 (NIV)

If you are undergoing a personal “trial,” remember to stay faithful to God’s Word, the Bible, and be faithful to the “Word-made-flesh,” Jesus. When your season of testing is over, you shall come forth as gold. I love God’s promises!

“Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: ‘Can a man be profitable to God?  Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.  Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless? Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into judgment with you? Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities. For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing and stripped the naked of their clothing. You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry. The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man lived in it. You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed. Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you, or darkness, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.’” Job 22:1-11 (ESV)

Are you bored with the monotony of these arguments from Job’s so-called “friends”? You should be; that is precisely why the Lord keeps confronting us with their arguments. We must endure the repetitiveness of their arguments because they are the same arguments Satan uses against us today! When we hear worldly counsel from well-intended yet Biblically context-ignorant church friends, we are intended to respond, “Oh, I’ve heard that argument before, and it is not of the Lord!”

Eliphaz is still convinced that Job is being judged by God, as opposed to being tested by Him, by allowing Satan’s divinely limited attack. Eliphaz argues that Job’s good works have not allowed him to escape God’s judgment of secret sin. That is, Job’s righteousness is of no profit to God. And that counsel is Biblically accurate in that we can never accrue enough good works to say that God OWES us anything. In fact, Jesus compared believers to servants who owe everything to their master who redeemed them and shouldn’t assume He owes them anything for their service.

“So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’” Luke 17:10 (NKJV)

But when taken out of Biblical context (Eliphaz did not include in his operational theology that God would test His servants to such an extreme as Job endured), otherwise Biblically correct counsel can turn people to despair as opposed to repentance and restoration. In Job’s case (where he committed no sin, which led him to such horrible circumstances), Eliphaz’s words extend no hope that Job could hang his faith.

No, our good works do not profit God. He does not need us, yet He chooses to call, equip, and use us to build His kingdom. The calling, equipping, and kingdom are all supplied by Him, but the choice to participate is ours. And therein lies the love of God: while our righteousness is of no profit to Him, our faith brings Him pleasure.  And the faithful should strive to hear Him proclaim, “Well done!”  (Mathew 25:21-23)

“Why do the wicked go on living, grow old and keep increasing their power? They see their children settled with them, their posterity assured. Their houses are safe, with nothing to fear; God’s rod is not on them.  Their bulls are fertile without fail, their cows get pregnant and don’t miscarry. They produce flocks of babies and their children dance around. They sing with tambourines and lyres and rejoice to the sound of the pipe. They spend their days in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace. Yet to God they say, ‘Leave us alone! We don’t want to know Your ways. What is Shaddai, that we should serve Him? What do we gain if we pray to Him?’” Job 21:7-15 (CJB)

I once heard Dr. Adrian Rogers say, “For the non-believer, this World is as close to Heaven as they are ever going to get, so they had better get all they can while they are here! But for followers of Jesus, this World is as close to Hell as they have to get.” Don’t worry about getting cheated here. Eternity in the Lord’s presence awaits you!

In a passage that could have been lifted from the book of Ecclesiastes, Job laments that, sometimes, the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer. It all seems futile, and it would be, were it not for the promise of Heaven. If we could keep an eternal perspective, we would realize this World is but a passing vapor.

“For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18 (ESV)

“For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond comparison…” 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NASB)

“Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory.” 1 Peter 4:13 (HCSB)

Nobody wants to suffer, but the believer knows their suffering is also an opportunity to give reason for the hope in them. The hard-hearted non-believer does not want to hear that sort of gospel! They want to “get all they can and can all they get.” To God, whose tremendous and holy plan would include suffering, they say, “Leave us alone!” This World is their “heaven,” and it is as close to the real one as they will get. They only want to know God for what He will do for them, not so they can know what He requires of them.

In today’s passage, the name “Shaddai” comes up in the original Hebrew. Often misinterpreted as “God Almighty,” Shaddai actually means “All-Sufficient One.”  “Shad” in Hebrew means “breast.” As a mother’s milk provides an infant with all the nutrition it needs, God provides His children all they need in this life and the next. Those who reject God feel they cannot live on His provision alone, so they must provide for themselves what the Lord is either unwilling or unable to do for us Himself.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Job 20. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“He has made my brothers keep their distance, those who know me are wholly estranged from me, my kinsfolk have failed me, and my close friends have forgotten me. Those living in my house consider me a stranger; my slave girls too – in their view, I am a foreigner. I call my servant, and he doesn’t answer, even if I beg him for a favor!” Job 19:13-16 (CJB)

As we move into the second half of the book of Job, the Messianic imagery gets more identifiable to the narrative of Jesus’ suffering. It is as if Job had heard the story of Jesus. Try reading today’s chapter alongside Isaiah 53.

Moving on to today’s passage, it is as if we are transported to Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin at Ciaphas’ home. Earlier, Jesus predicted that his close followers would abandon Him when he began to suffer persecution leading up to His crucifixion.  

“‘You will all fall away,’ Jesus told them, ‘for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’” Mark 14:27 (NIV) (Their abandonment was also prophesied in Zechariah 13:7)

Specifically, Jesus told Peter (who was declaring he would follow Jesus, even unto death) that he would deny Him outright.

“Peter declared, ‘Even if all fall away, I will not.’ ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.’” Mark 14:29-30 (NIV)

There is an interesting twist in today’s passage. Nestled in the midst of Job’s lament that his friends have abandoned him, Job mentions that his slave girls consider him a foreigner. Consider the dialogue between Ciaphas’ servant girl and Peter, as he was warming himself by the fire in the high priest’s courtyard, afraid to identify with Jesus:

“As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.’ But he denied it, saying, ‘I neither know nor understand what you are saying.’ And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, ‘This is one of them.’ But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, ‘Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.’” Mark 14:66-70 (NKJV)

Hebrews 4:14-16 describes how Jesus is our superior “High Priest.” That being the case, shouldn’t the high priest’s home have been Jesus’ home? And shouldn’t the servant girl of the high priest have been Jesus’ servant girl, strictly in principle? Yet, she considered Jesus a “Nazarene” when, in fact, He was actually a Judean by birth. In Israel’s history, the Galilee region was part of the northern kingdom of Samaria, known for idolatry. So, the servant girl’s mention of Peter’s accent was also a strong racial slur.

“Bildad the Shuchi said, ‘When will you put an end to words? Think about it – then we’ll talk! Why are we thought of as cattle, stupid in your view? You can tear yourself to pieces in your anger but the earth won’t be abandoned just for your sake; not even a rock will be moved from its place.’” Job 18:1-4 (CJB)

In today’s chapter, we hear from Job’s friend, Bildad, again. Bildad’s name means “son of contention,” and that is exactly what he is. Bildad is the most aggressive in his accusations against Job.

It is important to note that Job’s friends all hold to the “prosperity” gospel, which is itself not the gospel. In a nutshell, the prosperity gospel holds that God brings prosperity to people who follow Him rightly and adversity to those who follow Him wrongly. It is a divine “quid pro quo” tit-for-tat scenario. Therefore, in the eyes of the “prosperity” belief, if you are successful, you must be right with the Lord. Conversely, if you are undergoing a season of trial, it must have been brought on by your sin. Obviously, the people who put forth this “gospel” aren’t seriously considering the book of Ecclesiastes.

While each of his friends holds to the same theology, they each approach Job from different angles. Eliphaz is more spiritual and mystic; Tzofar claims Job’s problem is his lack of wisdom or judgment. Bildad’s approach is humanistic, with his action-oriented “save yourself” speeches. What is scary about their counsel is that, when you put their arguments together, Job’s friends distort God’s Word to send a clear message: “Job, you can be your own Judge, define your own truth, and save yourself.”  

By the way, “Judge,” “Revelation of Truth,” and “Salvation” are the ministries of the Father, Spirit, and Son. Job’s friends are “clinging to a ‘form’ of godliness, but denying the power, thereof.” (2 Timothy 3:5). Essentially, they are counseling Job away from relying on all three persons of God. Interestingly, 2 Timothy 3:5 exhorts believers, “from such people, turn away.”

Toward the end of today’s passage, Bildad evokes images of Jesus’ prophecy concerning the future of the Temple in Jerusalem.

“Some of His disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, ‘As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.’” Luke 21:5-6 (NIV)

Also interesting is how Jesus’ accusers used this same prophecy against Him during His trial: “Finally two came forward and declared, ‘This fellow said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.” Matthew 26:60b-61 (NIV)

Shortly after this accusation, Jesus testified (again) that He was the Son of God. (See also: John 10:30-33)

“He has made me a byword among the peoples, a creature in whose face they spit. I am nearly blind with grief, my limbs reduced to a shadow. The upright are perplexed at this, the innocent aroused against the hypocrites. Yet the righteous hold-on to their way, and those with clean hands grow stronger and stronger.  But as for you all, turn around!  Come back! – yet I won’t find a wise man among you.”  Job 17:6-10 (CJB)

Job 17 is a continuation of Job’s answer, beginning in the 16th chapter. True to the form, Job 17 is full of Messianic imagery, which those familiar with the New Testament will recognize. We see substitutionary atonement: “Be my guarantor yourself! Who else will put up a pledge for me?” (v. 3)

In today’s passage, we see a parallel between Jesus’ persecution and Job’s. Job describes how his suffering condition led him to become a byword among the people, to the point of being spat upon:  

“Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists. Others slapped Him and said, ‘Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit You?’” Matthew 26:67-68 (HCSB)

Not everyone who observed Job’s condition threw insults at him. Job said that the righteous were “perplexed” and that his state aroused the innocent against the hypocrites.  Surely, Job was the talk of the town as everyone commented about Job and tried to reckon his suffering with their personal theologies. The whole scene is reminiscent of how James exhorted followers of Jesus to consider the trials they were facing as the result of obedience to God.

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.” James 1:2-8 (CSB)

Through it all, Job held firm to his faith. He pleaded with his friends to turn from their sin. Perhaps the best indicator that we truly believe the gospel is our willingness to suffer to share it and to share it in the midst of our suffering. Job also knew that a reckoning was coming. Just because the Lord has not judged your sin yet doesn’t mean that He won’t.  Still, He gives us the opportunity to repent beforehand.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)