The Book of Job

Job 25

Chapter XXV · Vol. II, p. 967

Bildad asserteth the sovereignty of God, before whom man cannot be justified.

Margin referencesNotes ↓

1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

2 Dominion^a and fear are with him; he ^bmaketh peace in his high places.¹

A.M. cir. 2484. B.C. cir. 1520.

a Da.4.3,34. Mat.28.18. Je.10.7. Re.6.16. ch.22.4. Jude 25.

b Ep.1.10. Col.1.20.

1 Amongst the high and mighty of the earth he causes wars to cease when he pleases. See Ps.46.9.—C.

3 Is there any ^cnumber of his armies? and ^dupon whom doth not his light arise?²

c Da.7.10. Re.5.11,13. Ge.2.1;32.1,2. Ps.68.17. Joel 2.11. Ju.5.20.

d Mat.5.45. Jn.1.4,9. Ja.1.17.

2 The glory of our empire is, that the sun never sets upon its dominions. Remember, O Britain, that this is thy praise! but seek rather that 'the Sun of righteousness' never set upon thee, that Sun which ariseth with healing in his wings.—C.

4 How ^ethen can man be justified with God? or how can he be ^fclean that is born of a woman?

e ch.4.12-19; 15.14-16;14.4. Ps.130.3; 143.2; 51.5. Ro.5.1,21.

f Zec.13.1. 1 Co.6.11. 1 Jn.1.9. Re.1.5.

5 Behold ^geven to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight:

g ch.15.15; 4.17-19. Is.24.23.

6 How ^hmuch less man, that is a worm; and the son of man, which is a worm?

h ch.4.19; 15.16. Ps.22.6. Is.41.14.

Notes

Bildad replied, 2. To God belongs that supreme authority over all things in heaven and earth, and that infinite majesty which strikes every beholder into solemn awe. In perfect quietness and order he rules all the luminaries in the firmament, and all the angels and glorified saints above. Why then darest thou pretend to find fault with him? 3. His creatures are absolutely innumerable to us, and every one shares of his light, his benefits of nature or grace;—why then contend with him? 4. And how then can a poor wretched man stand as righteous before God? And he that is born of a sinful woman be pure before him? 5. In his view the bright luminaries of heaven are spotted and dark. 6. How mean and vile then must the frail and dying children of a corrupted progenitor and federal head be in his sight!

Ver. 6. [This closing speech of Bildad is beautiful and true, but it does not touch the point at issue. The friends had argued that Job was punished because of his sin—his sin was great, though concealed beneath a cloak of hypocrisy, therefore his punishment was great. In reply Job affirmed a great fact, namely, that the ungodly often live happily and prosperous; and from this he argues with conclusive force that punishment does not always overtake the sinner. Consequently the fact of his being greatly afflicted was no certain proof of his having grievously sinned. P.——Worm. This word rather signifies a maggot, a creature bred of corruption. C.]

Reflections.—After long and hot disputing, people often come to see that there was less difference between them than they thought. Job's friends were obliged to acknowledge that wicked persons might prosper for a time, and Job owned that they would be destroyed at last. It were a great mercy for religious disputants to have their hearts always filled with awful thoughts of God and humble thoughts of themselves. But how infinite is the condescension of God to hold fellowship with men, so mean, so loathsome! Let me never forget how Jehovah assumed my nature, and in it, for me, became a worm and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people! What manner of love hath the Father bestowed on us in thus sending forth his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, that we, sinful worms, might, through his blood, become the sons of God!