Daily Devotional | Bildad: Punished Unfairly

Unless you live in Michigan or Ohio, you are probably not aware of the Michigan-Ohio war which was waged over the territory known as the Toledo strip. The conflict ended after President Andrew Jackson stepped in as an arbitrator (per Ohioans) or as an advocate for Ohio (per Michiganders).

Job needed an arbitrator or mediator for his situation. He acknowledged the truth of Bildad’s premise that God does not pervert justice (8:3; 9:2). However, Job posed his own question, “How can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?” (9:2). Bildad believed that if you do right, God will bless. If you do evil, God will punish. However, Job understood that nobody is righteous before a holy God. Who was right?

Job states, “[God] is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot” (9:32–35).

Without the hope of this mediator, Job returned to his lament: “Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me” (10:18). It is the lament of a man who knows what he needs. Better yet, it is the lament of a man who knows Whom he needs. He just doesn’t know where to find Him.

Unbeknownst to Job, he is desiring Jesus. Life without Jesus is a life of despair during loss and pain. Friends and family can only help so much. But Jesus is there with us in the dark times of life. Oh Job! You have more than an Arbitrator, you have an Advocate. The Man, Christ Jesus!

Go Deeper

Why is Jesus’ role as our advocate even better than an arbitrator?

Pray with Us: Unlike Job, who was only desiring and searching for You, Jesus, we are found and redeemed by You. Hallelujah! Heavenly Father, give us courage to take up the cross of our King and follow Him.

BY Eric W. Moore

Eric Moore is Professor and Chair of the Applied Theology Field at Moody Theological Seminary. Eric is graduate of Michigan State University, Dallas Theological Seminary, the University of Michigan, and Western Seminary. He is the author of Pastoring the Small Church and a contributor to the One Volume Seminary (Moody Publishers). He has pastored Tree of Life Bible Fellowship church for over two decades. Eric and his wife, Marilyn, live in southeast Michigan and have three children.