#653 Dark Reasoning

“How long will you hunt for words?

Consider, and then we will speak.

3 Why are we counted as cattle?

Why are we stupid in your sight?

4 You who tear yourself in your anger,

shall the earth be forsaken for you,

or the rock be removed out of its place?

5 “Indeed, the light of the wicked is put out,

and the flame of his fire does not shine.

6 The light is dark in his tent,

and his lamp above him is put out.

7 His strong steps are shortened,

and his own schemes throw him down.

8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet,

and he walks on its mesh.

9 A trap seizes him by the heel;

a snare lays hold of him.

10 A rope is hidden for him in the ground,

a trap for him in the path.

11 Terrors frighten him on every side,

and chase him at his heels.

12 His strength is famished,

and calamity is ready for his stumbling.

13 It consumes the parts of his skin;

the firstborn of death consumes his limbs.

14 He is torn from the tent in which he trusted

and is brought to the king of terrors.

15 In his tent dwells that which is none of his;

sulfur is scattered over his habitation.

16 His roots dry up beneath,

and his branches wither above.

17 His memory perishes from the earth,

and he has no name in the street.

18 He is thrust from light into darkness,

and driven out of the world.

19 He has no posterity or progeny among his people,

and no survivor where he used to live.

20 They of the west are appalled at his day,

and horror seizes them of the east.

21 Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous,

such is the place of him who knows not God.” Job 18 ESV

It is pretty useless to answer pride with pride, but even worse to answer despair with pride, to trade insult for insult. You cannot cast off the title of bully in such conversations. Bildad is accusing Job of pride, but clearly defends his own ego here. He basically thinks that Job still needs to repent, and his inability or unwillingness to do so or see the necessity of is arrogance. In the minds of his friends, Job is disrespecting what they think is sound advice. Job is asking for things outside the natural order they believe, it is because he is wicked that he cannot see. He is in darkness. It is his own fault, he has chosen this, devised it by acting wickedly. This is your karma they say, they unbind themselves by the separation of self righteousness, and rightly so they measure, for we still have our houses, children and cattle. We are good men, and things are the proof. Everything that is happening to you happens to the unrighteous, this is justice. Once they admit the hand of God then they must concede also a perfect and just right. They see the hand, but it is in response to Job's actions, this is the only acceptable and reasonable explanation in their minds. 

So Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 3And the chief priests began to accuse Him of many things. 4Then Pilate questioned Him again, “Do You not answer? Look how many charges they are bringing against You!”…Mark 15: 3-4