Job’s deep desire was to pour out his bitter complaint before the Lord. “Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me” (Job 23:1-5).

And how does Job think God would respond to this? “Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me. There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge” (23:6-7). We should notice how Job acknowledges here the intuition that if a human met with God, the power disparity would be so great that the human would just be shattered: yet despite this we should also notice Job’s conviction that the conversation would turn out to be one of reason, heeding, and acquittal.

Bildad shrugs this off. “Dominion and fear are with God … How can a mortal be righteous before God? … If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his sight, how much less a mortal, who is a maggot, and a human being, who is a worm!” (25:2-6). For Bildad, the conversation Job seeks would surely end up with the power and majesty of God devastating a sinful maggot like Job.

The contrast between Job and Bildad shows us two different visions of what God is like. Will the Almighty genuinely interact with humanity, or will the Almighty simply blow away all the sinners? The narrative continues to build toward the answer to that question, which we will see over the next few days.

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Hear my prayer, O Lord. Job may be righteous, but I am not. Will you take heed to us, reason with us, even acquit us? Or will you simply overwhelm us with your wrath against our sins? We can only plead for your mercy, O God, for it is clear that we cannot save ourselves.

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