Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
“Dominion and awe belong to God;
    he establishes order in the heights of heaven.
Can his forces be numbered?
    On whom does his light not rise?
How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
    How can one born of woman be pure?
If even the moon is not bright
    and the stars are not pure in his eyes,
how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—
    a human being, who is only a worm!”

• Job 25:1-6

Job 25:1-6 ” The argument of Bildad’s third speech took a different tactic and asked how any man who is a ‘maggot’ and a ‘worm’ could claim to be righteous before a holy God (v. 6). If what Bildad maintained before was true, namely, that all the wicked suffer, then everyone would be suffering, and no one would experience the prosperous life Bildad claimed belonged to the righteous.”

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Constance N. Wieler, Poetry contributor)

The Message

As the Woman’s Bible describes, Bildad has changed the playing field.  No one can demand audience with God.  He is God and by comparison to the moon and stars, we are mere maggots or worms.

But the Woman’s Bible also shows the folly in this argument.  Bildad has argued before that all wicked people suffer, so why is it that Bildad is relatively above the fray when it comes to suffering?

To Bildad’s credit, he touches on one of God’s arguments that we will see in the near future.  God is God and we are not.

Thus, the fear of God is a natural fear.  Picture Dorothy and her three friends who go into the presence of the Wizard of Oz, in the original, not in any of the recent things.  They were afraid because of this giant face and booming voice … until they saw the little man behind the curtain.  We will be so awe struck that we will be weak in the knees.  No, worse than that.  Jesus will have to peel us off the floor.

But now take into consideration that God the Father adopts us.  Jesus is our brother.  That should not puff us up.  That should humble us all the more.  We do not deserve that distinction.  We are indeed maggots or worms before God. But …

That important “but” here is that God loves us.

And now let us sing.

The following song is Majesty (with medley of Holy, Holy, Holy included).  This is sung by the Gracias Choir, conducted by Eunsook Park.  They do not pronounce “majesty” as we do in the USA, but as usual, the Gracias Choir is beautiful.

 

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord,
We need Your wisdom.  Lord, we suffer.  We do not deserve Your Mercy and Grace, but then again, by definition, no one deserves Mercy and Grace.  We are indeed worms before you, but You love us.  At times, we give you little reason for that love, other than we commit ourselves to You.  Forgive us when we stray.  Praise be Your Name, forever.  In thy Name we pray.
Amen

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.