Does man have hope before God?

Does Man have Hope before God?
Job 25-27
“How much less man, that maggot, and the son of man, that worm!”

In the final speech of the three friends, Bildad delivers the shortest speech, getting straight to the point. Bildad rightfully reminds us that God is unparalleled in his power and majesty. In contrast to God’s majestic holiness is the sinfulness and corruption of humanity. Bildad rightfully points to the total depravity of man. All humanity is corrupt from birth and tainted by sin in thoughts, actions, and character. In comparison to the holiness of God, man is nothing more than a maggot and a worm. In his personal evaluation of humanity, Bildad aligns with Paul in Romans 3:10-18, where it is stated, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understand, there is none who seek for God.” However, in affirming the total depravity of man, Bildad does not leave us with any hope. Bildad robs humanity of worth and dignity as individuals created in the image of God. The fault in the theology of Bildad was not that he affirmed the sinfulness of man, but that he left Job with no hope, no opportunity for grace. In his view, all who suffer do so because of sin; therefore, he cannot accept that such a person could be righteous before God. This is where he departs from Paul. Paul also highlights our sinfulness, but he does so that he might direct us to grace and the hope of salvation.

In response, Job rebukes Bildad and his friends for their lack of compassion and wisdom (Vs 1-4). While they claimed to speak for God, Job points out that their prepackaged theology of divine retribution rings hollow and gives no hope. Job again points to the greatness and supremacy of God. God’s greatness is so far beyond us that we can only know the fringes of God’s character. In times of suffering, like Job, we are well aware of God's power and greatness; however, what we cannot understand is God’s silence and apparent indifference. While Job does not claim to be without sin, he does not understand why God is allowing him to suffer, for he has sought to be obedience to God. In light of the accusations of these three friends, he claims to be innocent. In the depths of his soul, Job knows that he has been obedient to God. This is why he cannot understand his suffering.

This brings us back to the question that we also wrestle with in our suffering: “Why?”  Why does God bring suffering and trials upon the righteous and leave the wicked unscathed? For all the wisdom we gain in our understanding of God, we are still perplexed by the reality of suffering. In the midst of suffering, we need the clarity of wisdom, but that clarity is often elusive. James points to this same truth in James 1:5-8. Yet in the midst of his confusion, Job still affirms that he will hold fast to his righteousness and that in the depth of his soul he is righteous before God (27:1-6).

This is the same thing we struggle with in our own lives. When we are living rightly before God, we cannot understand why heaven is silent in the face of our adversity. Yet the paradox of faith is that even when we do not understand and our circumstances seem to contradict everything we believe, we still cannot deny God and abandon him. Genuine faith is unassailable even in the face of the trials of life. When we do not understand what God is doing, faith enables us to still trust in God and his purpose. Suffering may lead to questions, but faith empowers us to obey God despite them. When you are struggling with questions, rest in the fact that God knows the answers, even when we do not. When going through trials, instead of just asking for deliverance, ask for perspective, and James reminds us that He will answer that prayer.