Bildad ends his screed in chapter 18 with great panache in 18:21, where he states "Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man; such is the place of one who knows not God." Just to be sure we're all on the same page, he's describing Job. Surely WE wouldn't make the same mistake Bildad made...would we?
If Bildad is correct, we should be able to judge a man's heart pretty easily--we can cruise the streets, find the nicest houses, and as a backup, do some (illegal) dredging through IRS records and determine where the wealth is and find out whom God favors. He with the most toys (never) sins. A little research lists the 5 holiest people on the planet today:
1. Carlos Slim Helu' (Mexico)
2. Bill Gates
3. Warren Buffett
4. Mukesh Ambani (India)
5. Lakshmi Mittal (India)
If you want to see more holy people, click this link and check them out: http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/10/worlds-richest-people-slim-gates-buffett-billionaires-2010_land.html
Enough with the hyperbole--do we do the same with the poorest in the world? Do we instantly assume that God is cursing them for their lack of faith, and at the same time say to ourselves "God, I thank you that I am not like other people" (we'll revisit that quote on October 22nd). Years of hindsight and commentary help us understand Job--will we turn that into comfort for those in need or similar snap judgments like Bildad? We're only 9 days in at this point, about 2.5% of the way through the Bible, but know one thing, and know it well--it's important to study the Bible and know it, but the expectation (which we'll see on November 1st) is that we LIVE it.
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