“Behold God will not reject a blameless man...” Job 8:20
The perfectly pressed preacher stood behind the pulpit and delivered his words with vigor, confidence, and certainty. He had his Bible open and read directly from it. Thousands of people hung on his every word, intent to hear what he said and apply it into their lives. The only problem with this scenario? The preacher was not preaching the pure truth of what laid before him. God’s Word talks at length about false teachers. And just where do you think false teachers teach from? Well, God’s Word of course. Man’s ability to read directly from God’s Word and misconstrue what it says is mind-boggling. Yet it happens every day, God warns us of it extensively, and it is just what we see in Job chapter 8.
Job has suffered through a long discourse from his friend Eliphaz who was rebuking him, accusing him of unrepented sin, and therefore simply stating that his downfall is his own sinful doing. Job rebuts Eliphaz’s monologue with a chapter of painful lament and now for the first time in the book we hear from friend #2, Bildad. Bildad mirrors Eliphaz in the stance that Job has some secret scandalous sin he is withholding and God is punishing him to bring it to the light. A hard stance that many self-proclaimed Bible scholars would stand with today. But folks, there is one big problem with this self-led Bible exegesis from Eliphaz and Bildad…chapters one and two of Job. God clearly reveals the faux pas of Job’s friends right out of the gate, so that we can identify and experience their folly-filled advice to Job. God also clearly rebukes Job’s friends for their unwise selfish stance and for speaking improperly of God. (Job 42:7-17) And today, beware, the same Bible quoting advice givers exist in your life and mine.
You see, in a perfect vacuum, Bildad’s quote from Job 8:20 is 100% true. God will not (and cannot) reject a blameless man. Herein lies the utmost importance of a person studying the Bible on their own and knowing the truth of God’s Word in their own heart and not simply relying upon any man or woman to teach them their own perceived truth. Every Christ follower must be held accountable for a personal study of the truth of God’s Word so as to not be led astray by false teachers. Yes, God will not reject a blameless man. In fact, any perfect man or woman that lives today is free to saunter right up to the gates of heaven and God in His perfect righteousness must let them in. But to Bildad’s folly, show me a perfect man or woman that lives today. Show me a man, woman or child that has not ever told even one single lie in their lifetime. God clearly shows us the untruth of preaching only this truth in Romans 3:10-12. “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” The truth is this…all have sinned and the only way to God is through the blood of Jesus Christ. Today, be thorough in engaging in a deep and personal study of God’s Word. There are preachers and teachers galore that desire to teach you, but unless you live in a vacuum, how will you know what they are teaching you is true, untrue, or a misapplication of said truth? The human condition, at rest, is in a constant search for the truth, a truth that can only be delivered by God through His Words. Refuse to simply accept what others wax about the truth of God's Word, seize the opportunity to go to the source yourself…go to God’s Word today and find the pure truth He has for you.
“How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matthew 16:11-12
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