Verses 1-4
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After rebuking Job, Bildad says that he thinks God “took away” Job's children because of their own sin. However, this is not confirmed by God anywhere. Job himself was attentive to his children's state and made sure to always make atonement for them (Job 1:5). Accusing children of sin that caused their demise, without accurate knowledge, is an insult to the parents.
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As stated in commentary on previous chapters, don't too quickly assume that some sin is the cause of a calamity.
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And when dealing with someone who has lost children, be careful about what you say. Many parents are raising their children the best that they know how. And you will only incite resentment against yourself if you ignorantly accuse children of sin that many parents were doing their best to prevent, to the best of their current ability.
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Verses 8-10
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Here Bildad implores Job to consider the wisdom of the ancients, or the history of generations before him. Supposedly, then he would know the truth in what Bildad was saying.
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This is a classic example of someone telling another to believe something simply because past experiences supposedly prove it true. However, because we are flawed in our understanding, by nature, we misinterpret the incidents of the past as well as the present. And the people who lived in the past are also flawed human beings who tried and failed to properly understand the same paradoxes we struggle with today.
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Don't rely on human opinions nor try to confirm them with more human opinions in history. Rely on the Word for the true understanding of all situations.
Verses 5-7,11-22
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Bildad then tries to assure Job that if he were upright before God he would prosper. However, Job was upright in the eyes of God, as stated in chapters 1 and 2, and yet, he was suffering.
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It is another false assumption here, that somehow a righteous lifestyle will assure an entirely stable, uninterrupted, and predictable future. Truly, by righteous living we will escape most calamities, but Ecclesiastes 7:14 teaches that some unpredictable adversities are appointed by God as well. This is so that we do not think we can fully predict the future, which then helps us to keep our trust in the sovereignty of God and not our own selves or expectations.
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Live righteously, and know that your future will be peace (Psalm 37:37). However, along the way, also expect unexpected hardships, and trust that God will use them to grow your faith and patience (James 1:2-4).
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