Job 25
Job 25 is a brief chapter in which Bildad, one of Job’s friends, responds to Job’s earlier statements. Bildad focuses on God’s majesty and righteousness, emphasizing that no human can be considered righteous before God. His speech reflects the limited human understanding of God’s justice and power, highlighting the vast difference between God's greatness and human frailty.
Job 25:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “Dominion and fear belong to Him; He makes peace in His high places.
3 Is there any number to His armies? Upon whom does His light not rise?”
Bildad begins by affirming God’s dominion and power, noting that He rules over all and is surrounded by awe-inspiring fear. Bildad speaks of God's power to maintain peace in the heavenly realms and reminds Job of God’s infinite armies, probably referring to angels. He also acknowledges God's light as universal, showing that no one can escape God’s influence or power.
Job 25:4-6 (NKJV)
4 “How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?
5 If even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in His sight,
6 How much less man, who is a maggot, and a son of man, who is a worm?”
Bildad moves to questioning how a human being, with all their limitations, can be considered righteous before a perfect and holy God. He uses the analogy of the moon and stars, which, despite their beauty, are not pure in God's sight. Bildad then humbles humanity further, comparing humans to maggots and worms, emphasizing their insignificance and impurity compared to God’s holiness. This shows his belief that humans, in their natural state, cannot stand justified before God’s perfect judgment.