God theology not worm theology
Text Job 25, 26 Date 18/05/03 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church
You know what worms and maggots are. Worms are a very simple form of life that crawl through the soil in our gardens. Maggots are similarly tiny creatures, perhaps even simpler, that are often found crawling around in a similar environment. You also know that one of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity is that of total depravity – the teaching that all men are not only sinners but that they are marred by sin in every way. By nature, they cannot speak or think or do anything that is not tainted by sin at least to some extent. Man was created perfect and in the image of God – upright and holy, noble and righteous. However, he has fallen. The image of God has been marred. Man has been brought down. He is sinful and low, sinful and ignoble. The psalmist actually says at one point I am a worm and no man. There is a symbolic resemblance between the life of the worm or the maggot that sums up the depravity of man.
This raises a question. Do Christians then espouse a worm theology, a maggot theology? Is this the great lesson that Christians have for the world? Is the gospel all about our maggot nature, our worm constitution? I ask this question because in Job 25 we have the third and final speech by Job’s second friend Bildad and what he presents could accurately be summed up as "worm theology". It is an unusually brief speech, a short hymn of praise to God. It is so short that some have suggested there is more from Bildad in Chapters 26 and 27 but that cannot be upheld. It has been described rather as being like the last gasp of a dying man. The friends are running out of steam. It contains nothing new and although it is reverent it is also irrelevant.
We looked at Bildad’s first two speeches some time ago. There we noted some lessons for counsellors. Seeking to learn from Bildad’s negative example we said
1. Do not be blunt or insensitive; do not make superficial, wooden misapplications of biblical truth; do not rely too heavily on tradition; do not make harsh, unfair misapplications of biblical truth; do not be unhelpfully optimistic [Chapter 8]
2. Do not merely parrot the same old message; avoid having a closed or one track mind [Chapter 18]
The lesson from this third and final short speech is (and this is our first point today)
1. Beware of worm theology
This raises a question. Do Christians then espouse a worm theology, a maggot theology? Is this the great lesson that Christians have for the world? Is the gospel all about our maggot nature, our worm constitution? I ask this question because in Job 25 we have the third and final speech by Job’s second friend Bildad and what he presents could accurately be summed up as "worm theology". It is an unusually brief speech, a short hymn of praise to God. It is so short that some have suggested there is more from Bildad in Chapters 26 and 27 but that cannot be upheld. It has been described rather as being like the last gasp of a dying man. The friends are running out of steam. It contains nothing new and although it is reverent it is also irrelevant.
We looked at Bildad’s first two speeches some time ago. There we noted some lessons for counsellors. Seeking to learn from Bildad’s negative example we said
1. Do not be blunt or insensitive; do not make superficial, wooden misapplications of biblical truth; do not rely too heavily on tradition; do not make harsh, unfair misapplications of biblical truth; do not be unhelpfully optimistic [Chapter 8]
2. Do not merely parrot the same old message; avoid having a closed or one track mind [Chapter 18]
The lesson from this third and final short speech is (and this is our first point today)
1. Beware of worm theology
In this speech, Bildad doesn’t spend any time reproving Job. He seems to be winning the argument and he certainly hasn’t been impressed by any of the arguments presented to him so far. His aim is to move from the downfall of the wicked to stress the insignificance and iniquity of all men in general. There is something of the air of a last ditch attempt to avoid defeat. He still wants to bring Job to see his sin, however. He uses what Job has said in favour of God’s sovereignty to try and show that his idea of gaining a court hearing with God is hopeless.
We can divide what Bildad says into two parts. In 2 and 3 he urges us to
1. Give glory to God
We can divide what Bildad says into two parts. In 2 and 3 he urges us to
1. Give glory to God
Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven. Can his forces be numbered? Upon whom does his light not rise? God has power or dominion. He is the king or ruler and we must acknowledge his authority and reign. He is also worthy of awe. We ought to fear God.
He mentions some of the reasons for this attitude.
He is the one who has put the stars and the planets in their places in heaven and who orders all that happens in the heavenly realms above.
That leads us on to think of the armies not only of stars but also of angels who wait at his command. His forces cannot be numbered. He sends them out to do their work in this world. He has his creatures here on earth to, which comes next.
As the angels go throughout this vast world over which God reigns, think too of the sun rising on more and more people round the world as it is doing today. This too reminds us afresh that he is over it all.
There is nothing to object too in what Bildad says here. Some try and reject the idea of the sovereignty of God, the idea that he is in control of all things. However, Bildad is perfectly sound here. APP How about you? Do you bow down to God? Do fear him and honour him? Do you recognise his power in heaven above and on the earth beneath? We ought to acknowledge it every day.
2. But do not assume that there is no hope for man
He mentions some of the reasons for this attitude.
He is the one who has put the stars and the planets in their places in heaven and who orders all that happens in the heavenly realms above.
That leads us on to think of the armies not only of stars but also of angels who wait at his command. His forces cannot be numbered. He sends them out to do their work in this world. He has his creatures here on earth to, which comes next.
As the angels go throughout this vast world over which God reigns, think too of the sun rising on more and more people round the world as it is doing today. This too reminds us afresh that he is over it all.
There is nothing to object too in what Bildad says here. Some try and reject the idea of the sovereignty of God, the idea that he is in control of all things. However, Bildad is perfectly sound here. APP How about you? Do you bow down to God? Do fear him and honour him? Do you recognise his power in heaven above and on the earth beneath? We ought to acknowledge it every day.
2. But do not assume that there is no hope for man
No, where Bildad goes wrong is in the argument he then makes in 4-6. He says How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, how much less man, who is but a maggot - a son of man, who is only a worm! We had something like this from Eliphaz back at the start (4:17-19). Job himself had also asked (9:2b) But how can a mortal be righteous before God? And later (15:14-16) What is man, that he could be pure, or one born of woman, that he could be righteous? If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes, how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks up evil like water! However, Bildad is now putting the knife into Job by arguing that Job’s case is hopeless. He is a worm, a maggot. Why would God be interested in him at all? God is Almighty and man is insignificant, unimportant, irrelevant.
It is a little like the bleak view you get in a lot of modern literature. Have you ever read William Golding’s ‘Lord of the flies’? It’s about a group of boys stranded on a desert island and the beastly way they behave. At one point the lead character (piggy) imagines he hears a pig’s head speaking to him ‘Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt or kill. You knew didn’t you? I am part of you.’ It is all bleakness with no hint of sunshine.
Sometimes people can take the doctrines of God’s perfection and human depravity and spin them like that. It is very important that we do not do that. God is sovereign and holy; man is depraved but that’s not the whole story is it? Confronted by a man in great suffering, if all we can say to him is ‘Well, God is in control. He knows what is happening. You are probably suffering because of your sin. You may not be worse than anyone else but we are all sinners and God is no doubt punishing you for your sin’ – better not to say anything at all.
‘On this disgusting and hopeless note the words of Job’s friends end’ says a commentator.
2. Characteristics of useless counsel
It is a little like the bleak view you get in a lot of modern literature. Have you ever read William Golding’s ‘Lord of the flies’? It’s about a group of boys stranded on a desert island and the beastly way they behave. At one point the lead character (piggy) imagines he hears a pig’s head speaking to him ‘Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt or kill. You knew didn’t you? I am part of you.’ It is all bleakness with no hint of sunshine.
Sometimes people can take the doctrines of God’s perfection and human depravity and spin them like that. It is very important that we do not do that. God is sovereign and holy; man is depraved but that’s not the whole story is it? Confronted by a man in great suffering, if all we can say to him is ‘Well, God is in control. He knows what is happening. You are probably suffering because of your sin. You may not be worse than anyone else but we are all sinners and God is no doubt punishing you for your sin’ – better not to say anything at all.
‘On this disgusting and hopeless note the words of Job’s friends end’ says a commentator.
2. Characteristics of useless counsel
In verse 26 we have the beginning of Job’s speech in reply to Bildad. It is his longest speech. One writer calls it "One of the greatest recitals in the whole book … excelled only by the Lord’s speeches’ at the end". The start of the speech must be directed specifically to Bildad as Job uses you singular but by the end of verse 27 he is speaking to all three. In verse 26 he begins by rebuking Bildad and then moving on to speak of God’s greatness. He stunningly turns what Bildad has said against him.
Bildad has called Job a worm, a maggot. He is puny and weak and useless. In fact, says Job with some anger, Bildad is the one who is weak and useless. He is supposed to be helping Job but he has done nothing of the sort. Job’s rebuke, we have to admit, applies to many of us too. Our attempts to counsel others have often been inadequate and if we are to be any use in the future we ought to listen to what Job says.
1. It doesn’t encourage
Bildad has called Job a worm, a maggot. He is puny and weak and useless. In fact, says Job with some anger, Bildad is the one who is weak and useless. He is supposed to be helping Job but he has done nothing of the sort. Job’s rebuke, we have to admit, applies to many of us too. Our attempts to counsel others have often been inadequate and if we are to be any use in the future we ought to listen to what Job says.
1. It doesn’t encourage
Verse 2 How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble! Dripping with irony, Job’s speech asks why, if he is so powerless, there has been no help. Why has Bildad failed to strengthen his feeble arm. Far from comforting or encouraging Job, Bildad (and the others) have discouraged and disheartened Job. They have saddened and dismayed him. If we do that for those we try and help we have failed.
We have a duty to encourage each other. Ephesians 4:29 says Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
2. It doesn’t inform
2. It doesn’t inform
Job goes on (3) What advice you have offered to one without wisdom! And what great insight you have displayed! The premise was that Job needed to learn from these wise men. They were supposed to be sharing their theological insights in order to help Job. But where is the wisdom in worm theology? Where was the wisdom in the previous attempt to convince Job that he was suffering because of his sins? (Which we know he definitely was not). If we have wrong theology, if we lack biblical wisdom – then we will be no help to anyone. There is a modern idea that you can counsel people without teaching them anything but that is a great mistake. We need to teach or at very least remind people of truths from the Bible, if we are going to help them. We are to be (like the Roman Christians) competent to instruct one another.
3. It doesn’t come from God
3. It doesn’t come from God
Job then asks (4) Who has helped you utter these words? And whose spirit spoke from your mouth? Job doesn’t spell it out but he clearly does not think that Bildad was getting his theology from God. And, of course, if it’s not from him it must be fro some more dubious source. If our counsel is not God-given (if it is not from the Bible, we can say more simply today) then it is useless. It may be human wisdom or it may be from the devil but if it is not from God it can do no-one any good at all.
Whenever we speak to someone then we should be endeavouring to encourage them - not regardless of truth but by reminding them or teaching them what is true, that is what we find taught in the Bible.
3. Espouse a theology of the greatness of God
Whenever we speak to someone then we should be endeavouring to encourage them - not regardless of truth but by reminding them or teaching them what is true, that is what we find taught in the Bible.
3. Espouse a theology of the greatness of God
In the rest of verse 26 Job speaks about the greatness of God. He is not denying what Bildad has said about the greatness and glory of God, of course. Rather, God is even greater, perhaps, than Bildad realises. He wants to show that Bildad’s idea that because God is sovereign then man is significant, in fact because God is omniscient man is not insignificant.
We can divide what Job says in to two parts.
1. God reigns over the world of death and hell
We can divide what Job says in to two parts.
1. God reigns over the world of death and hell
Verses 5, 6 The dead are in deep anguish, those beneath the waters and all that live in them. Death is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered. Bildad has descanted on the way God rules in heaven above but Job says, as it were, ‘But hold on, Bildad. He doesn’t just rule in heaven above. He rules everywhere. You say man is a maggot or a worm in the ground, but doesn’t God rule there too?’ Yes, he does and indeed he rules over the deepest oceans and beyond. He rules over death and hell themselves. There is nothing at all hidden from his gaze. To think so is to attempt to limit the power and majesty of God.
2. God reigns over this world
2. God reigns over this world
Job then goes on to mention many things in creation that also teach us the sovereignty of God. Henry Morris has written very boldly in this connection ‘A correct and complete understanding of creation is the answer to all the problems that burden this present hurting world.’ Certainly we can be sure that what gives impetus to the evolution movement is its desire to rob God of his glory. We must never forget that he is the Creator and the Sustainer too of this whole world. For from him and to him and through him are all things. To God be the glory forever. Amen.
Chiefly he speaks of the sky and the sea. We may say
1 Look up
Chiefly he speaks of the sky and the sea. We may say
1 Look up
Look up at night (7) He spreads out the northern skies over empty space. How are the stars kept in place? What about earth itself? He suspends the earth over nothing. It is not held up by the god Atlas or by a tortoise or an elephant! No. God does it. Look up in the day. Where does the rain come from? From the clouds, you say? And how do the clouds keep the rain from falling? Verse 8 He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. Think of the clouds at night too – Verse 9 He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it. Now I know that you can describe this all in a little more detail scientifically but however you put it, the stars and the planets and the clouds must have an origin and a purpose. Who is behind that? Many children know the answer - "Who made the stars above, the stars above, the stars above? Almighty God"
2 Look out
2 Look out
Look at the sky again and, when you’re next by the sea, look at the horizon, especially as the sun is rising or setting. Who does that? God! Verse 10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness. And then those storms that come from time to time. Verse 11 The pillars of the heavens quake, as it were. Why? They are (and this is poetry remember) aghast at his rebuke. He does it, in other words. Verse 12 By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. He is the one who creates the storm by his power and then by his wisdom he breaks it up (Rahab is the name for a possibly mythical sea monster as is the reference to the gliding serpent. Here it personifies the sea). Then (13) By his breath (or Spirit) the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent. Jesus himself did that, didn’t he?
Obviously Job could go on but he closes with verse 14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power? This is not the whole story by any means. These are just obvious examples. This gives us an idea of the might and power that is God’s. The God who places the stars rules over all his creatures, the God who uphold the earth sustains who he will, the God who can stop the rain from falling and then send in a storm and churn up the sea and then make everything calm again is the one who can send what storms he chooses into our lives and can make them calm again if and when he chooses. He who can pierce the gliding serpent of the sea can deal with Satan in a moment, as we know from elsewhere in the book.
There is no limitation to God’s power. That does not mean to say there is no hope for us. Quite the opposite. As one modern writer puts it ‘The primary message of the Bible is not one of human depravity. This is only part of a much larger message, the gospel, which announces that God has found a way to justify sinners and remain just at the same time’. This is through the Lord Jesus Christ, of course, who is God and yet came to this earth and lived and died so that all who trust in him may be forgiven their sins and be raised from being mere worms and maggots to be God’s own sons. This is the message of Psalm 113
Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and for evermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.
You are in trouble today or you may be tomorrow. Have I got something to say to you? I say not only that we are sinners and that God is in control of all things but that because he is in control, if you commit everything to him then all will be well in the end. It won’t necessarily be easy. You won’t have all your questions answered but you will be safe. He will keep you. He will bring you through. All you have to do is to look to him.
Obviously Job could go on but he closes with verse 14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power? This is not the whole story by any means. These are just obvious examples. This gives us an idea of the might and power that is God’s. The God who places the stars rules over all his creatures, the God who uphold the earth sustains who he will, the God who can stop the rain from falling and then send in a storm and churn up the sea and then make everything calm again is the one who can send what storms he chooses into our lives and can make them calm again if and when he chooses. He who can pierce the gliding serpent of the sea can deal with Satan in a moment, as we know from elsewhere in the book.
There is no limitation to God’s power. That does not mean to say there is no hope for us. Quite the opposite. As one modern writer puts it ‘The primary message of the Bible is not one of human depravity. This is only part of a much larger message, the gospel, which announces that God has found a way to justify sinners and remain just at the same time’. This is through the Lord Jesus Christ, of course, who is God and yet came to this earth and lived and died so that all who trust in him may be forgiven their sins and be raised from being mere worms and maggots to be God’s own sons. This is the message of Psalm 113
Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and for evermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.
You are in trouble today or you may be tomorrow. Have I got something to say to you? I say not only that we are sinners and that God is in control of all things but that because he is in control, if you commit everything to him then all will be well in the end. It won’t necessarily be easy. You won’t have all your questions answered but you will be safe. He will keep you. He will bring you through. All you have to do is to look to him.
