When Truth Is Used Without Love
Bildad’s words in Job 18 contain a striking depiction of hell. His descriptions of darkness, terror, and separation from life are accurate when applied to the fate of the wicked. However, his failure lies in his assumption—his rigid moral framework leaves no room for understanding Job’s suffering outside of immediate retribution. Bildad cannot fathom that a man suffering so greatly could be anything but a recipient of divine judgment. In his certainty, he wounds rather than comforts.
Bildad’s words are not merely incorrect in their application but reveal a deeper issue: truth, when misapplied, can be more damaging than a lie. The knowledge of hell is real, and Bildad speaks of it with accuracy, but he weaponizes it against a man whom God Himself has declared righteous (Job 1:8). He operates from a transactional view of God’s justice, failing to recognize that suffering is not always a direct result of sin.
How often do we see this same spirit at work today? Some use Scripture as a club, battering those who suffer with misapplied truth rather than offering the comfort of God’s presence. There is a time for exhortation and a time for silence. Bildad would have done well to choose the latter.
Reflection
Have you ever misapplied truth to a situation without fully understanding what God was doing?
How can you ensure that when you speak of God’s justice, you do so with the compassion of Christ?
How does Job’s experience challenge the notion that suffering always equals God’s displeasure?
A Closing Prayer
Father, we rest in Your perfect wisdom, knowing that Your ways are higher than ours. You have given us truth, but You have also given us Your Spirit to guide us in love. May we never use Your Word as a weapon against those who suffer, but rather as a light that leads to Your presence. Thank You for securing us in Christ, for making us righteous in Him, and for holding us through every storm of life. In Jesus’ name, we walk in Your grace. Amen.