“TWO ROADS” (JOB 8)

1. Job was a man who suffered. The Bible describes this suffering in some detail in the book of Job.

2. In additional to describing the physical pain that this man faced, scripture says that some people

3. Came to see (visit Job). Job had several conversations with these men. One of Job visitors was Bildad.

4. Out of the 3 men who first came to see Job, it is fair to say that Bildad was the most dogmatic.

5. Bildad was not a person who had a lot of pity. Look at Job 8:4 with me READ - Bildad said to Job.

A. “Because you kids sinned, God killed them.”

B. “Your kids were monsters, and God gave them what they deserve – death.

6. Imagine that you are about as ill as a person can be; you have physical problems that would justify

7. A stay in the ICU. You have recently attended 10 funerals; one for each of your children.

8. You are going through both physical and mental anguish. During this time a man at you bedside says,

9. “Your kids were rotten and God killed them for their sins.” What a cruel remark. These words had to

10. Hurt. Bildad’s remarks really go beyond Job’s children – implication here. Bildad’s comment also

11 Implies, “Job, it looks like you too are going to die; you too are guilty of sins.

12. The implication is that Job and his kids were all rotten people.

I. IF A PERSON LIKE BILDAD CAME TO VISIT ME WHEN I WAS DEATHLY SICK, I WOULD PROBABLY SEND HIM BACK HOME. BILDAD DID NOT GO HOME. HE STAYED BY JOB’S SIDE, AND HE CONTINUED TO TALK

A. Bildad made some comments about nature in vs. 11-18 READ; he spoke these words.

B. To illustrate his point. His comments can be divided up unto three illustrations:

1) Two of his illustrations come from plant life. And one comes from the insect world.

C. Verse 11 speaks of the “rush” (“Papyrus” is the idea, FN).

D. Bildad asked if a papyrus could grow without “mire”. IE,

1) If this plant were not in a marsh with water, how well would it grow?

2) It wouldn’t a papyrus without water wilts and dies,

E. A similar question is asked in 11B. Can the “flag” (a type of grass) FN grow without water? No

F. Both types of plant life die without water. According to vs. 12, both plants will wither,

G. Before they are even cut. Without water these things will die. We understand this.

H. The third illustration is found I vs. 14. Bildad makes reference to a spider’s web.

1) I am no expert on spiders; don’t really care for them. I thought that some investigation of

2) Spiders might make this interesting. After doing little reading I called the University of FL;

3) They put me in contact with a former professor. This man knows a lot about spiders.

4) He loves to talk about spiders. I want to tell you a few of the things he told me.

5) 1/3 to ½ of all spiders are orb spiders. 99% of these orb spiders eat their webs every day.

6) Close to half of all spiders have webs which will only last 24 hours.

7) Hence, when we speak about the durability of a spider web, in many cases is only 24 hours.

I. This man also told me some neat things about black widows.

1) The silk that comes from these spiders is amazing. If you compared it to a piece of steel.

2) To silk from a black widow spider, the diameters of both pieces are the identical.

3) The silk from the black widow would be stronger than the steel.

4) The black widow silk is so strong and potentially useful; it is already being used in gun scopes

5) For crosshairs; People hope to mass produce it for clothing and bullet proof vest.

J. When combined into fabric, a widow’s silk, is very, very strong. However, when fashioned

K. Into a regular web, the web can catch only small lizards and frogs.

L. Even the widow’s silk web is not that durable.

II THESE ARE THE ILLUSTRATIONS THAT BILDAD USED AND THEY ARE TRUE, LET’S NOW TURN OUR ATTENTION TO HOW THESE ILLUSTRATIONS WERE USED BY BILDAD.

A. Verse 13A READ; Bildad pictures a man who “forgets God.”

1) We see this in our day and time. People forget God.

2) In the pursuit of a family’s first home, a better home,

3) Because people are engaged and in love, Because of the demands that come from a job.

4) Because of peer pressure from those at work or school, maybe because life offers so many

5) Activities, perhaps because there are so many things to see and do, maybe because of TV set.

B. God is forgotten. This happens every day in our country. People get up without paying attention C. To God; they spend their day without God; they go to sleep without God. When people live this

D. Kind of life what can be said? People are like papyrus plant that has no water.

E. This type of life is like grass without water, in other words, this type of life leads to death.

F. Vs. 13B says, READ; Lives as I described have no hope.

G. When people trade God for: A house, money, career, car, an education, fun, leisure, pleasures.

H. Life is as stable as a spider’s web. This type of life will not last (endure).

1) This type of foundation offers no hope, and when people die,

2) They enter into eternity w/nothing no memories.

I. When people live without God at the center of their lives, Vs. 14 says, READ.

J. A life without God being at the center of it is like trusting in a spider web.

L. Bildad spoke the truth. This is not a popular truth. It is not well accepted. It is true.

M Someone says, “I don’t have God and I have more than a spider’s web.

N. “I have a house, possessions, money, a good job.” Loot at vs. 15A – READ;

O. Most of us lean against our houses from time to time.

1) Maybe we lean against a door; perhaps we stand against a wall,

2) At sometime we all lean on a part of our home. Imagine the feeling

3) If what we were leaning on collapsed. What shock, what a surprise,

4) We never expect this to happen.

P. Bildad rightly observed that life is just like this. People live their lives and think that

Q. Everything is fine. A time is coming when the supports found in the world will fall down.

R. When this time comes, people will want to cling to something. For many there will be nothing

S. To cling to. 15B READ:

T. Life is, in one sense, deceptive look at vs. 16-17 READ.

1) Look at vs. 16-17 READ; Bildad’s describes people – description is accurate.

2) Bildad compares us to trees. Here we are – strong and glorious.

a. We have a position in society;

b We know various people; we exert influence;

c. We have the power to buy, sell; our name is on the internet.

3) You know what? We die. Bildad’s observation about death is in vs. 18 READ

U. When we die, what do we have? Nothing. What will follow us into eternity when we meet God?

1) It will not be our house, car, ring, watch, education.

2) These things are nothing more than a spider web.

3) Vs. 18 suggests that after our death we are forgotten. And life continues just fine without us.

4) We are out of the picture.

III PROBVERBS 8 HELPS US IN AT LEAST TWO WAYS.

A. First of all, this material forces us to ask a question: Is our life like the spider’s web?

B. Are we like a plant that is living without water? Are we dedicating our self to a house which will?

C. One day fall down? Are we spending our energies pursuing things that have eternal life?

D. If we are, we are on the wrong path. Our course needs to be changed.

E. We do not know when we will die, but that day is coming. If we enter into eternity with nothing,

F. GOD WILL REJECT US. Life is not so much about “What we can get”

G. As it is, “Where we will go?”

I. Most people are entering into eternity unprepared. The houses that most are pouring

J. Energy into = only spider webs. The fortunes that people are trying to build – plants w out water

K. We cannot let ourselves take the path that the world is taking. This is one point to be learned.

L. The second one is, we have an obligation to help the world. Paul said in 1^st Cor. 3:11 QUOTE

1) Jesus Christ is a foundation. He is the foundation for the church and four our lives.

2) In the world, material goods are the foundations for lives.

3) Job 8 shows that these foundations will not last. To the world we must say,

4) “Your foundations will not last.” “It’s not any good.”

5) There is only one foundation that can help you in eternity.

M. We are going to sing a song about Christ and foundations.

N. If your life is like a spider’s web… like a plant with out water.

O. We want to help you tear up the old foundation and put down the

P. Only one that will last in eternity.