Does God Care About Man?

Read Job 25:1-6

As readers of the book of Job we (you and I) have not found much worth while coming from Bildad and his friends. They have consistently accused Job of sin, saying that his suffering was only the result of some mysterious sin in his life.  We have found many reasons so far to disagree. I believe there is a sense in which we can say that all suffering is a direct result of the fallenness of man. I believe there is a sense in which we can say that suffering is not directly linked any particular sin. The latter is the case in Job. Job was not suffering because of any one particular sin he had committed. His friends could not accept this but we know it to be true based on God’s own testimony in chapters 1 & 2.

Bildad asks a rhetorical question in verse 4: “How can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure?”  His implied answer is that man cannot.  There seems to be some Scriptural justification for such a thought. David wrote in Psalm 51: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”  As I said, there seems to be justification for Bildad’s thoughts.

But is this a fair and accurate representation of the facts? Is it impossible for a man or woman to be righteous before God? Is it impossible for one born of a woman to be pure? Or, as Bildad implies, are we forever bound to the perpetual agony of unholiness, despair, and unrighteousness?  Is there any way possible for man to be clean before God and to escape the snare of sin that entangles us and prevents us from ever entering the presence of God?
The answer is probably something like this: “There is nothing a man can do to be righteous before God. We are who we are: sinful, arrogant and fallen creatures. "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God," wrote Paul. However, this does not mean we are left without the hope of salvation. Bildad’s point is that God does not care about whether or not a man or woman is righteous because a man or woman cannot be. In God’s eyes, he says, we amount to little more than maggots or other squirmy creatures. But I disagree.

I believe the Scripture teaches that man and woman are created in the image of God. I believe the Scripture says that God does care about man and man’s condition. I know this to be true because God sent His Son to the earth to die for humanity. Yes, God is transcendent and grand and ‘dominion and awe belong to God.’ But this same God to whom these things belong is also the God who condescends to man in order to lift man up. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6, 8)

Prayer Thoughts on Job 25:1-6

God is far above us but this does not mean that God is distant. Clearly we see His presence and involvement in our everyday lives. Today pray for those who feel like God does not care for them. Pray that their eyes may be opened to the wonders and joys of God’s sacrifice and nearness. We tend to dwell on God the ‘wholly other’ too much. Let’s make time today to dwell on His nearness and closeness. Pray for those who lack perception of His proximity.