Does God pervert justice?

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“How long will you say these things, and the words of your mouth be a great wind? Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert the right? If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression. If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy, if you are pure and upright, surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful habitation.(Job 8:2-6 ESV)

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Bildad the Shuhite, another of Job's friends, speaks and says some of the most unspeakable things that one can say to a grieving person. He follows these words with some of the most egregious religious tripe as he tells Job that tragedy would not have befallen him if not for sin committed by him and his children. It is a sad day for Job and for the human race. Why do you think that well meaning folks go to these places? How can friends say such things?

In our quest to understand why bad things happen to good people we often feel a perverse need to play detective with people's lives. It is why Jesus warned his listeners to not judge each other. As Bildad spoke these judgmental words against Job he was blind and ignorant of the fact that Job, his wife and his children had done absolutely nothing deserving of the tragedies that befell them. Bildad's judgment was fleshly, devoid of truth and extremely hurtful.

He me not to judge others who are hurting today Lord. Help my words to be healing an not hurting.

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