The dating of this time period would have meant that Job and his friends were highly influenced by mythopoetic language. In Ugaritic mythology, death was thought to be ruled by the god Mot who was known as the ‘King of Terrors.’ Ironically, this teaching held that Mot’s firstborn was a demon who brought complete destruction and turmoil to people in order to satisfy the appetite of Sheol (Hades). It was believed the demon attacked the body, making the person physically ill before taking them for good.
Even though Bildad is off in his application, he vividly portrays an accurate picture of death. No matter how you slice it, death is an overwhelming and sobering beast. Bildad illustrates that the fate of Job will only get worse as he continues down this path. Again, it’s an accurate statement, but a terrible application.
Let’s consider some of the biggest challenges of Job’s time which have been answered for us today. Job is wrestling with wanting a mediator to go between him and God. His friends fear this destructive path will lead to the mystery of death. Humanity was desperate for Jesus then, and we are desperate for Him today.
Christ has removed the eternal fear of death. He didn’t do it by persuasion or even by making truth claims like Job’s friends. He did it by grace and love. The question I pose to you today is, since the eternal fear has been removed, what risks are you willing to take in the temporary?
If we do not have to fear eternity, what is stopping us from stepping out in faith here in our temporary lives? For those in Christ, the only fear that could possibly come upon you is finite. How is that changing how you live today?