Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then Bildad the Shuhite answered: ‘Dominion and fear are with God; he makes peace in his high heaven. Is there any number to his armies? Upon whom does his light not arise? How then can a mortal be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his sight, how much less a mortal, who is a maggot, and a human being, who is a worm!’”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, July 3, 2020
by R. Fergus Moir, Clergy Stuff
This is just bad theology in every way. It separates us from God. It says that God does not find humanity or creation beautiful, as if God thinks God made a colossal mistake in creating a world that is impure, and creatures who are detestable. This is not who God is.
Of course, on their own merit, human beings can’t be righteous before God—we are subject to sin, true enough. But we can be righteous before God because God makes us so. We can come before God with all of our lament and brokenness and God will hear us in infinite love and acceptance.
Just a funny side note. This short passage above is the entire chapter. Seriously. After reading long-winded laments, arguments and counter-arguments throughout Job, this was a nice change. Maybe it’s because Bildad knew he was full of it and shut up before he put his foot further into his mouth. J
God, thank you for your wide embrace and redemptive love for all creation.
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