Job 8:13
Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so the hope of the godless will perish.
Such is the destiny of all who forget God;
This phrase highlights the consequences faced by those who turn away from God. In the context of the Book of Job, Bildad is speaking to Job, suggesting that suffering is a result of forgetting God. This reflects a common theme in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, where forgetting God leads to downfall (Deuteronomy 8:19). The idea of forgetting God is not merely about memory but involves a deliberate neglect of His commandments and ways. Historically, Israel's repeated cycles of forgetting God and turning to idolatry led to their downfall and exile, as seen in the narratives of the Kings and Prophets. This phrase serves as a warning and a call to remember and adhere to God's covenant.

so the hope of the godless will perish.
The term "godless" refers to those who live without regard for God, often translated as "wicked" in other versions. The hope of the godless is described as fleeting and ultimately doomed. This reflects the biblical principle that true hope is found only in God (Psalm 146:5). The godless may place their hope in wealth, power, or other temporal things, but these are transient and unreliable. The perishing of their hope is a theme echoed in the New Testament, where Jesus speaks of the futility of storing up treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19-21). This phrase underscores the biblical teaching that lasting hope and security are found in a relationship with God, contrasting the temporary nature of worldly pursuits.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Bildad the Shuhite
One of Job's three friends who comes to comfort him. Bildad is known for his traditional and conservative views on divine justice, often emphasizing the retributive nature of God's justice.

2. Job
A wealthy and righteous man who undergoes severe trials and suffering. The book of Job explores his struggle to understand his suffering and maintain his faith in God.

3. God
The central figure in the book of Job, whose justice and sovereignty are questioned and explored throughout the account.

4. The Godless
Refers to those who live without regard for God, often characterized by a lack of faith and moral integrity.

5. The Hope of the Godless
Represents the false security and expectations of those who do not trust in God, ultimately leading to disappointment and ruin.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Forgetting God
Forgetting God leads to a life devoid of true hope and security. Bildad's warning serves as a reminder of the importance of keeping God at the center of our lives.

The Futility of Godless Hope
The hope of those who live without God is ultimately empty and perishable. True hope is found only in a relationship with God.

The Importance of Remembering God
Regularly engaging with Scripture, prayer, and fellowship helps us to remember and prioritize God in our daily lives.

The Role of Suffering in Faith
Suffering can challenge our faith, but it also provides an opportunity to deepen our reliance on God and reaffirm our hope in Him.

The Call to Examine Our Foundations
We are encouraged to examine what we place our hope in and ensure that it aligns with God's truth and promises.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Bildad's perspective on the fate of the godless challenge or affirm your understanding of God's justice?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we do not "forget God" in our daily lives?

3. How does the hope of the godless differ from the hope of the righteous, according to other scriptures like Proverbs 10:28?

4. Reflect on a time when you faced suffering or trials. How did your faith in God influence your response and hope during that time?

5. What practical steps can you take to build a strong foundation of faith, similar to the wise builder in Matthew 7:24-27?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 1
This Psalm contrasts the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked, similar to Bildad's assertion that the godless will perish.

Proverbs 10:28
This verse speaks about the hope of the righteous bringing joy, while the expectations of the wicked perish, echoing the theme of Job 8:13.

Matthew 7:24-27
Jesus' parable of the wise and foolish builders illustrates the importance of building one's life on the solid foundation of God's word, contrasting with the fate of those who forget God.
Forgetfulness of GodJ. Caryl.Job 8:13
The Hope of the HypocriteJ. L. Adamson.Job 8:13
The Hope of the Hypocrite DelusiveR. South, D. D.Job 8:13
The Hypocrite -- His Character, Hope, and EndGeorge Wagner.Job 8:13
The Sin of HypocrisyC. O. Pratt, M. A.Job 8:13
Withering PathsW. Osborne Lilley.Job 8:13
Shall not the Judge of All... Do Right?E. Johnson Job 8:1-22
The Hypocrite's HopeR. Green Job 8:8-19
People
Bildad, Job
Places
Uz
Topics
Evil-doer, Forget, Forgetting, Godless, Hope, Hypocrite's, Man's, Mind, Nothing, Paths, Perish, Perishes, Profane
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Job 8:13

     8710   atheism

Job 8:11-13

     4460   grass
     8764   forgetting God

Job 8:11-19

     4504   roots
     4938   fate, final destiny

Job 8:12-13

     5914   optimism

Job 8:13-14

     8820   self-confidence
     9611   hope, nature of

Job 8:13-15

     5845   emptiness
     5916   pessimism
     8032   trust, lack of

Job 8:13-19

     8354   trustworthiness

Library
Two Kinds of Hope
'Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.'--JOB viii. 14. 'And hope maketh not ashamed.'--ROMANS v. 5. These two texts take opposite sides. Bildad was not the wisest of Job's friends, and he gives utterance to solemn commonplaces with partial truth in them. In the rough it is true that the hope of the ungodly perishes, and the limits of the truth are concealed by the splendour of the imagery and the perfection of artistic form in which the well-worn platitude is draped.
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Beginning, Increase, and End of the Divine Life
Now, the utterances of Bildad, and of the other two men who came to comfort Job, but who made his wounds tingle, are not to be accepted as being inspired. They spake as men--as mere men. They reasoned no doubt in their own esteem logically enough; but the Spirit of God was not with hem in their speech, therefore with regard to any sentiment which we find uttered by these men, we must use our own judgment; and if it be not in consonance with the rest of Holy Scriptures, it will be our bounden duty
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 6: 1860

Whether all Merits and Demerits, One's Own as Well as those of Others, Will be Seen by Anyone at a Single Glance?
Objection 1: It would seem that not all merits and demerits, one's own as well as those of others, will be seen by anyone at a single glance. For things considered singly are not seen at one glance. Now the damned will consider their sins singly and will bewail them, wherefore they say (Wis. 5:8): "What hath pride profited us?" Therefore they will not see them all at a glance. Objection 2: Further, the Philosopher says (Topic. ii) that "we do not arrive at understanding several things at the same
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Hebrew Sages and their Proverbs
[Sidenote: Role of the sages in Israel's life] In the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Jer. xviii. 18; Ezek. vii. 26) three distinct classes of religious teachers were recognized by the people: the prophets, the priests, and the wise men or sages. From their lips and pens have come practically all the writings of the Old Testament. Of these three classes the wise men or sages are far less prominent or well known. They wrote no history of Israel, they preached no public sermons, nor do they appear
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

The Eternity and Unchangeableness of God.
Exod. iii. 14.--"I AM THAT I AM."--Psal. xc. 2.--"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God."--Job xi. 7-9.--"Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." This is the chief point of saving knowledge,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Instruction for the Ignorant:
BEING A SALVE TO CURE THAT GREAT WANT OF KNOWLEDGE, WHICH SO MUCH REIGNS BOTH IN YOUNG AND OLD. PREPARED AND PRESENTED TO THEM IN A PLAIN AND EASY DIALOGUE, FITTED TO THE CAPACITY OF THE WEAKEST. 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.'--Hosea 4:6 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This little catechism is upon a plan perfectly new and unique. It was first published as a pocket volume in 1675, and has been republished in every collection of the author's works; and recently in a separate tract.
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Job
The book of Job is one of the great masterpieces of the world's literature, if not indeed the greatest. The author was a man of superb literary genius, and of rich, daring, and original mind. The problem with which he deals is one of inexhaustible interest, and his treatment of it is everywhere characterized by a psychological insight, an intellectual courage, and a fertility and brilliance of resource which are nothing less than astonishing. Opinion has been divided as to how the book should be
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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