In the initial verses, Bildad responds to Job's plight. He asserts that God is the sole being with the ultimate power deserving of our reverence. He said, “He makes peace in His high heaven,” and questions whether there is any army that God cannot conquer. This leads to a profound inquiry: How can any man stand before God and claim righteousness? How can any of us, born of a woman, assert our purity? The brilliance of the moon and stars pales in comparison to Him. Thus, how can humanity have the audacity to compare itself to the Righteous One? Indeed, he described man as “a maggot and a worm.”

Bildad's theological perspective on God is unassailable. God's power is so immense that if He were unable to perform such feats, He would not be God. This recalls the philosophical dilemma: "Can God create a stone so heavy that He cannot lift it?" There are several logical interpretations of this question. First, if God cannot create such a stone, then He cannot be God. Second, if He can create it, can He not also lift it? If He cannot lift it, then He too cannot be God. A third perspective suggests that God can always break the stone into manageable pieces to carry them. These would be the logical answers.

However, logic can only illuminate certain aspects of God and His actions in the world. This was the approach taken by Job's friends as they sought to explain Job's suffering. Their underlying assumption was that no righteous individual would endure the hardships Job faced, implying that Job must have sinned to warrant such suffering.

However, the reality is that God permitted Job to suffer despite considering him an upright man. Being upright does not equate to perfection; rather, it is a relative term when compared to the wickedness surrounding him. The righteousness in question pertains to sinlessness. Are we talking about absolute righteousness or a relative comparison?

When logic falters, we must rely on what God has revealed to us and, by faith, believe what He said. If God is indeed great and powerful, He is the only one worthy of our worship, and no other gods are to be worshipped. There is none like Him. Humanity, born of a woman, is created by God but is born into sin, rendering them unrighteous after Adam and Eve sinned.

Yet, the Psalmist poses a poignant question in Psalm 8:4: "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" God's care for humanity is so profound that He sent His only Son to die for us (John 3:16). Through Jesus' death, we are made righteous in the eyes of God. Consequently, we stand righteous before God because Jesus bore the penalty for our sins through His sacrifice.

Thus, "Can man be righteous?" yields a dual answer: "Yes and No." Yes, man is deemed righteous because he stands on the righteousness of Christ, provided he believes in Him. No, because as a sinner born into sin, he cannot approach God in his unrighteous state. Therefore, the only path to righteousness before God is through faith in Jesus, who died for our sins and offers us salvation. If you have embraced this truth, you are righteous in Christ before God. If you have not yet done so and desire to be made righteous, you must place your faith in Him.

Prayer: Lord, I believe that Jesus has made me righteous before God by dying for our sins. His death has paid the penalty for my sin. I offer my thanks and praise to Him as I worship Him alone as my God, with no others.