Humans are relational creatures. Our existence is always connected to others, so we need to be wise in building and maintaining relationships. Sometimes obstacles in relationships arise from our tendency to judge and judge others without giving them the opportunity to listen and appreciate their opinions. This is reflected in Bildad’s call when he responds to Job. In Job 18:1–10, Bildad, Job’s friend, harshly attacks Job’s character. He accuses Job of being a disrupter of order and of wanting to “make the earth fall apart and the mountains move out of their places” (Job 18:4)—an allusion to Job’s alleged desire to overthrow the moral order of the world by questioning God’s justice. Bildad uses metaphors of traps and darkness to describe the fate of the wicked. He says that the wicked’s light will be extinguished (Job 18:5), his steps will be restricted (Job 18:7), and he will fall into a trap of his own making (Job 18:8–10). In Bildad's eyes, this is a definite moral law: evil will lead to destruction.

Bildad is so sure of the fate of the wicked. He tells Job to be careful not to suffer the same fate as the wicked by explaining all the punishments they will receive. However, honest reflection on this text invites us not to simply accept Bildad's view. The book of Job as a whole actually dismantles and challenges this rigid understanding of reciprocity. Looking at the reality that has existed so far, haven't we been able to find the shortcomings of Bildad's argument? Bildad talks about the physical punishment of the wicked, when in fact many wicked people actually experience various worldly pleasures while they live in the world. So, although Bildad's words are rhetorically and symbolically inspiring, there is no absolute truth in them.

The argument that makes us squint is when Bildad describes death and suffering as hidden "traps", as if life is a trap for those who are not careful. He believed that evil has certain consequences, that the wicked will eventually be caught by their own schemes. On the one hand, this contains wisdom—that a life filled with deceit and hatred does tend to destroy its doers. However, when this truth is forced on people who are suffering without knowing why, it turns into verbal violence, as Bildad did to Job.

So be careful when we think we can guess or embrace all the possibilities that exist. In fact, we are human beings with limitations. Something we can do is live our lives as best we can while seeking God's will in all things including through all the suffering we experience. The consequences of human actions are God's prerogative to determine, we as limited creatures must be careful in judging or judging others.