21 “Agree with God, and be at peace;
thereby good will come to you.
22 Receive instruction from his mouth,
and lay up his words in your heart. – Job 22:21-22
The Wickedness of Man
Our society, like our world, is in trouble. Just in case you hadn’t already noticed. We want good without God. Mankind has cast off the shackles of restraint in the name of liberation. We have boasted of killing God and instead deified self-aggrandizement. We persecute those with moral convictions and celebrate perversity in the name of diversity. With hearts that are full of hatred, we give lip service to peace. With blood on our hands, we talk about love. We dispose of the weakest in our society in the name of choice and pat ourselves on the back for promoting rights. Despite all of the boasts about greater education and advances in civility, Genesis chapter six gives the clearest description of how things really are.
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. – Genesis 6:5
The Role of Victim
We are so delusional to our depravity that we can’t even see the source of our problems. Rather than looking honestly in the mirror, we self-righteously point fingers, forever playing the role of victim. It is so easy to blame the education system, the greed of corporate America, the hypocrites in the churches, the guns, or even God Himself (although claiming He doesn’t exist). What we need to do is remove ourselves from the throne we were never meant to occupy. We are in way over our heads. If we really want peace, we will heed the advice of Eliphaz and agree with God.
Interrogated by God
I firmly believe that the best cure for the delusion of man is an interrogation. By God. If only God would speak once again out of the whirlwind as He did to Job.
38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy? – Job 38:1-7
With these words, God was just getting started. There was much more to follow.
6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
7 “Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
8 Will you even put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?
9 Have you an arm like God,
and can you thunder with a voice like his? – Job 40:6-9
This is just a sampling to remind us that none of us would fare well if we were on the stand and God was interrogating us. But if we want the right answers, we need to ask, or be asked, the right questions. Too often we avoid them because they are hard questions. But if we really want peace, often we have to “squirm” a little before God will grant it to us. Being cured of our self-delusion isn’t always comfortable, but it is for our best. Personally, I would rather hear God say, “Well done good and faithful servant”, than “who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” A stand may not be comfortable, but it fits us better than a throne.
The Counsel of Eliphaz
Eliphaz encouraged Job to receive instruction from God’s mouth, and to lay up His words in his heart. Eliphaz may have been charged with giving Job bad counsel, but I don’t believe this advice fell into that category. To the contrary, this counsel is always wise and always timely. God’s Word is not only a lamp for our feet, it is our lifeline. We MUST consistently be in His Word and hiding it in our hearts. Unlike the shifting sand that is the wisdom of the world, God’s Word is unchangeable. It is absolute Truth. What was true in the beginning will be true in the end.
The Word of God
God doesn’t need to speak out of a whirlwind, He has left us the Bible. It is all we need during these trying times. It is sufficient for our peace. God only desires that we avail ourselves of it, and agree with it. Despite the wickedness of the world, we will always have hope because of God’s Word.
10 “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
11 Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
and look on everyone who is proud and abase him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
and tread down the wicked where they stand.
13 Hide them all in the dust together;
bind their faces in the world below.
14 Then will I also acknowledge to you
that your own right hand can save you. – Job 40:10-14
23 If you return to the Almighty you will be built up;
if you remove injustice far from your tents,
24 if you lay gold in the dust,
and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed,
25 then the Almighty will be your gold
and your precious silver. – Job 22:23-25
Who Do You Say I Am?
The questions God asked Job help to give us a proper perspective. If we want peace we have to properly answer the question posed by Jesus.
“But who do you say that I am?” – Matthew 16:15
The same God that spoke to Job from a whirlwind gives us the answer from a cloud. The cure for our sin is His Son. It is wise to agree with Him.
5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” – Matthew 17:5