Job 22: 21-30
“Agree with God and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed, then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows. You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways. For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly. He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
If I’ve been cynical about these three guys that showed up claiming to be friends, and if that bothers you do not read today's paper. Now you have been warned and if you are still reading it is not my fault.
Eliphaz is talking as if Job will just agree with him, then all will go well with him and he will be in right standing with God. If you have an Eliphaz in your life do not trust one word coming from his mouth. So far, we have not heard God speak about any of these three men, but we have been privileged to hear God’s thoughts about Job. All three of these guys believe themselves to be morally and spiritually superior to Job. In their religion, they had a god they understood, and if harm came to you then you had sinned, I hope you’re not a member of that Church.
Verses 23-27 remind me of a TV preacher, or also in the old West a long time back they called them to snake oil salesmen, whatever problem you had they had the cure in a bottle. The modern-day T.V. preachers, not all but many also have the answer to all your problems, but it is not Jesus Christ, it is seeking after your gold and silver and God will shine on you, and you will be broke, but happy. They forget to tell you they live in fine home and have an airplane, but no church. I laughed when I read this and wonder how fast the god they worship would tell them to pick up all that gold and silver Job was to get rid of? I told you I was going to get cynical, and it’s not fun, we still have a few people like Eliphaz in our churches.
Eliphaz has moved to the name it and claim it, preacher, in verse 28, I am not sure about you but I’ve made a few decisions and at the time believed they were centered in God’s will only to have the Holy Spirit open my mind to the truth, it was my will but not God’s. I’m so thankful to be under a pastor who teaches from the Scriptures and does encourage us to get into the Word of God and check out what we are being taught.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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