No 37 Can God Really Trust a Man?

 

Does God Ever Put Trust in His Servants?

I maintain that God does. Eliphaz was confident God didn’t / couldn’t / wouldn’t / never / ever. I maintain that the purpose of the Book of Job is to demonstrate that God does put trust in His people. Eliphaz had no idea whatsoever what the purpose of the Book of Job was all about. Though Eliphaz was a key actor in the Book, he was on the wrong side of knowledge. He simply did not know what was going on. Though he sets himself up as an authority, yet he rides on hunches, impressions, strong-intuitions, self-willed opinions and self-proclaimed ideas. He purports that he can speak for God―on behalf of God―but is uncomfortable if another avows the same privilege.

 

Eliphaz speaks three times in the Book of Job.

1^st       Speech        Chapter 4 and 5

2^nd      Speech        Chapter 15

3^rd       Speech        Chapter 22 

In all three speeches, Eliphaz asserts that he knows God’s thoughts and ways. Eliphaz believes he is an informed interpreter of God’s doings. 

 

Eliphaz speaking:

4:17    Shall mortal man be more just than God?

           shall a man be more pure than his maker?

4:18    Behold, He put no trust in His servants; 

           and His angels He charged with folly:

4:19    How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay,

           whose foundation is in the dust, 

           which are crushed before the moth? 

 

Eliphaz speaking:

15:14  What is man, that he should be clean?

           and he which is born of a woman, 

           that he should be righteous? 

15:15  Behold, He putteth no trust in His saints;

           yea, the heavens are not clean in His sight. 

15:16  How much more abominable and filthy

           is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

 

Eliphaz speaking:

22:2   Can a man be profitable unto God,

          as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? 

22:3   Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous           

          or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

 

What Eliphaz Does Know

As with the ancients all around, Eliphaz knew about the origin and fall of the great angel Lucifer who became Satan and the devil on earth. Trust had never been an issue until Lucifer introduced mistrust. Obedience had never been an issue until Lucifer introduced disobedience. Law had never been an issue until Lucifer introduced anti-Law. Lucifer was able to sell his ideas of freedom to one third of the angels in heaven. They swore allegiance to him as one who would redeem them from an unfair, cruel and arbitrary God. Lucifer and the angels who sided with him were charged with folly (error). God would not and could not overlook their rebellion. Seeing that the heavens are not clean in His sight, God cleansed heaven by the removal of the apostates. Their place was found no more in heaven:

 

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him (Rev 12:7-9).  

 

What Eliphaz Does Not Know

A man, adequately informed of the issues of the Great Controversy, may find in God redemption and be restored to trust. The man trusting God. God trusting the man. When the man never revokes his trust―he remains trusting and trustworthy. And, of course, God never changes―He is always trustworthy―and is, Himself, trust personified.

 

The man becomes trustworthy through a settling process of growth and establishment in the things of God. Then, trusting, is where he remains to be by his ongoing and daily decisions. Such a settled man was Job. He had come to that place in his experience where he preferred God’s ways more highly than his own ways. Trusting became his all―because God was his all. In the heat of trial, Job did exclaim,

                        Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him:
                        but I will maintain mine own ways before Him.
                        He also shall be my salvation (Job 13:15,16).

Eliphaz was simply misinformed.

Can a Man Be Profitable to God?

22:2    Can a man be profitable unto God,

           as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? 

22:3    Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? 

           or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

 

Can a man be profitable to God? Of course he can! This is, again, what the Book of Job is all about. Through the life of one man―Job―God did defeat Satan on Satan’s own terms and on Satan’s own ground. It does bring God pleasure when His people believe in Him, trust in Him, and follow Him explicitly and without reservation. Is it any gain to God that His people become like Him in character? Of course it is! Jesus died that he might restore us to unbroken communion with the Father. The highest privilege that man can enjoy is to be a partaker of the divine nature, and faith that binds us in strong relationship to God will so fashion and mold mind and conduct that we become one with Christ. If we are partakers of the divine nature, we will live in communion with our Creator (Ellen G. White, Reflecting Christ, page 154). 

A Whole World Full of Such

Not just one man―Job―toward the beginning of time, but that all His people worldwide will stand just as Job did in the last of time.

This was true of Daniel as well. The character of Daniel is presented to the world as a striking example of what God’s grace can make of men fallen by nature and corrupted by sin. The record of his noble, self-denying life is an encouragement to our common humanity. From it we may gather strength to nobly resist temptation, and firmly, and in the grace of meekness, stand for the right under the severest trial (Ellen G White, The Review and Herald, January 25, 1881).

This was true with the Apostle John. While we are to love the souls for whom Christ died, we are to make no compromise with evil. We are not to unite with the rebellious and call this charity. God requires His people in this age of the world to stand for the right as unflinchingly as did John in opposition to soul-destroying errors (Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, page 554).

This was true with Elijah. Through long centuries the record of Elijah’s life-work has brought inspiration and courage to those who have been called to stand for the right in the midst of apostasy. For us it has special significance. History is being repeated. The present age is one of idolatry, as verily as was that in which Elijah lived. No outward shrine may be visible, yet thousands are following after the gods of this world—riches, fame, pleasure, and the fables that permit man to follow the inclinations of the unregenerate heart. Multitudes have a wrong conception of God and are as truly serving a false god as were the worshipers of Baal. Many even of those who claim to be Christians have allied themselves with influences that are unalterably opposed to God and His truth (Ellen G. White, From Splendor to Shadow, page 94).

And the record of God’s people continues through all time down to our present age.

The World’s Greatest Need

The greatest want of the world is the want of men,—men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall (Ellen G. White, Education, page 57).

 

Poor Eliphaz

Poor Eliphaz had it wrong. He did not understand God’s intents and purposes for the lives of His people. And, certainly, no one in their day (Job’s and Eliphaz’s) knew what was going on in Job’s special case. No one, with the exception of Christ, has ever been called to endure what Job did endure. Eliphaz did not have the big picture. Eliphaz did not even have a proper little picture. 

My Decision

I want to be one who will not be bought or sold.

I want to be one who in my inmost soul is true and honest.

I want to be one who does not fear to call sin by its right name.

I want to be one whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole.

I want to be one who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.

Won’t you join with me?

 

Please send questions or comments to Will Hardin at P O Box 24 Owenton KY 40359 or use the comments via Google section below.