Context No. 3818 of 4322 · Job
Context · Reflection
Job 22:17-30: in context
17who said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’ 18Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. 19The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them, 20saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’ 21“Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you. 22Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. 23If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents. 24Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. 25The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you. 26For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God. 27You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows. 28You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways. 29When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person. 30He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
Though Job's friend Eliphaz wrongly assumes Job's suffering proves secret sin, his appeal contains counsel that rings true on its own: agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. He urges Job to receive instruction from God's mouth, to lay up his words in the heart, and to make the Almighty his treasure, worth more than the gold of Ophir.
Set aside the false accusation, and a beautiful invitation remains. To be at peace with God, to treasure him above all wealth, to delight in him and lift up our face to him in prayer, this is the heart of a life rightly ordered toward God. Eliphaz even speaks of God saving the humble and lifting up the downcast. The counsel to make God himself our treasure, rather than gold, and to find our peace in agreement with him, is sound wisdom, even from a friend who misjudged his suffering. When we make God our treasure and are at peace with him, we have a wealth no loss can touch.
Have I made God himself my treasure, worth more than any gold, and do I seek to be at peace with him, finding in him a wealth that no loss can take away?