What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless? – Job 22:3

Today's Scripture Reading (July 20, 2021): Job 22

Theologian Jonathan Edwards argued that "you contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary." It is a harsh teaching, but then what else would we expect from the man who preached that we are all "sinners in the hands of an angry God." But, while I strongly disagree with Edward's assertion that we are "sinners in the hands of an angry God," he is right when he says that we contribute nothing to our salvation. It is the hallmark of our belief in the sovereignty of God. The truth is that God doesn't need us; we need him.

God is sovereign. It is a truth that we have understood from the beginning of the biblical record. The Bible begins with the statement, "In the beginning God." There is no attempt to prove that God exists; he just does. He doesn't create the world because he needs it; God makes the world because he has the power to do it. And in the process of creation, God began an experiment. He created us in his image. But while the rest of creation reacts with the instincts that have been placed inside of them, he placed within us the unique ability to choose. And we exercise our choices in many ways every day that we are alive, but maybe the most crucial choice we make is whether we choose to accept or reject his sovereignty in our lives. Whether we are willing to acknowledge God as our king, or if we decide to go it alone? Does either choice make God better or worse? No, of course not. But does our choice for or against God make a difference? I think so.

God's sovereignty is a truth that God made clear when he met with Moses in the wilderness. When Moses asked God for his name, Moses's response was simple; My name is "Haya Haya," which means "I Am that I Am" or "I Will Be Who I Will Be." I am the God who exists, and Moses, there is nothing else that you need to know. A God who exists beats ones made plaster and imagination every day of the week. I am sovereign.

So, Eliphaz is partially correct; God gains nothing from Job's righteousness, and Job contributes nothing to his salvation. But he is also wrong. The introduction to Job makes it clear that God takes great pleasure in our righteousness. So much so that God clearly bragged to Satan about Job's righteousness. He was proud of Job, something that I think Eliphaz, and maybe Jonathan Edwards, might have been at a loss to explain.

And yet, there is also a simple explanation for God's pleasure. Jesus taught his disciples that they should consider God to be their Heavenly Father. And parents take great pride and delight in the successes of their children. Why would it be any different with God?

As Satan comes before the throne of God, Haya Haya's pride and pleasure in Job were on display, just as it would be for any of his children who seek to do His will and live in a way that honors him and the rest of his creation.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Job 23