For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty.
An outline of the devout life
These words can be raised to a higher level than that on which Eliphaz placed them, and regarded as describing the sweet and wonderful prerogatives of the devout life. So understood they may rebuke, and stimulate, and encourage us to make our lives conform to the ideal here.
I. Life may be full of delight and confidence in God. When we “delight” in a thing or person, we recognise that thing or person as fitting into a cleft of our hearts, and corresponding to some need of our natures. Without delight in God there is no real religion. The bulk of men are so sunken and embruted in animal tastes, and sensuous desires, and fleeting delights, that they have no care for the pure and calm joys which come to those who live near God. Above these stand the men whose religion is a matter of fear or of duty or of effort. And above them stand the men who serve because they trust God, but whose religion is seeking rather than finding, it is overshadowed by an unnatural and unwholesome gloom. He is the truly devout man who not only knows God to be great and holy, but feels Him to be sweet and sufficient; who not only fears, but loves. True religion is delighting in God. The next words, “Thou shalt lift up thy face unto God,” express frank confidence of approach to Him. The head hangs down in the consciousness of demerit and sin. But it is possible for men to go into God’s presence with a sense of peace, and to hold up their heads before their judge. There is no confidence possible for us unless we apprehend by faith, and thereon make our own the great work of Jesus Christ our Lord.
II. Such a life of delighting in God will be blessed by the frankest intercourse with him. Three stages of this blessed communion are possible. First a prayer, then the answer; and then the rendered thank offering. And so, in swift alternation and reciprocity, is carried on the commerce between heaven and earth, between man and God. The desires rise to heaven, but heaven comes down to earth first. Prayer is not the initial stage, but the second, in the process. God first gives His promise, and the best prayer is the catching up of God’s promise, and tossing it back again whence it came.
III. Such a life will neither know failure nor darkness. To serve God and to fall into the line of His purpose, and to determine nothing, nor absolutely want anything until we are sure that it is His will,--that is the secret of never failing in what we undertake.
IV. Such a life will be always hopeful and finally crowned with deliverance. Even in so blessed a life as has been described, times will come when the path plunges downward into some valley of the shadow of death. But even then the traveller will bate no jot of hope. The devout life is largely independent of circumstances, and is upheld and calmed by quiet certainty, that the general trend of its path is upward, which enables it to trudge hopefully down an occasional dip in the road. And the end will vindicate such confidence. Continuous partial deliverances lead on to, and bring about, final full salvation. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
Delight in the Almighty
I. First, here is a desired position towards God. Many men forget God: He is no object of delight to them. Great numbers of men go a stage further: they believe in God, they cannot doubt that there is a Most High God who judgeth the children of men; but their only thought towards Him is that of dread and dislike. I am grieved to add that this principle even tinctures the thoughts of true friends of God: for when they bow before God it is not only with the reverence of a loving child, but with the terror of a slave; they are afraid of Him who should be their exceeding joy. God is still to them exceeding terrible, so that they fear and quake. Even though they are His children, they are not able to lift up their faces unto their own Father. Let us meditate a while upon what is here meant by delighting in the Almighty.
1. The man who experiences this delight is glad that there is a God. We delight to see God in the shadow of every passing cloud, in the colouring of every opening flower, in the glitter of every dewdrop, in the twinkling of every star.
2. To go a step further, the delight of the believer in his God is a delight in God as He really is; for there are in the world many false gods of men’s own manufacture. Remember that your own thoughts of what God is are far from being correct unless they are drawn from His own revelation. We would not tone down a single attribute, we would not disturb the equilibrium of the Divine perfections; but we delight in God in all those aspects of His character which are mentioned in His Holy Word.
3. Further, he that delights in God delights not only in God as He is, but in all that God does, and this is a higher attainment than some have reached. “It is the Lord,” said one of old, “let Him do what seemeth Him good.”
4. Practically put, this delight in the Almighty shows itself in the Christian when nothing else remains to him. If he be stripped of everything, he cries, “The Lord is my portion.” You will see this delight in God exhibiting itself in frequent meditations upon God “Delight thyself in the Lord.” This will give you pleasure in the midst of pain. This will show itself in your life, for it will be a pleasure to do anything to exalt the name of God. I call your attention to the special name by which Eliphaz describes the ever-blessed God: he says, “Delight thyself in the Almighty.” Is it not singular that he should choose a term descriptive of omnipotence as the paramount cause of the believer’s delight? God is love, and I can readily understand how one might delight himself in God under that aspect; but the believer is taught to delight himself in God as strong and mighty. What a mercy it is that there is a power that makes for righteousness! Surely, when you see omnipotence linked with righteousness and mercy, you will delight yourself in the Almighty. Think also of the Lord’s almightiness in the matter of the keeping, preserving, defending, and perfecting of all His people. Now, let us turn with intense satisfaction to the other expression used by Eliphaz: “Thou shalt lift up thy face unto God.” What does it mean? Does it not mean, first, joy in God? When a man hangs his head down he is unhappy. Does it not signify, also, that this man is reconciled to God, and clear before Him? How can he look up who is guilty? Does not our text indicate fearlessness? Fear covers her face, and would fain hide herself altogether, even though to accomplish concealment the rocks must fall upon her. May it not also signify expectation? “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” Strive after this sacred peace: delight in the Almighty, and lift up your faces unto God.
II. When can we realise this?
1. First, a man can realise all this when he knows that he is reconciled to God.
2. Yet even this could not effect our delight in God unless there was something else; so there must be, in the next place, a renewed nature. Our old nature will never delight in God.
3. In addition to this, you will delight in God much more fully when the Spirit beareth witness with your spirit that you are born of God. The spirit of sonship is the spirit of delight in God.
We shall delight ourselves in God, and lift up our face when we do as Eliphaz here tells us.
1. First, when we live in communion with Him.
2. Then, further, we must, if we are to know this delight, lay up God’s words in our hearts (Job 22:22).
3. There must be added to this delight in the Word a constant cleansing of the way.” If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.” There must be purification of life, or there cannot be fellowship with the Lord.
4. In addition to this, there must be a constant trust. “Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver” (Job 22:25). He who does not trust God cannot delight in Him. You cannot lift up your face to Him while you think Him untrue. A childlike confidence is essential to a holy joy.
5. Let us abide in continual prayer (Job 22:27). (C. H. Spurgeon.)