Can a man be profitable unto God?
&c.] Eliphaz imagined that Job thought so, by his insisting
so much on his integrity, and complaining of his afflictions; and
that God was beholden to him for his holiness and righteousness,
and that instead of afflicting him, should have heaped honours
and happiness upon him; whereas there is not anything a man can
do, or does, by which God can be profiled; which is a very great
truth, though misapplied to Job through a wrong construction of
his words and meaning. No man, even the best of men, and by the
best things they can do, can be profitable to God; as for bad
men, they are altogether unprofitable to themselves and to
others, and still less profitable to God; and as for good men,
their "goodness extendeth not" to the Lord, ( Psalms 16:2 ) ; it
comes from him, it is his own previously; it is of no avail and
advantage to him, who is perfect and all sufficient; when they
have done all that they are commanded, they are bid to say, and
very truly, "we are unprofitable servants", ( Luke 17:10 ) ; they do
indeed glorify God, and are the means of others glorifying him by
their good works; but then they add no glory to him, which he had
not before; they only declare the glory of God by the light of
their grace and works, as the heavens and luminaries in them do
by their light and lustre; they worship God as they ought to do;
but then he is not worshipped by them "as though he needed
anything" of them, ( Acts 17:25 ) ; it is
they, and not he, that get by worship; it is good for them, and
they find their account in it, to draw near to him, and wait upon
him, and worship him; what are all their prayers and praises to
him? the benefit redounds to themselves: some men are very
serviceable to promote the interest of religion, either by their
purses, or by their gifts and talents, fitting for public
usefulness; but then, what do they give to God but what is his
own? "of thine own have we given thee", says David, ( 1
Chronicles 29:14 ) ; or what do they do for him? it is for
the good of themselves, and others, ( Romans 11:35
Romans
11:36 ) . Some are useful in the conversion of men to God,
either by the public ministry of the word, or in private life by
discourse and conversation; but then the profit of all this is to
men, and not unto God; there is nothing that a man can do, by
which he can make God his debtor, or lay him under an obligation
to him, which he would, if he could be profitable to him; but
whatever he does, it is but his duty, and what God has a prior
right unto; and therefore men can merit nothing at the hand of
God, no, not the least mercy; it is by the grace of God a good
man is what he is, and does what he does; the Targum paraphrases
it, "can a man teach God?" and so Mr. Broughton; see ( Job 21:22 ) ;
as he that is wise may be profitable unto
himself?
or "though", or "indeed, truly he that is wise" F8. A man
that is worldly wise is profitable to himself and his family, by
gathering wealth and riches; and a man that is wise, and has a
large understanding of natural things, may be profitable to
himself by enriching his mind with knowledge, increasing the
pleasure of it, and getting credit and fame among men by it, and
may be profitable to others by communicating his knowledge to
them, see ( Proverbs
9:12 ) ( Ecclesiastes
7:11 ) ; and one that is spiritually wise, or has the true
grace of God, and wisdom in the hidden part, which is no other
than real godliness, gets great gain; for godliness is that to
him, and is profitable for all things, having the promise of the
present and future life; and he that has an interest in Christ,
the Wisdom of God, is a happy man indeed, since he has that, the
merchandise of which is better than silver, and the gain thereof
than fine gold; one that is wise unto salvation, and is a wise
professor of religion, and walks wisely and circumspectly, has
great advantages; he builds his salvation on the rock Christ, and
is safe and sure; he is concerned to have the oil of grace, with
the lamp of a profession, and so is always ready to meet the
bridegroom; and being careful of his conversation, keeps his
garments that his shame is not seen; and so a wise minister of
the word, "[one that] instructs" F9, or gives instructions to
others, as the word here signifies; or one that causes to
understand, or is the means of causing men to understand, such a
man is profitable to himself and to others, see ( Daniel 12:3 ) .