Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he? (Isaiah 2:22, NIV 1984).
My Musings – Read in isolation, this begs two questions. First, if we are not to trust man, then who are we to trust? Second, assuming “of what account is he [man]” is rhetorical (which it likely is, meaning little or no account), then why is that?
Then who? – The One who put the “breath in his nostrils.” “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7, NIV 1984). That should be enough of a reason. But if not, consider, “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13, NIV 1984). The quickest way to lose the trust of someone else is to be faithless with or unfaithful to them. Which happens all the time. This usually affords the offended party the opportunity to no longer be faithful to whatever commitments they had made with the one who broke trust. Unless it was a conditional promise, this is something the God would never do. Something God cannot do. He cannot “disown Himself.” Disown His character. Holy, righteous, just, and faithful.
Why is that? – Because no man or woman has ever been totally trustworthy all the time. We were not created that way. “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31, NIV 1984). God trusted the first man (Adam) and woman (Eve) to keep His One command. They did not. They were not trustworthy. God had warned them of the consequences beforehand, which they and everyone since have borne. Because “all have sinned.” All have broken trust. He was being faithful to His word, but He remained faithful to us. He did not disown us outright.
My Advice – There is actually a third question. “What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention?” (Job 7:17, NIV 1984). If man, because of his transgressions, are of little or no account, why wouldn’t God disown us? Mankind has been under a death sentence since the fall. There was no commitment on God’s part that He was obligated to keep. The death sentence could remain, and He would still be holy, righteous, just, and faithful. He would not be disowning Himself. His character.
Oh, did I forget about love? “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16–18, NIV 1984).
For man’s relation to man, earning trust is hard. Regaining that trust, once broken, is much harder. With man’s relationship with God, it’s simple. “Whoever believes in Him [Jesus].” There is nothing we should want more than to regain that relationship. Just believe in Him. If we do, He will never disown us. If we don’t, “we [stand] condemned.” Disowned. “[He] will tell [us] plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matthew 7:23, NIV 1984).
The Brew Is A Musing 