Foundations Washed Away
Will you keep to the old way that wicked men have trod? They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away. They said to God, ‘Depart from us,’ and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’
Job 22:15–17
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Foundations Washed Away
Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that a firm foundation is crucial for one’s faith. If our foundation in life I built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ and His Word then the flood waters of sin and death will not wash us away. Yet if our foundations are built on the ever shifting and changing word of the world, the devil, and our own sinful flesh then we risk being swept away at the slightest bit of rain. Eliphaz is warning Job that he is on a shaky foundation and is in danger of being carried off like those who we consumed in the great flood. The irony here is that Job is the one who actually is on firm ground. He does not succumb to his friend’s advice to work harder and do good deeds thereby regaining God’s good graces. That is in fact the unstable foundation so many people rest upon. They turn inward to themselves to find rescue, all the while the waters rise and overtake them. It is only on the firm foundation of Christ crucified where we are given solid footing to stand against the devil and his lies. We rest in the promises of God given in His Word and flee to Him for refuge from the storm. As the old hymn reminds us:
How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He has said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled? (LSB 728).
Job 22:15–17
+
Foundations Washed Away
Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that a firm foundation is crucial for one’s faith. If our foundation in life I built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ and His Word then the flood waters of sin and death will not wash us away. Yet if our foundations are built on the ever shifting and changing word of the world, the devil, and our own sinful flesh then we risk being swept away at the slightest bit of rain. Eliphaz is warning Job that he is on a shaky foundation and is in danger of being carried off like those who we consumed in the great flood. The irony here is that Job is the one who actually is on firm ground. He does not succumb to his friend’s advice to work harder and do good deeds thereby regaining God’s good graces. That is in fact the unstable foundation so many people rest upon. They turn inward to themselves to find rescue, all the while the waters rise and overtake them. It is only on the firm foundation of Christ crucified where we are given solid footing to stand against the devil and his lies. We rest in the promises of God given in His Word and flee to Him for refuge from the storm. As the old hymn reminds us:
How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He has said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled? (LSB 728).
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