The word of the LORD came to me, saying: “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out my hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the LORD God. Ezekiel 14: 12-14, NRSV.
Blessed LORD, how much we need You! Please come by here and speak Words of everlasting life to us; we pray, in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
As we continue our conversation today, we are going to concentrate on the highlighted portion of Scripture. It is significant, that the LORD selected these three men as examples. Why these three? One thing that is worthy of mention, is that God refers to these men as righteous, blameless, resolved to do the right, upright, in their generations; and that they were used by God, as instruments in saving others (SDA Bible Commentary, p. 623). These characteristics are present in all three persons.
Noah. The Scripture says of him: “… Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6: 9, NRSV, emphasis provided). We read also in Hebrews 11, “By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith” (7, emphasis provided). He was one who was covered with the righteousness of Christ; and became an instrument for the saving of his household.
Daniel, a captive in Babylon, “… resolved that he would not defile himself with the royal rations of food and wine; so he asked the palace master to allow him not to defile himself” (Daniel 1: 8, NRSV, emphasis provided). He also was used by God as an instrument to save his “fellow-wise-men.” After he and his three Hebrew companions prayed to God for a revelation of the king’s dream, Daniel went and presented a petition, not only on behalf of himself and the three Hebrew young men, but on behalf of all the wise-men. “Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise-men of Babylon, and said to him, ‘Do not destroy the wisemen of Babylon…’ ” (Daniel 2: 24, emphasis provided). Daniel, was a man, who under any, and all, circumstances, determined that he would be faithful to God; and God used him as an instrument to save others.
Job. The LORD Himself testified of Job: “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil” (Job 1: 8, emphasis provided). Then, at the end of his story, we find him being used by God to be an instrument for the saving of his friends, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has done… and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer” (Job 42: 7-9, emphasis provided).
God was warning His people: “My desire is to save You, but you must come to Me and put away your idols. Even though these three men were used by Me to save others, in the final analysis, their intercession did not avail to save their generation! Only Noah’s household was saved in the flood. Not even Daniel could prevent Judah from being taken captive. If you are looking for a righteous one among you to deter My discipline, it will not come to pass! But when the captives arrive, and you observe their behavior, you will see that the discipline was deserved (Daniel 14: 23). And when you see those who survived, you will know that My discipline served the purpose that was intended – to save them” (22)!