Can there be such a thing as a “worthless” person? In our world everyone is said to have “value.” It is said to be so by the intellectual elites of our world, even though they take away any possibility of value by their evolutionary philosophy. And it is said to be so by many who read the Bible and see that humans are created in God’s image, and that Christ died for all men.
Well, according to the NKJV, there is such a
person (Jud. 9:4; 11:3; 1 Sam. 30:22; 2 Chron. 13:7.) God considers the nations “less
than nothing and worthless” (Isa. 40:17).
Jeremiah warned that the “words of the prophets” who did not speak for
God made the people worthless (Jer. 23:16).
Maybe we should look more closely at this word
in Prov. 6:12, which, in the Authorized Version (KJV) is translated “naughty.” Naughty and worthless aren’t the same in my
vocabulary. So here are a few thoughts on
this term.
·
The Hebrew word is “belial.” Ah!
That’s the term used, presumably of Satan, contrasting him with Christ
(2 Cor. 6:15). The term means (acc. to
Gesenius) “unprofitable, worthless, of no fruit.” It can also have the sense of “ruin or destruction.” In the OT it is not used of Satan; that use
of the term came later.
o
The first use is in Deut. 13:13 and applies to
those who entice the people to serve idols.
o I’m
not going to give a detailed account of the 27 uses of this in the OT but I do
want to mention some “notable” uses. Hannah
denied being “worthless” (1 Sam. 1:16) but Eli’s sons were (1 Sam. 2:12). Nabal, Abigail’s foolish husband (1 Sam.
25:25) and the men who falsely accused Naboth in the days of Ahab (1 Ki.
21:10,13) were worthless.
·
Another way to understand the meaning of “belial”
(masculine noun) is to note the other related terms. They all have to do with “nothing.”
o
“belima” (masculine noun) means “nothingness”
and is used once in Job 26:7: “He stretches out the north over empty space; He
hangs the earth on nothing.”
o
“belil” (masculine noun) refers to “fodder,” as
in food for animals.
o “beli”
(adverb that negates something) refers to destruction, failure, to be without,
often because of a defect. It might be
used of things that were “wearing out.”
·
We ask then, doesn’t the fact that all men are
created in God’s image automatically give them value? Doesn’t the fact that Christ died for the
ungodly indicate they have value? We
would say “no” on both counts. There is
something “conditional” about both situations.
o
With respect to how we were created, we were
made in God’s image before sin entered the world. The image is still in tact but it is
marred. We have ruined it and that is
part of the idea of “belial.”
o The
value of redemption depends on receiving Christ by faith. What Christ’s work of love demonstrates is
HIS value, not ours. This is not just a
minor technicality. The fact is that we
have no value that will stand us justified in God’s presence. He died for us because we were worthless.
You might see how this term would come to be a
great name for Satan. Our adversary is
all about destruction and ruin and about bringing God’s plan to nothing. Then you could also make the connection with
worthless men: these are people who are like Satan. In Christ we have the ability to be “useful
for the Master” (2 Tim. 2:21). Therefore
if anyone cleanses himself from the latter (vessels used for common,
dishonorable purposes, v20), he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and
useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. May I be useful for the Master!
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