26. Standing Before God

Posted on Posted in Sermon Notes, Prayer Meeting Tagged with , , , ,

Hymns: 30 When This Passing World Before God; Standing on the Promises; 394 Deeper and Deeper

Job 9:14-24

14 How much less shall I answer him, andchoose out my words to reasonwith him? 15 Whom, though I were righteous, yetwould I not answer, butI would make supplication to my judge. 16 If I had called, and he had answered me; yetwould I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. 17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause. 18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness. 19 If I speakof strength, lo, he isstrong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say,I amperfect, it shall also prove me perverse. 21 ThoughI wereperfect, yetwould I not know my soul: I would despise my life.22 This isone thing,therefore I said it,He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. 23 If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. 24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, andwho ishe?

Standing Before God

OUTLINE

  • Pleading for His Mercy (v14-19)
  • Pending His Verdict (v20-24)

INTRODUCTION

CH Spurgeon on this text once said, “Ever since man became a sinner he has been self-righteous. When he had a righteousness of his own he never gloried of it, but ever since he has lost it, he has pretended to be a possessor of it. Those proud words which our father Adam uttered, when he sought to screen himself from the guilt of his treason against His Maker, laying the blame apparently on Eve, but really upon God who gave him the woman, were virtually a claim to blamelessness. It was but a fig leaf he could find to cover his nakedness, but how proud was he of that fig-leaf excuse, and how tenaciously did he hold to it. As it was with out first parents so it is with us, self-righteousness is born with us, and there is perhaps no sin which has so much vitality in it as the sin of righteous self. We can overcome lust itself, and anger, and the fierce passions of the will better than we can ever master the proud boastfulness which rises in our hearts and tempts us to think ourselves rich and increased in goods, while God knoweth we are naked, and poor, and miserable.”

There is a tendency for man to justify himself, to have a false notion of his well-being. Oftentime it is during the time of our affliction and trial that we are, as it were, forced into a corner, to evaluate our standing, may I put it more clearly, to evaluate our standing before God. These were Job’s words before his friends and before God.

Here Job touches briefly upon the main point now in dispute between him and his friends. They maintained that those who are righteous and good always prosper in this world, and none but the wicked are in misery and distress; he asserted, on the contrary, that it is a common thing for the wicked to prosper and the righteous to be greatly afflicted. This is the one thing, the chief thing, wherein he and his friends differed; and they had not proved their assertion, therefore he abides by his: “I said it, and day it again, that all things come alike to all.”(Matthew Henry)

Two thoughts:

  • Pleading for His Mercy (v14-19)
  • Pending His Verdict (v20-24)
  • Pleading for His Mercy (v14-19)

14 How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him? 15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge. 

He realizes that he cannot contend with God. It is an unequal match. Even when he were righteous, he was right before God, he realized that he could not possibly raise a case against his Judge concerning his predicament. 

Matthew Henry concurred here, “He durst not insist upon his own justification before God. Though he vindicated his own integrity to his friends, and would not yield that he was a hypocrite and a wicked man, as they suggested, yet he would never plead it as his righteousness before God.”

Before God, he understood well his unequal position. God is the Creator and he is but His mere creature. He understood the truth concerning man, “there is none righteous, no not one.” “There is none good, save One, that is God.” “We are like wandering sheep having gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way.” He dared not raise a case before God to justify himself why he shouldn’t deserve what he was experiencing. He says “though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.” Before my God, my Judge, I can only plead for His mercy.

Though I were righteous in my own apprehension, and my own heart did not condemn me, yet God is greater than my heart and knows those secret faults and errors of mind which I do not and cannot understand, and is able to charge mewith them, and therefore I will not answer.

Recall the prayer of the psalmist in psalm 19:

Psalm 19:7-14 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

The Word of God by the Holy Spirit shows us where we have gone wrong in our life. It is the Spirit that uses the word of God to bring conviction to our hearts and when we are confronted with our sins, we repent, and find cleansing and forgiveness. A man falls in the closet before he falls in public. 

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

As the Scriptures expose us to ourselves and convict us of sins we were previously unaware of, we are prompted to pray for forgiveness from secret faults—faults hidden to ourselves and even to others but not to God. [William MacDonald]

1 John 1:9-10 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Presumptions sins are the sins of pride and self-confidence. Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the LORD which he commanded them not and the fire from the LORD went forth and devoured them (Leviticus 10:1-2).

Leviticus 10:1-3 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

Sin began not on earth but in heaven when Lucifer the most beautiful of God’s angel fell when he reckoned that his beauty came from himself and failed to give glory to his Creator. By 5 prideful thoughts, he fell when he rebelled against God.

Isaiah 14:12-15 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

The psalmist sought to be free from the sinful pride that causes him to reject and rebel against the God who loves and sustains and keeps him.

 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. 

Indeed, he has been saved looking forward to the Redeemer, the Messiah that will come, Jesus Christ. And he sought to take time to meditate upon God’s Word that his life may be lived in the beauty of holiness receiving the approval of his God.

16 If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. 

And yet, Job sought for relieve from his ailment and predicament by pleading for the mercy of God for relief. You recall our study of Psalm 13 when the psalmist pleaded for God not to forget him and send help in mercy for his relief. The turn-around for the psalmist came when he trusted in God’s mercy, faith, stilled his heart, to wait, and patiently endure his affliction.

1To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, 4 lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

  • Acute Privation (v1-2)
  • Availing Prayer (3-4)
  • Assuring Peace (v5-6)

We studied what it means to trust in the LORD’S mercy.

This is the turning point in a trial. The psalmist reaffirms his faith in the LORD. He said I have trusted in Thy mercy. The mercy of God is the loving kindness and goodness of God. 

It describes the compassion of God on His people. The root verb is “love” (raham). It is the outworking of God’s love for His people. It is derived from the noun “womb”. The picture of God’s love for His people is likened to the unborn baby nourished in the mother’s womb. The umbilical cord supplies the oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood to nourish the unborn baby. The unborn baby is fully dependent on the life-line of the mother. This is how much we are dependent on our Creator, who is also our Sustainer and most importantly, our Saviour. We are lost and helpless, estranged from God, when we choose to walk our own way.

He put his faith in God first. This is what is needed in a trial. It is the critical point and test. May we not falter but triumph by faith. And because he put his faith in God first, he believed therefore he is blessed. He said ‘my heart shall rejoice to see Thy salvation.’ Has he saw God salvation already? No physically but by faith he saw and he shall receive. Remember when Abraham was asked to kill Issac his own son, this is the same test.

Because the psalmist believed therefore he saw the glory of God in his salvation. He rejoiced to see the bountiful hand of God upon him.

May the Lord strengthen the hearts of His people to exercise faith in times of trial to trust in His unfailing mercy! 

17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause. 18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness. 19 If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead? 

Job dare not justify himself before God even though he has been sorely tried, as did the Apostle Paul when he said in 1 Corinthians 4:4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

He cannot bring himself to contend with God concerning his predicament. He submitted himself to the yoke of God’s trial.

  • Pending His Verdict (v20-24)

20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. 21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.22 This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. 23 If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. 24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

A good man knows the deceitfulness of his own heart, and is jealous over it with a godly jealousy and has often discovered that amiss there which had long laid undiscovered, is suspicious of more evil in himself than he is really conscious of, and therefore will by no means think of justifying himself before God. [Matthew Henry]

Here Job touches briefly upon the main point now in dispute between him and his friends. They maintained that those who are righteous and good always prosper in this world, and none but the wicked are in misery and distress; he asserted, on the contrary, that it is a common thing for the wicked to prosper and the righteous to be greatly afflicted. This is the one thing, the chief thing, wherein he and his friends differed; and they had not proved their assertion, therefore he abides by his: “I said it, and say it again, that all things come alike to all.” 

It must be owned that there is very much truth in what Job here means, that temporal judgments, when they are sent abroad, fall both upon good and bad, and the destroying angel seldom distinguishes (though once he did) between the houses of Israelites and the houses of Egyptians. In the judgment of Sodom indeed, which is called the vengeance of eternal fire(Jude7), far be it fromGod to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked(Ge18:25); but, in judgments merely temporal, the righteous have their share, and sometimes the greatest share. The sword devours one as well as another,Josiah as well as Ahab. Thus God destroys the perfect and the wicked,involves them both in the same common ruin; good and bad were sent together into Babylon, Jer24:5,9. If the scourge slay suddenly,and sweep down all before it, God will be well pleased to see how the same scourge which is the perdition of the wicked is the trial of the innocent and of their faith, which will be found unto praise, and honour, and glory,1Pe1:7; Ps66:10. [Matthew Henry]