98. God Is Righteous and Just in All His Ways (3)

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Hymns: RHC 368 From Every Stormy Wind that Blows, 369 Near to the Heart of God, 370 Nearer, My God, to Thee

Job 36:8-14

8 And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction; 9 Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded. 10 He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. 11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. 12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge. 13 But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them. 14 They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

God Is Righteous in All His Ways (3)

OUTLINE

  • God’s Spokesman Speaks (v1-4)
  • God Is Almighty and Just in His Dealing with People (v5-12)
    • The Righteous (v5-12)
    • The Hypocrites (v13-14)

Continue…

  • God Is Almighty and Just in His Dealing with People (v5-12)
  • The Righteous (v5-12)
  • The Hypocrites (v13-14)

8 And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction; 9 Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded. 10 He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. 11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. 12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

God sends trials in the lives of His people. The purpose of trials is to refine them so that they will draw closer to Him and bear spiritual fruit of righteousness for His glory.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (KJV) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Elihu sought to point out the consistency of God’s character in His dealing with His people that it is always out of His love for them. He does not abandon them but is very much with them even in their affliction.

When Israel was in bondage in Egypt, they cried out to God. He heard their cry.

Exodus 2:23-25 (KJV) And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

This “process of time” is at least 80 years. And the toil and hard labour have reached unbearable levels. The king of Egypt that knew Joseph died and the new King was unsympathetic toward God’s people. They signed because their hearts were grieved. The physical and mental torments were very severe and there seemed no escape for them. How you encountered problems that you cannot resolve? Never despair, men ought always to pray and not to faint, says our Lord Jesus.

What could they do? The children of Israel cried to their God in prayer. This word – “cry” or “זָעַק” is a call for help, to cry out with a loud voice, that of crying out in pain or by reason of affliction; it describes those afflicted or oppressed by an enemy, hard pressed, in great distress or strait, oppressed by hard servitude.

This is the same cry of God’s oppressed people in the times of the Judges and how God sent deliverance each time. This word the same word of Hezekiah’s cry to God who heard his prayer and an angel by night to smote the hundred and eighty thousand Assyrian army surrounding Jerusalem. It has the sense of drawing nigh to God in a desperate situation where there is no other help forthcoming.

Indeed, God is our hope in times of affliction. When all things fail, He does not! We can still call to Him. Prayer is the best antidote in times of suffering because God hears our prayers and comforts the weary!

Truly the question is this, our afflictions are often a test of our faith if we will persevere to have faith and trust God even though we see no help in sight.

The faith of men grows weary and they give up hope. But our Lord says, men ought always to pray and not to faint! When affliction increases faith must proportionally increase. When it is hardest to pray, we pray the hardest.

This is a poem by A.M. Overton for your encouragement.

My Father’s way may twist and turn,

My heart may throb and ache.

But my soul I’m glad I know,

He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,

My hopes may fade away.

But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead,

For He doeth know the way.

Tho’ night be dark and it may seem

That day will never break;

I’ll pin by faith, my all in Him,

He maketh no mistake.

There’s so much now I cannot see,

My eyesight’s far too dim;

But come what may, I’ll simply trust

And leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift

And plain it all He’ll make.

Through all the way, tho’ dark to me,

He made not one mistake.

24 And God heard their groaning…

What a wonderful statement of truth that our tears are indeed kept in a bottle, our Lord measures and takes note of our every tear. We are not calling to God in vain even though we have not heard a visible voice, an direct answer to our prayer.

The groans of the people of God described the intense suffering experienced and how their prayers become too deep and too intense for words, yet such anguish is understood by God and responded to by Him.[1]

We read that “God heard their groanings, God remembered…God looked…God had respect…”

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Our Lord Jesus Himself is well acquainted with sufferings and afflictions in this earthly life and has gained victory. We can come to Him and find help and hope in times of need.

Are you currently in any affliction? Let us go to Jesus who says…

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

“and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.”

God remembers His covenant – the promise that He made to their forefathers. God keeps His Word and is true to His promise. We can safely rely upon Him to care for us.

Christians are special in God’s sight. The Apostle Paul tells us we are chosen by the Father, purchased by the Son and sealed by the Holy Spirit. We have a heavenly inheritance that is secured when we are born again into the kingdom of God by the Gospel of God.

Our Lord Jesus Himself sealed the covenant of redemption to us through the Gospel by His death on the cross. His body was broken and His blood shed as surety to His promise!

This covenant that God made with Abraham was suzerainty covenant – an agreement between unequal parties. God, Himself, stake His name to promise us His blessing toward Israel.

Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

God who walked through the broken animals will see to it that He will fulfill His promise.

 9 Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded. 10 He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. 11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. 12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

The Apostle Paul observed in that God sent chastisement to correct His people so that they will choose to walk in His ways. He does so as a loving Father that our ways may be renewed in holiness being confirmed to our identity as God’s children.

Hebrews 12:5-13 (KJV) And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Our transgression desecribes our departure from God’s ways, His holy will for our lives. It grives Him that we rebel against His blessing and sought cursing. 

God seeks to correct us so that we may be conform to Him. 

The history of the nation of Israel is a vivid testament to the veracity of Elihu’s words. Israel was deported out of the Promised Land in 722 BC. (Northern Kingdom) and 586 B.C. (South Kingdom). They were in captivity for 70 years. After which, God brought them back to the land and instructed them to rebuild the Temple and restore worship.

When our Lord Jesus Himself walked the Promised Land, He was rejected and crucified.

Their daring cry was recorded in Matthew’s gospel – His blood be on us, and on our children. (Matthew 27:25). Israel did not recover for the next nearly 2000 years from their actions against God – 12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

13 But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them. 14 They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

Matthew Henry observed well, “He brings ruin upon hypocrites, the secret enemies of his kingdom (such as Elihu described (v12), who, though they were numbered among the righteous whom Elihu had spoken of before, yet did not obey God, but, being children of disobedience and darkness, become children of wrath and perdition; these are the hypocrites in heart, who heap up wrath (v13). See the nature of hypocrisy: it lies in the heart, which is for the world and the flesh when the outside seems to be for God and religion. Many that are saints in show and saints in word are hypocrites in heart. That spring is corrupt, and there is an evil treasure there. See the mischievousness of hypocrisy: hypocrites heap up wrath. They are doing that every day which is provoking to God, and will be reckoned with for it all together in the great day. 

They treasure up wrath against the day of wrath (Romans 2:5). Their sins are laid up in store with God among his treasures (Deuteronomy 32:34; James 5:3). 

Deuteronomy 32:34 (KJV) Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?

James 5:3 (KJV) Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

As what goes up a vapour comes down a shower, so what goes up sin, if not repented of, will come down wrath. They think they are heaping up wealth, heaping up merits, but, when the treasures are opened, it will prove they were heaping up wrath. 

What are the effects of that wrath? They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean (v14). This is the portion of hypocrites, whom Christ denounced many woes against. If they continue impenitent, they shall die a sudden death, die in youth, when death is most a surprise, and death (that is, the consequence of it) is always such to hypocrites; as those that die in youth die when they hoped to live, so hypocrites, at death, go to hell, when they hoped to go to heaven. When a wicked man dies his expectations shall perish. They shall die the second death. Their life, after death (for so it comes in here), is among the unclean, among the fornicators (so some), among the worst and vilest of sinners, notwithstanding their specious and plausible profession. It is among the Sodomites (so the margin), those filthy wretches, who going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire (Jude 7). The souls of the wicked live after death, but they live among the unclean, the unclean spirits, the devil and his angels, forever separated from the new Jerusalem, into which no unclean thing shall enter.

CONCLUSION

Let us bless God even in the times of our affliction and wait upon Him for deliverance. He takes are of His own. We trust in Him. Such is the exhortation of Elihu to Job that God will not fail His people. Amen.

[1] Herbert Lockyer, All the Prayers of the Bible, Zondervan, 1959, 31.