May it please God to bless us
together this evening as we meditate in his word. Let's turn to the
book of Job and chapter 23 and we'll read verse 10. The book
of Job chapter 23 and reading verse 10. But he knoweth the
way that I take when he hath tried me I shall come forth as
gold. As most of you know, this morning
we spoke from Job chapter 16 and read chapter 16 and 17, which
were two chapters that Job was speaking in between the time
of his friends who addressed him. And at the scene we come
down, now the chapters 23 and 24, and it's a very similar situation. It's between two of his friends
speaking to him. And in fact, the picture that
we have in these chapters really is also very similar to that
which we had this morning in 16 and 17. Because Job, as we know, was
really persecuted by his three friends. They didn't accept what
he said very often, and they gave him what they thought was
their advice, which sometimes was good, but very often it was
not good. And so we see Job here answering in chapter 23 in the
first verse, He answers and said, then Job answered and said, even
today is my complaint bitter. My stroke is heavier than my
groaning. So the poor man wasn't in a high
place. He was in a low place. And of
course, we should remember that the church of God are not always
walking on the high road. And as we spoke recently, they're
often in the valley. And here, Job clearly is in the
valley on this situation. But of course we're thankful
to know that he didn't remain there for the remainder of his
life. The Lord came and wonderfully delivered him. And so as we journey
on today through life, may we be able to perhaps find the echo
in our heart as we read of Job's life and his experience and his
testimony, which of course is quite detailed. He goes on to
say, oh that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even
to his seat. When he was seeking after God. What a blessing that is, if you
and I are found with a prayer like this. This wasn't a prayer
which was just dragged up, it was that which emanated from
his heart. And he did desire to know where
he might find the Lord. And so he goes on, I would order
my cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would
know the words which he would answer me and understand what
he would say unto me. What a good thing that is, to
be concerned to hear the words of the Lord directed to our souls
in order to be a true blessing and a direction to us so that
we are found following the right way. And then he speaks to himself
and he says, would he plead against me with his great power? And
of course he gives the glorious answer, no, but he would put
strength in me. Well, our strength, our help,
our hope cometh from the Lord. And may we recognize that individually
ourselves and can understand, therefore, why Job was able to
write such words as this. There the righteous might dispute
with him, so should I be delivered forever from my judge. Behold,
I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive
him, and the left hand where he doth work, but I cannot behold
him. He hideth himself on the right
hand, that I cannot see him." So we find Job here as a typical
person representing the Church of God. He was a true believer. He was searching for God. and he was looking for God everywhere. But as he says, he couldn't perceive
him, he couldn't see him, but he desired him. And although
he was in that position, and perhaps that may be an encouragement
to us to realize that we're looking for the Savior, we're trying
to find him, we're looking find him, then let us not be
in that place where we give up. But may we realize that Job didn't
give up, Job pressed on. Job, as it were, just takes stock
of the situation. What a mercy it is when God gives
us grace to take stock of the situation. And what is that? Well, it tells us in this 10th
verse, but he knoweth, yes, the Lord knoweth the way that I take. He knows the way that we take
every step of that way in our little life on this earth. Nothing is unknown to God. We don't make any steps without
the knowledge of God. And so therefore he is able to
speak in this way and say, but he knoweth The way that I take,
when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Now, we see here the humble confidence
of this man of God. Just because he couldn't see
his way clear at the moment, just because it seemed that everything
appeared to be shut up, his confidence was still in his God. And just remember what Job had
passed through, as we read in the early chapters of Job, the
loss of nearly all things. And yet, you see, God gave him
grace, God gave him strength to trust in the Lord. Yes, trust
in the Lord at all times, whatever the situation. Because the Lord
has told us, as indeed the Apostle Paul tells us in that glorious
chapter, the eighth of Romans, when he says, for we know, and
he had a very tough life, but he tells us, and we know that
all things, not some things, all things work together for
good to those who love God, and to those who are called according
to his purpose. So to the blessed living family
of God there must be always a good outcome. And what a blessing
it is to know therefore that we have a God today. As we're
told in Malachi, I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons
of Jacob are not consumed. No, God is the same. What a blessing
for you and me today to realize the wonderful truth of such words. And then as we think of this,
but he knoweth the way that I take. The Lord knows every step you
and I are taking. It's not unknown, it may appear
to be and to us a total unknown way, perhaps a strange way, perhaps
a way we didn't expect. But of course we always expect
an easy way, don't we? We always expect a good way,
but the Lord has a perfect way for us. And so he tells us, he
knoweth, but he knoweth the way that I take. And when he has
tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Well just running on
for a few more verses in this chapter. My foot has held his
steps, his way have I kept and not declined. That's a great
mercy if the Lord has given you and me grace to walk in that
way that our footsteps slip not. He has held his steps, his way
have I kept and not declined. Well the Lord knows about us,
he looks into our heart, he knows whether that is true in our lives
or not. It's a great blessing to walk
humbly before our God and to be able to say to his praise,
for his honour and for his glory, his way have I kept. The way that the Lord directs
us in. We haven't rebelled, we haven't
gone another way. We haven't thought, this is just
too hard, this is just too difficult, I'm going somewhere else. No,
Job didn't do that. And don't forget, Job's case
was exceedingly difficult and hard, and none of our cases match
up to anything like what dear Job had to. pass through. And so he says his way I kept
and not declined neither have I gone back from the commandment
of his lips. Well there are many commandments
that God gives us in his word through his lips he speaks through
his word and he speaks to our soul through his word and therefore
we Words that Job says, neither
have I gone back from the commandment of his lips. You see, it's very
easy to go back from the commands of God, especially when the devil
tells us, well, it's the wrong way, you know, it's too difficult.
The Nike told some of those people in the Pilgrim's Progress and
caused them to go back and to give up. Well, if God be for
us, again, as Paul says, if God be for us, who can be against
us? And so we have a statement like
this, neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips,
I have esteemed the words in his mouth more than my necessary
food." It's a good illustration, isn't it? A good illustration,
because you and I need food, don't we? We need food to keep
our body naturally alive. Without food, for a long time,
we would very soon find it was difficult and we would eventually
pass away. Well, Joe puts things in a gracious
and right perspective. And he says, I have esteemed
his thought upon, and he's reckoned that the words of the Lord are
far more important, far more necessary than his daily food. Do you know why that is? Because
the words of the mouth from God are eternal words. Whereas the
food that we have, the daily food, just keeps us going for
a short time. But the words from God, they
esteem the words of his mouth, they are eternal. And what a
great blessing it is, therefore, if we have a right understanding
and put things in a right perspective, The devil will want the reverse. He'll make us more concerned
about our daily food than we are about eternal blessings.
And he'll endeavour to make us so occupied with, if you like,
unnecessary food, that the things with regards to our eternal soul
are put into the background and perhaps sometimes almost cast
away. Well what a blessing therefore
that we have a word like this to direct us in the true and
right way and then he goes on and says but he is of one mind
and who can turn him and what his soul desireth even that he
doeth. Now my friends we might say if
he wasn't at one mind you and I would not have any hope Because
if he looks at us and realizes how evil and sinful we are, why
should the Lord have mercy upon us? Why should he love us with
everlasting love? It is because he is of this one
mind and does not change, and therefore whatever comes, it
still continues. His work still proceeds. His grace is still set forth. And what a mercy it is for us
to observe these things. No, we can't turn the Lord, what
a blessing we can't. What a favour it is to know that
we have a God who is of one mind and what his soul desires even
that he doeth. And it comes to pass, that which
the Lord has spoken comes to pass. Not always immediately,
not always in the way that we expect. not always in the way
that we want. Nonetheless, we can rest assured
that this word is very true, that what he so desireth, even
that he doeth. And then, for he performeth the
thing that is appointed for me, the way is appointed for you
and me, the way that leads to eternal life, it's appointed. not something which is haphazard,
it's not something which is left to chance, it's something which
is ordained by almighty God, it is appointed. Everything occurring
in our life is appointed by God. May this be a strength and encouragement
to us as we journey on through life and many such things are
with him. Therefore am I troubled at his
presence when I consider I am afraid of him. Well this of course
is a fear to offend God. What a mercy when we have what
we sometimes refer to as a filial fear, not wanting to offend God. It's a great test isn't it of
the reality of our religion, not wanting to offend God. People are often concerned about
offending people and saying wrong things which might get them into
trouble. But you see here is the great
concern that they are not left to offend the almighty God. He performeth the thing that
is appointed for me and many such things are with him. Therefore
my trouble at his presence when I consider, I am afraid of him. For God maketh my heart soft. Isn't that wonderful? The thing
that God takes away the heart of stone. and it gives us a heart
of flesh. It's the work of God. And you
and I can't produce it ourselves, left to ourselves. We are hard-hearted
wretches, but blessed with a wonderful Spirit of God, to know that our
hearts are softened, so we have a tender heart, a heart which
desires to do the will of God, a heart that desires to follow
the way of God, a heart that is concerned to do the will of
Almighty God before us. And so, he maketh my heart soft,
and the Almighty troubleth me, because I was not cut off before
the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my
face. So there we are, however, There's
a quick rundown of that chapter, very much instruction for us. Coming back then to this 10th
verse. But he knoweth the way that I
take, when he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold. He knows
the way that we take because the way that you and I are to
take it has been ordained from before our birth. Indeed it's
been arranged and ordained before the creation of the world. Sometimes
I think that's a wonderful truth to think that God in eternity
past determined who would be saved, who he would redeem, who
he would love, whom he would reveal himself unto. And how very, very humbling it
should be, indeed, how very humbling it must be, if we are a true
child of God and a true believer, to recognize that this knowledge
of God is toward us because of his wonderful love. and realize
that the time ordained by Almighty God, when we should be born naturally
and when we should be born spiritually. You see, it is through the grace
and glorious work of our God. And so as we think of that and
look at our own little lives, to be able to trace out yet I'm
thankful indeed to know the Lord does know the way that I take. I'm not wandering on. I'm not
going in a wrong way. I'm not going in a way contrary
to God. It's not haphazard. It might
appear to be sometimes, just because things aren't working
out well, you know, in that path. Perhaps it's like this. the Lord
led them in the right way, they might go to a city of habitation,
and that right way is this, is to bring us to Christ, is to
bring us to see ourselves as a lost and undone sinner, and
to see that our only hope of eternal life rests in us receiving
that great and glorious gift from God himself. Well, that's
the way that the Church of God walk. The Lord knows the way
that we're taking and may we be found ever looking under Jesus
the author and the finisher of our faith. When things appear
dark, when things don't appear to be working out in accordance
with our little plan, let us realize that God's plan is still
moving on powerfully and wonderfully. I'm thinking of that word in
the prophecy of Isaiah. And in the 15th chapter, we come
down to the 10th verse, where Isaiah says this, who is among
you that feareth the Lord? Well, I hope we can all come
in there and say, well, I trust I do fear the Lord. Who is among
you that feareth the Lord? And then he goes on to say this,
that obeyeth the voice of his servant. Well, that's a good
thing, isn't it? If you and I found out obeying
the voice of his servant, it would be very sad if you and
I are disobeying the voice of his servant, the voice of God. Then he says that walketh in
darkness and hath no light. Well, you might think, well,
sure that can't be the right path. Surely I must have mistaken
the way. No, says the word of God, that's
not so. You haven't mistaken the way
because there is a word of gracious instruction. And this is it. Let him trust in the name of
the Lord and stay upon his God. You see when things appear dark,
when the path doesn't appear very clear, perhaps when we don't
feel very much nearness to the Saviour, perhaps we feel sometimes
he's left us and departed from us. And we look at ourselves,
we realise we only have ourselves to blame. And therefore we find
ourselves in darkness. Well, do we give up? No, we don't
give up. What do we do? We trust in the name of the Lord. And we stay, we wait upon our
God. The Lord waits to be gracious. The Lord makes these times valuable
to us. You see, if anything just arrived
when we wanted it, we wouldn't pray very much. We just expect
everything to go on smoothly. But the Lord knows what we need
to direct us to himself, to bring honour and glory to his great
and glorious name. You see, there are two ways.
There's the way of the righteous and there's the way of the ungodly.
And David tells us in the first Psalm, the Lord knoweth the way
of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Well, let us not be found in
that way. Let us be found in this way,
the way the Lord knoweth the righteous. And we are righteous
only through his righteousness, not because of ours. But again,
how humbling it is to think that God graciously gives to all his
people, everyone without exception, that glorious robe of his righteousness
to cover our nakedness. What a mercy, what a blessing
it is then. And so he knows the way that
I take, the Lord knows what we need, and he's leading us in
that way to fulfill that need. And the real truth is that the
path that Lord leads us in is to prepare us, each one of us,
for our eternal home. And that's why he goes on to
say, when he has tried me, know the way that I take, when he
has tried me, that means tested us, tested our religion, tested
the reality of it. Tests how we react before God
and man when things don't go smoothly, when things go in the
opposite direction. This is all part of the testing
of our spiritual life, when he has tried me. And it's a good
thing to be tried. It's a good thing to have our
religion tested. We don't want to come down to
the end of our life and find that we're lacking. You know,
I sometimes think of that illustration in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress,
and there was ignorance. He made the journey, he got through
somehow, climbed over the wall, he hadn't come in the right way,
but he got there anyway. And he came up to the gate of
the Celestial City, and he was asked for his certificate. And again, he pretended he got
one. He fumbled in his bosom, as the
word says, but he couldn't find it. My friend, you and I don't
want to get to the end of our journey and think that we've
been all right and think that we have the evidence from God
that it is all right. We don't want to think, we want
to know by the grace of God. And that certificate tells us
that we have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. There's no other way of entry
into the celestial city. So what a mercy it is and if
you and I find that we are being tested as to whether we do possess
the reality or that knowledge of Christ, which is more precious
than gold. You see, we're told here, and
try me, I shall come forth as gold. You know, gold is a pure
metal. There's nothing which is added
to it, it stands alone by itself. And so it will be in your life
and my life, we shall stand alone, we shall stand upon the merit
of our Saviour, and shan't stand upon our merit, and therefore
all that is of the flesh we will find will disappear. Perhaps
we were very proud of it, perhaps we may have thought we have a
wonderful testimony, a wonderful experience, but you see as the
Lord glows upon it, As the fire of God comes upon it, we find
that some of it we lose. And we were looking forward to
going to say what a wonderful experience we had. No, you see,
remember, and it's so important, a little that a righteous man
have is better than the treasures of many wicked. We want that
which God gives, that which he gives, which is his work in our
soul. And what a mercy then to be found
in that way and everything which is of the flesh will be tested,
and tried and will have to leave behind. Perhaps I'll be burnt
off when he has tried me. Yes, the Word of God speaks of
this in so many occasions. It is to be tried. Indeed the
We're told in Hebrews, a well-known case of dear Abraham, I'm sure
we're familiar with it, we should be anyway, by faith Abraham,
11th chapter, 17th verse, when he was tried, he offered up Isaac,
and he had received the promises, offered up his only begotten
son. Well we have a test there of
faith given to Abraham. When he hath tried me. Yes when
our faith has been tested whether it's false or when it's true. Abraham's faith was tested to
the uttermost and if you sit down quietly and think of what
he had to endure There, as an old man, he had been promised
a son, when naturally it was impossible for Sarah to conceive. But God's promise was fulfilled. She conceived and had a son,
Isaac. And now Abraham is being told
to offer up his only son. Well, it's a glorious story,
or glorious account rather, to follow and to see how Isaac was
blessed with faith, believing that God was able to raise up
Isaac from the dead. That's faith isn't it? And so
he didn't hesitate, off he went and right to the very point of
slaying his son. And then the Lord stopped him
doing that because he told him now I know that thou believest
these things. What a mercy it is for us today
to be blessed with this true living faith. But you see what
happened He was tried when he had tried me. Yes, Abraham was
tried and tried very greatly. And James, you know, in his little
epistle, he said, blessed is the man that endures temptation. Temptation here was for Abraham,
not to obey God. There's many temptations where
the devil will tell us, well, you need not do that. Indeed,
that's really the very reason why sin entered into the world,
for that Satan came and deceived Eve, and told her she need not
believe the Word of God. And he uses the same tactics
today. We must remember this statement
by James. Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation, You will be tempted, for when he is tried, when he
is tested, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord
hath promised to them that love him. Well, isn't it far more
valuable to receive the crown of life and to endure temptation
rather than submit to temptation and go along with it and find
that we do not receive then this crown of life how necessary it
is then. When he has tried me I shall
come forth as gold. It's a very positive statement
and again I said this morning, it's very wonderful that Job
is able to speak in this way, such a positive way, with so
much negative things occurring in his life. Opposition from
his three friends largely, and yet you see the grace of God
enabled him to speak with such conviction and such encouragement
to the Church of God, for he knoweth the way that I take,
when he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold. Yes, there's
no doubt about it, because the trying was only going to purify
his situation so that his soul would be right and good and fine. You know, Jeremiah was a man
that had a very difficult life, didn't he? Opposition nearly
all the way. Faithful man. We're not promised
anything other than that, really. And yet when he wrote the Lamentations,
he says, the precious sons of Zion, the precious sons of Zion,
the children of God, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed
as earthen tissues, the work of the hands of the potter? Well,
what a mercy it is if we are a true son of Zion and somebody
who recognizes the blessing of being tried. when he hath tried
me, because of the great and glorious result, I shall come
forth as gold. Now, the Apostle Peter knew the
path, knew the path only too well. And he tells us in the
first epistle of the fourth chapter about the strange thing concerning
him. He tells us like this, Beloved,
think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try
you as though some strange thing happened unto you. Now Peter
would have been very familiar with this situation because he
indeed had the fiery trial when he denied his Lord and Master
on those three occasions. How sad and how solemn. The blessing
was it had a glorious and good effect upon Peter. When the Lord
looked upon him on that third occasion, he went out and wept
bitterly. What was he? Truly sorry for
his sin. Yes, he'd been trying, he'd been
tested, and he'd failed. The Lord hadn't cast him off.
and will remember that he was dust. He'd be one of those who
are not loved with everlasting love, and therefore he was tried,
but nonetheless he did come forth as gold, because we see the wonderful
sorrow and repentance for his sin. We may sometimes fall, we
may sometimes do those things which are not in accordance with
the Lord's Word, or a blessing when he gives us. repentance
and truth, contrition for our sins and to seek unto the Lord,
that we might indeed be blessed with a wonderful gift of eternal
life. And in a very similar way, Peter
again in the first chapter of his epistle, he tells us the
trial of your faith. Abraham, we've mentioned already,
the trial of his faith. What does Peter say? The seventh
verse, the trial of your faith. being much more precious, much
more precious than the gold that perishes. We can understand in
some small way the value of gold, but then he says that it would
be trying to fire might be found unto praise and honor and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Yes, our faith will be tested. Don't think that you can read
those accounts in the 11th of Hebrews and think, well, that's
very lovely to read, but it doesn't apply to me. Of course it does.
You and I will be tested in our faith. when he has tried me,
I shall come forth as gold. Well, what a mercy it is then
to know that the Lord is dealing with us as sons and daughters
of the Most High God, and in dealing with us without any doubt,
he will bring us to see the Saviour by faith. and to view what he
has done, the great cost of our salvation, to bring us right
down and before the Lord, to bow down and to worship him and
come and say, what a saviour, what a glorious saviour. to redeem me from all my sins. And so here we have this word,
when he has tried me. Yes, the testing time comes in
our lives, and that's a good job it does, so that we haven't
got a false hope, we haven't got a false religion, we've got
that which God has tested. And when God tests our religion,
all that which is of the flesh disappears. and that which he
has done, his work will stand. He will stand every test and
live at last. So may we truly rejoice tonight,
I hope we can, in such words as we have here in this book
of Job. There are many precious words,
and this indeed is one of them, and it should be a great encouragement
to us but he knoweth the way that I take. Yes, every way,
every step of the way the Lord knows. It's not the unknown way
to God, it's the unknown way to you and me. And it may appear
to be going in a wrong direction. No, it's not going in a wrong
direction. It's going in the way that God
has graciously ordained so, that we may come forth as gold, so
that we may be purified in our religion, and not left to rely
upon the works of the flesh, not left to rely upon our own
understanding. I don't have to think the way
we're going is the right way when it's going in the opposite
direction and we'll end up in hell at last. What a mercy we
found them in that right way, in the good way, the way the
Lord leads and directs us. Well, we have many examples,
don't we, in the Word of God. We can just think of Joseph in
his life. Joseph, you see, was trying greatly,
wasn't he? He had those dreams from the
Lord, very clear, weren't they? There, all those 17 years or
so occurred before they came to fulfilment. don't be discouraged
therefore if perhaps the time is running on and those dreams
those words haven't been fulfilled yet if they are from God first
of all to be tested and secondly if they are from God they'll
come to pass the Lord knows the way he knows the way what a mercy
that is and it is the right way he led them forth by the right
way that they might go to a city of habitation. And as the Psalmist
says, oh, the men would praise the Lord for his goodness and
mercy, his wonderful favours. And that should be our desire,
as we see the Lord looking upon us and blessing us and instructing
us to recognise, yes, the Lord is leading us in the right way
that comes and goes. to that sitting of habitation
because that should be our continual desire and concern to have the
evidence that we are in that narrow way which leads to eternal
life and not found in the broad way which leads to eternal destruction. Well may God graciously come
and remember us each for good. with that favour that he beareth
unto his people, and to come and visit our souls with his
salvation, and rejoice in his finished work, that were complete
on Calvary, and have the evidence that we have a personal interest
in what Christ has done in redeeming our souls, and bless him then
for such a word as this, but he knoweth The way that I take,
when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Amen.