Let us turn once again to the
Word of God and turning to this chapter from which we've read
this evening in Job the 23rd chapter then in the book of Job
and want us to consider the portion that we have here from verse
8 through verses 9 and 10 In Job chapter 23 verse 8 and
then through verses 9 and 10, Behold, I go forward, but he
is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive him, on the
left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him. He hideth
himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him, but he knoweth
the way that I take. When he hath tried me, I shall
come forth as gold. Well, I'm sure we're all well
aware that this is such a remarkable book of the Scriptures. Some say the oldest of all the
writings, older than the books of Moses. It does seem that Job
himself certainly predated the days of that tabernacle worship
that was clearly established after God had brought his people
out of Egypt and brought them to himself. It's an old book
and it's full of experience, full of Christian experience
because it does contain so much of the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Even in this ancient book we
find the doctrines and the truths that really pertain to the Lord
Jesus. I'm sure you're Well aware of
that, when we think of the language that we have previously here
in the 19th chapter, that passage from verse 23 following, Job
again speaks and says, Or that my words were now written, or
that they were printed in a book, that they were graven with an
iron pen and laid in the rock forever. For I know that my Redeemer
liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth
and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh
shall I see God whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes
shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within
me but ye should say why persecute we him seeing the root of the
matter is found in me in the root of the matter clearly was
in that man he was a Christian man looking for that great promise
of the seed of the woman and the seed of Abraham the one who
would come and bruise the serpent's head and establish his reign
of grace no wonder that speaking of this book the reformer Luther
says it is magnificent and sublime as no other book of scripture. The book of Job then and we come
to consider these words here in chapter 23 that I've just
read verses 8, 9 and 10 and in this portion of course we have
Job's confusion and then Job's comfort and that's the theme
that I want to take up really in the midst of his trial we
see something of Job's confusion and then his comfort first of
all to say something with regards to what we might say is a more
negative point and that is the fact that this man is in a state
of some confusion and we see that in the language of verses
8 and 9 he said behold I go forward but he is not there he's speaking
of God and backward but I cannot perceive him on the left hand
where he does work but I cannot behold him He hides himself on
the right hand that I cannot see. Alas, he was somewhat confused. He wants God, he wants to find
God, but he is struggling. And of course we have these series
of speeches in the book as his friends have come to him. Those
three men Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. and in the previous chapter
it's Eliphaz the Temanite who is speaking to Job and says there
in verse 21 acquaint thyself with him in other words acquaint
thyself with God and be at peace thereby good shall come unto
thee that's the counsel of Eliphaz And he's really a poor comforter
because Job is not one who is unacquainted with God. The Lord was very much his desire.
You know, he yearned after God. As he says here, as he begins
to answer, he lies fast. In verse 3, O that I knew where
I might find him, that I might come even to his seat, I would
order my cause before him. and fill my mouth with arguments. Eliphaz misjudged the man altogether. Job did obviously previously
know God when we're introduced to him. We see him very much
as a man who stands before God as upright and righteous. He's
a justified man. Remember the language that we
have. As the book opens, there was a man in the land of Oz whose
name was Job, and that man was perfect and upright, one that
feared God and understood evil. And then, when the Lord speaks
to Satan later, in verse 8 he says, As thou considered my servant
Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and
an upright man. one that feareth God and as doeth
evil. He was a man who was upright
in the sense that he was right with God. He was not a man who
was altogether self-righteous. He was not a sinless man. But
he was a justified sinner before God. And so he certainly knew
something of God and of the of the ways of God and again we
see it later in the language that we find him using in the
29th chapter each time we have the friend, one of the friends
would speak he'd answer that particular friend so we have
these cycles of different speeches and Job in chapter 29 speaks of how things once were
with him verse 2, O that I were as in months past, as in the
days when God preserved me, when his candle shined upon my head,
when by his light I walked through darkness, as I was in the days
of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle,
upon my body, when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children
were about me, and he speaks of how he washed his steps with
butter, And the rock poured out rivers of oil for him. He felt
so favoured and so blessed by God. But now, as is seen as changed
Job, is now in the hands of Satan. Remember how we learned that
awful truth in the opening two chapters. Satan no free agent
but he desires this man and in the mystery of the Lord's dealings
he is permitted to come and to assault Job first in his possessions
and in his own family then in his own person but he cannot
touch his life in the sense of taking away his life but he's
very much a man in the hands of Satan just as Peter was put
into Satan's silvery member in the gospel in Luke 22 where the
Lord addresses him Simon, Simon behold Satan hath desired to
have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for
thee that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen
thy brethren and of course we have observed previously there
how we have the plural pronoun then the singular pronoun as
the Lord addresses Simon Peter he says Satan hath desired to
have you that he may sift you that's all of you Satan desires
to have all who are the people of God he will assault the children
of God and he's so cunning a foe and so crafty and he's so strong
he's stronger than the believer is but the Lord sees how vulnerable
that man was and so as the Lord continues he then uses a singular
pronoun and says to Simon Peter but I have prayed for thee that
thy faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen thy
brethren well here is Job and how Job in many ways his situation
we might say far more difficult and trying than ever Peter suffered
at that particular time. He was tried then in the midst
of all those dealings that came as a consequence of what God
had permitted with regards to the activity of Satan. And we observe two things really
with regards to how Matter stands with him. He could not at this
time find the cause of his trouble he wanted to know what was the
cause of his trouble he wanted to find God in order that he
might establish that and so we have those words in verses 8
and 9 where he's looking for God, he wants to find the Lord
he goes forward, he goes backward he goes to the left, he goes
to the right whichever way he turns and in a sense he's trying
in all of this to take a view of his whole life He would examine himself before
God and prove himself and know something of himself. And it's
interesting, isn't it, when we would do that and review maybe
our lives because of things that have come. We think, well, why
this? Why that? And so often we can't find the
real reason. We can't find the true cause
of the troubles that we have come into. When we learn in Scripture
how wrong it is to equate sufferings, our sufferings, with sin, or
anyone's sufferings with sin, we might be willing to do that.
We think, well, this has come because I've done something and
the Lord is dealing with me, the Lord is chastening me, and
I know that is the experience of those who are the Lord's people.
It's interesting, though, when the disciples speak to the Lord
there at the beginning of John 9, where we have that great miracle
of the giving sight to the man born blind and remember the language
of the disciples at the beginning his disciples asked him saying
who did sin who did sin this man or his parents that he was
born blind they immediately think you see this is a consequence
of some sin and the Lord tells them that neither this man hath
sin nor his parents but that the works of God might be made
manifest in him God makes himself known in the
strangest of such situations but we have to remember that
basic truth it is wrong it's wrong to equate any sufferings
with sin and it's not just there in John 9 we see it again in
the way the Lord addresses the disciples in Luke in Luke's gospel
and there in the 13th chapter the opening verses there were
present at that season some that told him of the Galileans whose
blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices And Jesus answering
said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners
above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I
tell you, Nay. But except ye repent, ye shall
all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom
the tower in Siloam fell and slew them, think ye that they
were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you,
Nay. But except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. In all these situations we should
look to ourselves and examine ourselves, and this is what Job
would do, but he cannot find the cause of his trouble. And
in a sense, nor could he properly fix his thoughts at this time.
He couldn't fix his thoughts, he seems to be at his wit's end,
he's seeking after God. in front, behind, on the right
and the left, and he is unable to find his God. And in a way,
we might say, he's not dissimilar to that man that we read of in
the Psalm, in Psalm 107, the man who is doing business in
great waters, or deep waters. Remember the language that we
have there in the 107th Psalm, that great Psalm? verse 23 they that go down to
the sea in ships that do business in great waters he's speaking
of mariners we recognize that but it's a spiritual word isn't
it also it's speaking of God's dealings with his people you
have to sometimes do business personally in their spiritual
lives in the deep waters the mystery of God's dealings they
see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep for he
commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves
thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to
the depths, their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel
to and fro and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end. The margin tells us that that
expression, at their wits' end, in the Hebrew, all their wisdom
is swallowed up. all their wisdom is swallowed
up, then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth
them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm calm, so
that the waves thereof are still. Then they are glad because they
be quiet, so He bringeth them unto their desired haven. Oh, there are times, you see,
when God's people cannot fix their thoughts or their wisdom
is swallowed up. The mystery of God's ways and
his dealings, his way is in the deep waters. His footsteps are
not seen. What a mystery there is. And
these are Old Testament verses that we're referring to, but
when we come to the New Testament it's the same religion, it's
the same way of salvation for the Old Testament saint as for
the New Testament saint. And so we find Paul in his epistles
many times giving exhortation to the people. When we come to
the end of those Pauline epistles, Think of Philippians 4.6, it
says, Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgivings, let your requests be made known
unto God. And it's interesting, the word
that he uses here, rendered careful, in our authorized version, literally
means to tear the mind, to divide the mind asunder, a mind racked,
with anxious thoughts, that's the idea that we have in the
very word careful, full of care the situation seems utterly impossible
because one's in the midst of difficulties, trials and troubles
and in those situations we learn something, don't we? we learn
there's a difference between us theorizing about these things very different to theorize when
we find ourselves in the midst of that bitter experience how
we then must be all together cast upon the Lord himself and
the Lord says doesn't he let not your heart be troubled ye
believe in God believe also in me for it's life eternal to know
thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Here
is Job then, and he is somewhat confused. He hears the words
of his apparent friend, his acquaintance at least. Acquaint thou thyself
with God and be at peace. Thereby shall good come unto
thee. But, that's far easier said than done. Far easier said
than done. because this man is searching
to try to understand the cause of why these things have come
upon him and the more he looks into these things the more he
finds that he can't fix his thoughts he's overwhelmed by the situation
he's in but then we do find the place where he's comforted and
we have that of course in the familiar words of the 10th verse,
this great text. He knoweth the way that I take,
when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. And of course, the but is the
interesting word. It draws the contrast between
what we said with regards to verses 8 and 9 and what we come
to now. Oh, there's a difference here.
What is his comfort then, in the midst of all his trials?
Well, he knows that God is acquainted with him, and God knows him.
That's the first thing. But there's a second thing also
that we might observe, and that is that God is proving him, and
God will approve of him. And I want for a little while
to just take up those two points, Job's comforts in the midst of
his trial. First of all, the fact that God
himself is truly acquainted with him and the Lord God knows him.
He knoweth the way that I take, he says. Remember what Eliphaz had said
in verse 21 of the previous chapter, acquaint thyself with him. that
he's with God. Well, Job would be acquainted
with God. But God was hidden from him,
that was the problem. And he couldn't find him. Oh,
that I knew where I might find him, he says, that I might come
even to his seat. I would be acquainted and familiar
with him. that God's way was hidden from
him. This is the problem he has. He can't understand the mystery
of the Lord and the ways of the Lord. We think of those words that
are spoken previously in chapter 11, verse 7 following, Canst
thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty
unto perfection? It is high as heaven, what canst
thou do? And deeper than hell, what canst
thou know? the measure thereof is longer
than the earth and broader than the seas the great God that God who is altogether beyond
what we could ever imagine because he is the creator, we are the
creatures he is the eternal one we are those who experience all
the limitations of time and of sense And He's the Holy One and
we're the sinners. How can we find this God out
at all? And that's what He's saying,
isn't it, here in verses 8 and 9, wherever He turns. He cannot
discover God. His way is in the sea. His path
is in the great waters. His footsteps are not known. And so, he's done before God
in a certain sense he would order his cause before God as he came
to his seat but he cannot begin to find where God is remember what we're told in Isaiah
55 God says my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your
ways my ways for as the heaven is higher than the earth so are
my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts and your thoughts. Here is Job, he's lost, he's
lost in God's dealings with his soul. And yet, and this is a wonderful
thing, Job finds his comfort in God's decree. He's lost in
God's dealings with him And yet, here's where he rests. He rests
in the sovereignty of God. Because the sovereignty of God
is full of consolation. He knoweth the way that I take. Oh, he sees that though he can't
understand, though he can't find God, yet God is in all of these
things. and it's the sovereignty of God look at what he says later
verse 13 but he is in one mind and who can turn him and what
his soul desireth even that he doeth for he performeth the thing
that he's appointed for me and many such things are with him he's acknowledging that God is
sovereign and God knows there's comfort in God's foreknowledge
isn't there Remember the language of Romans
8, the familiar words there in verses 28 and 29? We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose, for whom he did foreknow. He
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son. And
whom He did predestinate, then He also called. And whom He called,
then He also justified. There we have the decree from
eternity to eternity. The ones that He foreknew are
the ones who will ultimately be glorified. They'll be with
Him forever in glory. What is God's foreknowledge? It's not just God foreseeing
an event, and God acting as a consequence of what he foresees in man. That's
not the foreknowledge that's being spoken of. That foreknowledge
there in Romans 8.28 is the sovereign love of God. It's those whom
God has set his love on, he knows them, they're his. They're not
only his by creation, they're his by choice. They are the ones
whom in the eternal covenant He has elected and committed
into the hands of His only begotten and well-beloved Son. They are
elect according to the foreknowledge of God. Look, they are those
who are preserved in Jesus Christ and they are called. That is
the knowledge that we leave up there. There's comfort in that
knowledge. It is the knowledge of a gracious
purpose. but he knoweth the way that I
take," says Job. What does he say, the Lord God,
through Jeremiah the prophet there in Jeremiah 29.11, I know
the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of peace and not
of evil, to give you an expected end. To the children of Israel
as they're in captivity, they've just gone away, they've been
taken, Jerusalem has fallen, the temple raised to the ground,
all's finished but God has a purpose to fulfill and he will yet restore
them thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected
end it's a knowledge then of gracious purpose but it's also
a knowledge of tender pity when we think of God Remember the
language again, the comforting words of Psalm 103, and there
at verses 13 and 14, like as a father pitieth his children,
so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. He knoweth our frame. He knoweth our frame. He made
us. He knoweth our frame. What a
comfort is that. Like as a father pities his children,
so the Lord pities them that fear him. He knoweth our pride.
He remembereth that we are dust. He made us out of the dust of
the earth. How tender God is in his dealings with his people,
even in the midst of their trials and troubles. And Job, with all
that the devil would throw at him, all these awful temptations,
there is no temptation taken at all that the Lord's not aware
of His people in. Look at the language that we
have there in 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 13. God makes that
way. He makes the way whereby His
people shall yet escape from all that they fear will completely
overwhelm them. in the midst of their temptations. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and
I think it's the 13th verse that
we want, there is no temptation taken you but such as is common
to man. but God is faithful who will
not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will
with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may
be able to bear it and so with Job so with Job he knoweth the
way that I take when he hath tried me or there will come an
end to the trial when the trial is over and done
I shall come forth as God what will God do then? God will prove
him God will prove the reality of his religion in the midst
of the trial and God will approve of him that's what God is doing
it's the reality of his faith that is being tested here as
I said from what we're told as he's first introduced to us there
in the opening chapter He's an upright man, he's a God-fearing
man, he's a justified sinner. But it seems it would appear
at that time he knew very little of his own heart. And he knew little really of
the depths of his depraved nature. And God's dealing with him. Verse
16, God maketh my heart soft. and the Almighty troubleth me
he says or the effect of the trial you see he's not hardened
now in his sin he's softened he's made to feel his sin the
more but it troubles him the Lord will bring him ultimately
to what we have at the end of the book of course there in chapter
42 at verse 5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear
now mine eye seeth Therefore I repent with dust and ashes,
he says. Oh, he comes to such a greater
knowledge of God and the wonders of God. All the truth that God will show
to him. Remember the language of Jacob. Not worthy of the least of his
mercies and all the truth that he has shown to me. Well, this
was Job. He was shown wonderful things.
He says remarkable things as we've already seen in various
parts of the book. There are gospel truths scattered
throughout the book of Job. And here he is, you see, in the
end. He comes forth as gold. Gold in the furnish, tried. They lose his aught but dross,
so is the Christian purified. and bettered by the cross," says
Joseph Hart, it's true, the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than the gold that perisheth, so it betrothed with fire is
found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ. And so what does Peter go on
to say? He says that in chapter 1 and
verse 7 of his first epistle, then in chapter 4, And verse
13, he says, Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery
trial that is to try you, as though some strange thing happened
unto you. But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers
of Christ's offerings, that when his glory shall be revealed,
ye may also be made glad with exceeding joy. Oh, the Lord,
you see, He prepares a people all together for Himself. And
this is Job. And the end of Job. Oh, we've
heard of the patience of Job. We see the end of the Lord, we're
told in James. The Lord is pitiful and full
of compassion. And Job, how Job comes to discover
something more. He cannot find God. Wherever
he turns, in verses 8 and 9, But how, in the end, that tremendous
tenth verse, but he knoweth the way that I take. When he hath
tried me, I shall come forth as gold. For the Lord be pleased
to bless his word. Amen. Let us sing our second
praise this evening, the hymn 614. and the tune Trenton number 73. I'll read the first verse and
we'll sing from verse 2. The Lord the righteous tries
yet will adore his name. He never will their cause despise
nor put their hope to shame. 614 singing from verse 2 and
the tune is number 73. And Christ embodies them all. from hence they come forth grown. Then His face conceals, and lets
them grow weary, and by His feet the dreadful plague of sin. These slaves may cry unclean,
the monstrous pest of woe, or dance the truce of And with her we glow. Look here, the Lord replies,
My beauty's all in thee, Tis time to flee How can I please the ghost? All it's attempt to do Thy guilt
and ruin should expose One thing I keep to teach me how to live by faith
in Jesus name.