let us turn again to God's words
turning now to the Old Testament Scriptures in the book of Proverbs
and I'll read the opening two verses of chapter 6 in a sense
I have a double text this morning these opening verses in chapter
6 and then words in chapter 11 and verse 15 Proverbs 6 and verse 1, My son, if thou
be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with
a stranger, thou art snatched with the words of thy mouth,
thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. And then again
in chapter 11 and verse 15, He that is surety for a stranger
shall smart for it. in his concordance Alexander
Cruden lists some 200 names that are given to the Lord Jesus throughout
the scriptures and of course amongst those names is that of
surety but surety is really more than a name it's also an office
that the Lord Jesus occupies in the accomplishment of the
great work of redemption and salvation. And, interestingly,
we find several references to suretyship here in the book of
Proverbs. In fact, I think I'm right in
saying that there's more reference to suretyship in this particular
book of Scripture than in any other. In fact, when we come
to the New Testament, the word surety is used on just one occasion. In that portion that we were
reading, there in Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 22, where the Apostle
clearly speaks of the Lord Jesus as that one who is surety of
a better testament. Just that one use of the word
in the New Testament, and yet several mentions of that name
here in the Book of Proverbs. The opening words that we have
here in this sixth chapter, My son, My son, if thou be surety
for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
thou art snared. with the words of thy mouth and
thou art taken with the words of thy mouth who is it that is
the son being spoken of at the beginning of this particular
chapter? well it is him who is the only
begotten son of God Proverbs is part of the wisdom literature
that we have here in the Old Testament And we know that the
Lord Jesus Christ is that one who of God is made unto his people
wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Or we read in James of the wisdom
that is from above which is first pure and peaceful, gentle, easy to
be entreated, full of mercy and good fruit without partiality,
without hypocrisy. Isn't that a description of the
Lord Jesus? He is certainly the wisdom. And of course we have that remarkable
account of wisdom here in chapter 8. Does not wisdom cry? And understanding put forth her
voice. And remember how Solomon then
goes on quite clearly to speak of the eternal Son of God. wisdom speaking here in verse
22 of that chapter the Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way
before His works of all I was set up from everlasting from
the beginning or whatever the earth was when there were no
depths I was brought forth when there were no fountains abounding
with water before the mountains were settled before the hills
was I brought forth then at verse 30 then I was by Him as one brought
up with Him, I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before
Him." Or the Lord Jesus, we know from the New Testament, He is
the Word of God, the Word made flesh that dwelt among us, that
was full of grace and truth, but He is also that One who is
the Wisdom of God, and we see the Lord Jesus here in this book
of Proverbs, my son. that is the eternal Son of God
and now right at the beginning in the opening chapter wisdom
speaks verse 20 wisdom crieth out she uttereth her voice in
the streets she crieth in the chief place of concourse in the
opening of the gates in the city she uttereth her word saying
how long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners
delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge turn you
at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out of my
Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." And
isn't that paragraph fulfilled in the ministry of the Lord Jesus
Christ? Here in this opening chapter
we see wisdom crying in the chief place of concourse, the opening
of the gates. There in Jerusalem, in the temple,
we see this word being fulfilled in John chapter 7 at the Feast
of Tabernacles where the Lord speaks words that are so evidently
the accomplishment of what wisdom is saying there, that promise
fulfilled on that day when the Lord utters the words that we
have recorded in that 7th chapter in John's Gospel. Verse 37, In
the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and
cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the
Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. But this spake he of the Spirit,
which they that believe on him should receive, for the Holy
Ghost was not yet given. because that Jesus was not yet
glorified. Oh, it's the great day of the
feast. There are multitudes there and the Lord Jesus, the Prince
of all preachers, raises His voice and He speaks of the Spirit. It's the very word that we have
back here in Proverbs chapter 1, as wisdom cries out in that
cheap place of concourse. And what is the promise? Verse
23. Turn you at my reproof. Behold,
I will pour out My Spirit unto you. I will make known My words
unto you. Christ is in all the Scriptures.
Christ is in the book of Proverbs. Did he not say to the Jews on
another occasion there in the Gospel according to Saint John,
search for Scriptures, in them you think that you have eternal
life and these are they that testify of me. Here we have the
Gospel then in Proverbs. The book of Proverbs is a Gospel
book and that's the theme really that I want to take up this morning,
the Gospel in Proverbs. or more particularly the suretyship
of Christ as we see it here in this book. And of course to speak
of Christ as a surety was a great theme with the Puritans. If you read anything of the works
of those remarkable men back in the 16th, the late 16th and
early 17th century how the Puritan is delighted
to speak of Christ in his various offices, and in his office. And so, as we come to look at
these words, in particular in chapter 6, but also what he said
there in chapter 11, a remarkable statement, he that is surety
for a stranger shall smart for it, or as the margin says, shall
be sorely broken for it. well as we look at the words
in Proverbs I want to divide the subject into two parts first
of all to say something with regards to the office of surety
and then secondly to look at the oath of God first the office
the office the surety my son if thou be
surety for thy friend if thou hast stricken thy hand with a
stranger thou art snared with the words of thy mouth thou art
taken with the words of thy mouth now the word that we have surety
it's derived from a verb that literally means to barter or
to exchange bartering, exchanging Albert Barnes the Presbyterian
minister and commentator back in the 19th century says Assurity stands
in for another person. It is of course a judicial term
Assurity in the law court is responsible for a person to appear
at a stated time and there might be the requirement of paying
a bond as a guarantee that the person will appear on that day,
they stand surety and a sum is fixed, but the person who is
the surety is the one who will stand as a guarantor on behalf
of that particular individual. somewhat of a judicial term then,
but we're more interested in what we learn about suretyship
here in the Word of God. And in Scripture, we certainly
get the idea of the surety as one who is exchanging places
with another. And we have the example back
in Genesis of Judah being surety for his brother Benjamin. after
the brethren had sold Joseph into bondage in Egypt and then
in the good providence of God how Joseph was prospered and
becomes the chief man next to the Pharaoh throughout Egypt
and then you remember the dreams of Pharaoh Joseph's interpretation
and so on and there were to be years of great plenty, seven
years of great plenty and then seven years of famine and in
the years of plenty Joseph is the one who ensures that provision
is laid up for those years of great want that will follow and
in the years of want Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to obtain grain
and they don't recognize Joseph when he deals with them but he
treats them in strange ways in many respects and he inquires
after his younger brother Benjamin you know the story I'm sure you're
familiar with it and they go away but Joseph makes it quite
plain that should they come again to obtain provision in Egypt
They won't receive any audience except they bring their younger
brother Benjamin. And of course Benjamin and Joseph
were the two sons of Rachel. They were full brothers. They
were not half brothers. They were full brothers, these
two. The provision is gone and they need to go again into Egypt. and of course Jacob is lost,
his son Joseph so he thinks the brethren have made out that he'd
been slain by some animal they presented the coat of many colors
all bloodstained and he's very reluctant to permit his youngest
son to go with the others to obtain corn in Egypt and it's
Judah it's Judah who steps forward there in Genesis 43 and verse
9. He says, I will be surety for
him, of my hand shalt thou require him. If I bring him not unto
thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for
ever. And so reluctantly Jacob permits
Benjamin to go and then when they come to the man, to this
man Joseph, they still don't recognize him and in chapter
44 and verse 32, Judah repeats those very words before Joseph
concerning Benjamin. There's a scriptural example
then of what it means to be sure to. What a solemn promise it
was that Judah made If my hand shall require him, if I bring
him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear
the blame forever." And then, interestingly, we also have an
example in the New Testament, in that very short letter, that
lovely letter, that the Apostle Paul writes to Philemon, just
before the epistle to the Hebrews. And it really concerns this runaway
slave, Onesimus, who'd run away from his master Philemon. And
then, under Paul, this runaway slave had come to saving faith,
and here is the apostle, he's sending this man back to his
master. And what does he say? there at
verses 18 and 19 in Philemon, concerning Onesimus, if he hath
wrung thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on mine account. I,
Paul, have written it with mine own hand. I will repay it. You see, it's a sure thing. And
then he says to Philemon, albeit I do not say to thee how thou
owest unto me even thine own self besides. that Paul is willing
to stand shortened for the slave Onesimus. There then we have
an example one from the Old Testament another from the New Testament
of what it means to be shortened. And here I say in Proverbs we
have words that are really being addressed to the eternal Son
of God. The Father speaking to his Son
as it were. If thou be surety for thy friend,
if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, thou art snared
with the words of thy mouth, and art taken with the words
of thy mouth. We know that there was an eternal
covenant between the persons of the Godhead. There was that
covenant of redemption between father and son in which the son
willingly becomes God's servant in order to save as many as the
father had committed to his charge in that covenant it's being referred
to here but we also see how Job makes some reference to it in
Job 17 and verse 3 that man cries out to God put me in a surety
with thy isn't that a prayer of Job as he requests that the
Lord will make that provision for him he wants a surety put
me in a surety with thy and then when we come to the New Testament
we see that prayer of Job being answered because Jesus or Jesus
is made a surety of a better covenant. What do we to understand
by a better covenant? Well the contrast of course is
between the old covenant that was given at Mount Sinai and
the new covenant which is associated with Mount Zion. We've referred
in times past to the contrast that the Apostle draws there
in Hebrews 12 between those two covenants. The better covenant
is that that is promulgated from Mount Zion. But there's a relationship
between the covenants. there's a relationship between
them. What were the terms of the old covenant? What was it
that God required of the children of Israel when he brought them
out of the land of Egypt and brings them to the mountains
of Horeb and there at Mount Zion he covenants with them in terms
of the Ten Commandments? And remember how the whole scene
of the giving of the law is really set in Exodus chapter 19. They've come now into the midst
of these mountains. They've come to Mount Sinai. And here it is that God will
come and speak to the children of Israel. And what is said there
in that 19th chapter God says obey my voice indeed and keep
my covenant. The covenant will be expressed
in terms of ten commandments. In other words, they're going
to be told there are certain things they must do. Of course,
God is dealing with the people who are really sinful people. who are prone to do every wicked
and every evil thing. And so, as we know, so many of
the commandments are expressed in very negative terms. God repeatedly
says to the children of Israel, they shall not, they shall not,
they shall not. It's expressed in negative terms.
But they are to obey. They are not to do certain things.
There are certain things that they are to do. Again in Leviticus
18 verse 5 God says, Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and
my judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them. I am the Lord. So you see how
God is saying do this and live. And again He says you see there
are certain things you are not to do. if you are my people,
if you are an obedient people, you won't do these sinful things
you'll do all my commandments and then when we come to the
New Testament what does Paul say in Romans Romans 10 verse
5 Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law that the
man which doeth those things shall live in them so the Lord
is continually saying do, do But what if there's disobedience?
Well, we have the contrast as it were. We don't only have those
statements in which God is saying do and live, but for example
in Jeremiah 11 and verse 3 God says, Cursed be the man that
obeyeth not the words of this covenant. If you obey, you'll
live. If you disobey, you'll die in
a cursed death. How strong the law is, they've
got to keep it, every part of it. James says if a man should
keep the whole of the law of God and yet offend in one point
he is guilty of all. God requires of his people a
full, complete, perfect obedience to every single one of his commandments
without any exception. and the Lord Jesus himself makes
it clear that that law is a spiritual law, it's not just a matter of
action, it's also a matter of thoughts, of feelings, of words,
it's a spiritual law. How terrible is that Old Testament
law then? As many as are of the works of
the law, Paul says, are under the curse for it is written,
cursed is everyone who continues not in all things written in
the book of the law to do them. Oh the law then, what is it?
It's a ministration of condemnation. It's a ministration of death.
There is a ministry of the law whatsoever things the law saith,
it saith to them that are under the law that every mouth may
be stopped. and all the world become guilty. That's the purpose,
the point of the law to bring sinners in guilt. We have to
come to that, that we're guilty sinners. By the law is the knowledge
of sin. But we're thinking in contrast
to that of the New Covenant. When the Lord Jesus Christ comes is he not one who comes in a
sense under that law? as we read in Galatians chapter
4 and verse 4 when the fullness of the time was come God sends
forth his son made of a woman made under the law he is under
the law to redeem them that are under the law that they might
receive the adoption of sons. He comes to stand in that law
place of His people. And remember what we said at
the outset, surety has to do with the law court, it's a judicial
term. Christ comes into that law place
of His people. He will be their substitute and
their surety. That's what the Lord does. He is under the law and He obeys
the law. Oh, we read those words, He is
that one who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
made higher than the heavens. He has come, He has honored the
Lord of God, He has magnified the Lord of God, He has lived
a life that was all together without any sin. the only man
that has ever lived upon the earth who was all together all
his days without sin a righteous man and so Paul speaks of him
doesn't he in Romans 10 verse 4 the end of the law Christ is
the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes Oh,
you see, righteousness, the righteousness that God requires has got to
be a perfect righteousness. They're told as much, aren't
they? Deuteronomy 6.25, It shall be our righteousness if we observe
to do all these commandments before the Lord our God as He
hath commanded us. To do all these commandments
in the sight of God before the Lord our God and man looks on
the outward appearance the Lord looks upon the heart as I said
the Lord of God is a spiritual Lord it doesn't just concern
what we do what do we think? all about our lost things our
evil desires God sees them you see that's a the breaking of
his holy law it's so solemn really God requires
perfect obedience in heart, in lip and in life and the Lord
Jesus is the only one who has ever rendered such obedience
to God and he's done it as that one who is the surety of his
people for we came to stand in their Lord place and to obey
the commandments for them, the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believes. It's a great doctrine of justification
by faith. It's not our own righteousness,
you see, it's the righteousness of the Lord Jesus. And how that
righteousness is imputed to the sinner, reckoned to the sinner's
account. God doesn't view his people,
you see, in what they are as sinners, but he views them in
what they are as righteous in the Lord Jesus Christ. But that
is just one part of the obedience of the Lord Jesus. He comes to redeem, as well as
to live a righteous life. Christ has redeemed us from the
curse of the law being made a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed
is everyone that hangeth on a thread. Who has died at a cursed death
of the transgressor? A substitutionary death. The
great doctrine of substitutionary atonement. These are the very
heart of the gospel of the grace of God. All that the Lord Jesus
has done. He was obedient. unto death even
the death of the cross we're told in Philippians chapter 2
not just obedient in living but obedient also in dying that was
the purpose of his coming that he might make that one sacrifice
for sins the fulfillment of all the types, all the shadows, all
those Levitical sacrifices they all pointed to They all had their full accomplishments
in Him. And what of that death that He
died? What did He accomplish? Oh, it was a definite atonement. It was a particular redemption. Those for whom He died, they
could never be condemned, because He has borne the penalty that
was there just as earned. And as the top lady says, payment
God cannot twice demand, first at my bleeding surety's hand
and then again at mine? Oh if the surety has stood in
my place and died as my substitute how could it just God condemn
me? And yet there are those who will
be condemned in the great day of judgment there will be a separation
between the sheep and the goats You see, those who say that the
death of Christ is universal, that he died for every man who
has ever lived upon the face of the earth, if they're going
to be consistent, they've got to say everybody goes to heaven.
There's no how. It's solemn, you see. The word
of God. So discriminating, the word of
God. The gospel comes to some the
savour of life, to some the savour of death. that the surety has
died and he has died for those that the father had given to
him in the eternal covenant. But having said something with
regards to the office here we see that the language
of the text is very much couched in terms of an oath If, my son,
if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand
with a stranger, thou art snared with the words of thy mouth,
thou art taken with the words of thy mouth." There's a promise here, solemn promise,
oath-taking, striking hands, again I referred to the request
of Job in chapter 17 and verse 3 of that book lay down now put
me in a surety with thee who is he that will strike hands
with me? again Job uses the language of
oath to shake hands to seal the engagement as it were That was
once sufficient, wasn't it? An Englishman's word was his
bond, he'd give his promise, he'd shake hands, the deal is
done. And they would never go back
on that, one time. Now that's the imagery that we
have, you see. Oath-taking. And surely in this we see God's
great favour. God's great favour to sinners. What is the wise man doing? Is
he not here, in many ways, warning? Warning against suretyship. That's the language that we have
here in these two verses. It's a language that we also
have, of course, in that 11th chapter. And there at verse 15,
"...he that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it." and the
margin says be sore broken for it. He that hateth suretyship
is sure. There's a cost, a great cost
to suretyship and we have it again later as I said there are
several references to suretyship here in Proverbs in chapter 17 in verse 18 it says a man void
of understanding striketh hands and becometh surety in the presence
of his friends the language is very strong all be aware there
is a tremendous cost tremendous cost if a man is going
to be surety for another a man void of understanding it says
but in these verses you will observe that it does speak of
a man who is surety for a friend if thou be surety for thy friend
it says and again in that verse I just referred to in chapter 17 and verse 18 he becomes
surety in the presence of his friend oh here is God's great
favor to sinners the Lord Jesus is the friend
of sinners the Lord Jesus will bear that
tremendous cost because the opening words of the hymn 806 Christ
is the friend of sinners be that forgotten never oh there is a
man you see who is really the sinner's best of all friends.
Oh, this is the man that receives sinners. This is the man that
eats with sinners. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. And
how greatly does he love the sinner. Doesn't he say himself, greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friend. Oh, the Lord Jesus He's willing
to be the friend of sinners so it cost him his life. And why
does it cost him his life? Because these whom he has set
his love upon, they're those who are sinners, they're those
who are enemies of God. They're those who in their very
natures are alienated from God. He loves the sinner, you see.
and it's going to cost him so dear because there's a price
to be paid the Lord God is a holy God and a righteous God and a
just God and he can by no means clear the guilt and the penalty
must be paid and the person must either pay that price himself
or one must stand in his place and come forth as his surety
and die as his substitute and that's what the Lord Jesus Christ
has done and he disgusts him always disgusts
him, he that is surety for a stranger and that's what they are, they
might be the Lord's friends but they're strangers they're strangers
to Christ, they're strangers to God they're in that condition
of alienation, that's where we were maybe that's where some
of us still are are we in that state still? separated, far off dead in trespasses and in sins
how solemn it is that's their condition and yet the Lord is
pleased to be the friend of such characters as that for when we
were yet without strength Paul says in due time Christ died
for the ungodly for scarcely for a righteous man will one
die yet for adventure For a good man, some would even dare to
die. But God commended His love toward us, in that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us. All God's favour. That's what we see. God's favour
to sinners, in that there is One, and He is God, He is the
Eternal Son of God. My Son, says God. If thou be
shorted for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a
stranger, thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou
art taken with the words of thy mouth. And yet the Lord Jesus
has done that very thing in spite of all the great cost. God's
favor, but also we see here surely God's faithfulness. Who is this
Jesus of Nazareth? Remember what Peter said at Caesarea
Philippi, there in Matthew 16, Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the Living God. Who is that? He is the Son of
the Living God, the Promised One, the Messiah of God. But
always, never anything less than the Son of the Father, in truth
and in love. And in all the work that the
Lord Jesus Christ has done here upon the earth, do we not see
God's great faithfulness? Oh, we see God's great faithfulness.
We read those great words, that great passage in Hebrews concerning
Christ and his priesthood. Hebrews 7.20 Inasmuch as not
without an oath he was made priest. Out there the Apostle is drawing
a contrast between the priest of Aaron and the high priest
after the order of Melchizedek. They were made priest by a Khan
or the worldly commandment. But this one by an oath. Not
without an oath he was made priest. the Lord swear and will not repent
thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek by so
much more was Jesus made surety of a better covenant that's what
it says by so much more how has Christ become the surety it's
all by oath the language here is a language of oath and again
we didn't just read that 7th chapter, I deliberately read
what we have previous to that at the end of the 6th chapter wherein God willing more abundantly
to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability, the unchangeableness
of his counsel confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable
to unchanging things, in which it was impossible for God to
lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon the hope set before us." So this is the hope, you
see, that there is one Christ, the Savior, the surety of His
people. And where is He? He's in heaven. which hope we
have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and
which entereth into that within the veil, whither the forerunner
is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek." What has God done? Well, He has
given His Word, His promise, but as if that's not enough,
He has confirmed it. He's sworn by Himself, He's taken
an oath. In a sense, He's magnified His
Word above all His name. If His Word is not true, if His
Word falls or fails in any way, God is no more. That's what He
is doing. That's what God is doing. Well, this is the Gospel, you
see. As I said at the beginning, it's the Gospel in the book of
Proverbs. We have God's words. We have
God's promise. We have God's oath. We have the
death of Christ, the surety, the testator. Where a testament
is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. We read in Hebrews 9. For a testament
is of force after men are dead, otherwise it is of no strength
at all while the testator liveth. Christ is dying. That was He
sealed the Testament, the Covenant by blood. Oh, we sang it, didn't
we? Just now in the hymn. The Gospel. The Gospel bears my spirit up.
The faithful and unchanging God lays the foundation of my hope
in oaths and promises and blood. That's the Lord Jesus. And this
is the one who is spoken of here or do you come to God's Word
reading any part of it and thinking, I'm determined, I want to find
Christ. As he said, He's in all the Scriptures.
Or that we might find Him today then friends, here in the words
of our text. These words in chapter 6 and
verses 1 and 2, but also those words in chapter 11 and verse
15, neither his surety for a stranger shall smart for him, nor the
Lord Jesus. How he was indeed sorely broken,
sorely broken in all the agonies that he endured there as he made
that great sin-atoning sacrifice, suffering not just at the hands
of men, but suffering at the hands of the Father, just as
the Father tells him here in these words at the beginning
of the sixth chapter, My son, if thou be shorted for thy friend,
if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, thou art snared.
With the words of thy mouth thou art taken. With the words of
thy mouth. But how the Lord is faithful
to all his charge. How the Lord bless his word to
us. Amen.