Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ, our Lord. If you have your Bibles this
morning, turn with me to Job, the book of Job. Job chapter
nine. and I wanna read verses 25 through
33. Job 9, 25 through 33. Now my days are swifter than
a post. They flee away, they see no good. They are passed away as the swift
ships, as the eagle that hasteth to the prey. If I say I will
forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness and comfort
myself. I am afraid of all my sorrows. I know that thou wilt not hold
me innocent. If I be wicked, why then labor
I in vain? if I wash myself with snow water
and make my hands never so clean. Yet thou shalt plunge me in the
ditch and mine own clothes shall abhor me. For he is not a man
as I am that I should answer him and we should come together
in judgment. Neither is there any daysman
betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both. We see here a man who has been
shown his mortality. He can see his life slipping
away as the saying goes. He says it this way, my days
are swifter than a post. Post here means a run or to run. So he is saying time is passing
by quickly. We read this in the New Testament
as well in James four and verse 14. Whereas ye know not what
shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is
even a vapor that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth
away. We also see Job acknowledges
to God because that is who Job is speaking about. But he acknowledges
God will not hold him innocent even if he stops complaining
about his circumstances. He then says, if he is wicked,
then why is he trying to work for anything? He knows there
is no work he can do to get him out of his situation. But by
that, I mean the situation of not being innocent before God.
But we know this by what he says next. if he cleans himself up
so that his hands are clean. This is the same thing as saying
if I do the most righteous acts that my hands can do. Anything,
I mean anything you can think of to do, it fits into this category
if it is the work of your hands. That is the indication by his
use of making his hands clean. Even after doing all that, God
will plunge you into the ditch and your own clothes will abhor
you. That is you by nature. That is
me by nature. That is anyone born of Adam. This is our lot by nature. He then says there's nothing
you can do about this. That is just the way it is. Because
he then says, God is not a man like him or you and I. We do not work out things together
with God. He then says what I want to talk
about today. There is no one, no daysman that
is someone that can stand between both God and man and bring them
together in unity. We need a daysman. Job 9.33,
neither is there any daysman betwixt us that might lay his
hand upon us both. God, if he is pleased and wants
to reveal himself to you, he will put you through what he
puts Job through in the book of Job. So I want to look at
God's work for his people as it concerns the book of Job in
the following points. the sovereignty of God, the working
of God, the revealing of God, the seeing of a sinner. So this
is a working of God. That is bringing one of his to
see him. And why is this? Because of the
sovereignty of God. The first thing I want to point
out concerning the book of Job is in the first two chapters.
We see in these two chapters instances where Satan comes before
God. At these times, it is God, not
Satan, that brings up Job. He asks Satan if he has considered
his servant Job. What is God wanting Satan to
consider Job for? It is just as it was for Peter
to sift him as wheat. In Luke 22 verses 31 and 32 we
read, and the Lord said, 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. It is evident how Christ said
this, that Satan would be allowed by God to sift Peter. This God
does to try his people's faith, that faith of Jesus Christ that
has been given by God to them as a gift. He means to have his
people's faith tried. More on this later, though. But
we read in Job all that happens involving Job, and God permits
Satan to take everything Job has in chapter one, except his
house, his wife, and his health. If you read it, this all happened
in one day. Then later on, Satan comes again
before God, and God asks him again if he has considered his
servant Job. Then God allows him to cause
his wife to turn on him and allows him to affect his health. Satan
causes boils to come on Job's body from the top of his head
to the bottom of his feet. God controlled all things here
and he controls all things everywhere. The people who were involved,
the elements that were involved as well. We read in the first
chapter that in one day Job lost all he had. God controlled the
men in the first chapter so that in one day Job lost all he had. God controlled the men who took
the animals and killed the servants of Job. He also controlled the
fire that fell. And we know this is so because
it says, the fire of God fell. He controlled the wind as well.
Just like we read in the New Testament when Christ and the
disciples were in the ship. In Mark 4, verses 37 through
41, we read this. And there arose a great storm
of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full. That means the ship was full
of water. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a
pillow. And they awake him and say unto
him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose,
and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there
was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are
ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly and
said one to another, what manner of man is this that even the
wind and the sea obey him? I imagine that the sea was just
as a sea of glass, perfectly calm and smooth. It says there
was a great calm. So God is in control of all the
elements. There is no doubt from scripture
we can see God is in absolute control of all things and all
mankind. Knowing this should result in
the fear of God. But we know this does not cause
all men to fear. But we read on in Job and find
God sends three men to be miserable comforters to Job. These men
compound Job's grief and Job did grieve. But all of this is
the working of God for a believer. So the working of God. When it
comes to God and his people, we can see that God is actively
involved in what happens to them. He does things on purpose, and
Job is no exception. He is actually an example of
one of his in what God is working for them. He does this, that
is God, for a reason and not to torture his people. Although
what he does may be very grievous to his people. What does God's
work result in at the first? This is something this world
knows nothing about. This world is about lifting up
their arms in praise as if they were celebrating a touchdown
or a goal by their favorite team. They come to God chewing their
bubble gum with their heads lifted up high. Hear from the book of
Job what God's people began to think when he does his work.
First of all, it is a real feeling of being assaulted by God. They
feel God is against them. In Job 6 verse 4 we read, for
the arrows of the Almighty are within me. The poison whereof
drinketh up my spirit. The terrors of God do set themselves
in array against me. They will know that there is
nothing they can say or do that will justify them before God.
Job 9 verse 20. If I justify myself, mine own
mouth shall condemn me. If I say I am perfect, it shall
also prove me perverse. In our text, we see that the
child of God comes to know that we can do all the right things
with our hands, but our works are nothing but a stench in God's
nostrils. In Job 9 and verse 30 and 31,
if I wash myself with snow water and make my hands never so clean,
yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine own clothes shall
abhor me. And again, the child of God knows
in and of himself, he will not be justified of God. We have
sinned and come short of the glory of God. In Job 10, 14,
we read, if I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not
acquit me from mine iniquity. The believer comes to know that
they have nowhere else to turn. God is the only place of trust. In Job 13 and verse 15 we read,
though he slay me, yet will I trust him. They come to know they are
unclean and cannot make themselves clean. Job 14 and four we read,
who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. The believer comes to know they
are one breath away from death. I mean death will separate them
from God forever. Job 17, one, we read, my breath
is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me. They come to know that their
situation as they are born, what they are is nothing before God. Dust and ashes, this is what
they are and have before a thrice holy God, nothing. Job 30 and
verse 15 through 20, let's turn and read that. Job 30 verses 15 through 20. Hear the child of God and what
he comes to think. Terrors are turned upon me. They
pursue my soul as the wind, and my welfare passeth away as a
cloud. And now my soul is poured out
upon me. The days of affliction have taken
hold upon me. My bones are pierced in me in
the night season, and my sinews take no rest. By the great force
of my disease is my garment changed. It bindeth me about as the collar
of my coat. He hath cast me into the mire,
and I am become like dust and ashes. I cry unto thee, and thou
dost not hear me. I stand up, and thou regardest
me not. So when God Almighty does His
work, either initially in salvation or in the life of a believer,
because this is not just a one-time thing, God continues to remind
us of Himself and who we are. But it never causes the believer
to celebrate as if a touchdown was scored, nor do they come
to Him with their heads held up high. But just as the publican
did, they will not even as much lift up their eyes, but beat
on their chest, asking God to propitiate them. That is, take
their place. Or, you can say it this way,
take away my sin, oh God. That is their cry. But then we
have what God intends for his people in all that he does, and
that is, revealing himself to them. the revealing of God. Once we get to chapter 32 of
Job, we then see one other person that enters the scene. It is
Elihu, who is just a clay pot like Job is. This is a picture
of God sending one of His messengers forth to proclaim His truth.
There is nothing special about this man, other than God has
sent him. That one sent of God, when they
are sent, will proclaim the sovereign God of all creation, that one
who is just and cannot at all look upon sin. That man sent
will come and testify that God should be justified rather than
man, and that God is the one that thrusteth down men and not
man himself. He will proclaim just as Elihu
did that man is not to be given flattering titles. God is the
only one who should be reverence. This world loves flattering titles. They love to give them and they
love to get them. In Matthew 23 verses five through
seven we read, but all their works they do for to be seen
of men. They make broad their phylacteries,
and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost
rooms at feast, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and
greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. The one sent of God is not sent
to give out a heavy hand to men, but to tell them gracious words. But the trouble with men as they
are born in nature, they do not understand what gracious words
are. The one sent tells another clay
pot that God is in total absolute control. He does as he pleases
and does not answer to anyone. Man might think they are in control,
but they are deceived. God keeps his people from themselves
and from falling into the pit from which they were digged.
The one sent is sent to tell another clay pot. That is, one
sinner is sent by God to tell another sinner that it is God
who has found a ransom. God is the one whom will pay
the price needed to keep man from going down into the pit.
Read what Elihu says. This is what he tells Job, if
you read Job. He goes on further to say, if
God does not do something for man, then all will perish. He is the creator of all things
and people. He will do with his creation
as he pleases. God will mark a man's ways, and
if they are marked for you and in you, then you will perish.
But if they are marked in another, then God has had mercy on you.
God will not at all acquit the guilty. The crime of sin against
God, which we all have committed, must be judged. Either it will
be judged in man himself, or the ransom was paid by another.
Man, no matter what he does, will not take away from God,
nor add to him. Because the works of men are
an abomination in God's eyes, The pride of man calls him to
not want this man to reign over them. God must abase a man if
he is ever to bow down to God in fear. Job 36 and verse 13
says, but the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath. They cry not when
he bindeth them. They die in youth and their life
is among the unclean. he delivereth the poor in his
affliction and openeth their ears in oppression. Those who
say they serve God but serve man, they are hypocrites. When they are binded like Job
has been, they will not cry out for God. They are full of pride
and are hypocrites. But the poor, those for whom
have nothing and can do nothing, God opened up their ears in this
time of oppression. They hear and they obey. But
then after we hear from that one scent of God, then God himself
will visit us by his spirit, confirming the words spoken by
that one he sends. It says in chapter 38 in verse
one, then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind. God Almighty
will come to you by His Spirit through His Word and confirm
the truth being spoken to you. If you never hear the gospel,
then you never hear God. God's Spirit confirms to you
that what you have heard is His truth, if the truth is what you
are hearing. We read in Job that God saying
to or asking Job if he was present for several things. God says,
who shut up the seas with doors? He says to the sea, hitherto
shalt thou come, but no further, and here shall thy proud waves
be stayed. He also asked Job in Job 38 verse
17, have the gates of death been opened unto thee? Or hast thou
seen the doors of the shadow of death? God owns them and he
controls them. Man has no power such as this. Who is going to contend or complain
with God and instruct him on how things should be done? This
is what God spoke to Job. There is nothing that man will
do for God because God is in need of nothing. God is the one
who is offended. Man is the one who has offended
God. That one who is brought to this
place will be brought to say, just as Job in Job 40 verses
four and five, behold, I am vile. What shall I answer thee? I will
lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but I will
not answer. Yea, twice, but I will proceed
no further. God will shut our mouth. so that
we are not able to say anything. We will come to that place where
we know if our mouth is allowed to go on speaking in this flesh,
God will destroy us for our pride. But this work of God, this revealing
of God results in something. The seeing of a sinner. We then
get to the last chapter of Job, and God is showing us his purpose
in what he has done with Job. Job has lost everything he had,
including his health. He has had his wife turn on him.
His three friends condemned Job. But God said Job was perfect
and an upright man who eschewed evil. He did not do this on his
own or by his own will, meaning he was not perfect and upright
or skewed evil on his own. Because we read in Job 19 and
verse 25, it says, for I know that my Redeemer liveth, this
is Job speaking, and that he shall stand at the latter day
upon the earth. So Job knew he has a Redeemer
because he calls him my Redeemer. But if he had a Redeemer, that
means he had to be redeemed from something. That something is
sin. Job was not perfect because of
his own works. Job was perfect because of the
work of the Redeemer. But he had not seen the Redeemer
yet in grace. We read in our text that Job
acknowledges that man needs a daysman. That is what Job is looking for.
a daysman who will be able to touch man and not be defiled,
and touch God and not be consumed. In doing this, bringing them
both together in himself, that is what the Redeemer does. But
there comes a time when God will open your eyes, or maybe God
allows you to see this once and again in afresh, where you will
say, as it says in Job 42 verses two through five. I know that
thou canst do everything and that no thought can be withholding
from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel
without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that
I understood not. Things too wonderful for me,
which I knew not. Here I beseech thee and I will
speak. I will demand of thee and declare
thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing
of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee. Again, there is no
raising of hands in exclamation, no chewing of bubble gum. What
God shows us causes us to come to this place, this next verse
in Job 42 and verse six. Wherefore, I abhor myself and
repent in dust and ashes. He will bow us down before him
in adoration. We will come to fear God and
love God because he first loved us. You ever heard the term tough
love? This is gracious love that is
worked out by God which causes the needy sinner to turn to him
as their only salvation, knowing they are but dust and they come
to him repenting. Now that is the summation of
the book of Job. I certainly did not cover everything,
but that is the summation of the book of Job. The sovereignty
of God. God being sovereign, he works
out everything because he is in control of everything. He
works out all this for the good of his people and his people
alone. If you do not like or you do
not believe in this God, then you do not know God. Because
this is precisely what we read in Job. It is the whole of what
God tells Job. It is the whole of everything
that happens in the book. The working of God. Because he
is sovereign, it is he that works out everything. His working causes
the believer to come to know who he is, and that is who God
is. His working causing the believer
to come to the knowledge of what he is by nature. That is, man
comes to know what he really is as he is born in Adam. the
revealing of God, the work of God involving sending someone
to you with the gospel, the truth about God, then God speaking
to you by His Spirit. There is a result that comes
from all of this, all of this having nothing to do with what
the sinner, that is the believer, doing anything. The result of
all this working of God is the seeing of a sinner. The sinner
comes to the end of himself having no hope apart from God doing
something for him. Someone who will take his place,
that daysman who will be able to touch man and not be defiled,
and touch God and not be consumed, bringing them both together in
himself. That daysman being Jesus Christ
the Lord who is the Redeemer, who redeemed his people from
their sin. The sinner comes to this place. Now my eye seeth
thee. and I repent in dust and ashes. Do you have a daisman? There
is but one, that is Jesus Christ the Lord. Has God worked a work
for you to show you his daisman? Can you bow down to him in reverent
fear? He says, all that call on him, he will in no wise cast
out. I hope God enables you to see
who the true days man is, because if you are to see him, it will
be him who will have to cause it to come to pass.