If you will, turn to Job chapter
14. Last Sunday, many of you will
remember, we looked at one of the oldest recorded questions
of man. And that was found in Job chapter
9 in verse 2. How should man be just with God? How should man be just with God? And we saw the answer to that
question. that it is only through the work
of another person, a substitute, through his person and work,
that any man may be just or right, righteous before God. We saw that in the Old Testament.
We saw that in the New Testament. That's the message all through
the scriptures from Genesis chapter three and verse 15 all the way. Paul put it like this in Romans
5 in verse 1, therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. No one has peace with
God in any other way except through our Lord Jesus Christ. You know,
one of the charges against lost man recorded in Romans chapter
3 is the way of peace they have not known. And that's true of
all men by nature. The way of peace. There's only
one way of peace with God. Your sins, the scripture says
your sins have separated you from God. There's only one way
that a man may have peace, a woman may have peace with God, and
that is through the person and work of Jesus Christ. You've
heard this often, but it's still true when you hear the gospel. You hear two things. You hear
of substitution and satisfaction. You hear of substitution, that
is Christ and the stead of his people, and satisfaction that
he gave unto God, all that God's justice could require for his
chosen people. Now today, I want us to look
at another one of the old questions that man has. It's here in chapter
14. And verse 14, if a man die, shall
he live again? If a man die, shall he live again? Now, in looking at this question,
I have two observations I want to make. The first observation
is there's no doubt about a man dying. The question begins with
the word if. if a man die. But the word that
is translated here, if, is the same word. If you look above
that in verse eight, the very same Hebrew word there is translated
though. Though, and so this could have
been translated, though a man die, shall he live again. Now, the reason that I have called
these two questions, The one we looked at last week and this
one today, two of man's oldest questions, is because we know
the book of Job. We have 66 books in our Bible,
all of them inspired by God the Holy Spirit, we believe. All
of the scripture from Genesis 1-1 to the end and Revelation
22, it's all inspired of God. But I would say this, when you
read in the book of Job, Always see who's speaking. Always look,
sometimes you have to go back maybe two chapters, one or two
chapters, but determine who is speaking. And I say that because
in Job chapter 42, God told those three friends, or told Job that
his three friends had not spoken that which was right concerning
God. So always keep that in mind.
But this is the oldest book, the oldest written book in our
Bible, the book of Job. Even before Moses wrote the Pentateuch,
before he wrote the first five books of the Bible, in which
he declares unto us the creation, the creation. You know, this
is so simple, but God describes the creation in two chapters,
Genesis 1 and 2. But when you come to Exodus and
see how God lays out the tabernacle, which shows how that man may
approach unto God, he gives about 10 or 12 chapters there dealing
with the tabernacle. I mean, the word of God, always
keep this in mind. I heard this when I was a young
man, so that's been a while. This is a hymn book. This Bible
is a hymn book. It's all about hymn, about Christ. And when you read the word of
God, that's who we look for. We look for hymn. We want to
hear about hymn. I had a lady a few weeks ago
on a Saturday, I was here in the office and the phone rang
and I answered it. A lady, I thought she was a young
lady, I assume she was, she said, do you mind if I ask you a few
questions? She said, we're new to the area
and I'd just like to know a few things. And I said, no, I'll
be glad to try to answer any questions. And she put about
three questions to me and I gave her my answers. But then I told
her, I said, now, if you don't mind, could I suggest something
to you? And she said, well, yeah. I said,
these questions you've asked, I'm not saying they're not important.
They all had to do with the Lord's second coming, the rapture and
resurrection, millennium, and all those things. I said, what
you should be asking when you call and ask the pastor a question,
what think ye of Christ? Now, that's the issue. That's
the issue. What think ye of Christ? As he himself asked those Pharisees,
whose son is he? Whose son is he? They were saying,
no, he would be David's son, but they couldn't answer. How
then does David call him Lord, if he's David's son? How could
he be his Lord? Because he is God and man, right? Because he is God and man. Now, this question here, there's
no doubt. That's my first observation.
The way it reads, if a man die, shall he live again? But there's
no question that all men are going to die. It's appointed
unto men once to die. We know that. Let me think about
this. Job, we don't know when he lived. We do know that he lived before
Moses was given the law. You say, how do you know that?
Because Job offered sacrifices. And once the law was given, only
Aaron's sons, the priest of the tribe of Levi, could offer sacrifices. But before the law was given,
every man who was a head of a home, he was a priest in that home. And it was his responsibility
to teach his children and to lead his family in worship, and
he would offer the sacrifices. But Job sacrificed, so we know
that he lived before before Moses gave the law, but did he live
before Enoch? Now, I don't know that, but I
ask this question. When Job said, if any man die,
had there ever been anyone before him or any of his contemporaries
who escaped death? Well, there may have been. There may have been. Who? Enoch. Enoch, who was the seventh
generation from Adam. And the scriptures tell us very
clearly in Hebrews chapter 11, by faith, Enoch was translated
that he should not see death. But you know, if Enoch had lived
before Job asked this question, He was certainly the exception,
right? He was the exception. I remember
in language school, studying grammar, that the teacher would
say, now here's the rule here. This is the way it always is,
but here's some exceptions. There's always exceptions to
the rule, right? And there have been two exceptions
to the rule that all men will die. Enoch, he didn't see death,
nor did Elijah. Both of those men were caught
up into heaven. But they were the only two. They were the exceptions. If
a man die, well, yes, every man's going to die. It's appointed
unto men once to die. But after this, the judgment.
And if you still have your Bible open there to Job chapter 14,
look at the rest of that verse. The question is, if a man dies,
shall he live again? But now Job says, all the days
of my appointment time will I wait till my change come. It's coming. It's coming. Job knew that. You know that, don't you? You
know that. Are you ready? Are you prepared? It's coming. It's going to come and knock
on your door. And it's not going to be put
off. There's no discharge in that war. It's still the king
of terrorists. Are you ready? Are you prepared? I hope so. I pray so. And if
not, I trust you'll look to Christ. That's the only way you may be
prepared is to be found in him when he comes again. But that's
my first observation. My second observation is this.
Shall he live again? The question. If a man die, shall
he live again? Well, the short answer to that
is yes. You say, well, preacher, we could
close our Bibles now and go home. We could, but we're not. That's
the short answer, yes. If a man die, shall he live again? Absolutely, yes. There shall
be a resurrection of all men. But I have three questions I
want us to consider now. First of all, when was this truth
that if a man die, he will live again, when was this first revealed
unto men? When was this first revealed
unto men, this truth that there shall be a resurrection? Well,
I'm of the opinion that Adam himself knew that. But I can't
show you that from the word of God. I can't show you that Adam
knew that, but I do believe that Adam knew that there would be
a resurrection of the dead. But I've already quoted what
happened to Enoch, but Jude tells us in the New Testament that
Enoch prophesied of the Lord's coming with 10,000 of his saints. Well, that speaks of a resurrection.
The Lord is going to come. Now, speaking of his second coming,
not his first coming, he came over 2,000 years ago, born of
the virgin, came by the incarnation into this world, but he's coming
again. And Enoch prophesied of his coming,
his second coming, and he said he will He will come with 10,000
of His saints. Now who are those 10,000 of His
saints? Well, they're all of those. This
is what the theology books, this is the way they had put it. They're
those who are in that intermediate state. What do we mean by that? They've died and they're in that
state, intermediate, before they get their resurrected bodies.
Everyone from Abel, the first one we believe who died and went
to be with the Lord, until the last of his saved sheep who dies,
they will come with Christ when he comes again. And I like the
fact that Enoch prophesied that he would come with 10,000 of
his saints. They will come to be reunited
with their new bodies, their resurrected bodies. Now that's
a great number. Some people have the idea that
only a few people are going to be saved, that the Lord Jesus
only redeemed a few people. I don't agree with that. I don't
believe the scriptures teach that. believe, as the word of
God tells us, he'll come with ten thousands of his saints.
And in Revelation, John said, I beheld, and lo, a great multitude,
not just a multitude, but a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood
before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white
robes, and palms in their hands. He'll come with 10,000 of his
saints, a great multitude, a multitude so great that man is not able
to number it. Now, John saw them, they all
had on the same dress. They all had on white robes.
You say, what is that? That's the righteousness of the
saints. That's the imputed righteousness
of Christ. When a person believes in the
Lord Jesus Christ, when you come to faith in Christ, his righteousness
is charged to you. His righteousness becomes your
righteousness. That's that best robe. That's
the best robe, isn't it? When the prodigal came home,
remember, and his dad received him, one of the things his dad
said is, get that best robe. Not just any robe will do, that
best robe, and put it upon him. And that best robe, my friends,
the only robe that a person may be dressed in and be accepted
by God is that perfect righteousness of Christ. Paul tells us it's
revealed in the gospel. Now that God may be just and
the justifier of him that believes. but they also had palms in their
hands. Now this was a sign of victory,
a sign of victory. Victory over sin, victory over
death, victory over hell, and all of us, all of those given
victory through Christ, through His victory, through His conquering
sin, death, and hell. Everyone there will have on that
wedding garment. Our Lord gave a parable. You
remember of a man, a king, I believe, he gave a feast or a wedding
feast and invited people to come and invited more people to come.
And then he came into the feast and there was a man there who
didn't have on a wedding garment. How dare you come in here without
a wedding garment? Now, we're not accustomed to
that, but the man supplied the wedding garments. He supplied
the wedding garments. When a person would come to the
feast, he would put on a wedding garment that was provided for
him by the man who threw the feast, who gave the feast. But
here's a man, he comes in. I don't need Christ. I don't need his righteousness.
I'll take care of myself. I'll keep his law. I'll satisfy
God. He comes in without a wedding
garment, without the righteousness of Christ. And what happens?
He's bound hand and foot. and cast into outer darkness. No, this white robe is the righteousness
of the saints, and that's that righteousness that Christ has
provided for his people. You know, Job knew this. Look
over to chapter 19. My question was, when was this
truth revealed? I know it was revealed early
on, but Job knew this. In Job chapter 19, and we'll
begin reading in verse 23. Oh, that my words were now written. Well, don't worry about that
any longer, Job. They were written. They were
written. Oh, that my words were now written. Oh, that they were printed in
a book. They are. And you have the book. Aren't you thankful? Aren't you
grateful that you have the book? There's places in this world,
there's tribes, there's languages where the book has not yet come. Oh, how God has blessed us. How
God has blessed the English speaking people. Job's words are here recorded,
he knew this. Oh, that my words were now written.
Oh, that they were printed in a book, that they were graven
with an iron pen and led in the rock forever. For I know, now
watch this, for I know that my Redeemer liveth. That word Redeemer
is goal, G-O-E-L, my goal. That's a kinsman Redeemer. You
know, if a person under the law, if he found himself in bad shape,
he was broke, he could sell himself and someone could redeem him,
but he had to be kin to him. There were several requirements,
but that was number one. Only a kinsman could redeem this
man out of slavery. That's the reason the Lord Jesus
Christ, when he came, he came as a man, bone of our bone and
flesh of our flesh, to be our kinsman redeemer. I know, Job
said, 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. What's he saying there? Though
I die and am buried, and the worms feast upon my body, I know
that even if that takes place, yet in my flesh, I'm going to
see God. In other words, I'm going to
be raised. I'm going to have a new body.
Yes, I know that. whom I shall see for myself,
and my eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins
be consumed within me. Did you know there's such a union
between the Lord Jesus Christ and his people? That union not
only concerns our soul, but also our bodies. That there's even
the bodies of believers who've turned back to the dust There's
still a union between that dust, whatever it is turned into, and
the Lord Jesus Christ, that when he comes again, yes, he's going
to raise the bodies of his people. There's no doubt about it. Did the Lord Jesus Christ declare
this resurrection? Look with me in John chapter
five. The gospel according to John.
Chapter 5. Let's begin our reading in verse
24. Verily, verily, I say unto you.
Yes, John 5, verse 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you.
He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me,
hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but
is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. For
as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to
have life in himself, and hath given him authority to execute
judgment also because he is the son of man. Marvel not at this,
for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the grave
shall hear his voice and shall come forth. They that have done
good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done
evil unto the resurrection of damnation. I want you to look
at these two verses in particular, verse 25 and verse 28. In verse
25, the dead are not the same as those in verse 28. Do you
see that? In verse 25, the dead are not
in their graves. In verse 28, the dead are in
their graves. In verse 25, the hour now is. In verse 28, the hour is coming. You say, well, what are you,
what's the point you're making? The point I'm making is that
the dead, those who are spiritually dead, hear his voice and are
saved. The dead who are in the grave
shall hear his voice and shall be raised from among the dead. D.H. Carroll, one of the old
Founders in the Baptist Convention of Texas, he made the statement
one time, he said, if my voice is the only voice you hear tonight,
you'll be nothing bettered. But if in hearing my voice, you
should hear the voice of the Son of God, you'll live. God has chosen through the foolishness
of preaching to save his people. And I can't explain it, neither
can any other person. But somehow, someone maybe here
today sitting in this audience, spiritually dead, may hear the
voice of the Son of God and live. Live. That's what we read in Ezekiel
16, isn't it? Of that infant that was cast
out and the Lord passed by and said, live, live. That's spiritual life. That's
everlasting life that he gives. You don't earn it. Can't deserve
it. Sure don't merit it. It's a gift. He gives unto his sheep eternal
life. One day, though their bodies
have been in the grave for years, they're going to hear his voice
when he comes again. And they're going to come out
of those graves. There is a resurrection, our
Lord said, a resurrection unto life and a resurrection unto
damnation. Everyone's going to be raised.
If a man dies, shall he live again? Absolutely. Positively. But some are going to be raised,
resurrection of life and some to a resurrection of damnation.
Our Lord said, fear not him which is able to kill the body, but
fear him who is able to destroy both the body and soul in hell. Yes. The judgment, you say, well,
all the world, everyone's going to appear before God. Absolutely. He's the judge of all. All judgment
is committed under the sun. But the judgment is not going
to be to determine if a person spends eternity with Christ or
eternity in hell. That's not going to be determined
there. The scripture very clearly says,
everyone whose name was not found written in the book of life shall
be cast into hell as the tree falls. That's the
way it's determined, isn't it? There's a big forest out there
and there's big old trees. A tree falls over this way. Now
that's the way it's gonna stay. Ain't nobody gonna move it. As the tree falls, if it falls
this way, it's gonna stay here. And when a person leaves this
world, if he's righteous, in the righteousness of Christ,
he will forever be righteous. If he is lost without Christ,
Nothing's ever going to change that. He that is filthy, let
him be filthy still. He that is righteous, let him
be righteous still. No, that judgment isn't to determine
where a person spends eternity, not at all. Well, let me close
with this. Did the Lord Jesus ever give
an illustration of his power to raise the dead? Well, you
know he did. If you're still here in John,
look over in John chapter 11. Everyone's, I'm sure, familiar
with the story of Lazarus, his two sisters, Mary and Martha.
Lazarus was sick. The question was, if a man died,
Lazarus died. His sister Martha, she was well
schooled about a resurrection. She said, I know in the last
day he's gonna rise. Martha, I am the resurrection. I am the resurrection and the
life. Believest thou this? And then he told her, if you
believe, you will see the glory of God. And she saw the glory
of God, didn't she? When the Lord came to that cave,
wherever they'd put the body of Lazarus, and he said, take
away the stone. Oh, Lord. His body's already
started to decay. There's going to be an awful
smell there. Lazarus, come forth. You're not going to ask me if
he came forth, are you? Here's the voice of he who spoke
the worlds into existence. Light be. Light was. Lazarus, come forth. And here he comes. I would have
loved to have seen that, wouldn't you? He's all bandaged up. Here he comes. He couldn't move his arm this
way or his arm that way. I don't believe that's the way
they'd wrap him up, right? The body up. Loose him. Take the grave clothes off. God gives life. We spend the rest of our lives
having the grave clothes taken off as we learn more and more
of him and learn to trust him more and more. If a man die,
shall he live again? Amen. Amen.