READ: JOB 36:1-33 TEXT: v11 [Obeying the Lord]
If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
Our text is clearly conditional - it begins with an “if”
Someone has said that "'If' is a small word with a big meaning”
Many proceed as if the “if” wasn’t there and make all kinds of assumptions which later prove to be totally unfounded
But it is there and all that follows only stands if the condition is met and (in this case) God is obeyed and served
The speaker is a young man called Elihu who contributed to the great debate that raged between Job/his so called comforters
Elihu stepped uninvited into/debate and said what he had to say
He is generally well regarded by the commentators, although I have read one view of him which was less than appreciative
I think the fact that he was not rebuked by God as the other three men were must induce us to view him favourably
This is one of the beauties of the Book/Job
The theology of the Book is intensely rich, even if the pastoral application (on the part/the three) left much to be desired
Surely this observation is up there with: great texts/Scripture
He enunciates a great Bible principle in these words
Whether you are starting off in Genesis or concluding the Bible in Book/Revelation- these words will be found to be true
Must be said – these words do not constitute the way/salvation
They speak about the righteous (v7) i.e. those already saved
If salvation was by obeying God (Commandments) and serving Him – then who could be saved?
All our righteousness are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)
When we break the law/God in one point, we offend in all
If we are trying to get to Heaven by our obedience – then let the words of v12 be given the same application:
If they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge
This is what Paul was getting at when he wrote:
For as many as are of the works of
the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one
that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the
law to do them. (Galatians 3:10)
So our text is not telling us how to be saved
Salvation is by grace through faith without works
Text is telling us why we should get saved i.e. to serve God
Text is telling us what happens when people get saved/serve God
If we put the cart before the horse – it won’t go!
3 main thoughts:
1) THE LORD IS TO BE OBEYED AND SERVED:
A/ Although the word “Him” is in italics – yet context supports it
Who else are we to serve?
B/ As Christians, we have already done this
Although salvation is not by works (as emphasised) – yet our
coming to the Saviour in repentance/faith is known as Evangelical
Obedience
The gospel makes certain demands upon the sinner
It sets before the sinner certain facts:
These relate to the Person and Work of Jesus Christ
[i] We are told who He is: God manifest in the flesh
[ii] We are told how He came: Born of a Virgin
[iii] We are told why He came: Save sinners
[iv] We are told what He did when He came: Lived perfect lives for us and died and atoning death
[v] We are told that He has provided a free salvation to be offered to all men without exception:
It then demands a response to these things
No sinner can just walk away and that ends the matter
A response is called for – a positive response:
And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ…. (1 John 3:23)
Therefore to believe/His name is termed Evangelical Obedience
It is not to be confused with Legal Obedience:
Legal Obedience tries to work its own way to Heaven
Evangelical Obedience obeys the command/gospel: believe/Christ
Therefore those who do not believe are said: Not to obey/gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8)
So we know what it is to obey the Lord’s voice
Although without any merit- yet it brought us into Christ
Had we not have obeyed the gospel – we would yet be unsaved
B/ But now that we are saved – justified by grace alone – we are being called to obey/serve the Lord
This is what we do because we are Christians
This is one reason why we were saved
Let us seek to distance ourselves from a man centred salvation
Much/modern evangelicalism centres round unbalanced thinking
In their system: Man is the great centre/universe
His happiness is paramount to everything else
Question/asked: What must God do to make me happy?
We repudiate that kind/thought:
We take our guiding principle from Romans 11:36
For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things.
The story does not begin with and end with me – with me in the middle as well
The story begins, continues and ends with God and so the Apostle concludes:
To him be the glory for ever. Amen
C/ This glory continues when Christians obey and serve Him
This is seen in several verses/Bible:
Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
Again: Paul offered up the prayer for the Thessalonians (2:1:12)
That
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in
him, according/the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
D/ Can I remind you that our S/C puts this issue first?
What is the chief end of man?
Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever
That is most fitting in a Reformed catechism
It is a basic Bible truth
2) THE LORD IS TO BE OBEYED AND SERVED ALL OUR DAYS AND YEARS:
This gives us a wonderful insight into the nature of salvation
A/ It is something that is profoundly life changing
A man who is in Christ has become a new creature
We know that he is justified in a moment of time
He is justified 100% when he believes the gospel
Can neither be any more justified or any less justified
His sanctification will take a life time to complete
Bible talks about growing/grace and knowledge of Christ
It is not accomplished or discernible overnight
But it does take place… because you cannot have someone professing faith/Christ and there be no evidence/a change
We can talk about backsliding – but some never front-slid!
Therefore no change = no salvation
Listen to how David relates his experience: (Psalm 119:159)
I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies
Cannot say David was specifically relating conversion experience
But the principle is the same
God’s word (when handled right) provokes us to turn
We turn away from sin and we turn to God
[i] We expect the sinner to be willing to forsake sin to be saved
Failure to do so will not result in salvation:
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)
[ii] We expect the professing Christian to actually forsake them
He is commanded to do so (Ephesians 5:11/John 8:11 etc.,)
He is enabled to do so (Ephesians 6:10-18)
He sees examples of others doing so (1 Thessalonians 1:9)
He will want to do so:
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (Romans 7:19)
So it is profoundly life changing
B/ It is for all our days and years
Which is really an extension of our first sub point
What I’m getting at: It is something beyond initial conversion
The zeal of the new convert is proverbial
A soul experiences life from the dead
Salvation has many sides to it – it effects the whole person:
[i] Obviously there is the spiritual side
[ii] There is also the physical side i.e. impacts his actions
[iii] It is also emotional: How emotional the Prodigal’s return was!
So many different angles
Initially the new convert will often be ablaze for God
Turns up at the meetings
Can hardly get the days in between the meetings etc.,
But after a while, it starts to settle down
Probably a good thing overall
But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, (Galatians 4:18)
And only in a good thing
But when the novelty runs off – it is easy to get into a rut
Good to regulate the zeal – but it often cools down/dies away
That is why the Prophet Habakkuk prayed: (3:2)
O
LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work
in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in
wrath remember mercy.
The midst of the years!
In between the enthusiastic start and the exciting finish
What did Habakkuk do?
He did not try to whip up some fleshly help
He cried to God for Him to work
Never be ashamed to cry out to God, either privately or publicly in prayer meetings to revive the work of God
C/ As people age physically – they might not be as able to do the things they did before in their younger days
But we can make the ageing process an excuse to do nothing
Solomon lost so much in his last days – his heart turned away
New (to him) & false gods fastened themselves upon his interest
Had he thought that he had done enough/all that he could in serving the one, true and living God?
Seems to have exhausted the wells/learning in secular subjects
Did he really think he had exhausted the wells re: God?
How unlike Caleb he was!
His words are a challenge/inspiration to us all
And
now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and
five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the
children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this
day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I
was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is
my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. (Joshua
14:10-11)
Here is a man determined to serve God all the days/years of life
He
spent about 38 years tramping needlessly (because of the faithlessness
of the COI) round the wilderness, but his zeal in serving God has not
abated any
He is a believer in a million!
D/ Have we planned to serve the Lord all our days?
Are we actively building towards it?
True: there is the “one day at a time” walk with God…
True: We could plan for something that might never happen…
Yet: It won’t just fall into place in a hap hazard well
It does give us an insight into salvation
Salvation may be viewed in three distinct parts:
[i] In the past: We look back at our justification
[ii] In the here-and-now: We concentrate on our on going and daily sanctification
[iii] In the future: We anticipate with Christian hope our eternal glorification in the presence of the King
3) THE LORD IS TO OBEYED AND SERVED ALL OUR DAYS AND ALL OUR YEARS WITH GREAT REWARDS:
…they will spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures
A/ Let’s state the obvious: These rewards: not always outward
Many serve God even in the deepest poverty
Elihu is no health and wealth gospeller
Such a gospel of name-it-and-claim-it is false
I have read the claims of its proponents
They would attack Job as a faithless believer
Yet the Holy Spirit commences this book with a candid acknowledgement that he was a sterling believer (1:1)
B/ Our rewards for following/serving Christ are greater than all the bling that a carnal heart craves after
We gain spiritual and therefore eternal riches in serving God
Consider Paul’s statement to the Corinthians
It seems that every single clause within this wonderfully long sentence is packed as full as Paul could make it
(I’ll never complain about long sentences again)
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (2Corinthians 4:17)
Light affliction! – He was beaten/lashed etc.,
But for a moment! - Over decades
Worketh for us! - Not against as our enemies hoped
Not only glory – but a weight of glory
Not only a weight of glory – but an exceeding weight/glory
Not only an exceeding weight/glory, - but a far more exceeding weight/glory
Not only a far more exceeding weight of glory – but an eternal weight of glory
C/ We don’t have to wait for eternity to enter into it
There is a joy in serving God here on earth
David found all sorts of trouble when he served God
King Saul sought his life continually and made it very difficult:
Yet he could turn round and say (Psalm 16:6)
The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places – goodly heritage
Or Psalm 42, (supposedly written during Absalom’s rebellion)
As the hart panteth after the water
brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth
for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before
God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
Here is the difference between a carnal and a godly man
Carnal man would chaff at God because of such persecution
It probably would drive away any vestiges of religion he ever had
But
he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that
heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not
root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or
persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
(Matthew 13:20-21)
But persecutions drive the godly man into the very arms/Christ
David therefore pants/thirsts for God and His house
The joy of the Lord becomes his strength (Nehemiah 10:8)
C/ An application for the ungodly:
The world cannot offer anything remotely like this
To gain the whole world and to lose the soul is an incalculable loss
World’s pleasures and rewards are hard earned and easily lost
They perish/grave and may even serve to mock/soul in eternity
Perhaps the rich man in Luke 16 gained his wealth through legitimate means and as a reward for some service rendered
But
Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy
good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted,
and thou art tormented. (Luke 16:25)
OTOH: Christ’s pleasures/rewards are relatively easily earned:
And
whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of
cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he
shall in no wise lose his reward. (Matthew 10:42)
God delights to bless us
God says of Wisdom – another name for salvation:
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. (Proverbs 3:17)
D/ Application for Christians:
While
we do not serve God for the reward – Doth Job fear God for nought?
(1:9) – yet it is a powerful motivation to serve Him for them – He is
glorified in all that He does
Serve Him with joy
THE END