The righteous also shall hold on his way (Quality: Average)

[0:00] Father Lord may be pleased to help me for a while this afternoon I'll direct you to a word in the book of Job in chapter 17 and the first part of the ninth verse book of Job chapter 17 in the first half of the ninth verse the righteous also shall hold on his way the righteous also shall hold on his way Job 17 and a part of the ninth verse what a blessed truth the godly man Job was helped to proclaim in this chapter dear Job is uttered to so many things recorded in this book of Job there is much to remind us on the one hand what Job was by nature but also what he was by grace the dear man had much to contend with in the path which the Lord had seen fit to lead him into the afflictions which came upon him and how Satan was permitted to come and do so much to bring Job low in a low place so that he found it a difficult path yet he was one who feared God he was a godly man he worshipped God and yet we see that the Lord saw fit in his wisdom to commit Satan to vent his spite on Job as it were thinking as it were to overthrow him and yet

[1:42] Job's God was greater than Job greater than Satan and good it is if we're helped in considering God's dealings with Job to see how the Lord in his great mercy and wisdom brought Job at length to a very blessed experience so that we read how the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning but how much there was between the beginning and the end in some of the chapters we have a record of how his friend came professing to comfort him and yet how they failed in this in fact he called them miserable comforters the thing was that they weren't in Job's place there's much to learn there isn't there in Job's place they did not understand Job's case they thought they could make some observations with regard to God's dealings and while in some cases they did state the truth with regard to God and his dealings but they misapplied these things with respect to Job suggesting that Job was a hypocrite and that he was reaping all this trouble because of the fact that he was a hypocrite and they seemed to dwell much on that so much so that the dear man sometimes found himself provoked in spirit by what they said to him caused Job to utter many things otherwise he might have kept silent but these things are recorded in the scripture but from time to time

[3:36] Job was doing a very blessed real thing in fact an outstanding experience Job had when he could as it were by faith he could discern the Lord Jesus Christ as his redeemer may you consider that Job lived when he did those five days yet he could say I know that my redeemer lived indeed he was brought to a very blessed experience in that and then when we come to this text before us this little sentence here in this verse 9 here Job was helped to state a very precious truth concerning God's dear people and then again we notice this that he could say the root of the matter was found in him though his friends scorned him although his friends delighted him although they accused him of falsely yet the root of the matter was there and friends what a great mercy if that is true concerning you and me it had the root of the matter to know something of that living faith which we tried to faithfully speak of this morning which were though sifted and tried yet it is precious but I want to seek as we may be helped to look at this word for a while this afternoon as I may be helped just for a while may God help us so to do for there are some well it's a very important truth to be considered as there are before us in this text it is concerned the righteous now that may well sometimes to God's dear tribe people be a trial to them am I one of those righteous of course it does it does describe really the state and case of all God's dear people they are righteous in God's sight through the righteousness imputed to them by the Lord Jesus Christ and that justifying righteousness wherewith their clothes as it were because if we consider this text it does not refer to the self-righteous not those who think they are righteous no but those who are truly righteous and yet such have to prove much of their experience is that which reminds them of their sad state by nature how unrighteous they are by nature and have to be stripped of self-righteousness time and again and they have to brought down to realise that their their righteousness alone which is acceptable in the sight of God is a righteousness imputed to them that justifying righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ and that is the character referred to in the text and what a wonderful truth it is that the Lord does regard his people as righteous sinners though they are sinners for that and fall actual sinners by nature children have wrought even as others as Paul reminds the church at the end of Ephesus but made righteous you see it may be helpful perhaps to consider how the Lord Jesus Christ makes reference to this in his sermon on the mount and he says how that except how righteous exceed the righteous of the scribes and the Pharisees he shall in no case enter into heaven into the kingdom into the kingdom there were the self-righteous

[7:32] Pharisees around but Jesus said that it needs something better than that the righteousness more righteous than the Pharisees professed righteousness which is not acceptable in the sight of a holy God and then we think about the dear Saviour in his sermon on the mount he makes reference to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness it might be a helpful word to consider and to remind you of this afternoon and perhaps you may feel hard put to it to lay claim to such a description as this Jesus said blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness surely it reminds us that one of the experiences that God's dear people are the subject of who are in the sight of God righteous in his son getting their experience they know what it is to desire this and it is expressed in those words hungering and thirsty hunger and thirst in the word of God often expresses desires earnest desires living desires desires that spring from the principle of life in the heart of a poor sinner then the Lord

[8:53] Jesus Christ to pronounce a blessing on those what a mercy if you feel it can come in here a little yes as to have that desire in your heart maybe as yet you cannot lay claim to this but yet there is a desire in the heart to hunger and thirst after righteousness and there are those ways in which the Lord does bring into your people just to feel this and to desire it and to hunger for it as they are made to know and to realise maybe in a deeper way a more solemn way they have no strength or righteousness in themselves some fresh discoveries of the plague of the heart to bring home this solemn truth but what a mercy if it brings you to that desire and to realise your need to be supplied in that way to hunger and thirst after righteousness and the Lord Jesus Christ speaks a word of encouragement to such he says they shall be filled they shall be filled you see if we're sincere in our desires there will be a need which alone can be met from heaven itself from the Lord

[10:09] Jesus Christ who he was the righteousness of his new people he was brought out of perfect righteousness in his holy sinless life in his more fulfilling life he brought out of perfect righteousness and poor sinners are made to feel to know something that their sad state by nature will realise their deep need of being found in that and there's encouraging words in the scripture concerning such and one is this the Lord says I bring near my righteousness and what a mercy that is and when you're made to realise that you're scripting yourself you cannot lay hold upon lay claim to anything in yourself to think that the Lord speaks in such way I bring near my righteousness God's great mercy has made provision for poor needy guilty people that they shall be provided in that way the righteousness

[11:12] Lord and there's a striking words in the prophecy of Isaiah along this line speaking of those how can I to make it you that follow after righteousness in the words of comfort and blessing to be spoken to those who hearken to him those who follow after righteousness there's a word also in that same chapter I think it is you that know righteousness God wants that knowledge when our text then speaks about the righteous not the self-righteous not the self-sufficient not like those who many of them around the Lord Jesus Christ we hear upon earth wrapped up in their traditional religion as it were professing to be God's people Abraham's children that's what they rested on that was their righteousness as it were but it's not acceptable in the sight of

[12:16] God heaven dear Lord Jesus Christ made that very plain as he alone could do in the parable that he spake didn't he those two went up to the temple to Christ to contrast between the two the poor public and he couldn't claim to be righteous could he yet he was the one who came to know the blessing what did Jesus say concerning him I'll tell you this man this poor publican this poor man who had to cry out God be merciful to me a sinner this man went down to his house justified how could a sinner be justified then only by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ put on him as it were but Jesus said he went down to his house justified rather than the other you see the Pharisee sought to justify himself well our text speaks about the righteousness in the true sense of the word we read that psalm 37 there are several references in that psalm to God's dear people of the righteous and the blessings that are conferred upon him there shall be time to enjoy in contrast to the solemn condition of the wicked who shall be cut off more than once you read that they shall be cut off solemn word isn't it yet over against that the blessings set forth in that psalm concerning God's dear people as the righteous well now in the text before us then we are reminded of a great blessing a precious truth a truth which can never be overturned in spite of all that the

[14:06] Lord's dear people along those ways have been called upon to endure nothing can overturn this truth and each one in due season shall be brought to realise indeed that the truth of it and come into this the blessing of it and in the fullness of it the righteous also shall hold on his way it is helpful to consider how Job was helped to proclaim this especially in these circumstances there was so much that tended to surely to move Job and his feelings there is one particular aspect of truth we do well to consider if you read these various words spoken as it were by Job's friends how they accused him falsely it tended to Job to seek to justify himself as it were in one sense it could be understood because there were false charges but

[15:14] Job had lessons to learn because he said my graciousness I will not let go but he had lessons to learn and really in this text here he was helped to declare as it were by the Spirit of God there is that in it to show to us really what is the true case and state of those who are right in the sight of God not those who hold on to their own righteousness now but those to whom this is imputed and imparted yes as a justifying covering as it were over a court of sinners soul as it were and then to have that principle wrought within through godly fear a righteous principle but what I was going to say is this you think of the case of

[16:15] Job now God dealt with Job he overruled these painful experiences so that Job was brought down brought down low and a low place when the Lord began to speak to Job out of the world how it affected Job you see the various things that his friends referred to in speaking to him only tended as it were to fret him and to provoke his spirit when God spoke to Job how different and it had this effect didn't it it silenced Job yes it silenced him he said lay my hand upon my mouth he says when he did speak he felt in self righteousness was he the dear man had been stripped to be brought down and made us see just how he stood before the holy God and what did he say behold our

[17:20] Bible and wherefore I repent in dust and ashes Job was brought into a good place then and yet you see the Lord brought him there all the arguments of his friends never brought him there no pretended otherwise tended to provoke his spirit causing Job to utter things which showed what he was by nature when the Lord spoke to him he was humbled and dear friends what a mercy you and I should be favoured at time to hear the voice of the Lord speaking to us yes that's still a small voice as it were and speaking to our hearts yes to bring us humbly before him to have to acknowledge the poor guilty sinners well these are the experiences that God's dear people brought into the Lord does bring them that way it is part of the way of the righteous the Lord discloses something to them of their unrighteousness by nature and their deep need of that righteousness provided brought out by the

[18:34] Lord Jesus Christ which is imputed to them just a few thoughts as the Lord may be pleased to help us then a little while this afternoon because there is the way of the righteous the way of the righteous you've not read in the Psalms but it's said the way of the righteous it is a safe way it is not a easy way it's not a self pleasing way it's not a self exalting way but it is a way of humbling the way the Lord has appointed it is the way of wisdom it's the way the Lord leads his dear people along it is the right way here it is put before us as his way the way of God's people it's the way the Lord has appointed for them not a way that they would go if left to themselves by nature no but these are things pertains that narrow way that leadeth unto life eternal that way in which the

[19:45] Lord does put his dear people you see God's quickening mercy a poor sinner born again travelled in this way he's brought into that way narrow though it is straight though the gate is yet in the appointed way reminds us of the dealings of God with all his dear people yes both collectively and individually his way yes that way the Lord has appointed for his dear people to go in well it is if sometimes it's all the dealings of God towards you and the way in which you go if you have time to discern something of this it is his way for you not your own way as it were but his way his way of life yes it is a way which will humble the sinner it is a way that the

[20:54] Lord brings his dear people to walk in to realize they're dependent on that don't we or there's something about us by nature we'll be independent we'll have to learn that our dependence upon God upon the Lord Jesus Christ for him to be all in all to us for Jesus to be the way the way of the righteous then our text reminds us too that there's a holding on this way the righteous or should hold on his way really it's set before us when those blessed truths which reminds us of the safety and the final perseverance of God's dear people which is not in their own strength but in that strength that God gives and in their case as being as it were wrapped up in that covenant of grace yes which is ordered in all things and sure that is the way it is

[22:07] God's way actually hold on this way well how is it then how can poor weak unworthy sinners often foolish themselves how can they hold on this way then well seeing it's the way the Lord has led them in brought them in and lead them along surely he will provide every needful grace that they may walk in that way and therefore to hold on this is not in one's own strength Job did not hold on his way in what he was as Job no but you see the secret of the matter is this there is a as it were unseen hand certainly you think of holding it indicates that holding on to something now there's a very precious and blessed underlying truth to be considered in the light of this and that is what the Lord is to his dear people what the

[23:21] Lord is to them those blessed promises that remind us of this great mercy and one of them we do well to ponder really because it does help us to consider the secret of what it is whereby for sinners weeping themselves foolish themselves yet they do and shall according to that word hold on their way well it is this word precious promise fear they're not for I'm with thee here's a secret of it all you see be not dismay for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness and then again this word for I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying unto thee fear not I will help thee fear not thou won't Jacob poor weak sinner you see and you men of Israel you few men

[24:22] I will help thee saith the Lord and I redeem the holy one of Israel note that word I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand link it to this text here the the the righteous shall hold on his way surely there's the secret of it isn't it he's not in the pilgrim's strength it is his own natural strength no but strength given an interest in that precious promise I will hold thy right hand it's such a condescending word isn't it you picture the the illustrator as it were you think of a child being led along by its parents father or mother as the case may be and of course the father or mother being worth the name will lead that child safely along cure it from dangers hold its hands firm as it were it might not run as dangerous well that is the truth before us in that promise either nor but hold thy right hand you see there is the omnipotent hand of

[25:35] God there's the hand that holds the hand that's held is a hand of a poor sinner yes maybe a trembling hand sometimes there's a weak hand but the Lord holds you see his hand is almighty and really I feel the underlying truth of this text is there is what the Lord is to his dear people it was what the Lord was to Job you see that he was helped on in the face of all the opposition in the face of all the that Satan was permitted to do in bringing him so low and causing him to suffer such great loss and having such an isolated pathway as it were having to suffer much at the hands of his friends God held him the Lord preserved him and that's the secret of the matter and so this is what was true concerning

[26:36] Job is true concerning all God's dear people he got called to pass the same way as Job walked not called to endure the losses that Job had but it was a path of dependence than God the path when we have to learn our own weakness our own foolishness our own sinfulness our own waywardness and yet God's preserving mercy you see the Lord watched over Job didn't he also this trying circumstance although Job had some humbling lessons to learn because although he had said my righteousness I'll not let go that is as it were stated his own case yet he had to learn that really his safety was in God he had to be humbled before the Lord to acknowledge his own unrighteousness and to realise the

[27:40] Lord's mercy toward him and his captivity returned delivered from it and to come with those blessings that were in store for Job in his latter days but meanwhile along life's journey you see it does show to us that the path to heaven is not an easy path it's not a flesh pleasing path it's not a path that exalts the creature it's a path that lays the sinner low it's a path that brings the poor sinner to the foot of God's mercy there's a path there's a way when a poor sinner is made to realise that his only hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ and who he is and what he has done you see it is a blessing truth isn't it the Lord Jesus Christ has gone before his dear people he's tried the power yes do we speak about afflictions partner well what about the Lord

[28:46] Jesus Christ then think of the path he tried the afflictions when he was afflicted as he bore the shame the curse and all that was laid upon him heaped upon him by his enemies with all this he endured for his people's sake and also that he might and he does fully enter into the experiences of his dear people as they journey on you see it is by virtue of that finished work of salvation that there is the security and the safety as it were guaranteed for God's dear people it will often be a long nice way surely but you have to realise how weak you are in yourself yes how foolish often times many things remind us of our need of help and yet what a healthy hand there is in God himself that is a great word isn't it in one of the

[29:53] Psalms where the Lord speaks concerning his dear son I know the help upon one who is mighty yes of course he is a mighty Jesus he is that one who is mighty to save strong to deliver has done all that is required to be done for the complete salvation of all his dear people and therefore the safety of each one individually and because of this truth stands the righteous horses will hold on his way some might say what about when your backs lie what about when you may turn to the right hand or to the left unless it may well be so with us from time to time God restoring mercy God restoring mercy you see David strayed didn't he man after God's own heart fell into sin fell into the temptation as it were brought guilt upon his conscience but that's not the end of the matter is it he did hold on his way because God restored him there's that great word in that beautiful psalm 23 isn't it he restores my song and

[31:15] David could realise that very very very truly he had to know that left to himself he was weak exposed to temptation his own strength he could not stand he finally turned aside but God restored him and what a mercy to your friends that's restoring mercy therefore on the ground of that the righteous shall hold on his way even though sometimes he may have to as it were endure something to remind him that he's estranged somewhat but there's God restoring mercy yes he brings these wandering ones back and you see Job had to be brought back and face to face to this truth didn't he that righteousness was not in himself no it was in his God and what the

[32:16] Lord was pleased to do for him and that was his deliverance he was helped to hold on his way helped to endure to the end well now in the experience of a child of God it's not an easy way not an easy way is it no not a self pleasing way often it is a way of affliction a way of trouble a way of temptation sometimes it's a way of tribulation yes the sorrows are the way and yet the Lord controls all these things and as his dear people are called to walk through these things so they do yes and they're brought safely on you think of David again for a moment how he was brought at length to that point wasn't he he could discern the mercy of

[33:17] God to him yes then when King David sat before the Lord and said who am I Lord God and what is in my house that's brought me hitherto yes long nice ways and he traces it to the mercy of God then he in his last words recorded as he speaks of that covenant ordered and all things ensured what does he say he says this is my salvation and this is all my desire yes he gets as it were resting that he could feel a resting place in that covenant of God he felt he was in it he realised that everything was controlled by his covenant in God and that it meant safety yes as one has put it in the hymn safety on earth and after death the plenitude of heaven the righteous also shall hold on his way what a mercy it is dear friends that this is true concerning every child of

[34:23] God every poor sinner is brought by his grace by God's grace quickened into life and made to realise their own helplessness their own need their weakness their many infirmities their sins they're safe they're safe in God's keeping they're safe in his grace and they will be preserved unto his heavenly kingdom meanwhile what a mercy it is that the Lord helps us along from day to day I would have that grace to commit our will to the Lord to cast our cares upon him and in this to prove that he cares for us the righteous also shall hold on his way and either have clean hands shall be stronger and stronger the word is shall add strength here is those things that to do with the principle of God be fearing the heart and own to his light what is right and the barge all that's wrong the righteous also shall hold on his way the way the Lord has appointed yes the way of God's choosing

[35:38] I speak reverently the way of God's choosing which is the right way it's a great word in the psalm isn't it where the psalmist states this he led them forth by the right way they might go to a city of habitation amen amen let's conclude by singing hymn number 350 and the tune is Arnold's number 91 911 in number 350 ye pilgrims of Zion and chosen of God whose spirits are filled with dismay since ye have eternal redemption through blood ye cannot but hold on your way in number 350 söylent

[37:12] Phantom Him están Karen H Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Karen Oh, my God.

[38:10] Oh, my God.

[38:40] Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[38:52] Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[39:04] Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[39:16] Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[39:32] The End The End The End

[41:02] The End O Lord, we do ask that mercifully forgive anything spoken amiss, and do bless thine own precious truth to our souls.

[41:50] Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, rest upon us and abide with us, and to the people of God everywhere, now and forever. Amen.

[42:20] The End The End The End The End