Job

[0:00] I'm seeking the Lord's help. I direct your attention this evening to the book of Job chapter 33 reading verses 23 and 24.

[0:13] The book of Job chapter 33 reading verses 23 and 24. If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness, then he is gracious unto him and says, deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom.

[0:45] If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness, then he is gracious unto him and says, deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom.

[1:12] This word has rested with me for a long time. I have preached several times from it. And there is here a sweetness and a blessedness in the words of Elihu.

[1:31] The savor of these words of Elihu, if there be a messenger with him. The words of Elihu, spoken to Job, in this chapter, have all the sweet savour of the gospel in them.

[2:01] He opens up here in this chapter, the pathway. The beauty of the words.

[2:16] The Lord opens the ears of men and sealeth their instruction. The mighty work of God in the spirit of unregenerate man is spoken of here by Elihu.

[2:32] Beautiful description. Openeth the ears and sealeth instruction. The divine teacher spoken of in our text as the interpreter.

[2:43] Here seals instruction in the heart. And when the Lord seals instruction in the soul and when life is given to hear his voice.

[2:57] These are the truths that Elihu puts to Job. And he goes on to speak of it. God's purpose in doing that. That he may withdraw man from his purpose.

[3:12] God's solemn purpose in fallen man. To have his fill of sin and darkness. To go on in his rebellion and his rebelliousness against God.

[3:25] To walk in paths of his own choosing. To love darkness rather than light. The work of God is to withdraw man from his purpose.

[3:37] To change the course of his life. Look at the purpose of the apostle Paul and how the Lord withdrew him from him. Turned the whole purpose of his life upside down.

[3:50] His purpose was to destroy Christ and his work. And the purpose of God was that he should be an instrument in his hand. For the promulgation of the truth.

[4:02] And of the gospel. And straightway he preached Christ. Draws man from his purpose. And oh the blessed nature of the power that does it.

[4:15] And so Elihu goes on in these blessed words here. And hide pride from man. Oh the pride of the human heart.

[4:25] The pride of the apostle Paul. The pride that said I'll not have this man to reign over me. The pride of the solemn nature of his own self-righteousness.

[4:36] Righteousness and his own wisdom. The Lord will remove it. And dig. And the words of the Lord when he removed it were these.

[4:48] To Ananias behold he prayed. He's humbled. He's on his knees. He's in godly sorrow and repentant. The Lord had moved.

[5:02] Pride was to be driven out. And so he goes on here. He keepeth back his soul from the pit. And his life from perishing by the sword.

[5:16] That is this you know. In the days of his unregeneracy. The days when his feet made fast to hell.

[5:26] There would I have gone says the hymn writer. But thou dost all things well. Oh how the Lord preserves his dear children. In the days of their unregeneracy.

[5:42] And keeps them from the solemn nature. This sword that scripture speaks of in so many ways. Beautifully spoken of here.

[5:54] From perishing by the sword. The sword of God's wrath. The sword of his divine justice. Sword of his holiness and majesty.

[6:05] That solemn sword which the Lord spoke to Ebed-Melech through the lips of Jeremiah. Thou shalt not fall by the sword. But thy life will I give for a prey unto thee.

[6:19] Because thou hast put thy trust in me. Says the Lord. The Lord's glorious promise to Ebed-Melech of heaven. Life given for a prey.

[6:32] No longer that solemn sword to hang over his head. Beautiful promise. And the sword we see spoken of. Falling upon Christ.

[6:44] Not on Ebed-Melech. A Waco sword against my shepherd. And against the man that is mine equal. We see it here in this word. By its blessed comparison.

[6:57] Beautiful comparison here. The child of God is not to perish by the sword. But. The sword has not stayed.

[7:10] A Waco sword. Went forth against the shepherd. Because. He bore the sins of his dear people. In his body.

[7:21] On the tree. And was made sin. For us. Who knew. That's Christ. No sin. That we might be made.

[7:33] The righteousness of God in him. And then he speaks. Of the exercise of heart and soul. Chastened upon. Also with pain upon his bed.

[7:43] The multitude of his bones. With strong pain. His life of horse. And his soul dainty feet. His flesh is consumed away.

[7:53] That it cannot be seen. And his bones. That were not seen. Stick out. Yea. Yea. Yea. His soul draweth near unto the grave. And his life to the destroyer. There.

[8:05] The leprosy of sin. The solemn work of God in conviction. In the heart. The wounds and arrows of the almighty. Sent into the soul.

[8:17] A mourning over sin. And we see the coming. Of the soul. The soul. Under divine preparation.

[8:31] To the footstool of mercy. And then. From that. Place. Where God has dealt. And sealed instruction in his heart.

[8:44] And brought him where Job came. Saying. I abhor myself. Behold I am vile. He said. In the last chapters of his book. Behold I am vile.

[8:57] Then. We come to this beautiful word. If. If. There be a messenger with him. If there be one to speak to him.

[9:14] If there be one. One. With him. In love. And mercy. And compassion. And tenderness.

[9:27] One who is not his enemy. But his friend. One who is. Not. There.

[9:38] To condemn him. But to lead him. One who is not there. To destroy him. But to help him. One who has a message.

[9:50] Of everlasting life. Spoken of. Behold I. Send my messenger before me. That was John the Baptist. And the messenger of the covenant.

[10:04] Whom you delight in. Shall suddenly come to his temple. The eternal. The eternal. Son of God incarnate. Is spoken of here.

[10:15] And he's spoken of. Here. As one. Who has come into this earth. In his incarnation. A messenger with him.

[10:27] Coming to bring that. Blessed message. From heaven. He that hath the sun. Hath life. Beautiful truth.

[10:40] Coming to reveal that. Glorious message in his heart. That sacred call. Come. Unto me. All ye that labor.

[10:51] And are heavy load. And I'll give you rest. There may be a messenger with him. When we look at the Lord's life.

[11:02] Here on earth. Oh the solemn. Nature of this word. If. Take. The scriptural example.

[11:16] Of the resurrection. Of Lazarus. There was a message. In that resurrection. It was the voice.

[11:28] Of the glory. And majesty. Of the eternal. Son of God. Lazarus. Come forth. But whom. Did that message go. Many believed.

[11:42] Many believed. That message. Went to them. They saw it. Blessed are your eyes. For they see. They saw the eternal. Son of God incarnate.

[11:53] In that glorious act. Of divine power. But some. Here's the force. Of the if. Some. Went their way. To the. Scribes.

[12:03] And Pharisees. They did not believe. And we see here. The solemn nature. Of this if. If. There be a messenger.

[12:15] With him. If. There be. There be. In his heart. The voice. Of Christ. If his voice.

[12:26] Is heard. Follow. Thou. Me. A messenger. With him. A call. Into that.

[12:36] Straight and. Narrow way. That leads. To life. No man. Said. Christ. Can come unto me. Except the father.

[12:47] Which has sent me. Draw him. And I'll raise him up. At the last day. Tonight. We stand.

[13:00] Either side. Of this ear. Either that messenger. Has come to us. Called us.

[13:12] By his grace. And we have a God. Who is with us. Touched. With a feeling. Of our infirmity. Or else.

[13:24] We stand. On the other side. Of it. There is not. A messenger. With us. We have not. Heard. The voice of God.

[13:35] We have not. Known. The divine. Call. We have not. Known. The divine. Authority. We have not. Known. The effectual. Call.

[13:46] Of God. What an if it is. He'll I use it. If. There may. A messenger. With him. I do ask you. Tonight. Is there a messenger.

[13:57] With you. A God. Who has called you. Sealed. Instruction. In your heart. Called you.

[14:09] Perhaps. In the. Silent. Watches. Of the night. By his. Effectual. Calling. Have you. Known. His. Power. I look.

[14:20] A step further. In this. Messenger. We read. I believe. It is in Haggai. Of the. Haggai. Speaking. Of himself. As the Lord's.

[14:31] Messenger. In the Lord's. Message. And so it is. With the servants. Of God. Have you. From this. Pulpit.

[14:41] Or any other. Pulpit. For that matter. Known. The sweet. Savor. And power. Of the message. Of the gospel. In your heart. Known.

[14:53] Its sacred influence. As the men. On the road. To Emmaus. Knew it. Did not our heart. Burn within us. Have you. Known. The power. Of the word.

[15:03] Of God. That holds. Your heart. As it held. Those apostles. On the. Road to Emmaus. As it held. Them in its grip.

[15:13] Of love. In its power. And in its savor. Tell me a messenger. With him. The Lord's. Servants. Are his messengers. He uses them.

[15:26] As instruments. In his hands. To send the message. Of the gospel. In its life. And its unction. In its power. To the hearts.

[15:36] Of his dear children. Such that they. Hear the voice. Of their God. Through the. Instrumentality. Of the. Foolishness. Of preaching.

[15:47] And they come. Into the. Circumference. Of this word. If there. Be a messenger. With him. There is. And once known.

[16:02] Sealed. In the soul. The mighty work. Of God. Is. Sealed. In the heart. And the ears. Have been. Opened. As. Elihu.

[16:12] Put it. God. Speaketh. Once. Yea. Twice. Yet man. Perceiveth. It not. Then he. Openeth. The ears. Of men. And sealeth. Their instruction. The Lord.

[16:25] Does it. He does it. Through the. Instrumentality. Of the foolishness. Of preaching. And he. Opens. The ears. Of his. Dear children. And that.

[16:36] Message. Of the gospel. In its. Glory. In its. Power. In its. Life. In its. Sweetness. Flows. Into their. Hearts. Now. They can.

[16:47] Listen. To the truth. The day. Was. When. It was. Barren. To them. There was no. Savor. Or chew. Or unction. Or life.

[16:58] In it. But now. They drink. Of the. Sincere. Milk. Of the word. And through the. Foolishness. Of preaching. A messenger.

[17:08] Comes into their. Hearts. And they. Hear. The voice. Of their. God. They go. For. For. Strengthened. With might.

[17:19] In the inner man. They are. Instructed. To. Brought. To know. The corruption. Of their. Hearts. Their folly.

[17:29] And foolishness. And they're. Brought. Now. With their. Ears. Open. To hear. Constantly. The voice. Of their. God. Calling. If.

[17:39] There be. A messenger. With him. Now. We know. That in the case. Of Job. As Elihu.

[17:50] Spoke. There was. A messenger. With him. There was. Indeed. We see. From the close. Of this book. The sanctifying.

[18:00] Work. Of God's spirit. As Elihu. Puts his finger. On this. God is greater. Than man. And. He puts his hand.

[18:10] On the. Situation. In Job's life. That. It is God. That has dealt. With him. It is the hand.

[18:21] Of God. Dealing with it. The purpose. Of God. Beautifully. Spoken. Of by Job. At the end. I have heard. Of thee. By the hearing.

[18:32] Of the ear. Grew up. With thy name. Upon my lips. Lived outwardly. Openly. Righteously. Before thee. But no. Now mine eyes.

[18:43] Seeth thee. Exactly the same vision. That is. Isaiah had. That Hezekiah had. That John the Divine. Had on the island of Batmoth. I have seen.

[18:55] Thee. By. Mine eye has seen thee. And oh. The sight. That he had. It was like. Looking in a mirror. He saw his own heart.

[19:07] In the light of the holiness. Purity and majesty. And glory of God. I abhor myself. In dust and ashes. No more arguing with God. Bowed down.

[19:20] As dust and ashes. In his sight. Coming humbly. To his mercy seat. And listening to the words. That John heard. I am he that liveth. No more argument here.

[19:39] Oh the power of the word. I am he that liveth. And was dead. And behold. I am alive forevermore. And have the keys. Of hell and of death. These godly men.

[19:50] Under the divine teaching. Of the spirit. Manifest. There was a messenger with them. It had. That blessed message. Under the lips. Divine.

[20:01] Had a gracious effect. In their hearts. If. There be a messenger with him. And then this beautiful truth.

[20:12] An interpreter. An interpreter. Job did not understand. The way. God was dealing with him.

[20:22] He could not grasp why. God had dealt with him in such a way. Why should he be so afflicted? Why should he come into such path? An interpreter.

[20:36] One. One. To show him. Hath not. Says God in his holy word. Hath not the pot of power.

[20:48] Over the clay. And then another one. Who doeth as he will. With his own. Among the armies of heaven. And the inhabitants of the earth.

[21:00] And none. Can stay his hand. Or say unto him. What doest thou? Here we see. The grace. The interpreter.

[21:12] The holy spirit of truth. Opening up in the heart of Job. The divine will. To be accomplished in his life.

[21:24] That he might be as clay. In the hands of a heavenly potter. And be led. Into fellowship. With Christ.

[21:36] In his suffering. Be led to a most. Precious home. The beauty then. Of this word. If there be a messenger. With him.

[21:48] Oh there is no greater blessing. We can ever possess. In this world. And if the messenger. Of the covenant. The eternal son of God. Is with us. There is nothing.

[22:00] Between our souls. And him. The. Sacred bond. Of the covenant. Is in the work.

[22:10] Of the atonement. The apostle. Speaks of it. In the fifth of Romans. By whom. That is Christ. We have now.

[22:22] Received. The atonement. That. Is. As the margin there reads. The reconciliation. And here we have it.

[22:34] A messenger with him. Lying in our text. Peace. Between God. And man. Through the finished work. Of his dear son. On Calvary's cross.

[22:45] Brings. The messenger. To be with him. Brings. The blessings. Of Calvary. And to the soul. Of the sinner. To be with him.

[22:56] A messenger with him. An interpreter. One. To show him. What Job knew. When he said. I know. That my redeemer lives.

[23:07] And though worms. Destroy this body. Yet in my flesh. Shall I see God. All. All. He was brought. To understand.

[23:19] The way. And what the Lord. Was doing. When he came. To that depth. Behold. I am vile. He begun. To grasp.

[23:30] The sanctifying. Work. And influence. Of the spirit. In his pathway. The divine hand. When the Lord. Said to Satan. Hast thou considered.

[23:41] My servant. Job. Into the furnace. He went. And in it. Job.

[23:52] Satan. Had no. Concept. Of what the Lord. Was going to do. He was going to bring him. To walk. With Christ. In sweet fellowship. And to know.

[24:03] His presence. There was to be. An interpreter. To show him. The sanctification. Nature. Of the fires.

[24:13] Of affliction. In his path. And fires. They were. Fires. That. Like these three men. Shadrach. Meshach.

[24:24] And Abednego. Were to be heated. Seven times. Hotter. With that one. Sacred purpose. That in such a furnace.

[24:35] They would walk. With Christ. To be a messenger. With him. An interpreter. All to. Be brought.

[24:45] To. Understand. To be taught. Job. Had the way. Opened up to him. The Lord. Showed him.

[24:57] What. He was doing. What. He was. In God's sight. What. He deserved. And he brought him to lie.

[25:09] As clay. In his hand. I abhor myself. And repent. In dust. And ashes. If. What an if.

[25:21] There be. A messenger. A messenger. With him. Can you say. In hope. Tonight. That you hope.

[25:36] There is a messenger. With you. In the pathway. The eternal God. Has revealed. Through the spirit. Of truth. His dear son. To you.

[25:47] In your soul. That all. His dealings. In the way. Many.

[25:58] That they have been. You can see. Are his hand. His good hand.

[26:14] Trials. Says the hymn writer. Must. And will. Before. But to see. Love. Inscribed. Upon them all.

[26:25] This. Is happiness. To me. And here. We see it. In the. Case of Joe. An interpreter. The interpreter.

[26:37] Bringing him. To understand. Hath not. Hath not. The pot of power.

[26:49] Over the clay. And to be brought. To bow. In his hand. I like. The. Word of.

[27:00] Jacob. You see. How his path. Was a mystery. To him. Equally.

[27:11] His dear son. Joseph. How his pathway. Was such a mystery. To him. But when. It was. Clearly. Opened up.

[27:22] And the wagons. Coming. Jacob said. It's enough. An interpreter. An interpreter. Why.

[27:34] Through. Darks and paths. Says him. Right. If we go. We may know. No reason. Yet. We shall. Hereafter. Know. Each. In his. Due season.

[27:44] It's enough. He bowed. And was still. In the hands. Of his God. And when. He bowed down. Before Joseph. Was a brethren. Joseph.

[27:57] Broke. He bowed. Completely. He turned aside. And wept. An interpreter.

[28:09] Twenty years. He watched. Could never believe. That. The instruction. Sealed in his heart. When he was seventeen. Would ever come to par.

[28:22] When he tried. To get the butler. To remember him. And hasten. His escape. From the Lord's purpose. Then he waited. Two full years.

[28:34] Remarkable words. They were full. In his feelings. But they were perfect. In the hand. Of his God. And when the interpretation. Came. Until the time.

[28:45] That his word. Came. That is. To fulfilment. The word. Of the Lord. Tried him. They hurt his feet. In irons. Then it came. Then. Oh what a sight he had.

[28:58] Of the glory of God. There be a messenger. With him. An interpreter.

[29:09] One. Among a thousand. Beautiful description. Of the eternal God. Father. Son. Son.

[29:19] And Holy Spirit. Peculiarly. I believe. Here. Referring. To the. Holy Spirit. None. Teachers. Like him.

[29:31] One. Among a thousand. And all. How he. Teacher. He opens up. The way.

[29:42] If. This. Be Lord. Thy way. It is. And when the interpreter. Opens it up. One. Among a thousand. It is this.

[29:59] To show. The sinner. God's way. And to bring him. To be. Willing. To walk. In that way. Without. Murmuring.

[30:09] Or repining. To be. Willing. To walk. In God's way. And in the beauty. Of that language. Rejoicing.

[30:19] In tribulation. Patient. In hope. Beautiful. Description.

[30:31] Of the. Child. Of God. Under the teaching. Of the Holy Spirit. Always. Is he not. Have you proved him. Can you speak of him. In this. Way. That Eli. You spoke of him. One. Among a thousand.

[30:44] The giver. Of the precious. Promises. The instructor. And teacher. Of his dear. Church. The comforter. Of his dear. People. Have you known. Do you know.

[30:56] Something. Of the spirit. Of truth. Here. One. Among a thousand. Name. No.video. grille.storm. Just.

[31:07] Jewish. wallach. Thank. Joan. Transform. To show. Unto man. His uprightness. That is God's uprightness. Not man's. To show.

[31:17] To man. The spirit. Of truth. That shines. In the heart. Of a poor sinner. Brings him. Face. to fight with the holiness and majesty of God in his holy law shows man what he must have if ever he's to enter glory.

[31:37] And you know the teaching of the interpreter is this. That if ever we're to enter glory we must have a righteousness that is not our own it's God's.

[31:57] We shall never rest satisfied short of a divine righteousness. It is to have a sight of the solemn necessity that one should die for sinners.

[32:15] That God's holiness be maintained in his holy law and that one should bear our sins in his body on the tree.

[32:29] Oh has the Lord shown you the necessity of you possessing a robe of righteousness that is divine. That you be prepared in your nakedness to stand in the presence of the almighty washed and clothed and that nothing short of that glorious righteousness of Christ can ever be sufficient to stand before this holy God in all his uprightness to show unto man his uprightness.

[33:05] Has the spirit given you that sight? John when he was shown it on the island called Patmos fell at the Lord's feet as dead.

[33:18] Isaiah said I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell among a people of unclean lips. Hezekiah and he came face to face with eternity like a crane or a swallow so did I chat oh Lord I'm oppressed undertake for me.

[33:37] What is it to be brought down? It is to be brought down crying out unclean unclean lepers before God to feel it and know it to come with our sins the sins of a lifetime of omission and commission before his holiness and there to plead that one and only nine can ever save us name of Jesus and then as we go on into these words now if there be a messenger with him an interpreter one among a thousand to show and demand his uprightness then is he gracious unto him or we see the sinner brought down behold on fire said

[34:39] Job and is he gracious oh how he lied who knew this blessed way and is he gracious here comes the sinner humbled before God here we have the path of the publican God be merciful to me a sinner here we have the path of the dying thief Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom they had seen the uprightness holiness of God and they came bowed down there we see the apostle Paul in the street called straight behold he prayed he seen the uprightness of God the holiness and majesty his sight taken from him what do we see God looking down on his dear people gracious to the humbled and penitent sinner brought down at his mercy seat and brought down to the place that is spoken of here his soul draweth near to the grave and his life to the destroyer just like

[35:58] Queen Esther when she went in under the king I'll go in under the king and if I perish I perish then is he gracious oh here we see sovereign grace as that scepter was extended to Esther do you know anything of it to come as a beggar with your sin to God's mercy and plead for pardon not for our sake said Daniel but for thy great name sake to plead the name of Jesus then is he gracious unto him today thou shalt be with me in paradise hezekiah knew it has cast all my sins behind thy back and is gracious unto him and the lord speaks as he did on calvary's cross and he says this in the hearts of his dear people deliver him from going down into the pit this is god the father speaking deliver him from going down into the pit

[37:20] I have found a ransom deliver him from going down into the pit beautiful words aren't they I have found a ransom one who would redeem them a redeemer one who would die for them one who loved them with an everlasting love one who would raise them to glory to be with him in heaven I found a ransom who can utter these words except god himself deliver him from going down into the pit but god did not say that without the finished work of his dear son it was vital it was essential that one should die to put away sin so the two go together the divine edict that his dear church should not be found in hell and the sacred reason for it

[38:37] I found a ransom one offering for sins forever and as the apostle speaks in his letter to the Hebrews he speaks in that letter of the offering of Christ upon Calvary's cross and he says regarding it in the nature of the work of God regarding the salvation of his dear people he says this by one offering he has perfected forever them that are sanctified what a mighty work was involved in this one offering his church perfected forever sanctified and prepared for glory who are these and whence came they these are they which came out of great tribulation have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb what do they do they sing the anthem of the redeemed in glory and it's this unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood the price was an acceptable price to

[40:12] God his own heart's blood of his dear son that was the price and his dear church beautifully spoken of in the hymn redeemed with Jesus blood redeemed his beauties called to trace no angel can with it compare a sinner saved by grace if there be a messenger with him the one with you tonight does he abide with you whatever fire whatever furnace whatever valley whatever tribulation whatever part of the cup you may be called to walk through or to drink there be a messenger with him whatever deep affliction you may be called there be a messenger with him my God said

[41:15] Daniel has sent his angel and has shut the lion's mouth there was a messenger with him an interpreter one among a thousand divine teacher there be a messenger with him an interpreter one among a thousand to show and demand his uprightness then is he gracious unto him and says deliver him from going down to the pit I found a ransom oh the way of salvation the blessed nature of the gospel that lies here teaching of the spirit in the soul it has the glory of the mark handiwork of God himself and his dear church are to have it revealed to them in their soul there to know there to be brought to understand there to be made willing in the day of his power there to take the cup which he puts into their hands and to drink it and eventually to be made conformable to the image of his dear son and prepared to be with him forever where he is

[43:02] Amen…