73. When God Riseth Up (2)

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Hymns: RHC 215 I Know That My Redeemer Liveth, 206 Christ Arose, 208 The Day of Resurrection    

       

Job 31:1-15

 6Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. 7If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; 9If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or ifI have laid wait at my neighbour’s door; 10Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her. 11For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. 12For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase. 13If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; 14What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? 15Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb? (Job 31:9-15 KJV)

When God Riseth Up (2) 

OUTLINE

  • Sought Preventive by Covenant (v1-2)
  • Sought Purity Understanding God’s Judgment for Sin (v3-4)
  • Sought Truthfulness and Fleeing Deceit (v5-6)
  • Sought Indictment rather than living in Hypocrisy (v7-8)

Continued…

 6Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. 

A man’s integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. In other words, a man is who is the same person inwardly and outwardly. This was the contention throughout this book. The integrity of Job. It described that Job was a fake. He was not. He was a true-blue child of God. He is not sinless, far from that, but holy. His sins has been forgiven him – Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

He was a man of faith, justified by faith. He looked forward to the Christ who will come in the resurrection – Job 19:25-26 For I know thatmy redeemer liveth, and thathe shall stand at the latter dayupon the earth: And thoughafter my skin wormsdestroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

What a testimony! God Himself saw Job a man of faith. A man who lived by faith and will hold on to his faith. He will trust God and proved him though the testing upon him may be so severe.

Job 2:3And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there isnone like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Job 2:9Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

Job 27:5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

Job 31:6 Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

Job maintained his ways before God – Job 13:15-16 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall bemy salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

This is the power of God’s grace sustaining and keeping us to walk with him. There is an inner conviction that external circumstances will not altar or thwart. This is the power of life with God that the Apostle Paul speaks of when he began the Epistle to the Romans.

Romans 1:1-5 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to bean apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to bethe Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

This is the spiritual life. A life energized by God to holdfast and keep faith and fulfil a creature’s created purpose. God’s grace sustained such a one for His glory. This is the creative purpose of God for each one of us. That we may live for His glory to testify that truly we beong to Him.

(4)Sought Indictment rather than Living in. Hypocrisy

7If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; 8Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out. 

Gill observed well, “The way of God, the way of his commandments, the good and right way, the way of truth and righteousness, so far as Job had knowledge of it: for, besides the law and light of nature the Gentiles had in common, good men had some revelation, and notions of the mind and will of God unto them, both before and after the flood, previous to the Mosaic dispensation; which in some measure directed them what way to walk in, with respect to worship and duty; and from this way Job swerved not; not that he walked so perfectly in it as to be free from sin, and never commit any; or that he never took a step out of the way, or stepped awry; but he did not knowingly, wittingly, and purposely turn out of the way; and when, through infirmity of the flesh, the temptations of Satan, and snares of the world, he was drawn aside, he did not obstinately and finally persist therein; though this may have respect not to sin in general, but to the particular sin he is clearing himself from, namely, dealing falsely and deceitfully with men, in whatsoever he had to do with them…, or with regard to the rules of justice and equity between man and man, he was not conscious to himself he had departed from them.”

The Apostle Paul advocate a man living honest before God and men. He understood the doctrine of sowing and reaping.

Galatians 6:3-4 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

Galatians 6:7-10 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

2 Corinthians 5:10-11 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things donein hisbody, according to that he hath done, whether it begood or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

The Apostle Paul is not articulating that God mete out terrible judgment upon believers and there we are to shudder and fear. Rather, the Judgment Seat of Christ is for rewards and loss of rewards in Christian service. As William MacDonald observed, “Paul is not speaking so much of the terror of the Lord for the unsaved as of the reverential awe in which he should to serve the Lord and to please Him.”

Indeed, the men who walked with God and served God in their generation does so with integrity and sincerity as ministers of Christ. The testimony of His servants is known to God. God knew the heart of Job when He commended him to Satan as a man of integrity, one who fears God and hates evil. Satan may have tried him sorely, but Job came forth as gold. This is the encouragement for God’s people serving Him in this generation to press on with the good work.

Each must give an account to the Lord, who is the just Judge. There is an urgency for the work of God to move forward in this generation for His honour and glory and knowing that the Lord does reward His servants and knowing that God is a Judge, with God’s fear and love in our hearts, we serve Him. 

To be continued…