I Lead In The Way Of Righteousness

[Posted by permission. Chippenham Old Baptist Chapel.]

Prayer Meeting Address given at Old Baptist Chapel, Chippenham by Mr. G. D. Buss on Wednesday evening, 17th October, 2018

“I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: That I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.”—Proverbs 8:20, 21

One of the many names given to the incomparable Saviour is the name ‘Wisdom.’ In this chapter, we are given a blessed commentary by the Holy Ghost through His servant Solomon of the way in which the Lord Jesus Christ is the very wisdom of God. And, particularly in the verses before us this evening, there is a very necessary application of that wisdom; an essential part of salvation. That is to be led “in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment.” Man, by nature, has not got this wisdom. He is fallen. We are commanded, elsewhere in The Proverbs, not even to lean unto our “own understanding.” We also read: “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.” How often, even God’s people, have found that to be true! But, it is a great mercy when the Lord, having stripped us of all self-knowledge and independence, has brought us to seek and to find that wisdom of which we read in 1 Corinthians (speaking again of the Lord Jesus Christ): “Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”

There is one thing that our text infers, although it does not state it. That is that if you and I are to find wisdom then we are to be looking for the ways of righteousness. You will not find wisdom anywhere else. The wisdom of this world crucified the Saviour. The so-called wisdom of men who glory in their knowledge and say they have never found evidence of God shows how sad and solemn such characters are! Does Isaac Watts’ language echo with our heart?

“Nature with open volume stands,

To spread her Maker’s praise abroad, 

And every labour of His hands, 

Shows something worthy of a God.”

I. Watts

How blind man is not to see on every hand God’s handiwork! The changing seasons, the wonderful balance between the seasons, the balance of the tides and the winds: all these things that come upon the earth with God’s permission, have a voice in them. The “seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter.” All these things speak of God.

But, our text goes much deeper than that. It is speaking of the way that brings us to life everlasting. “I lead,” says the Lord Jesus Christ, “in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment.” There are just one or two simple thoughts which I will bring before you this evening. It would have been a mercy if Solomon had heeded this later in his life. Solomon began well; very well, as well as any professor. But, later in his life he was left to himself and his own wisdom, which proved nothing but folly. I believe he died right, according to the covenant made with David concerning him. But, Solomon certainly did not walk in the spirit of our text for a considerable part of his profession. May the Lord keep us; we have no stones to throw.

First of all, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Wisdom, leads in the way of salvation. He is the One, set forth by the dear Father to make the way into the holiest of all for His people. This He has done by assuming into unity with His divine Person that holy humanity of body and soul; that holy Temple in which the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily. And, because God’s holy law, that He voluntarily came under, demanded perfection in every thought, word and deed; and would not accommodate fallen man, the dear unfallen Saviour, blessed be His holy name; lived under that law, satisfied it and then ratified it with His own blood. We read in the Epistle of Paul to Titus some very beautiful words; we do not often read that Epistle, do we? Yet how precious these words are in Titus 2: “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” He gave Himself. What more could He give than Himself in leading in the way of righteousness? He has provided the obedience that God wisely commanded, and He has made the atonement, which no other could do. But, none other than the Son of God could know the full extent of offended justice. What a debt truly lay upon the Church when she fell! Only He, the Son of God Incarnate, could know and enter into the demands that were made of Him when He suffered “the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”

But, He has led the way through death, even into the holiest of all. We read in Hebrews: “Whither the Forerunner” – that is Jesus; the One who has gone before in the way; “is for us entered, even Jesus, made an High Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” If ever you have seen a large anchor you will know there are three points to it. There are the two end points, and there is that point that joins to the cable. In that verse I have just quoted there are three points. “Whither the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” “Forerunner,” “for us,” “even Jesus.” Bless His holy name: He has gone within the veil as the anchor for His people. As I hinted just now, it is our wisdom to be asking for these footsteps that He has trod, and to be treading in them. “Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loveth, where Thou feedest, where Thou makest Thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of Thy companions? If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock.” Where have they trod? Where the Good Shepherd has been before. “And He led them on safely, so that they feared not.” “I lead in the way of righteousness.” And now, as the Mediator between God and man, He sits at the right hand of that divine Leader; that divine Commander on behalf of His dear people. It is, first of all then, a way of salvation; the only way. There is no other way to heaven but through the Lord Jesus Christ; through His merits, through His blood, through His name and through His finished work. “I lead in the way of righteousness.”

Secondly, He leads by example. It is very important for anyone who has authority over others that they should lead by example. For you it may be in your business, in the way of your career, or as a parent. Too often it is: ‘Do as I say, and not as I do.’ That is not right. A parent should lead by example. Children are very close watchers of example, and very quickly see when there is an inconsistency in their parents’ example. Well, dear friends, there is no inconsistency in Christ’s example. “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps.” “An example.” What a pure example! A holy example, a consistent example, an upright example and a humble example; what a blessed example! We sometimes sing:

“Dread no ills that can befall you,

While you make His ways your choice.”

J. Fawcett

Laying before the Church, the ordinances, the Lord Jesus says: “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” There is He, setting the example and His Church following on behind. He leads by example in humility. Oh, the meekness, and the gentleness of Christ! He leads by example in the way He speaks. No idle words! Oh, the example of Christ in everything! It is a simple test, but it is a good test: What would Jesus have done? What would He say? What would He not say?

Thirdly, we need Him in another way, because we have no strength in ourselves in following His example. The wonderful thing is that He is the Captain of the salvation of His people, in imparting to them the grace they need to walk in His ways. When He says: “This is the way, walk ye in it,” it is not, as it were, just an absolute command from a throne with no thought about how they are to walk in it. Rather, it is an imparting. When a word is given in divine application and power, there is an imparting of strength to do as He bids. He said to Gideon: “Go in this thy might…have not I sent thee?” The might was in the command. As the godly Puritans used to say: ‘His commandings are His enablings.’ “I lead in the way of righteousness.”

One further thought on this part of our text before we move on. It means there is no step; even down to death itself; I would even say even the judgment itself (because He has entered into that for His people), there is no step that He will ever ask His people to take but what He has gone before them in. That is a blessed principle. God’s people are not to tread on virgin territory, in that respect. When the United States was being colonized, there were frontier men. They were always pushing West-ward where others had never been before. And I tell you, my dear friends, the Lord will never send you anywhere where He has not been before. “And the LORD, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee.” Even down to your dying day; He has been there as well. And, when He ascended on high, He went to the judgement seat on behalf of His people and took His perfect obedience, His precious name and His precious blood on their behalf. He has gone before them already. There is “an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.” What a comfort this is when we are called. We are not idle. Faith is an active grace. Faith has steps to be taken. But there is no step you will ever have to take in faith, in which the Lord has not gone before you.

Then it says: “In the midst of the paths of judgment.” Here we may see two things. First of all, this shows the consistency of the work that God works in His people’s hearts, with the divine principles of justice. God is a just God. He never makes a mistake. He never errs. He is never ungracious in anything He leads His people in. In the paths of judgment there is a blessed consistency. We are told He weighs “the path of the just.” One hymn puts it so beautifully; it is one of my favourites:

“Our sorrows in the scale He weighs, 

And measures out our pains;

The wildest storm His word obeys; 

His word its rage restrains.”

J. Swain

He leads His people even in those things “in the midst of the paths of judgment.” And, you can look at it another way: when His people come under divine correction and divine chastisement as we all do because we are God’s children, we must have that this side of the grave; even there He leads His people. Through those fiery trials and through those deep waters, secretly, often with them not hardly realising it, He is bearing them up and carrying them along. “In the midst of the paths of judgment.”

One other thought here. Friends, we need good judgement, don’t we? We need discernment. Discernment is something that is greatly lacking in our generation in many ways. Discernment is not bigotry. It is not prejudice. That is not discernment. Discernment is to know “the mind of Christ.” “The mind of Christ.” That is what you should seek in your path. What is “the mind of Christ” in this? “In the midst of the paths of judgment.”

Then we read: “That I may cause those.” ‘Cause’ is a lovely word, isn’t it? I like it in one of the Psalms: “Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee.” The choice came first, and the causing is the effect of the choice. It is Jeremiah 31: “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” The everlasting love was the motive for the causing; the drawing and the enabling. “That I may cause those that love Me.” We are reminded that towards the end of this chapter: “But he that sinneth against Me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate Me love death.” Earlier on we read: “I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me.” Now, friends, our love for Christ is very poor, if there is any love at all. It is very faint-flamed. But there are two things we must ever remember. You must never judge God’s love for you, believer, by your love for Him. Your love for Him is sometimes hot, but more often cold. Sometimes it is a flickering flame and can hardly be discerned. His is never like that. It is always the same. It is immutable. It cannot be added to, and it cannot be taken from. It is the love of God; God Himself. It is immeasurable, fixed upon the sinner.

“The love of Christ is rich and free; 

Fixed on His own eternally;

Nor earth, nor hell, can it remove; 

Long as He lives, His own He’ll love.

W. Gadsby

The second thing about our love is this: it is the fruit of His love. Have you ever been enabled, and it is by enabling, to say, ‘I love the Lord’? Perhaps you could say, like the good psalmist in another Psalm: “I love the LORD, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications.” You had a reason, as it were, to add your testimony to His love because He has been mindful of you. Those Ebenezer stones some of you can remember where, for a few moments at least, you did not doubt your love for Him because He was so gracious in appearing for you and answering your poor prayers and making Himself known to you. “That I may cause those that love Me.” ‘Those that love My name, that love My righteousness, that love My precious blood, that love My Word, that love My visits and that love My presence’ – “that I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance.”

Inheritance is something that comes to us upon the death of another. So, dear friends, all the blessings of the Church come through the death of Christ. What substance there is when He ‘fills their treasures!’ What can we say? How many sermons could be preached on this “substance” if God gave the blessed ability so to do! One thing; faith is a substance, isn’t it? We are told that in Hebrews 11. And, the more I go on, the more persuaded I am of the value of a God-given faith. Not a family faith, not a denominational faith; not notions or opinions. They will not save. But, if ever we have felt the power of the faith of God’s elect in our heart, it is a great treasure. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Those dear worthies we read of in Hebrews 11; how they possessed it! By faith they possessed Christ before He ever came, by faith. Noah did, Abraham did, Isaac did, Jacob did, David did, Gideon did and Joshua did; so we could go on. Even Samson did! They possessed Christ by faith long before He came. And such was the substantial nature of their faith it was as if He had already come and suffered, bled and died for them. It was like Hannah’s faith. She, in spirit, held Samuel in her arms before she was even expecting him. Her faith was so strong, and she blessed the Lord for it.

It is a wonderful thing then, to have that substance of faith and to believe, as Paul did on a shipwrecked boat. “I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.” And to believe those wonderful words that God spoke to Jacob: “For I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” That is substance, isn’t it? It is an exceeding great and precious promise from His lips. Oh, the substance in it! When you first receive it, you think, perhaps, that you understand it and perhaps realise how blessed it is. And, as you go on walking in the word and that word walking in you, you learn much more about it and your need of it. Some of us, if not awfully deceived, have had substance in that way for many years in our hearts. When those words were first given by the dear Spirit, they brought great joy, great comfort and great help. We thought we understood them. We did in measure, but experience teaches us much more. We have more need of those exceeding great and precious promises now than we ever did. How substantial they are! They never fail.

“But sooner all nature shall change, 

Than one of God’s promises fail.”

J. Newton

And, what a treasure is a kiss from His lips. Friends, He is not a fickle Friend. It is a very sad thing to see and hear of other people playing with other people’s feelings. Many years ago (this is a sad thing to tell you, but it is something which actually happened) there were a couple who were going out together and were engaged. But, the young lady had a row with her fiancé, and she put the engagement ring in the post and sent it back to him. She was quite sure he would send it back by return of post, but he never did. He married somebody else; she never married. And she always said to those to whom she spoke about it: ‘Never play with anyone’s feelings.’ Well, my dear friends, here is the Friend of all friends. He is not a fickle Friend. He never changes. His love knows no beginning and no end.

“Whom once He loves He never leaves, 

But loves him to the end.

J. Hart

In your darkest scenes, your fieriest trials and your deepest waters, His love is no less than when He, as Isaiah puts it, dandled you upon His knees. He whispers sweet promises in your heart. He is just “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Oh, the substance of the friendship of Christ! “A Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” The One that “loveth at all times.” The Friend “born for adversity.” Your adversities, poor sinner! Your adversities as a sinner, as a tempted one, as a devil-dragged one, as a perplexed one, as a burdened one; yes, your adversities: He was born for them. Oh, the wonder of it!

“Inherit substance.” That is what we want, isn’t? It is a poor, dying world that we live in. When you come down to die, dear friend, your bank balance, your natural friendships, what you own or do not own will be immaterial. What will be vital is this: will you, do you have substance in your heart that can never die? “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” What a mercy to have that substance!

Then, look at our text one other way. We do have natural treasures. The Lord is very good to us. It is not all negative: let us be careful. This world, without sinners in it, would be a very wonderful place. It is a very wonderful place, and sometimes we are able to see the beauties of creation. We have our loved ones, and we bless God for them. If the Lord fills these treasures, they are sanctified to us. That is the point, isn’t it? They are not treasures without Christ, they are treasures with Christ. What a difference that makes, doesn’t it? And those things God has given you, you can say: ‘It is with Christ.’ They are not treasures without Christ, they are treasures with Christ. What a difference that makes, doesn’t it? You say: ‘What about the thorn in the flesh and the crook in the lot? Is there any treasure in that?’ Listen. “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” What a treasure that was to Paul! He could live with his thorn, couldn’t he? He could not have done so otherwise. But, that rich treasure in his heart helped him to live with the thorn, day by day and hour by hour. And it became, not a curse, but a blessing. In the end, it became something he thanked God for. It is easy to talk about. A preacher can easily preach about it, but to actually embrace the thorn God has given you as a blessing needs grace that nature has not got. But, if you are enabled to, you are right inside our text. “I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: That I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.” What a good and gracious God we have to be so mindful of His people! May we know this wisdom. It is eternal, and will last beyond the grave and be a cause for everlasting bliss hereafter. May God add His blessing.

Amen.