“Because there is wrath, beware lest He take thee away with His stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee” – Job. 36:18

One chief reason why God wrote the Bible was to warn the sinner of the awful consequences of sin, and to bid him flee from the wrath to come. Our text is one of these warnings. There are many such scattered throughout the Bible. We mention one or two at random. “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23). “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb.9:27). “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” (Heb. 2:3).

III. An Utter Impossibility

“Because there is wrath, beware lest He take thee away with His stroke, then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.”

Every member of Adam’s race richly merits God’s Wrath. Our sins which have mounted up to heaven; our profitless lives, spent in selfish gratification with no regard for God’s glory; our indifference and carelessness respecting our soul’s future welfare; our repeated refusals to respond to the invitations of God’s grace, all cry aloud for judgment to descend upon us. But God’s Mercy has provided a “Ransom” – a “covering” for sin – Christ! Our text speaks of this ransom as “great” – great in its value, great in its scope, great in its effectiveness, great because it delivers from so great a death and secures so great salvation. But great as this “ransom” is, it avails nothing for those who ignore and reject it.

“Beware lest He take thee away with His stroke, then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.” If this ransom be despised then there is no possible escape for the sinner. If Christ be rejected there remains nought but wrath. How this text shatters the “Larger Hope”! How it repudiates any possibility of a “Second Chance” in the next world! How effectually it closes the door of hope against all who die in their sins! Let the stroke of God remove such from this world and “then a great ransom cannot deliver” them. There are other Scriptures equally explicit. “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy” (Prov. 29:1). For the sinner there is no remedy, no deliverance, no hope whatever beyond the grave.

“Then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.” Why? Because it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that – not a second chance, not a further probation – but the judgment. Why? Because at death the sinner goes immediately to Hell (Luke 16 :22, 23) and there there is no preaching of the Gospel and no Holy Spirit to quicken into newness of life. Why? Because there awaits all such nothing but “the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29) and the judgment of the Great White Throne. “Then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.” Why? Because repentance then will be too late. “Therefore will I also deal in fury: Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in Mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them! (Ezek. 8:18). Then a great ransom cannot deliver thee. Why? Because, Whosoever’s name was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the Lake of Fire – and a “lake” has no outlet!

Here then is a solemn warning against indifference, “Because there is wrath.” Here is a solemn warning against procrastination, “Beware lest He take thee away with His stroke.” Here is a solemn warning against hoping in another chance after death. “Then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.” Here is a powerful plea for accepting Christ NOW. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” We shall not! There will be no escape! Then “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found: Call ye upon Him while He is near.”

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”