The Book of Proverbs is not just a book of proverbs.It is actually full of principles and promises as well. Most of the promises inproverbs are conditional. For example, in Proverbs 3:5-6, we read:

“⁵ Trust in theLORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Prov 3:5-6)

It is clear that the Lord’s promise to direct thepath of the believer is conditioned upon the believer’s faith and obedience inHim. To the degree that we trust in the Lord and seek to follow His ways, tothe degree that He will guide and direct us.

There are, however, promises inthe book which are written in unconditional absolute terms. This evening, theLord helping us, we want to consider one such promise in our series on thegreat and precious promises of the Lord.

Let us consider Proverbs 4:18—

But the path of the just is as the shining light, thatshineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Now, this statement if taken byitself may be viewed simply as a proverbial axiom. A proverbial axiom is asaying developed through observation that is generally and usually true, butnot always.

If Proverbs 4:18 is a merely a proverbial axiom,then all we can say is that it is usually the case that the path of the justwill get brighter and brighter as the years go by. However, we must rememberthat the book of Proverbs is not merely a collection of wise sayings of men. Itis a collection of divinely inspired statements.

As such, we must interpret the statements in it bycomparing Scripture with Scripture. When we do so, we will see that Proverbs4:18 is indeed a statement of promise by the Lord who says: “I will never leavethee, nor forsake thee” (Heb 13:5).

This is how the WestminsterAssembly understood this verse when they used it as scriptural proof to supportthe proposition that one of the benefits that in this life do accompany or flowfrom justification, adoption and sanctification is “the increase of grace,  and perseverancetherein to the end” (WSC 36).

With this in mind, let us study this promise byconsidering three things about it.

·  First, this is a promise for the just.

·  Secondly, this is a promise pertaining the Christianwalk in this life.

·  Thirdly, this is a promise about the destination ofthe believer.

1. A Promise for the Just

Butthe path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more untothe perfect day.

This promise is clearly for thejust. Who are the just? Well, clearlythey are the opposite to the wicked, verse 14 & 19.

Indeed, the word ‘just’ heretranslates the Hebrew tsadiq (qyDix') which can alsobe translated as ‘righteous’, which is the opposition of ‘wicked’. In fact, outof 206 times that the word occurs in the Old Testament, it is translated ‘righteous’in 162 times.

In other words, to be ‘just’ is to be righteous. Thejust is the righteous. Now, if Proverbs 4:18 were merely a proverbial axiom, wemight think that the righteous person refers to one who is honest, or perhapsif we stretch it further, one who is a nice guy—agentleman or a fair-lady, one who does not offend people, one who is helpful,or kind, or gives to the poor, etc.

But no, this cannot be what the Lord would have usunderstand by this word, for otherwise, the Scripture would be contradictingitself.

To be righteous in God’s eye is to be without sin.But the Scripture tells us that “there is none righteous, no not one” (Rom3:1). All our righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God (Isa64:6).  When Adam, our first father,fell, all mankind descending from him by natural generation sinned in him andfell with him. All men are sinners both by the imputation of Adam’s guilt andby inheriting his sinful nature. The only exception is the Lord Jesus Christwho was born of the virgin and was tempted at all points yet without sin.

Who then is the just in Proverbs 4:18. SurelyProverbs 4:18 cannot be about Christ alone. Well, comparing Scripture withScripture, we may conclude that the just must be refering to the elect ofChrist who are justified in Him. “The just shall live by faith” says theApostle Paul (Rom 1:17) as he quotes from Habbukuk 2:4.

Proverbs 4:18, in other words, is a promise for all believers. All whotruly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and are justified by His blood willenjoy the truth of this promise.

Conversely, the wicked or all unbelievers would notonly not enjoy the blessing promised, but suffer the consequences of theirunbelief:

“The way of the wicked is asdarkness: they know not at what they stumble.” (Prov 4:19)

They will in other words have a life of misery thatwill end suddenly in misery.

But what is the promise. We note secondly, that itis…

2.A Promise about the Journey of the Just

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more andmore unto the perfect day.

It is interesting to consider the picture thatSolomon is painting in this proverb. He is painting a picture of the Christianlife.

The just is liken to a traveler setting out on ajourney very early in the morning at dawn. There is a streak of light in thehorizon—in the Eastern sky. As he walks, its gets brighter and brighter untilthe day is perfected with the sun shinning full bright.

But why is the Christian life portrayed as beginningat dawn and then ending with the brightness of day? Would it not be moreintuitive to portray life as beginning in the brightness of morning, continuinguntil mid-day and then heading towards evening and finally the darkness of thenight as death sets in.

Why would Solomon and the Holy Spirit who inspiredhim have us think of the Christian life as beginning at dawn and ending atnoon?

Well, we can think of three reasons.

First, the Bible teaches usthat our lives in this world is just a brief span when compared to eternity. Ifyou ever go hiking at dawn, you will realise something: dawn does not last verylong. If you start off at dawn, you would barely have gone a short distancebefore it is completely bright. Life in this world is like that. The Bibletells us that we will live on the average 70 years, and then we go on our longjourney home. The journey at dawn is an excellent reminder of the shortness ofthis present life compared to eternity.

Secondly, the shadows of dawn is also a good pictureof the present life, for this present life is indeed like that—it is imperfect,and dark. It is filled with pain, sorrow and misery. It is also a time when wecannot see everything things in clear. This is why we experience doubts andfears. This is why we have relationship breakdowns. This is why we havefrustrations.

Thirdly, Solomon portrays life like the way he doesbecause the perfect day or the brightness of day is a good picture of life ineternity. The Christian enters into the perfect day when he leaves the presentworld. Then all his sorrows, pains and sins will be no more. All things will bebright and clear. There will be no more uncertainty, no more frustrations, nomore darkness. In that day, we shall know as we ourselves are known.

This is why the journey of the just is set in dawn…

Butthank God that the Christian life is not all dark and shadowy, for the promisein text is that the Christian life will get progressively brighter andbrighter. “the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more andmore…”

What does that mean? Well,the path of the just will get brighter and brighter in two senses.

First, it will get brighter, because each step we take after ourconversion brings us closer to the perfect day. The Christian longs for thatday, and as he reaches nearer and nearer to that day, his hope and anticipationfor the perfect day increases. Talk to a godly believer who is dying and youwill not see him or her fearing death nor getting fearful as death loomsnearer. No, the saint looks forward eagerly to the day when the sorrows of thisworld will be over for him, so that he can behold the face of Christ for alleternity. That thought surely makes their paths brighter and brighter. Deathfor the Christian is never fearful because he knows the promise of the Lord.For this reason, the path of the just is growing brighter and brighter by theday in hope.

But secondly, the path of the just is gettingbrighter and brighter also because the Christian does not remain stagnant. Hegrows in grace. He grows in godly virtue. He can never escape from sin in thislife, but he grows more and more like Christ as he dies more and more unto sin.And the path continues to get brighter because God promises to protect and topreserve him.

Proverbs 2:8 teaches us thatthe LORD “keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints.”No Christian is perfect, so his life is not going to be a consistent upwardclimb. But overall, the healthy Christian will, by the grace of God, walknearer and nearer to the light. His path will get brighter and brighter insanctification.

This is the promise of our text in regard to ourChristian life in this world. Sometimes when the journey becomes difficult wemay lose sight of this truth. But it remains—the path of the just is getting brighterand brighter. It ought to be getting brighter in hope. It ought to be gettingbrighter in sanctification.

But finally, Proverbs 4:18 contains also an implicitpromise about our destination.

3.A Promise about the Destination of the Just

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more andmore unto the perfect day.

By contrast, “the way of thewicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble” (Prov 4:19). Thepath of the wicked will end with sudden destruction as they fall into a pit ofdeep darkness, darker than anything imaginable in this world. What a sad end toa life of misery.

But the just, according to the promise of God, willfinish their race on the “perfect day”!

And what a glorious day itwill be when this partially dark path gives way to the brightness of noon daywhen we shall see all things in clear, and will no more be afflicted by painnor sorrow, nor disappointment, nor wickedness in this world.

That day will be bright andbeautiful and joyful. It will be so because all that brings darkness, pain andsorrows will be put away. And not only so, but the Sun of Righteousness willshine full-bright.

The Prophet Isaiah makesthis clear when he teaches us that on the perfect day…

“[The] sun [of the just] shall no more go down;neither shall [the] moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be [their]everlasting light, and the days of [their] mourning shall be ended” (Isa60:20).

The apostle John describingheaven tells us:

“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of themoon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is thelight thereof” (Rv 21:23).

The Lamb—the Lamb slain fromthe foundation of the world is none other than Christ Himself.

Now, the Christian does nothave to wait until the consummation of all things at the end of the world toexperience the perfect day. The perfect day begins the minute he leaves thisworld, for the minute he leaves this world he enters into Celestial City to bewith the Lord forever. The Celestial City is a city of light because Christ isthere. Christ is the brightness of the perfect day.

Oh what a glorious day it will be when we shall bewith Christ our Lord to bask in his warmth and love forever and ever.

Conclusion

Brethren and children, what isthis promise to you? You who love the Lord and believe in Him, blessed are you,for the promise is unto you both for this life and for the life to come.

The Christian journey is not aneasy one. The Lord speaks of bearing our cross and following Him. The ApostlePaul speaks of running an agonising race and fighting a good fight. Our ownexperience shows us that there are valleys of tears to traverse; moutains ofchallenges to climb; rivers of separation to cross; and storms of turmoil toendure.

Who is sufficient for such a journey? But thank Godfor his promise that “the path of thejust is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”Thank God that this is not merely an observation, but a promise. “The path of the just is as the shininglight, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” because the LordHimself will see to it.

The Spirit of Christ who hasbegun the good work in us “will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil1:6). He will work the work of sanctification in us so that our paths growbrighter day by day as we die unto sin and grow in grace. And He will preserveus unto the day when we shall see the Lord Jesus Christ face to face, when alldarkness of sorrows and tears will be put away from us forever.

May the Lord grant you thecourage and strength to run the race. Run believing. Run on in the strength ofthe Lord, clinging on to the promise and reminding yourself: “I can do allthings through Christ which strengthenth me” (Phil 4:13).

Don’t give up when you see the storm, turn your eyesto the Lord. The sun will shine even brighter after the storm.

Don’t give up in the valley of tears. The day iscoming when the Sun of Righteousness will dry all your tears.

Don’t give up when you find the mountain difficultto overcome. Remember that as you climb you will be nearer to the Lord; and Hewill give you more strength.

Don’t give upbecause of the many rivers of separation you have to endure. Remember thatacross the last river, you will enter into the brightness of the heavenlyCanaan where Christ shines full bright. Amen. Ω