“Fret not thyself because of evil men,
neither be thou envious at the wicked” – Part 2

(Pro 24:19-34)

[Study Aired January 15, 2026]

Pro 24:19  Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;
Pro 24:20  For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
Pro 24:21  My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
Pro 24:22  For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
Pro 24:23  These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
Pro 24:24  He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:
Pro 24:25  But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
Pro 24:26  Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.
Pro 24:27  Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.
Pro 24:28  Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
Pro 24:29  Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
Pro 24:30  I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
Pro 24:31  And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
Pro 24:32  Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
Pro 24:33  Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
Pro 24:34  So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

In this section of Proverbs 24 we’ll look at how these verses, as we do with all of God’s word, apply to us inwardly as we examine ourselves whether we be in the faith or not, using God’s word to prove our own selves to that end (2Co 13:5, Col 1:27).

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Pro 24:19  Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;
Pro 24:20  For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

The candle in (Pro 24:20) represents God’s word (Rev 1:12-13) that we have wrapped around the idols of our hearts (Eze 14:3, Mat 6:21-23), idols that need to be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming into our heavens (2Th 2:3, Col 1:24) so that we can be one body full of light, “if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light”, overcoming through Christ (Mat 5:14, Joh 8:12, Joh 5:30, Joh 15:5, Col 1:27).

Satan’s ongoing goal is to sift the body of Christ by taking away that singleness (2Co 11:3) that is in Him, and Christ’s goal through His body is to give us the might and strength to fight a good fight of faith to maintain that unity of the spirit (1Ti 6:12, Eph 4:13)

Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.[wrapped around an idol of the heart Eze 14:3 or set on things above Col 3:2]
Mat 6:22  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
Mat 6:23  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity^G572(singleness) that is in Christ.

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

G572 haplotēs hap-lot’-ace
From G573; singleness, that is, (subjectively) sincerity (without dissimulation or self seeking), or (objectively) generosity (copious bestowal): – bountifulness, liberal (-ity), simplicity, singleness.
Total KJV occurrences: 8

In verse 19 we are admonished to fret not because of the evil in this world [within and without]. Notice the words “men and man” are in italics in these opening verses, taking the focus off of the sin within ourselves, “Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked”. We are not to be beset by the destruction of sin process (Heb 12:1-4) which we are enduring through Christ, even though no chastening “seemeth to be joyous” when you’re going through it (Heb 12:6, Heb 12:11). We are not to be envious at the wicked of our past (Php 3:13), or the wicked in this world, our former conversation (Mat 24:17-19, Gal 4:7-11, Eph 4:22, Eph 2:1-4). Rather we are to flee to Christ who gives us the power to flee fornication (1Co 6:18), idolatry (1Co 10:14), youthful lusts (2Ti 2:22) and riches (Pro 23:5), so we can receive a reward (Rev 20:6).

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.[the contradiction of sinners against himself, against His body]

Mat 24:16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (flee to Christ, look to Christ Psa 121:1)
Mat 24:17  Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
Mat 24:18  Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
Mat 24:19  And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

Eph 4:20  But ye have not so learned Christ;
Eph 4:21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man,[your former “house”, your former “clothes”] which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (Jud 1:23)

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

(These verses in (Eph 2:4-5) remind us that God loves us and knows the daily struggle we have against sin in our members and yet He is “rich in mercy”, mercy that is shown by giving us much tribulation as we die daily, so we can inherit the kingdom of God within, day by day (Act 14:22, Luk 17:21, Rev 11:15))

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Pro 24:21  My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
Pro 24:22  For their calamity^H343 shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

God does not change (Mal 3:6) in a world that is unstable and ever changing where we are blessed to know the whole counsel of God’s will is being fulfilled (Eph 1:11-12). Our calling is to “fear thou the LORD and the king”(Ecc 12:13) and to not fear or meddle with the unstable affairs of this world, the wars and rumours of wars without, of which God has willed without so that His children can be witnesses of His power that makes it possible for us to be ambassadors and soldiers for in Christ in this dark world, and who are not troubled by such things (Mat 24:6-7, 2Co 4:15).

Mal 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

H343 calamity ‘êyd ade
From the same as H181 (in the sense of bending down); oppression; by implication misfortune, ruin: – calamity, destruction.
Total KJV occurrences: 24

The calamities that “rise suddenly” are connected to the plagues that God is going to pour out upon this world when Christ returns with the saints, also likened unto the days of Noah (Mat 24:37-39). The elect will be used to baptize the world with the undefiled word of God, that will be a plague against all carnal thinking (Rev 18:4, Hab 2:14). God knows the ruin of them both (those who don’t fear the Lord and are given to change), and commands us to “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues”. God’s judgement is upon His people now (1Pe 4:17), as we experience those calamities via the seven last plagues [seals, trumpets and vials] being poured out upon us now, so we don’t need to be judged later (Rev 15:8, 1Co 11:31-32).

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Mat 24:37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39  And knew not until the flood came (Mal 3:18), and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.(Heb 12:6)

The good news is that God is moving the world (Act 17:28) in the direction that is according to the counsel of His will (Dan 2:20-22, Act 17:28), with a desire within Him that will be obtained to save all of His creation in time, each man in his own order (Eph 1:11, 1Co 15:22,  Job 23:13-14).

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

Pro 24:23  These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
Pro 24:24  He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:
Pro 24:25  But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
Pro 24:26  Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

Inwardly we are being told in this proverb to not shun to declare the whole counsel of God, which is what Babylon does when they call “light” ‘dark’, and “dark” ‘light’ (Act 20:27, Isa 5:20). We judge this way when we think that anyone, including Christ, in this sinful flesh, can judge righteous judgement of himself independent of God (Joh 5:30).

Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.(Eph 1:11)

Joh 5:30  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (When we seek God’s will we will judge justly like Christ, and be his brothers, sisters or mothers Mat 12:48-50, 1Jn 4:17)

Christ knew he couldn’t judge righteous judgement independent of His Father, and He is showing us in this proverb why man’s judgements fail and don’t produce the righteousness of God (Rom 10:2-6, Jas 1:19-20). It takes God’s spirit within us (Rom 8:9) to clearly see that there is none righteous, no not one (Rom 3:10), and we call no man good, there is one who is good, even God (Mar 10:18).

Rom 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.(Christ and his body are sealed with the holy spirit of promise and have become the end of the law for righteousness Joh 6:27, Eph 1:13)

If we are blessed to judge as Christ did, who is our example (1Pe 2:21, 1Jn 4:17), we will not say to the self-righteous man of sin within us [the carnal mind apart from God’s spirit] that he is our righteousness, but rather we will acknowledge it is Christ working in us who is our righteousness (Php 3:9), even as Christ acknowledged it was the Father working in him. This ongoing realization of understanding of who is doing the work (Php 2:12-13, Joh 14:20) is accomplished by the dying daily process, which is also only possible by the son setting us free from sin, “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Joh 8:36).

If we don’t judge matters as Christ did on this earth, that person, me, will be cursed and abhorred by Christ’s body for not binding mercy and truth around my heart (Pro 3:3-4), which mercy and truth makes it possible for us to rebuke the wicked within ourselves (Rom 2:4),  a delight unto God that brings a good blessing upon all who take such actions.

Pro 3:3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man [“a good blessing shall come upon them”].

Judging righteous judgement is what will happen if we kiss the son while it is today (Psa 2:11-12, Heb 3:12-13). Kissing Christ and his Christ with a holy kiss, symbolizes our having a right relationship with our judge and high priest who alone knows how to judge every matter correctly (Joh 7:24).

Psa 2:11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Joh 7:24  Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

He is the reason we can give “a right answer”, just as Christ said of himself that his answers were right because of his right relationship with His Father (I can do nothing of my own self Joh 5:30-31, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself (Joh 15:4-5).

Contrast of the spiritually zealous vs. the spiritually slothful

Pro 24:27  Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.
Pro 24:28  Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
Pro 24:29  Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

These verses help us understand how we can fulfill this commandment of not fretting: “Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked”. If we are diligent, we will by God’s grace “prepare thy work without”, and we will be fit today in the hands of the fit man who is working with us in this world (Lev 16:21). Laying up that foundation of good works is essential against the day of evil, and will give us peace knowing that God does not forget our labour of love for one another (1Ti 6:19, Heb 6:10-11).

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Heb 6:10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Heb 6:11  And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

“and afterwards build thine house” is another way of saying “seek the kingdom first and his righteousness and all those things shall be added unto you” (Mat 6:33). It is the Lord who gives us the diligent spirit, it is the Lord who makes it possible for us to be in the world [the field is the world Mat 13:38] and not of it [“fit for thyself in the field”].

We need to mind, or be mindful of, our own business which is what Christ declared to His disciples when He said he has food that they don’t know of yet, prior to Pentecost (Luk 2:49, Joh 4:32). When we are witnesses against our neighbour without cause, “Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips”, we are not about our Father’s business (Mat 7:6, Pro 26:17).

Meddling in strife that should not be our concern, or taking vengeance that belongs to God, “I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work”, is the opposite of, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Mat 7:12). Vengeance is God’s. He knows how to deal with the unjust ways of mankind and calls us to trust Him against all the adversaries we will be presented with in this life (Rom 14:4, Isa 54:17).

Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Pro 24:30  I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
Pro 24:31  And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
Pro 24:32  Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
Pro 24:33  Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
Pro 24:34  So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

When we are void of God’s understanding, we will be spiritually slothful in this world, not being quickened by the word of God (Joh 6:63) because we are not being drawn to labour in it (Joh 6:44) as we should (Act 17:11, Tit 2:14).

“The field of the slothful” is “grown over with thorns” which represent false doctrines (Gen 3:18), and nettles “had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down”, saying the same thing: that there is no healthy foundation that is laid without Christ and His words of life (1Co 3:11, Mat 16:18).

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

What causes this slothful condition is then explained as being a lack of diligence: “Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.”

Christ comes as a thief in the night (1Th 5:2-6, Mat 24:43, Rev 16:15), and if the Goodman in us (Col 1:27) is not being neglected, we will stir up this gift of prophecy (2Ti 1:6-7) that has been given to us so that, Lord willing, we will not be caught unawares when the He returns (Mat 24:45-47).

1Th 5:2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1Th 5:3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1Th 5:4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief [“if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come”(watch and pray, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, because the Father knows the hour and the day and Christ is working within us both to will and to do our Father’s will– Mat 24:24, Mar 13:33, Mat 26:41, Php 2:12-13)].
1Th 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

2Ti 1:6  Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.(Luk 18:1)

Mat 24:43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up [If we are being judged in this age our house is being “broken up” and when Christ abides in us we become the goodman who can now watch and pray so that we will be ready when He returns outwardly (Rev 11:15)].
Mat 24:44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Rev 16:15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Mat 24:45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Mat 24:47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

Christ tells us to not fret because of the evil, “Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked”, wicked that is manifested in the wars and rumours of wars that will escalate as evil men wax worse and worse, producing this spirit of spiritual slothfulness, along with iniquity abounding and the love of many waxing cold (Mat 24:48-51).

Mat 24:48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
Mat 24:49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;[Mat 24:12-13]
Mat 24:50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
Mat 24:51  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

We ask the Lord to not let us grow weary in well doing, praying to “receive[ed] instruction”, or correction, that must come upon all those who are being dragged to Him in this age (Gal 6:9, Heb 12:22-29)

Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Heb 12:12  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;[1Co 9:27]

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: [Tit 2:11-12, Heb 12:6]
Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

“The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility” Part 3 (Pro 15:25-33)

(Aired on July 10, 2025)

Pro 15:25  The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.
Pro 15:26  The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.
Pro 15:27  He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.
Pro 15:28  The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
Pro 15:29  The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
Pro 15:30  The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.
Pro 15:31  The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.
Pro 15:32  He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.
Pro 15:33  The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

This is the last section of Proverbs 15 and it’s interesting to note that verse 25 and verse 33 have a parallel message that connects to the overall thread of this chapter which is that God is going to “destroy the house of the proud” and that destruction is something that must happen within each of the elect’s life and will be brought about by our being given to have “the fear of the LORD”.

Our weak corruptible flesh provides the means for God to give us an experience of evil (Pro 16:4) that will humble all (Ecc 1:13) of God’s children in this life. It’s painful and humbling, “before honour is humility”, when God shows us the beasts that we are (Ecc 3:18) but it is the greatest blessing to be given to recognize the beast who gets his power from the dragon (Rev 13:4), and see that man of perdition being destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming into our temple (2Th 2:3-5), where the mind of our Father and Christ are being formed within us (1Co 2:16, 1Jn 4:17, Joh 14:9, Joh 14:20).

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.

Pro 15:25  The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.

We have these two homes within us, one that is built on sand and the other that is built on Jesus Christ (Mat 7:24-27).

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

It is through the binding on earth and the loosing of things on earth within us that this first old temple is destroyed, and as that process of tearing down and binding of old things on earth is being accomplished by God’s grace, there is increase happening in our heaven as the new creation is revealed by things that are bound in heaven and loosed in heaven. This is what it means to have our names written in heaven, and it is being written. It is ongoing and Christ is the author and finisher of this process of faith (Mat 16:18-19, Luk 10:17-20).

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Luk 10:17  And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
Luk 10:18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Luk 10:19  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Luk 10:20  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

The pride of life builds the first home without any acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty, or at the very least with a corrupt and deceived mind that builds its own spiritual house upon our own works and self-determination which is the first religious house built on sand, the first religious beast that speaks like a lamb but has the horns, or power which horns represent given to the beast from the devil (Rev 13:11, Rev 13:2).

Rev 13:11  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

The “border of the widow” is established by the tearing down of the first house that comes about by our most humiliating and crushing moments in our life where we are brought low and dragged to Christ to touch the border of His garment where the widow within us is healed from her issue of blood (Mat 9:20-22). The next story that comes right after this miraculous healing of the widow with the issue of blood is the resurrection of the twelve year old girl, in these verses (Mar 5:22-43).

Mat 9:20  And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
Mat 9:21  For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Mat 9:22  But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. (Joh 6:28-29) And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Mar 5:22  And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
Mar 5:23  And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
Mar 5:24  And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
Mar 5:25  And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
Mar 5:26  And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
Mar 5:27  When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
Mar 5:28  For she said, If I may touch but his clothes,(Rev 19:8) I shall be whole.
Mar 5:29  And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
Mar 5:30  And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? (Joh 6:44)
Mar 5:31  And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
Mar 5:32  And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
Mar 5:33  But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
Mar 5:34  And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
Mar 5:35  While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
Mar 5:36  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. (Joh 6:28-29)
Mar 5:37  And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

(three disciples typifying God’s highly favoured bride, the elect who are given to see this process of healing through judgment that is happening to the elect today, and would soon begin in the lives of these three disciples on Pentecost once the spirit of God was given)

Mar 5:38  And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.
Mar 5:39  And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
Mar 5:40  And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
Mar 5:41  And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
Mar 5:42  And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years.

[same situation, the dream is one “an issue of blood twelve years”. A new foundation is being discussed in both of these stories, that new foundation being Christ who brings spiritual healing from death, from the issue of Adamic blood that needs to be replaced with the precious blood of Christ (1Pe 1:19)]

…And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
Mar 5:43  And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

These stories reveal to us the point of this first proverb we are looking at, that God will destroy the house of the proud within us that laughs Christ to scorn saying he is not able to heal this child, ‘she is dead’, when in fact ‘she only sleepeth’ as Christ said, “sleep” being a metaphor for death, revealing as well the unbelief of the disciples who are only seeing the physical events, the thronging of the crowds, the physical interaction of knowing Christ after the flesh and not the hidden spiritual work of healing our Adamic-blood nature typified by the healing of this woman with an issue of blood for twelve years as well as raising the young damsel shortly after this first miracle had occurred.

Surely, when we are given to believe that God can raise us from the dead, we become that child of God raised from death (Eph 2:6), we become that woman who has been healed from an issue of blood, and our new house begins to be built by the author and finisher of our faith Jesus Christ (the issue of blood for God’s elect described in Heb 12:2-6, Psa 127:1).

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Psa 127:1  A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. (Heb 12:4)

Pro 15:26  The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.

Wicked thoughts come from the earth, and heavenly thoughts that are controlled by the earth are what come out of the mouth of the beast that speaks as a lamb but has the horns of a dragon (Rev 13:11-12).

Rev 13:11  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12  And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

Pleasant words are pure words, meaning the words of God that have been tried and tested and purified seven times in a vessel of clay (Pro 12:6-8)

Pro 12:5  The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
Pro 12:6  The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.
Pro 12:7  The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.

Pro 15:27  He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts^{H4979=gift or bribe} shall live.

God is not a liar as men are, and so if He says He’s going to take care of us, He will (Num 29:13-14). This is the anchor of our soul that God cannot lie, and if we are greedy  for gain we are going to trouble our own house, and the house of God; and not be heeding this admonition (1Ti 6:17-19), possibly because we don’t have the faith to believe that God can and will provide exactly what we need both physically and spiritually day by day.

Num 23:19  God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Num 23:20  Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

1Ti 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Conversely if we ‘hate gifts’, meaning we are not living to gain more and more in this life, either by bribe or covetousness (Luk 12:15, Rev 11:10), believing that through Christ our lives can give the very best widow’s mite as we humble ourselves under His mighty hand.

If we have a lot we are to ‘have pity’ in God’s house to help those who have less (Pro 19:17, Luk 21:1-4). If we are greedy and hold onto that which is the gift that is needed by others, we will be guilty of doing harm to our own body, troubling our own house, the body of Christ”, He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house”. We also learn to be content whether we have a little or a lot, being blessed to experience the strength of the one body that operates together for the benefit of each other, both physically and spiritually (Php 4:11-13).

Pro 19:17  He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; (Mat 25:40) and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

Luk 21:4  For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

Pro 15:28  The heart of the righteous studieth^{H1897=meditate} to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

Meditating on the Truth before speaking or ‘studying to show yourself a workman approved’ is what Christ is teaching us to do, resulting in God opening up the heavens of our minds by simply being diligent in our search every day of His word (Act 17:11, 2Ti 2:15-16).

Act 17:11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2Ti 2:16  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

If we don’t focus on our Father and Christ and the words of life He has given us, it will be evidenced by “the mouth of the wicked” that “poureth out evil things”. That is the mouth within us that must be silenced and destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming into our lives (2Th 2:8-10).

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Pro 15:29  The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

When we were seduced by our former conversation, we had no ears or eyes to hear and see the things of the Lord, and that was when “The LORD is far from the wicked”, not that he is far away, but only that we do not yet have eyes and ears to perceive His presence (Act 17:27-28, 2Ki 6:16-17).

Act 17:27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

2Ki 6:16  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
2Ki 6:17  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Pro 15:30  The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.

The good report is the true gospel of Jesus Christ that when seen and understood rejoiceth the heart and makes the bones fat. We are the flesh and bones of Christ’s body (Eph 5:30) and God has given us to each other as a many membered body that supplies in love what each joint supplies, “a good report that maketh the bones fat ^H1878 [H8762=Piel]. “ (Heb 10:25, 1Co 14:26).

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

1Co 14:26  How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

“fat” H1878 dâshên BDB Definition:
1) to be fat, grow fat, become fat, become prosperous, anoint
1a) (Qal) of prosperity (figuratively)
     1b) (Piel)
            1b1) to make fat, anoint
            1b2) to find fat (of offering – acceptable)
            1b3) to take away ashes (from altar)
1c) (Pual) to be made fat
1d) (Hothpael) to fatten oneself (of Jehovah’s sword)

Pro 15:31  The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.

This verse takes us back to the verses that talk about the safety that is in the multitude of counsellors (Pro 11:14, Pro 15:22, Pro 24:6). If we are granted to hear the reproof of life that will come from God’s word and not despise his chastening in this life, we will be blessed to “abideth among the wise”.  Those who are wise have the mind of Christ (1Co 2:16) and God’s spirit dwelling within them (Rom 8:9, Col 1:27), leading them into all truth (Joh 16:13, Rom 8:14-16).

Pro 15:32  He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

In the natural that reveals the spiritual no man ever hated his own flesh or despised his own soul, unless that person has been bound by evil spirits (Mar 5:5). Christ comes into our lives to bind those spirits and cast them out of us so we become the one who “heareth reproof getteth understanding”.

Mar 5:5  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
Mar 5:6  But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
Mar 5:7  And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
Mar 5:8  For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

What hope and great assurance God has given us in His promises that tell us there is no spirit, nothing in the past or present or future, that can separate us from his love because Christ in us is higher than all those powers and principalities that are within the first house, which He alone can sweep clean, and then when seven spirits worse come back, if God is working with us in this age He will pour out upon that house the seven last plagues that will do away with that entire legion of evil spirits. God’s elect are the first to overcome all these powers and principalities for the sake of the rest of humanity who will have in time all these spirits exercised from their heavens in the lake of fire.

Pro 15:33  The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility^{H603 = humility, meekness}.

If we are called and chosen and remain faithful to the end then we will be given dominion over every beast of the field within, and it will be a humbling experience, “before honour is humility”, to see all those spirits cast into the sea, but the glorious conclusion of this evil experience that will humble us is that we will be honoured with the greatest honour ever bestowed on anyone on this earth. Christ has taught us the way to obtain this reward through “the fear of the LORD” (Luk 12:5-9) which will bring  the meek to receive “the instruction of wisdom”.

Luk 12:5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Luk 12:6  Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
Luk 12:7  But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Luk 12:8  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
Luk 12:9  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

Psa 37:11  But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

1Pe 3:4  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Pro 10:6-14 “Wise men lay up knowledge:
but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction”

[Study Aired February 6, 2025]

Pro 10:6 Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
Pro 10:7 The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.
Pro 10:8 The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.
Pro 10:9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
Pro 10:10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.
Pro 10:11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
Pro 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
Pro 10:13 In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
Pro 10:14 Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

Last week we discussed how the summer ‘being nigh’ is another way of saying that the kingdom of God is within us, and therefore ‘nigh at hand’ (Luk 21:29-31, Luk 17:21). We are exhorted and encouraged to fight a good fight of faith while it is called “day” (Joh 9:4), and “summer” (Luk 21:29-31), knowing that our labours in His vineyard are not in vain (1Co 15:58), and that in due season we will reap if we faint not (1Co 15:58, 2Co 4:1, 2Co 4:16, Gal 6:9, Eph 3:13).

Luk 21:29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
Luk 21:30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
Luk 21:31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.(1Co 3:16)
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Joh 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day:[“Wise men “lay up” knowledge”] the night cometh, when no man can work.

1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.(Php 2:12-13) [“lay up”]

Tit 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

1Ti 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

2Co 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day (hope by which were saved – Col 1:27, 1Jn 3:2-3).

Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.(Luk 18:1, 1Th 5:17)

Eph 3:13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Luk 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

This week we will continue to look at the mature fruits that become part of those whose lives are blessed to have the life of Christ within them through the summer when things grow, via the true vine (Joh 15:1) who makes it possible for that nourishment to reach the branches via the increase that our Father gives the bride of Christ in this age (Col 1:27, Rom 8:9, Eph 2:10, Rev 19:7-8, 1Co 3:6-7).

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted (1Co 3:7) that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
1Co 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

That increase that comes from God alone is accomplished through a process of judgement upon our old man of sin (1Pe 4:17-18) and the contrast of how light comes out of darkness which is in each of these proverbs is written in this manner to remind us that the seed, the word, the proverbs of God’s word must fall into the ground of our hearts and minds and die in order to bring forth fruit (Joh 12:24). This process of dying daily is the hallmark of someone that God is working with in this age as His workmanship, and the scarce victory that is given along the strait gate and narrow way (1Pe 4:18-19, Mat 7:14) bear witness that our overcoming will happen through the faith of Christ alone (Rom 3:27, 1Jn 5:4).

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Christ is the word, or the one seed that God uses (Gal 3:16, Rom 8:9) in our hearts and minds to illuminate our heavens so we can see that need for his life which is juxtaposed against the carnal fleshly man within us who must die daily, and does die daily when we are baptized into Christ’s death (Rom 6:3); another way of saying we become part of that one seed, Jesus Christ, when we are a “corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (Joh 12:24).

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

It is a dying daily process that is being discussed in each of these proverbs that has been ordained by the Husbandman, God the Father, who tells us that we must patiently endure this process of seeing the light and dark side of the pillar within ourselves, in order to see the growth of this new life of Christ that will spring forth from our heavens (Rom 2:4, Jas 5:7-8, Luk 21:19, Mat 5:37, Joh 3:30).

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.

Mat 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

Pro 10:6 Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.(Pro 10:11)
Pro 10:7 The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.(Pro 10:16)
Pro 10:8 The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.(Pro 10:10)

God will bless those who bless Him and His Christ (Gen 12:3), and Christ is the head of every man (1Co 11:3), but not every man has this knowledge (1Co 8:2, 1Co 8:7).

Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

1Co 8:2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
1Co 8:7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

Aside from the fact that the world does not know that all things are of God “of whom are all things”, and that there is one Lord Jesus Christ “by whom are all things”, the world is also blinded to the reality God’s elect are in Him, “we in him” in the Father, and are sustained by Christ, “we by him” (Joh 14:20), and that we who are being judged in this life (1Pe 4:17) are blessed with the mind of Christ that is burning up the mouth of the wicked within us, taking away that covering that did violence to the word of God and are now blessed to have a new name (Rev 2:17, Rev 3:11-12) that is no longer the name of the “wicked that shall rot”. We are sustained in other words, or preserved through that judgment in this life.

Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

God has blessed the body of Christ to be brought into remembrance of the truth in such a way that our thoughts and actions which is Christ working in us, blesses us (Psa 1:1-3, Psa 23:3, Rom 8:14-15, Php 2:12-13, Joh 14:26). Our old man’s thoughts and actions are being destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming into our lives, and this is what blesses us (2Th 2:8). The name of the wicked that rots, represents the doctrine and the false beliefs that we initially hold onto until the Lord begins this work in our lives that destroys those spirits, those idols which were taught to us in Babylon by the false prophets who prophesied lies, as we all did in our appointed time (Jer 14:14).

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Psa 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.(Psa 62:5-8)
Psa 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Christ in us prepares our hearts to receive his commandments, which are life unto those who are blessed to keep them in this age (Rev 1:3). We are told that we will fall seven times in the wilderness (Pro 24:16) in order to burn out the vain words of the “prating^H8193 fool” within our heavens.

H8193 śâphâh    śepheth saw-faw’, sef-eth’ prating
(The second form is in dual and plural); Probably from H5595 or H8192 through the idea of termination (compare H5490); the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication language; by analogy a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.): – band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, ([sea-]) shore, side, speech, talk, [vain] words. Total KJV occurrences: 176

Pro 10:9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
Pro 10:10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

It is only by the hand of the fit man (Jesus Christ) who takes the scapegoat (God’s elect in type) into the wilderness (Lev 16:21) that anyone of us can “walketh uprightly walketh surely^H983”, as it is Christ who is working in us both to will and to do of our Father’s good pleasure which is to give us the kingdom of God that we now possess in earnest (Eph 1:14). The man of sin will be revealed because God will give Satan the power to cause us to pervert our ways, “he that perverteth his ways shall be known”, in the day of evil (Pro 16:4), of which we will repent of in this age if God will grant us that repentance as we are dragged to him to be set free from sin (Rom 2:4, Joh 6:44, Joh 8:36).

H983 beṭach beh’-takh surely
From H982; properly a place of refuge; abstractly safety, both the fact (security) and the feeling (trust); often (adverbially with or without preposition) safely: – assurance, boldly, (without) care (-less), confidence, hope, safe (-ly, -ty), secure, surely. Total KJV occurrences: 42

A man who causeth sorrow is spoken of as one who winketh^H7169 with the eye causing sorrow for others, and his living a life of lies as a “a prating fool” will cause him to fall. This thought of the prating fool is mentioned twice in this proverb to witness against our old man who is the prating fool except the Lord deliver us from ourselves (prating fool twice mentioned Pro 10:10, Pro 10:8). This is the man of sin in our life who cannot receive the light of God’s word and rejects it and comes not near it, narrowing his view of the light that he is not able to receive. Walking in darkness, the end of that man is that he will fall in the wilderness without the vision that comes from God’s commandments. The light and path for our new man is in Christ who prevents us from falling (Pro 29:18, Luk 17:33, 2Ti 4:18, 1Th 5:23).

Pro 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Luk 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

H7169 qârats kaw-rats’ winketh
A primitive root; to pinch, that is, (partially) to bite the lips, blink the eyes (as a gesture of malice), or (fully) to squeeze off (a piece of clay in order to mould a vessel from it): – form, move, wink. Total KJV occurrences: 5

Pro 10:11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
Pro 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

Christ is symbolized as “a well of life” in God’s word, where those living waters are given to those who ask of Him (Joh 4:14-15). The “violence” on the other hand, that covers the mouth of the wicked is his own lies, his own misguided and deceived view of God’s word that we do violence to, as it is concealed by being wrapped around the idol of our own hearts at that time, “but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked” (Eze 14:4, Pro 16:4).

Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Joh 4:15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

Eze 14:4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

When God’s word is understood and rightly administered in our lives, it is because God has dealt with the natural enmity or hatred that would naturally stir up strife. God’s love must be shed abroad in our hearts (Rom 5:5) making it possible for us to fervently cover a multitude of sins within the body of Christ to be healed of the hatred and strife of the natural man (Jas 5:16, 1Pe 4:8).

Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love^G26 of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

1Pe 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity^G26 among yourselves: for charity^G26 shall cover the multitude of sins.

Our understanding comes from Christ, and Christ (our wisdom) is found within His body and manifest through the judgement of God upon our carnal fleshly minds that need to have his word burn out our iniquities via a rod (Pro 3:12), which represents His word that will chasten and scourge every son He receives (Heb 12:6, Rev 3:19).

Pro 3:12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Pro 10:13 In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
Pro 10:14 Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

Verses 13 an 14 tells us that the foolish man within me must be destroyed for defiling the temple of God that I am (1Co 3:17-19), and the way that God does this is through His chastening grace that He brings to us, that teaches us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lust in this age (Tit 2:12-13, Heb 12:6).

1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1Co 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
1Co 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

Tit 2:12 Teaching^G3811 us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth^G3811, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

It is that chastening spoken of in (Tit 2:12, Heb 12:6), that makes it possible for us to first trust in God before the rest of the world (Eph 1:12, 2Co 1:9), and to come into this “knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” that calls us to glory and virtue (2Pe 1:2-8)

Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

2Co 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves (2Sa 12:9), that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead (Eph 2:6, Col 2:12):

2Pe 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2Pe 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is the ongoing trial of our faith, the sword of his word that does not depart from our house that brings us onto perfection on the third day (1Pe 1:7, Luk 13:32). It is by the grace through faith process that God’s elect are called unto (Eph 2:8) that we can continue to look “for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Tit 2:14).

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (Heb 10:23).

Pro 10:1-5 “He that Gathereth in Summer is a Wise Son”

[Study Aired Jan 30, 2025]

In our last study of chapter nine of Proverbs, we looked at the contrasts being drawn between Babylon and the bride of Christ. There are two woman represented in the church in the wilderness, Babylon the mother of harlots and all her daughters (churches in the wilderness), and the elect bride of Christ (2Jn 1:1) who is called out of Babylon or the wilderness to become the manchild of God (Rev 12:5-17).

2Jn 1:1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

Rev 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

[this bringing forth of a manchild, happens in the wilderness, where God’s elect are declared from the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4), and not yet aware of this holy calling that has us caught up to his throne, raised in heavenly places (Eph 2:6)]

Chapter ten of Proverbs shows the contrast between the two woman in the wilderness (churches) in regard to the spiritual fruit that is borne through God’s first fruits, (or Sara the wife of Abraham who typifies the free woman who has been given dominion over sin and is going onto maturity by God’s grace) (Gal 4:26-31), as opposed to the bondage of Hagar who is the bondservant, still in bondage to sin.

Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. [Many more doctrine, the whole stay of bread and water are hers as opposed to Babylon’s starvation of truth (Isa 3:1)]
Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.(the bondwoman has no stay of bread or water, or garment of righteousness, Jud 1:12, Mat 22:12)

These proverbs of chapter ten show us the liberty that God grants His people, revealed by the fruit that they bring forth in their lives, and contrasts that fruit with the bondage of our past, or current struggles that God will take us through as we recognize those things that we need to repent of (Rom 2:4).

The life of Sara who represents the elect church, reminds us in type and shadow of the good fruit that God had determined to bring forth through the “elect lady” from the foundation of the world, good fruit that is contrasted with bad fruit as seen in Proverbs chapter ten, “And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, (Rev 1:3) and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred” (Mar 4:20).

Rom 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead (Rom 6:11), when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:

[typifying the life of Christ in each of us (Abraham) and the church (Sara) as a whole.]

Heb 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

(The church typified by Sara, is given power to bring forth the manchild and are witnesses of these things to all the world (Rev 11:3)). Then the next few verses describe the blessing that is given to those who are represented by Sara (Heb 11:12-20).

1Pe 3:6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

(The church, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ is to obey her head symbolized by Abraham who is a type of Christ)

Pro 10:1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

Solomon was a wise son of his father David who typifies Christ, so in this instance Solomon typifies the elect of God who are wise and obedient sons of Christ (Jas 1:5-6, Pro 25:12, 1Pe 3:6).

Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Jas 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Pro 25:12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.

1Pe 3:6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

We are foolish sons when we don’t bear the burden of others in the body of Christ (Gal 6:2) and that selfishness is “the heaviness^H8424 of his mother” (Psa 119:28) who represents the church. We are nothing without Christ, but with Christ we can bear each other’s burdens, strengthening one another through our obedience to Christ and his words (1Co 14:3). If we think ourselves to be something, then we will be of no value to the body of Christ, deceiving ourselves for not knowing and believing these verses: (Gal 6:2-3, Php 2:12-13).

Psa 119:28 My soul melteth for heaviness^H8424: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Pro 10:2 Treasures^H214 of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness^H6666 delivereth from death.

This proverb reminds us that what our carnal man considers profitable is really just smoke and mirrors, or dung as Paul said in comparison to the truth (Php 3:8), which is the righteousness of God that can deliver us from death (Pro 14:12, Pro 16:25), if we continue in it, “but righteousness delivereth from death” (Joh 8:31-32), Psa 88:12, Col 3:1-2, Luk 12:15-21).

“Treasures” H214 ‘ôtsâr o-tsaw’
Strongs: From H686; a depository: – armory, cellar, garner, store(-house), treasure (-house) (-y).
BDB: treasure, storehouse (Luk 12:15-21)
Total KJV Occurrences: 79

“Righteousness” H6666 tsedâqâh tsed-aw-kaw’
From H6663; rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude), objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively (prosperity): – justice, moderately, right (-eous) (act, -ly, -ness). (Luk 12:15-21)

Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Psa 88:12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?[Pro 10:2]

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Luk 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luk 12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
Luk 12:17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
Luk 12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
Luk 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Luk 12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Pro 10:3 The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance^H1942 of the wicked.

“substance” H1942 havvâh hav-vaw’ 
Strongs: From H1933 (in the sense of eagerly coveting and rushing upon; by implication of falling); desire; also ruin: – calamity, iniquity, mischief, mischievous (thing), naughtiness, naughty, noisome, perverse thing, substance, very wickedness; 
BDB: desire (in bad sense); chasm (figuratively of destruction); engulfing ruin, destruction, calamity (Luk 16:26)

Yes, even that which I thought I had in my self-righteous wicked state in Babylon was taken away from me, “but he casteth away the substance of the wicked” (Mat 13:12 ) for a season, but ultimately, “The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish”, and if God is working with us in this age as the manchild, He will restore us through a process that takes a lifetime of overcoming (Luk 15:17-21, Luk 13:32, 1Jn 2:15-16).

Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Luk 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! (“but whosoever hath not”)
Luk 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
Luk 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Luk 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [Pro 10:2]
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Pro 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

This is not talking about building bigger barns (Luk 12:18-24), but about labouring in the word, and fighting a good fight of faith and knowing that our labours are not in vain in the Lord, as God will provide what we need in this life if we seek the kingdom of God first and his righteousness (Mat 6:33-34). God will give us the idol of our hearts if we lustfully pursue the smooth things (Isa 30:10), and that which is temporal and passing (1Ti 6:1-12, Heb 13:5-6), and we will rob ourselves of the outstanding recompence of the reward that God’s elect are called to have respect for, unless the Lord gives us victory over the desire for the immediate pottage (Gen 25:32-34) that Esau who represents our flesh lusted after (Heb 11:26). If we are God’s people this slothfulness that leads to spiritual perdition will be burnt out of us (1Ti 6:9, 1Ti 6:12, Heb 6:12).

Luk 12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
Luk 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Luk 12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Luk 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
Luk 12:23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
Luk 12:24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Pro 10:5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

We are still talking about spiritual diligence which will result in a great reward, and this proverb reminds us that the one who sleepeth in harvest (Jer 8:20) are the foolish virgins, because the wise were given that extra oil before the end of the day (Mat 25:3-4) [the wise by God’s decree; the ‘wise son that gathers in the summer’ (Luk 21:29-36)].

Jer 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. (the foolish son who sleeps in harvest)

Mat 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

Luk 21:29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
Luk 21:30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
Luk 21:31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Luk 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
Luk 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Luk 21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Luk 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

While we all “slumber and sleep”, it is the extra oil that sees the wise virgins ready to enter in (Mat 25:5-10). What we are seeking and gathering with the diligent hand spoken of in (Pro 10:4) is the kingdom of God (Heb 11:14, Luk 17:21), with an expectation that we will be rewarded for doing that, as we’re dragged to Christ (Mat 6:33, Pro 12:24, Heb 11:6, Joh 6:44).

Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Mat 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
Mat 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
Mat 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Pro 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

God is showing us through this verse (Pro 10:5) that we all slumbered and slept, and are spiritually blind and only able to be awoken by the faith of Christ, a faith that must be tried in the fire (Eph 2:8). God alone has determined of those two groups that slumbered and slept, which will fall away and which will be granted that extra oil that is produced through fiery trials in the day of the Lord (Heb 6:4, Rev 3:18-19, Heb 12:6, 2Pe 3:10). These two characters being discussed in this (Pro 10:5), reveals that God’s diligence that is formed in the elect has great dividends, “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame“, but we must never forget that we were the son that caused shame, and only because of God’s mercy and forgiveness could we become “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son“

Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. [This is happening within and without]

We pray that we can be those who “must work the works of him that sent me” and accomplish this through Christ in the summer, “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son” and not on the Sabbath when no work is being accomplished (Joh 9:4, Mat 24:20).

Joh 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Mat 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

Acts 22:1-30  I Will Send You Unto The Gentiles

[Study Aired September 3, 2023]

Act 22:1  Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
Act 22:2  (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
Act 22:3  I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
Act 22:4  And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
Act 22:5  As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
Act 22:6  And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
Act 22:9  And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
Act 22:10  And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
Act 22:11  And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
Act 22:12  And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
Act 22:13  Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
Act 22:14  And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
Act 22:15  For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
Act 22:16  And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Act 22:17  And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
Act 22:18  And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
Act 22:19  And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
Act 22:20  And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
Act 22:21  And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
Act 22:22  And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
Act 22:23  And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
Act 22:24  The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
Act 22:25  And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
Act 22:26  When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
Act 22:27  Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
Act 22:28  And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
Act 22:29  Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
Act 22:30  On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

In our last study Paul had been apprehended by the Jews who had falsely accused him of teaching the Jews, which were among the Gentiles, that they should forsake the law of Moses and no longer circumcise their children. Here is that lie as it was told to James, the Lord’s brother:

Act 21:21  And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.

James knew Paul was teaching no such thing. Nevertheless, he asked Paul to demonstrate to the “many thousands of Jews that believe” that he was indeed ‘walking orderly and keeping the law’ of Moses by “being at charges” with four men who had a vow and purifying himself with those four men:

Act 21:23  Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
Act 21:24  Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

Paul had no objections whatsoever to James’ request and took the four men who had a vow, entered the temple with them and initiated the seven days of purification, after which an offering would be made for all five of them. Just before the seven days ended, this is what happened in the temple:

Act 21:27  And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,
Act 21:28  Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
Act 21:29  (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
Act 21:30  And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
Act 21:31  And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

The chief captain “took soldiers and centurions and ran down unto” the mob and rescued Paul and saved his life “as they went about to kill him.” The chief captain asked the mob what Paul had done wrong, and because he got a lot of conflicting answers, he decided to take Paul into the castle and examine him. “When he came upon the stairs” leading into the castle, Paul asked the chief captain for permission to speak to the angry multitude, and the chief captain consented and gave him license to do so. Paul now has the opportunity he has always desired to speak to his own people en masse at Jerusalem and give them his own incredible testimony of how he, too, had zealously fought against the gospel of Christ. He especially wanted to tell them how and why he had become a follower of Christ.

Act 22:1  Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
Act 22:2  (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
Act 22:3  I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

Paul identifies with the zeal of the multitude. It is the same zeal he had before he was struck down on the road just outside Damascus. Paul had no problem identifying with how all these Jews, who were all “zealous of the law”, felt when being lied to and told that Paul was teaching that Jews living among the Gentiles no longer needed to keep the law, and that he had brought a Gentile into the temple and had defiled the temple. He is hoping that if he tells them the extraordinary circumstances of his conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ he can convince them ‘that the things they are informed of concerning him are nothing, but he himself walks orderly and keeps the law.’

Act 21:24  Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

To that end he tells them what brought him to become a follower of the very way that he, too, once hated:

Act 22:4  And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
Act 22:5  As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
Act 22:6  And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
Act 22:9  And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
Act 22:10  And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

The way the Lord instructs Saul of Tarsus about “all [the] things which are appointed for [him] to do” reveals how He instructs each of us until this very day:

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places [within us (Luk 17:21)] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Just as the Lord used Ananias as His spokesman, that is how He uses us to this very day.

Act 22:11  And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
Act 22:12  And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,

Ananias was a devout Jew and was “walking orderly and keeping the law” just as Paul was teaching the Jews to do. He points this out in commending Ananias’ devoutness to demonstrate that he himself also keeps the law.

Act 22:13  Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
Act 22:14  And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

The same is true for each of us today if we are given to distinguish the voice of the True Shepherd from the ‘voice of a stranger’:

Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

Act 22:15  For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
Act 22:16  And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Baptism was part of the law which Paul is here instructed by Christ Himself to keep. “Calling on the name of the Lord” means that Paul was baptized in Jesus’ name, not in the name of the Father and the Son and the holy spirit. It is the same throughout the book of Acts. All baptisms were “in the name of Jesus.”

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Act 8:16  (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

Act 19:5  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Act 22:17  And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
Act 22:18  And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
Act 22:19  And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
Act 22:20  And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
Act 22:21  And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

“I will send you far hence unto the Gentiles” was the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak. The multitude had been willing to hear that the Lord had told Paul the people of Jerusalem would reject his testimony concerning Christ, but they would not tolerate being told that the Lord Himself had sent Paul to the Gentiles. Paul certainly didn’t come out and say that the Jews were being “broken off” so the Gentiles could be “grafted in”, but telling them that the Lord had informed him while he was “in the temple, in a trance [that the people of “Jerusalem… will not receive thy testimony concerning me” and that the Lord would “send [Paul] far hence unto the Gentiles” was enough to make any Jew who was carnally ‘zealous of the law’ to want to destroy Paul, just as Paul himself had earlier wanted to destroy those who preached Christ. The doctrine of the salvation of the Gentiles apart from the law of Moses was as radical at that time as the doctrine of the salvation of “all…in Adam” is today.

Rom 11:15  For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
Rom 11:16  For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
Rom 11:17  And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Rom 11:18  Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Rom 11:19  Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
Rom 11:23  And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
Rom 11:24  For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

Paul here reveals, for those with eyes that see, when all Israel shall be saved:

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in [At the great white throne judgment/lake of fire/second death (Rev 20:11-15)].
Rom 11:26  And so all Israel [and all men (1Co 15:22, 1Ti 2:4, 1Ti 2:10, 2Pe 3:9, 1Jo 2:2)] shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
Rom 11:29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Act 22:22  And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

Telling the Jews about the salvation of the Gentiles in Paul’s day was like telling Christians that:

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

As a ‘very good elderly Christian’ of my own family emphatically told me when I read that verse to her, “That’s your opinion. The Bible does not teach that everybody will be saved!” The religious world believes that they are much more righteous and deserving of ‘going to heaven’ than all those less religious sinners in the world.

Like many ‘Christians’ of today, “if [they] had a holy ghost machine gun they would blow [such heretics] away to the glory of God” to quote a well-known American mega-minister. The Jews of Paul’s day, who signify the ‘Babylonian Christians’ of today, did not simply say, “Away with such a fellow.” What they said was, “Away with such a fellow from the earth!” In “believing a lie” they wanted Paul dead. Death is the fruit of believing a false doctrine:

2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned [G2919: ‘krino’ judged] who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

“Every man’s works” are tried because we all first “should believe a lie that [we] all might be judged.”

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Biblical ‘fire’ does not torment people forever with no purpose or goal in view. Biblical ‘fire’ produces salvation for “every man”. However, very few are being judged in this present age:

Luk 17:26  And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Luk 17:27  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all [Very few saved].
Luk 17:28  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Luk 17:29  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all [Very few were saved].

Luk 18:7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Luk 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth [Very few saved]?

As James pointed out to Paul, there were indeed “many thousands  of Jews… which believe”, and since “they are all zealous of the law”, the believing Jews themselves may very well have been part of “all the people” who, out of zeal for the law, “laid hands on [Paul]…and… went about to kill him” because they had been falsely told Paul was teaching the Jewish Christians among the Gentiles to forsake the law of Moses and because they had falsely been told that he had brought a Gentile into the temple.

James and the elders knew Paul had done no such thing, and they were very happy to see him.

Act 21:20  And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

Act 21:27  And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,
Act 21:28  Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
Act 21:29  (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they [falsely] supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
Act 21:30  And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
Act 21:31  And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

Act 22:23  And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
Act 22:24  The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
Act 22:25  And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

This is a good practical example for each of us of how to “use this world” without abusing it:

1Co 7:31  And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

Claiming one’s earthly citizenship to avoid a physical beating is not at all to deny one’s heavenly citizenship:

Php 3:20  For our citizenship is in the heavens, whence also a Saviour we await–the Lord Jesus Christ–

Act 22:26  When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
Act 22:27  Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
Act 22:28  And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
Act 22:29  Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

Paul’s actions in this case are an example of how we are to be ‘wise as serpents but harmless as doves.’

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mat 10:17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Mat 10:18  And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

Paul claimed his Roman citizenship to avoid an unlawful beating. That is being ‘wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove.”

Act 22:30  On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

In our next study Paul will again demonstrate how to be wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove when he finds himself in a no-win situation.

Dan 5:1-31  Thou art Weighed in the Balances and Found Wanting

[Study Aired December 13, 2021]

Dan 5:1  Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 
Dan 5:2  Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. 
Dan 5:3  Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. 
Dan 5:4  They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 
Dan 5:5  In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 
Dan 5:6  Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. 
Dan 5:7  The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 
Dan 5:8  Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. 
Dan 5:9  Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. 
Dan 5:10  Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: 
Dan 5:11  There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 
Dan 5:12  Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation. 
Dan 5:13  Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? 
Dan 5:14  I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. 
Dan 5:15  And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: 
Dan 5:16  And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. 
Dan 5:17  Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
Dan 5:18  O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: 
Dan 5:19  And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. 
Dan 5:20  But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: 
Dan 5:21  And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
Dan 5:22  And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
Dan 5:23  But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
Dan 5:24  Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
Dan 5:25  And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
Dan 5:26  This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
Dan 5:27  TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
Dan 5:28  PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Dan 5:29  Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Dan 5:30  In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
Dan 5:31  And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

This chapter deals with God’s judgment. The first part of the chapter shows us our sins while in Babylon and the need for us to be judged.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

The second part of the chapter depicts God’s judgment which is meted out when our iniquity is full.

Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Dan 5:1  Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

In this chapter, Belshazzar is portrayed as the king but actually, he was the son and crown prince of king Naboridus who was the last king of the neo-Babylonian empire. Usually, in certain parts of the scriptures, the first few verses of the chapter talk about the subject matter of that chapter before the details are given. This chapter is rendered in that pattern. King Belshazzar drinking wine before a thousand of his lords signifies that the time has come for Babylon within us to experience the wrath of God through judgment. Outwardly, the religious system of this world will be judged at the appointed time set by God.

Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 
Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

It is while we are in Babylon that the wrath of God is unleashed through judgment to destroy the old man or the beast within us. The king drinking wine in the presence of a thousand of his lords means that our sins have reached the heavens, and God has remembered us. This remembrance is to judge us. This is because the number thousand is made up of ten multiplied three times (1000 = 10x10x10). The number ten represents the fullness of the flesh, and the number three tells us that we are in the process of being judged to complete our spiritual process.

Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

The next few verses show us our sins which have reached the heavens.

Dan 5:2  Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
Dan 5:3  Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
Dan 5:4  They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

From these verses, it becomes obvious that while in Babylon, we took God’s gold and silver and made images of men with them.

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

These images of men are the false doctrines we imbibe while in Babylon which becomes our idols of the heart.

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 
Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 
Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 
Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 
Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

In verse 3, the king’s princes, his wives and concubines all drank from the gold and silver vessels indicating that we, the elect, are all guilty of perverting the word of God (Gold and Silver vessels) into false doctrines. In the final analysis, we become adulterous by worshiping another Jesus whose characteristics are not consistent with our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 4 tells us that we end up praising and worshiping another Jesus, signified by gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone.

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Dan 5:5  In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 
Dan 5:6  Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

This finger of a man’s handwriting on the wall is the finger of God. In a negative connotation, this finger of God signifies judgment. It shows that our sins have caught up with us. In other words, our sins have reached heaven, and therefore our Lord is ready to judge us.

Joe 3:5  For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples.

Joe 3:14  Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
Joe 3:15  The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
Joe 3:16  The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.

The changing of the king’s countenance from being in a festive mood to that of being troubled is to let us know that we all, in our time in Babylon, did not like to hear about an impending judgment. We become troubled when we hear about judgment. In the final analysis, our judgment is better for us.

Ecc 7:3  Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

The king’s joints of his loins being loosed and his knees smiting one against another is to let us know that we become incapacitated through our judgment so that we will learn how to rest in the Lord. It is through judgment that our feeble knees become strengthened, and our Lord makes straight paths for our feet.

Heb 12:11  For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Heb 12:12  Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
Heb 12:13  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. (ESV)

Dan 5:7  The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 
Dan 5:8  Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

As indicated in an earlier study, the astrologers, Chaldeans and the soothsayers represent the leaders in Babylon or the churches of this world who are not given to know the mind of Christ and therefore cannot interpret the word of God in the spirit.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Verse 7 also says that if one can read the writing and interpret, he shall be clothed with scarlet and have a gold chain about his neck and shall rule with the king. This is to let us know that if we are given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, then we shall surely inherit the promise of reigning with Christ.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.  

2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

Dan 5:9  Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

We are troubled by the wrath of God just like king Belshazzar. However, in the end, we reap the harvest of entering our Lord’s glory.

Psa 30:7  LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

Psa 90:7  For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.

Dan 5:10  Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: 

The queen here represents the elect or the wife of the bridegroom who is Christ. Part of what every joint supplies is that we should not worry about the troubles we go through. Our Lord will make a way of escape for us so that we can bear every trial that we go through.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Dan 5:11  There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 
Dan 5:12  Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

We are the men in the kingdom of our Lord who are endowed with the spirit of the Lord so that we can walk in the fear of the Lord which is understanding and wisdom.

Pro 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

We, like Daniel, are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Dan 5:13  Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? 
Dan 5:14  I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. 
Dan 5:15  And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: 
Dan 5:16  And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. 

As we have said earlier, it is us who are given to have light, understanding and wisdom. The wise men of Babylon, representing the leaders of the churches of this world, are not given the understanding to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. God showing mercy to us by granting us the grace to understand His words means that if we continue in what we are doing, we shall surely receive the prize of rulership.

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Dan 5:17  Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

This verse is not suggesting that Daniel did not want the reward or the joy that was set before him. However, it is showing us that Daniel was not using the wisdom and insight that the Lord had given him for his personal advantage or reward. He was not like Balaam who ran greedily after the reward.

Jud 1:11  Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Dan 5:18  O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
Dan 5:19  And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
Dan 5:20  But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: 
Dan 5:21  And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

The Lord used the life of Nebuchadnezzar as an example for us to know that in the fullness of time, we shall reign with Christ. As we know, Nebuchadnezzar became proud and taught that it was through his own effort that his kingdom was built. This pride relates to our self-righteousness or iniquity which characterized our walk in Babylon. We are then humbled through our experience of evil which brings us to acknowledge that we are not different from beasts just like Nebuchadnezzar’s life as a beast. It is then that the Lord comes in with the brightness of His coming through His word to destroy the old man or beast within bringing us to offer our bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. This ensures that we shall reign with Christ.

Verse 19 indicates that Nebuchadnezzar slew or kept alive whomsoever he will letting us know that our reign with Christ shall be characterized by the rod of iron which signifies discipline.

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

As we indicated in the previous review, the whole essence of Nebuchadnezzar’s story is to show us Christ and His ways. That is what it means when the scripture says that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men. The kingdom being given to whomsoever He will signifies that the kingdom of heaven is given as a gift, and therefore it is not obtained by our own efforts.

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Dan 5:22  And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; 
Dan 5:23  But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

These verses are spelling out our sins while in Babylon. We become proud because we think that it is through our own supposed freewill that we have come to Christ. We therefore glory in our self-righteousness which is iniquity, and we end up perverting the word of God to suit our carnal desires. All these lead us to worship another Jesus whom we have created in our image.

Eze 33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

Being shown our sins gives the Lord the occasion He is seeking to come and judge us.

Joe 3:5  Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:

Joe 3:7  Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:

Eze 7:19  They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

The next five verses, therefore, show us our process of judgment.

Dan 5:24  Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
Dan 5:25  And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
Dan 5:26  This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

The Lord numbering our kingdom and finishing it is to let us know that the boundaries of the kingdom of our old man in our lives has been marked. The old man, or the beast within, cannot go beyond what he has caused us to do against the Lord. In other words, the old man’s reign over our lives is being brought to an end through judgment.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Dan 5:27  TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 

This verse shows us that we have missed the mark of the high calling of God. In other words, our deeds are not according to the standards set by the Lord for His children. We gloried in our own integrity and taught like Job that our Lord will find us up to His standard. However, this integrity that we taught we have just like Job, is this self-righteousness, which is iniquity.

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

Dan 5:28  PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

According to Strong, the primitive root of the word divided is to break up into pieces. So, what we are being told here in verse 28 is that the kingdom of our old man is going to be destroyed through judgment and replaced by the new kingdom of our new man. This new man is represented by the Medes and the Persians. Persians means ‘pure’ or ‘splendid’ and Medes means ‘the middle lane’. This means that the new man is pure and splendid and is after the image of Christ and will take us through the narrow or middle lane of life.

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Mat 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 
Mat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Dan 5:29  Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 

As we indicated earlier, our eyes seeing and our ears hearing what the spirit of the Lord is telling us is what makes us able to understand and accept our Lord’s ways of judgment. This is what guarantees our inheritance of reigning with Christ in the age to come.

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Dan 5:30  In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. 
Dan 5:31  And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

Our old man, represented here by Belshazzar, must be slain through judgment by the Lord before the new man, signified by Darius, dominates our lives within. This judgment of Belshazzar is the same as the judgment of the harlot or Babylon within us.

Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Rev 18:8  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Rev 18:15  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

Part One (Psa 107:1-8) “praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men”
Part Two (Psa 107:9-15) “praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men”
Part Three (Psa 107:16-21) “praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men”
Part Four (Psa 107:22-31) “praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men”
Part Five (Psa 107:32-43) “praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men”

The last verse of this Psalm reads “Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD”, and this reminds us of Revelation 1:3, which says, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”

The time is at hand for God’s elect to be sent forth and having done all to stand against all the wiles of the devil as a people who are sent forth “as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” who understand “the lovingkindness of the Lord” working in the lives of all those who are being dragged to Christ.

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Mat 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mat 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Mat 10:18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
Mat 10:19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

The Lord has woven throughout this Psalm 107 a series of difficult events that will lead us back to the point of “praise[ing] the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! “

We can see in each section of this Psalm prior to that cry that we are brought to make out to the Lord the means to the end which God has ordained for each of the elect in the earth to be able to grow and mature through this life via our Creator who delivers us from all our troubles and gives the spiritual increase to Christ’s body, which fills us with thanks and praise for His wonderful works being done to us. It is through the troubles, through the storms which God raises, that we learn of His great might and power that deliver us and fill us with thanks and praise for His love toward us.

Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

The progressive pattern in this Psalm which leads to our praising the Lord for His goodness cannot be understood unless we see His goodness as a work of repentance that does bring us to a point of praising Him for the safe haven that brings us to be quiet in our souls. This Psalm reveals a progressive pattern that God is working in our lives so that we can become more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Isa 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Part one (Psa 107:1-8) speaks of the redeemed, or those who are being redeemed from the enemy who we wrestle against in our heavens and how our lives are directed and guided by Christ “in the wilderness in a solitary way” which is a shadow of how we all first come to hear the voice of the true shepherd telling us to come out her my people, “her” being the wilderness of sin, Babylon within each of us, of whom we come out in order to be redeemed from the earth.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Psa 107:1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
Psa 107:3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.
Psa 107:4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
Psa 107:5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Psa 107:6 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:7 And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
Psa 107:8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:15 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:21 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

As I mentioned, there is a progression of deliverance for which the Lord has purposed for us, a little by little driving out of all the beasts in the land, and clearly this represents what Christ is doing within the temple which we are.

Exo 23:30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Joh 2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
Joh 2:16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

Ecc 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

We give thanks upon every remembrance of our threefold cord (Php 1:3-6), Who we need as one healthy body to drive out the beast within the temple, and to cleanse His house so that it can remain a house of praise and worship of our great Creator (Joh 4:23).

Psa 107:2 Let the redeemed^H1350 of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed^H1350 from the hand of the enemy;

The word ‘redeemed’ is very significant in this verse as it is tied unto the idea that the redeemed are those who have a redeemer, and without Christ as our redeemer and mediator there would be no possibility for redemption to occur.

Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

The following words which are connected to the word redeemed reveal the means and ways by which our Father will fulfill his promise to deliver us “from the hand of the enemy”. Christ is our kinsman redeemer Who has gone before us to make a way where there seems to be none in the sea of our flesh, a strong deliverer, a very present help in trouble is our Lord.

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Isa 43:16 Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;

Deu 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Psa 46:1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Redeemed H1350

1. to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman

a. (Qal)

1. to act as kinsman, do the part of next of kin, act as kinsman-redeemer 1a

b. by marrying brother’s widow to beget a child for him, to redeem from slavery, to redeem land, to exact vengeance

1. to redeem (by payment)
2. to redeem (with God as subject) 1a

c. individuals from death 1a
d. Israel from Egyptian bondage 1a
e. Israel from exile
f. (Niphal)

1. to redeem oneself

2. to be redeemed

Psa 107:3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

This following verse explains what the Lord is redeeming us from as we are gathered out of the lands [within us-the self-will part which can’t yet acknowledge that God is sovereign and works all things according to the counsel of his own will but will, in time, as the man of perdition is destroyed by the brightness of his coming little by little, “from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south”.

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Judgment is upon the house of God, and we know that judgment comes from the north, and so we are left to conclude that if we are being judged in this age, then we are in fact being shepherded of the Lord who is sovereign over our eastern directions, our western direction, our southern direction, all our directions, as we grow in our ability to be easily led of the spirit of God bringing every thought captive unto Him.

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Jer 1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Pro 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Pro 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
Pro 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Pro 3:4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Pro 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2Co 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge^G1556 all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Revenge G1556

– Original: εu787 κu948 ιu954 εu769 ωpar – Transliteration: Ekdikeo
– Phonetic: ek-dik-eh’-o
– Definition:
1. to vindicate one’s right, do one justice

a. to protect, defend, one person from another

2. to avenge a thing

a. to punish a person for a thing

– Origin: from G1558
– TDNT entry: 09:22,2
– Part(s) of speech: Verb

– Strong’s: From G1558; to vindicate retaliate punish: – a (re) venge.
Total KJV Occurrences: 4
•avenge, 2
Rom_12:19; Rev_6:10

•avenged, 1
Rev_19:2

•revenge, 1
2Co_10:6

Redeemed H1350

•revenger, 6
Num_35:19 [2Co_10:6 , Luk_2:35 , Num_25:7-8]; Num_35:21; Num_35:24; Num_35:25; Num_35:27

Without judgment from the north, every way east, west and south will seem right to a man but it will lead to death (Jer 10:23, Pro 14:12, Pro 16:33 the lot is cast into the lap the North-South-East and West).

When we are fulfilling God’s will, we are overcoming the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life for that very reason. Even when we are directed by the judgment of God from the north we pray that we don’t despise that correction but learn that we are being received through it.

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Pro 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

When we are led of the spirit (Rom 8:14-15) we will find liberty in Christ (2Co 3:17), even if we are not going in the direction that our flesh does not want to go (1Jn 2:15-17, Joh 21:18).

Psa 107:4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

When we forget God’s law and don’t keep his commandments, we are in fact still among those who “wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way”. Christ is our refuge and our high towered city in which we dwell being raised together in heavenly places.

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Heb 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Rev 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

So there is an “is, was and will be” relevance to this verse as there is with every section of scripture. God has been merciful toward us as His kind of first fruits to be able to be convicted that we are not of this world but rather the manchild who is blessed beyond words to be able to say that we know God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent into our lives to finish this great work of grace and faith within each of us (Joh 6:29, Joh 17:3).

Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Psa 107:5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

As was mentioned at the start of this study, this first section of Psalm 107 is very focused on the starting point of our calling when we see clearly that we are the prodical son in need of deliverance from the bondage of sin which is represented as being “Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.”

Luk 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luk 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

Luk 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

These verses are very important to be seen as being parallel to each other (Luk 15:19, Luk 17:10) and demonstrate the mindset that God is accomplishing within us through the fiery trials that humble us and remind us that we are but dust.

Psa 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Jas 4:15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
Jas 4:16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
Jas 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Psa 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psa 107:6 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

This is the definitive moment in our life when we cry “unto the LORD in their trouble” and we experience his deliverance from all our distresses.

This is not a small thing, this is a huge event, because most of the world cannot see their need for deliverance and do not see their blindness and are not being dragged to Christ to go where they do not want to go.

Luk 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Luk 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Joh 21:18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

It is only those who are being led of the spirit and dragged to Christ and His body who are going to experience a day of trouble and distress from which He has promised to deliver us. It is that trouble and distress that God uses to form the new man within us and destroy the old man at the same time.

Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Luk 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
Luk 6:21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Luk 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
Luk 6:23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

As we look further into this Psalm, we will see how God has complete dominion over the breaking points of our heavens and what it takes to bring us to no longer trust in our flesh so that we can be blessed to drink the cup which He gives us.

2Co 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

Mat 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Mat 20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

Psa 107:7 And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

1 John 4:17 explains how it is possible to be led “forth by the right way” through judgment. Christ is that “right way” being our mediator with our Father, having broken down the middle wall of partition so that we may reside together in peace in “a city of habitation” called new Jerusalem above which is the mother of us all (Gal 4:26).

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Psa 107:8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Saying “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men” has been written because it is what is going to happen. These words are retorical because they declare what will happen, not maybe, it will happen, we will “praise the LORD for his goodness” and “his wonderful works to the children of men” once we go through the trials and test that are accompanied with the promise that he will always make a way for us to endure through all those necessary trials that God uses to perfect our praise of Him.

Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1Co 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
1Co 10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. [the context is overcoming sin and it is through communion that we do this as we read on….(Heb 10:25, Mal 3:16)]
1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

1 Corinthians10:15 Hearkens back to the first part of our study where I wrote…

“The last verse of this Psalm reads “Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD” and this reminds us of Revelation 1:3 which says “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand”.”

And so the time is at hand for us to realize as wise children of God who have gained our wisdom from the Lord (Jas 1:5) that the cup of blessing that we bless, is “the communion of the blood of Christ”, and the bread we break is “the communion of the body of Christ”.

Isa 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Isa 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Isa 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at Part Two of Psalm 107:9-15, entitled “praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men” where we will look at the progression of trials which God has predestinated for us and written in this symbolic language of Psalm 107 which shows that we must through much tribulation progressively enter into the kingdom of God.

Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Psa 107:9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Psa 107:10 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;
Psa 107:11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:
Psa 107:12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.
Psa 107:13 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.
Psa 107:15 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!