Tucker Presbyterian Church Sermons Tucker Presbyterian Church

We are winding down our Proverbs study. Today, we do not have a Proverbs insert. That is because we are covering all of chapter 30. Next week, we’ll be in the last half of chapter 31, and we’ll have a couple of concluding sermons.
The author of chapter 30 identifies himself as Agur. We don’t know who he is, but he is a man of great wisdom. He tells us these words are an oracle – they are the wisdom of God for us.
You can find Proverbs 30 on page 653 in the pew Bible.
As you are listening, you will hear a lot of numbers. Over and over he says there are three thing… no there’s four. It’s a way to emphasize a point by escalating the number.
But also, a big theme in these verses is humility. Be listening to how these words call us to humility in different ways.
-Reading of Proverbs 30 and prayer
A few years ago we were on a family trip and came across a hall of mirrors. I don’t know if you’ve been in one, but you walk through different rooms and passageways, and there are mirrors all over the place. Mirrors that are angled... and mirrors that reflect off of other mirrors. At times, you don’t know if the other person you are seeing is reality or a reflection in the mirror. At other times, you are not sure where to go, or you bump into the mirrors. And then there’s the room with the funny warped mirrors. When you look in the mirror, sometimes your body is really big and your head is really small, or your head is big and the rest of you is small. Or your legs are super short and the rest of you looks like a giraffe.
It's kind of fun, but it’s also very disorienting. After a while, your brain is not sure what to make of it all. There’s the reality and then there’s the distortion of reality.
We all live in the same world. But each person has a particular view of the world. What I mean is that we each have understandings of why things happen; what governs order; what should happen; where meaning and life come from, and what is right and wrong.
Some people can tell you what they think in each of those areas, but for others it’s just an underlying assumption they are not even aware of.
The problem happens when someone’s view of meaning or life or morality doesn’t line up with what is real and true. It’s like living in a hall or mirrors. That person’s world is distorted and inconsistent and they can’t find a way out. It can be very disconcerting or depressing. You can lose your way.
What Proverbs 30 does is it gives us wisdom to see the real world clearly. In essence, it takes the roof off of the hall of mirrors so that (1) we can see ourselves and God clearly, (2) so we can see how the world can be distorted, and (3) so we can actually see the amazing world that God has made. And Agur tells us, in order to see and understand anything, we need humility.
So, three things there. Three things that orient us to see clearly. Actually, there are four things! Did you see what I was doing there. There are three things, no there are four!
Three things that give us wisdom. Let me give them to you and then we’ll work through them.
·      First, verses 1-9: Humbly know God’s divine order
·      Second, verses 10-23: Humbly submit to God’s moral order
·      And, third, verses 24-31: Humbly observe God’s creation order
1. Humbly know God’s divine order
That is where we are headed.
Let me ask…  What is the first thing we need in order to understand God, ourselves, and the world? We need to humbly know God’s divine order. Again, that is point number 1.
Notice how Agur opens, “I am too stupid… I have not understanding….” That word “stupid” means ignorant or senseless. Now, to our modern ears, that may sound a little disingenuous or even contradictory. “I do not know anything, but let me tell you about wisdom.” That’s how it may come across, but actually there is a profound truth here.
What Agur is saying is that in and of himself, he cann

Thank you to Tim Townsend for preaching last week… a very clear and convicting exposition on finances and wealth in Proverbs – and very much centered on Christ.
Please take out the Proverbs insert.
Our Proverbs theme today is more broadly related to wisdom. So far, we’ve covered the various contrasts between wisdom and foolishness and between righteousness and wickedness. But there’s a theme that transcends it all. This theme has been scattered throughout the Proverbs…. and it directs our attention to the source of all wisdom – God himself. It answers the questions: Who is the God of wisdom? And how should we submit to him?
Let’s now come to God’s Word.
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God's Sovereignty Over All Things

Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD makes rich, 
   and he adds no sorrow with it.
15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, 
   keeping watch on the evil and the good.
16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, 
   but its every decision is from the LORD.
18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; 
   the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
20:12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye, 
   the LORD has made them both.
20:27-28 The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, 
     searching all his innermost parts.
   Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, 
     and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.
21:1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; 
   he turns it wherever he will.
21:30 No wisdom, no understanding, 
   no counsel can avail against the LORD.
22:2 The rich and the poor meet together; 
   the LORD is the Maker of them all.
22:12 The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, 
   but he overthrows the words of the traitor.
29:26 Many seek the face of a ruler, 
   but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice.
 
Submitting Our Plans to God's Will
Proverbs 16:1-3 
   1 The plans of the heart belong to man, 
       but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
   2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, 
       but the LORD weighs the spirit.
   3 Commit your work to the LORD, 
       and your plans will be established.
16:9 The heart of man plans his way, 
   but the LORD establishes his steps.
19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, 
   but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
20:18 Plans are established by counsel; 
   by wise guidance wage war.
20:24 A man's steps are from the LORD; 
   how then can man understand his way?
21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, 
   but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
21:31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle, 
   but the victory belongs to the LORD.
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It was not safe to be a Protestant Reformer, to say the least. Many were martyred for their belief in God’s Word and for calling out abuses in the church. One of the Scottish Reformers, George Wishart, even had a bodyguard. This man would stand behind Wishart wielding a rather large two-handed sword. You see, these were men who preached about God’s Sovereignty according to the Scriptures, while at the same time taking practical steps to defend themselves.
However, having a bodyguard was not enough to save Wishart. He was arrested in 1546. In fact, Wishart did not allow his bodyguard to come with him to his trial. He said, “one is sufficient for one sacrifice.” Wishart knew what was coming. He was tried, convicted, and executed – had his bodyguard joined him, they both would likely have been martyred.
Well, after Wishart’s death, this young man, this bodyguard, himself took up the mantle of preaching God’s Word… standing firm on God’s truth and the Gospel. And like the other reformers, he found himself in great peril.
·       At one point he was captured by

Selected Proverbs

Before we begin, I wanted to answer a question.
Some of you have asked whether these Proverbs sermons are topical or expository. That’s an excellent question. Typically, a topical sermon uses different passages in the Bible to focus on a particular topic – thus the name. Expository sermons involve preaching through a book of the Bible. The goal is to understand both what the original human author intended and what the Holy Spirit intended as far as how the book fits within the Bible and redemption in Christ. After that, the text can be faithfully applied to us.
When we went through the first 9 chapters of Proverbs, we definitely considered them in a traditional expository way – verse by verse. Starting in chapter 10, we’ve been looking at the themes contained in the rest of the book. I would say, even though we’ve been dealing with topics, our sermons have still been expository. Let me give you four reasons.
1.) We have been staying within the book of Proverbs… and focusing on what King Solomon wrote and compiled for his sons and the people of Israel.
2.) By working through different themes in this second half, we’ve been able to dig deep into the message of the book. Topical sermons often impose meaning into the text, but we’ve been seeking to draw meaning from the text.
3.) Related to that, by the end of our study, we will have read every single verse in the book of Proverbs. That has led to a very thorough understanding of Proverbs, why Solomon wrote it, and how we should understand it today.
4.) And last, we’ve spent a lot of time considering how each passage and theme fits within God’s work of redemption including how they’re fulfilled in Christ.
To be sure, the thematic approach in the last half has been a little unconventional, but I think overall faithful to our expository study. I hope that is helpful
Ok, let’s now consider our verses today.
Please take out the Proverbs insert. Our theme is strife and anger and quarreling versus peace and love.
Reading of selected proverbs:
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Strife: Stirring up or putting out
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
13:10 By insolence comes nothing but strife,
    but with those who take advice is wisdom.
15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
    but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.
17:14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
    so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
17:19 Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
    he who makes his door high seeks destruction.
18:6 A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating.
18:18 The lot puts an end to quarrels
    and decides between powerful contenders.
21:14 A gift in secret averts anger, and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.
Proverbs 25:21-23
    21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
              and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
    22 for you will heap burning coals on his head,
              and the LORD will reward you.
    23 The north wind brings forth rain,
              and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
26:20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
    and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.
26:21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
    so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
29:22 A man of wrath stirs up strife,
    and one given to anger causes much transgression.
 
Anger: Slow to or quick to
14:17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.
14:29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
    but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
16:32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
    and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
19:11 Good sense makes one slow to anger,
    

This morning, we’ll be considering the Proverbs theme of justice and injustice. Please take out your Proverbs insert. By the way, I think we’ll be wrapping up Proverbs by the end of June. We have a few themes left and a couple of concluding chapters.
Our verses today are organized into three groupings. Determining Justice, Defending Justice, and Denying Justice. In other words, what is justice and injustice? And how do we uphold justice and avoid injustice?
Reading of selected Proverbs
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Determining Justice
11:1 A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.
16:8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.
16:11 A just balance and scales are the LORD's; all the weights in the bag are his work.
17:23 The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.
18:17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.
20:10 Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
20:14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts.
20:23 Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD, and false scales are not good.
21:15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.
22:8 Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.
24:12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?
24:23 These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good.
28:5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely.
28:21 To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.

Defending Justice
16:10 An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment.
16:12 It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness.
16:14 A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it.
16:15 In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.
20:8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes.
20:26 A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them.
24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
24:11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
25:1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.
25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.
25:3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable.
25:4 Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel;
25:5 take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
28:2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.
29:4 By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down.
29:12 If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.

Denying Justice
13:23 The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice.
14:31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
18:5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice.
22:16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
22:22 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate,
22:23 for the LORD will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them.
22:28 Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set.
23:10 Do not move an ancient landmark or ent

Please take out the Proverbs insert in your bulletin.
You can see on the front page that we are in the last third of our study. I did want to note two things.
1. First, we skipped over the one titled Financial Wisdom, Giving, and Wealth. A couple of you have asked about that. Tim Townsend will be preaching on that one later next month and it has just been a matter of timing. Stay tuned.
2. Second, our theme today is on words. There are a many many proverbs that relate to our words. We’ve already covered some of them like honesty and deceit. Several of the other themes include proverbs about our words as they relate to the specific theme. The proverbs today are more foundational to our speech. Open up the insert and look at Proverbs 18:21. It’s there on the right-hand side. It begins, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” That pretty much captures our focus this morning.
Let’s now consider these specific Proverbs.
Reading of selected proverbs:
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10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
10:19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
10:20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth.
10:31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
10:32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.
11:9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
12:18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
12:25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.
13:2 From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.
13:3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
15:4 A gentle[z] tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
15:23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!
16:13 Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right.
16:21 The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.
16:23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
16:24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
17:27 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
18:4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
18:8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.
18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
20:19 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.[i]
21:23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.
25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
26:2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.
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Prayer
Last summer, while visiting Washington DC, we stopped by the National Archives. There we saw the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. They are all housed in a huge rotunda. The original documents are displayed in special cases around the room. And it’s very dimly lit to preserve the fading script… but even that adds to the gravity of the revered texts. They indeed are national treasures.
But besides that, do you know what they are?
Words. Mere words.
Yet, these words created a nation.
It’s tempting to think that the most powerful tools on the plant are weapons