All right, I'm going to ask you to take your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 31, Proverbs 31. I'd like to look at a couple more verses in this last chapter as we began to wind down on this book, the book of Proverbs. I'd like to look at verses 14 and 15.

I want to remind us all of something. The book of Proverbs is the book of wisdom. It's a book that often is read, and when it's read, often it's looked at with the eyes of just giving good advice. And humanly speaking, that's fine. Good advice is good. Good advice. But as I've told you many times, if we fail to see the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in a passage, it can be the best advice in the world, humanly speaking, but it does nothing for the spiritual benefit of one of God's sheep. It does nothing to give glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember when Christ spoke to his apostles. He was talking to the Pharisees, but he was teaching his apostles something. He told these Pharisees, he said, you seek the scriptures. And in them you think you have eternal life. Because you seek the scriptures and you can see truths in it. But they are they which testify of me. So here's what I want you to always remember. When you hear anybody preach, you're listening and you're looking for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in it. It can be the best advice in the world. But if you don't see Christ in it, in his redemptive glory, in that regenerating glory, in that keeping glory, if you don't see Christ being honored in that passage, everything else is things, mess, and stuff. Good advice? Oh, yeah. It may be great advice, but if you don't see Christ in it, it's not the Gospel. The Gospel is concerning Christ.

So let's look, continuing in this book of Proverbs, with the Spirit, the Holy Spirit's revelation of the virtuous woman. And that's what we've been dealing with this last half of this last chapter. It's dealing with the the glorious bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, the bride who has been everlastingly loved of the father, chosen by the father in the Lord Jesus Christ, that she should be holy and without blame before him in love. And in time, this virtuous woman, the bride of Christ, is effectually called out of the darkness of sin and unbelief and kept by the power of God through faith, ready to be revealed in the last days.

And as we consider the Lord's revelation of this woman's character, the true attributes of the bride of Christ himself, What we're listening for right here, we're listening for what God Almighty has to say about his son's bride. As she is giving him all the glory and all the honor and all the praise. So we're listening to a description of a woman that is loved of God. The Lord has made this virtuous woman one with himself, one with him.

I'm saying these words, I'm hearing what I'm saying. I understand what I'm saying, but I don't see the depth of what I'm saying. One with Christ, one with Christ. I see the picture, even when it talks about a man and a woman being married, these two shall become one. They shall be one. They're one heart, one knit heart. I look at it and I still see two people. Two people that love each other, but still two people. And here is the bride of Christ and she's one with him. These two shall be one. And I see in that the intimacy, the wondrous glory of being one with the Lord Jesus Christ. And this bride, what she wants to do is she wants to magnify him and give all the glory unto him and say that which is pleasing to him. Not for her, not for herself, but for him. Now let's look at verses 14 and 15. I'll just read these two verses, and then we'll come back and just consider them for just a few moments.

14, 15, we looked previously at the ones before. Now here we are, 14, 15. She, this virtuous woman, is like the merchant's ships. She bringeth her food from afar. She rises also while it is yet night and giveth meat to her household and a portion to her maidens.

I've listened to a few messages preached by some that I've heard of and knew, so I thought I'd go there. And this is what I was saying when I said it can be good things. And many of them were making good statements about a virtuous wife, a loving, virtuous wife that she's careful to make sure that her home is taken care of and her husband's meals are prepared and everything. And they were all true. And I try to remember that while I'm looking at this.

Here's this woman, this virtuous woman. She is like a merchant ship. She's like the merchant's ship. This woman is like a vessel. She's like a merchant's ship. She's like a vessel that's on a mission. A merchant's ship. They don't send these ships out into the ocean for nothing. They're going there for something. They're hauling something. They're not just burning gas for nothing. Just say, well, this boat floats, you know, great. Mighty expensive just to get it out there just for nothing.

This woman, she is like a merchant's ship. She's not on a mission of empty hope. She's not on a mission of chance, but she's on a mission of absolute certainty. She's got a purpose for what she's doing. She's on this mission, and she's on a mission that has a determined end, the same purpose that's according to her husband's will. And what is her husband's will?

Now this woman, now this is the bride, the bride of Christ. The church called out of spiritual darkness, chosen by God, loved by the Savior himself. Robes are in his righteousness. And this woman is going through this world. Now here's some folks here that I'm convinced part of the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. And here's what we're all. We're like merchants. She's like a merchant's ship. We're doing something. We're on a mission. We've got a calling. And what is this woman's calling? What is her will? What is her desire in what she's doing?

Well, John 17, 24. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ expressed exactly his will, and this is the bride's will. This is what she wants. This is what I would want. Think of yourself, you that know it, think of yourself as part of the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you're in this world. And we're like merchants' ships. We've got a calling. We've got a duty. We've got a job. We've got a mission. We're on a mission. And what is the purpose of this mission that we're on, this merchant's ship, this endeavor?

John 17, 24, the Lord Jesus Christ said this, and this is what we want. Father, I will. that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world.

Now let me ask you this, you that know it, can you not enter into that? Now here's the bride, collectively, the bride of Christ. We're here tonight, here on Wednesday night, we're here for something. We want to hear about him, who has called us, who has called us unto himself. And what does he want? What does our husband want? What does he want? That all that the Father has given him be with him. That's what he wants. That's what he wants. Now, you that know, you that know the Lord, let me ask you this. Is that not what you want? That all that the Father has given unto the Son that they might be with Him. That's what we want. That's what we want.

And what we're doing here tonight is we're using the means that has been established by God to call us out and to comfort us and teach us something about Him. It's preaching the gospel.

So this woman, she's like a merchant's ship. That's what it says. She's like a merchant ship, verse 14, and she bringeth her food from afar off. How does this virtuous woman carry herself in this God-ordained way to obediently do that which her husband has sent her to do? We've been called to do something. Okay, she bringeth her food from afar. Her food. I was looking at those words. Her food. All right. It's not, it wasn't made by her. Whatever it is, it's her food, not made by her. It didn't originate with her, but rather it's the food that she proclaims. It's her food to have been given her from the Lord himself. The Lord has given her something to bestow, something. She's on a mission.

This is what we're doing. I've got some food. Peter, lovest thou me more than these? Feed my sheep. I've been called to feed the sheep. This is what God has called me to do, to feed the sheep of God. Feed them with the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Feed them with His glory, Lord Jesus Christ.

And so here's what she does. She's got some food. And this food, the scripture says, she bringeth her food from afar off. This food that I'm setting forth, the glory of Christ himself, where's this come from? It came from heaven. This is heavenly food. This is the food of the Lord himself. It's the glorious truth of his body, his shed blood, broken body. And so that food that is spiritually nurturing, to the needy soul who's been made to hunger and thirst after the Lord Jesus Christ, those that have been blessed of God, to know, I need to eat. I need to eat.

We ate supper before we came over here. I didn't do it for fun. You know why I did it? Because I was hungry. I wanted something to eat. I've got to eat. Now, how often do you eat? Well, as a general rule, you eat at least a couple of times a day, maybe three. If you only do one, that's good. But every day, you're going to have to eat. You're going to eat. Well, this woman has got some food, and the food that this woman is setting forth, this virtuous woman, is food from heaven. and how blessed it is that we're desiring to want to eat. The reason you're here, you want to hear about the food from heaven. Tell me about what the Lord has to say.

The Lord said in Matthew chapter 5, verse 6, blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness. True, true righteousness, not, not, not righteousness, filthy rags of self-righteousness, but those that truly hunger and thirst after the righteousness of God. You're blessed people. If you want to eat of that heavenly bread, drink of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know how the world would think of that. They would think, God's people do. I want to drink spiritually of his blood and eat of his flesh. I want to spiritually eat and drink, spiritually eat of that. When he died, he died for me. When that body was broken, it was broken for me.

So the food of this virtuous woman is absolutely vital. to the life and salvation of God's people.

Hold your place right here. Just turn to John 6, 53. John, chapter 6. John 6, 53. John 6, 53. I'll read 53 to 56. Then Jesus, said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, not in reality as we think of it, but spiritually. Lord, I want to eat and drink of you. I want to eat and drink of your life, of your faithfulness to obey God, your faithfulness to obey on my behalf.

Whoso eateth my flesh, drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him as the living father have sent me and I live by the father. So he that eateth me partakes of me spiritually by faith partakes of me even he shall live by me.

So there's this food back in Proverbs 31. She's like a merchant ship. She bringeth her food from afar. This didn't originate, this food didn't originate in this world. I came down from heaven, the Lord said, to do the will of him that sent me. This is the food of God's people, food of a believer brought from God through the preaching of the gospel. This is the only way it's distributed. This is how it's sent. This is how you know it.

If it were not for these scriptures to tell us, if somebody would just tell you and they knew nothing of this Bible, well, you must eat of the flesh of Christ and drink of his blood. They wouldn't have a clue what you're talking about. But a believer that's been regenerated by the grace of God, he knows. And a believer loves it. They love to hear that. God's people are never spiritually nourished. on the husk of this world's man-centered religion. It may be moral, but unless, as I said before, unless it's the glory of Christ, they receive nothing of it. They hear nothing of it. If I don't hear of His glory and His honor, they must feast on Christ, on Him.

The Lord gave a beautiful, turn with me to Luke chapter 15. The Lord gave this glorious illustration, this truth. Luke chapter 15. I love it when the Lord would teach through these truths, these parables. Luke 15. And just put yourself in this place right here. This is about the prodigal son. Luke chapter 15, verse 11, starting verse 11. And he said, a certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto him his living.

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country. When I read that this afternoon, going over my notes, I thought about this. He took his journey to a far country, and I just read that the sustaining food that the believers got, it's got to come from a far country, too. Not the same country. This boy went farther away than any man in his own way or will or purpose can come back to. This boy right here that goes to this far country, here's one, one of God's elect. Here's a picture of one of God's elect. And this is what he is by nature. He's a rebel against God. You give me what's coming to me. And he got it. And what did he do? He wasted every bit of it.

Scripture says, not many days, the youngers gathered, verse 13, all together. took his journey into a far country, and he wasted all his substance with riotous living. I've done it. We've all done it. We've all sinned against God. We've wasted everything that God's ever provided for us. We had life. God Almighty created man and woman, put them in a garden, and what happened? Riotous living. I disobeyed God. That's what he did. And when he spent, verse 14, when he spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land. And he began to be in want. Famine began to be in need. And he went and he joined himself to a citizen of that country.

That's the natural way. I'm going to straighten myself up. I'm going to take care of myself. I'm going to join myself. I'm going to reform. I'm going to get right with God. I'm going to straighten up and fly right. And he would fain have filled his belly with a husk of a swine that the swine did eat. No man gave unto him. This is man by nature. He's going to get back in church. He's gonna do the right thing. He's gonna, you know, he's gonna fill his belly with that which has no sustenance to it. It's just, it's just husk, the husk, swine food. That's all it is.

And when he, he came to himself, verse 17, and he said, and I look at this again and I think to myself, think back. When I was in false religion, I might as well just use myself as an example. That's what I'm thinking anyway. I think how many years I sat under swine food and just filled my belly with just husk. He would feign and filled his belly with husk. And he came to himself. How did he come to himself? What, by his own power and will? I mean, just because he's extra smart? No, oh no, oh no. Any man, any woman that comes to themselves, they come to themselves because God's come to them first and gave them a new heart, gave them a new life, gave life in Christ. And it's him, it's him now, just like Paul said, in me, I know there dwelleth in me no good thing. The will is present with me, but how to accomplish that which I find not.

He came to himself and said, how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough, spare, and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father. I'll say unto him, father, I've sinned against heaven and before thee. I'm no more worthy to be called thy son. Isn't that the voice? Isn't that the heart of a believer? I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy to sit here. I'm not worthy to hear. I'm not even worthy. I'm not worthy to be called your son. I'm gonna rise and go to him. I've said I've sinned. Verse 19, no more worthy to be called thy son. I'm no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and he came to his father.

When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, had compassion on him, ran, fell on his neck, kissed him. And the son said unto him, father, I've sinned against heaven, and in thy sight no more worthy to be called thy son.

And the father said to his servants, bring forth the best robe. Oh, my. Can you just see the robe of Christ's righteousness? Here's this boy. I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy of this. I squandered everything you've ever done for me. You put the best robe on that boy right there. I just see that boy brokenhearted. I'm not worthy. You put the best robe on him.

Put a ring on his hand. Put the symbol of being with my family. Got the family signet here. Put a ring on his hand, shoes on his feet, shot his feet for the preparation of the gospel of peace. Bring forth the fatty calf and kill it. Let's eat. Oh, I see that fatty calf. What a beautiful picture. He's going to feast on the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. A broken body. They're going to feast on this.

My son, he was dead, live again, lost. And now he's found.

The message back in Proverbs chapter 31. This is a message. This woman right here, she's going to glorify her Lord. She's like a merchant ship. She brings her food from afar off. And it says she rises for 15. She rises off also while it's yet night and give us meat to her household and a portion to her maidens.

She rises also. I looked that word up. She rises also. Know what it means? She persists. She persists. She's set. That's what it means. That's what the word, look it up. She persists.

You that know the Lord, will you go away as others have? Or where am I going to go? Where am I going to go? What am I going to sit under and listen to? What am I going to listen to? What's going to feed my soul? The husk of this free will, man-centered, false religion? No. No. She rises also. And scripture says in her consistency, it says she rises while it's yet Night. This woman, this woman, this bride, this bride is still, she's in this world, but she's not of this world. It's night. I know that sin is all around. I know it. But this woman rises while it is yet night. While it's still, this world is still filled with spiritual darkness. But she's in this world, but she's not of it. And she sees what's going on. The bride sees what's going on.

We look around. I just made a statement this morning to a brother, and we were talking about the things that's going on in this world. And I told him, I said, isn't it comforting to know that all these things is happening, going on around us, all these things, no matter what it looks like to us. It still works together, works together for good. That's what Brother Henry told Gabe when Gabe told him he was here. He was telling Brother Henry how bad things were. Brother Henry says, but it's good. He said, yes sir, it's good, but it was still, but I see what Brother Henry said, but it's good. Gabe said, yes sir, I guess it is. I guess it is good. Whatever's going on.

She rises up while it's yet night. Again, she's not of this world, but she's still in it. And while she's in this world, not of it, but in it, the scripture says, the latter part of that, verse 15, she rises up while it's yet night, and she giveth meat to her household. She giveth meat to her household. Now this is a, there's a precious promise in what is just said. She giveth meat. And I know how easy it would be said, well, you know, she feeds, you know, the household. Like you've been saying, Marvin, she feeds us with the, you know, the bread of heaven and, you know. But when I look that word up, she giveth. She giveth this meat, this, what is partaken of. And a careful consideration of that word right there, meat, You can look it up. I always encourage you to do this so you can see it for yourself. The exact meaning of that word right there, meet. She rises also while it is yet night and giveth meat to her household.

Now here's what, through the preaching of the gospel, this is what the bride has been commissioned to do. This is her mission in this world. You go into all the world And you preach the gospel to every creature. Now, I've got, I want to do what we've been commissioned to do right here. I want to tell you what that word meat means. It does, it does mean food. It does mean food, but it's, it's from a word. And I'm only telling you this just so you, if you want to look it up, it's, it's H-2963. It's in the Hebrew. And this is the type meat that she's given. Meat that has been torn to pieces to provide food. Meat that has been rent. Meat that has been torn. And I thought about, here's what is feeding the sheep. You tell me about him who laid down his life for the sheep. Tell me about him whose body was broken under the judgment and justice of God. He bore that which we deserved. We deserved to be rent and torn. And this is what she's feeding.

She rises up while it's yet night, she giveth meet to her household. This is what I want to give in closing to the household of God's people. I want to tell you about the Savior who has laid down his life, has borne the guilt that he bore in our stead. He bore God's judgment. He died. He died under the judgment. And this is what the virtuous woman feeds feeds the sheep. Let me tell you about the Lord who died.

And then he said, and lastly, and a portion to her maidens. She rises also while it is yet night and giveth meat to her household and a portion to her maidens. When you look these words up, you find out Get that portion, what it is actually talking about. Here's the bride of Christ. And she's giving a portion. She's giving a part, a part that has been assigned to her. And here's the best way I'm going to go to a scripture. She gives a portion. She doesn't give, all of it doesn't come from one person. Let me say it like this. She gives a portion. I've got a portion to give you. Okay, you've got a portion to give. You've got a portion to give.

The best way I can explain, because I looked at that last part of that verse, and when I found this, turn with me to 1 Corinthians. I'm going to end with this passage. 1 Corinthians 12, we'll read verses 4 to 31. 1 Corinthians 12. This is what the bride does. This is the way operates. This is the way she walks in this world. Because I'm talking about the bride here as being all of us. This is how the bride of Christ, this is how the Lord has assigned her to be in this world.

1 Corinthians 12 and verse 4. 1 Corinthians 12 starting at verse 4. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. Now the bride, she's doing that which the Lord's called her to do, to feed the sheep, to give them food, to provide for them. But this is how the bride and all of God's people make up the bride. Now what does the bride do for each other? Well, they do whatever's necessary. So listen to this verse and realize this is the calling of God's bride. You'll get it.

Now there are, verse four, there are diversities of gift, but the same Spirit. There are different administrations, but the same Lord. There are diversities of operations, but it's the same God that worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given every man to profit withal, to one is given by the spirit, the word of wisdom, to another, the word of knowledge, by the same spirit, to another, faith, by the same spirit, to another, gifts of healing, by the same spirit, to another, the working of miracles, to prophecy, to another, discerning spirits, to another, diverse kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one and self-same spirit dividing to every man severally, as he will. For as the body is one and hath many members, and the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. But by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews, Gentiles, whether we be born free, we've been made all to drink, to one spirit or into one spirit, but the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, because I'm not the hand, I am not the body, is therefore it not of the body? And if the ear shall say, because I'm not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

But now God hath set the members, every one of them, in the body, as it has pleased him. And if they are all one member, where are the body? But now are they many members, yet one body, and the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of thee, nay, much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble or necessary. And those members of the body which we think be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor. And our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

For our comely parts, no, for our comely parts have no need, but God hath tempered the body together having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked, so that there should be no schism in the body, but that the same members should have the same care for one another. And whether one member suffer, all members suffer with it. One member be honored, and all the members rejoice with it.

Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular, As God has set some in the church, some apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, after that gifts, healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues, are all apostles, are all prophets, are all teachers, are all workers of miracles, have all the gifts of healing, do not speak with tongues, do all speak with tongues, do all interpret, but covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.

So this bride, the bride of Christ, she's one bride.