Well, it's good to see you this
morning. I pray that God Almighty. Be
pleased to bless our hearts. As we consider. His precious
word. I was thinking this morning. In light of eternity. We're not
long for this world. Just a few more sons, just a
few more. There's nothing more important
than what we're doing right now. I'm gonna ask you to take your
Bibles and turn with me to Proverbs chapter 30. Proverbs chapter
30. As I was preparing this message,
my heart was made to consider the blessed subject of these
verses that we're gonna look at. We're toward the end of this
book. Proverbs got 31 chapters in it. I'm in chapter 30. But as I considered
these last few verses, In this next to last book, I thought about, this is the
book of wisdom, wisdom, true wisdom. I need some wisdom. I need God who is wisdom, Christ
himself who is wisdom to speak to me. These last few verses,
When I first read them, I looked at them with question, with wonder, and
I have truly prayed that today God might speak to our hearts. I'm not trying to be morbid,
I'm just trying to be honest. If this is the last time I ever
have the honor and privilege to preach to you, I pray that
God bless it. We need to hear from God. Nothing else matters. Nothing else matters. I don't,
I don't care. I don't care. My heart was made
this morning to realize this is the need of needy centers. I'm gonna look at verses 29 and
30. There be three things which go well. Yea, four are comely
in going. A lion which is strongest among
the beast and turneth not away for any. Now that which is found in these
Three things that are comely. Three things that are set forth. Three things that go well. Three
things that step or have their pace is what it means. That's
what scripture is. Three things which go well. There's
three things Yay, four. And when you see that phrase
right there, it doesn't mean there's just three and four. The word is actually, it said
every dictionary, Bible dictionary, commentary I could find, it said,
it referred to this as a triad. I said, what does that mean? This is an example. This is an
example. This is a triad. This is a set
that has been placed in these scriptures to set forth that
which is right and true. A lion, strongest among the beast, and
turneth not away for any. Now, here's the first thing in
this triad. Now, Lord willing, we'll look
next time and time after that. Next one, if you look at it,
verse 21, a greyhound. And the next, a he-goat also,
and a king among whom there is no rising. These things that
are so precious and they're so easy, humanly speaking, to miss. We get so distracted, things
mess and stuff. But here's the first thing that's
mentioned in these three things which go well, which run well,
which have their pace, have their walk. A lion, a lion. It says here concerning this
lion, a lion which is strongest among the beast and turneth not
away for any. A lion, humanly speaking, it's an example, it's a picture,
it's a type, but it's a type and a picture of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Whenever we read here about a lion, he said this lion,
humanly speaking, a lion is said to step or have his pace with
majesty. Humanly speaking, a lion, he
has his walk without fear. He's just a lion, this animal
by nature. A lion doesn't go out of his
way for any. He just takes on any creature,
whatever it is. A lion is majestic, all but as
we consider this lion. And actually, when you look it
up, try to run the references, it's talking about an old lion,
mature, not old and frail, but a lion that is strong. He'd grown
up. He's in his prime. And here we see the beautiful
and comely type of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who is God Almighty. He who carries himself with dignity. I want you to take your Bibles
and think about a passage here. I want you to turn with me to
Luke chapter two, verse 40. Luke chapter two, verse 40. You think about this being a
beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who carried
himself with dignity. Luke chapter two and verse 40. a revelation of the Lord Jesus
Christ. A woman made under the law. It says in verse 40, and the
child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. The
grace of God was upon him. Now his parents went to Jerusalem
every year at the feast of Passover. When he was 12 years old, they
went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when
they had fulfilled the days as they returned, the child Jesus
tarried behind, and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have
been in the company, went a day's journey, and they sought him
among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not,
they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass
that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in
the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them
questions. And all that heard him were astonished
at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were
amazed. And his mother said unto him,
Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us I dealt so with us. And
behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he
said unto them, how is it that you sought me? Wist ye not that
I must be about my father's business? And they understood not the saying
which he spake unto them. And he went down with them and
came to Nazareth and was subject unto them. But his mother kept
all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom
and stature and in favor with God and man. This is the way
he carried himself. This was his manner. He humbled
himself. Made himself of no reputation. That's what Philippians 2 says.
Humbled himself. This was the manner of his walk. The scripture sits back in our
passage in Proverbs chapter 30. Three things which go well, comely. Three things which are an amazing
thing to behold. This is the amazing thing to
behold, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. John the Baptist,
while he was in exile in the Isle of Patmos was given a wonderful
revelation of the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who
is the mighty God, the savior of the sheep, and God's eternal
chosen one to represent, to be the mediator before God and men,
the man, Christ Jesus. I want you to take your Bibles,
hold your place there, but turn with me. Revelation chapter five,
the scripture declares, now you remember this, while we're looking
in Proverbs, in these two verses that we're looking at, there
are three things which go well, four which are comely. These
examples are set forth according to the word of the Lord. You
search the scriptures, and then you think you have eternal life.
They are they which testify of me. Whenever we read about a
lion or an example here, next one, Lord willing, we look at
the greyhound, we look at the he-goat. If we don't see him,
then we missed it. We missed the glory. But here
is this first example that was given in Proverbs, we'll be looking
at this morning. A lion, which is strongest among the beast. Do we not look at those verses
and think of the lion of the tribe of Judah. Revelation chapter
5 verse 1. And I saw in the right hand of
him that sat on the throne a book powerfully held in that place
of honor and authority. Here is the Lord Jesus Christ.
And one writing that saw this vision, John on the Isle of Patmos,
he saw in the right hand of the one that was sitting on the throne,
and he had a book in his hand. He said concerning that book,
written within and on the backside of this book that John saw the
one sitting on the throne, it was written on the backside It
had no vacancies in it. Everything was filled up. There
was nothing that could be added to this book concerning the redemption
and salvation of God's elect. This book, it's a hidden book. It was held in the hand of Him
that sat on the throne. It can't be closed. It can't be done away with. Who but the Lord, revealing Himself,
to his people, who can know the mind of the Lord that they might
instruct him? Here's a book, John said. And
I saw verse two, and I saw a strong angel. I noticed this before
when I was looking at it. We're not told who this angel
is. Very possibly, speaking of the
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, without a doubt. But here is
a strong angel It says, and he was proclaiming with a loud voice,
that word loud, it means one that's great, the greatest, the
mighty. And this angel was proclaiming
that which was going to be revealed. He says, he asked this question,
who is worthy? Now here's this vision, John
on the Isle of Patmos, and he sees this vision, who is worthy? to open the book and to loose
the seals thereof. Who deserves the right to break
the seal of God's signet? Who deserves the right to reveal
the content of this book? Who is worthy to open the book,
this book, that reveals the heart of Almighty God. Who is worthy
to disclose his mind? Who is worthy? Who's able? I think about as I was looking
at these passages of scripture, and of course I read that in
Proverbs, the lion which is strongest, and that's where my mind went.
I'm thinking of the lion of the tribe of Judah. Who is worthy? to speak. Who's worthy to disclose? Who's worthy to explain this
book? Who is? Well, the scripture says
that John asked that same question when he heard this angel. And the scripture says when John
was made to wonder, who's worthy? Who's able? Verse three, Revelation
says no man in heaven. No man in heaven. There was none
found among the ranks of created beings. No angels. Not even the redeemed that are
there. Worthy of themselves. These glorified
saints, they're not worthy. They're not worthy of themselves.
They had no worthiness to disclose what God Almighty has to say. There was no man in heaven nor
in earth. There was none found even worthy
among the regenerated saints. There was no man found in earth.
Those found in this world. Am I worthy? God Almighty called
me to preach the gospel. Am I worthy? to open the fullness
of what I'm saying. The more I consider what I'm
doing right here, the more I see my unworthiness and my inability
and the frailty of my flesh. No man on earth, neither under
the earth. I, uh, I looked, I looked up
that under the earth. And it appears as though what
he was preaching, proclaiming concerning those that had died,
left this world. And I began to think about that
rich man in Lazarus. That rich man died. Lazarus died. Lazarus died and he was taken
by the angels, carried into the bosom of Abraham. But that rich
man died. and he lifted up his eyes out
of hell. Now that rich man knew, he knew where he was. He knew immediately where he
was. I think so often now about so
many that are in my age group, not even mine, younger, but I
just, I think more of it. I think when I take my last breath
and I leave this world, I'm gonna know. I'm gonna understand. I'm
gonna understand the difference between knowing Christ and not
knowing him. I'm gonna know. There was no man who's worthy
to open and to reveal the revelation of this book. No man in heaven,
no man on earth, no man under the earth. That rich man that
lifted up his eyes out of hell, he wasn't worthy to reveal. Go back, he said, He asked the
Lord, he said, would you have Lazarus go back and tell my brothers,
I got some brothers, and tell them don't come to this place,
don't come here. The Lord told him, he said, if
they don't hear Moses and the prophets, the one come back from
the grave, they're not gonna hear him, they're not gonna hear
him. Neither under the earth was able
to look their own, not to look, not to explain, not to disclose. And the scripture says, verse
four, John, hearing those words out of John four, he said, and
I, I mean, John five, verse four, I wept much because no man was
found worthy to open and read the book, neither to look there
in a vision. John is not in heaven. He's seeing
a vision. There's no weeping in heaven. He said, I've wept much. He's seeing what's going on.
And he realizes he's seeing something that is by nature unseeable. He's hearing something that by
nature is unhearable. And he said, I've wept much. Then in verse five, And one of
the elders saith unto me, weep not. Weep not. Oh, here's a beautiful picture
of encouragement. Don't be afraid. Don't weep. Behold the line. Here back in Proverbs, now we
looked at it. Here's what the writer to the
Proverbs, Edgar Solomon, whoever wrote it. There are three things
which go well, which run well, which are comely, beautiful to
look upon. A lion, which is strongest among
the beast. Spirit of God moved upon this
writer to say, now this is beautiful to look upon. This is beautiful
to behold this this line. Oh, what a picture of the line
of the tribe of Judah. One who has undertaken. The responsibility
for his people, you want to hear something that's beautiful, something
that's comely, something that's lovely, something that's encouraging.
There's a people in this world that Almighty God is everlastingly
loved. People who in themselves are
unable, unwilling, unprofitable, wretched, not worthy, not worthy,
not worthy to open this book, not able to open this book, not
even willing in themselves to open this book. But Almighty
God has disclosed that here's the loveliness of it. Here's
the comeliness of it, the beauty of it. There is a Savior. There is one. And this is what the writer in
Revelation says. There's one that has prevailed. One that has been able to obey
God. There's one that has been able,
that did, took upon himself the form of sinful flesh. and for a people of God's choosing
has borne all the debt. I can't explain that. I can't
open that truth. I can't explain it. I can tell
you though that there's one that has borne the debt, borne the
responsibility, took upon himself and bore the guilt of his people. made flesh, tabernacled in this
world, obeyed God. There's one that hath prevailed
to open the book. There's one that has opened this
book of understanding. Loosed the seven seals that was
sealed of any ability of any man, heaven, hell, under there,
nobody was worthy. the lion of the tribe of Judah. In closing, let me ask you this. Who but the Lord Jesus Christ,
truly the lion? But him, could it be said by
God Almighty, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. I'm well pleased with you. Who
but the line of the tribe of Judah could say, as the Lord
said in John 8, 29, he that sent me is with me. The father hath
not left me alone, for I do always those things that please him. Who could say that? Of whom could
it be said? But the Lord Jesus Christ. But the line of the tribe of
Judah, could it be said, I came into this world, he that sent
me is with me. Oh, how beautiful is this one
that is set forth, whose step, whose walk. Back in closing,
back in Proverbs chapter 30, 29, there'll be three things
which go well, four things are comely in going, a line, which
is strongest among the beast, and listen to this, and turneth
not away for any. He didn't back away from anything. He bore it all. He took the place of his people. That is comely. Don't try to tell me that God
has done all He can do. Don't tell me that God loves
everybody and just asking men to just give Him, you know, give
Him their heart, all you got to do. Every time I hear that,
it just, all you got to do. Do you realize
how degrading, how irresponsible, how lying that truth, that statement
is? All you have to do, God wants
you to say, you tell me about the line of the tribe of Judah.
You tell me about him who bore my guilt. You tell me about him
who everlastingly loved me, called me, and has kept me, has
been patient with me, long-suffering with me. Oh, how often I think
of the long-suffering of God. how the Lord would put up with
a frail creature like me. You tell me about him who saves
sinners. That's comely. That's beautiful
to God's people. I pray the Lord bless this to
our heart for Christ's sake. Amen.