It is good to see you. I thank
the Lord for his infinite mercy. Allow us to come together once
again. I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Proverbs chapter
31. Proverbs chapter 31. This has truly been a precious,
precious book. We've been in it a long time.
This is the last chapter. And I pray that if it please
the Lord, that we might be able to finish it together. The Lord
knows. But this morning we've got today,
I'd like to look at the first three verses. Proverbs chapter
31. The words of King Lemuel, the
prophecy that his mother taught him. What, my son? And what, the son of my womb? And what, the son of my vows? Give not thy strength unto women. or thy ways to that which destroyeth
kings." I've entitled this message, Give
Not Thy Strength Unto Women. Lord willing, we'll understand
something of the preciousness of that portion of this scripture. as creatures of time. And that's what we are. We're
creatures of time. We're just here for a little
while. And we can, in our flesh, perceive
things as they are physically seen, physically understood,
physically revealed. We're hindered by faith, we know
things that are so, but in our nature, in our flesh, we only
see things and perceive them as far as our ability in the
flesh to do so. But according to God's word,
the things that we can see with this natural eye, turn with me
to 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, 2 Corinthians
4. The things that we can see with
our natural eye, they're temporary. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 18 is what I'm gonna
look at, 2 Corinthians 4, 18. While we look not at the things
which are seen, but the things which are not seen, for the things
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not
seen, that's the eternal things. There's some things that we can
see with our naked eye that we can perceive. I see you sitting
here. I know, know who you are, recognize
you. But it's not always going to
be just like this. It's not always going to be like this. Things
that are not seen, there's some things that are not seen that's
going on right now that are eternal. And we can only perceive them
by faith, by what the Word of God reveals. This world and all
things that are in it is passing away. This world as we know it,
this world is is going to fail. What we're looking at, we're
getting older, we're getting more feeble. These things are
failing and everything in this world that fails to come up to
the standard of God's holiness is going to be destroyed. Everything
that we see physically. It's not going to make it. It's
not going to make it in this world. This world and all things
in this world are going to be burned up. How about mankind? Everything in this world that
doesn't come up to God's standards is going to burn up. God's going
to destroy it. You mean man too? I mean man
too in his natural state. Everything that doesn't come
up to God's standard is going to be destroyed. But God has
revealed something about the order of man. I've told you before there's
different orders in this world. There's an order of fish and
there's an order of beast and four-footed beast and birds and
orders. That's what I'm talking about.
But there is an order that is referred to as man. Man. There's an order of man.
God made an order called man. And the amazing thing about the
order of man, no other order, just mankind, man. Man was created
in the image of God. Don't ask me to explain the depth
of that. I've read so much on it. We were created in the image
of God. There's something about man's
creation in an image, in a resemblance, in a visionary way of There's
something about man that was created. But man, as he was created
in Adam, fell. But God loved this order. Now the order of birds ain't
gonna make it. The order of four-footed beasts and things like that.
Everything that does not, everything that is not measured up to the
holiness of Almighty God. It's going to be burned up, the
world, all things in it. But the order of man, the order
of man. God loved the order of man. And God Almighty promised. that the order, this order would
not be obliterated. Let me just say it so we all,
I'm trying to make it as simple as I can. Did God promise that
the completeness of all men and women that were born in this
world are not going to perish? No, God didn't promise that.
But this order is going to be preserved. There's some out of this world,
the order of man that God's going to have to be, that God is going
to preserve. Why? Because God loved, God so
loved the world. I looked this up again just to
make sure I knew what I was talking about. God so loved the world. Look it up. I'll tell you what
it means. The orderly arrangement. God loved the orderly arrangement
of man. Man. And God loved this world,
and it was God's good pleasure that this order of mankind would
not be totally destroyed. God chose to show mercy to this
order, the order of man. Again, not every one of them.
Not every one of them. But God chose out of this order
a people that he was going to preserve. Well now, here was
the situation when God created this order of mankind. This order from the first man
created, Adam. Then out of Adam came Eve. Two people. Out of this order, God had demanded for life that
this order obey him. God had created man and he loved
this order. And God Almighty loved this order
to the point that this order would not be completely obliterated. There's going to be a maintenance,
a maintaining of this order. And he demanded this one thing,
one thing for the preservation of this order, one thing, one
thing. What was it? Obedience. obedience. God Almighty demanded
obedience. But here's what happened. This
order of mankind, called mankind, in the garden disobeyed God. And from that one act of disobedience, this whole order was corrupted. By one man's disobedience, by
one man's one act of disobedience, this whole order was created. And when that one man, Adam,
disobeyed God, When he failed to maintain the demand of God's
righteousness, obedience, obedience, obedience, all mankind fell, fell. And now God Almighty demands
justice has got to be satisfied. Here's a question. God who loved this order, how
should God be just and justify a sinner? God's not going to clear the
guilty. He's not going to clear the guilty. God Almighty must
punish sin. Here is the heart, here's the
heart of the good news. Here's the heart of it. If you
want to know what you're listening for, when you hear somebody preach,
in whatever passage they pick, I must hear how God, in dealing with sin and justly,
justifies a sinner. If you don't hear that, you've
missed the gospel. All the good information and
all kinds of, every passage of scripture, you're looking for
where's the lamb? Where is the, where's the sacrifice
for sin? Where is the justice of God satisfied? God himself is going to justify his people,
but it's going to be done in absolute righteousness. It's going to be right. I've
said before, God does not just sweep under the rug. Well, you
know, boys will be boys. No, no, God is going to be just. How can God be just and justify that He loves out of mankind. How? That's what I want to deal
with today out of these three verses right here. I want us
to look at how God Almighty is going to handle His justice. Now, Almighty God who demanded
obedience and man Mankind, that order that he loved, right from
the beginning, right out of the chute, right out of the gate,
he failed. God loved him. He loved his people. He loved this order. He had chosen
a people out of all mankind. How is God going to be just? How is he going to be just? I
know this. In order for God Almighty to
be just, to demand obedience, demand obedience and find obedience
rendered, God is going to have to do something that man, the
order of man that he loved, cannot do. Almighty God is going to have
to become, be made flesh is the only way. This is the only way.
He loved this order and God is going to have to be made flesh.
God is going to have to be made flesh, made a man. And God himself,
alone who can satisfy himself, is going to have to come into
this world and he's going to have to obey every jot and tittle
of his own law. his own demand for righteousness
and he's going to have to impute, he's going to have to give that
righteousness that he earned for a people of his choosing.
Not everybody. I'm going to show you that in
a minute. Not everybody in this world. He's not, he's not going
to make salvation and righteousness available. for somebody to exercise
their free will. Scripture never says that. He is going to have to be made
sin. And God, who is just, is going
to deal with him. On the basis of him being made
sin, God the Father, who demands obedience when Christ, who is
made sin, and offering himself as the sacrifice,
the lamb, slain in the mind and will and purpose of Almighty
God before the foundation of the world. He's going to take
the justice of God. It's going to be rendered unto
him. God's justice must be satisfied. But here, here's the wonderful
thing. where the justice of God is demanded. And where God finds righteousness,
obedience rendered, God who is just in rendering justice to
disobedience can now justly, mercifully grant forgiveness
for men's transgressions. This is an amazing thought. Here's what the scripture says.
Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 1. You've read this so many times. Ephesians chapter 1. Blessed, verse 3, be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as
he has chosen us in him. before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him
in love, having predestinated us under the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made
us, look at that next word, accepted. How? In ourselves? In the Beloved,
God Almighty demanded obedience. And where obedience is not found,
God Almighty, who is just, must deal with it. Oh, but where righteousness
and obedience is found, God Almighty, who is merciful, He justly, justly
accepts his people. There's only one that's ever
been found, ever been found, obedient unto God in himself,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now this, this, what I've just
told you is what we always refer to as the covenant of grace. We talk about the covenant of
grace. Somebody say, what do you mean when you say the covenant
of grace? The covenant of grace. The alliance. I looked up that
word covenant too. The alliance, the pledge. The agreement. The agreement
of God. If the demands for justice is
made, if the demands for justice is rendered, if there is no guilt
found, chargeable, Almighty God shows mercy. Mercy. Second Samuel. 2 Samuel, here's a precious passage
of scripture. Chapter 23, David writing here. 2 Samuel 23, verses one to five. Now these be the last words of
David. David, the son of Jesse, and the man who was raised up
on high, anointed of God, of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist
of Israel, the spirit of the Lord, spake by me, and his word
was in my tongue. The Lord of Israel said, the
rock of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over men must be
just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light
in the morning when the sun rises, even the morning without clouds,
as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear and
shining after the rain. Although my house Be not so with God. He hath made
with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things insure.
This is all my salvation, all my desire, although he make it
not to grow. Almighty God, who loved the order
of man, made a covenant with himself on the behalf of a people
that he everlastingly loved. I am going to be just. And I'm
going to justify my people. I'm going to deal with sin, the
Lord said. And I'm going to show my people
to be without blame, justified, no charge, no charge. How can
that be? How can that be? Well, all right,
now, there's the groundwork. Now turn back to Proverbs 31. That's what we're dealing with
right now. That's where we are. In our passage
today, we're going to consider this covenant of God's grace
as the scriptures set it forth. In our passage, we're looking
at a picture, we're looking at a type, we're looking at a shadow. King Lemuel is a picture of the
Lord Jesus Christ. I read numerous accounts on this
passage of scripture and they all talked about the blessing
of being, oh, how beautiful it is to have a wonderful king that
would be honorable and provide for his people and provide for
his family. How nice it is for, you know,
people to grow up under a king that has shown kindness and benevolence
to them. And that's all good. That's good.
I agree with that. But what's that got to do with
the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace? You show me
the lamb in this passage. That's what I'm gonna try to
do. King Lemuel is a picture of the
Lord Jesus Christ. The prophecy in verse one that's
being talked about is the law, the prophecy, the prophecy, the
declaration of almighty God concerning his justice And his mother, who is his mother? Who's the mother being talked
about here? Well, I want you to turn with
me to Galatians chapter four. Galatians chapter four. Mother. Galatians chapter four. Look at verse 21, 26. Galatians
chapter four, verse 21. The Apostle Paul, speaking under
the inspiration of God's Spirit, tell me, ye that desire to be
under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that
Abraham had two sons, one by a bondmaid, the other by a free
woman. But he who was of the bondwoman
was born after the flesh, but of the free woman by promise,
which things are an allegory, for these are the two covenants. These are the two testaments.
The one from Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is
agar or hagar. For this agar is Mount Sinai
in Arabia, and andreth to Jerusalem, which now is and is in bondage
with her children. Oh, but listen to this verse
26, but Jerusalem, which is above is free, which is the mother
of us all. So whenever the scriptures talks
about spiritually speaking, the mother, what that is, it's speaking
of It's personifying this truth. When it says the mother, it is
the covenant of God's grace. That's the mother. That is the
mother. That's what the scripture says.
Jerusalem, which is above, is free. That's the mother. That's where the source of our
life comes from. That's where foundational truth
with God and hope and peace and comfort. It's found in the promise
of God Almighty to show mercy and compassion to whomsoever
he will. That's called the mother. That's
the mother of us all. The covenant of God's grace.
Well, here's what I know. back in Proverbs, Proverbs chapter
31. The words of King Lemuel, the
words of this king who is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. This
is what he said, here in type the Lord Jesus is relating the
words. These are the words of King Jesus. These are the words of the King
himself. Lemuel is a picture. Lemuel is
a type. He's a shadow of Christ. And here's the words of the Lord
Jesus. The prophecy. And I looked up
that word the burden to be carried. The Lord Jesus Christ is going
to speak to his people. In this last chapter, I looked
at these words and I thought, Lord, please help me to be able
to set this forth somewhat as I feel it in my heart. The Lord
Jesus Christ is going to set forth The prophecy, the burden
to be carried. The Lord's got a burden that's
going to have to be carried. What's he going to have to do?
He's going to have to redeem his people. Here's the burden. God's got a people that he has
everlastingly loved in Christ. He's got a people of his choosing.
Where are they? They're in this world. What happened
to them? They failed in Adam. And those
that God Almighty eternally loved justly deserve to die eternally
separated from God. But God who has everlastingly
loved them is not going to let them die.
But he is not going to spare them at the expense of his justice.
He is not going to do it. God's going to be just in dealing
with sin. Here now is the words that we
are entering into some holy ground here. This last chapter of the
book of Proverbs, the spirit of God is going to allow us to
see and hear a conversation that has been made between God and
God. This is God speaking. God is
speaking to God. And almighty God in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the word himself. is going to tell
us something. May God give us ears to hear.
The words of King Jesus, King Lemuel, the prophecy, the declaration,
the surety of the word, the words that his mother, that the covenant
of God's grace, God's Good pleasure to show mercy. This is what his
mother, the mother of us all, the word of promise. That's what
he said back in Galatians 4. This is the word of promise.
Not words of the flesh, but this is the word of God's promise.
This is what his mother, the Lord, submitted himself. He was made of a woman, made
under the law. And here was the demand. Listen
to this. This is the prophecy that his
mother taught him. Now, we're reading something,
I'm telling you, that is far over our heads to grasp hold
of. But by faith, we believe this. The Lord Jesus Christ came into
this world knowing the mind and will of Almighty God, because
he is God. And he's coming to us this morning.
And what he's saying is, I'm mother. Didn't we just read that
this this covenant of promise, this testament of promise is
a is a mother. This is the source of our life.
to all those that God's chosen to show mercy. And he said, this
is the prophecy that his mother, he is, you say, well, that prophecy
is to us. She is the mother of us all.
He was made flesh. He said, this is my mother being
associated with you, his people. He was made like unto his brethren. And what's demanded of us Christ
said, that's demanded of me. As your representative, as your
surety, as the mediator between God and man, the man, Christ
Jesus, assumes all the responsibility that was demanded of us. He said
the words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught
him. Taught him? Taught him? Turn with me. Brother Neil just
read Philippians chapter two. As you were reading that, Neil,
I was thinking, Lord, thank you for the confirmation of this
message that I'm getting ready to preach. Philippians chapter
two. Philippians chapter two, verse
five to eight. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men,
and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself. and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. These are the words of King Lemuel,
King Jesus, the prophecy, the declaration that his mother taught
him. As we're being taught, I think, Lord, You humbled yourself
to be taught? That very thought that I just,
that verse that I just quoted, and that thought that I've just
quoted, look at that second verse in our passage. Listen to what
the mother, the covenant of grace says to him, when he said in
verse one, when the Lord said the words of King Lemuel, the
prophecy that his mother taught him, and the mother, the covenant
of grace, says what? My son I can understand it. I can understand
me or you saying this. I understand it. The depth of
what is just being said in verse 1. But then the covenant of grace
herself, the mother of us all, says what? My son? And what? The son of my womb? And what? The son of my vows? The covenant
of grace says of him that declared himself
to be taught by the mother. And the mother says, you? You, my son? What shall I advise
you? I just, I read this and I thought,
this is too deep for me. Here's God speaking to God. What
shall I advise you? You born of a woman. You who was made flesh. You who is dedicated to God. You who are God himself. One
with the Father. What am I gonna say to you? Now
this is humility. This is unbelievable humility. Back in chapter 31, the one that was taught of his mother,
humbling himself as the Lord Jesus Christ made himself would
be under his physical mother, set at her feet. I thought to
myself, he who grew in wisdom and knowledge and in favor with
God and man, we would say, you? Lord, you? You? And then the mother speaks. Here's what she says in verse
three. Give not thy strength unto women,
nor thy ways that which destroyeth kings. Here is the exhortation of the mother of us all. Here's
the admonition. Here is the admonishing. of the
covenant of God's grace. Here's what's demanded. Here's
what was demanded of me. We couldn't do it. Here's what
was demanded of him who did it. Submissiveness. Submit. Obey. Here is the submissive
servant of Jehovah. who made himself of no reputation
for the sake of his people, and because of the covenant of God's
grace, the mother of us all. His obedience was demanded that
those that God eternally loved in Christ might have some life.
Here's what's demanded. Obey. Obey. Let me ask you this,
why did man fall? Why did man fall? One reason. Disobedience. Disobedience. You eat of all the trees of this
garden. The tree of the knowledge of
good and evil, thou shalt not eat of that tree. Because in
the day you eat of it, you're going to die. What did Adam do? He disobeyed God. Why did we all fall in Adam?
Disobedience. What was demanded by the mother,
by the covenant of God's grace, for all God's people, what was
demanded of the Lord Jesus Christ, the great spiritual Lemuel? For God is what his name means,
for God, for God, I'm for God. And what I do is for God. What
is demanded of him? Give not thy strength unto women,
nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. Here is the exhortation. Obey in word and thought and
deed. This is what the mother of us
all, the covenant of God's grace, rests upon obedience to God. God's promise of free grace,
forgiveness rests upon the shoulders of the son himself, King Lemuel. What is it that is demanded for
all of mankind loved of God and chosen? What's demanded? Obedience,
obedience, obedience. And hear the Lord Jesus Christ
speaking to his mother, the covenant of grace. And she in exclamation, astonishment,
says, you, my friend, give not thy strength. The mother admonishes him. Give not your might, your efficacy,
your ability unto women, which actually was explained in the
latter part of verse 3, nor thy ways unto that which destroyeth
kings. What is the destruction of everybody? Sin. What's the basis? What is the basis of sin? Disobedience. What is the basis? Where did
it all come from? Disobedience. What is demanded? The Lord Jesus
Christ, the submissive servant of Jehovah. What's demanded as
the substitute of my people? Mother. Give not your strength,
give not your ability, your efficacy unto women, for thy ways are
that which destroyeth the women. I want you to turn with me to
the book of Revelation. I'm going to end on this note.
I started to try to go forward. I had originally said I was going
to go through verse nine. I got to looking at it this morning
and I thought, I don't think so. It's just, give not thy strength
unto women, nor that which destroyeth kings. Who are these women? Who are these women that's being
spoke of? Turn with me to Revelation 17.
You know where I'm going. Revelation 17, I'll tell you
who these women are, then we're gonna read it. All of these women right here,
summed up in false man-centered, God-despising false religion. False religion. Revelation chapter
17, verses one to eight. Revelation 17, then there came
one of the seven angels, which had seven vows and talked with
me, saying unto me, come hither, and I will show thee the judgment
of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters, with whom the
kings of this earth, what did the mother of the Lord Jesus
tell him? Don't give your strength to women.
don't give your strength, upon whom the kings of this earth
had committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth
had made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the
spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon scarlet-colored
beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads, 10 horns,
and the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, decked
with gold and precious stone pearls, having a golden cup in
her hand full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And upon her, on her forehead
was a name written, Mystery Babylon. The grave. the mother of harlots. We have, we have a mother. We
have a true spiritual mother. It's the mother of God's promise
to show free and sovereign grace in the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Salvation by grace. That's what,
that's what Paul wrote under the inspiration of God's spirit.
Hagar was a picture of right here. the mother of harlots. She produced a son by the flesh,
but God gave Abraham a son according to promise, by grace. Sarah had this son, and what
God did in that allegory, showed in that allegory, this is the
fulfillment, this is the picture. of salvation by the grace of
God and not the works of the law. But this woman, mystery
Babylon, the great, the mother of harlots, abomination of the
earth. And I saw the blood, I saw the woman drunken with the blood
of the saints and with the blood of martyrs of Jesus. When I saw
her, I wondered with great admiration. The angel said unto me, wherefore
didst thou marvel? I tell you the mystery of the
woman. and of the beast that carried
her, which hath seven heads and 10 horns. The beast that thou
sawest was is not shall ascend to the bottomless pit and go
into perdition. They that dwell on the earth
shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life
from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that
was and is not and yet is. Beloved, this precious last chapter
of Proverbs. And I'll stop. I'll wrap it up
right here, Lord. We'll pick it up right here.
This last chapter we're looking at. It's a picture of God Almighty,
his demand for righteousness and the one who stood as the
surety, the Lord Jesus Christ, King Lemuel, who submitted himself
unto the covenant of God's grace and listened to his mother, that
covenant, the mother of us all who love the Lord, God's people
who are the chosen, God's elect. And he asked her, that's what
she said. You're asking me. Yes, yes. He asked her for an admonition. And this was the prophecy. This
was the truth that she told him. Don't give yourself to women.
I would say, beloved, if there was any admonition that I could
give anybody, I told you this world is fleeting, this world
going away. If there's any admonition I can give you, don't give yourself
to false religion. Faith comes by hearing, hearing
by the word of God. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel. It's the power of God and salvation. Does it matter
what you hear? Does it matter what you hear?
Does it matter what you hear? Beloved, it's the difference
between life and death. Does it matter where you go?
Does it matter who you listen to? Does it matter if you hear
the message of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ? God
elected, God chose, God's got a people. Does it matter? King Lemuel asked his mother
for her admonition. This is what she said. Don't
give yourself, don't give yourself to women, false women, liars,
harlots, deceivers. This world's full of them, full
of them. How do I know the difference?
How do I know the difference? A very wise man say one time,
who gets all the glory? That's the difference right there.
I pray that God bless this to our hearts for Christ's sake.
Amen. All right, I'm going to