All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 24. Proverbs 24. I'd like to look at the first
four verses this morning. I've entitled this message, The
House Built by God. Let's read the first four verses
and then we'll consider each one for a few minutes. Be not thou envious against evil
men, neither desire to be with them. For their hearts studieth
destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. Through wisdom is
an house built, and by understanding it is established. And by knowledge
shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant Now, Solomon begins this morning
with a warning against being envious of evil men, or even
desiring to be with them. But a believer would ask this,
why should I be warned against something like that? Isn't it
obvious that a believer wouldn't want to be envious of evil men? Isn't it so that God's people
are found and desire to be found faithful to Him who's everlastingly
loved and gave Himself for them? Don't we desire to be submissive
and patient in our walk before God and men? not truly desire not to murmur
against the Lord, yet we do. Those things are true. We desire
to be faithful. We desire to be found walking
in consistency and we don't truly in our heart think that we're
going to envy the evil. But we've got to remember
something that's absolutely so. There's an old man that's still
found within each believer, and he longs and desires for the
cares of this world. That hasn't changed. And we still
struggle with the flesh, and we see a war that goes on between
the flesh and the spirit. So we're warned. Don't be envious. This is the reason that we need
to desperately realize and be thankful for the chastening and
correcting hand of Almighty God and His mercy to restrain us
and to teach us afresh of His love. David said, we read this
passage often. I love it. Psalm 119.71, it's
good for me that I've been afflicted that I might learn, you know,
we looked at it last time or two, might learn his statutes
by experience. By experience. We need to experience
the afflicting hand of God and we need to be taught by experience. That's the only way we really
know it. It's a real blessing when a believer considers that
every trial that he knows has been sent by the hand of Almighty
God. He knows that the Lord sends
this And it's the one that is working all things after the
counsel of His own will. And so, whenever we have trials
and tribulations and problems, we realize that the Lord has
sent those things for the proving of our faith, that He's truly
given us faith to believe, and it's to also prove His faithfulness,
that He's not going to leave us, He's not going to forsake
us. Psalm 94, 12 says, blessed is the man whom thou chasteneth,
O Lord, and teachest out of thy law. So we realize something. The Lord's ways are not our ways,
and we know that the way of this world is contrary to the way
and the walk of faith, but we still struggle with it. We still
have a war, and so sorrow and disappointment seems to be the
general lot of God's people, while the world and its false
religion, on the other hand, seems to generally prosper. They have everything going its
way. They're doing well. And this
struggle with envy, it was actually voiced by David himself. He says in Psalm 73 verses 1
to 3, he said, truly God is good to Israel, spiritual Israel,
even to such as are of a clean heart, that is a heart that's
beloved of God, pure and clear, made new, from above in regenerating
grace by the Spirit of God. But as for me, David said, as
for me, a man after God's own heart, he said, my feet were
almost gone. What did he mean by that? He
said, my faith seems to be almost overthrown by temptation. You
think, can that be? Spirit of God told him to write
it. He said, my steps had well nigh slipped. That is like water
poured out on the ground. So unstable, you pour it out
on the ground and try to get every bit of it back in the cup.
He said, I was envious at the foolish. That is, I was vexed
to see those who were deserving of judgment, and I knew that.
But he said they were continuing to be outwardly prosperous. Everything was going well, and
he said, I envied them when I saw the prosperity of the wicked,
when I saw the peace of the ungodly. He said, I saw what, you go back
and look and see the history of David. After he fell into
sin, rebellion against God with Bathsheba, and God sent a prophet,
Nathan, told him, he said, the sword is not going to depart
from your house. It's going to go to your grave,
struggling. And David said, I looked around
and I saw the wicked. And he said, I envy him. Boy,
what honesty it takes for an heir of heaven to admit that
he envied the false safety, the false happiness, and the false
rest of the wicked. But we do the same thing. He said, no, that never happens
to me. Let me tell you something. We may not want to admit it,
but there may be more than we would want to admit, that envying
of looking around and seeing the prosperity that we sometimes
fail to see in ourself or in our midst. You know, you look
at, I watch TV and I see these mega churches and stuff like
that, and I mean just buddy, they're packed out. You look
at false religion. False religion is popular. I mean just, you
think, look at the masses. And then you look at God's assemblies
and it just seems at times to be dwindling and dwindling and
dwindling. What used to be this, now is
this. And we just, you know, you think.
But it's like envying a convicted killer. And they're going to
give him his last meal. And they're going to bring him
the finest fillet. They're going to give him the
best, the richest of all. What do you want? What do you
want? We'll provide it for you. And
you're looking at that food and you're thinking, he's having
the best that there is and I'm struggling to make ends meet.
But think about what's going to happen tomorrow. Solomon said in Proverbs 24 1,
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with
them. We're admonished, don't envy
them in a worldly capacity, but especially in spiritual things. Don't, and again we might say,
oh I never do that. The Spirit of God said through
David, we do. Yes, we do. We may not want to
admit it to other people and make them think we do, but there's
a certain amount of wonder. You look at them and you kind
of... We don't envy them for what they
preach, but our flesh, according to these scriptures, is often
vexed. We find ourselves wondering at
the outward prosperity of the wicked. whether it be in business,
I'm telling you, or whether it be in these things concerning
this religious matter. But, you know, David said in
Psalm 37, 35, he said, I've seen the wicked in great power and
spreading himself like a green bay tree. Now, if you've got
a margin in your Bible, I'll tell you what it says. It means
that I've seen the wicked like they're growing in their own
soil. like this was put here for me, for me to prosper, for
me to have all that I have. It may appear as though that
they're prospering now, worldly or religiously, but they're not. They profess that there's no
fear of dying, meeting God. They rest in themselves, but
their end It's not what they think it's going to be. But they're
convinced. I remember, I think of myself,
growing up in false religion. I was absolutely convinced. You couldn't convince me that
I was not right before God. The Scripture says don't envy
evil men. Don't even desire to be with
them. Come out from among them. Be
separate, saith the Lord. And then Solomon says in verse
two, for their heart, this is why you don't want to envy them. Their heart studieth destruction
and their lips talk of mischief. Now here, Solomon declares something
under the inspiration of God's spirit concerning the truthfulness
of their blind desire, spiritually speaking. They studyeth. That is, they meditate, plot,
ponder, and imagine nothing but that which leads to destruction.
Their heart studyeth destruction. They're taking this Bible right
here, a Bible that we love and know And what they do is they
read that, and they preach that, and what they're doing, that
studying, they meditate, ponder, imagine, plot, and devise that
which leads to destruction. Because they don't see Christ
in it. They see man, they see works,
and they preach a false message that gives a false hope. And
they're declaring nothing but self-righteous works. And I know
that that's what that scripture's saying because of the last half
of it. Their lips talk of mischief. Now, you know, there's different meanings of mischief.
You know, you think about little kids, little boys, you know,
they're going to get into mischief. They're going to do some bad
things. Just rowdy, rowdy kids, you know. But that's not what
this word means. This word mischief here, what
it means is toil, wearing, effort. That effort that just wears out
is what it is. Or to produce by labor. That's
the meaning of that word mischief right here. So what Solomon is
saying, you know, It says we're admonished, don't envy the outward
prosperity of this world, especially this world's false religion.
I mean, I know they have the masses that flock to their assemblies
and they talk of love of God, love of each other, they talk
about all this kind of good stuff that they're going to do in this
world. But the end is going to be for
them in judgment. You know, remember in Matthew
7, when, you know, not everyone saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of God. Lord, you know, we prophesied
in thy name, in thy name, we cast out devils in thy name,
we've done many wonderful works, and what do you say? I never
knew you. It doesn't matter what it looked like. It doesn't matter
what you said. Sir Solomon is saying don't envy
them because their heart studies destruction in what they're preaching,
in what they believe, and their lips, their language just comes
out of their heart. They talk of toil, working, working. works. That's all they're talking
about. Everything they're talking about is nothing but man-centered
works. That's all it means. That word
mischief works. Verse 3. Solomon is going to set forth
now the true and living way concerning man's establishment in the things
of God. He says, verse 3, through wisdom
is in house built. And by understanding, it is established. Now, Solomon speaking of a house
that's skillfully built through wisdom. Now, when we talk about
a house, now, what house could he be talking about? Well, I
got three different thoughts on this. All of them are so.
It may be, first of all, this earthly. There's a new man that is in
a temporary tabernacle. But that temporary tabernacle,
though it's going to be soon dissolved, I realize that in
death, there's a house. There's a house. There's a new
man there. There's a new man in which the
Spirit of God resides. There's a new person from above. This body will be gone, but that
soul, that new soul that's established there, God made that. That's a new residency. There's
a new man in a temporary body, It fights with an old man. It's
still there. But God made that. That's what he told Nicodemus.
Nicodemus, you must be born again. You must be born from above.
And so is it that new house in this temporal body? But secondly,
it may be talking about the church collectively. itself. David said, I was glad when they
said to me, let's go into the house of the Lord. Let's go where
God's people meet collectively and hear the gospel. Or it may be speaking of that
house that's eternal. That house in the heavens, that
mansion that the Lord said, I go to prepare a place. In my father's
house are many dwelling places. You know, many mansions. I don't
understand all this. But I know that this is what
the Lord said, so I know it's so. But whether it means the
new residency of a believer born from above in a temporary body,
or whether it's the house of the Lord collectively, or whether
it's that house in... I know this. That house, referred
to by the Holy Spirit, is built one way, through wisdom. The Lord Jesus Christ, through
wisdom, is in house builded. The scripture sets forth this
house in whatever capacity God has been pleased to build it.
It's built and it rests upon a tried stone, capital S. a precious cornerstone, a sure
foundation, built upon the foundation of Christ Himself, His life,
His death, His righteousness, His worthiness. I know that,
and a believer loves to hear that. Don't talk to me about
a house that I built. Don't talk to me about a mansion
that I'm earning. I know that's foolishness. Tell
me about Him. Tell me about the Lord. Tell
me about wisdom Himself that has established me because that's
the only way I've got any hope. Proverbs 9.1, Wisdom hath builded
her house. She hath hewn out her seven pillars. I'm telling you the stability
of that house of God's providing for His people is sure founded
because it's founded on the rock. himself. First Corinthians 311
says, for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ. Doesn't that scripture, doesn't
that just thrill your heart to hear that? I love to hear it, I love to
say it, I love to, God's given me a heart to understand it and
believe it. A man foolishly imagines a house that has foundations
that's laid and constructed by his own will and his own work. But there's no other foundation,
God says, than that which is laid. It's the Lord, Christ himself. So he says in verse 3, through
wisdom is a house built. And by understanding, it is fixed. established by understanding.
Now, that word understanding, intelligence, whose understanding? God's understanding. We know
that. By understanding, by the Lord's
understanding, the house of God's building is fixed by Him who
is omniscient. What does that mean? He knows
everything. He knows everything. Only the true and living God,
wisdom himself, only he knows the depth of depravity. I can tell you what the scripture
says about what sin is. Here's what sin is. Sin is the
transgression of the law. Do you know how much I understand
about that? Nothing. Nothing. I don't realize, I'm standing
here preaching and I realize that in my preaching, my lack
of ability, my lack of understanding, my lack of I'm just, I'm not realizing,
I don't have the perception to know the depth of the requirement
for me to stand here and preach and for my actual exhorting of
God's Word. There's enough sin is what I'm
trying to get at in what I'm doing right now because of my
lack of understanding. I don't even know, Mark, what
I'm doing. I don't know what I'm not doing. I just don't know. I don't know the depth of my
depravity. But the scripture sets forth,
understanding does. God does. And how about God's
demand for righteousness? Can you imagine me trying to
figure out or to know the depth of the requirement for righteousness
before God? I can't even pray without my
mind going all over the place. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know the depth of my
rebellion. I don't know the requirement
for righteousness before Him. So for me to have a house accepted
of God. God is going to have to do something
for me that I certainly can't do for myself. I know that. For
me to be found accepted of God in being with Him in glory, God
in His wisdom and understanding, He must do it. He must accomplish. He must finish the work because
man being born in Adam, I can't build this house. Can you imagine
me trying to build a house and present it before God and say,
here it is, here it is. I'm going to hear what He's going
to say to those that stand before Him and call Him Lord, Lord and
profess all of their ability. I never knew you. God in Christ. He's going to deal with my sin.
Oh, the depth of it that I don't, I just don't get, I don't understand. But whatever it is, Christ was
made that. He hath made Him sin, who knew
no sin. That I might be in Him, made
the righteousness of God, That's one of those scriptures I'm telling
you, we might as well go ahead and just admit, only the Lord
can fulfill that. Only God can accomplish that.
Only God in His understanding. But I can tell you from these
scriptures right here, based on the scriptures, through wisdom
is in house build it, and by understanding, it is established. It is fixed. And therefore, I
know based on the Word of God, that whatever my debt is to God's
law concerning my sin, concerning my depravity, concerning my rebellion,
Christ bore all of that, whatever it is, I don't understand it,
but he knows. And whatever he demanded for
righteousness in Christ, I am holy. I have no sin to answer
for. None. and I am righteous before God
in Christ. 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. Don't envy the wicked. Don't be envious. Don't be envious. God's people stand before God
by understanding His, not mine. Boy, I'm glad it's not required
for me to understand because I think, what hope do I have
in that? But in God's will and God's purpose
and God's power, the house prepared by the Lord Jesus Christ for
His people is fixed. I give unto them eternal life. and they will never perish. What
can a believer do but say, Lord, I don't even know how to thank
you, but I do. And not only is the house built
by wisdom himself, let's look at this last verse, verse four.
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and
pleasant riches. of the chambers. I looked that
up. The private or innermost places
of a believer. They will be filled with all
precious and pleasant riches. That is valuable and delightful
wealth. Now here the Spirit of God reveals
to God's people that there are some inner chambers in the house. Whichever house. It's innermost chambers in the
house of God's provision. And they're all filled, the scripture
said, with precious and pleasant riches. According to God's everlasting
covenant of grace, there's secret places of wealth in those chambers. Listen to Isaiah 2620. Come,
my people, enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about
thee. Hide thyself, as it were, for
a little moment until the indignation be over. We're in a world and
believers are like all men. There's only believers and unbelievers
in this world. And in this world, humanly speaking,
we suffer just like everybody else. Listen to this scripture. All things come alike to all.
There's one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good
and to the clean and to the unclean. to him that sacrifices, and to
him that sacrifices not. As is the good, so is the sinner,
and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. But though we
suffer like all men, there's a difference in the way that
we walk in this world. The wicked suffer out of God's
justice and judgment and don't know it. They don't know it. Any suffering that men are suffering
right now, they're suffering by God's goodwill and justice. But they don't realize. No one
believer says, I'm getting what I'm getting out of justice. I deserve this. They don't say
that. It's either bad luck or, you know, look at the draw or
whatever you want to say. But now a believer is tried and
a believer because of the revelation in these inner chambers of his
heart, these secret places of communion with God. There's just
some things that a believer can share with the Lord that he can't
share with anybody else. He don't know how to say it.
But the Lord said they're there. These chambers. By knowledge
shall the chambers be filled with precious, pleasant riches."
All these precious and pleasant riches
according to his covenant of grace. He said, I'm going to
provide for you. Paul says in Philippians 4.19,
but my God shall provide all your need. Now there's some needs
that I don't even know I have. until I need them. There's some struggles that I
don't even realize I'm going to have, but I'm going to have
to have God's provision for those. Sometimes I'm suffering emotionally,
and I don't know why. I don't know why. But the Lord
is going to show me myself, and He's going to show me Himself.
And He's going to talk to me. And He's going to talk to all
of His people. inner chambers, these places of pleasantness
and preciousness. The remindingness, I'm not going
to leave you. I'm not going to forsake you.
You think, I'm going through something that I can't grasp. It doesn't seem to be happening
to anybody else. Why am I going through this?
Why do I feel this way? Why can't I do this? I've told
you this before, and it's just wherever you grew up. It's just
a different place. I'd ask my mother, Dad, why can't
I do so-and-so? So-and-so down the street gets
to do it. And because I lived in central Louisiana, and the
Red River comes through Oklahoma and Texas, runs right through
central Louisiana. And they said, well, I'll tell you what. If
so-and-so goes and stands and jumps off the Red River Bridge,
are you going to go too? Wherever you came from, your
parents did the same thing. I don't know how everybody got
the story, but they did. But the thing is, why do I suffer? Why am I struggling with this? And those chambers, that chamber
of every believer, The Lord says, I'm telling you, they're going
to be filled with precious and pleasant riches. His revelation
of His kindness and mercy. And if He's not pleased to tell
us why we're going through it, He's still going to comfort us. It's like when Eli was struggling
and he found out, you know, you know, sons, and he said, it's
the Lord. Let him do what seemeth him good.
It's good. My God is going to take care
of his people. Every chamber of the house of
God's providing is filled with those pleasant riches of his
covenant mercy. And we're always going to be
reminded. We're going to struggle. We're going to be taught again
and again and again. This is for my good. This is
for God's glory. This is for the good of His church.
He's put away my guilt. This is a temporary place. He's
not going to leave me. He's not going to forsake me.
You know Moses, not Moses, Noah. The Lord looked down and He saw
that every imagination of the thoughts of men's heart was only
evil and wicked continually. And he purposed, he said, it
repents me that I made man. I'm going to destroy him. I'm
going to destroy man. But scripture says that Noah found grace in
the eyes of the Lord. And God came to this man, Noah,
who was just like everybody else. There was no difference with
him. And God told him to build an ark. He said, I'm going to
destroy this world. And so Noah, by the instruction
of God, built an ark. And when the day came for Noah
to go into the ark, God told him, he said, OK, enter in. And
God shut the door. And the windows of heaven were
open. Earth opened up, water came out
of the earth, water came from above, and this whole earth was
covered with water and destroyed. But do you know that while the
wrath of God fell, a picture of God's wrath truly that fell
upon God's people, but they were in the ark, they were in Christ.
Do you know that while Noah was secure, in that arc, no matter
where he was in that arc, no matter what chamber, whatever
nook, or cranny, or wherever he was, wherever his foot stepped,
he was always in the arc. He was in the arc. And no matter
where we are, where our path is led, what direction we go,
and sometimes we think we're going to go this way, and God
said, no, no you're not. Why? Why? No matter where we
are, we're reminded. Like Noah. Can you imagine how many nooks
and crannies there were in that ark? But no matter what, that
rain could be beaten down on top of that ark, but he was still
in the ark. He was still safe. from God's judgment and that
deluge of God's indignation against the wickedness of men and that
wrath that was being poured out because of the evil of all men,
personally, it never touched Noah. Why? He was in the ark. All those secret places of God's
comfort, those secret times of assurance. This is how God builds
an ark, builds a house. He constructs it. It's founded
on Christ. He teaches God's people. And
even when they look and envy that temporary prosperity, that
apparent prosperity of the evil, God has assured, don't envy them. I've loved you with an everlasting
love. I put away your sin. And the direction that you're
going, though it's not understood by you, it's my way. And we're thankful for that.
I pray that the Lord teach us something afresh of His sustaining
grace, keeping grace. For His glory and our good. Amen.