Proverbs. Proverbs. Parables. The only way that the Lord Jesus
Christ ever spoke. Parables. Without parables, spake He not. Why is that, Lord? They ask him,
why do you speak in parables? Why do you speak in these messages that seem to be easily
understood, but they're not? They're not. He says, because it's given unto
you to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, and to them it's
not given. Proverbs. Chapter 1. Last week we looked at that first
part of the 7th verse. The fear of the Lord. The respect. The fear, the respect of Jehovah. That's capital L-O-R-D. The fear, respect of Jehovah. Father, Son, Spirit is the beginning of knowledge. It is, the writer
says, it is the foundation. If you want to know where all knowledge of Almighty God
starts for me, for you that believe. If you want to know where it
starts, what is the foundation of knowledge? The Lord says this
is eternal life. This is life eternal. That they
may know Thee. They may have knowledge of Thee. You don't know. who you've not
heard of and you don't hear of. Faith cometh by hearing. Hearing
by the Word of God. How are they going to hear unless
God sends a preacher? But whenever a man or a woman
truly hears with ears, spiritual ears to hear, when they truly
hear, where, what, how does it How does it start? Where does
it begin? Respect. Respect. The fear of the Lord. There is a respect that Almighty
God gives those that He calls out of darkness. They respect
Him. Now you know The Lord Jesus Christ
said, where two or three are gathered together in My name,
I'm in the midst of you. And that knowledge right there,
what we just quoted, that Scripture that came from the lips of Him
who is God Almighty, you stop and you realize, you think to
yourself, oh, you know, I'd forgotten that. I know he said it, but
it just slipped my mind just like a while ago. Thanks be unto
Him who has robed us in His righteousness and has not left us to keep ourselves. Just that remembrance, I mean,
that forgetfulness, Gene, would have been enough to put me in
hell. I forgot. I didn't respect it. I didn't.
But just the thought that he's here. causes you to have a respect. Lord, just the realization that
you're in this place, that the presence of Him who is indescribably
holy, I could say holy, and that's enough. He's holy. And I can't even enter into the
depth, to the height, to the breadth of what I said. He who is holy in My presence. Moses, take off your shoes. For
he stands holy because of His presence. Now you that believe, it's like
you can almost, you think, you know, I think I can almost begin
to enter into that. I think I can. But oh, how little
reference I give Him. And I know He's due it. I know
He is deserving of it. I know it. Oh, Lord, help me. Like you just prayed, help us.
Help us. This is the principal part. The
fear of the Lord is the principal part, the beginning, the foundation. Respect of the Lord. The fear of the
L-O-R-D, capital everything. The respect of Him, the Father
that chose us. The respect of Him that redeemed
us. The respect of Him quickens us,
seals us, keeps us, teaches us the Spirit of God. The fear,
the respect of God is the beginning of knowledge. But fools. Now, realize this. These parables,
these Proverbs that we're reading, the world can read these words. They read the words that we're
reading. And they have, comparatively speaking to intelligence
and stuff, men can read these words and they hear them. And
they say, I know exactly what that means. I can figure that
out. The Lord told His disciples,
He said, I'm teaching you in parables. Because it's given
unto you to know. Unto them it's not given. So
I'm telling you that what we're reading right here is a message
from God Almighty to His people. And it's spiritual. It's life. It's not carnally discerned. I'm going to show you that, Lord
willing, in a minute, how you can read something and you don't
You don't see it, but for having ears to hear and eyes to see. The fear of the Lord is the foundation,
the beginning of knowledge. Now, you know that. You that
believe know that. You know that without a new heart, there's no respect of God. We have respect for everything
else. That's just the way we are. We're just too busy. We're too
busy. We're too busy to listen, too
busy to hear, too busy to care. We just don't care. Fear the Lord, but fools despise
wisdom and instruction. Romans 3. Here is the epitaph
of man apart from Christ, Romans 3.10. Here is man. This is man. This is man as he is born in
Adam, Romans 3.10. As it is written, there is none
righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth. Men say, I understand. God says,
you don't. There's none that seeks after
God. Men will stand in pulpits and say, seek the Lord. God says, there's none that seeks
after Me. They're all gone out of the way.
They're all together become unprofitable. There's none that doeth good,
no, not one that throat an open sepulcher. The throat is nothing
more than an opened up grave. That's all it is. Their tongues
they've used to seek. The poison of asp is under their
lips. Their mouth is full of cursing
and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed
blood. Destruction and misery are in
their ways, the way of peace. Had they not known, there's no
respect, fear of God before their eyes. And the old heart will
say, that's not so. The heart is deceitful above
all things. God says this is the way it is. And man by nature says, well,
that may be somebody else, but that's not me. And the Scripture
says there's none. And man by nature appeals to
man by nature and says do this and do that. And God says you
won't. Fools despise wisdom. They hold in contempt. They despise
it. That's what it is. They hold
it in contempt. Fools despise wisdom. Fools despise Christ. Wisdom. The wisdom of God. Fools despise Him. They despise instruction. They
despise warning. They despise chastisement. They have no respect of God.
No fear. No dread of wrath. No desire
for God's favor. No desire for God's presence. No desire for God's grace. And
you think, how blind man is by nature. And you think, that God
Almighty would give me eyes to see. That's the way I see. That's
the way I think. Despise Him. Verse 8, My son, hear the instruction of thy father,
and forsake not the law thy mother. Now there's one of those Scriptures
that's so easily understood. That's so easily understood. The world says, listen to your
parents. Listen to what your parents have
got to say. They've gone through some tough
times. They've gone through some learning
experiences. They've earned all those scars
and those heartaches. They've earned that. Listen to
your parents. That's wonderful advice and I
would highly recommend it. But that's not the heart of this
passage. Almighty God is speaking to His
people. These are the words of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Verse 1 of Proverbs 1 says, these
are the proverbs, these are the parables of Solomon, the son
of David, the king of Israel, These are the words of the Spirit
of God that speaks of Christ, and a greater than Solomon is
here. My son, my son, you that I have established
and cause to continue, my son, now are you the sons of God.
This scripture, verse 8, It is easily understood, naturally
speaking, if you see nothing more than a good instruction
to say this. Listen to what your parents has
got to say. But as much as I love my parents,
they are not all knowing. They are not all wise. I need that which is stable.
My son, hear the instruction of thy father." This is more
than a natural father, but it means the word, their father,
means the first of the group. The first of the group. Let me just read this to you.
Joshua 24. Here is the word used in the light that it's given.
Joshua 24, 3, I took your father Abraham from the other side of
the flood and led him throughout the land of Canaan and multiplied
his seed and gave him Isaac. Abraham was not the immediate
father as far as generation is concerned, but he was the representative. He was the type. He was the first
of the group. is what it means. Well, I understand
Abraham being a type of the faithful. A type of. But I'll tell you
this, to be more respectful and more correct in our here the
instruction of thy father, let me go to the source of this.
Let me go to the heart of it. Let me go to Him who is my Abba
Father, my Father. Lord, teach us to pray our Father. When we pray, we
pray unto Him who is our Father, Father. It is by His instruction. Hear the instruction of thy Father. It is by his correction and his
chastisement, that's how we're taught. Listen to John 6.45. John 6.45. When I say, you know,
I do, I would tell you in a heartbeat, you children and as you grow
up, still your children, your parents are here, I would highly
recommend. My mama's here. I respect what
she has to say. She's my mother. She's due the
respect. Listen to the words of the Lord
Jesus Christ on hearing the instruction. Hear the words of your Father.
It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught
of God. Every man therefore that hath
heard and hath learned of the Father cometh to me. What does the Spirit of God say
in verse 8 of Proverbs 1? My son, hear the instruction. Hear the chastisement. Hear the
correction of thy father. Who do men say that I am? Peter
said, Son, this prophet, this prophet. Who do you say I am?
Peter said, You're the Christ. You're God's anointed. You're
the Messiah. And the Lord told him, he said,
Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah. Flesh and blood didn't teach
you that, but my Father which is in heaven. Hear the instruction of thy Father, the Eternal Father. And forsake
not the law of thy mother, My mother, Timothy, had a godly mother and
grandmother. Paul told Timothy, he said, they
taught you the Scriptures of your youth. They were able to
make you wise unto salvation. But what about this mother here?
Forsake not the law. of thy mother." Number one, who
is our mother? Well, from the words of the Master,
turn to Matthew 12. Now this is the Lord Jesus Christ
speaking, and we would do well to hear His words. Who is our
mother? Matthew 12, verse 46. The Lord is approached while
he yet talked to the people. Behold, his mother and his brethren
stood without desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto
him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring
to speak unto thee. But he answered and said unto
him that told him, Who is my mother and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand
toward his disciples and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren,
whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven,
the same is my brother and sister and mother." Who is the mother? Paul gives under the inspiration
of the Spirit of God another. Turn to Galatians 4. Galatians
4. The Lord has just told us that
His mother, His brother, His sister are those that are His
in electing grace. His brethren. Bone of His bone,
flesh of His flesh. Who is my mother? He said, look
at these disciples right here. Those that do the will of my
Father. Those that have chosen in electing
grace. Those that I came into this world
to save. That's my mother. Those are my brethren. That's
my family. You want to know my family? You
want to know my brethren? My mother? Look at Galatians
4 verse 22. 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 he
of the free woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory?
For these are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai with
Gendroth to Bondage, which is Agar. This Agar was Mount Sinai
in Arabia, and answereth, or is in the same rank with, to
Jerusalem, which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother
of us all." Now, these are hard things. Well, but for the grace
of God, they're impossible things to understand. You start talking
about a mother and the world says, I understand what a mother
is. I know what, you know, I know what respect is. I know how to
hear the instruction of my father and forsake not the law of my
mother. I understand who the mother is. The Lord says, no,
you don't. No, you don't. Who is my mother? This is Lord
speaking. He looked at his brethren. And
he said, this is my mother. This is my family. These are
my beloved. These are my chosen ones. Who is the mother, Paul? The mother of promise. Not the
mother of works, but holy Jerusalem. The city of promise. That's the
mother. So there's the mother. So we
know who the mother is. But what about her law? Forsake
not the law of your mother. What do you mean, Lord? You're
speaking in parables. And I see, Lord, You're telling
us, my son, You're saying to us who are sons, sons by choice,
sons by adoption, sons by purchase. Lord, I know You're talking to
us. Teach us what you're saying. Hear the instruction. Hear the
chastisement. Hear the correction. And a believer
does. Those that the Lord loves, He
corrects. He chastens them. I never spanked
one of my kids just because I got up that day and I wanted to.
Oh, I hated to do that. I think to myself, why? Why'd you do that? Now, you know
I've got to correct you. It wasn't a joyful thing. Brad,
I didn't enjoy spanking my kids. Oh, I just wish they'd just listen.
But I'm telling you, it was the best thing in the world for them.
Oh, best thing. I told you this. Gabe told me.
He's 18 years old. He said, Dad, the best thing
you ever did spanked me. I said, I know that. I'm just
glad you know it. Hear the instruction of thy father,
and forsake not the law of thy mother." Who is my mother? Where did I come from? I'll tell
you where I came from. I came from the promise of God
Almighty. I came from the electing grace
of God Almighty. There's my mother. Heavenly Jerusalem. Born by promise, not by works
of righteousness. That's Hagar. But Sarah, that
was an allegory. That was an allegory of promise. That's my mother. That's where
I was born. Born in the heart of God's purpose and grace and
mercy. But what is her law? What do
you mean her law? Forsake not the law. Turn to
Romans 3. Let me show you the mother's
law. Here's her law. Romans 3. Romans 3, verse 23. Romans 3, 23. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. That being justified,
I'll say it one more time. When you see the word justified,
Realize that that word right there is setting forth that there
has been sin committed. But that Almighty God would not
impute the guilt of that sin. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. Won't charge him with it. Justified. Justified before the law of God.
In myself, I'm a sinner. And being a sinner, that sin
has a penalty that goes with it. The soul of sin is going
to die. But he who was made sin, that
I might be made the righteousness of God in him, justified me. I don't charge you with that.
Why? Because I charged it to my Son. Justified me. Being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption, through the blood, through the
sacrifice that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be
a propitiation, a satisfaction through faith in His blood to
declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are
passed through the forbearance of God. to declare, I say at
this time, His righteousness, that He might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Where is boasting
then? It's excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law
of faith. Do you want to know what the
law of the mother is? Faith. What's her law? This is her law. She believes
God. Not by works of righteousness
that she's done. My son, hear the instruction
of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. Lord,
I will forsake not the law, the law of faith of the heavenly
Jerusalem, only because you keep You leave it to Me and I will
forsake you." What is the law of the mother? The true mother. The mother of promise. The mother
of the brethren. The mother by choice of Almighty
God. By redemption. By regeneration. What? Who is it? It's God's people. What's her law? Her law is faith.
She believes God. She looks to nothing within herself. You who are sons, this is what
the writer to Proverbs, give attention and consider in chastisement,
instruction of the Father. Hear Him whom the Father has
sent and forsake not the law, the law of faith of heavenly
Jerusalem. Lord, I will forsake not the
law of faith. only because you're able to keep
that which I've committed unto you against that day. Leave it
to me, and Lord, I can't. Last verse, verse 9, For they
shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about
thy neck. You know, here's another one
of those parables where we read it. You read that and you think,
Boy, I tell you what, if I listen to my mom and daddy, and I'll
be an obedient son, and do like my parents says, boy, I'll grow up to be a good
kid. There'll be ornaments of grace
unto my head, chains about my neck. they shall be an ornament of
grace unto thy head." Looking back in verse 8, if I
am by the grace of God given ears to hear the instruction
of the Father, and if by the grace of God He has kept me to
forsake not the law of faith of the heavenly Jerusalem. Do you know what that's going
to be? That's going to be an ornament of grace unto Him who is my Head. Not unto this. Christ is the
Head. It is an ornament of grace. It
is a wreath of favor unto Him who is my head." He's the head. We're the body. Where does all
the glory and praise and grace go? It's an ornament of grace unto Him who is my Lord, my God. my head. But I will say this, there are some chains that will
be about the believer's neck. Now all the praise, the wreath,
the ornament of the victory will go to him and goes to him and
always goes to him. But what about these chains about
thy neck? What do you mean? Chains about
thy neck. These jewelries of grace that the bride
is arrayed in. Song of Solomon. Let me read
this to you. 1 Tim. Thy cheeks are comely
with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. Now you
know when the Lord is speaking in the Song of Solomon, when
He is speaking to His people, He's telling her what He has
done for her. In Ezekiel 16, when the Lord
was walking by and He saw the child. Let me read this to you. Ezekiel 16, 10, I close thee
also with broader works. shod thee with badger skin, girded
thee about with fine linen, covered thee with silk. I decked thee
also with ornaments, put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain about
thy neck. I put a jewel on thy forehead,
and earrings in thy ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine
head. Thou wast decked with gold and silver, and thy raiment was
fine linen and silk and broadered work. Thou didst eat fine flour
and honey and oil. Thou wast exceeding beautiful.
Thou didst prosper into a kingdom. Thy renown went forth among the
heathen for Thy beauty." He's talking about Himself arraying
His people in His righteousness. And you know that's what He's
talking about. I made you beautiful. I put the
chains. But let me ask you this. These
chains of beauty. that are around the neck of those
that God Almighty has taught to hear the instruction of the
Father and to forsake not the law of thy mother. What are they? I'll tell you what I think. 1
Corinthians 1.30. And I can tell you this, it's
all coming back to Him. And you know that. Here's the chains of beauty of
which He has arrayed us, but of Him, of God Almighty the Father,
are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us." Now here's
the beauty of which we are arrayed. He is made unto us. This is life eternal that they
may know Thee. I don't know Him save by, in,
and through Him who is wisdom." I don't know God. How do I know
God? But He who is wisdom to me. He who is my wisdom. He said,
I know the Father. This is life eternal that they
may know Thee. Oh, the ornament of wisdom. Righteousness. Justification. Lord, I'm a frail creature. I can't
keep myself. But Lord, You justified me freely
by Your grace through the redemption at Calvary. What an ornament of beauty. He
has made unto us righteousness and sanctification. Holiness. Holiness. He is our holiness
before God Almighty. I am not holy in myself. And
redemption. What chains of beauty. We stand
forever. We stand pure. But we stand in
Him. What a necklace He has arrayed
us with. He said, I put the jewels on
you. I clothed you. I put the ornaments
on you. To stand before God Almighty
and to be arrayed in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, what
beauty! What peace! What comfort! Who fears the Lord? The fear
of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but let me ask you
this. Who respects Him save our federal head? And I wish I could
say I feared the Lord as I ought, but I don't. I wish I could say
I respected Him like I should, but I don't. But I'll tell you
one that does. I'll tell you one that absolutely
is respected. It's the Beloved Son. This is
my Beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. And you know what? He's my righteousness. Who hears with respect? Who hears
with knowledge and instruction? What man heard the instruction
of the Father, and did not forsake the law of his mother, who but
Him?" He says, the words that my Father speak, that's what
I speak to you. I hear Him. Here He is, the Man, Christ Jesus. Oh, that these things that are
instructions to me might be realized that it's Him. His fear. His hearing. His obedience. That's an ornament
of grace unto Him. And chains of beauty about His
body. Paul says, I am what I am by
the grace of God. These parables. Men read them
and they say, I understand that. The Lord says, no, you don't.
not until Almighty God opens your eyes to see the glory of
Christ, the beauty in Him who is our life. Amen. Let's stand together.