Proverbs 16 for the Lord hath
made all things for himself Yeah, even the wicked For the day of evil This is one of those verses that
really Of course we can only just Just scratch the surface so to
speak this morning. We can just make Comment on it as the Lord has
given us a little bit of light But this this verse really opens
up the entire Word of God. The exposition of that verse
is all of the Bible everything Talking about why that that God
has done everything and why he did it That would take a while
to talk about wouldn't it When you think of God making
all things, that of course brings to mind creation, the creation
of the world. What we call our world, the earth,
but so far beyond that, this entire universe. John 1.3 says, all things were
made by him. And in the context of that, in
John chapter one, we see that it was the word that was made
flesh. It was Christ that made everything. And without him was not anything
made. Was made That's a pretty that's a pretty thorough statement Now listen to this remarkable
verse of scripture, I really just want to consider the last
part of it right now But think about this verse of scripture
in regards to our text Ecclesiastes 311 he hath made everything You
know what the next word is Beautiful. He hath made everything beautiful
in his time. He makes it in his time. It's beautiful in his time, and
it's seen to be beautiful in his time. Also, Here's the part that I
wanted to talk about for a minute. Also, he, God, the one that made
everything and made it beautiful in his time, he hath set the
world in their heart so that no man, who's their man, all
of mankind, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh
from the beginning to the end. Nobody can find it out. No man
can find out. Just that he made everything
is too much for us. It's too much for man. It's beyond
us. God gives man the telescope to
reach to the stars and the microscope to look into the invisible world
of the minute. And we've been looking out and
in and up and down for centuries now. And what do we know? What
do we know? Most of what we supposedly know
is stupid. Most of it's stupid. You look
at the conclusions that scientists come to. Conclusions reached by the great
scientific mind supposedly of this world. I'm thankful for
medical breakthroughs. I'm thankful for medical procedures.
I'm thankful for technology. The technology to travel to space
and to do so many things is wonderful. But look at the so-called scientific discoveries of man,
and most of them are stupid. Supposedly the brilliant minds
in the fields of science that concern themselves with such
things, when they speak, it's evident that they couldn't think
their way out of a paper bag. It's a little discouraging, isn't
it? And that's all of us without
the wisdom and without revelation from God. But the most transcendent aspect
of this verse, our text, is not just that God made everything,
but he made it for himself. He made it for a reason. There's
purpose behind it, behind all of it, everything. I love to
think about the little things that he made. The great things
that he made are impressive, and wonderful, but the little
things that he made, he's made stuff that we've never seen yet,
and we might never see it. Well, what in the world would
he make it then? That's an arrogant thing to say. You think he made
everything just for you to look at? He made it for himself. That's what our text says. If
a tree falls in the forest and there's nobody there to hear
it, does it still make a sound? God has ears, doesn't he? What
arrogance. It doesn't have to do with you.
You don't have to be there. He made it for him. And I love
to think of all the little creatures that he made and how he delights
in them. If you delight in them, that's
great. You got in on it. Wonderful. That's his grace.
I do, I kind of delight in them too, you know. but whether you
do or not. And the gospel is the same way. Didn't Paul say, if it's death
or life, it's a sweet smelling savor to him. It's for him. We'll read that in a minute,
Lord willing. There's purpose behind it. He
made it for a reason. Everything he made has a reason.
So we must not only look into, and we do, we look into the things
that he's made. I want to understand, to whatever
extent it's feasible, the things that he's made. I want to look
at them and think about them and see what they are and things
like that. But you don't have to You not only have to do that
if you're interested in that type of thing, what all God made,
and try to understand what it is. You know that we still don't
even understand the human eye? It's too complicated. It's that
big. We don't even know what it is
really. We don't understand it yet. The thing that we use to
look at things, to understand things, we don't understand it. And then when we figure out the
what, start thinking about the why. If your mind's not blown
yet, and it will be, start thinking about why. Here's a scientific
conclusion for you. I've made a scientific discovery.
I think you've probably made it too. Here's a scientific conclusion
for you. Oh, the depth of the riches,
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. You know what science
means? Knowledge. How unsearchable are his judgments? And again, don't always think
of judgments as wrath. You know, we think the judgment
of God. That's everything he decides. Everything he does is
his judgments and his ways past finding out. That's what I've discovered.
And you know, you're not going to discover that by looking at
things. Because scientists, you tell them, boy, you know, you're
never going to learn. Well, yeah, we're getting there. We're learning
that we know this and that. You're going to have to get that
from God. You're not ever going to find out God's doings, why
he did them, anything. And you're not going to know
that without God telling you that and giving you the faith
to believe it. The only way you can know that
you don't know is God has to let you know. For who hath known the mind of
the Lord? For who hath been his counselor?
Who does he consult when he makes what he makes and does what he
does? It ain't you, it ain't me. For who hath first given to him
and it shall be recompensed. All of these things have to do
with our text, don't they? He made everything and he did
it for him. And he didn't need you when he
did it. He didn't consult you and he didn't get anything from
you. Who has first given to him and he gives back. It's the other
way around, isn't it? For of him, and here's why it's
that way. Of him, he's the source and through
him, Christ, you don't have any, you're not gonna get anything
from God without Christ. and to him for his glory are all things. To whom be glory forever. Amen. And think about this for a minute.
I don't know if I can, we might just have to quit. Think about
this though. If we can even enter into it
at all, the Lord's gracious said, need to give us grace to enter
into things that are so far beyond us. We get a glimpse, don't we? There is what God made, all of
it, and there's why he made it, and related to both, there's
what he does with it. Why do you make something? Well,
I might make a bookshelf. What do I do it for? To put some
books on it, to store something. There's a purpose, you know,
there's a reason not only in the glory of it, but in actual
practical use of it. God does things with the stuff
that he made. The word made in our text also
means do. So, And then in our text, we have
this word, for, for. What is the reason God made everything
and runs everything? He is, he's the reason. He doesn't need a reason outside
of himself. If you do something or, you know,
people say they make things and there's nothing wrong with using
it. It's just common language. I made this or that. I've got
a problem with sometimes people use that. And again, well, I won't even say it, but
sometimes we say we make things and we didn't make them. We didn't
make them. God did that. The word created means to make
something out of nothing. But even the word make, we don't
really make anything. God just uses us to make it. But the word, listen, there's
the word for, what's the reason? If you make something or do something
and it's all about you, that's selfish. But when God does that,
it's right. It's right. Because he's worthy. What is the reason that God makes
and does everything he is? Revelation 4 11 thou art worthy. Oh Lord to receive glory and
honor and power For thou has created all things and for That's
the word I'm focusing on right now in our take for that pleasure
they are and were created. You know, he's still creating.
God didn't create water, but one time. We're still drinking and washing
with the same water that God made in the beginning. He made water one time, but he
still, you know, what he might do this morning, he might create
a new heart in somebody this morning. He might just do that. He can do that. For thy pleasure they are and
were created. Now that's creation, here's providence. Daniel 4.35, all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing. Not in the sense that God doesn't
love sinners, he loves sinners. He gave himself for, he loves
his church, he loves his people, he loves his elect. It's not
that they're nothing to him, but listen, in the accounting
of things, in the reason for things, in
the doing of things, you're a grasshopper and so am I. Reputed as nothing. And here's the context in which
he says that, he doeth according to his will, the almighty will
of man. If somehow with my dying breath,
I can tell people that their will is impotent and worthless,
and the idea of a free will is a myth, I will not have wasted
my last breath. He doeth according to his will
in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth
and none can stay his hand. He does what he wants to and
nobody can stop him. You ever think about that? He
doeth according, he does what he wants to do in heaven and
earth, that pretty much covers it. And none can stay his hand. Nobody can slap his hand and
say, stop that. We do that to our children sometimes.
Quit, you're not getting that. Nobody can do that to God. He
does what he wants. nor say unto him, what doest
thou? You can't even question him. You don't have the right
to even question why he did it. You can't stop him from doing
it. And you can't say, why did you, why in the world did you
do that? He did it because he wanted to, and it's none of your
business. If he wants to reveal it to you, he might do that.
If he wants to, he will. But he giveth not account of
his matters. Our text this morning should
and must govern and inform everything that we do. Think about that for a minute.
And not only in the sense that he does govern everything that
we do, "'A man deviseth his way, but the Lord directs his steps.'"
A man says, I'm going to go over here, but the Lord may put him
over there. You see what that means? A man
deviseth his way, but the Lord directs his steps. I'm going
to go into town tomorrow and I'm going to do this and buy
and sell and kick, kick. No, if the Lord will, you shall live.
And if the Lord will, you'll do whatever he wants you to do.
And it may be this, and it may be that. That's what James said.
That's gonna be up to him, not you. Nothing wrong with making
plans, as long as you're, here's what James said, here's what
we ought to say. If the Lord will. It all hangs on his will,
not yours, not mine. And that should govern everything
we do. It should inform everything that
we do. Not only in the sense that he
does govern everything we do, but in the sense of whether we
like it or not. We ought to like it that way.
We ought to bow, we should agree in it. We should want the all
wise one, the only one that's good to do that. We should want that. We should
bow to that. And our will should conform to
that, to him. We should agree in it and we
should purpose in our hearts to do all that we do for his
glory. and in accordance with his revelation. Well, this truth of our text
makes something clear that we need to understand and we need
to praise him for it. Think of it this way, what has
God made and what has he done? If it's all for him, if he's
done it and he did it all for himself, what is it that he did? You say, Chris, we've got two
minutes, you're not gonna be able to talk about that. Well,
we're going to just say it and that's about it. Listen to this
now. If he did it for himself, what is it that he did for himself?
Chiefly and preeminently, God has made himself known in this world that everyone should
know who God is. And listen now, when he made
himself known to Moses, in what sense did he make himself known? He made himself known to Moses
one time. Moses said, show me your glory. An integral to the answer that
God gave him is this, I will have mercy on whom I'll have
mercy. Do you understand the ramifications
of that? The cross is not a response to
man's sin. Man's sin is because of the cross. The word glory in scripture with
regard to God, glory means magnificence, majesty, excellence, exaltation. He's revealing who he is and
how high he is, how powerful he is, how gracious and loving
and kind and long-suffering he is. He's showing that. And that could be the subject
of a lifetime, but the one place where the riches of God's glory
is mentioned. And listen, that word riches
there, you think about what glory means, magnificence, exaltation,
greatness, mightiness. The word riches there means fullness
and abundance. He's about to tell you how much
excellence and majesty he has. That's what it means. How full
and abundant and great his magnificence is. You know how he does that?
Well, it starts off negative. Let's read that part too. What
if God willing to show his wrath and to make known his power endured
with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? Can he not do that is the question
he's asking in the context. Can he not do that? Do you have
anything to say about it? And what? And that he might make known
the riches of his glory, the abundance, the fullness, the
magnitude of his majesty, magnificence, excellence, and exaltation. You
know how he does that? On the vessels of mercy. Which he had a fore prepared
on the glory even us even us The word riches there in the
word glory the way that God shows how much glory he has Which again is why he made everything
he does it for his glory for himself it's to him As he had
mercy on sinners by Christ Jesus through the precious blood of
his son Whenever you wonder, why did God do something? Why
did God do that? You know how you can know? Look
at the result. Because whatever he does, he
does it. Does that make sense? You wanna
know why God did it? Look at the result. And sometimes
we can't see the result. Sometimes the result is not fully
developed yet. Sometimes the result hasn't occurred
yet, but if it has, but listen to this. In some cases, the result
may not yet have occurred, but making a universe, we know why
he did that. Making a world, an earth, a people, the results are in on that. And they wouldn't be, except
he told you what they are. The final result of all that
God has made and done is this. John got a glimpse of it. And
he said, I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round
about the throne. And the beasts and the elders
and the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands of
thousands saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb. Why didn't he say worthy is the
king? That would have been something to say, wouldn't it? Well, that'd
be wonderful. Of course, the, Implication is that he is the
king because he's on the throne. That's where the king sits right
or stands in the midst of it But he said worthy is the lamb
that was slain To receive power and riches and
wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Why did
God make a universe? Look at the result of it and
every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the
earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them
heard us saying blessing and honor and glory and power be
unto him that sitteth upon the throne he is the king he's the
sovereign and unto the lamb forever and ever and the four beasts
said amen and the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped
him that liveth forever and ever they worshipped him without sin They worshiped him in glory.
Christ in him crucified is the point of everything. The lamb
that was slain. The cross is not the response
to the fall of man. Always remember that. The fall
of man is because of the cross. Everything in time and eternity
revolves around Calvary because of who it is that died on that
cross. What is the origin of man? Without
him Christ was not anything made that was made. What's the purpose
of man? For that pleasure they are and
were created. What's the end of man? What's
the destiny of man? Every knee shall bow in things
in heaven and things on the earth and confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord to the glory of God the Father. What about the wicked? Our scripture talks about the
wicked, doesn't it? Every knee shall bow, but not
all are saved. So what about the wicked? Well,
I referred to it a while ago. Thanks be unto God, which always
causes us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savor
of his knowledge by us in every place, by the gospel. For we
are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved
and in them that perish. There's a big difference in them.
There are them that are saved and them that perish, but it
doesn't say there's a difference as far as the glory of God is
concerned. I know this, I know that God
delights to show mercy. I've heard people say that wrath,
that condemnation and wrath in hell are God's strange work. You can look into that, I think
that's right. But to one, we're the saver of death unto death,
and to the other, we're the saver of life unto life. But unto God,
it's a sweet-smelling saver of Christ. He made everything and
everybody, even the wicked. Why does it say that? Because
that's the objection that people will raise, right? Well, what
about sin? Why did God allow that for himself,
for the glory of his son? Same reason he did everything
else. And we're overwhelmed, Paul said,
who's sufficient? We're overwhelmed at the magnitude
of our text this morning. And our insufficiency is highlighted
by it. But thank God if you are a vessel
of his mercy. To the eternal praise of the
Lamb. Let's pray.