All right, you can be turning back to Proverbs chapter 21 this morning. While you're doing that, again, Betty is, of course, not feeling well today, and that's the reason she's missing. Remember her in your prayers, and Joel also is kind of under the weather, so pray for him. I think a lot of Joel's problem was just being so much under pressure at his work and at that job. And so, may the Lord give him strength to continue. So, alright, Proverbs 21, we looked at verse 30 last week, Lord's Day, and we're going to think about that again some more this morning. I really struggled over whether to preach this this morning or to go to Psalm chapter 1. But this seems to be consistent and so Lord willing, we'll take a few thoughts again from this. There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. Last Lord's Day, we tried to use this verse of Scripture to emphasize the futility of going against God, whether you're thinking something that is contrary to the Word of God or whether a person is endeavoring in some form or fashion to change the way that God does things, or whatever it is, is a warning against resisting God. The foolishness, the utter impossibility of changing anything that God has said, that God has thought, that God has done, that God has prophesied that He's going to do. It is utter foolishness for one person, a group of people, a nation, or the entire world to do, to try to change anything that God has ordained in His Word. We read quite a few scriptures last Lord's Day. Besides this one, but if we had no other word, it would be enough right here. There is no wisdom. And again, I think that it's a reminder to those of us that believe this already. But I was especially hopeful and prayerful that God would lay it on the hearts of our young people, the children that are here, and our granddaughter and grandson-in-law and our great-grandchildren, which really are too young at this point to really understand anything about this as far as we know. of Roland's mother that was with us. But everything that God says is for His people. Ultimately, it's for His people. So the utter foolishness of trying to go against the wisdom or the understanding or the counsel of God. In Ecclesiastes chapter 8, Ecclesiastes is an excellent book if you want to get some practical Christian living, knowledge of Christian living. In chapter 8, the question is who is as the wise man, and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing. A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed." And then he says, I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. Be not hasty to go out of his sight. Stand not in an evil thing, for he doeth whatsoever pleases him. And then he says, Where the word of a king is, there is power. And who may say unto him, What doest thou? The king is sovereign. He doesn't have to ask anybody. He doesn't have to wonder what He can do. He does as He pleases. That in a secular sense. But what about the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? And not only can He do as He pleases, and not only will He do as He pleases, But what he pleases is always right. It's always good. It's always holy. And it's always just. There's nothing amiss with it. Even as old King said when he was trying Jesus, I find no fault in him. Well, how could he? There was no fault in him. How can you find something that isn't there? But here we have the wisdom of God that is before us. So the question again, who is as the wise man and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? Well, nobody in themselves, first of all, has the wisdom of God And secondly, nobody knows how to interpret anything. We've already had something to say about that not very long ago. God is the interpreter, isn't He? In the 40th chapter of Genesis, And again, the reason I bring this up is because people are always trying to figure out what the will of God is. In the 40th chapter of Genesis, we find in verse 8, and they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to whom? Yeah, to God. Tell me then, I pray you. Now in other places, for instance in Daniel's case, I mean Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream and he wouldn't even tell them the dream, would he? Bruce, how would you like to be faced with a situation like that? But Daniel understood, didn't he? He understood the same thing that Joseph did. And you know, again, that's one of the most interesting things about the Scripture, is how that it concerns people over thousands of years, and yet they all experience the same thing, the power of God. But Daniel had his cohorts, if you will. They fellowshiped, didn't they? And they prayed unto God. And not only did God show Daniel and his friends the interpretation of the dream, but they showed him what the dream was. And he went and he told it to Nebuchadnezzar and he told him the interpretation of the dream, but you know the, I'm afraid to say the sad thing because, but in a sense the tragic thing with Nebuchadnezzar is that he really did not believe the interpretation of that dream until, until God. works in him that belief. So interpretations though belong to God. If the interpretation of it belongs to him, then certainly the very dream itself, if you will, has to belong to God. And what I'm saying there is that the very word of God is, and that's what it was, wasn't it? I mean, the dream that the butcher and the baker or the candlestick maker or whatever, what they dreamed and what Nebuchadnezzar dreamed actually ended up being the Word of God. What the Word of God says is sure. and steadfast and established in the heavens. And it's foolishness for anyone to go against that, but again, this morning I want to approach this subject from a little more of a, I guess you would say, a positive standpoint, in that you and I, if we are God's people, we are glad that there's no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the law. And I think, hopefully, we'll see that more as we go on into this. In Job, chapter 33 of Job, first of all, begin reading, I guess, about verse 12. It says, Behold, in this thou art not just. I will answer thee that God is greater than man. Now this is Elihu speaking to Job. Now, again, as all of us know, when Job's three friends, as J.T. calls them, his Baptist friends, they were always having this conversation back and forth. Job was always arguing with them, right? But he didn't argue with Elihu. I wonder why. because just as they said about Jesus, oh, He has power in His feet. They can't gainsay. No man can gainsay the Word of God. So here it is. Behold, in this thou art not just, I will answer thee that God is what? Greater than man. In fact the apostle tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 that the weakness of God is stronger than men and the foolishness of God is wiser than men. Now of course we know first of all there is no weakness with God and there is no foolishness with God. For God, excuse me, verse 13, why dost thou strive against Him? That's the question, isn't it? But God's people, you see, don't strive against Him. We have been reconciled to Him. Now, don't misunderstand me. I think I can say this very confidently, that there's not a single one of us that at some time or other do not try to justify our sin. But thankfully, you see, God is faithful and He will not allow it. So ultimately, here's the bottom line. We do not resist God because in our hearts and souls, minds, and spirits, we know that God is always good, right, just, and so forth and so on. We do not strive against Him. Now, again, we may try to justify our sins sometimes, but we don't Strive toward that. We love righteousness and it conquers. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. For he giveth not account of any of his matters. So you question God? Are you going to question God? Why, Lord, we just talked about this a few minutes ago, did we not? And people are constantly asking that question. God, why, if You are God, or if there is a God, why did You do this? When they ought to be asking, Lord, give me understanding of why You did this. And not questioning Him. But believe me, that's another thing. For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man does what? Perceiveth it not. in a dream and a vision of the light. When deep sleep falls upon men in slumbering upon the bed, then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man." This is the way that God works. Now, don't misunderstand, it's not literally, this is not a literal thing. Don't think you're going to go to sleep tonight and dream dreams and God's going to teach you the scripture through dreaming of dreams. But what he's saying is it's as though it works this way because in the time that you think not, God will give you understanding of His Word. On the other hand, you can strive to understand something about God's Word and you can figure it out for the life of you. But you know this, that there is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. Then drop on down to verse 23. If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness, then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom." You know the most mysterious thing in the entire world is the fact that God comes to His people and gives them understanding. He opens up their heart just like He did Lydia on the banks of that river. He opens up our hearts and He brings us into His kingdom. and into the wisdom and the knowledge and understanding and the counsel of His kingdom. No wonder we're glad then that God changes not. That there in Him there's neither variableness nor shadow of turning. You can't turn Him from His purpose. Job recognized that, didn't he? Who's going to turn him from his purpose? Thank God that that's not possible. We go to the warning that we're given in such places as Matthew 24 that in these days there's going to be what? False Christ and false prophets and they're going to show what? Signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible what would happen? Yeah, the very elect would be deceived. But aren't you glad that there is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord? This is what we love about the truth of the sovereignty of God in His elective purposes and in His eternal callings. And we finally call it what? Preservation, perseverance of the saints. Because he changes not. And because there is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel against the Lord. Your whole entire salvation depends upon that one thing. But it's sure and steadfast. It is forever. And so, when a person least expects it, God will come. I wasn't looking for Him, but thank God He was looking for me. And really, He wasn't looking for me. He knew exactly where I was from before eternity. There was never an instant that God didn't know where I was, know what I was doing. And He saved me out of it. Since His flesh shall be fresher than a child, He shall return to the days of his youth. He shall pray unto God, and he will be favorable unto him, and he shall see his face with joy. For he will render unto man his righteousness." Not man's righteousness, but his righteousness, Christ's righteousness. He will render it to us. He will give it to us. He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned and perverted that which was right, and it profiteth me not, he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. Now, you want a gospel invitation? Boy, is that one. But you see, it's not going to do any good for me or you or anybody else to stand up and beg somebody to see the light. They can't see the light unless they've got eyes to see that light. But when God says, let there be light, Do we really have any concept of what it means in that first chapter of Genesis, Brother Bruce, when he said that darkness was upon the face of the deep? Again, how dark was that? It was a total, absolute, total absence of light. That's right. God dwells in the thick darkness, doesn't He? But it's not dark to Him in that sense. How marvelous is our God, the one that we worship, the one that we serve. It's just beyond the ability of man to even begin to describe. But we know this. That when God said, let there be light, there was light. And it dispels darkness. Light always dispels darkness. But there was a sun, wasn't there? But it wasn't a ball of fire out there in the space out there. It was God. I am the light of the world, right? That's what Jesus says. And so we understand that. But lo, all these things worketh who? God, oftentimes with man. Oh, how wonderful is that? In fact, go on over to Isaiah chapter 30. Here is an amazing, amazing verse of scripture. I don't know, verse 18, and therefore will the Lord wait that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted that He may have mercy upon you. For the Lord is a God of judgment. Blessed are all they that wait for Him. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. Thou shalt weep no more. He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry. When he shall hear it, he will answer thee. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, does he ever do you that way? Yeah, he does. but listen to him. Yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers, and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." In other words, again, it's God by the directing of His Word through the Holy Ghost and His providence that you walk in faith, not by sight. How blessed are we! How glad are we that there is no wisdom or counsel their understanding against the Lord. Now, aren't you glad because Satan has been trying to undo the wisdom and the understanding and the counsel of God from when? Huh? Yeah. And when did he quit? Oh, he hasn't? No, but in the Garden of Eden, that was his whole purpose. And you know, again, we marvel at that. I'm talking about you and I. We marvel at that. How stupid can he be? But you know, here's the thing. Do you really think that Satan doesn't know that he is defeated? And yet the obstinacy of him and the audacity of him But I think more than anything, it's just absolute desperation. Daniel chapter 7, verse 21, I beheld in the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. You know, that's an awesome thing to think about there that we ought to think about today. Because even in the book of the Revelation, it tells us that, that he's going to make war with the saints and overcome them. Now, that doesn't mean, again, that the church is going to fail. But it does mean, in a very short way of putting it, It does mean that God is going to allow Satan to be turned loose in this world and his message is going to prevail over that of the church. Why? Because that's God bringing on judgment. And if the world knew and understood, it would scare them to death. But they go right on. But that's not my point here. Until, now here it is, prevailed against them until. That's a great word, isn't it? until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that his saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise, and another shall arise after them. And he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings, and he shall speak great words. Now this is the part that I really want us to get to here. And he shall speak great words. What's that next word? Against. But there is no wisdom, right? Nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. But this one speaks great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws." Now you notice it just says that he thinks to do that. He's not going to do it. Why? Because there is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord. You know, that's the strange thing that the world, that even, I don't know, does Satan understand that even what he's doing is because God would have it that way? The world sure doesn't understand it. We talked about that a few minutes ago, didn't we? The world still thinks to this day, even more so to this day, that they are going to change things and they're going to bring forth utopia upon the world. What foolishness! When God is sad, He's going to destroy. the world. And as we read this morning, that he's going to recompense to all those according to what? Their dignities. But this one speaks great words against the Most High and shall wear out the saints of the Most High and thank to change times and laws But it's only going to be until. But if we're not in those times right now, I don't think we'll ever be, but God's word says it. How long is it going to be until the ancient of days comes back? and sets all things aright. Well, that's the part that we don't know. But we do know this, that in the end, he will show himself to be triumphant. He's already triumphant, but the world doesn't know it. But the time is coming when the world is going to know that. But what about us? Where is our rest? Isn't it in the knowledge that He has already accomplished everything that He set out to do and that He will continue to accomplish that? Satan tried to destroy all of that in the Garden of Eden. But he didn't stop there. I mean, he brought the sons of God to observe the daughters of the earth, right, of the world, and brought that unholy bond there together, and what did it produce? The imagination of man's heart is evil from what? From the beginning. And so God destroyed the world with a great flood. They're still trying to either prove or disprove that flood. Some of them are trying to prove it and some of them are trying to disprove it. But all they have to do is just read the Word of God and understand that there is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel against the Lord. But what was that all about? Well, it was Satan trying to. He was striving against God. And he was striving. How many other times down through the history of the world can we say that? Actually, in every one of those four kingdoms, were they godly? No. They were most ungodly. But then we come to, first of all, the temptation of Christ. What do you think Satan was trying to do there? What was he doing? He was going against the wisdom, the understanding, and the knowledge, or the counsel of God. But what did Jesus use to contradict that? The very Word of God, that there is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against. And then comes the cross. Now we can't begin to conceive of what Satan's thoughts were when Christ died. But whatever they were, they were vain, weren't they? Why? Because even as Jesus laid in that grave for three days and three nights, He was going to rise from the dead and He was coming out of that grave and He was going to sit on the right hand of the Father on the throne of heaven. because it had already been prophesied. And there is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. Aren't you glad? And so, Satan makes war where? in heaven, right? Now there's big, you know, lots of discussion, lots of argument. Well, when did that war take place? Was it before Christ? Was it after Christ? Whatever, whatever. But the point is that Satan made war in heaven. And who was he warring against? He was warring against God. But guess what? He was cast out into the earth for a short season. We can tell you one thing. We may not know a whole lot about Satan and why he has done what he did and all these kinds of questions and things that come up. But we do know that when he was cast out of heaven, What did it signify? The end. His end. And the end of all sin and all corruption. Because why? Because there is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord. And one day, our Lord is coming back because we've been told that He will. Are you glad this morning that God changed it not? that His Word is established forever in the heavens and that His Word is the Lord Jesus Christ.