Please take your Bibles, turn to Proverbs 29. Proverbs chapter 29, we wanna look at one verse, verse 18. And it's found on page 760 of the Bibles provided there in your rows. Proverbs 29, verse 18, we read, where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint, but happy is he who keeps the law. Remember the grass withers and the flower falls, but God's word abides forever. Now, as you hear this verse, you may be wondering to yourself, how in the world can this be a twisted scripture? Well, listen to how it's written in a couple other versions. For example, in the King James Bible, it says, where there is no vision, the people perish, but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. In the American Standard Version, it says, where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint, but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. similar ideas conveyed in the New American Standard. It's based on these versions of scripture that we find a passage that's twisted. Because in working through the King James of the American Standard Version where it talks about where there is no vision, individuals consequently use this verse as a springboard in order to note the importance and significance of having vision and leadership, or setting goals, or ensuring that you have visions and dreams for your life. The argument goes as follows, that without long-term planning, people wander aimlessly. That if you do not have established views in the lives of people, then they languish and do not grow, and consequently, they perish. This is an encouragement, one argued, to simply imagine, or to dream big, or to shoot for the stars. And so consequently, encouragement is given, especially to churches and to church leadership, to have a plan for your future consisting of five and 10 and 20 years in order to avoid being defunct. One individual noted this, my imagination influences my aspirations. My dreams determine my destiny. Therefore, to accomplish anything, you must first have a mission, a goal, a hope, a vision. After all, without a vision, people perish. One minister in a sermon noted that vision is the consequence or survival and growth for the church. It's predicated on a God-given vision. He then notes that without it, you cannot survive. Individuals will perish. And he then lists a whole host of individuals that will die, including children and communities and churches and societies and lost souls and elderly and the sick and the incarcerated. So there are people who are taking this concept and consequently then saying that we must have a vision based on this verse. but they really have failed to see the beauty of what is actually given to us in this verse. Now, with this being said, I don't want you to think that McGee is somehow against having plans and purposes for life and setting goals, and then achieving those goals in order to have structure and intention, or that somehow it's wrong for organizations to have purposes and to have vision statements and to have a plan as to where they see themselves and the achievements that they are wanting to pursue over the course of the next 5, 10, 15 or 20 years. I'm not saying that. But what I am saying is that Proverbs 29 verse 18 does not say that. What is the purpose of this verse. I believe that the purpose and intention of this verse is actually to set before us the beauty, value, and benefit of having God's Word before us. You see that contrast that is brought before us in this verse. So consequently, we want to see just simply, well, what's the context of Proverbs 29 verse 18? And through that context to see then the promotion and the beauty and the benefit of the word of God. And then from seeing that or being reminded of that, how we might then give thanks and praise God for his word. accordingly. And so notice what we have before us. We read where there is no revelation the people cast off restraint, but happy is he who keeps the law. Notice the contrast that is made here. The contrast is established by one simple word, the conjunction but. We don't often think about conjunctions, but they are very important. You may remember when, at least if you were a part of my generation growing up, and you had the Saturday morning cartoons, and with that then you had the lesson in conjunctions, and it asked, conjunction, junction, what's your function? Well, the function of this word is to contrast two concepts. before us. And the concept is that there are those who do not have God's Word set before them versus those who do. That on side A, or the first part, there is something that is missing and consequently it's bad, whereas on the second part, the contrast is there's something that is present and it is good. This isn't setting before us new prophets or new visions or new leadership, but instead it's what happens when you cast off the restraints of God's Word versus those who avail themselves of the Word of God in the blessing that results. Listen to how this verse is brought up in a few other versions. For example, we heard where it's set about is this idea of vision. But listen, for example, to the New International Version that says, where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint. But blessed is the one who heeds wisdom's instruction. The English Standard Version says, where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint. The Christian Standard Bible says, without revelation, people run wild, but one who follows divine instruction will be happy. You see, believe it or not, the translators of the New King James Version did something that was a disservice. They didn't use the best word as to what could be noted in terms of the beginning part of verse 18 by utilizing the word vision. Because as we see, there is a challenge from this passage. And it's not the challenge of leadership insights or formulations for future goals and plans or developing your future with a passion. The word vision here or revelation that's used in the New King James is used some 35 times in the Old Testament. The first time in which it's used, it's used in 1 Samuel 3, verse one and two. And basically in that passage, what is noted before us is that there was no open vision or that the word of the Lord was rare. because visions were uncommon. It's also used elsewhere, for example, in the book of Isaiah or in the book of Nahum or in the book of Obadiah to describe the vision of the prophets. That message which God had given to his servants in order then to reveal his will for his people. In Psalm 89 verse 19, the psalmist there says, you spoke in a vision to your holy one and said, I have given help to one who is mighty. What do we see? The point of revelation or vision is God's communication to his people through his mouthpieces so that his people may know the Lord's will. And what do we see then? As God makes His will known, if that is, or when God does not make His will known, or when God's revelation is not present, we then see the people cast off restraint. The King James Version says the people perish. Again, a poor translation or a poor conveying of what is present there. This isn't the idea that there is somehow death, but rather it's the idea of unrestraint or letting go or a loosening. You see, we don't want to build on the first half of this verse that if you do not have future goals or future plans, then you somehow will have a spiritual perishing in hell or that there will be death for you personally or your organization. It's instead that without God's word, then there is a loosening in one's life or an unrestraint that is present. It's the idea of running wild or running in a manner that's out of control. Consider what is recorded for us in Exodus chapter 32. Exodus chapter 32. This is the passage where Moses has gone up to Sinai in order to receive the law of God. And he's there present with God 40 days and 40 nights. And Moses is having this wonderful, glorious experience where God is making his revelation known. And yet what's happening for the people? Moses is away. Moses is taking too long. Moses isn't with us. Will Moses ever come back? And so what do the people then do? They cry out to Aaron and say, Aaron, Would you help us? Would you make God known to us? And so what happens? Aaron then builds a golden calf utilizing the jewelry of the people. He crafts this image and consequently the people then bow down and they worship this. And Aaron says, behold your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. And notice what is recorded for us in verse 25 of chapter 32 of the book of Exodus. Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained, for Aaron had not restrained them to their shame among their enemies. Go back to verse 19, as Moses comes back, as soon as he is near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing, and so Moses' anger became hot. What do we see taking place here? That people are dying as a consequence of being before the golden image? No. They were given over to immorality. to gluttony and to drunkenness and they were without restraint and without control regarding their actions. And so what then is this first half of this verse telling us? It's telling us simply put that God has given us his word and without his word present in our lives, there then is the evidence. of an abandonment. There's three points that we ought to see in reflection on this first aspect. The first one is this, that without God's revelation, including the preaching of His prophets, we then see among the people a loose restraint and an abandonment of God's Word. Not just in the church, but across the board. Without God's word being brought before the people, the people respond with looseness and an abandonment of God. Isn't that the reflection of the older generation as to what's happening in our society today? Even if we wouldn't argue that our nation is Christian, we would at least note that there has been a presence of His Word that has been influential. But as that Word's influence has lessened, then restraint has also lessened. As God's Word has been abandoned, morality has been abandoned. So much so that even in a Barnum survey within the last 10 years, The question was asked, do you believe that the Bible is the written word of God? And 42% of those surveyed said, no. And then of those who thought the Bible was at least God's written word, an additional 29% said, yeah, but it's not binding for us today. Individuals surveyed, over 70% of those who were asked would at least say, Bible doesn't have any relevance, any significance, any importance to us today. And so if you then do not have God's revelation, we then see that there is a perishing, not in the sense of death, but in the sense of individuals who are falling prey to things that are anti-God and against His praise and glory. So that what happens? People simply go their own way. So what then ought to be the lesson? If without God's word we see a lack of restraint, and the lack of restraint means that anything goes, what does that mean for the Christian? It means then that we ought to then give thanks for faithful ministry, and we ought to furthermore then value it, promote it, and consequently see that it goes forth any and every way that it can. And furthermore, personally, it means that we ought to avail ourselves of that which is found for us in faithful ministry of God's word. The dentist encourages us through the various steps regarding brushing and flossing to avoid tooth decay. And by use of the faithful ministry of God's word, whether by through personal reading or through weekly attendance to Lord's Day worship where sound preaching occurs, you then can avoid truth decay. Think about that for a moment. Without this, there is then the lack of restraint. And so with it, greater restraint is had in your life. As Christ is held forth before you through the preaching of God's Word, as His name is exalted, as holiness is set before you as the life of the believer in response for the work of God through Christ for you, then any and every time you have opportunity to avail yourself of it, you should. For the consequence without means a lessening of restraint in your own life. Isn't this the lesson that is demonstrated to us throughout the book of Judges? The first reference to vision in 1 Samuel chapter 3 is that there was no open vision because the word of the Lord was rare. It was uncommon. It was infrequent. And what is Samuel just come off of the heels of? Everyone did that which was right in their own eyes in the book of Judges. People live without restraint. Why? Because God's Word was absent. His revelation wasn't present. And so if God has given you revelation by means of the 66 books of the Old and New Testament, and furthermore, if He's given you the occasion to sit under it regularly and faithfully and diligently, then why would you not avail yourself of that occasion whenever you could in order to ensure that restraint would be present? But notice then the flip side of it. Back in our text in Proverbs 29 verse 18, We're told, happy is he who keeps the law. The psalmist here, or the writer here, isn't then talking about legalism. He's not simply telling us the do's and the don'ts that need to be present, that somehow if you just follow this particular path or this particular plan, then everything will be good. Remember, the direction of the word given to us is rooted in a love for God. that Christ himself notes that the first and great commandment is to love God with our whole being, and the second is like unto it, to love our neighbor as ourselves. And John is very clear that we love him because he first loved us, that the expression of God's love for us has a consequence in our lives of an expression of love for him. And so, The proverb then is noting a satisfaction in life because one is guarded by God's Word. Dissatisfaction when God's revelation is not present. Satisfaction when God's Word is present. How can we note that? How is it that we ultimately can note that this is the case? Well, reflect on the song that we sang in leading up to the reading and preaching of God's Word. In Psalm 19, we saw all sorts of benefits and blessings that come from the Word of God. For example, the psalmist in verses 7 through 11 notes the perfections and the trustworthiness of the Word of God. It shows to us how through the Word, light is given to our eyes. That it is more precious than gold, of far greater value than rubies. It's sweeter than honey. And through it all, we then are warned in that there is great reward. God's Word is not simply given as a means of conviction and as a means of coming down with a sense of pounding us and scaring us and filling us with fear simply because God has spoken, but in His speaking, He also gives us all sorts of wondrous beauties and treasures and blessings that speak to our soul and comfort our hearts and direct the eyes of our heart upon Him. And the psalmist consequently tells us there's a light that is given for you. There is a privilege, yes, a responsibility, but there is a sweetness and a strength and an encouragement. And so even as we have the contrast of the beauty of God's Word present versus the abandoned or the absence when God's Word is not there, it's important then as believers that we note what then is the comfort that is found to us. The comfort's not found in if you just simply take the right steps as you set before you a good plan or a vision and direction, then you're gonna have great reward. The comfort of the passage is that as God has spoken, you are benefited. As God has spoken, you are benefited. What are the benefits that you gain from simply being given the Word of God. And by reflecting on these benefits, how might this then encourage you to further read, study, and hear God's Word read and preached? The first benefit is that you simply know God. God makes Himself known through His Word. The psalmist in Psalm 19 does tell us that the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork, but in addition to that, he also says God makes Himself known through His Word, which in turn gives us these encouragements, these blessings, these benefits, and these beauties. And so by knowing God, you then are able to believe that he is, to believe that he is the one who has acted in your life, not only to be the one who made you, but also then to be the one to offer you redemption through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In God's word, it points us from the front all the way to the back to this one thing, this one person, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God is sent to overcome our sins. And so through Jesus, salvation is found not in any other, for there's no other name given among men by which we must be saved than Jesus Christ. In him, we have the redemption from all our sins, the forgiveness of all our trespasses. The passage that we learned in Sunday school two weeks ago from 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 30 and 31 notes that it is through the Lord Jesus Christ who is the wisdom of God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption and therefore he who glories does what? Glories in the Lord. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who would believe. And so God then reveals that you are not stuck or dead in your trespasses and sins, but that through his son, he has overcome that miserable situation and brings you out of it accordingly. God then directs you by his word. God sanctifies us by his truth, Jesus tells us in John chapter 17. And so he then grows you, he matures you by his word. And hence you see the benefit and the blessing and the beauty of being able to read and to know and to study God's word. For by it, it is truth. For through it, it is life. By it, you have food unto your soul. You have the true meat and true drink which is Jesus Christ himself as he comes and he ministers to you line upon line, page upon page, reminding you that he is and that he has overcome your sin and that he then cares for you and is working to bring you to an eternal home. Peter tells us that we ought to desire the pure milk of the word, thereby we might grow through its instruction. And so we see then another comfort or benefit given to us is that God causes our faith to increase and our souls to be nourished and strengthened. By the word, we are given great power. The psalmist tells us in Psalm 119 that he has victory over temptation because of the word of God, that he has hidden God's word in his heart, that he might not sin against him, that God's word provides guidance as a lamp to his feet and light to his path, that it is through the word that he has joy, that he has hope, that he has comfort in the midst of affliction, that he then has the shield, the protection by God himself and ultimately embraces his peace. Read through Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the entire Bible, some 170 verses long, 70 plus. And in it, there are over 20 different things that the psalmist tells us regarding the beauty, the comfort, the benefit, and the blessing of God's word. And it's only by every so many verses, another thing is shared, another facet, another dimension, another beauty, another glory. And through all of this, God then comforts you with the hope of the gospel and assures you of life eternal. Do you see the beauty and the benefit then of looking at this verse in this manner? Happy is he who has the law. and abides by it. Happy is the one who has God's Word that has been given to him." This then is a challenge for us because if God's Word abides forever as the prophet Isaiah declares us, then His Word ultimately directs us to one of two places. Either we do not have His Word and we are without restraint, or we do have His Word and consequently we are happy and blessed. So where are you at before the living God? How do you stand before His Word? Is your life filled with unrestraint and unruliness? Do you see simply the outworkings of lawlessness and indifference and dismay? It's because you've lost sight of the point of God's Word, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter assures us that this word is eternal, as we heard from our New Testament reading, and in it, that it points us to Jesus Christ. Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ and are you trusting in him? Do you recognize that apart from Christ, you are still in your sins and you are condemned before a holy, perfect and righteous God? And yet in sending the son, the Bible tells us that God sent his son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. And so believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. and you will have eternal life. But those of you who have believed, are you being blessed and benefited by the joy of having God's Word in your life? Do you avail yourself of it through reading, study, reflection, and gaining encouragement and benefit through the preaching of God's Word and additional times of teaching and fellowship in its discussion. My guess would be that as you reflect on the times in which you lack hope or lack joy or lack comfort, it's those times that you are lacking the study of God's Word and the connection with his people. And yet the times in which you see that joy or that beauty, you find that you're connected accordingly. May you understand the wonder, beauty and glory of God's work through his word. May you experience the joy and the hope and the comfort, the strength and the peace that Christ affords you through his word. And may you accordingly be able to say, happy am I because I keep and love God's word. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven as we Begin to reflect on that which has been set before us. We pray that you would make it so effective that you would bless its hearing, that you would convict where there is the absence of obedience in your word, and that you in turn would uphold us by your spirit. to read and to study and to show ourselves approved, a workman who needs not be ashamed, rightly knowing your word and also taking confidence that it covers every aspect of our lives. May we be a people who are full of vision Not the visions of plans, but the visions of you, the thrice holy God, as brought forth in your word. Teach us by this we ask, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.