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Proverbs 16, verses one through
four. Hear now the word of Almighty
God. The preparations of the heart in man and the answer of
the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean
in his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth the spirits. Commit
thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established
The Lord hath made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked
for the day of evil. Thus far the reading of God's
inspired word. May the Lord bless us in the
reading and hearing of it, and now in the preaching and hearing
of his inspired word. Let's pray toward that end. Our
Father in heaven, we thank you for this word of God. Thank you
for your rule over the spirit, over the tongue, and even over
the wicked. We pray that as we consider your
word, that it may be profitable unto us, that we would hope in
your word of promise, that we would tremble at your threats,
and that we would keep your commandments. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Please be seated. Proverbs 16, we will consider
the topic foreordained to everlasting death. We looked last time at
God's predestination to life from Matthew chapter 25 verses
31 through 34. God prepared a kingdom, an inheritance
for his sheep of eternal life even before the foundation of
the world. We saw that though the works
of the saints will come forth as fruits and evidences of hidden
predestination, yet the kingdom stood prepared from before the
world was founded. It was in the perfect tense.
God prepared this kingdom and it continues in the same state
of preparation for his sheep from eternity to eternity. We saw our duty to rejoice in
God's eternal mercies, in his gracious testament, in his adopting
his people as sons by Christ Jesus, and in our everlasting
inheritance. Now then, Proverbs 16, starting
at verse one, the preparations of the heart in man. Man prepares
his thoughts, his will. He purposes inside of himself
what he will say, but notice the answer of the tongue, where's
it from? It's from the Lord. Now, if there
were anything more free to man than his speech, well, tell me
what it is, because I'm not sure. Many people think they can say
whatever they want. Their freedom is expressed by
their words. They choose every word they say,
but do they? God rules over the tongue of
man. It's from the Lord. Verse two. All the ways of a man are clean
in his own eyes. This is how we tend to judge
ourselves, leniently, with mercy. We prepare our thoughts. God
directs our speech. We seek to judge our ways. And yet God weighs the spirits,
he says. Verse two. the real power of
judgment, the sovereign right to judge all things, as the sovereign
rule over the most free actions of men, so the right to judge
is vested in God Himself. He weighs the balances of your
thoughts, of your intentions, of your immaterial part, of your
spirits. Verse 3, Commit thy works unto
the Lord, This is the same word for Gilgal, the rolling away
of the reproach. Roll your works unto the Lord. Put them in his safekeeping. Roll them into his area because
he can bear them. You can't. So roll them unto
him. commit them to His care. All
that you do or intend to do by prayer and by a serious purpose,
by a commitment of your mind, will, and affections, give them
over to His sovereign care and providence, and thy thoughts
shall be established. Your heart and your mind, as
Paul uses the analogy, shall be garrisoned about in Christ
Jesus. They will be guarded by God himself. As God rules over the tongue,
so he sovereignly judges the spirit, so he sovereignly rules
over our works. And now there's something else
that God sovereignly rules over, which is what we call the crescendo
of this little passage. The Lord hath made, he says. Please open if you would to Numbers
chapter 23, verse 23, concerning this word made. Numbers 23, verse
23, page 181 of your Pew Bibles. Surely there is no enchantment
against Jacob, Neither is there any divination
against Israel. According to this time, it shall
be said of Jacob and of Israel, what hath God wrought? There's
our word, made, wrought. This is the workmanship of God.
Israel is his new creation, his special creation, the workmanship
of his hand. Please turn to Psalm 44, verse
one. Page 612 of your Pew Bibles,
concerning the making of God, the workmanship of God. Psalm
44, to the chief musician for the sons of Korah, Mashil. We have heard with our ears,
O God, our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their
days in the times of old. Psalm 64 verse 9. The work, what
is wrought by God, what is made by God, it's the same in Hebrew. Psalm 64 verse 9. All and all men shall fear and
shall declare the work of God, for they shall wisely consider
of his doing. Psalm 74 verse 12 concerning
this work of God. Page 628. Psalm 74 verse 12.
For God is my King of old. What? working salvation in the midst
of the earth. God made his new creation Israel. God did works in our father's
days. God works salvation and you know
what else God works? All things for himself. Please
turn back to Proverbs. Proverbs 16, page 680. Proverbs 16 verse 4, The LORD
hath made all things for Himself. He has wrought all things, He
has worked all things. It is His deed, it is His doing,
just as the work of salvation wrought by our God of old in
the midst of the earth, so the LORD hath made all things for
Himself. Jerome translates this universa,
the universe, all things universally. Panta ta erga, each and every
one of his works, the Septuagint translates it. All things are
the Lord's work, His making. So our salvation, so His sovereign
making of the whole universe, the entirety of those things
that have been made that do exist or shall be hereafter are for
God Himself, for His own glory, for His own pleasure, for His
own purposes. Now note, In verse four, the
Lord hath made all things for himself, yea, even. Gam is the Hebrew. Brown drivers
Briggs in their lexicon say that this phrase introduces a climax. That's where things come to the
finish. This is the finish of this section. This is the finish
of this verse. This is the main point to take
out of this. Yea, even what did God make for
himself? emphasizing, they go on in their
lexicon, an extreme, an aggravated case. The climax, in this rhetorical
style, emphasizing an extreme, an aggravated case. Well, yeah,
sure, God works salvation, right? Yeah, we like that. God made
the beautiful birds, and the trees, and the rivers, all things
bright and beautiful. The Lord God made them all. Guess
what else He made? All things for Himself. Yay,
here's the climax. Here's the kicker. Here's the
punchline. Here's the crescendo. Here's what you really need to
take away from this, Solomon says. There's something you don't
think God made, but He made it for Himself. Yeah, but, no, no yeah buts. Yay, even. The crescendo, the
outlier, the aggravated case. Here's the climax. Yay, even
the wicked or the ungodly, the irreverent. The Hebrew word means
someone who's committed a crime and they deserve to be punished,
even that guy. Ha-asebes. Sebe is one who is godly, who
fears God. Ha means not. So the Septuagint
calls him Ha-asebes, the ungodly one. Rasha in Hebrew, that wicked
criminal. Jerome uses the word impium,
the impious, the one who doesn't fear God at all. This wicked
man is likewise one of God's works. And why did he make him? Why did God make this wicked
criminal who deserves to be punished, who does not fear God? God made
him for himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil, with
regard to that day of destruction. In view of that coming evil upon
the sons of wrath, he made him for that purpose. Now this phrase, the day of evil,
is used elsewhere. Let's open to Jeremiah 17. He
speaks of this day of evil. A day of suffering. A day of punishment. Jeremiah
17, page 782 of your Pew Bibles. Starting there at verse 15. Behold, they say unto me, Where
is the word of the Lord? Let it come now. As for me, I
have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee, neither
have I desired the woeful day thou knowest. That which came
out of my lips was right before thee. Be not a terror unto me. Thou art my hope in the day of
evil. Jeremiah is talking to God. God,
I didn't haste after this office, you gave it to me. Your word
is in my mouth. And when the day of terror comes,
when this evil day comes, O LORD, don't bring me into judgment
and terrorize me. Verse 18. Let them be confounded
that persecute me, and let not me be confounded. Let them be
dismayed, but let not me be dismayed. Bring upon them what? The day of evil. And what else
is that day? Destroy them with double destruction. Now kids, when you destroy something,
it's absolutely gone. What is double destruction then?
Well, where are men destroyed with a second death? Where are
they destroyed forevermore? Well, that's hell. He's praying
to God, those who have persecuted me as your prophet, when you
bring that evil day, don't terrorize me, God, terrorize them. And
bring upon them in that day of evil, that day of destruction,
twofold destruction, one in their body, one in their spirit, make
it everlasting. That's what he's talking about,
the day of evil. God has formed for himself all
things. He sovereignly rules the tongue
of man and what he speaks. He judges all the ways of man,
even the inmost thought of his spirit. If you commit your works
unto Him, He will bring your thoughts to pass. And He made
all things for Himself. And just in case you missed the
point, here's the outlier that you think, well, God didn't make
Him. He had nothing to do with that. That's all His doing. Nope.
Not right. Not correct. Wrong answer. Even that impious criminal, upon
whom double destruction will come, God made him for himself. God has made the wicked, the
godless, the impious, the criminal. He's made them for himself for
that evil day, for that day of destruction, that second death. God made them for that. Please
open to Job, chapter 21. The holy man, Job, whose patience
is commended to us. Job, chapter 21, page 575 of
your Pew Bibles. Verse 30. We'll start at verse 29. They shall be brought forth to
the day of wrath. Here God has a waiting tank for
the wicked. They're kept there. They're reserved
under the fires of judgment, as Peter puts it. He saves them
up for the day of his wrath, when finally he'll pour it all
out upon them. He keeps them with that day in
view. The day of evil is a day of destruction
and wrath. Romans 9, verse 22. Please open to Romans 9, 22,
page 1141 of your Pew Bibles. If you let your mind think and
dwell upon these things, you might begin to tremble, and that's
a good thing. You might have chills down your
spine when you think of this. God has made the wicked for the
day of evil, the day of wrath, the day of destruction. Oh, God
have mercy. Yes, that's the point. Romans
9 verse 22. What if God, willing to show
his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering
the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? Who did that? Who
fitted them? The potter, the potter did that. He's the one
who endured with his long suffering. They deserve to be destroyed
a long time ago, but he was patient with them, but they will be destroyed.
Mark it down. They will be destroyed. They
are suited to that very purpose. That's why God made them. First
Thessalonians chapter five, page 1193. It is a comfort to those who
are persecuted, as the Thessalonians were, to understand that God
has a purpose for your enemies as well as for you. If you don't
have that knowledge, it doesn't make a lot of sense. If it's
universalism and God wants everybody to be saved, it doesn't make
a lot of sense. How do they get away with this? Well, they don't,
actually. They'll have to pay. So the Thessalonians are encouraged
with this thought of Christ coming in vengeance in chapter one,
when flaming fires against their adversaries that persecute them.
But notice here, chapter five, verse nine. For God hath not
appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep,
we should live together with him. Wait a second, time out,
Paul. God hasn't appointed anybody to wrath, don't you understand?
Yes, he has actually. Paul says, God hath not appointed
us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Peter
2, page 1223. This is no unique Pauline doctrine,
as the theologically challenged call it. 1 Peter 2, verse 7. unto you therefore which believe
he is precious." Ah, you see? The glorious Jesus Christ, precious
to the saints. Thanks for being so positive,
Peter. But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which
the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the
corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to
them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto
they appointed themselves right no they were appointed that's
passive done to them not by them but ye are a chosen generation
a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, that
ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out
of darkness into his marvelous light." Here Peter says, you
know those people who rejected Christ and crucified him? The
master builders who rejected that precious cornerstone? The
chief builders who said, no, we don't want anything to do
with that. That's the Lord's doing, Isaiah said. They were
appointed to disobedience. They were appointed to that offense,
but you are a chosen generation. God has elected you. 2 Peter
2, verse 9. Yea, even Solomon says, you might
think this isn't the case, but you better mark it down. This
is the case too. 2 Peter 2 verse 9, The Lord knoweth
how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve
the unjust unto the day of judgment, to be punished. That's a purpose
clause. Why does God reserve these wicked
people? Well, he's going to punish them,
that's his intention. So he holds them in a tank, he holds them
in chains and reserves and saves them up for what? Destruction. so that they might be punished
on that day of wrath, on that day of evil, on that day of disaster
and judgment coming down, the day of which Jeremiah spoke,
the day of which Job spoke, the day of which Solomon spoke, that
evil day. Jude verse four, page 1234. You know, Pastor, you shouldn't
talk about these things. I mean, maybe it's in the Bible.
Well, why shouldn't I talk about it if it's in the Bible? Shouldn't
we talk about it if it's in the Bible? Some people believe it,
but they just don't want you to say it. Shh. Not that part. Shh. Well, here it is. For there are certain men crept
in unawares. Men didn't know what was going
on. These heretics come in. They're teaching all this filth.
Nobody saw this coming. Well, not quite. These men crept in unawares,
unawares to us, not unawares to God, who were before of old
ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace
of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God
and our Lord Jesus Christ. Men were surprised. Where'd this
come from? How'd he get in here? Who let
him teach? Who laid hands on this guy? You
think God was surprised by this? No. He wrote it down beforehand. He ordered it. It's part of His
decree. That these false teachers, ungodly
men, would be condemned for their sins. Yea, even them. Even the irreverent, godless,
impious criminals deserve to be punished, reserved unto judgment. Even them the Lord hath made
for Himself. I note then this doctrine. By the decree of God, for the
manifestation of His glory, Some men and angels are foreordained
to everlasting death by the decree of God for the manifestation
of his glory. Some men and angels are foreordained
to everlasting death. This is from our confession of
faith. Chapter three, paragraph three. Let me explain. God's sovereign
power includes the making of wicked men unto the day of evil. They are vessels of wrath fitted
to destruction, Romans 9.22. The wicked man is reserved to
the day of wrath, Job 21.30. God has not appointed us to wrath,
but to the obtaining of salvation by Christ's death for us, therefore
others are appointed. 1 Thessalonians 5, 9 and 10. Some are appointed to disobedience
to stumble at Christ, the chief cornerstone. 1 Peter 2, 8. And are reserved unto judgment
by God himself, just as much as the godly are delivered from
temptation. 2 Peter 2, 9. Some are written before unto
this condemnation, ordained of old to that end. These are the
ungodly men, Jude four. Note though, that though all
of this is true, it is the wicked that are ordained to the day
of evil. It is ungodly men who turn the grace of God into licentious
that are before ordained to destruction. God, in his great wisdom, has
suitably designed both the ends and the means to the end. He
has designed their destruction. But note, they will follow all
the means that make to that very end, and they will desire to
follow those means to that very end. God does not decree and
say, therefore, because I've decreed your destruction, you're
condemned on that grounds. No, they will be condemned for
their sins, for their wickedness, which they loved and they would
not repent of, though their conscience said, you shouldn't have done
that. You shouldn't keep doing that. They kept doing it. You
see, ungodly men. Wicked men, impious men, who
do not render to God what is his due. Though they are responsible
to God to obey his commandments, to heed his warnings in the gospel,
yet they are not condemned by the bare decree of God, but condemned
for their sins. William Perkins comments. He
said, we do not hear set down any absolute decree of damnation
as though we should think that there are any that are condemned
by the mere and alone will of God without any cause inherent
in such as are to be condemned. It is the wicked that God has
prepared for the day of destruction to be for their sins inflicted
upon them. For unto the decree of God itself
there are certain means for the execution thereof, annexed and
subordinated. Here's the decree. God adds the
means and subordinates them to the accomplishment of his decree. Brethren, in exhortation, I urge
you to seriously consider these texts. Let these fearful judgments
overtake you. If you feel like you're drowning
under the water here, that's good. You might cry to God for
help. This is the God with whom we
have to deal. This God is a consuming fire,
he says. He is a sovereign Lord. He's
not the pet God that men want to worship and hold him by a
leash and lead him about so that he does whatever they want. This
is not the God that actually exists. This is the God that
exists, the God who decrees and makes all things for himself. Yea, even those things you wish
he never did. This God has done whatsoever
he hath pleased. This God could have said, all
of you sons of Adam are doomed to be for your sins inflicted,
but did he? No, that's the thing that should
make us tremble. Look at these judgments of God.
What am I different from that man? How am I different from
Pharaoh or Esau? Well, I'm not. I deserve his
same end. And yet, has God given me that
end? No. We must shudder, we must marvel,
we must fear at this, tremble at such a sovereign decree that
waits on none and accomplishes His will through all, yea, even
the wicked for the day of evil. We should have our sins paid
back to our face. We should have our grievous sins
visited with destruction. Our rejection of God's voice
should harden our hearts incurably. But has that happened? No, praise
the Lord it has not happened. And do not begin to tempt the
Lord and say, well, let me just see how far I can go down the
road of turning your grace into lasciviousness before you smack
me. No. Stay far away from that. Don't go close to that. Don't
act like Esau or Pharaoh and say, who is the Lord that I should
obey his voice? Give me that bowl of pottage.
I don't care about my inheritance. I'm hungry. Just give me some
food. Have you come then in exhortation?
Have you come to the knowledge of Christ? Do you trust in his
blood, in his merits, in his mediation? Well then, hear the
words of the apostle. God hath not appointed us to
wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Rejoice that you have been chosen
in him. shudder at the decree of reprobation,
and yet marvel at the decree of election that God chose any
that God chose you. Fear His justice, rejoice in
His grace, tremble at the second death, and welcome everlasting
life. Amen. Thus far the exposition
of Proverbs 16, verses 1 through 4.
Fore-ordained to Everlasting Death
Series Foundations of Faith: WCF
| Sermon ID | 22325224412715 |
| Duration | 31:56 |
| Date | |
| Category | Sunday Service |
| Bible Text | 1 Peter 2:7-9; Proverbs 16:1-4 |
| Language | English |
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