So, let's turn to the 21st chapter of the book of Proverbs, please. Everyone have a Bible? If you don't, we have some extra ones back there. Verse 1 says, The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. As the rivers of water, he turneth it whithersoever he will. You know, this chapter actually, the sovereignty of God is seen in so many ways. And we will give you several ways in which we see the sovereignty of God. And first of all, the very first verse shows us in the affairs of government God is sovereign. In the affairs of government, it says, the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water. He turneth it whithersoever he will. The thought is taken from those that are irrigating their land and they have ditches or channels where they can turn the water where they want it to go. And just as the farmer can turn the water into a certain portion of his field, so the Lord can turn the king's heart into whatever way that fits his plan and purpose. Sometimes we fail to realize that, but God is still in control of kings and still in control of governments. Someone said, well, how's the elections going to come out? I don't know, but I know God is in control of everything. I don't know how it will come out, and I don't know who's going to be doing what, and rulers in various parts of the world, and we have corrupt ones, and we have a little better ones, and we have All these things happening worldwide, but God is still in control. And He can even turn the things that we do not understand for His glory and our good. And I don't know how He can do it with something that we have to deal with, but He does it anyway. And we have many examples in the Bible. In the book of Daniel 2, verses 19-21, it says this, Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in the night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. And it says, Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, for wisdom and might are his." Now look, here's what he does, "...and he changeth times and seasons, he removeth kings, and setteth up kings." What? "...he removeth kings, and setteth up kings. He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding." It says, He revealeth the deep, secret things, he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him." So he can see through the darkness of this world. I could give you example after example in the Bible, Isaiah 10, verses 6 and 7. Toglath-Pileser, king in that particular period of time, kings in the providence of God. In Isaiah 10, verses 6 and 7, let me read these two verses, it says, I will send him against an hypocritical nation. God says, I will do this. And against the people of my wrath, will I give him a charge? And he says to take the spoil and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. How be it? He meaneth not so, neither does his heart think so. In other words, he didn't intend to do this. This king didn't intend to do this, but he says he meaneth not so, neither his heart. But it is in his heart to destroy and cut off the nations, not a few. And God says he's going to permit this and guide this in this direction for his own purpose. You look back in the book of Ezra, chapter 7, verse 21. Ezra chapter 7, verse 21. It says, And I, even I, are taxerces the king to make a decree. Now look. And this is a decree to give to Ezra. It's a gracious commission that he has to Ezra, because God had put it in his heart. Why don't you see this? Do make a decree to all the treasures which are beyond the river that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of God of heaven, shall require of you, it shall be done speedily. And you can read the whole context. Notice, this king made a decree that whatever Ezra wanted, it be done speedily. He gave this decree to his treasures. Now look at verse 27. Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, when Ezra realized what blessing was come to him, blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart. You see that? God put such a thing as this this great commission and bounty that he gave to Ezra. It says, Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. It's very seldom that worldly powers want to do anything for the house of God, isn't it? We have other examples. We have Cyrus in Isaiah chapter 41. Let me read this one. Verses 2-4. It says, Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings. Who did that? God made him rule over kings. He gave them as the dust of his sword and as driven stubble to his bow. He pursued them and passed safely even by the way that he had not gone with his feet. Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning, I the Lord, the first, And with the last, I am He." God said He did this for Cyrus and caused him to do what He wanted him to do. He did it for Cyrus, Artaxerxes, and and Tiglath-Pileser in the book of Isaiah 10, verses 6-7, so that God does control things, in spite of how we feel sometimes. Do you and I ever feel like, well, the world is out of complete control, and God is off the scene, and men are going to do, wicked men are going to do as they will. Righteous men are going to try to serve God, and godly men are going to try to live for God. But on the other hand, In all, the Bible says, he maketh even the wrath of man want to to praise Him. The wrath of man to praise Him. So don't ever think that God is withdrawn from this universe. He's still in control. And you and I look at a wicked king or a dictator and we say, how can God be in control with that man in power? Well, He's still in control and He can use that man's power and turn it around to fit His purpose and plan for mankind and for the salvation of men as well. And when we do not feel that God is in control, we're losing the fact that the sovereignty of God works in the affairs of government, in His providential dealings. Look at Proverbs 21, verse 2. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord pondereth the hearts. You know, we are partial in our judgment of ourselves, aren't we? Every way of man is right in his own eyes. Sometimes, even when we know, there is a question about whether we are right or wrong. We're right in our own eyes, you know, we're just absolutely every way of man. But, you know, it says the Lord ponders the hearts. We're weighed in the balances, aren't we? Because God is able to do that. Look at verse three. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. What does God accept? What is acceptable to God? We see in this verse what he accepts, to do justice and judgment, and it's more acceptable in sacrifice than offerings, than gifts. This shows us one thing, that God cannot be bought. Men can be bought with a sacrifice or the gift or whatever, but God cannot be. Look at verse 4. It says, an high look and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked is sin. We talk about an arrogant life, and that's what we have when we have a high look and a proud heart, and it results in sin. In verse 5, look at verse 5. The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness, but of everyone that is hasty only to want. The thoughts of the diligent, the foresight. You know, if he's diligent, he will labor, and he will foresee. His thoughts are foreseeing, and he's willing to work at the same time. He's diligent in his work. Tend only to what? Plenteousness. You see, you think right, and then you put those thoughts to action, and you're diligent in what you do, and it will tend only to what? Plenteousness. You know, I have a hard time feeling real sorry for a man that's able-bodied, And he's always sitting there wanting you to take care of him. I have a hard time dealing with that because most of us have had to work our way through this life. And I think it's right. God says, if a man does not work, neither should he eat. Randy's dad says, no work, no eating. And, you know, it's a pretty good policy. I know there are poor people, there are people that are in need, there are people that cannot do what they need to do. And those are the kind, in fact we're going to have it down here, that God considers the poor, and they should be taken care of. And that's down in the latter part of this, we'll get to it in a little bit. The thought about this is that to be a sluggard and to be lazy is the wrong thing. The thoughts of the diligent tend only to poverty, but of everyone that is hasty, only to want. Now here you have this hastiness or ill-gotten gain, we might call it, only to want. Get rich quick, and he doesn't prosper as much. If a man just wants to make it all at once, usually he's not making it. And then in verse 6, the getting of treasures by a lying tongue. is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. Wealth by unlawful means or practices ends up in death. And then, verse 7, the robbery of the wicked shall destroy them. The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them because they refuse to do judgment. In other words, this man is self-destroyed. He destroys himself. It's like Paul says in the New Testament. a man that deceiveth himself, and James as well. And Paul said also in the book of Galatians that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. So he reaps what he sowed. The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them. His injustice shall return upon him. A man that does injustice will find that it returns. If you're unjust to someone, you can just mark it down, it's going to come back and return. Remember when we used to ride the little old push merry-go-round thing in the school yards. You'd be going along and all of a sudden something would come along and hit you. You had to get out of the way. What goes around comes back around. And it may be to your destruction instead of to your favor. Look at verse 8. The way of a man is forward and strange. By nature it's that way. But as for the pure, his work is right. If you do the right kind of work, you can have a clear conscience about it. And then it says in verse 9, it is better to dwell in the corner of a housetop than with a brawling woman in a wide house. A woman of contention. A wide house means a real house of society. In fact, the marginal reference says a house of society. We need to shun bitter contention. It's better to live in a two-room shack, as we used to say, and be happy, than in a great mansion and be unhappy. I can remember when my wife and I first married, that's exactly what we had was a two-room on the farm, and I built another one on the inn. I had an old mobile home down there. I worked for a trailer house company down in Wichita Falls, Texas. And I got a shower out of a wrecked trailer, a little old corner shower, about so big we didn't have any bathroom. And I put that shower in the corner of that new room. And I mean, it was just great. We had a shower. And I could tell you some more stories about that. But anyway, you know, people nowadays, I wonder if we appreciate it. Seriously, I wonder if we appreciate the conveniences of a place to live and a roof over our head. Paul says, having therefore food and rain that let us therewith be content. Sometimes people cannot be content with anything. I remember another incident when I was pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. Song leader and I went to visit this home. This man worked for Borden Milk Company. And he had been working for him two or three months now. And he had saved up enough to be able to catch up on his rent, his apartment, and have food. And that man was the happiest man in the world. He had a wife and a couple, three children. He said he could pay his rent this week. You know, people appreciated things in some days gone by. I wonder how appreciative we are. Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings and see what God has done. All right, let's look at this. In here, shun bitter contention. We don't want anything of this contentious nature. And husbands and wives should dwell together in unity and harmony and love one another and care for one another. And not either one of them be contentious, as this indicates. And then verse 10 says, The soul of the wicked desireth evil, his neighbor findeth no favor in his eyes. The soul of the wicked, what? Desireth evil. He's bent upon evil. He's going to do it regardless. Did you know that there are folks, you say preacher? You mean this world is like that? There are folks in this world that just want to do evil, and they do not care who they hurt, how it affects their home or their family, how it affects the community, how it affects their neighbor, how it affects society. There are wicked men in this world. Paul says, wicked men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. And that's what accounts for a lot of the things that we have in this world that are so unpleasant to deal with is because it says the soul of the wicked desireth evil. His neighbor findeth no favor in his eyes. He doesn't care about his neighbor. Look at verse 11. When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise, and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge. Look at that. When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise. If you see what God is doing to the scorner, if you see the punishment of God upon the scorner, it ought to wake us up and make us more wise as to what chastening that we might face too. And then we are willing ourselves to receive instruction. When the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge. Do you learn today by examples that you see of people that ridicule God and badmouth everybody? and the end result of their lives and how they end up. Do you learn anything? That's what God is saying here. When the scorner is punished, when he's punished for his sins, The simple is made wise. We learn by what God does. You see, God is sovereign in the affairs of government. And look here, and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge. There's degrees of teachability. He receiveth knowledge. When you're instructed, do you receive knowledge? When you're instructed in God's Word, are you willing to receive the knowledge that comes from God's Word? What degree of teachability do you have? able to be taught. We all need to be taught. We all need to learn. And then it says in the next verse, the righteous man wisely considered the house of the wicked, but God overthrew the wicked for their wickedness. Don't envy the prosperity of the wicked. God is just and God's justice will prevail. Now then, I want you to notice beginning with verse seven. Verse 13, we said God rules in the affairs of government, and He is sovereign in the affairs of government, but beginning with verse 13, God rules in the affairs of the poor. God rules in the affairs of the poor. Look at this verse. Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. If you and I stop our ears at the cry of a poor man, a hungry man, a needy person, When it's in our ability and in our power to help that person, it's going to return, it's going to return. You know, I find people go up to care center and some people, they just don't want to have anything to do with those older people. It's in pain and trouble and left and deserted and many of their families don't come to see them and all kinds of stories I could tell you, but remember, We're all going to get old. There's only one alternative. I don't like that. Death is the only alternative. Someone says, well, I'm young and I'm healthy and I'm, you know, if it's that way now, that doesn't mean it'll always be that way. So you just better remember when you're talking about the condition of any person, I don't care who they are. I know people here that came here with wealth and well off, and we can point to them. Randy and Vicki know who I'm talking about. And now Alzheimer's, cannot feed themselves, cannot tend to themselves, and of course all kinds of money can't help that. So don't ever think you've got it made. The only way you've got it made is God taking care of it. That's the only way. In verse 13, look at that again. Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor. When you see a man hungry, what does the Bible say? Feed him. You see a man without clothing? Clothing. It's your business and mine to care for the poor. And yet we need to be discreet too as to how we help anyone. It doesn't mean we shouldn't use a little common sense in how we do it. Because there's a way to do it. It says, In verse 14, a gift in secret pacifies anger and a reward in the bosom strong wrath. Gifts or bribes are involved in this. Look, a gift in secret pacifies anger and a reward in the bosom strong wrath pacifies these things. People can be bought off. Look at verse 15. It is joy to the just to do judgment. There is pleasure in the practice of the things of God, in the practice of true religion, in the practice of Christianity. What does it say? It is joy to the just to do judgment. But destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. Look in verse 16. The man that wanders out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead." What's that talking about? This man is a rebel. He refuses to walk right. "...wanders out of the way of understanding. He shall remain in the congregation of the dead." Now, in verse 17, we see how God deals in the sovereignty of God in the affairs of lovers of pleasures. What does God do with people that just love pleasures? beginning with verse 17. People are brought to their own ruin by lovers of pleasure. He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man. He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. What does it say there? A man can love pleasure so much that he comes to poverty. In the affairs of lovers of pleasure, God says, they bring themselves to their own ruin. In the New Testament, Paul says there will be a day that men will be lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. If you put the love of God first, you have all the pleasures, and they'll be godly pleasures, and the right kind of pleasures that are satisfying. But if you go out here and say, I'm really going to have a good time, and as the old saying goes, I'm going to paint the town red, I'm going to really kick up my heels, and etc. If you go out here with the intention of finding all your joy and satisfaction in that kind of a thing, you're going to end up not only dissatisfied, but you're going to end up spending it all for that which does not profit. That's what the prodigal son did when he took all his inheritance and went into the far country, and he wasted all his substance with what? Righteous living. So, lovers of pleasures. And then look at verse 18. God is sovereign in the affairs of the wicked. Look, the wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous. and the transgressor for the upright. The unjust is going to be a ransom for the just. It's going to turn back on them. The righteous are going to be delivered and blessed, while the wicked are going to suffer the loss. So God overrules that in His sovereign actions. Verse 19, It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and an angry woman. Spoils comfort. This spoils comfort. Do you hear some amens out there? Who's saying amens? I don't think it's time to say amen, just listen. But anyway, you see what I mean? This, it spoils the comfort of a home, doesn't it? To have this. It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and an angry woman. So this spoils the comfort and the blessings of home. For a woman to be angry always and mad at somebody or something that's going on, and it would be the same too for a man to be angry and mad at anything that goes along, it takes patience of both partners to live a good, happy life, of husband and wife. And if you're always mad at someone, if the husband comes in always on your case, you're the wife, the homemaker, he's always on your case, I'll tell you one thing, it's not going to be a happy home. And if every time he comes through the door you're mad because of some reason or other, it's not going to be a happy home. Remember, you take that one for better or for worse. One guy said, I didn't know it was going to be this worse. All right, look at verse 20. There is treasure to be desired and all in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man spendeth it up. Here's material and spiritual treasure. What kind of treasure do you have? A foolish man spendeth it up. He misspends what he has. A foolish man wastes it, and he wastes it usually upon his lusts, upon things that are not even good, upon things that will profit not. And then verse 21, He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life. And it says righteousness and honor. So if you follow after what? Righteousness and mercy. Here's true repentance and faith. Here's living the Christian life. What's he going to find? Findeth life and he findeth righteousness and he findeth honor. Look at verse 22. A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty. and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof." The wise man can often do great things. He has the right strategy to overcome, and he casteth down the strength and the confidence thereof. Does it make any difference how strong the obstacle is? He is able to overcome it. A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty and casteth down the strength and the confidence thereof. He might have thought he was strong, but a wise man can overcome that. Look in verse 23. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from trouble. Slow to speak, more ready to hear. I think I mentioned once before, that's why God gave us two ears and only one mouth and one tongue, you know. We need to have twice as much attention to the hearing as we do the speaking. Now, it doesn't mean that we should not teach. It does not mean that we should not give advice and counsel. But it means that we should not always be too anxious to speak without thinking. Now, look at this next verse. It says, Proud and haughty, Scornor is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath." Proud and haughty. The wrath of pride. In verse 25, "...the desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labor." What's that? Here's the tyranny of desire. The desire of the slothful. He'd like to have everything that labor would provide. but he's not willing to provide the labor. See that? It says, but for his hands refuse to labor. He just has a great desire, but no willing to earn it. There are a lot of folks like that too. Their desires, in other words, they desire a lot, but they don't want to earn it and pay for a lot. You see, if you have a real great appetite, you better have a real good talent to use your hands and labor a bit, right? And the more appetite you have and desire for things, And for whatever, he says, the desire of the slothful killeth him. The tyranny of desire killeth him. And then the misery of the slothful is what you have. The misery that he's in because he can't have all that he wants. For his hands refuse to labor. Now look at verse 26. He cometh greedily all the day, all the day, but the righteous giveth and spareth not. You know, it says if we give, God will give. Jesus said, give and want. Now listen. And it shall be given unto you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom." Now, God caused them to do that, but He says, given and shall be given to you, it's going to return. And it says, He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord. And you know, God is a good paymaster. He's going to pay back. I've never lost anything. You say, well, I wasted that when I gave to someone, because I know how they use it. Well, maybe they did. But God paid you back anyway, if you did it with the right intention. And He paid you back with interest, regardless of what the person used it for. And so you try to do what's right in the sight of God, and the motivation of your giving is what God looks at. And then the other man becomes responsible for what he does with it. And he'll answer to God for that too. Now, then let's look at this in verse 27. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination. God doesn't care about their gifts. How much more when he brings it with a wicked mind? Look at that. In other words, he tries to do something of a holy nature with a wicked purpose. Look, the sacrifice of the wicked. He said, oh, I'm going to sacrifice. But what? How much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? The marginal reverend says, in wickedness. The Hebrew says, in wickedness. You can't say, God, I'm giving you a gift and have a wicked mind at the same time. Remember, God rebuked Israel many times before. He says, what do I have to do with all your sacrifices and your burnt offerings and everything you've brought? He says, He wants mercy and not sacrifice. He wants you to bring the good of yourself. If you're going to come and bring gifts to God and make vows to God and present things holy to God, He first wants you and then your gifts. And if we don't give ourselves, we don't give anything. And then in verse 28, it says, A false witness shall perish. His doom is certain. But the man that heareth us speaketh constantly, a man worth listening to. Verse 29, a wicked man hardeneth his face, but as for the upright, he directeth his way. A wicked man hardens his face. He defies the law and he defies the rebuke of providence and he defies God ruling over him. He defies everything. He hardeneth his face. That's rebellion. But as for the upright, he directeth his way. In other words, he considers his way. He wants to do what is right. There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. So here's what God does in the the affairs of war now in the last verse. God's sovereignty in the affairs of war. The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. Look at that verse. The horse is prepared against the day of battle. God rules in the affairs of war. The horse is spoken of as the war horse and many trusted in their horses and in their strength. Let's see, I believe it's Isaiah 31. Look at Isaiah 31 quickly. Look at this, verse 1, Isaiah 31, verse 1 says, Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help. Egypt is the type of the world. Woe to the man that trusts in the world for his help. And stay on horses. That means they trust in horses. And trust in chariots, because they are many, and in horsemen, because they are very strong. But they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord. See, they trust in their strength for war. Sometimes men become too pride. too proud and think that they have it made and they have all the power there is. The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. So your real security is of the Lord, isn't it? Well, we won't have time to get into our next chapter. We'll take up chapter 22 in our next lesson. And we thank you for your patience, your kind attention. We'll have this next lesson Sunday evening at six o'clock, the Lord willing. And you pray for it and try to be here. Chapter 22. This is a good chapter, too. Thank you. The stand will be dismissed in prayer.