Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.— Amen.

The Book of Proverbs Chapter 1:24-33 The Warning and Consequences of Rejecting God’s Word!

Vs. 24, Their “refusal” to listen implies that they heard Wisdom’s call, but chose deliberately to reject it, whether positive advice or a negative rebuke.

The “calling of wisdom” is first to the unbeliever for salvation through the Gospel, (Rom 8:28; 1 Thes 2:12; 5:24), and secondly to the believer through the teaching of God’s Word.

24b is a picture of the Cross of Jesus Christ, “I stretched out my hand” as in Isa 65:2.

Isa 65:2, “I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts.”

It is also like Paul in Acts 21:40 motioning to the crowd to draw near and hear the teaching of Scripture.

We to must do the same toward Him to receive His grace. Cf Job 11:13; Psa 68:31; 88:9

Vs. 26, “I will laugh”, is the harsh reality for those who reject God’s Word, Will and Plan for their lives.

God “laughs” is never exercised in joy or merriment, but only in derision. E.g., Psa 2:2-4; 37:12-13; 59:8.

“Derision” means God can only look upon their mental attitude sins as worthless, useless and with disdain.

Hosea 8:7a, “For they sow the wind, and they reap the whirlwind.”

Vs 27, are analogies of utter despair. Job 15:24-25; Cf. Prov 10:25

Job 15:24-25, “Distress and anguish terrify him, they overpower him like a king ready for the attack, 25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God and conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty.”

Prov 10:25, “When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation.”

By rejecting Wisdom’s teaching they cut themselves off from her help, and even if they were to hear her words at that point, they would sound like mockery, like most good advice given too late does.

Disaster is inevitable. It is not that the foolish face more troubles than the wise, or the unbeliever versus the believer.

The unbeliever and immature believer will not have the resources of Wisdom to help them in time of need.

Vs. 28 is the frustration of being without Bible doctrine in your life. It’s the believer in the throws of disaster who had every opportunity to know better and to have either avoided it or have enough doctrine to overcome it, but they do not.

Hosea 7:14, “And they do not cry to Me from their heart when they wail on their beds; for the sake of grain and new wine they assemble themselves, they turn away from Me.”

“I will not answer”, this means that they have no knowledge of the principles of prayer or the Faith-Rest life. When they need it the most they have nothing to rely upon.

Ezek 5:11, “‘So as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations, therefore I will also withdraw, and My eye will have no pity and I will not spare.”

Ezek 8:18, “Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, yet I will not listen to them.”

Vs 29-30, Bible doctrine is the key to the individual believer’s personal happiness, +H.

Vs. 31, The reap what you sow analogy of Hosea 8:7a. For the individual it is self- induced misery.

“Satiated…”, The various mental attitude sins: fear, worry, hatred, envy, jealousy, pride, vindictiveness, etc. that have overwhelmed their soul.

Vs. 32, “Waywardness” – MESHUBAH, מְשֻׁבָה. Apostasy!

“Complacency” – SHALVAH, a false sense of security in Cosmic prosperity!

The believer can have a personal perfect environment in his soul. It starts at the point of salvation and is built by accumulating God’s Word in your soul; there is no other way, Mal 4:1-2.

Grace Fellowship Church Tuesday, August 28, 2012 Tape # Proverbs 1:24-33 Warning and Consequences of Rejecting God’s Word Prov 1:24-33; Job 15:24-25; Isa 65:2; Ezek 5:11; 8:18 Hosea 8:7a; 7:14 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2012