"The Beginning of Wisdom" Exodus 9:13-35

[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the preaching ministry of the Agopic Baptist Church in George, South Africa.

[SPEAKER_01]: Good morning church.

[SPEAKER_01]: As always, it's a joy to be together.

[SPEAKER_01]: If you would, please turn with me to Exodus chapter 9 as we continue our study through this book of the Bible, Exodus 9.

Exodus 9 · chapter mention

[SPEAKER_01]: We've now come upon the seventh plague.

[SPEAKER_01]: And this account is quite long, so we'll just deal with the 7th plague this morning.

[SPEAKER_01]: Exodus chapter 9.

Exodus 9 · chapter mention

[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to begin this morning with the question again, the question.

[SPEAKER_01]: The question is this, what is wisdom?

[SPEAKER_01]: What is wisdom?

[SPEAKER_01]: So some clarifying questions.

[SPEAKER_01]: How can you know if someone else has wisdom?

[SPEAKER_01]: How can you know if you have wisdom?

[SPEAKER_01]: How can you know?

[SPEAKER_01]: Defining it would help.

[SPEAKER_01]: So some clarification.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not asking about intellect, advanced learning or data retention, of many of us struggle with data retention.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm one of those.

[SPEAKER_01]: But wisdom is something more.

[SPEAKER_01]: Perfect data retention to have wisdom.

[SPEAKER_01]: Thankfully, our many of us would be in trouble.

[SPEAKER_01]: You don't have to go to university to have wisdom.

[SPEAKER_01]: You don't have to go to college.

[SPEAKER_01]: You don't even have to graduate, metric to have wisdom.

[SPEAKER_01]: Thankfully, what is wisdom is something else.

[SPEAKER_01]: Wisdom could be defined as the ability to skillfully apply the truths of God to the fluctuating circumstances of life.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's a bit wordy, so we could shorten it to the ability to apply truth to life.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's an ability.

[SPEAKER_01]: So let's narrow this question down even more.

[SPEAKER_01]: The scriptures are full of it.

[SPEAKER_01]: Let's narrow it down even more.

[SPEAKER_01]: Where does wisdom begin?

[SPEAKER_01]: How do we start on this journey?

[SPEAKER_01]: Or does it start?

[SPEAKER_01]: What's core to wisdom?

[SPEAKER_01]: What's at its core?

[SPEAKER_01]: What is the first step we must all take in order to enter onto the path of wisdom and stay there?

[SPEAKER_01]: That first step, I would argue, from Scripture, that first step is the fear of the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: Because it passages like Psalm 111, verse 10, it's not the only one, it's just one of them.

Psalms 111:10

[SPEAKER_01]: But Psalm 111, verse 10 says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Psalms 111:10

[SPEAKER_01]: And I'd argue that scripture teaches, it begins there, and it's foundational to wisdom.

[SPEAKER_01]: You never lose it.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's the beginning and the foundation of wisdom, the fear of the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: And this is the point of our passage, Exodus 9.

[SPEAKER_01]: This is one of the primary points, and possibly the primary point of Exodus 9, our passage this morning.

[SPEAKER_01]: When you come to know the character of God,

[SPEAKER_01]: Wisdom demands you fear him.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's the primary theme, I believe, of our passage this morning.

[SPEAKER_01]: When you come to know of Yahweh, Wisdom demands that you fear him.

[SPEAKER_01]: So let's read our passage together this morning.

[SPEAKER_01]: Exodus 9, I'm gonna begin reading in verse 13, through 35, it's a long passage, but it is a narrative, and so it will help us along the way, Exodus 9, verse 13.

Exodus 9:13

[SPEAKER_01]: Then the Lord said to Moses, rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, thus says the Lord God, the God of the Hebrews.

[SPEAKER_01]: Let my people go that they may serve me.

[SPEAKER_01]: For this time, I will send all my plagues on you yourself and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth.

[SPEAKER_01]: For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestulence and you would have been cut off from the earth.

[SPEAKER_01]: But for this purpose I have raised you up to show you my power so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

[SPEAKER_01]: You are still exulting yourself against my people and will not let them go.

[SPEAKER_01]: The whole, about this time tomorrow, I will cause very heavy hail to her fall, such as has never been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.

[SPEAKER_01]: Now therefore, sinned, get your livestock and all that you have in the field and to save shelter for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.

[SPEAKER_01]: Moses tells us, then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves in his livestock into the houses, but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his slaves in his livestock in the field.

[SPEAKER_01]: Then the Lord said to Moses, stretch out your hand toward heaven so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast in every plan of the field in the land of Egypt.

[SPEAKER_01]: The Moses stretched out a staff toward heaven and the Lord sent thunder and hail and fire ran down to the earth and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

[SPEAKER_01]: There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

[SPEAKER_01]: Then the hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast.

[SPEAKER_01]: and the hail struck down every plan of the field and broke every tree of the field.

[SPEAKER_01]: Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was their no hail.

[SPEAKER_01]: Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, this time I have sinned, the Lord is in the right, and I am my people are in the wrong, plead with the Lord for plead with the Lord for there's been enough of God's thunder and hail.

[SPEAKER_01]: Moses said to him, as soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands the Lord, the thunder will cease and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord's.

[SPEAKER_01]: But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.

[SPEAKER_01]: The flocks and the barley were struck down for the barley was in the year and the flocks was in bud, but the wheat and the emmer were not struck down for they were

[SPEAKER_01]: Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the Lord and the thunder and the hail ceased and the rain no longer poured upon the earth.

[SPEAKER_01]: But when Pharaoh saw the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sent yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

[SPEAKER_01]: So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses until there.

[SPEAKER_01]: Let's pray to

[SPEAKER_01]: Heavenly Father, we praise you for your power and might, your power to destroy and your power to say.

[SPEAKER_01]: But what I pray that our hearts would be open to hear from you from your spirit through the Word of your great power

[SPEAKER_01]: that it would evoke fear in us a godly, righteous fear in that we would respond appropriately each one where we are at in our lives, in our relationship with you.

[SPEAKER_01]: I ask this all in your dear son's name, Jesus Christ, amen.

[SPEAKER_01]: So first, the first point is that God desired that people would know him.

[SPEAKER_01]: Our passage emphasizes three times this purpose of God in the sinning of the plague.

[SPEAKER_01]: His purpose is that the whole earth would know the name of Yahweh, and when you run into that phrase that they would know the name, it's pointing to someone's character.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's not just saying that everyone in the whole earth would hear the name or the words Yahweh.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's not the point.

[SPEAKER_01]: The point is that they would hear the name and know about him.

[SPEAKER_01]: They would know something about him, his character, who he is and God wants all the earth to hear about his character or who he is.

[SPEAKER_01]: The great I am.

[SPEAKER_01]: Now remember how the plagues begin.

[SPEAKER_01]: Moses, timidly, walks into Pharaoh's throne room and says to Pharaoh in Exodus 5.

[SPEAKER_01]: This is before any of the plagues, this is the first time Moses comes in, first time he's going to announce things to Pharaoh, the first interaction here in Exodus 5.

[SPEAKER_01]: Verse 1, Moses says this, does says Yahweh, the God of Israel.

[SPEAKER_01]: Let my people go that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.

[SPEAKER_01]: But Pharaoh says this, who is Yahweh that I should obey his voice and let Israel go?

[SPEAKER_01]: I do not know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's how this all began.

[SPEAKER_01]: The plagues on the oppressive nation of Egypt were tailor-made to show Yahweh sovereign

[SPEAKER_01]: And our passage repeats this theme three times.

[SPEAKER_01]: Look with me at verse 14, x is nine, 14.

[SPEAKER_01]: God says, for this time, I will send all my plagues on you, yourself, and on your servants, and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth.

[SPEAKER_01]: Know something about me, Pharaoh.

[SPEAKER_01]: There is none like me.

[SPEAKER_01]: I am unique.

[SPEAKER_01]: And the implication is uniquely above every one else and everything else.

[SPEAKER_01]: Then, in verse 15, it repeats, esteem.

[SPEAKER_01]: For by now, I could have put out my hand and struck you in your people with pestilence.

[SPEAKER_01]: And you would have been cut off from the earth now verse 16.

[SPEAKER_01]: But for this purpose, I have raised you up to show you my power so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

[SPEAKER_01]: Pharaoh stop.

[SPEAKER_01]: Stop what you're doing and think.

[SPEAKER_01]: Look at my power.

[SPEAKER_01]: Egypt.

[SPEAKER_01]: Look at my power.

[SPEAKER_01]: All of the visitors at this trading hub of the world stop and look at my power and then go home and tell people about Yahweh.

[SPEAKER_01]: Again, you repeats it

[SPEAKER_01]: As soon as I've gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: The thunder will cease and there will be no more hail.

[SPEAKER_01]: So that you may know the earth is Yahweh's, Yahweh owns the earth and everything and everybody in it is the owner of it all because he is the creator of it all.

[SPEAKER_01]: It belongs to him.

[SPEAKER_01]: and he has power over everything that he has made.

[SPEAKER_01]: This is the purpose of Yahweh in raising up Pharaoh and Egypt to this magnificent height as the jewel of all the nations.

[SPEAKER_01]: He says it.

[SPEAKER_01]: He says, I have raised you up to this pinnacle of human existence as the jewel of all the world for this reason.

[SPEAKER_01]: To show the nations Yahweh's character,

[SPEAKER_01]: Specifically, is limitless power to humble the proud and save the lowly.

[SPEAKER_01]: No me, Pharaoh.

[SPEAKER_01]: No me, Egypt.

[SPEAKER_01]: No me, all the ends of the earth.

[SPEAKER_01]: But what is the wise response to knowing the limitless power of Yahweh?

[SPEAKER_01]: God is putting on display His limitless power so that they will know Him, but why does God want the earth to know His name and know His character?

[SPEAKER_01]: Why?

[SPEAKER_01]: What is the response?

[SPEAKER_01]: The wise response to knowing of Yahweh, knowing about Him.

[SPEAKER_01]: The wise response is to fear Yahweh.

[SPEAKER_01]: the wise response, the beginning of wisdom when you find out about God is to fear him.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's the beginning of wisdom.

[SPEAKER_01]: We're giving an example of this kind of first response in our passage in the seventh plague.

[SPEAKER_01]: Moses warns the Egyptians to get their people in their cattle into shelter because a hailstorm

[SPEAKER_01]: Anyone left out in the fields during the storm will be killed by the hail, and then our passage says something very interesting in verse 20, it says this, whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses.

[SPEAKER_01]: but whoever did not pay attention to the Word of the Lord, left his slaves and his livestock in the field, until there.

[SPEAKER_01]: Contrast is being made.

[SPEAKER_01]: One of the most important contrasts for human beings to consider and to understand and to grasp.

[SPEAKER_01]: The contrast between fearing the Word of Yahweh,

[SPEAKER_01]: and not paying attention to His words.

[SPEAKER_01]: I would argue that all of Scripture repeatedly makes that contrast and says that all of humanity falls into one or the other category.

[SPEAKER_01]: There are only two categories according to Scripture.

[SPEAKER_01]: Those who regard His commands, those who disregard their creator and His commands.

[SPEAKER_01]: When the hail comes down on Egypt, fearing the always word is the difference between blessing and cursing, the difference between gaining a reprieve and suffering loss, the difference between life and death.

[SPEAKER_01]: In an Exodus 9, we see clearly that fearing Yahweh is depicted as the beginning of wisdom as David tells us in Psalm 11, 111, I believe he's the author of that Psalm, don't quote me on that.

[SPEAKER_01]: I just say, David, because it's the Psalms.

[SPEAKER_01]: So fearing the Lord, fearing Yahweh is depicted as the beginning of wisdom.

[SPEAKER_01]: But in our society today,

[SPEAKER_01]: There is a perversion of fear, perversion.

[SPEAKER_01]: Now, we've all fear many things because we're human, we're human.

[SPEAKER_01]: We fear many different things.

[SPEAKER_01]: We fear things like losing a job or public humiliation.

[SPEAKER_01]: I've heard studies show that public humiliation from getting up in front of people and speaking publicly, that's the number one fear in all the world.

[SPEAKER_01]: No, if it's true, I've heard studies saying that.

[SPEAKER_01]: But public humiliation, we clearly, it must be a lot of people's fear.

[SPEAKER_01]: We fear financial loss, we fear getting into a car accident, being hurt in our daily activities.

[SPEAKER_01]: We fear people breaking into our homes or diseases invading our bodies.

[SPEAKER_01]: That one's really prevalent today.

[SPEAKER_01]: Fear is alive and well in our society.

[SPEAKER_01]: There is no denying that.

[SPEAKER_01]: There are so many things that our society would even encourage you to fear in the world,

[SPEAKER_01]: Be careful, because just not, when your mother tells you that it's out of love, she's not saying, living for you here, hopefully it's not what she's saying.

[SPEAKER_01]: But our society, when you turn on the news or read the newspaper or you start talking with people, it lives and breathes off fear many times, millions are made off of our fears.

[SPEAKER_01]: So there is a perversion of fear in our society because when was the last time anyone encouraged you to fear God?

[SPEAKER_01]: That one we don't hear very often, I don't think.

[SPEAKER_01]: I was the last time in community.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's speaking to one of your neighbors or one of your friends, they just encouraged you, fear God, you're God.

[SPEAKER_01]: Do not fear, fear God instead.

[SPEAKER_01]: Don't fear this circumstance, fear God.

[SPEAKER_01]: We live in a society that claims Christianity as its primary religion.

[SPEAKER_01]: So surely, our society should just be spewing out this reminder to everyone, all of God's creatures, make sure you're living in the fear of the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: I haven't defined what that means yet, but scripture repeats that over and over again.

[SPEAKER_01]: It actually becomes a title for those who are redeemed.

[SPEAKER_01]: Those who fear the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: a way of naming a believer, a genuine believer, those who fear the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: But when was the last time you were encouraged in normal day to day activity to fear the Lord?

[SPEAKER_01]: So there is a perversion of fear in our society.

[SPEAKER_01]: We fear all of the things in creation.

[SPEAKER_01]: We fear people.

[SPEAKER_01]: We fear circumstances.

[SPEAKER_01]: But there is a drought in our land of the fear of the Lord and humanity, in fact, through its fear is worshiping the creation.

[SPEAKER_01]: That which you fear, your inner reality, worshiping to a certain degree, you are elevating it to some form of God in your life.

[SPEAKER_01]: rather than worshiping with our fear, the creator and judge of all the earth.

[SPEAKER_01]: And the message of Exodus 9 is that Yahweh alone is worthy of your fear.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yahweh alone is worthy of your fear.

[SPEAKER_01]: And Luke 12 verse 4 through five, Jesus affirms the same.

Luke 12:4

[SPEAKER_01]: So if you're struggling with this idea that it might not even be true, please go back and study the words of Jesus in Luke 12 verse 4.

Luke 12:4

[SPEAKER_01]: He says, I tell you my friends, do not fear those who kill the body.

[SPEAKER_01]: And after that, have nothing more that they can do.

[SPEAKER_01]: So this would include human beings, animals, car accidents,

[SPEAKER_01]: lightning, tsunamis.

[SPEAKER_01]: I tell you my friends do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do, but I warn you whom to fear.

[SPEAKER_01]: Fear him, who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, I tell you fear him.

[SPEAKER_01]: You don't see that one on people's Facebook posts very often, do you?

[SPEAKER_01]: Fear God.

[SPEAKER_01]: There is a lot of love in our society for the good promises of God, eternal life, joy, blessing, wealth.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not saying when you get that wealth and rewards,

[SPEAKER_01]: There is a whole lot of talk about that, and we do like our bumper stickers that encourage us during the day I do as well.

[SPEAKER_01]: But Jesus says, I warn you whom to fear.

[SPEAKER_01]: Fear him who after he has killed has authority to cast into hell, yes, I tell you fear him.

[SPEAKER_01]: Who has authority to cast into hell?

[SPEAKER_01]: It's not the devil, my friends.

[SPEAKER_01]: Jesus is not telling you to fear the devil.

[SPEAKER_01]: The devil is terrified of hell and the judgment to come in the lake of fire where he will be cast forever, he is terrified of that place.

[SPEAKER_01]: The Scriptures teach us that it is God alone who has authority to cast into hell.

[SPEAKER_01]: Jesus is saying, fear God.

[SPEAKER_01]: Jesus is teaching that it is good and right to fear the one creator God, the judge of all the earth, the one you will stand before one day and given account for how you have lived your life before Him.

[SPEAKER_01]: It is good and right, but throughout all the scriptures,

[SPEAKER_01]: It is clear that something awesome happens.

[SPEAKER_01]: And I don't mean that in the modern day where it awesome, I mean stand back in awe of this.

[SPEAKER_01]: Something awe-inspiring happens to those who come to know of the Lord,

[SPEAKER_01]: Who fear him because of his character, but then respond to their fear by coming to him, paying close attention to his word, saying, Lord, I am in danger of you.

[SPEAKER_01]: What must I do?

[SPEAKER_01]: Something awesome happens to those people.

[SPEAKER_01]: These people, they experience redemption.

[SPEAKER_01]: These people are saved from this terrifying God.

[SPEAKER_01]: So let's define the word saved.

[SPEAKER_01]: As we like to throw that word around, it's I like to call it one of those Christianese type words.

[SPEAKER_01]: We throw around, it's like, I've been saved or are you saved or will sing about being saved?

[SPEAKER_01]: It is a beautiful word.

[SPEAKER_01]: But what does it mean?

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, we think about pulling someone out of the water and saving their life from the the drought from drowning or something.

[SPEAKER_01]: But what do we mean when we say that we are saved?

[SPEAKER_01]: What are we ultimately saved from?

[SPEAKER_01]: So we know it means to rescue out of something.

[SPEAKER_01]: But what

[SPEAKER_01]: from the terrifying power, holiness, and justice of God.

[SPEAKER_01]: Save from God's wrath.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's what we're saved from.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, we've been saved from sin, death, redeemed, purchased, victory over Satan.

[SPEAKER_01]: But these are all the things that lead up ultimately to the wrath of God.

[SPEAKER_01]: we are ultimately being saved from.

[SPEAKER_01]: We are saved from his eternal thunder, lightning, hail, and fire like the world has never seen.

[SPEAKER_01]: We are saved from the waves of his fury and the riptides of his justice that would sweep us out into hell.

[SPEAKER_01]: We are saved from the pit of endless

[SPEAKER_01]: And we are saved from the scorching heat of his glory.

[SPEAKER_01]: You might ask why?

[SPEAKER_01]: Why do we put it this way?

[SPEAKER_01]: Why?

[SPEAKER_01]: Why would I think the Bible speaks this way?

[SPEAKER_01]: It's because we are all sinners.

[SPEAKER_01]: And if you have not come to realize that we need to open the Word of God together.

[SPEAKER_01]: because the New Testament especially emphasizes that Jew and Gentile, those born into a Christian family and those born a pagan, we are all sinners in the sight of God.

[SPEAKER_01]: And only God is good.

[SPEAKER_01]: Only He is perfect.

[SPEAKER_01]: Only God is righteous enough to stand in heaven.

[SPEAKER_01]: And God's cup of wrath has been filled to the brim by your and my sins.

[SPEAKER_01]: His wrath is cup of wrath is full.

[SPEAKER_01]: But here's where the gospel or the good news comes in.

[SPEAKER_01]: The good news is that for those who hear of Yahweh, who fear His righteous judgment on them,

[SPEAKER_01]: But then come and listen and trust in Yahweh's Word.

[SPEAKER_01]: For these people only, God has made a way of escape, escape from His coming wrath.

[SPEAKER_01]: He has taken the cup of His wrath, which we filled with our sins.

[SPEAKER_01]: He has taken that cup of wrath, and He has given it to His son to drink on the cross.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's what Jesus was doing on the cross.

[SPEAKER_01]: I know there's a lot of false teaching out there about why Jesus had to die.

[SPEAKER_01]: This is why Jesus willingly went to the cross and died.

[SPEAKER_01]: He went there to drink the cup of God's wrath on your sins and mine if we believe.

[SPEAKER_01]: If we will believe and trust in His Word.

[SPEAKER_01]: Jesus became the eternal shelter in the storm of God's wrath.

[SPEAKER_01]: For all those who believe, he is the cleft in the rock.

[SPEAKER_01]: God is the raging storm.

[SPEAKER_01]: His wrath is going to be.

[SPEAKER_01]: It has been poured out.

[SPEAKER_01]: It will be poured out again.

[SPEAKER_01]: And ultimately, it is going to be represented by the lake of fire for all those.

[SPEAKER_01]: who disregard His word, disregard His son, disregard the cross, and live as their own little God.

[SPEAKER_01]: His wrath will be poured out, but for those who fear and trust in His word and His promise of it way of escape, Jesus is the cleft in the rock where we will be able to enter into shelter and protection.

[SPEAKER_01]: And the awesome thing is that in this way, our fear of Yahweh becomes the path to delighting in Yahweh.

[SPEAKER_01]: I know this doesn't make sense to the natural human heart or mine.

[SPEAKER_01]: But the scriptures tell us that our fear of Yahweh is the first step.

[SPEAKER_01]: in delighting in Yahweh.

[SPEAKER_01]: The first step in the foundation of our delight in Him.

[SPEAKER_01]: Because the more you know of Him, the more you will fear Him, but finding forgiveness, the more you will delight in Him.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's the difference between Christians and devils.

[SPEAKER_01]: We're told that the devils, when Jesus was walking around the demons,

[SPEAKER_01]: They were created by Him.

[SPEAKER_01]: They stood in His presence as good angelic beings prior to their fall in rebellion.

[SPEAKER_01]: The demons recognize Jesus, the Son of God.

[SPEAKER_01]: They called out to Him for mercy and says, please, don't bring our day of wrath upon us yet.

[SPEAKER_01]: We're terrified of that day.

[SPEAKER_01]: but they did not come to him in the right kind of fear.

[SPEAKER_01]: They were terrified of the wrath of the Son of God.

[SPEAKER_01]: But what did they do?

[SPEAKER_01]: What do they do?

[SPEAKER_01]: They run from him.

[SPEAKER_01]: They hate him.

[SPEAKER_01]: They hate him and his weakness as a coming as flesh.

[SPEAKER_01]: They hate the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: They run from him and fight against him.

[SPEAKER_01]: But when you know of Yahweh and have His Son and when you fear that you don't run away, like Adam and Eve did in the garden, when they heard the steps of the Lord in the garden, they ran and hid.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's the wrong response to fear.

[SPEAKER_01]: When you rightly fear God, He says, Come to me, trust in my good promise of escape.

[SPEAKER_01]: Those who are redeemed and the devils.

[SPEAKER_01]: Because the more you know of him, the more you will fear him, but finding forgiveness, the more you will delight in him.

[SPEAKER_01]: This is the testimony of Scripture.

[SPEAKER_01]: Here, the word of the Lord, Psalm 33, 18, behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him on those who hope in his steadfast love.

[SPEAKER_00]: Do you see that?

[SPEAKER_01]: fearing him, hoping in his steadfast love.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's a believer.

[SPEAKER_01]: Two days of describing the same person.

[SPEAKER_01]: Psalm 34 of verse 7, the angel of the Lord encams around those who fear him and delivers them.

[SPEAKER_01]: O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed as the man who takes refuge in Him, O fear the Lord, you, His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack.

[SPEAKER_01]: Psalm 103.

[SPEAKER_01]: For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.

[SPEAKER_01]: As far as the east is from the west, so far as he remove our transgressions from us, as a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

[SPEAKER_01]: And with that last verse, it comes to an illustration.

[SPEAKER_01]: I know some of you have been begging for a story or an illustration.

[SPEAKER_01]: Hey, keep me in your hang on.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'll give you one that works for me, and if it doesn't work for you, I'm sorry, I try.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's that last verse in Psalm 103, verse 13, and if you want something to go chew on later, please write that down and go spend some time with us.

Psalms 103:13

[SPEAKER_01]: Psalm 103, verse 13, as a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion

Psalms 103:13

[SPEAKER_01]: This is an illustration that helps me understand in my mind and feel in my heart and soul.

[SPEAKER_01]: The harmony, harmony, fitting perfectly together.

[SPEAKER_01]: Beautiful sound, life, is what I mean, the harmony, it's a beautiful thing.

[SPEAKER_01]: The beauty, the harmony of the fear of God and the lighting in God.

[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think you can have one or the one without the other, not truly.

[SPEAKER_01]: harmony of the fear of God and the lighting in God.

[SPEAKER_01]: Verse 13, as a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

[SPEAKER_01]: Here's the illustration of Bible is giving us.

[SPEAKER_01]: It was free for me.

[SPEAKER_01]: I didn't have to work for that one.

[SPEAKER_01]: The Lord gives this in his word.

[SPEAKER_01]: Fearing God should feel a lot like fearing a Christian father.

[SPEAKER_01]: So there's words in there that are intentional, fearing God should feel a lot like fearing a Christian father.

[SPEAKER_01]: I know many of you only got a small tiny taste of a good kind of fear of a father figure.

[SPEAKER_01]: Some of you did not have fathers in your life at all.

[SPEAKER_01]: Some of you had fathers who you feared because they were hateful.

[SPEAKER_01]: and they beat you because you inconvenience them, and you would rather be anywhere else other than with your father.

[SPEAKER_01]: So I realized this, I realized there's much sadness with this illustration, but please do not inject the beautiful illustration of God, our father, because of the failings of men.

[SPEAKER_01]: So please, to the best of your ability,

[SPEAKER_01]: a fearing God, how it should feel a lot like fearing a Christian father.

[SPEAKER_01]: A Christian father gives birth to you in his own image, he then provides for you, cares for you, and raises you.

[SPEAKER_01]: A Christian father's heart goes out to his children when they call, and his compassion

[SPEAKER_01]: full of love, compassion, and recognizing that children are a gift from God.

[SPEAKER_01]: They're not yours.

[SPEAKER_01]: God is giving them to you to steward into race as potential worshippers, eternal worshippers of God.

[SPEAKER_01]: They belong to God and you are His steward.

[SPEAKER_01]: a ruler in a home, he's supposed to point children to the ruler of all the earth, the lighting in him.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's a Christian father.

[SPEAKER_01]: And we hear some of that today, but a Christian father also scripture makes very clear, a Christian father will not permit his little

[SPEAKER_01]: A Christian Father knows that unchecked rebellion corrupts the heart and pollutes the entire home.

[SPEAKER_01]: If you let it grow into adulthood, it pollutes societies, nations, and the world.

[SPEAKER_01]: Unchecked rebellion against God given authority.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's what it does.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so a Christian Father knowing this,

[SPEAKER_01]: brings the pain of the rod to bear on the back sides of his little children.

[SPEAKER_01]: Another thing, you're not going to hear today from our society.

[SPEAKER_01]: But God says, Father's who fear him and love him and delight in him, will bring the rod to bear on the back sides of their little children.

[SPEAKER_01]: Before the day, when adult rebellion might kill them.

[SPEAKER_00]: Look at that.

[SPEAKER_00]: When they are little, the rebellion is little.

[SPEAKER_01]: I know they feel like little packages of TNT, but I'm just telling you, it's little.

[SPEAKER_01]: No, no.

[SPEAKER_01]: By the time they're 13, 14, 15, it is too late.

[SPEAKER_01]: If they are rebels to you and God, at that point, unless the Lord steps in.

[SPEAKER_01]: They're on a trajectory at that point, and you are going to feel helpless at that point.

[SPEAKER_01]: If a child fears to rebel against his earthly father, because his earthly father will bless him with the rod of discipline, all that you got to accept this, it's the only way you're going to be faithful.

[SPEAKER_01]: that to bring the rod of discipline on your child is a blessing to the world tells you it's a curse and it's hateful.

[SPEAKER_01]: And you're gonna ruin the rest of their lives.

[SPEAKER_01]: God says, loving appropriate discipline with the rod is a blessing to your child.

[SPEAKER_01]: And if a child fears to rebel against his earthly father, because his earthly father will bless him with the rot of discipline, then that child has taken the first baby step in godly wisdom, because they fear to disobey their earthly father.

[SPEAKER_01]: And you know what that does for fathers?

[SPEAKER_01]: Men?

[SPEAKER_01]: doing that, and being consistent in that out of love, that will swing wide open the door for you, Christian Father, to teach your children that the fear they have of you is an example of the fear they must have of their God.

[SPEAKER_01]: So small taste is an illustration.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's an earthly

[SPEAKER_01]: But the fear, little boys should have this honoring, spitting on, cursing their father, saying, get out of here, I don't want to listen to you.

[SPEAKER_01]: There are children saying that to their parents today.

[SPEAKER_01]: I hate you, mom.

[SPEAKER_01]: I hate you, dad.

[SPEAKER_01]: Teaching children the dishonor of that.

[SPEAKER_01]: at an early age as essential, not permitting children to rebel against God, given authority at a young age as essential.

[SPEAKER_01]: And when you do this father's out of love, not because they're inconveniencing you or you're tired or you just want them to go away, but when you do it because you want them to love and fear God and to the light and God with all their souls, and you discipline them with

[SPEAKER_01]: the door swung wide open for them to understand rightly the fear of Yahweh.

[SPEAKER_01]: It is this reverential kind of fear that listens closely to the Father's Word that says yes Lord, trusting that He knows what is best, believing that around the corner we will

[SPEAKER_01]: That's what disciplining your children at a young age out of love does.

[SPEAKER_01]: It sets this on this path, well, they will understand this concept.

[SPEAKER_01]: This reverential fear is the beginning of wisdom.

[SPEAKER_01]: I plead with all the young men, all the young fathers here, and those who hope to one day be fathers, and I hope that's all the young men in the church.

[SPEAKER_01]: I plead with all the young fathers here today to join with me and with other young men in this congregation.

[SPEAKER_01]: In blessing the next generation with a reverential fear of God given authority.

[SPEAKER_01]: Good, God given human authority.

[SPEAKER_01]: Because we do this in the hopes that the next generation will rightly understand the fear of the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: Please do not listen to the wisdom of this world.

[SPEAKER_01]: The most popular wisdom that I keep hearing is, just let them ride the round on the ground.

[SPEAKER_01]: Let them kick their feet, let them hit you, just be still, let them hit you, they'll work it out.

[SPEAKER_01]: Just let them yell and talk it.

[SPEAKER_01]: And if they, if you just let them scream and cry and yell at you, they'll figure it out, they'll just, they just need to get it out of their system.

[SPEAKER_01]: That is the most the world can come up with right now.

[SPEAKER_01]: God says, no, my children, fathers and mothers who love me and fear me, God says, with courageous love, drive out the foolishness that is pent up in the heart of your young children.

[SPEAKER_01]: There are not diamonds pent up in their hearts.

[SPEAKER_01]: They are born rebels to God and rebels to you.

[SPEAKER_01]: What is pent up in their heart is foolishness in every child, because we are all born the fallen race of Adam.

[SPEAKER_01]: The scripture says, with courageous love for God in your child, drive out the foolishness that is pent up in their hearts.

[SPEAKER_01]: And we do this with our arms wide open and our hearts open to our children.

[SPEAKER_01]: The moment they repent, calling them to repent and saying, I want to be restored to you.

[SPEAKER_01]: I want us to continue as a loving family.

[SPEAKER_01]: And the moment they repent, you say, I forgive you, I love you.

[SPEAKER_01]: It is done.

[SPEAKER_01]: And we don't need to think about it anymore.

[SPEAKER_01]: We can move on with our day.

[SPEAKER_01]: And you know what, little five year olds, they latch onto that.

[SPEAKER_01]: They feel it.

[SPEAKER_01]: Three minutes later, you're going to hear them in the bathroom singing, amazing grace.

[SPEAKER_01]: And they're not thinking about it, Berk.

[SPEAKER_01]: They're just happy.

[SPEAKER_01]: If you have that culture, they're not going to feel that way.

[SPEAKER_01]: The first time you implement this, it's going to be a bit of a shock to the system.

[SPEAKER_01]: But with a very short amount of time, they will get it.

[SPEAKER_01]: Their hearts will be knit to this kind of home.

[SPEAKER_01]: where there is a standard discipline for a belling against the standard for a givenness and acceptance for those who humble themselves in our repentant peace.

[SPEAKER_01]: Peace is the reward you receive from God.

[SPEAKER_01]: A taste of heaven, though it will probably be interrupted five minutes later, ten minutes later, and hour later, that's okay.

[SPEAKER_01]: Rinse, repeat the cycle.

[SPEAKER_01]: We do this all in the hope that our children will experience something and that we will get to experience something father's, please.

[SPEAKER_01]: Because I believe, and I am confident in the truths of God's Word and His faithfulness to His promises that young fathers with young children, what you will experience, is that your children will delight in you as their father more than you could ever imagine.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's why many people don't discipline their children as they're afraid their children will hate them more.

[SPEAKER_01]: You're going to scar them more.

[SPEAKER_01]: The world tells you that that's, that's how you drive them away.

[SPEAKER_01]: as a child, or as a man, when father, when Christian fathers, in loving compassion, discipline their children, your children, the light in you.

[SPEAKER_01]: They love you.

[SPEAKER_01]: They want to be around you.

[SPEAKER_01]: If you sit still for a second, you got someone plastered to you.

[SPEAKER_01]: They can't soak up enough

[SPEAKER_01]: And although that is a sweet gift from God if you get to experience that, but even more than that, you may even have the great joy of experiencing God use you as his instrument to bring your children to eternal salvation and save their souls from hell.

[SPEAKER_01]: He says, Father's, do not throw away the rod, discipline your young children.

[SPEAKER_01]: They're not going to die.

[SPEAKER_01]: Don't stop because they cry.

[SPEAKER_01]: Don't think that they're going to die.

[SPEAKER_01]: No, they're not going to die if you discipline them with the rod in loving compassion.

[SPEAKER_00]: They're not going to die.

[SPEAKER_01]: No, in fact, you might save their soul from hell.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's what the scripture say.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's Dan's paraphrase.

[SPEAKER_01]: But if you need me to show you the exact verse, let's chat after the service.

[SPEAKER_01]: You may say their souls from hell.

[SPEAKER_01]: That is our ultimate goal.

[SPEAKER_01]: Is that we might raise children that fear the Lord and become eternal worshipers of the one true God?

[SPEAKER_01]: Let's pray.

[SPEAKER_01]: Heavenly Father, thank you for your word.

[SPEAKER_01]: It is counter-cultural.

[SPEAKER_01]: and it requires faith.

[SPEAKER_01]: If it was easy and made sense to us all the time, it would not require faith.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, Lord, I pray that each man here, each woman, each senior saint who has grandchildren and it hurts their hearts to hear their cries of pain when they're being disciplined, what I pray that we all,

[SPEAKER_01]: be people of faith.

[SPEAKER_01]: Because the people of faith are the people who fear you, those who fear you, are those who delight in you, and those who delight in you are those who will experience the joys of God beginning now and forever.

[SPEAKER_01]: Since Jesus name my prayer, name it.