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Amen. Right, Proverbs chapter 29, and we're going to be looking at the first half of that. There's some great, great ones in the second half there as well, I'm looking forward to going through those as well. But we're going to be looking at the first half of chapter, verses 1 to 14. Grab a pen if you haven't please for it, it's great to take some notes of these. Lots of proverbs we're going to be going through, we're going to be starting in Proverbs 29 verse 1. Verse 1 is this, He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy. I'm going to pray and then get going with this message. Father, thank you, Lord, for the book of Proverbs, thank you for these proverbs we're going to look at today. Please help me to preach them accurately, boldly and full of your spirit, Lord. Help everyone to take in those particular truths they really need to hear right now, Lord, especially. And help everyone to just be edified, Lord, and ask these things in Jesus Christ's holy name. Amen. Okay, so he that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy. So hardening your neck is being stubborn. And I suppose the image is of someone that won't alter their course, it's maybe looking straight ahead, you know, they've got a hardened neck, they're not going to turn either way, they're stubborn with where they're going. And being stubborn isn't a good thing in life, okay, especially when it comes to dealing with God, that's not a good thing. 1 Samuel 15, 23, the prophet Samuel said, for rebellion is as a sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. It's as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou has rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. This is Samuel talking to Saul there. So as iniquity or wickedness and idolatry, which you could say that the thing you're being stubborn about maybe starts to become a bit of an idol in your life as well, when you're stubborn to that sort of point where something becomes like an idol, because it's more important than you change your mind. It's more important, that being stubborn and whatever reasons that is, than not being reproved by the Lord, because that's what it's talking about here. Okay, in verse 1 it said, he that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy. Excuse me. So this is a reproof that comes from God, and there are a few ways that he might reprove you in life, okay. From his word, obviously, reading his word, you can get reproved by God, especially if you're paying attention to him, pay attention when you're reading the word of God, don't just make it into a sort of exercise where you think about other things. From someone preaching his word, obviously you may and will and likely, we were joking earlier myself with someone just saying, if they took offence to preaching they wouldn't have been here for several years. Which is the truth, right? You're going to get preached at in a church like this, there's just going to be things that come up all the time. It's direct preaching and how it should be, right? But perhaps there's someone that you interact with as well, so it's not just preaching and reading, you know, someone that you interact with might have to gently reprove you of something, someone you receive counsel from, for example, as well, you know. If it's honest, genuine counsel, you might have to receive it. And depending, you know, if you're someone who gives counsel, you know, different people need dealing with it in different ways. Some people, you know, just find it very hard to deal with direct reproof, maybe you have to be a bit more gentle. Other people deal with it, right? It might be a thus saith the Lord, or for example, like the example of Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, last week, you'd have to turn there, we saw it in Exodus 18, sound advice that was just clearly of God, wasn't it? So it was just advice, so he didn't say, God said it. But when you read, you don't read through in Exodus 18, Jethro telling Moses, like, what on earth are you doing? You're trying to charge every single small battery of this huge, basically mega church in the wilderness, and he gives him advice, but it clearly is of God without him saying, thus saith the Lord, right? So sometimes, you know, there might be some reproof you get from someone as well, but also Proverbs 15, 31 says, the ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. So you could apply that as it being a part of life, but I believe also that there is a reproof that comes with life, isn't there? Life is just full of reproof, if you look at it in that way, repercussions, you know, are often reproof from life. Hindsight, a lot of the time, right? When you're kind of in the future, you look back at something and you understand from life, you kind of got some reproof there, you look back with hindsight, and it should help you to avoid things like that in the future. Well, between all of those ways that God can and does reprove us, he that being often reproved, hardness is next, shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy. So if you get all stubborn about it, you know, you know what you should do. Basically, you understand what provision you could put in place to avoid a particular sin. You know that God wants you to behave differently, but you just harden your neck. You're getting stubborn, the destruction will come suddenly, won't it? And it does, that's what we're being told here, and there won't be a way out of it. Think of it like a child, okay? You keep telling them, no don't do that. They keep doing it, yeah? You keep telling them, no don't do it, they keep doing it. You say to them, the smack bomb is coming, right? You're going to get a spanking. And they keep doing it, they keep doing it. Once it's time, once you get to that point, it doesn't matter how many times they say sorry. Okay, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. You know, like the fake sorry. The sorry, I'm going to get out of the chastisement, sorry, right? It doesn't matter, does it? It doesn't matter what they, because they've got to that point. It's like, no, you're done, you've crossed the line, right? It's too late, there's no remedy, basically. But here it's not just the smack bottom, it's destruction, which for the Christian does make me think for the believer of backsliding into obscurity, just destroying your Christian life. You've been constantly reproved, constantly reproved, constantly reproved, you just keep hardening your neck, you keep just stiffening your neck, you keep being stubborn. Eventually, you just end up out of the things of God, you're just going to end up messing your life up. And God's long-suffering, but eventually that is what will happen. Maybe think, it could even be an early death, or at least maybe a, you know, a death in terms of just the end of your serving God. Just like a kind of death to your spiritual life. I don't mean lose your salvation, I just mean you're just going to just end it. Stop lying, all that positivity, all them good things you could have done, and you're backside out. And something you notice is that, of course, people that do that, they don't go, oh, well I've just backslidden out the things of God now. No, they'll find something to cling to, you know, does that soul-winning really get people saved? Oh, well, not many get baptized, so, you know, does that mean that, you know, is it even worth it? Or something, they'll find something to cling to. Well, it's, you know, I don't know, you know, it's a bit too hardline that church or something else, but really it's just an excuse for the backsliding, right? But lastly with this verse, I think you could apply it to salvation with the reprobate as well. He that being often reproved, it's not necessarily just a one time, is it? Often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. And it makes me think of maybe being twice dead, plucked up by the roots. It's done, right? It's done. No remedy. Well, for me, the proverb is a reminder to be wise and respond to reproof, okay? That's how we'd apply it for ourselves. God is long-suffering, but eventually it does just become too late to get right, doesn't it? Okay, verse two. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. Now, we referred to this verse previously when looking at Proverbs 28, 12, if you remember. Proverbs 28, 12 said, when righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden. And at the end of the chapter, especially last week in verse 28 of Proverbs 28, verse 28 said, when the wicked rise, men hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase. So here we're seeing that people are rejoicing when the righteous are in authority, as opposed to mourning when it's the wicked. And if you think, well, how do we apply this? When was the last time the righteous were in authority? You might be genuinely wondering, right? Okay, it does feel like that sometimes. Well, yes, we can, you know, we can see this play out in Old Testament Israel, right? Particularly the southern kingdom of Judah, but that was, you know, thousands of years ago. But government isn't the only authority in life, is it? That's not the only authority. In fact, government shouldn't have authority over much of life, like we talked about this morning, right? At least certain areas especially. So who's the authority, for example, in your household? Who's the authority in your household? Is it the Labour government governing for King Charles, or is it you men out there? It should be you men out there, right? And if you don't have a man in the household, well, you know, it should be a mother in the household if it's a single mum. If you want your people, your home, to rejoice, you'd better make sure that it's you that bears rule. Make sure it's you that's in charge, it's you that's bearing rule, not the politicians. They're not in charge of your household, like we talked about this morning. Not the TV, yeah? It shouldn't be who bears rule in your household. Not the social media influencer, not me or any other preacher. I don't have reach into your home. I'll preach what I believe the Bible says about your home, but you're in charge, right? You're in charge. And you'd better make sure that you get righteous, too. Get righteous. Then your household will rejoice. Psalm 128 3 says of the man that feareth the Lord that walks in his ways, thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the side of thine house. House thy children like olive plants, and round about thy table. So that's as opposed to the home of the wicked, right? If a pastor is saved and living for God, the people will end up rejoicing as well, so you can apply it to their church house. But when it comes to the home of the wicked, there's very little genuine rejoicing, but instead mourning. That's what he's saying here. He said when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. When the wicked birth, all the people mourn. But in the church house, if the pastor's doing right, the people end up rejoicing both inside and those we reach, right? If things are going well and it's a righteous place and the place is being done right, well, we do rejoice, right? The people outside rejoice because more people get saved. But if it's a wicked false prophet, the saved, at least, and those outside in the long run will end up mourning, won't they? If you've ever sat under false prophets, it's pretty rough, isn't it? You know? And I'm saying when you sat under them and you've given them the benefit of the doubt, and then eventually it's like, this is rough, this is tough, you have a pretty hard time with it, church is pretty unbearable, and then by the end you realise that when it eventually comes out. Let alone the people outside who aren't really being reached, barring by the few saved people if it's quite a subtle place. Subtle false prophet. But verse 2 said here, when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. So there's all areas of life this can apply, but the proverb is a reminder of the responsibility of positions of authority which should provoke those into it to righteousness. Because like we saw, it's not just talking about salvation, right? You can't be righteous in God's eyes without salvation, but after salvation, God wants us to live righteously, doesn't he? He wants us to put on that breastplate of righteousness, he wants us to be upright, he wants us to choose to walk in the right way. So verse 3, who so loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father, but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance. So for all of us parents here, if your kids went on to love wisdom, you'd be more than pleased, wouldn't you? Yeah, if your kids grew up to just love wisdom, you'd be rejoicing. Because it's not talking about the wisdom of this world, that's not what it's talking about. If my kids go on to love learning secular wisdom, they just love to learn whatever it is, you know, the wisdom of the ancients of the world or something else, I'm not going to be rejoicing. No, it's not that I'm going to be that upset about it necessarily, it's not that knowledge on things outside the Word of God is bad. It can be good, but loving it, that's not what it's talking about here. It's talking about the true wisdom that's from God. That's what it's about. Psalm 111 verse 10 says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Well look, you can learn a lot of secular wisdom without fearing the Lord, can't you? But the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, because true wisdom is what comes from God. A good understanding of all they that do his commandments, his praise endureth forever. That's what I'll be rejoicing about. If my children go on to fear the Lord to do his commandments, that's rejoicing time, isn't it? And that's our goal as parents, and that's not a given. And I say this a lot because I know people just think, my kids are raised, I wasn't raised in an independent fundamental Baptist Church, so surely all my kids are just going to grow up to be right with God, doing everything right now. If I succeed, yeah. But is that a given? I hope I can get my kids to that, that's my prayer, that's what I'm trying to work towards, but we need to take it seriously, right, take the parenting seriously, because it's not going to just be an automatic. Well, really though, loving wisdom here is loving the Word of God. Proverbs 2.6 says, for the Lord giveth wisdom, out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. And it's applying that knowledge and understanding that makes you practically wise, okay. So basically, kids out there, you want to rejoice your father, right? Love learning and applying the Word of God then. If you want to please your father, and I hope kids out here want to please their father, kids want to please their fathers in life. Well, especially if you're a kid here in this church, then I'll tell you what's going to please your father is if you love wisdom. Love the Word of God. Love learning it, love applying it. The opposite, though. Whoso loveth wisdom rejoices his father, but he that keepeth company with harlot spendeth his substance. The opposite of being wise is keeping company with harlot, which is another name for prostitute. And there are various types of harlot, and as vile as it is, the proverbial street corner type is at least more honest than the sleep their way to the top type, aren't they? At least they're a bit more just open and honest about what they're doing, right? There's less deceit involved than the marry rich men to then divorce them type of harlot out there. That's just a type of harlot. They marry rich men and then they divorce them and take their money. There's no other description for them. They're harlots. The type that maybe just targets gullible married men to destroy their lives. They're harlots. These are just different types of harlots. And if you keep company with those types of women, whatever version it is, right, they will find a way to get your money. That's what they do. That's what these types of women do. They're very often, usually the types really, at least, you know, the ones that are going to be targeting one way or another, they're covetous psychopaths. That's what they are. They target men, they're covetous psychos. Yeah, you don't really want to hang around with covetous psychopaths. Not good friendship material, you know. Oh, just hanging out with the girls, you know. Notice how it's keeping company. He said, whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father, but either keepeth company with harlot spendeth his substance. Because if you're around these type of women for long enough, they will eventually get what they want. Why? Because men are weak. Men are weak in this area. These types of predators. So the point is, keep away. Do what you have to do to keep away from all types of harlot. Proverbs 6 26 says, for by means of a whorish woman, a man is brought to a piece of bread and the adulterous will hunt. Notice that? She'll hunt for the precious life. That is a pretty clear warning, isn't it? You don't hang around, you don't play with fire, you know. Oh, I just kind of knock about with these women a bit. Not that bad, you know. Just keep away from it. That'll destroy your life. Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father, but he that keepeth company with harlot's spendeth his substance. So the problem for me is not only an incentive for loving wisdom, but also a warning of a pitfall out there for those that don't. Sorry, for those that, warning of a pitfall out there for those that, well, I think really even there you could say for those that do love wisdom, but there is a pitfall there even if you do. So be careful, keep away from harlot's. First of all, the king by judgment establishments the land, but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it. So if a land is going to be established, or if it's going to be, we might say, fixed firm, there needs to be some judgment. Bad people need dealing with in life, okay. Law and order is needed. It's a requirement for life, okay. You've got a world with apparently approximately the best part of eight billion people. Believe me, law and order is needed. It's definitely needed. Without judgment, without justice, without those things, a place is going to fail, yeah. The reality of life is that people do bad things, don't they? That's just life. You've got eight billion sinful people running around, there's going to be some bad stuff going on. And it doesn't matter if you go to the furthest corner of the world. There's some people like, oh, if only they were untouched by the West. If there was no influence of the West, they're still gonna be doing bad stuff, because they're sinners, like everyone else is a sinner, okay. That's just the way it is. Without rules, without judgment, it would be literal anarchy. Can you imagine if there was just no law and order around here? It would be pure anarchy. But you can establish a place with judgment. People know what they can and can't do, right. You've got laws, you've got law and order, you've got punishment, and then ruin it all. Verse 4 says, the king by judgment establishes the land, but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it. So the word we might use in our parlance would be bribery, yeah. Someone that receives bribery. Or in our nation, they have a different word for it, they call bribers party donors, yeah. That's our version of it. They're just a party donor, basically a briber. Someone giving gifts, yeah, to get influence. Or sometimes they call bribery, amongst businesses and things, hospitality. You heard of that one? Yeah, oh just some hospitality to someone I want to get the contract off, or something else. It's bribery, that's what it is, right. Whatever you call it, whichever way it comes, it affects judgment, and it gives bad people a chance to influence that judgment, okay. That's what it does, okay. And sadly, okay, it's sad how most of the world runs to a point, and this is how it works, right, that's how it runs, and is why so many lands are overthrown by the wealthy. This is how it works, isn't it? They're no longer then run by those that are meant to be running it, but are instead overthrown, conquered by the rich in the shadows. That's kind of how the world works, isn't it? And it is sad that that is what it is. Matthew 20 and verse 25, we don't have to turn there, Jesus just stated this, I believe, where he says, Jesus called them unto him and said, you know that the prince of the Gentiles exercised dominion over them, so the leaders of the Gentiles, they're in charge, and they that are great, or we might say wealthy, powerful, exercised authority upon them. I think there he's talking about upon those prince, so those who seem to be the leadership, well the authorities exercised upon them by those that are great, those are rich and powerful. That's the way the world works, that's the way it was 2,000 years ago, that's the way it continues today, that's Matthew 20-25, and nothing has really changed it, has it? And if you can't see that that's how the world runs and you're an idiot, I mean, it's moronic to look out there and just think, yeah, all these lying, money-hungry, power-hungry politicians just go on to be millionaires, you know, after this job, this civil servant job where they're on sort of, you know, just what isn't a huge salary, suddenly they're millionaires afterwards, and let alone all the other creepery and every weird stuff that goes on with it. If you can't see that those that are wealthy, those that have money, are influencing people in charge around the world, then I don't know where your head's buried, okay? But like we've seen in other proverbs, okay, you can apply these proverbs about kings to other areas of leadership. So whether you're a leader in your home, in your workplace, in the church house, don't let your judgment be swayed by gifts. The king by judgment establisheth the land, but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it. The lesson is to beware of bribery and not be naive about the effects of it. Okay, verse five, a man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth the net for his feet. Now, this is similar to bribery, but maybe less direct and more sneaky, really, isn't it? Okay, because it's less obvious, it's less just out there, and it's flattering. Insincere praise, dishonest praise, with a motive of gaining something, maybe favor, influence, can be about the person themselves or about something they've done, maybe, right? Something they've achieved or something else. Look, someone who is going to purposefully give you lying compliments, okay, just bear that in mind, it's insincere, it's fake, it's lying compliments, because they want to gain something from you is a bad person. There's no, there's no other way of saying it, that's a bad person. Somebody's gonna sit there thinking, if I do this, if I say it like this, I'm gonna gain. That's, that's, that's bad stuff, right? Okay, that's wicked. How manipulative, right? How guile-filled, how deceptive. And yes, these people really exist, okay, which is why we've been warned multiple times in the Book of Proverbs about flatterers, about flattery. We're constantly being warned, aren't we, right? And I'm sure that many here have dealt with them before. We just don't like to accept that the praise is actual flattery, you know. So, if you've dealt with flatterers, you've been flattered before, often you kind of, when you look at it, it probably wasn't flattery. You don't really want to accept it, do you? You know, you'd like to think, oh, I'm sure they actually really did like me the way they said it. They really did think I was as great as they claimed, right? Honestly, I've had some bizarre flattery over the years. I know it was full, well, it was just full flattery, yeah, just weird stuff, okay. It says in verse five, a man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet. And there are a couple of ways this happens, okay. Firstly, you could say because flattery is deceiving you, make you believe you're better at something than you are, isn't it? So, when you're getting flattered, already it's, you can get combined. Because you don't want to accept it's flattery, oh, actually, maybe I am. You know, whatever they say, oh, maybe, yeah, yeah, they probably got a point, you know. I'm glad someone is actually brave enough to say it, you know. Maybe you convince yourself of that stuff, setting you up, ultimately, for what? For a fool, further down the line. When you fail at the thing, you've been flattered into having fool's confidence. So, there is that. It's going to set you up for a fool. It can make you prideful, obviously. Proverbs 16, 18 says, pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fool. So, straight away, there's that problem. But also, flattery is used to lower your guard as well, okay. So, like I said, there's that, it's just that inbuilt part of it where it's going to lift you up, you're going to have a fool if you lift it up with pride. But flattery is used to lower your guard. Turn to Matthew chapter 22, Matthew 22. So, flattery is often a precursor to trying to entangle you in your tool. Again, remember, bad people do this stuff, to trying to get you to say something that can be used against you, to make it seem like they're on your side and that the question coming is genuine and not for malicious intent. Oh, I mean, you know everything. I'm sure you know everything about, for example, you know everything about the Bible, don't you? Wow, I mean, you must really know your Bible. I've just got a question. And then suddenly it's something that's used to entangle you, to try and get you to, you know, just mess you up in one way or another, which is what the Pharisees tried with the Lord in Matthew 22. Look at Matthew 22, Matthew chapter 22 and verse 15. Verse 15 says, then went the Pharisees and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. So, what's their goal? Entangle him in his talk. So, what do they do? And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians saying, Master, we know that thou art true and teacheth the way of God in truth. Neither carest thou for any man, for thou regardest not the person of men. Did they really believe that? Notice how they're mixing some truth into what was at least lies from their point of view, okay? So, of course, they didn't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, so they're not saying that he is true and teacheth the way of God in truth, but he didn't care for any man, and he regarded not the person of men, but they mixed the two together, right? Tell us, therefore, what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not? So, they're setting him up to say something that could get him arrested, okay, as basically rebelling against Caesar, but pretending that they just want to learn from him. They're setting him up to do something, they're claiming they just want to learn from him because he's just so knowledgeable, right? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, it's wickedness, right? And said, Why tempt ye me, you hypocrites? They were messing with the wrong person, okay? He ain't going to set the Lord up like that. Verse 19, he said, Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny, and he saith unto them, Whose is this image and subscription? They said unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. When they had heard these words, they marveled and left him and went their way. What were they doing? Trying to spread a net for his feet. A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet. They were flattering to spread a net, to make him think they genuinely wanted a head, to try and set him up for this answer. So, that proverb is pretty simple. Basically, just beware of flattery and flatterers, and just be honest with yourself. And again, look, just because some might have a different opinion, some might just give a compliment that maybe you don't agree with. But you know when it's flattery, don't you, really. Verse 6, In a transgression of an evil man there is a snare, but the righteous do sing and rejoice. So, I believe this proverb is warning us that evil people tempt us to sin in the same way. He said, In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare, but the righteous do sing and rejoice. So, it's not just that you see bad people doing bad things and make a note and move on. There's a snare that goes with it. Would someone who's never drunk, say you've never drunk alcohol in your life, just got, never even seen, didn't know what it was, just go to a shop, buy some poison known as alcohol and drink it on their own? In reality, probably not, right? Most people aren't just going, oh, I'd fancy a bit of that. You know, knowing, knowing what it does, what, you know, what the effects are. Put them around others that do, and they're more likely to do it, aren't they? Put them around others that are boozing, that are drinking, that are getting drunk, and regularly doing that, and they're more likely to drink themselves. And this applies to all sorts of sins, and it's one of the ways that these people can destroy God's people. By normalising sin, normalising it, desensitising you to it. For example, covetousness is one that you see. You see bad people just trying to slowly promote it, slowly just try and get it, you know, just make it more and more normal. Or other forms of idolatry, you know, whoever and whatever it is that they've set up as an idol in their lives to try and slowly influence and push it upon others. And you can think of so many sins, OK? And isn't that what celebrities and other influential types do in the media? They tempt people to behave similarly, to copy their transgressions. The whoring and whoremongering being a big one out there, isn't it? They don't have to say to do it, they don't have to say do it, just them doing it themselves creates a snare for many, doesn't it? Just seeing it, normalising it, without ever saying you should go and do that is enough to make sadly so many people just copy what they do. In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare, but the righteous to sing and rejoice. So this is how we're to avoid those snares. And again, not just talking about the righteousness switches of faith, not all safe people avoid snares, pitfalls, OK? Not all safe people sing and rejoice, do they? That didn't come automatically with salvation. But if you're living right, if you're upright, if you're trying to live in the will of God instead of the snares, you will be where you should be. Which is where? Where do we sing and rejoice? In God's house, with other believers doing what we're commanded to do. You have to turn to Psalm 149, verse 1, it says, Praise ye the Lord, sing unto the Lord a new song and his praise in the congregation of saints. That's a command, isn't it? Another one of those commands in the Bible telling us to be in church, basically, to sing unto the Lord in the congregation of saints, that save people, by the way. And if you're disobeying clear commands like this, how could you be considered righteous? A lot of people, it's funny, isn't it, when you knock on doors and people are so sure they're righteous, they're working their way to heaven and everything else. And it's like, and then, you know, I don't believe you should go to church and everything else. It's like, well, we're told we're commanded to sing in the congregation of saints. We're commanded not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. I mean, that's a pretty clear command, isn't it? That's a pretty basic, like, that's like one of the basic, first, easy to see things in the Word of God that we should be around other believers worshipping God together, listening to preaching, listening to the Bible, singing together, congregating together, and obviously that's in the house of God, right? Without that, you're just disobeying clear commands. But if you're righteous, if you're righteous, you'll then be avoiding the snare that evil men provide. In the transgression of an evil man, there is a snare but the righteous that sing and rejoice. So, I think the lesson here is avoid the many snares presented to us by bad people by being righteous and around other righteous people in God's house. That's how you're going to avoid it. And you can think of, just for sake of time, I'm going to go into all the reasons why that's going to help you avoid the influence, the bad influence, of bad people just by being righteous in God's house. Verse 7, the righteous, and just lastly on that, how many people when they're like, you know, I was talking to someone just earlier, he's like, he'll say, having not been in church, suddenly the temptation gets worse, other things get harder, that's just life, isn't it? That's just one of those things. Let's keep going. The righteous considerth the cause of the poor but the wicked regardeth not to know it. So he's not talking about the reason that they're poor, okay? The righteous considers their welfare, or we might say their struggle, he cares about them, he considerth the cause of the poor. Because it's easy to get too hard-hearted to this, isn't it? You can easily get hard-hearted to the poor just in general, especially when you're bombarded by scammers, bombarded by beggars, bombarded by fake charities, especially when, like me, you receive regular, probably a couple of times weekly, emails from so-called ministries in poor parts of the world asking for me to team up with them or something else, never met them, never heard of them, and you know that email's going to a load of other churches as well, right? And then obviously, usually, just from the email, you can see these people are not saved, you know, let alone, you know, the rest of it. But we can get hard-hearted to this, so can't we? Just, you know, just all scammers and everything else. You know, if any man would not work, neither should he eat, right? And look, that's true, right? However, there are those people that can't work sometimes, aren't there? And there are those people that maybe they don't have that ability, or maybe they're pretty downtrodden, maybe they have some pretty bad situation, it's not just out of choice of their own. There are genuinely poor people around, aren't there? And obviously, again, all the drug addicts around makes it hard, doesn't it? Because you're seeing these people and you're seeing some pretty, you know, bad people all over the time, and it makes it hard, it hardens your heart sometimes. But there are genuine poor people, and we should care, we should care about the oppression that goes with that, shouldn't we? The pharmaceutical testing, for example, done in poor people in poor parts of the world. We should care about that, shouldn't we? Because there's some pretty wicked stuff that goes on around poor nations, poor people in the world, the knowingly dangerous work conditions over the years in poor areas of the world. Knowing full well things that they wouldn't do in certain nations, but we'll just go over there and just force people into, like, pretty dangerous stuff. You think of some of the mining that's gone over the years and things like that. There's some pretty wicked stuff that goes on. There's some pretty bad oppression of poor people. The slum landlords, for example, whether here or other nations. The targeting by the gambling industry of poor people. Pretty wicked, isn't it, right? I mean, you go to any poor neighbourhood and suddenly every other shops a gambling shop of bookies, you know, spin big adverts everywhere. What's gambling, what's ultimately the goal of gambling is just get your money. I mean, you can aim a hundred different ways, right? The poor are a very real and legitimate target in life and we should consider, we should have a heart for people, shouldn't we? Okay, we're Christians, we should care about people. It's easy to just go too hard on the other side because of, again, because of the false Christianity, because of the fakes, because of the, oh, we just have a soup kitchen every time. We don't even do church services anymore. I remember getting some of these chairs off a church that had changed into a charity of just, it was a soup kitchen, we don't even do services. Just bring them in and give them some free tins of stuff, you know, and who are they ultimately just getting in there? Just, a lot of the time, just people that would not work, you know, etc. So there is that and make out like, you know, going and feeding drug addicts or something is kind of God's work on earth or something else, right? But we could go too far the other way. So we should have a heart for people and like in the previous chapter, what is going to make you care more, make you have a heart for others? Being righteous, being righteous, being in the will of God, trying to live how God wants you to live, reading the Bible regularly, doing the things of God is going to make you have a heart for others, isn't it? The righteous considerth the cause of the poor, but the wicked regardeth not to know it. With the opposite end of the scale being the wicked, the children of the devil, who of course sometimes pretend to care but it's fake, right? They don't have natural affection, they're lovers of their own selves, unmerciful, and some of the descriptions of these types of people, they don't have any care for those downtrodden, no genuine care for them, which is why those types in positions of power are able to target and oppress masses of people like they do. I mean, it's like really bad stuff that goes on, like horrendous stuff that goes on, and how are people even able to do that stuff? How are they able to victimise regular people, destroy their lives, destroy their families, destroy generation after generation for money? How do people do that? You have to be a psychopath. You have to be a psychopath. Without the truth about reprobates, how do you explain what really goes on in the world? It's terrible, isn't it? Seriously, it's horrendous. Can we necessarily change those things? No, but can we reach them and get them saved? Another incentive to reach the poor the gospel, isn't it? Because we can change their eternity, so. The righteous considerth the cause of the poor. We should care about them, care about people, but the wicked regardeth not to know it. So don't be like the wicked, have a heart for the victims in this world. Verse 8. Scornful men bring a city into a snare, but wise men turn away wrath. So the scornful is usually talking about those with contempt for the things that God, and often God himself, okay? And it's not just the number of them that bring a city into a snare, it's also their effect on others. So these scorners, they're very outspoken. If you had like, you come across genuine scorners, they love to let you know, don't they? Okay, they love to put others off the things of God. When you knock or meet one, they can't just leave you to it, can they? They'll just go, oh no, I'm not a believer. They have to just try and chip away at you, they have to try and squash you or whoever's with you face somehow, they have to carry on, they have to try and prevent next door getting saved or something else. That's what scorners are like, aren't they? They mock, they scorn, and the result is often those surrounding them are the least put off. They're fearful of the mocking and then rejecting God. People do, they fear that stuff, don't they? Think about the outspoken scorners, for example, we talked about this morning, but in school settings, and it puts other people off. They're scared, they're concerned about what might be said and being mocked, being scorned. People hate being mocked, don't they? So people try and avoid it, and when you've got outspoken scorners around, it puts other people off as well. If a place is full of scorners and then those affected by them, it's a snare. It attracts God's judgment, basically. It prevents his protection of a place. And I'll tell you when this nation was thriving most, when there were more Christians and less scorners everywhere. That's probably when this nation has thrived the most, and in terms of for just, you know, in just different areas of life, for righteousness around, is going to be when there are more believers or at least more people that at least try to follow the Word of God, unless people are just scorning the things of God. So what do we do? Well, verse 8 said, Scornful men bring a city into a snare, but wise men turn away wrath. So we get wise to turn away wrath. How do we get wise? Well, by now, you probably, I hope, have realized it's through what? The Word of God, right? That's how we get wise. It's through the Word of God. It's not by going away and reading a hundred different, you know, books of old, you know, fine minds of the past. It's through the Word of God. That's where the wisdom is found, right? Why does that turn away wrath? Well, firstly, because God's face shines down upon places when his people are living right, okay? First off, in 2 Chronicles 7-14, God said to Solomon, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Okay, so there's a condition there, isn't it? Turning, humbling ourselves, praying, seeking his face, turning from our wicked ways, he will hear from heaven, will forgive our sin, and will heal our land. Okay, talking about our walk with God and talking about the area that also being affected by what God's people do. But that goes hand-in-hand with the fact that God's people being wise will result in more safe people as well, doesn't it? So if we're doing all those things, what's ultimately the result as well? More safe people in that place, because we're going to affect those around us. And more safe people in the land results in God being willing to turn away his wrath. In Genesis 18, 32, you have to turn there, but a famous passage where Abraham's kind of getting to know what, you know, what, how many safe people would make God's spares somewhere as wicked as Sodom and Gomorrah. And in verse 32, it says, and he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I'll speak yet but this once. Peradventure, ten shall be found there. Talk about righteous people. And I think he's ultimately just talking about safe people there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. Just ten. He would have not destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, but there weren't even ten safe there. Verse 8 said, scornful men bring a city into a snare, but wise men turn away wrath. So the more scorn is around, the wiser we need to get to turn away God's wrath from this nation. So for me, that's just an exhortation, get fear in God and serving him, right? Get fear in God and serving him, get wise. Verse 9, if a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest. So this is something many of you, I'm sure, can attest to, okay? Anyone who's been out soul-winning for any length of time, remember that a fool can often refer to a God-rejecting, God-hating fool, okay? So not always, but it can be referring to that, which I think is what it's talking about here, because it's two opposites, a wise man contending with the God-rejecting, the God-hater, the reprobate-here type of fool. And I believe that this is, you know, talking about times, for example, think about times when you contend with these people. You don't half open up a can of worms, have you ever noticed that? You ever try and, like, have a, you know, you think, oh I'll just kind of persevere a bit with this one, if you've got in the flesh, maybe, or maybe you weren't quite sure they were. Think about when you're out soul-winning, whether he's raging or laughing, it's just pretty hard to get away, isn't it? So even if he's not fuming and angry and chasing you down the street shouting, you know how wicked you were for daring to say that he wasn't saved when he said that you've got to work your way to heaven, or whatever it is, right? Or even if it's not that, a lot of the time they're laughing, a lot of time they're trying, you know, they've got the smug sort of, but they won't let you go, will they? There's no rest from it. Doesn't matter what you say, you can show them verse after verse, you can disprove their out-of-context verses, be like, yeah, right, I'm gonna show this guy, right? They're falsehoods, they're carnal reasoning, there's no rest, it just continues and continues, doesn't it? I had this the other day where, I mean, I showed this guy, because I was talking to two people that got saved, and then this guy comes along from their false church, Potter's house or whatever, turns up, she then mentions at some point that he does outreach for them, so you think, okay, straight away he's got a problem, and he's trying, so you just believe in one saved voice, then suddenly it becomes this straw man, so you just think, so someone just has to say a prayer. Who said that? Who said someone just has to say a prayer? You've got to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you know, but suddenly they create this straw man, and then he starts talking about, like, losing your salvation, losing the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. I'm like, you don't even understand what you're talking about, man. I was like, there is no indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and the Holy Spirit can leave you, but we're in the New Testament, but you're trying to show it, but it doesn't matter, you've just completely squashed his nonsense, but then it's like, next objection, next mockery, next way, and it just, you just can't win. You won't win, and in the end you've just got to walk away. There is no rest. It just continues and continues. It's like whatever you said never counted, because they've got a new idea to argue, a new thing to come out with, and it's whether they get angry or they try to mock you in that condescending, false-profit way, it's the same, right? They just could continue, continue. That guy wasn't angry. He was mocking, trying to act like, I'm saved, always saved. Oh yeah, yeah, grace, you know, just say a prayer, you know, it's this sort of stuff, right? If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether you rage or laugh, there is no rest. And I learned this a while back, that it's the same away from the Gospel too, so it's not just with the Gospel. When these people try to slander, defame, etc, etc, if you bother to contend with them, so you're like, right, I'm gonna show how this person's wrong, I'm gonna like, they're, they're, whatever, whether it's an online comment, whether it's a conversation, whatever, I'm gonna show them that everything they've said here is, I'm gonna disprove what they've said. It's just a new essay. Just an ex-essay comes. A new long list of false accusations. Like, all those things you disproved, it just didn't matter, because I've got a new list now. Distortions of the truth, ridiculous exaggerations, all the usual stuff. You've just proven to them that they lied X amount of times, so they just throw out a load more lies. It's ridiculous. Because what they want you to do is get to the point where you just don't answer anymore, and for the person who's not wise, they look at that and just think, must be true, because there's no answer. But it's just a waste of time. I remember years ago we had that with that absolute clown VJ guy, and this was like my first taste of just like, the essay, they're like, they're just verbal diarrhoea, but on a message of just the guy that kicked out, came out with all these accusations. I thought, this guy's a lot of nonsense, I'm just gonna pull this stuff apart, right? I'll show him, you know, I'm like, no, that's wrong, no, that's completely a lie, no, that didn't happen, blah, blah, blah, blah. New one. Completely ignores everything. Every objection, every way I've shown him to be a liar, new, just blah, you know, bats flying out of his mouth, and he's just like, new like, 20 accusations. It's like, wow, this is just a complete waste of time. There was a guy a while back on Facebook, I was just like, oh man, what are you talking about, blah, blah, just a couple of things go low, you're talking a load of nonsense. Suddenly, this long like, it is a waste of time. There is no rest. Whether they rage or not, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest. Which is why debating with these people is a fool's errand, okay? I think Adam preached it in a men's preach tonight, didn't he? Debating, debating, all that stuff is just complete nonsense. Why would you have a debate with a reprobate? What are you achieving? What a waste of time. It's contention and there is no rest, you can't win. You're never, you're not gonna persuade them. If only you'd shown me that before, they're just gonna come out with a new argument, a new argument, it's like, you could give them every argument, it's a waste of time. And that's why, what does the Bible say? Inherit, take off the first and second admonition, reject. You give them a chance, look, we don't just assume they must be bad because they don't believe, because they seem to be contentious, but after a couple of rejections, after you've given them a couple of admonitions, clearly from the Word of God, and it's clear as day and they're just basically just denying the Word of God, reject. If a wise man contended through the foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest. So it's pretty simple, instead of contending, just avoid them. Verse 10, the bloodthirsty hate the upright, but the just seek his soul. So who are the bloodthirsty? People that want to shed blood, murderous types. And you may think that you don't know many murderers, okay? Maybe you don't, I don't know, maybe you do, I don't know, I don't, I don't know, you don't usually feel like you're just running, you know, running around with all these different murderers around and stuff. But how about anyone in and around, for example, the abortion industry of our day? There's a lot of bloodthirsty people in that industry, aren't there? There's a lot of murderers about. How do these, those people feel about Christian types talking about it? How do you think they feel? How does the my-body-my-choice, moronic feminist, with her dyed hair, dyed short hair, and boyish clothes, how does she feel about people like us, who are trying to live for God and therefore see it his way? How does she feel, do you think? Do you think she's got a special place in her heart for us? They hate us, she hates us, she hates those Christians, she hates those fundamentalists, doesn't she? All of the doctor deaths out there, think they like us? They hate us. The nurses involved in that industry, the mums on their way for a quick murder, hopefully fit one in before the school run. They hate us, they hate us, they hate people like us. How about the warmongering types out there, because there's another type of bloodthirsty lot that can't wait to see the latest Zionist massacre. You know those ones, those ones that would be tuning in, and like just, like cheering when the bombs drop. Are they all reprobates? No. They're bloodthirsty though. They like the murder, they tell themselves, oh it's war. Really? Would be an idiot to think that. Land-grabbing a murder, isn't it? What do they think of God's people calling it for what it is? They hate us. Hate us. The bloodthirsty hate the upright, but the just seek his soul. So I believe that the irony is that although these people hate us, I hope, if you're upright at least, you should still love them enough to want to see them saved. Isn't that the truth? If a woman came here, you know, came in here now on the way back from her third trip to the baby murder clinic this year, if you're right with God, you'd still preach her the gospel, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you? Still preach her the gospel, you wouldn't go, nah, nah, tough. She might hate us, or she might have previously hated us, but she decided to come in here, something drew her in here, you're gonna preach her the gospel. You bumped into her in the street, she said, no. She said, I couldn't get saved. No, no, no, I've done too many bad things. That conviction of sin got her now, she's just like, I've murdered, you know, my unborn babies. You'd still preach her the gospel, wouldn't you? You'd say, you know what, Jesus Christ's blood paid for those sins. Yeah, that's what the upright should be saying. If some veteran walked in here, telling us how he'd personally been a part of just bombing innocent Iraqi women and children in the last Gulf War, and he knows full well really what it was, and yeah, and he actually knew the politics around it as well, he didn't think that he was fighting for weapons of mass destruction or whatever liars like Tony Blair and other war mongers came out with, and he walked in here, we'd still preach him the gospel, wouldn't we? You bumped into him on the street, still preaching the gospel, wouldn't you? So look, I've dropped bombs on families, I've dropped bombs on children, you'd still preach him the gospel. One of the ironies in life is the amount of people that hate upright believers, which by default is soul-winning believers, yet the reality is that we're seeking their souls. We're trying to stop them spending eternity in hell. It's an irony of life, isn't it? So yeah, the bloodthirsty hate the upright, but they just seek his soul. So it's an extreme example, but just because people that have done bad things hate us, still try to get them saved, yeah? Verse 11, So it's not a wise thing to do to utter all your mind, to say everything that you're thinking, it's a foolish thing to do, for many reasons, but first and foremost because what's on our mind isn't always sensible, is it? It hasn't always been thought through properly, yeah? Those of you that sometimes can do it, I can do it sometimes, just like thinking out loud when I'm talking to someone. It's like, I haven't even processed this, what am I doing? You know, how's he even gone through the filters yet? You know, why did I say that? How many times have you come away from a conversation and thought, why did I say that? You know, I didn't even say that, I didn't even think that, why did I come out with that? You know, something like that, it happens isn't it, right? If you're someone who just like, you know, is quite honest and open when you're chatting, you're going to think like that sometimes, right? But it can be worse too, because there are some people, like we saw earlier, just waiting to catch something out of your mouth as well. So there is sadly that in life, especially in a Christian life, remember, I was explaining to someone earlier, we're in a battle, sadly, we're in a spiritual battle, it's a spiritual war, you know, and sadly there are people that want to try and attack us, right? Which is why later we see in Proverbs 29 20, seer saw a man, verse 20 of this chapter, seer saw a man that is hasty in his words, there is more hope of a fool than a fiend. So according to verse 11, it's foolish to utter all your mind. And think how you can, look, for many reasons, not just for self-preservation, you can hurt people, can't you? By just uttering your mind. Something that came across your mind, whether it was right or not, you know, we all have, look, the heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked, who can know it, right? And you utter that, you can hurt people, upset people, you're going to say things you regret. If you just say all of your mind, you're going to regret things, because our minds aren't really always the best places, are they, right? A fool uttereth all his mind, but a wise man keepeth it in till after it. So it's wise to be able to control your mouth, to not say everything on your mind. However, people can go too far with this as well. So where conversations are just painful, if you've ever been in a conversation, people are just like, not saying anything, it's like, loose lip-sync ships. It's like getting blood out of a stone, you know? They have little to nothing to say, and you just end up avoiding it, you know, eventually it's avoiding it in the future, because you're just like, yeah, this conversation ain't really going to go anywhere, you know? It's like, let's quickly high by and move on, you know? So it's usual that there's a balance, okay? The fool utters all his mind, not some, and the wise man, which is our constant goal, keepeth it in for a time, okay? He keeps it in till afterwards, so it's not like he just never says anything, he just doesn't utter all his mind, okay? And I suppose, you know, really that time is probably when it's been safely processed and filtered, you know? And ideally filtered by the Word of God as well, you know? For, you know, more serious things, etc, decisions, and whatnot. So how do you get this right? How do you get this right? Pray, and if in doubt, keep it shut. And I remember doing a whole sermon on that not that long ago. A fool uttereth all his mind, but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards, so be wise by not just saying what you think all the time, like the fool. Verse 12, if a ruler harken to lies, all his servants are wicked. Why does the ruler harkening to lies make his servants, seemingly by default, wicked? It can seem like a bit of a strange proverb at first, can't it? Well, notice how it was his servants, okay? It wasn't just the people he rules. Okay, so for example, would you consider yourself a servant of Starmer? Anyone think that they're Starmer's servant here? Or King Charles? Anyone thinks that they're the servant of King Charles? Unless we've got anyone that actually serves in one of his many palaces, posh islands or whatever else, right? Castles or whatever. I don't know how many there are, okay. No, we're subjects to the rulership, but we don't serve them, do we? But this is those in, you could say maybe in the inner circle, those close and serving, for various reasons. Maybe some people are given a job to do, you know, employed by them for a time. And they can be permanent or temporary, right? And I think the point is that if he harkens to lies, he'll end up being surrounded by liars, okay? By wicked people, by people that are liars, just kind of, not just, oh they've said the odd lie, everyone's a liar, right? But these are people that are known by that. So those in leadership in general attract bad people who want to get close and influenced, okay? So you can look at it in that way. If he harkens or gives heed, if he pays attention to the lies, he's going to end up with more and more of these people around, okay? That just goes with that saying. If you're listening to him, you're harkening to it, you're accepting that stuff, you're just going to keep attracting those types of people who can influence you. They will backstab, obviously, and lie their way into influential positions. He has to have an eye or an ear for it. But as usual, okay, these stuff isn't, he's not just writing to kings, he's not like, okay, well just, you know, who cares, that's for kings, right? This applies to many areas of leadership. We need to be wise to the lies that deceive us, don't we? So in the workplace, you need to be wise, for example, to the lying worker. If you're employing people, you're a boss, you have a position, who's just a men pleaser, yeah? There's a lot of them around, aren't there? They're good in front of people, they're not so good when no one's there and they always have the excuses why they couldn't get done what normal people would have got done in that time. The lying subcontractor that just wants to work and comes out with all sorts of lies as to why you should employ him and to his ability and to how quick he's going to do it, how cheap it's going to cost, yet he's got his little snag factor in there and the add-ons if there's anything extra. There are people like that around. In the home, the lying tradesman in the same way, so whether it's in the workplace with the subcontractor, the tradesman in the home, there's a lot of lying tradesmen, aren't there, around? And if you've ever had to get someone in to do something, you soon realise, wow, a lot of people are just deceiving, just lying, just lying their way into jobs, lying their way to get the work from you before trying to rip you off, do a dodgy job, do a bad job. The lying kids' sport or music coach, by the way, you know, what are you talking about? Half of these people, they're not even qualified to teach what they claim to teach. I realised in the sport that I was in that half of the clubs around, they didn't even know the sport and they got like 50 kids in there learning a load of nonsense. They didn't even know how to coach, even though they didn't even know what they were coaching. And it's the same with music sometimes as well. They're not good music teachers, they can't really get results, but they play the instrument, so just pretend. Just liars, the lying car salesman, the lying mechanic, they're just everywhere and if you harken to it, you're just going to have more of them around, aren't you? You're just going to end up with those employing them more and more because you're just harkening to lies. They're all servants of assault, aren't they? Ultimately, because they're giving you a service. And if you harken to those lies, you'll be getting conned left, right and centre in life. If you keep harkening, look, and sometimes you can just want to see the best in people, can't you? You could just want to, you know, I'm sure it's probably, well, I'm sure there is a bearing gone in my will. I'm sure, oh, I'm sure there probably is a slightly loose something that I never knew and no one, you know, I'm just going to have to assume he's not lying with the car. I'm just going to have to assume that that tradesman isn't lying when he says, oh sorry, I'm just going to have to rip the whole lot out. I'm just, if you're harkening to him, you're going to attract him. If a ruler harkens to lies, all his servants are wicked. I believe that the point is that people are everywhere trying to con you, trying to rip you off. How do you recognise it? Well, in Ephesians 6.14, Paul said to stand there for having your loins girt about with truth, which is being immersed in, surrounded by truth, which is what the Word of God ultimately, yeah? But the more you're girt about with truth, I believe the more you should recognise the lies, because they're opposites, aren't they? They are, like, the more you're around truth, around truthful people, around truthful things, around, you know, immersed in the Word of God and the things of God, the more you're going to recognise those lies. Okay, that's just kind of life in general. The more you're around one thing, you're going to recognise the opposite more. They say, for example, that the best, I'm going to, I hope I get this right, but the best that spotting counterfeit money are those that spend a long time around the real money. So it's not that they know every type of counterfeit, it's that they're, you know, they've been around the real deal, that they can spot the counterfeits, right? And same with anything in life, okay? It's easier to spot counterfeits if you know what the real deal is. It's easier to spot lies if you know what the truth is. They're opposites, you should recognise them. Philippians 4-8 tells us to think on honest things, which again should help you to recognise dishonest things, because if you accept the lies, you're going to be surrounded by bad people, okay? If a ruler harkers to lies, all his servants are wicked, so if you don't want to be constantly dealing with bad people, look out for lies. Okay, verse 13, last couple. The poor and the deceitful man meet together. The Lord lighteneth both their eyes. So if you remember back in chapter 22, you could turn there if you like, chapter 22, this is a similar proverb. Here it said in verse 13, the poor and the deceitful man meet together, the Lord lighteneth both their eyes. And back in Proverbs 22 and verse 2, it said the rich and poor meet together, we saw the poor and the deceitful man meet together, and it said the Lord is the maker of them all. We've just seen the Lord lighteneth both their eyes. So I believe that they're saying pretty much the same thing, and like we've seen in this chapter, often it's those rich and powerful that are deceiving the poor, okay? It's those in power, it's those that are rich and powerful, okay, that are deceiving them. Here in verse 13, the poor and the deceitful man meet together. The Lord lighteneth both their eyes, with lightening their eyes meaning illuminating their eyes, okay? He gives them the ability to see, he gives them life, I think is what it's saying. Chapter 22-2 said the Lord is the maker of them all. Here it's the Lord lighteneth both their eyes. And it's a reminder, I think, of what we saw in chapter 22, that whether you're the poor or the deceitful, you're all together as God's creation. You're no better in God's eyes because you made it to oppression level in the world. I managed to, you know, I progressed to the level of oppressor, so now I'm better. No, you're no better, in fact you're worse, okay, than the poor person that never made it through to oppression, yeah? And you're no worse in God's eyes because you haven't got worldly riches. God doesn't look down and go, you failure, you didn't make it, you didn't get the worldly riches, which often usually goes hand in hand with deceit, usually, okay? I know it's a bit of a broad brush, but a lot of the time to get riches in life, you need to be deceitful to some degree, okay? That's why I think he's using them interchangeably between Rich in Proverbs 22-2, and here in verse 13 of Proverbs 29, the poor and deceitful man meet together. So you know, basically, you know better or worse, either way, ultimately, you will be made by God. Without God you wouldn't have life, okay? And it's only with God that you'll have eternity too. That's basically what it comes down to. The poor and the deceitful man meet together. The Lord lighteneth both their eyes. I believe that it's a reminder that there's no class system in God's eyes. He's the only one truly in charge. Whatever happens in this small physical lifetime. Right, last one. Verse 14, the king that faithfully judges the poor, his throne shall be established forever. So first application is to rule us in general. If they're honest and upright in dealing with the poor, they're not oppressing them, they're not ripping them off, not treating them badly, using them for their own gain, they will have a long and successful reign. They will be blessed in what they do. But turn to Isaiah chapter 11. Turn to Isaiah chapter 11, because I believe that the ultimate and more literal application can only apply to one king. We've just seen the king that faithfully judges the poor, his throne shall be established forever. And that's the king of kings, the Lord of lords, isn't it? The only king whose throne is established literally forever. Here in Isaiah 11, Isaiah is prophesying ultimately of the millennial reign to come. We looked at that in detail when we were in Isaiah 11 in our Wednesday evening Bible study. There's a part fulfillment in Hezekiah's reign, but he's definitely pointing towards the second coming of Christ. He says this in verse 1 of Isaiah 11, and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the spirit of the Lord, let's talk about the Lord Jesus Christ, the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. And he shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. So Isaiah is prophesying now of the Lord Jesus Christ coming to rule and reign for a thousand years on this earth with a rod of iron. Okay, that's that rod as well, talking about his rulership. But one of the features of his reign will be this in verse 4. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness a girdle of his reigns. So this will never be achieved by the world's rulers, but one day the true king is coming, he will judge with righteousness. But with righteousness, verse 4, shall he judge the poor. The poor will no longer be downtrodden, used, conned, taken advantage of, and then after that thousand years he will continue to sit on that throne for eternity. It's eternal. The king that faithfully judges the poor, back in Proverbs 29, verse 14, his throne shall be established forever. And I just believe this proverb is really just a reminder of what is to come. There is going to be a time to come with all this telling us how the wicked do this to the poor, the poor get oppressed, everything else. There is a king coming that will faithfully judge the poor, and that king's throne shall be established forever. So it can be a bit disappointing, it can be a bit depressing sometimes, you're reading about all this wickedness, all this oppression, but there's a time coming and if you're saved, if you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation, you're not trusting your works before salvation, during salvation, after salvation, you know it's grace through faith alone, once saved, always saved. That is the Gospel. And if you believe that, well you're going to enjoy that eternal throne, you're going to enjoy that king that faithfully judges all. And that was Proverbs chapter 29, and on that we're going to finish it all, wait a sec. Heavenly Father, thank you Lord for the book of Proverbs, thank you for the wisdom we can get from it Lord, help us to all want to apply it to our lives Lord, to just apply it in the right way to our lives Lord, to be wise, to be prudent, to be just sensible in all that we do Lord, and to just try and filter everything through the word of God, help us to put you in the centre of our lives Lord, through your word first and foremost. You know as we as we go on with our week now, Lord help everyone to have a good week, to have a blessed week, help those that can get here on Wednesday for the midweek service, and for others to be here at least on Sunday next week, and Lord we just thank you for everything, thank you for the salvation today, help everyone to get home safe and sound, Jesus we pray, amen.