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welcome to everyone you can turn in your Bibles to Psalm 15 for our call to worship Psalm 15 Psalm 15 I'll begin reading in verse 1 a psalm of David Lord who may abide in your tabernacle who may dwell in your holy hill he who walks uprightly and works righteousness and speaks the truth in his heart he who does not backbite with his tongue nor does evil to his neighbor nor does he take up a reproach against his friend in whose eyes a vile person is despised but he honors those who fear the Lord he who swears to his own hurt and does not change he who does not put out his money at usury nor does he take a bribe against the innocent he who does these things shall never be moved Amen well please turn with me to Trinity hymnal number 132 hymn number 132 will stand as we sing together [Music] well let us pray father thank you again for this privilege to gather in the house of God Almighty thank you for making us members in this house for giving us life eternal in the Lord Jesus Christ building a spiritual temple unto your glory from the persons that Christ has redeemed we ask that you would be glorified tonight that we would come to the Father through the son in the spirit and that God would be all in all in this place we praise you for your graciousness we praise you for your gospel we praise you that you have not dealt with us according to our sins nor rewarded US according to our transgression but as far as the East is from the West so you have removed our iniquity we thank you as well that the psalmist testifies that you pity us and that you know our frame that you know that we are dust nevertheless you love and you care and you provide for us and in this we rejoice thank you for your temporal provision thank you that every day you load us with benefits and thank you for the eternal provision the spiritual blessings that you have given us in Christ Jesus we praise you for justification freely by grace we praise you for the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit in our lives we look forward to glorification when we enter into the eternal state when we enter into the presence of God Almighty and that we can worship you world without end we ask that tonight as we gather you would encourage our hearts she would strengthen us in the inner man she would build us up in our most holy faith that father you would be pleased to conform us more and more unto the image of the Lord Jesus Christ we confess our sins to you the hymn writer says that we're prone to wander and prone to leave the god that we love scripture testifies that there is a a battle within the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary to one another so that we don't do the things that we want we thank you for the spirits power and we thank you that there is a struggle and we pray that you would increase his presence in our hearts lies so that we may fight against sin that we may seek by grace to dis possess the remaining Canaanites in our own hearts we asked you'd be with those who have physical means those who are struggling in terms of the the temporal life we just commit them to you and pray that you'd uphold them that you would bless them we pray for Linda that you would continue to strengthen her give her grace and wisdom and cause her father to reflect upon your goodness and your kindness even in the midst of trial and difficulty be with those recovering from surgery be with those ladies and our mitts that are pregnant father we just pray that in all of these things we would see your hand of mercy we would see your hand of kindness we can fast at times it is very easy to see that in when sinners are saved by grace we don't always appreciate the daily uphold a the daily provision the daily and constant kindness of our God in each and every aspect of our lives help us to reflect upon these things and may they indeed cause us to be a people that rejoice in the God of heaven and earth we ask that you would bless the Saints in Surrey we thank you for that church we pray that you would bless them tonight as they gather be with Pastor Mike and help him to proclaim the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit and be with the Brethren and burnin as well we pray specifically to the lord of the harvest that you would provide a man to labor and the word and doctrine there on a regular basis Lord God keep that body intact cause them to know your nearness and your kindness and may they in due time be constituted as a church of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray for other churches here in our community thanking you that we're not alone here praying that you would bless them and prosper them we ask that you would be merciful throughout this nation that you would revive your people she would cause us to be a people committed to truth committed to the cause of God and truth and be a people of Prayer and for those dead in their trespasses and sins in this land we pray that you would awaken them through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ we know that the voice of the law is powerful we know that it can break the Cedars of Lebanon and certainly it can break the hardened hearts of men so we would pray God in heaven that as your gospel is proclaimed many would come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior for there is no more blessed thing in this world than to know God Most High to walk in communion with you to know the nearness of God as our good we pray that others would learn this others would know this and others would rejoice in it and father bless the persecuted church we know there is increasing pressure and the churches in China we know God that there continues to be great unrest in the Middle East we know that very often the people of Jesus Christ or are targeted for execution or for other forms of punishment we would pray father that you would just gird your people up help them to persevere in the midst of trial and affliction and hardship and may they count themselves blessed when they're called to suffer for the cause of Jesus Christ our Lord but we know that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution so we pray that you would be with your Saints all over the earth and continue with us now and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well please turn with me again in your Trinity hymnal to number 407 407 we'll use a familiar tune and we'll stand together [Music] well you could turn in your Bibles to the Prophet Nahum we're in Chapter three remember the target the scope of this particular prophecy is the destruction of Nineveh and in Nahum chapter three will read beginning in verse one woe to the bloody City it is all full of lies and robbery its victim never departs the noise of a whip and the noise of rattling wheels of galloping horses of clattering chariots horsemen charged with bright sword and glittering spear there is a multitude of slain a great number of bodies countless corpses they stumble over the corpses because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot the mistress of sorceries who sells Nations through her harlot trees and families through her sorceries behold I am against you says the Lord of Hosts I will lift your skirts over your face I will show the nation's your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame I will cast a Bominable filth upon you make you vile and make you a spectacle it shall come to pass that all who look upon you will flee from you and say Nineveh is laid waste who will be mone her where shall I see comforters for you are you better than know Amon that was situated by the river that had the waters around her whose rampart was the sea whose wall was the sea Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength and it was boundless put and LU beam were your helpers yet she was carried away she went into captivity her young children also were dashed to pieces at the head of every street they cast lots for her honorable men and all her great men were bound in chains you also will be drunk you will be hidden you also will seek refuge from the enemy all your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs if they are shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater surely your people in your midst or women the gates of your land are wide open for your enemy's fire shall devour the bars of your gates draw your water for the siege fortify your strongholds go into the clay and tread the mortar make strong the brick kiln there the fire will devour you the sword will cut you off it will leap you eat you up like a locust make yourself many like the locust make yourself many like the swarming locusts you have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of heaven the locust plunders and flies away your commanders are like swarming locusts and your generals like great grasshoppers which camp in the hedges on a cold day when the Sun rises they flee away and the place where they are is not known your Shepherd slumbers Oh king of Assyria your nobles rest in the dust your people are scattered on the mountains and no one gathers them your injury has no healing your wound is severe all who hear news of you will clap their hands over you for upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually amen well this is the theological explanation for the fall of Nineveh we see it described here in chapter 3 as well in chapter 2 but this is the theology behind it and essentially we see the reason verse 4 because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot the mistress of sorceries who sells Nations through her harlotries and Families through her sorceries behold I'm against you says the Lord of hosts so they had indeed filled up the measure of the cup of God's wrath and they had reaped it via the historical means of invading armies to decimate that particular city and ultimately the Assyrian Empire well let us pray father thank you for this revelation not only of the graciousness of God but of the justice and the righteousness of God help us to never forget these things help us to realize that the God of love is also a God who is angry with the wicked every day may we take heed and may we realize that there is judgment there is chastisement there is the with the withdrawal of lampstands from faithless churches grant us help Lord God not compromise and spiritual harlotry help us to engage in those things that are pleasing in your sight namely commitment to the God of heaven and earth we know that spiritual harlotry is theological explanation for idolatry and you brought no rivals when it comes to the worship of the living and the true God may we see this may we seek your help to be faithful in these things and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well please turn with me in your Trinity hymnals again to number 54 hymn number 54 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] well please turn with me in your Bibles to proverbs chapter 30 proverbs chapter 30 I alluded to this section last week in our study of the diligence of the ant and proverbs chapter 6 so it seemed appropriate to continue in that theme and listen to Solomon's instruction from the natural order I want to read beginning in verse 24 in proverbs chapter 30 there are four things which are little on the earth but they are exceedingly wise the answer of people not strong yet they prepare their food in the summer the rock Badgers are a feeble folk yet they make their homes in the crags the locusts have no king yet they all advance in ranks the spider skillfully grasps with its hands and it is in King's palaces amen well let us pray father thank you again for your word thank you for the wisdom of Solomon and the fact that you have given us this and we pray that you would help us now give us hearts to receive the truth give us grace to learn from these little things may we express exceeding wisdom the areas that you've called us unto you help us to imitate these creatures help us to glorify you and to that end we pray for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit now to illumine our minds and our hearts and may we never be so proud or arrogant as to not learn lessons from ants and from Cody's and locusts and spiders give us grace to receive wisdom from when wherever it may come and may we ultimately bow at the bow the knee to that one in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge our head even our Lord Jesus Christ forgive us again for our sins and help us we pray through Christ our Lord amen well I had mentioned last week in fact you can turn to first Kings chapter 4 just to see something concerning Solomon's wisdom it is not simply or only in spiritual matters but Solomon was keen with reference to the Natural Sciences and therefore Solomon often points his sons and readers in the book of Proverbs to the created order to the natural order so that we may learn lessons that are consistent with our place here on the earth first Kings chapter 4 verse 33 also he spoke of trees from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that Springs out of the wall he spoke also of animals of birds of creeping things and a fish and men of all nations from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom came to hear the wisdom of Solomon so it should not surprise us that we find these sections in the book of Proverbs where Solomon points us to the created order for instruction I mentioned last week that our Lord Jesus does that in Matthew chapter 6 when he's trying to caution his people against carnal anxiety he points to the birds of the air he points to the lilies of the field Charles Bridges says that God instructed Jobe by behemoth and Leviathan in job 40 and 41 here he instructs us by the ants and the Kony's and indeed in the minut creation his splendor shines as gloriously as in the more majestic so we should appreciate God's wisdom displayed in those majestic creatures but we also ought to dis our marvel at God's wisdom displayed in these little things I want to look first at the title line in verse 24 and then secondly at the four little things in verses 25 to 28 you notice the title line is verse 24 there are four things which are little on the earth but they are exceedingly wise this is a common pattern in the Solomons of agar notice in verses 15 and 16 the leech has two daughters give and give there are three things that are never satisfied and then notice in verse 18 there are three things which are too wonderful for me yes for which I do not understand verses 21 to 23 for three things the earth is perturbed yes before it cannot be and then again in verses 29 to 31 there are three things which aren't majestic in pay a pace so the author here tells us those things and then he goes through and highlights the particulars involved with the things that he is mentioned now notice in verse 24 there are four things which aren't little on the earth now the little there is probably not in the first place with reference to their stature now each of these animals are little in terms of their stature but most likely what's in view is their significance they are little in terms of their overall footprint with reference to the earth they're little with reference to their impact on the world of man they are little in that regard not so much stature but rather significance you see this word little used that way in the Old Testament in Exodus 18 at verse 22 God had told Moses to seek out assistance in other words Moses simply could not in and of himself adjudicate all of the issues facing Israel at the time so he has given instruction then it will be that every matter they shall bring to you but every small matter they themselves shall judge so the deputy judges that Moses had at hand would take up the little matters and Moses would be committed to the greater ones and to the more significant in 1st Samuel 1517 Samuel to Saul when you were little in your own eyes were you not head of the tribes of Israel so again it's not just the stature though that's certainly true of the ant of the cony of the locust and of the spider but rather it's their significance they are weak they are something that it's easily easily forgettable there's something there's something that really doesn't make an impact upon your life whatsoever now in terms of the structure the unifying feature of each of these four creatures is that they have a particular weakness or a limitation and then they have some compensatory weakness in fact the description of the four animals follows that structure in the title line there are four things which are little on the earth but they are exceedingly wise the animal is mentioned and then what is highlighted is is its weakness or its limitation and then it's compensating wisdom the the means by which it makes up for the limitation that it faces now certainly that instructs us because all of us have limitation all of us have weakness all of us are to one degree or other insignificant and so when we realize that particular weakness that is true of us we ought to seek by the grace of God to let wisdom elsewhere overwrite that particular thing so that's sort of a the structure these are weak things but they have something that helps them to navigate through the weakness that they have it's a very simple lesson a very simple instruction but one that is most necessary for the people of God and then the reference notice in verse 24 but they are exceedingly wise in other words the particular aspects of their wisdom aren't just a little bit but rather they are exceedingly wise they excel at this they may have this particular limitation they may have this particular challenge they may have this particular weakness but they more than make up for it with this corresponding or compensating wisdom so that's the structure in the section now let's look at these four little things in the first place you have the industrious ants now we probably don't need to labor this too much other than draw out some application but look at the text verse 25 the ants are a people not strong now referring to them as people ager does not think that they bear the image of God ager does not think that they are somehow another category of man but rather he is highlighting something true the created order something true of the lower order is to make an impact on us so that we will learn in other words if these little people this little feeble folk is able to master this particular aspect of wisdom then certainly image bearers ought to be able to do something like that they ought to excel in industry they ought to excel in preparation they ought to excel in diligence the way that the aunt has demonstrated this if aunts recognize their weakness and they respond accordingly then we as God's people certainly ought to be able to recognize our weakness and respond accordingly now notice the text the answer of people not strong there's their weakness yet they prepare their food in the summer we saw that last week in proverbs chapter 6 at verses 6 to 8 remember the sluggard is directed to go consider the aunt to learn of her ways to be wise in other words sit at the feet of the aunt and see how you're supposed to conduct your affairs in this world walki makes this observation he says there the aunts exceptional achievement which is out of proportion to their seemingly inadequate size and power provides a model for God's people to exercise prudent foresight discipline and industry in a timely manner the text is conspicuous they're not strong yet they prepare their food in the summer why because they don't have the stateliness or the majesty of the lion they cannot leave their dens and go hunt and kill if they don't prepare their food in the summer or at harvest time then they will starve when it comes time for winter we need to be like that we need to be diligent we need to be industrious we need to be a people that prepare both temporally and spiritually the proverbs are filled with admonition to the people of God to prepare their life in such a way that they're able to wear clothes they're able to have shelter and they're able to have food we are not to sit idly by when we need to go out to work we are to be industrious like the ants we are to be hard workers notice specifically in proverbs 27 proverbs 27 at verse 23 Solomon again says be diligent to know the state of your flocks and attend to your herds for riches are not for ever nor does a crown endure to all generations you cannot bank on anything remaining unto the future we are taught by our Lord to pray to God for our daily bread but that prayer does not invalidate the place of work that prayer does not invalidate the place of preparation that prayer does not invalidate the place of diligence in the lives of God's people in fact when you look at Matthew chapter 6 the birds and the lilies are given as examples by Jesus for the people of God not to engage in carnal anxiety look at the birds they they don't so they don't reap but the Lord God feeds them they don't sow or they don't reap but they do fly they do forage they do look for food he says with reference to the lilies that God clothes them when you become like a lily and you cannot move then you don't have to go to work but until that time comes you need to be industrious and diligent like the ant so you cannot point to Matthew 6 as a proof text to lie on your couch with your handout hoping that people fill it with food with shelter and with clothing you have to work that's what marks the ant it prepares it is diligent back to proverbs 27 verse 25 when the hay is removed in the tender grass shows itself and the herbs of the mountains are gathered in the Lambs will provide your clothing in the goats the price of a field you shall have enough goats milk for your food for the food of your household and the nourishment of your maid servants now you've probably heard of the the Protestant work ethic it wasn't developed by the Protestants it was simply imitated from the Word of God the Bible everywhere enjoins upon us industry diligence hard work effort not indolence not way Tina's not sluggard leanness but rather we need to be like the end so we see the application in terms of temporality with reference to the industry of the ant but we also ought to appreciate it with reference to spiritual things are we diligently it comes to our own hearts are we diligently power own hearts with all diligence like proverbs 4 says 4 out of it flow the issues of life are we diligently in a do use of the ordinary needs are we faithfully reading our Bibles are we faithfully praying are we faithfully attending church are we faithfully attending the supper are we the kinds of people that imitate the ant when it comes to not only industry in diligence but preparation what are we preparing for in terms of eternality we are preparing to be with God most hard and that demands from us a degree of diligence in our lives now not in terms of us earning our salvation but as those who have been saved we are called to perfect holiness in the fear of God we are called to pursue holiness without which no one will see the Lord as the people of God we need to imitate the ant and be diligent industrious and those who prepare but in terms of the unconverted I want to direct your attention to two quotes one by Royal and one by bridges royal speaking to young children Ryle says this dear children the best time for seeking pardon grace and the friendship of God is the time of youth youth and childhood or your summer now you are strong and well now you have plenty of time now you have few cares and troubles to distract you now is the best time for laying up food for your souls I think that's beautiful somewhere Spurgeon says there's no fool as foolish as a gray headed fool in other words flee to Christ in your youth prepare for the coming day of judgment it is coming you may not have heard this children but your parents have there are only two certainties in life death and taxes as I've said on many occasion you cannot pay your taxes I don't recommend it because you'll be in prison but you can feasibly not pay your taxes if you do remember I'm telling you you'll probably end up in prison it is more appropriate to say there are two things that are absolutely certain and the Hebrews of the book of Hebrews tells us that in Hebrews nine it's appointed for man to die and then it comes judgment you see this is more sure than paying taxes this is more sure than university this is more sure than even tomorrow there is a judgment coming and are you preparing are you listening to the Word of God are you receiving with Thanksgiving that implanted word are you trusting in the Savior have you come have you seen have you tasted that the Lord is good listen to bridges with reference to this application in terms of unconverted people he says a quickening sermon do these little insects preach to us they make preparation for the coming winter isn't it pathetic we live in a day and age where persons do not think about eternity they take no concern whatsoever to prepare for the coming day of God's judgment and yet ants everywhere right now are busy preparing themselves so that they'll be able to make it through the winter what a rebuke and what a reprove that these little things give to us he says a quickening sermon do these little insects preach to us they make preparations for the coming winter what must be the thoughtlessness of making no provision for the coming eternity wiling away life in inactivity as if there was no work for God for the soul or for eternity shall not we learn to be wise but times to improve the present moment of salvation not to wait for the winter the verge of life when that grace offered now shall be offered no more sinner if all be lost by your indolence that's just another word for laziness if all be lost by your indle will you not be the great loser what else have you to do but to prepare for eternity really what else have you to do but to prepare for eternity one is defying philosophy that way it is to prepare or philosophy as a means by which we prepare for death I think that's accurate I think that's fitting I think that is a good way to look at it what else have you to do but to prepare for eternity what hope can you have of heaven at last if you have never seriously thought of heaven before before it be too late throw yourself at his feet whose heart overflows with love that's a beautiful admonition based on these ants that are diligent that are industrious that are not lazy or indolent with reference to temporality you and I need to work we need to pray to God give us this day our daily bread but that does not mitigate against getting up and going out and embracing your life's calling as well in terms of eternality we ought to take heed if these ants that are little that are insignificant than Iraq with weakness nevertheless compensate with wisdom what shall we do who know there is a judgment to come who know that we will stand before the judge of all the earth and give an account for deeds done in the body whether good or evil and we will have to enter in either to heaven or hell now notice secondly the cautious Kony's the cautious Kony's the King James Version translates it as Kony's probably Rock badgers are likely the Syrian rock hyrax they are also referred to in the Book of Leviticus in the book of Deuteronomy and then as well in Psalm 104 they live together in colonies now this is fitting because note their weakness the rock Badgers are a feeble folk they don't have the strength of the lion they don't have the strength of you know other animals they don't have the the horn of a rhinoceros they are a feeble folk and so what do they do they live in colonies about 6 250 of them live in colonies in the rocks and intriguingly they post guards on their perimeter so that if a predator is spotted the guard will make a high-pitched squeal so that the other Kony's know to find their place in the rock this feeble mass is compensated for by the wisdom of caution you see brethren we should learn from that we should learn that life is to be lived with a certain degree of cautiousness both temper temporally and spiritually or eternally as a prey animal notice we've seen the weakness there a feeble folk verse 26 B yet they make their homes in the crags as a prey animal it realizes that if it lives among predators it will die pretty smart isn't it I wish we'd be as smart we know that the world the flesh and the devil is a great try unity of bad things and yet not only are we not cautious but we don't resist the devil so that he may flee from us we pander to our remaining corruption we cater to it and we put ourselves in positions of compromise with the world we need to learn from these little Cody's we need to learn from the Syrian rock hyrax we need to understand that running and hiding among the rocks is often the best recourse when faced with danger they don't have to wherewithal to stand up against the Predators they don't have the ability to fight they don't have the skills necessary to take down a larger animal and deliver a deathblow no they run and they hide like Solomon says in the Proverbs on two occasions the prudent man foresees evil and what does he do he runs roughshod right into it no he foresees evil and he does what he he hides himself what Joseph do in Potiphar's house when Potiphar's wife kept throwing herself at him he ran from her brethren that is a legitimate response in response to danger to run from the hotbed of temptation to run from those predators to run from those things which would do damage to our souls John Gill says the Coney May the Coney makes their homes in the rocks to secure themselves from their more potent enemies and thus what they want in strength is made up in sagacity and by their wise conduct they provide for their safety and protection you see a bit of a theme working here in these little ones don't you prudent provision according to the amp prudent shelter according to the coning and we likewise need to pursue such things again temporally self-defense family defense is necessary there's a lot of dangers out there we don't just unlock our doors and open our windows and invite would-be rapists over we certainly don't do that we need to be cautious like the Kony's we need to be on guard we need to take heed we need to be wise the sons of Issachar are referenced in the Bible because there were wise concerning the times in which they lived brethren there is all manner of wickedness and lawlessness out there and it certainly becomes the people of God to have a cautious nets when it comes to temporalities when it comes to life in this lower world but of course the eternal or the spiritual application in terms of cautiousness do you go to places where you know you're most likely going to sin you look at things that you know will induce you to most likely sin do you continue to resist not the the wickedness and the evil and the temptations that face the godly in this generation but do you continue to resist the admonitions from God's Word we are told specifically resist the devil and he will flee from you I've always loved the sublimity of that I've always been put off by the sorts of people that have long sort of conferences on how to cast the devil out buy my CD buy my cassette buy my whatever and I'll give you five easy lessons on how to rid your life of demons and the devil well james and peter is a whole lot easier james and peter simply tell us resistant be cautious brethren be cautious in what you set before your eyes be cautious in what you set around you be cautious with reference to the company that you keep young children young people be cautious with reference to your peer group they exercise a powerful influence and learn the lesson from the cony hide in the rock if necessary because that is far more admirable than going headlong into wickedness and sin against god it's a beautiful thing to look at the Kony's listen to Gill it's a bit of an extended quote but I think he makes the point very well these the Kony's are an emblem of the people of God who are a weak and feeble people unable of themselves to perform spiritual duties to exercise grace to withstand the corruptions of their nature resist the temptations of Satan bear up under afflictive Providence's and grapple with spiritual enemies or defend themselves from them but such heavenly wisdom is given them as to betake themselves for refuge and shelter to Christ the rock of Israel the rock of salvation the rock that is higher than they a strong one on which the church is built and against which the gates of 80's cannot prevail and there or here they are safe from the storms of divine wrath and the avenging Justice of God from the rage and fury of men and the fiery darts of Satan here they dwell safely and delightfully and have all manner of provision at hand for them see that is a great application that rock was Christ the Apostle tells us in first Corinthians 10 where do we find our safety where do we find our refuge where do we find our protection where do we find our defense it is in Christ the king read the confessions of faith read the catechisms and asked that asked the question why do we need Jesus as our king because he rules over us because he governs us because he defends us and because he protects us you see be a cautious Kony and find your habitation under the safety of Christ's wing and then notice thirdly the unified locusts the unified locust notice the weakness they they have no king the strength yet they all advance in rank now that is a weakness while at times anarchy may be appealing to some of us it's not it's not God's design it is not God's design now I'm not suggesting that God's design as a government agency for everything I would not suggest that at all but anarchy is not if you want a great sort of picture or illustration of anarchy read judges specifically 17 to 21 you'll see what happens when life is lived when there is no king in Israel and everyone does what's right in their own eyes I take it that 17 to 21 is actually prior in time to judges 1 to 16 in other words 17 to 21 is a bit of an epilogue describing life in Israel when there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes so God in His mercy God in his justice God in his kindness God in His love provided judges and these judges functioned in a kingly capacity these judges served the people of God by protecting them from the Midianites from the Philistines from the various contenders that would try to usurp Israel's place in the Middle East so we see that anarchy is not God's Way proverbs 815 Christ speaking his wisdom says by me Kings reign Romans 13:1 2 for the Apostle Paul says there is no authority except from God in other words civil authority is appointed by God again not the civil authority that has a government agency that regulates every jot and bill of your life I'm not sure that's what's meant in Romans 13 but the fact is there is civil government it is ordained by God and it is ordained by God for the good of people so the locusts back to verse 27 they have no king yet how do they compensate for this they all advance in ranks Lords they have unity among one another they cooperate with one another locusts are mentioned everywhere in the Bible we just read of locusts in Nahum chapter 3 and in Joel chapter 2 specifically we see that this is theology based on the locust plague in Joel chapter 1 and in Joel 2:25 God says so I won't restore to you the years that the swarming locust is eaten the crawling locust and the chewing locusts my great army which I sent among you they have no king yet they advanced in ranks they have unity they cooperate with one another I remember years ago looking at National Geographic online to learn more about locusts and it said a desert locust swarm can be I'm just gonna give you the kilometers I have the miles here I'm not going to do miles and kilometers I prefer miles but mindful of the audience I will give you the kilometers a desert locust swarm can be 1,200 square kilometers in size and packed between 40 and 80 million locusts into less than half of one square kilometer each locusts can we eat its weight in plants each day so a swarm of such size would eat a hundred and ninety-two million kilograms of plants every day like the individual animals within them locust swarms are typically in motion and can cover vast distances in 1954 a swarm flew from northwest Africa to Great Britain in 1988 another made the lengthy trek from West Africa to the Caribbean now I simply highlight that to underscore the exceeding wisdom involved in a in a in a group of things that don't have a king there's no hierarchy sort of making sure every all of the lower ones toe the line they don't have a king yet they function in unity they don't have a king yet they function cooperating with one another so temporally what should we learn from that I would suggest parents be very thankful that you have children be very thankful that you have parents and all of us should be very thankful for civil government now it's a tough one to say in light of civil government but the fact that God has given civil government is for our good judges 1721 all you got to do is look at that section to see what life is without civil government it is bleak it is dismal it is bad it is harsh it is brutal and so we ought to be a thankful people that we actually do have persons over us have never understood that people that have this craving for autonomy and independence such that they are the only one on the face of the earth that's not how God made us to function God made husbands and wives to function together God made families to function together God made children to submit to their parents God made parents to rule over their children God put the church together he put officers in place God put the government in order he put higher-ups he put lower he put persons that were governed why is that bad the idea of submission you hear that often with reference to two ladies I don't want to pick on anyone here but Paul tells you to submit to your own husband's as to the Lord oh come on submit all of us are supposed to submit in one form or another Jesus Christ was submitting to his father the Lord Jesus Christ said I always do that which is pleasing to my father my meat is to do the will of him who sent me Christ was submissive Christ was the servant Christ didn't shrink back Christ embraced that the idea of government in and of itself ought not to alarm us or ought to make a upset bad government certainly should concern us but with reference to having kings or governments or things of that nature it is a blessing and with reference to these locusts in terms of spiritual application we actually do have a cave we the people of God have a king and his name is Jesus and yet for us to advance in ranks is nigh unto impossible there's so much disunity there's so much discord there's so much lack of harmony it's almost like you start to go to take a hill and you look behind you and everybody's just sort of fighting with each other all of us are just doing our own things we have a king and yet at times we live like judges 17 to 21 like there is no king in Israel everyone doing what is right in his own eyes brethren unity is a blessed thing Psalm 133 highlights the blessing of unity Paul the Apostle in Ephesians 4 tells us we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace the New Testament documents everywhere hold forth to us a unified church we are to strive together we are to be of one mind we are to be a people under the headship of our King that advance together in ranks if the locust can do what locust do without a king why in the world can't the church do what she's supposed to do when she has the king of kings and the Lord of lords she has the best king that has ever reigned and we are called to submit to his kingship and to do what he says dill says the locusts serve as an emblem of unity Concord and harmony walki says how much more should God's people under God's King advance God's kingdom by fighting in unison against the enemy not them selves each one doing his part within his own rank appears with the strictest discipline now that's probably another word we could throw into the mix with reference to the locusts have no king yet they advanced together in ranks that calls for discipline doesn't it when you're covering that amount of airspace you just don't have the wherewithal to have a renegade band say well you know we're just not gonna go to the Caribbean we're going to just do our own thing no they know that if they separate they know that if they're not disciplined they know and again how do they know it's intuition they know that if they do this they're not going to eat no locusts aren't out to sort of rid the world of crops they're simply out to feed their little locust bellies they don't have any malevolent end in sight you can't look at a locust plague and say wow those look that's what terrible horrible creatures that's their Costco that's their superstore that's their their Walmart that's that's how they eat we can't begrudge the locust but rather we ought to learn from the locust exercise the caution of a Kony and spray our field or do whatever we have to so that the locust can't get it you see kind of mixing the the wisdom of the animals here and then notice fourthly and finally the persistent spider or lizard the translation is difficult it's either a spider or a lizard it's also difficult to know whether it's the spider skillfully grasping with its spider hands or what is in view is that the spider or the lizard is easily grasped in the hands in fact the ESV renders it that way the lizard you can take in your hands yet it is in King's palaces based on the structure of the passage based on the other coordinating statements I would take it that way the particular weakness of either the spider or the lizard is that it is easily graspable it is easily caught it is easily held on to yet note the compensating weakness yet or wisdom yet it is in King's palaces now if we had to sort of boil this down as in terms of you know we've got you know industry with reference to ants we've got we've got car with reference to Kony's we've got unity with reference to locus if we had to sort of boil down the spider slash lizard we might say persistence it's easily grasped in the hands yet it's in the King's palaces imagine that it has this terrible weakness right whatever your problems are there's no giant somewhere that's going to grab you by his hand and put you in a jar that that's just not going to happen that's not your weakness that's not your limitation that's not your challenge in life there's no Anakin out there there's no nepheline out there that are ready to scoop you up and put you in a in an aquarium but that's just not going to happen these have that you've probably all caught spiders you've probably all caught lizards you probably all cut lizards tails off and watch them wiggle that's what they do I don't recommend that no that's kind of mean don't don't do that kids lizards they do grow back but they're easily grasped with the hands and yet they're in King's palaces speaks to persistence doesn't it you've probably all had this experience you go out to water the backyard you see a great big spider web and you hose it down you don't think anything more about it until two or three days later you go back out and there it is again it's not the case that it withstood the water because you watched it collapse it is the case that the spider liked that piece of property and it rebuilt its web isn't that amazing it's easily grasped by the hands and yet it's in the King's palaces we're not in King's palaces we're not been you know invited to you know the the Prime Minister's of the president's home were not privy to such things but the persistence of the spider or lizard is such that she is found in King's palaces John dill says yet such is her constancy and acid' assiduity that means a persistence and are unwary location the business that as fast as they her webs are destroyed she attempts to restore them that that's something we could all use a good dose of too is persistence if at first you don't succeed give up and go cry that's the message that is rife on University campuses today if at first you don't succeed sue the federal government if at first you don't succeed emancipate yourself from your parents if at first you don't succeed then you know go live on top of mount sham know if at first you don't succeed try again if somebody hoses down your webs rebuild it if the King catches you escape from the jar and get back up on the top and live in his palaces there are obvious temporal applications involved here persistence in the pursuit of food shelter clothing persistence in terms of your work goals persistence in terms of advancement one man says the the identifying mark with reference here is ambition that's probably involved as well they're not living outside the King's palaces they're actually in the King's palaces there are two temporal sort of illustrations you've probably heard of Robert the Bruce he was the King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329 now they call it a legend I don't know why it would have been a legend but Robert the Bruce was either in a cave or he was in his house and he watched a spider attempt to make a web from one beam to another and the spider failed but Robert the Bruce observed that the spider tried to get the spider failed Robert the Bruce observed the spider tried it again and this time the third time was the charm the spider made it this was the impetus for Robert the Bruce to go engage in military activity and to provide and prove himself to be quite a noble warrior and then we've all used wd-40 or you've seen it in your house that wonderful thing that makes everything stopped squeaking you got a squeak your spray wd-40 on it before we got new doors I used to use wd-40 on the door cuz I mean that old door creaked like it was nobody's business do you know why it's called wd-40 because that's the 40th attempt at the formula that's in 1 to 39 did it work 40 was the charm glad or thankfully whoever developed that whether it was a guy or a team they weren't on the modern university campus that needed their little safe space because they failed at something we'd all be without wd-40 without the persistence of the makers of wd-40 you see brethren persistence is a most necessary thing temporally terms of life in terms of achievement terms of ambition terms of vision persistence is needful but of course persistence with reference to spiritual things how are we to live oh I failed in this I sinned I prove that that the hem writer was right I am prone to wander I am prone to leave the god I love so do you commit apostasy do you give up you never read your Bible again do you never attend church again is that what we're supposed to be about no my little children I write these things so that you may not sin but if anyone does sin cash it in give it up you're done now if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous though its persistence not continuing in sin but persistence at the throne of grace when you do sin persistence is needful in life nothing is going to come easy every good thing worth having is work worth working hard for whether it's in the temporal sphere or whether it's in the spiritual sphere again we're not working for our salvation we're not trying to gain our justification but as those justified freely by his grace we want to be faithful we want to be godly that means putting effort and that means being persistent that means being like the spider slash lizard to remain in the King's palaces walki again says the conclusion points to wisdoms reward of living in a luxurious royal palace if the son whom wicked men and women want to capture exercises caution though as vulnerable as a lizard he too will live in the chief residence of the realm paradoxically the people of God who are foolish by the world standards live in heavenly places so those are the four little things on the earth that are exceedingly wise we have the industrial industrial and the cautious kony of the united locust and the persistent spider / lizard now I'm not saying spider / lizard is some third sort of animal it's whether it's a spider or a lizard the same applies to both they can be easily grasped with the hand and yet it is in King's palaces now I want to conclude with a couple of observations here I think the text in the first place calls us with reference to the need for self-awareness self-awareness if the ant thinks she's a lion she's going to starve in the winter right if the cony thinks it's a lion it's going to be eaten by lions if the locust thinks that it can't eat without a king then it's not going to eat and if the spider or the lizard thinks that it's the giant it's going to end up in a jar in the king's palace the need for self-awareness Harry Callahan well said a man's got to know his limitations and I think that this is what this passage at least indirectly is calling us do you need to know your limitations good job interviews the employer will say describe your strengths but it will also say describe your weaknesses is that because employers are mean is that because they want to make you feel bad no because employers know everybody's got weaknesses and they want to know how you're gonna compensate that with wisdom there is a need for self-awareness that this tax calls us still if the aunt thinks it's a rhino it's going to live differently isn't it if the cony thinks it's a bird it's gonna live differently if behemoth thinks it can fly it's gonna function in a way that is inconsistent with its life as a behemoth it's it's a very simple principle that each of these four little things are acutely aware of their shortcomings and this is something that I would suggest is needful for the people of God because that then lends itself to the necessity of recognizing and cultivating compensating weak wisdom in other words if I'm an ant and I'll starve in the winter then I know I need to store up my food in the summer and harvest time so I'm a Coney and I know that predators are out there to get me I'm gonna live in the cracks you see how that goes when you recognize where you're weak you try to compensate for it by exceeding wisdom that has to be what the text is enjoining certainly imitate these particular traits of each of these four little animals but step back for a moment realize that each of these four little animals are cognizant of the fact that they have these weaknesses and being cognizant of the fact that they have these weaknesses they compensate for it by exceeding wisdom so in other words brethren self-awareness is a good thing understanding your limitations is a good thing notice that not each of these can do everything the ants aren't necessarily commended for their ability to be in King's palaces though they can do that no one person has every strength no one person has every weakness that that's good news isn't it no one person has it all figured out let us band together like the locusts in unity helping one another to not only see those weaknesses but to compensate for it with wisdom that has to be a lesson here Bridges makes the observation he says weakness then is no excuse for indolence no occasion of despondency the ant doesn't cry because he's not quiet the cony doesn't complain to God because he needs to hide in the crags the locust doesn't protest until he gets a key the spider doesn't say you know what I'm just gonna go live out and out of the forest because Kings want to catch me and put me in their job no why would we think a weakness is the rationale for inactivity why would think we think that weakness is the rationale to just lay on the couch and give up why would we think that weakness would justify indolence sluggard leanness or laziness with reference to life so again these animals spot the weakness so they shore up the loose ends these animals know the in the armor so they build it up in other ways now there is certainly a challenge to self-awareness everybody get that people self-aware others they know something about themselves if you ever met somebody that you know thinks they're 8-feet and they're there they're five that little man complex they say Napoleon Bonaparte had that dude you're 5 feet tall you're not 8 feet you need to develop some self-awareness some people think oh you know I'm the best at math and you know I'm just so good at finances and yet every check they write bounces brother or sister maybe you ought to have your spouse look after that embrace this understand this what stands in the way of developing or cultivating self-awareness such that one can know his own limitations and then capitalize with compensating wisdom it's pride it's arrogant arrogance we saw it with reference to the sluggard last week in fact you can turn back to proverbs 26 proverbs 26 remember in verses 13 to 16 the lazy man says there is a lion on the road a fierce lion is in this he's an excuse maker can't look for a job on a Tuesday got to be on a Monday Monday comes along I got a hangnail I'd better lay on the couch no there's no excuses get out there and find a job verse 14 as the door turns on its hinges so does the lazy man on his bed but remember the door turning on its head hinges actually is contributing to society it actually is accomplishing a task for which it exists verse 15 the lazy man buries his hand in the bullet we're ease him to bring it back to his mouth gets half the job done but he doesn't finish the task it's got that pot roast dripping out of his hand he won't put it in his in his mouth and then notice in verse 16 all this notwithstanding the lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly you know what one of the biggest weaknesses is his pride arrogance this high esteem of one self it's much better to recognize your weakness notice in proverbs 30 proverbs 30 have always thought or I've often thought that this section verses 11 to 14 could have been written in the 21st century there is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother there is a generation that is pure in its own eyes yet is not washed from its filthiness there is a generation oh how lofty are their eyes and their eyelids are lifted up there is a generation whose teeth are like swords and whose fangs are like knives to devour the poor from off the earth and the needy from among men note the pride note the arrogance note the self-righteousness a generation that is pure in its own eyes there's a generation oh how lofty are their eyes this is a great obstacle to oneself awareness if you don't see that you're bad at some things you've got a problem with self-awareness that I'm just gonna say it you're all I'm bad we all have shortcomings and weaknesses and limitations and issues and problems deal with it that's what the spider would say let me deal with that Oh somebody tore down my web deal with that somebody installed him deal with it guy wouldn't hire me with it keep spinning the web Robert the Bruce ed see the spider wd-40 it'd be the kind of person that God calls you to be and holds forth these little tiny insignificant creatures as models of wisdom for us brethren self-awareness and then finally let's imitate the little things with reference to industry caution unity and persistence specifically those first two in terms of the spiritual application there ought to be an industry there ought to be a diligence there ought to be an earnestness with reference to preparing for the for the age to come and with reference to the Kony's caution is is absolutely necessary caution when it comes to you know devices caution when it comes to temptation caution when it comes to company caution when it comes to spending time caution when it comes to anything that would pose as a threat to our spiritual well-being there are four things which are little on the earth but they are exceedingly wise and wise men and women and wise boys and girls will look at the ants they'll look at the Coney's they'll look at the locusts they'll look at the spider and they'll go thou and do likewise will let us pray father thank you for the fact that you give us such simple instruction from such simple creatures help us to receive these things and may they affect us not only temporally but spiritually may we be industrious may we be preparers with reference to the eternal State may we be cautious when it comes to our Christian walk in a in a sinful world may we be unified as the people of God endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and may we be those who are persistent grant us help in this grant us grace in this and God go with us now and help us to glorify you in this coming week and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close with you