← Back to sermon library

Morning to everyone. You can 
turn in your Bibles with me to Jeremiah chapter 9. Jeremiah 9. We'll have a look 
this morning at the proper Christian posture in light of our great 
creator, our great providential sustainer, and our great redeemer, 
the one and only living and true God. And it comes in the context 
of inevitable judgment against disobedient nation of Israel 
as God's divine tool, Nebuchadnezzar, his cronies, and the Babylonian 
armies are coming in concert with covenantal promise for disobedience 
to the divine covenant. And in the context of this, though, 
there is much hope in God, and God presses the knowledge of 
him as the one who is merciful, as the one who is just judge, 
as the one who has true righteousness, and as the one who delights in 
those who delights in these things. I'm gonna pick up reading Jeremiah 
9 at verse 11, and we'll read to the end of the chapter. Our 
focus, though, will be verses 23 and 24. So this is Jeremiah 
9, beginning at verse 11, the word of the triune God. I will 
make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a den of jackals. I will make 
the cities of Judah desolate without an inhabitant. Who is 
the wise man who may understand this? And who is he to whom the 
mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? Why does 
the land perish and burn up like a wilderness, so that no one 
can pass through? And the Lord said, Because they 
have forsaken my law, which I set before them, and have not obeyed 
my voice, nor walked according to it. But they have walked according 
to the dictates of their own hearts and after the bales, which 
their fathers taught them. Therefore, thus says the Lord 
of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will feed them, this 
people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. 
I will scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they 
nor their fathers have known. And I will send a sword after 
them until I have consumed them. Thus says the Lord of hosts, 
consider and call for the mourning women that they may come and 
send for skillful wailing women that they may come. and let them 
make haste and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run 
with tears, and our eyelids gush with water. For a voice of wailing 
is heard from Zion, how we are plundered, we are greatly ashamed, 
because we have forsaken the land, because we have been cast 
out of our dwellings. Yet hear the word of the Lord, 
O women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth. Teach 
your daughters wailing, and everyone her neighbor a lamentation. For 
death has come through our windows, has entered our palaces, to kill 
off the children no longer to be outside, and the young men 
no longer on the streets. Speak, thus says the Lord, even 
the carcasses of men shall fall as refuse on the open field, 
like cuttings after the harvester, and no one shall gather them. 
Thus says the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, 
let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich 
man glory in his riches, but let him who glories glory in 
this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, 
exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, 
for in these I delight, says the Lord. Behold, the days are 
coming, says the Lord, that I will punish all who are circumcised 
with the uncircumcised, Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, 
Moab, and all who are in the farthest corners who dwell in 
the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, 
and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart. Amen. Well, let's go to our God in 
prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time in worship, 
the preaching of the Word. We do pray that you would bless 
this time. We pray for the power of your Holy Spirit, that for 
both preacher and those who are in the pews, that this would 
be a blessed exercise of worship where we rejoice in our God, 
where we hear from him, and where we rejoice in our Savior, the 
Lord Jesus Christ. Do bless this time and may you 
be exalted upon the praises of this gathered assembly. We pray 
in the name of Christ, our redeeming King. Amen. Well, what we want 
to look at this morning, as mentioned, is verse 23 and verse 24. Here 
we have something of a blessed maxim for the people of God, 
and truly a blessed maxim for anyone who would, by grace through 
faith, come to the Savior and rejoice in Him. The structure 
of verses 23 and 24 are such, it's a three-fold structure. 
Verse 23, there's a prohibitive warning issued, what not to do. 
Verse 24 A and B, there's a prescriptive counsel given what you are to 
do. And then thirdly, there are some 
attendant truths expressed, contemplations in right doing. So that's a threefold 
structure to the passage. And just by way of introduction, 
we wanna introduce the context here. Because in preaching, we 
don't want to jettison the context and just draw some general observations. But rather, we want to understand 
what the context of the passage is, as it informs a healthier 
and a more robust understanding of the passage itself. So, first 
off, there is the inevitability of coming judgment. You might 
have noticed that the passage we read is bookended by judgment 
coming, and it is inevitable. This judgment will come, there 
is no averting it, but God, according to his covenant promises, that 
if the people of Israel broke his covenant, he would visit 
the cursings of that covenant upon them. So notice at verse 
11, I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a den of jackals, I 
will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. 
This passage starts off with the promise of inevitable coming 
judgment, and then it closes in that same manner. In fact, 
the book itself, if you look at Jeremiah 1, in Jeremiah 1, 
at verses 14 and 16, we have, 14 to 16, we have the announcement 
of this judgment. Then the Lord said to me, 1-14, 
out of the north calamity shall break forth on all the inhabitants 
of the land, for behold, I am calling all the families of the 
kingdoms of the north, says the Lord, They shall come, and each 
one set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against 
its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah. I will 
utter my judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, 
because they have forsaken me, burned incense to other gods, 
and worshiped the works of their own hands. So the context of 
the passage that we're considering is the inevitability of a coming 
judgment God in his justice and in his holiness is sure to his 
promises We must understand and we must appreciate and we must 
rejoice in the fact that God is true to his positive Promises 
his blessings upon those who are his people who believe in 
his son by grace through faith And he's also sure to execute 
the promises in a negative fashion for those who are disobedient 
to his covenant in this particular context, for those who reject 
the gospel and for those who reject the son of his love, there 
is the promise of covenant cursings and of eternal damnation. And 
so we must appreciate that God in the purity of his holiness 
is both merciful and just and the giver, the dispenser of grace, 
but he is also the one who meets out sure justice and the whirlwind 
of judgment upon those who disobey. And so this text, Jeremiah 9, 
23 and 24, comes in the context of inevitable judgment, the righteous 
justice and government of God. There's also a covenantal backdrop. 
I've mentioned it just very briefly, but you can turn with me to Deuteronomy 
28 for a moment. Remember, we just observed or 
we just stated that this coming inevitable judgment isn't just 
a God being capricious because it's judgment. That means it's 
just. There is a measure of justification for the meeting out of this judgment. And this justification comes 
by virtue of the covenant given by God to Moses, both the first 
and the second generations in their wilderness wanderings. 
Notice in Deuteronomy And we'll pick up at verse 15. This comes after the giving of 
blessings for obedience. So God delivers to the nation 
of Israel these blessings if they obey his commandments. And though there are also now 
then cursings for disobedience, and your Bible at verse 15 may 
say something like that, curses on disobedience. And notice verse 
15, but it shall come to pass if you do not obey the voice 
of the Lord your God to observe carefully all his commandments 
and his statutes, which I command you today, that all these curses 
will come upon you and overtake you." So there's a promise given 
for the breaking of this covenant. Also notice at verse 25, the 
Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You shall 
go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them, 
and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth. And then finally, verses 45, 
to 47. Moreover, all these curses shall 
come upon you and pursue and overtake you until you are destroyed, 
because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God to 
keep his commandments in his statues, which he commanded you. So, finding our way back to Jeremiah 
9, we see that this passage is delivered in a covenantal context. 
The inevitability of judgment is coming, and the specific judgment 
is God's divine tool, Nebuchadnezzar, the nation of Babylon, which 
had supplanted the nation of Assyria that judged the northern 
tribes, so Nebuchadnezzar is coming as the divine tool to 
mete out justice according to the covenant, and according to 
the fact that the nation of Israel disobeyed the Lord their God. And then thirdly, the context, 
there is a reason for that judgment, Just very briefly, just one passage. 
We've already noticed it, but specifically in the passage of 
Jeremiah. Notice in Jeremiah 2 at verse 
12, the reason for the meeting out of divine justice. Be astonished, 
O heavens, at this, this is 212, and be horribly afraid. Be very 
desolate, says the Lord, for my people have committed two 
evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, 
and hewn themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that hold no 
water. So because they had gone a-whoring 
after others and jettisoned the God of Israel in favor of idolatry 
and broken the covenant, God is delivering judgment. But there 
is a blessed promise that comes in verse 24, and we will get 
there. But getting now to the text proper, 
verses 23 and 24, we're going to look at it in a threefold 
manner. And that threefold manner is 
this, the vainglorious quest, the virtuous path, and the voracious 
contemplation. And I'll explain what we mean 
by that when we get there. But first off, we want to notice 
the vainglorious quest. And that word vainglorious, kids 
and everyone else, there's a twofold meaning to it. It has to do with 
excessive pride or arrogance excessive pride, arrogance, and 
excessive confidence in something, but specifically vainglorious, 
it's an excessive pride or arrogance in hollow or empty things. So 
it's a twofold madness. And we see here the vainglorious 
quest is given in verse 23, thus says the Lord, let not the wise 
man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his 
might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches." So this prohibitive 
warning is issued what not to do. Wise men do not glory in 
your wisdom, strong men do not glory in your might, and rich 
men do not glory in your riches. Before getting to the specific 
error of boasting in those things, we want to notice the general 
folly of boasting in wisdom, might, and riches. The general 
folly, the error, of boasting in wisdom, might, and riches. But just a qualification first. 
This warning is not against thankfulness for legitimate things. Because 
wisdom is legitimate, might or strength is a legitimate and 
lawful thing, and having riches is not sinful. So these are lawful 
things. And so this prohibitive warning 
that's issued is not against thankfulness for being wise, 
thankfulness for having riches or thankfulness for having strength, 
but much rather it's the vanity of having such a confidence in 
an arrogance in those things that you jettison God from your 
contemplations and from being thankful for the things he has 
given you. So just a qualification there 
we can be thankful for those things but glorying or boasting 
in them in an empty in a hollow manner is Prohibited by divine 
command so first then the general folly of boasting in wisdom might 
and riches it is God who gives these things and we are to glory 
and boast in him and So that's the biggest and the largest point 
of folly if we're glorying in anything other than the Lord 
God Almighty who gives wisdom, who gives riches, and who gives 
strength. We are to boast or to glory in 
God. Notice you can turn with me to, 
for some case studies or passages that speak directly to this, 
you can turn with me to Psalm 68. Psalm 68. Verse 32 to verse 35 So Psalm 
68 beginning at verse 32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of 
the earth. O sing praises to the Lord, say 
La. To him who rides on the heaven 
of heavens, which were of old. Indeed, he sends out his voice, 
a mighty voice. Ascribe strength to God. His 
excellence is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. 
O God, you are more awesome than your holy places. The God of 
Israel is he who gives strength and power to his people. So you 
see here the general folly of boasting, of being vainglorious 
with regards to wisdom, strength, and riches. It's because God 
has given you these things. And the psalmist calls everyone, 
but specifically in the context, no doubt his people, that it 
is God who is awesome. It is God who is excellent. It 
is the God of Israel who gives strength and power to his people. 
So why would you, in jettisoning God from your contemplations, 
boast in yourself, have a self-assurance in your wisdom, a self-assurance 
in your strength, and a self-assurance in your riches, when it is God 
who gives these things, and remember, when it is God who can take away 
these things? God gives and God takes away. We are to bless the name of the 
Lord, regardless of our station, regardless of our possessions, 
in strength, in weakness, in richness, in poverty, in wisdom, 
and in foolishness, we are to praise the Lord God who gives 
and who takes away, and we are to bless his name. You can turn 
with me to Daniel chapter four. In Daniel chapter four, we have 
something of a case study in self-glorying, in vainglorious 
In vain glory in Daniel chapter 4 and no doubt many of you will 
know the passage here that will be reading from it has to do 
with Nebuchadnezzar and interestingly Remember, it's this same Nebuchadnezzar 
that we're going to read about who is the powerful king with 
Babylon who is overthrowing Israel in our passage Jeremiah 9. And this is something that Nebuchadnezzar 
speaks to with regards to wisdom, might, and riches in Daniel chapter 
4 verse 28. So let's begin reading there. 
All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar at the end of the 12 months He 
was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke, saying, 
Is not this great Babylon that I have built for a royal dwelling 
by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty? Notice the 
boasting there. This is a perfect case study 
in what Jeremiah 9 is talking about, though of course, Jeremiah 
9 is speaking to the nation of Israel, those who are being judged 
by him, by the tool of Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, but nevertheless, 
this is the same posture that God is prohibiting, that God 
is commanding against. Notice the language again, is 
not this great Babylon that I have built for a royal dwelling, by 
my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty. There's a lot 
of my, my, my there. You know, I think we could draw 
some parallels. We don't want to get too far 
afield and sort of apply this to our modern landscape, but 
sometimes applications are good, departing from the context for 
a while. But if we, I think we could probably rename social 
media, you know, my wisdom, my riches, and my strength. I know 
there's some wholesome uses of social media out there, but it 
seems to be a lot of boasting and wisdom, a lot of boasting 
and strength, and a lot of boasting and riches. And in our modern 
North American landscape as well, we We tend to want to glory in 
what we have. We're a nation of people that 
like to outboat and outhouse and have the better boat or have 
two boats. Our neighbor gets a new car, 
the Joneses get a new car, and we want to get one that's better. 
The better kitchen, the better home, the better life. The you 
know, the blondest blue-eyed children and the best photos 
that are captured out there in social media there's a lot of 
my my my in the world today and how much time as That might be 
carried away a little bit by the my my my with some, you know, 
maybe some wholesome sharing sometimes we can go overboard 
and But how often do we rest and do we consider and do we 
contemplate the fact that it's not my, my, my. It's God who 
has given us these things. It's God who has blessed us with 
these things. And how often do we go to God 
in prayer to rejoice in him as the giver of all things, not 
boasting in ourselves, not boasting in wisdom, strength, and riches, 
but boasting in the God who gives and in the God who takes away. 
We must recognize that it is God who is the giver of all things. We've noted that, but turn with 
me to Acts 17. Here we can note that it is God 
who is the giver of all things. So again, and I'll repeat it 
a lot, why boast? Why glory? Why be engaged in 
vain glory, the empty and the hollow, self-confident rejoicing 
in your stuff and in your power when it is God who gives? Notice 
in Acts 17, beginning at verse 24, God, who made the world and 
everything in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does 
not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is he worshipped with 
men's hands, as though he needed anything, since he gives to all 
life, breath, and all things. And he has made from one blood 
every nation of men to dwell on the earth, to dwell on all 
the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed 
times, the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should 
seek the Lord in the hope that they might grope for Him and 
find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. Now notice 
again, for in Him we live and move and have our being. We see Two important points here, 
while the whole passage is important, no doubt, but the language, since 
he gives to all life, breath, and all things, and in him we 
live and move and have our being. So, much to the contrary, much 
against the natural human predilection to glory in the things that we 
have and to glory in ourselves, we are to glory in the Lord God 
Almighty, the giver of all things, the one who creates, the one 
who sustains us, and the one who redeems us by the perfect 
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Proverbs 11.4, riches do not 
profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. 
22 to the rich and the poor have this in common. The Lord is maker 
of them all You see Nebuchadnezzar would learn his lesson that passage 
in Daniel 4 28 if we were to read on we would see that God 
casts Nebuchadnezzar down in his vain glory to crawl like 
the beast and to have claws like the beast eating grass and to 
teach him and to instruct him that he is to know the Lord, 
to know and understand him. And in fact, Nebuchadnezzar gives 
a good confession after that period that God judges him. He 
says that it is God who is over man, that God, I'm paraphrasing 
here, but it's God that's over man. It's God that's over his 
works. It's God that gives and it's 
God that takes away. Nebuchadnezzar learned a lesson 
in divine sovereignty in that time as a beast eating grass. 
So the general folly of boasting in wisdom, might, and riches, 
it is God who gives these things. But we want to observe the specific 
error of boasting in wisdom, might, and riches. So finding 
our way back to Jeremiah 9, this isn't necessarily just a general 
maxim. Though it should apply as such, 
but it's not just a general maxim for the wise men not to glory, 
the mighty men not to glory, and the rich men not to glory. 
It's not just a general command given, but there's a specific 
context and specific commandments being given by God for their 
conduct in the context. And three things regarding the 
specific error of boasting in wisdom, might, and riches. The 
first is these things will not help them in the face of irreversible 
calamity. Why are they not? Why is the 
wise man not to glory in wisdom, the mighty man not to glory in 
strength, and the rich man not to glory in riches? It's because 
this inevitable judgment, the whirlwind of divine justice is 
coming, and you cannot stand against it. Your wisdom, your 
might, or your strength, and your riches will not avail against 
certain divine justice. So don't put your confidence 
in these things. Don't put your confidence in 
your wisdom, don't put your confidence in your might, and don't put 
your confidence in your riches, but as we'll see, put your confidence 
in the living and true God, who delivers, who exercises mercy 
and loving kindness in the land. So these things will not help 
them in the face of irreversible calamity. First off, the rich 
cannot buy themselves out of the coming day of trouble. You 
know, it's common in the political machinations throughout history 
for rich men to engage in the giving of some sort of truth 
to avert divine justice, to somehow buy their way with silver and 
gold out of divine justice, hopefully to gain favor with the conquering 
king in order that their land, their people, might not be destroyed 
or taken away to Gentile lands in this case. But we must notice 
here, the rich cannot buy themselves out of the coming day of trouble. 
Notice Jeremiah 9, 21. For death has come through our 
windows, has entered our palaces. Death is coming through the windows 
and is entering the palaces, the palaces of silver and gold, 
the palaces containing the treasures of the nation will be plundered. Matthew Henry notes this, death 
shall ride in triumph and there shall be no escaping his arrests 
when he comes with commission, neither within doors nor without. 
not within doors, for let the doors be shut ever so fast, let 
them be ever so firmly locked and bolted, death comes up into 
our windows like a thief in the night. It steals upon us ere 
we are aware. Nor does it thus boldly attack 
the cottages only, but it has entered into our palaces, the 
palaces of our princes and great men, though ever so stately, 
ever so strongly built and guarded. No palaces can keep out death. So the rich cannot buy themselves 
out of the coming day of trouble, but also the wise cannot, by 
political machinations, maneuver Israel out of harm's way. The 
so-called wise in this context who really are those who are 
found to be marked by fault and madness because they're prophesying 
peace and not judgment, like Jeremiah is, because they're 
advising the political leaders to do such and such against the 
reality that they're breaking the covenant, they're bringing 
blind and lame sacrifices, they're following after Baals, they're 
baking cakes to the queen of heaven. And in this context, 
they think that by their wisdom, they might avert divine justice. 
The wise cannot, by their political movements, maneuver Israel out 
of harm's way. And also, the strong cannot stand 
against the set-in-motion whirlwind of divine justice. There are 
mighty men in the land. But mighty men, do not glory 
in your might because you will be destroyed. You will be taken 
away. All of the mighty men in the 
passage, and if we read a coordinate passage in 1 Chronicles, all 
of the mighty men are taken out of the nation, out of Jerusalem, 
and only some of the poor remain in the city. And so mighty men, 
don't rest upon your strength that you can perhaps prowess 
outwit Nebuchadnezzar, his cronies, and the nation of Babylon? Because 
you will be destroyed, you will be defeated. Seek rather the 
Lord and the knowledge and the understanding of Him. All these 
things will be taken away. It's another thing, another point 
regarding the specific error of boasting in wisdom, might, 
and riches in this context, is because all of these things are 
going to be taken away. Turn with me to 2 Kings for a 
moment. There's a passage in 2 Kings that aligns with the 
conquering of Nebuchadnezzar and the destruction of Jerusalem 
and its temple. In 2 Kings, you can turn to chapter 
24. chapter 24 and verse 13. And he carried out from there, 
now notice that we're talking about all these things being 
taken away, wisdom, might, and specifically riches. And he carried 
out from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and 
the treasures of the king's house. And he cut in pieces all the 
articles of gold which Solomon, king of Israel, had made in the 
temple of the Lord, as the Lord had said. Also, he carried into 
captivity all Jerusalem, all the captains, and all the mighty 
men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. 
None remained except the poorest of the land, the poorest people 
of the land. And he carried Jehoiachin captive 
to Babylon, the king's mother, the king's wives, his officers, 
and the mighty of the land he carried into captivity from Jerusalem 
to Babylon. So do you see in the specific 
context here? Why the wise the rich and the 
strong are not to glory are not to be found with vainglorious 
Attachment to these things because all of them will be taken away 
notice that last that last point is He carried Jehoiakim captive 
to Babylon, the king's mother, the king's wives, his officers, 
and the mighty of the land he carried into captivity from Jerusalem 
to Babylon. So, the mighty man, do not glory 
in your might, because you will be taken away, but rather glory 
in the Lord. And then lastly, under the specific 
error, this activity of wise men glorying or boasting in wisdom, 
mighty men glorying or boasting in their strength, and rich men 
glorying or boasting in their riches is set against the knowledge 
of God and heeding his word. It's set against that, it is 
in contrast to that because everywhere and always the Bible sets forth 
the fact and the blessed fact for the people of God that we 
are to glory or to boast in God. There's a new covenant or New 
Testament equal to this particular passage. God forbid that I should 
glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's a New 
Testament match to this particular passage. Different context, but 
certainly applicable because we are not to glory in anything 
save for God and His Christ. Which brings us then secondly 
at large to the virtuous path. So we have this language in verse 
23, thus says the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, 
let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich 
man glory in his riches, but That wonderful word that comes 
very often in the Bible to contrast something, to contrast the weak 
with the strong, or the negative with the positive, or the evil 
with that which is good. And so here, verse 24, we have, 
Let him who glories glory in this that he understands and 
knows me that I am the Lord Exercising loving kindness judgment and 
righteousness in the earth for in these I delight Says the Lord 
so under this topic of the virtuous path. We want to note firstly 
true and proper glorying is exclusively God's do There is no one and 
no thing that is to be the recipient of our glorying or boasting, 
save God and his Christ. It is in God that we glory. It 
is in God that we boast. It is in not only God himself, 
but also that which he does. both God and His blessed works. We are to glory alone in God. 
True and proper glorying is exclusively God's due. You can turn with 
me to 1 Chronicles for a moment, another passage. I know a lot 
of Bible flipping, but hopefully that's a good thing for you. 
In 1 Corinthians 29 at verse 10, True and proper glory glorying 
is exclusively God's do that's hard to say. First Chronicles 
29 verse 10. Therefore David blessed the Lord 
before all the assembly and David said blessed are you Lord God 
of Israel our father forever and ever. Yours oh Lord is the 
greatness the power and the glory, the victory, and the majesty, 
for all that is in heaven and in earth is yours. Yours is the 
kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head over all. Both 
riches and honor come from you, and you reign over all. In your 
hand is power and might, in your hand it is to make great, and 
to give strength to all." You see how that passage connects 
to what we're talking about with the casting off of vainglory 
and walking the virtuous path of understanding and knowing 
God? Both riches and honor, God, come 
from you. Both power and might, Lord God, 
are in your hand. In your hand it is to make great 
and to give strength to all. So a resignation to that blessed 
fact that true and proper glorying is exclusively God's due. You can also turn with me to 
Revelation 4.9. The book of Revelation, chapter 
4. On this topic of true and proper glorying being exclusively 
God's due, notice in Revelation 4 at verse 9, whenever the living 
creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on 
the throne, who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall 
down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives 
forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 
You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things, and 
by Your will they exist and were created." Also, Revelation 5 
at verse 11, then I looked and I heard, the voice of many angels 
around the throne, the living creatures and the elders, and 
the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000, and thousands of 
thousands saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb who 
was slain, now notice, to receive power and riches and wisdom and 
strength and honor and glory and blessing. It is a vainglorious 
pursuit to seek after, or to rather, self-sufficiently boast 
in your own power, your own riches, and your own wisdom. exclusively, 
these are the things that God himself owns, and that the Christ 
is marked by. Worthy is the lamb who was slain 
to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor 
and glory and blessing. If we are to boast in wisdom, 
and if we are to boast in riches, and if we are to boast in power, 
it's not in the fact that we may have them, but in the fact 
that Christ has them perfectly, and that it is he who is worthy 
to have those things, and to dispense the riches of His grace 
and His excellencies upon His people. So true and proper glorying 
is exclusively God's due. Secondly, under the virtuous 
path, we want to note the general necessity of the knowledge of 
God. The general necessity of the 
knowledge of God. God simply says, through the 
prophet Jeremiah, in verse 24 of chapter 9, But let him who 
glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me. What 
does that mean? And hopefully this doesn't blow 
you away as so insightful. It means that we're to understand 
and know him. He gives us the commandment that we might know 
our God. You know, as Christians, we're 
not simply, we don't come by grace through faith in Christ 
to know God and then leave knowledge at the point of our conversion 
and then just sort of walk about and wander the path of Christianity. 
Never learning and never growing in the knowledge of God and in 
the understanding of him, you know, imagine imagine using the 
using a An analogy of marriage, you know you you get to girls 
ladies you get to you know to know your husband You you marry 
him and then after that you say, you know what? I really don't 
want to learn anything more about you. Let's just go about our 
relationship and In ignorance not growing in in in the knowledge 
and in the intimacy of growing in that relationship We would 
never do that. So why is it perhaps in Christianity 
that there's a there's almost at large a jettisoning of growth 
in the knowledge of God and somehow just an emotional basking in 
experience and and those sorts of things and We are to ever 
and always be the students of the Most High. We are to ever 
and always be those who learn of our God. What a blessed subject! Calvin says, the knowledge of 
God does not rest in cold speculation, but carries with it the honoring 
of Him. In knowing and in understanding 
God, we are honoring Him. What better subject on the face 
of the earth, in heaven and on earth, is there than the triune 
God of heaven and earth? What better subject matter do 
we have? What more joyful topic can we 
think about and contemplate and grow in than the knowledge of 
the one who created us, the knowledge of the one who upholds and sustains 
us, who gives us life, breath, and all things, and in the knowledge 
of the one who brought us forth from darkness to light in Jesus 
Christ our Savior? There is no greater subject. The knowledge of God does not 
rest in cold speculation. That's something that's important 
to remark. You know, when we come to the 
study of God, we are not to coldly and detachedly study him as if 
we had some beakers and microscopes and we just simply dryly or coldly 
investigate a subject and a subject matter. But rather, it comes 
with the honoring of him. We come humbly and in rejoicing 
to the throne of grace as we study such a blessed one and 
such a blessed subject. We have this general necessity 
of knowing God. Spurgeon writes this regarding 
this topic. Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, 
nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, 
continued investigation of the great subject of the deity. And 
whilst humbling and expanding, this subject is eminently consolatory, 
eminently consolatory. Oh, there is in contemplating 
Christ a balm for every wound. In musing on the Father, there 
is a quietus for every grief. And in the influence of the Holy 
Ghost, there is a balsam for every sore. Would you lose your 
sorrows Would you drown your cares? Then go plunge yourself 
in the Godhead's deepest sea. Be lost in his immensity, and 
you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and 
invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort 
the soul, so calm the swelling billows of grief and sorrow, 
so speak peace to the winds of trial as a devout musing upon 
the subject of the Godhead. Hopefully that encourages us 
as we go about our Christian wanderings on this lower earth, 
to encourage us in the knowledge of God, that we might stir ourselves 
up from a dryness, a coldness, that we might stir ourselves 
up from an inactivity, from focusing on so many other things, to the 
exclusion or to the sacrifice of focusing upon God and growth 
in the knowledge of him Understanding that there is one only living 
and true God Understanding that this blessed divine and infinite 
being exists eternally as father son and Holy Spirit That he is 
not beholden to any man. He doesn't stand in need of any 
creature, which he hath made nor I've any glory from them 
but rather manifests his them, that he is infinite, eternal, 
and unchangeable in all of his glorious perfections. He is unbounded 
in his eternity, unbounded in his perfections. He is a most 
pure spirit. He is impassable, immutable, 
simple, glorious in his eternity, and glorious in his perfections, 
a knowledge of the one and only living and true God who exists 
eternally as Father, Son, Holy Spirit notice if you go back 
to Jeremiah the lack of the knowledge of God is in view also in this 
judgment that is coming and in this call Jeremiah chapter 2 In Jeremiah chapter 2 notice 
at verse 8 Jeremiah 2 8 8 the priests did not say where is 
the Lord and those who handle the law did not know me and The 
rulers also transgressed against me, the prophets prophesied by 
Baal, and walked after things that do not profit." There's 
a big point there, walking after things that do not profit. That 
prohibitive warning that was issued in verse 23 has that in 
view. There are things that do not 
profit you. Nation of Israel in the wave 
in the whirlwind of coming justice wisdom might and riches will 
not avail will not profit you but the knowledge of God and 
Understanding him will be of much eternal profit notice also 
in Jeremiah 9 before the passages before verse 11 that we started 
reading notice in Jeremiah 9 at verse 3 regarding the knowledge 
of God and Jeremiah 9 verse 3, and like their bow, they have 
bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the 
truth on earth, for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do 
not know me, says the Lord. And then also verse 6, your dwelling 
place is in the midst of deceit. Through deceit, they refuse to 
know me, says the Lord. The knowledge of God is of eternal 
profit, and that is what will avail in the day of trouble, 
that you understand and that you know God, because that is 
the most blessed knowledge, the most blessed posture, and He 
is the most blessed topic on heaven and earth. Hosea 4.1 reads, 
Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for the Lord 
brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land. There is not truth 
or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. And that is why 
justice came, that is why the whirlwind of divine judgment 
came, And the call is for there to be truth, for there to be 
mercy, and for there to be the knowledge of God in the land. And Pastor Butler hasn't got 
that got there yet. But in John chapter 17, there's 
something of a New Testament equivalent to this particular 
mandate, this blessed mandate to know our God. And in fact, 
it's linked, and you'll know this passage because it's cited 
a lot. It's linked to eternal life. 
It's linked to salvation. Notice it, verse 1 of John 17. If you haven't turned there yet, 
you can simply listen. Jesus spoke these words and lifted 
up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come, glorify 
your son, that your son may also glorify you. As you have given 
him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life 
to as many as you have given him. And now notice verse three, 
and this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true 
God in Jesus Christ whom you have sent. There's a blessed 
maxim that the Lord Christ gives here in his prayer, according 
to his humanity, to the Father. He says that eternal life is 
this, that they may know you, the only true God in Jesus Christ 
whom you have sent. So finding our way back to Jeremiah 
9, I want to say something so that you understand that this 
command to understand and know God, given almost 600 years prior 
to the coming of Christ in his incarnation, is not given as 
a Christless call to understand and know God. That Jeremiah is 
operating within the context and by the God who informs him 
prophetically of the context, but Jeremiah in the context that 
there is a promise Messiah will come. So as you read the Old 
Testament, we don't read it in a Christless fashion, but we 
read it knowing that there is a governing promise at the outset 
of divine revelation in Genesis that a hero born of woman will 
crush the serpent with his heel. And so Jeremiah giving this promise 
600 years before, or giving this command 600 years prior to the 
coming of Christ in his incarnation, operating according to that promise 
because later say that there is one coming the who will bring 
judgment and justification to the people of the earth And so 
we must link these two passages, John 17 and Jeremiah 9 24, as 
the blessed call to know God and his Christ. So the general 
necessity of the knowledge of God, we wanna notice as well 
as we move towards a close, the specific necessity of the knowledge 
of God in the face of inevitable calamity. Let's just say that 
one more time, the specific necessity of the knowledge of God in the 
face of inevitable calamity. Because remember, this command, 
or, well, yes, this command, let him who glories glory in 
this, that he understands and knows me, comes, again, within 
the context of this coming inevitable calamity. Notice in Daniel 9, 
if you can turn there with me, I know I said a lot of Bible 
turning, And it continues. Daniel chapter 9 at verse 13. On this topic of the specific 
necessity of the knowledge of God in the face of inevitable 
calamity. Notice in Daniel 9 at verse 13. Daniel 9, 13, as it is written 
in the law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us. Yet we have not made our prayer 
before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities 
and understand your truth. Therefore, the Lord has kept 
the disaster in mind and brought it upon us For the Lord our God 
is righteous in all the works which he does, though we have 
not obeyed his voice. And now, O Lord your God, who 
brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, 
and made yourself a name as it is this day, we have sinned, 
we have done wickedly. So, the knowledge of God is to 
be sought after in our context because of this coming calamity. It is only in the knowledge of 
God, in His blessedness, that there is refuge and safety. They 
were to understand that the only wisdom that avails is that which 
has God as the ground and content. You see, this vainglorying in 
wisdom by the wise wasn't the wisdom of God and the knowledge 
of Him as if they're boasting in their knowledge of God, but 
rather it's boasting in their iniquity in following after the 
Baals, boasting in their wisdom as if they can overcome or buy 
off against the certainty of divine justice. And so they were 
to understand that the only wisdom that avails is that which has 
God as the ground and content. They were to understand that 
the only abiding strength comes from the God who is to be understood 
and known. So they're not to boast in their 
own strength, but much rather, and again, they're to boast in 
the abiding strength that comes from God, that one, that blessed 
one, who is to be understood and known. Notice in Ephesians 
chapter three, You can turn there with me if you're unable to or 
you don't want to. You can listen as I read from 
Ephesians 3. But on this point of boasting 
not in your own strength, but in that which is afforded by 
God, the one who is to be understood and known, Ephesians 3.14. For this reason I bow my knees 
to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family 
in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according 
to the riches of his glory, notice that word, riches of his glory, 
to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner 
man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that 
you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend 
with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and 
height to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that 
you may be filled with all the fullness of God." If you notice 
while we're reading there, wisdom, strength, and riches are all 
touched upon in this particular passage. And it's not boasting, 
it's not vainglorious boasting in yourself as being self-sustained 
by those things, or an overconfidence and excessive confidence and 
boast in those things, but it's a pleading that God would grant 
these things to you according to His will. and according to 
the perfection of His purpose. They were to understand as well 
that the only riches are found in the knowledge of God and of 
His Christ. Those are the only riches to 
be found, to be boasted in, to glory in those riches that come 
by the knowledge of God and His Christ. There's a wonderful passage 
in 1 Peter that speaks to the riches, to the excellencies, 
this language that Jeremiah uses. People are to cast off vain glory 
in these things and to understand that proper wisdom riches and 
strength come from God. In 1 Peter 1 at verse 17, you'll 
notice similar language here. Excuse me, chapter 1, verse 17. And if you call on the Father, 
who without partiality judges according to each one's work 
conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in 
fear, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, 
like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition 
from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of 
a lamb without blemish and without spot." You see that language 
of riches? Our redemption does not come 
by riches, but rather it comes by the redemption afforded by 
Christ, by the riches of his sacrifice, by the riches of his 
blessed work. They were to understand that 
eternal riches are found in the knowledge of God and of his Christ. Calvin writes, Speaking of these 
people in Jeremiah 9 But as they irrigate to themselves that means 
to him to assume to oneself more than is justified But as they 
irrigate to themselves more than what is right and even inebriate 
that is drunken themselves with delusions He God strips them 
naked that after having known that all they think they have 
Either from nature or from themselves or from other creatures is a 
mere phantom that they may seek true glory You see, that's what's 
going on in Jeremiah 9. God is stripping them naked so 
that they might understand that true glory is only in God. We 
are to seek true glory, not that which comes in the vanity of 
wisdom so-called, not that which comes by our own strength and 
self-sufficiency, and not that which comes by the boasting and 
riches. And lastly, it will close with 
this particular point, the voracious contemplation. So if you find 
your way back to Jeremiah 9, notice the voracious simply means 
speaking or representing the truth. Not V-O-R, but V-E-R, 
voracious. So the voracious contemplation 
comes after 24B. Notice though verse 24 of Jeremiah 
9 but let him who glories glory in this that he understands and 
knows me that there's this that Transition or this that link 
to certain blessings or works of God that I am the Lord exercising 
loving kindness judgment and righteousness in the earth for 
in these I delight says the Lord They were they in understanding 
and knowing God they were to know what are the specific contemplations 
to fill their minds with what are the specific contemplations 
that we are to fill our minds with an Understanding of the 
knowledge of God we are to understand and know him who he is And then 
what he does that he is the Lord exercising loving-kindness judgment 
and righteousness in the earth one One point here is that we 
have the identification of the only true God this saying shouldn't 
be passed over That I am the Lord What God is saying when 
he says that in his word is that he is God to the exclusion of 
all others. That these Baals that draw your 
affection, the Queen of Heaven that draws your affection to 
bake cakes, all of these gods of the Gentiles are nothing. 
There is one God, the one and only living and true God, the 
God of Israel, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So he wants them 
to know that he is the Lord. He is one in his simplicity, 
and he is one in his singularity. He is one in such a way that 
there could be no other. And so affections are not to 
be poured upon other deities, upon other things, but rather 
glorying is to be in him who is the Lord alone. Also, we have 
this recognition of loving kindness. Notice what we have here. I am 
the Lord exercising loving-kindness. So this whirlwind of judgment 
is coming, yet in the midst of it, those who by grace, through 
faith, understand and know God, there is the great blessing of 
loving-kindness. The God of heaven and earth will 
be their refuge, their safety, their balm against the sores 
of divine justice. Also the acknowledgement of his 
perfect government notice I am the Lord exercising loving kindness 
judgment and righteousness in the earth for in these I delight 
He exercises justice and judgment. John Calvin writes on this point, 
when these two words are joined together, they denote perfect 
government. That is, that God defends his 
faithful people, aids the miserable, and delivers them when unjustly 
oppressed. And also that he restrains the 
wicked and suffers them not to injure the innocent at their 
pleasure. These then are the things which 
the scripture everywhere means by the two words. judgment and 
justice, or judgment and righteousness. The justice of God is not to 
be taken according to what is commonly understood by it, and 
they speak incorrectly who represent God's justice as in opposition 
to his mercy. Hence the common proverb, I appeal 
from justice to mercy. The scripture speaks otherwise, 
for justice is to be taken for that faithful protection by God, 
by which he defends and preserves his own people, and judgment 
for the rigor which he exercises against the transgression of 
his law. So, in closing, I think, not 
I think, what we need to take from this, hopefully, is first 
and foremost that we are to be marked by those who understand 
and know God. we are to grow in our knowledge 
of God. A.W. Pink has a long extended quote, 
if anyone wants it, I can email it to you, but it's a commentary 
on the common landscape of Christianity in his time, and I think it certainly 
applies today. with regards to the modern church 
and the difference of the commonly preached God and the God of the 
Holy Bible. And he says something like this, 
that the God of the church today, compared to the God of the Holy 
Scripture, is like a dim flickering candle compared to the glory 
of the midday sun. in our context where God, where 
the knowledge of God is sort of set aside for experiential 
and emotional things, where the stirring up is not unto growth 
and knowledge, but just unto some sort of ecstasy and religious 
experience. We are to be such who joyfully, 
cheerfully, and earnestly learn about our God, the one who created 
us, the one who sustains us, and the one who redeems us by 
the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rejoice in Him 
and learn who He is. Rejoice in Him and learn what 
He does, that He is the Lord, that He exercises loving kindness, 
justice, and judgment in the earth. If you're here this morning 
and you aren't a believer, believe on this God, understand and know 
Him. We pray that by grace through 
faith in Christ you would come to knowledge of such a blessed 
one who is the refuge and the strength and the tower for his 
people, who even in the midst of the whirlwind of justice and 
judgment protects those who are his, and according to his promise, 
judges his enemies. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
because only in him is there true wisdom, only in him is there 
true strength, and only in him is there true riches and that 
eternally. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, 
we thank you for your word. We rejoice in your goodness to 
us in revealing that we are to seek after the knowledge of you. 
We thank you for those this morning who believe in his holy name 
that you have by grace through faith brought us to a knowledge 
of you. You have saved us by the perfect work of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. We pray that we would seek to 
understand and know you and to grow in the knowledge of our 
blessed creator, sustainer, and redeemer. We pray for those outside 
of Christ this morning that entered these two doors in unbelief. 
We pray, Lord God, that now, by your word and spirit, you 
would bring them forth from amazing and victorious grace, from the 
darkness of sin, to life and light in Christ Jesus. And because 
it is possible only with you that each and every tongue would 
leave these two doors singing the praises of our blessed Christ, 
redeeming King. And it's in His name that we 
pray. Amen. Well, you can stand with me and 
sing the doxology. It's 568 in your hymn books. That's 568. We'll stand and we'll 
sing together. ♪ Praise God from whom all blessings 
flow ♪ ♪ Praise Him all creatures here below ♪ ♪ Praise Him above 
the heavens and the earth ♪ Now may the God of peace who brought 
up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep, 
through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in 
every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing 
in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, forever and 
ever. Amen. Heavenly Father, I pray that 
you would go with us now. Be with us as we go about the 
rest of this Lord's Day. Help us to understand and know 
you. Help us to glory in salvation 
by so blessed a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice in the 
forgiveness of sins and a righteousness, not our own, but that of Christ 
that avails with you. We do pray that you'd be with 
us now. Help us to honor your day, to honor your name. And 
we pray, Lord God, that you would receive all the glory. We pray 
in Jesus Christ's name, amen.