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foreign you you you you you you you you you good evening everyone and welcome back to free grace baptist church for our evening worship just a brief reminder as a fellowship luncheon next sunday after the morning service everyone is welcome to come there will be details coming out in an email this week for a call to worship please turn with me in your bible to psalm 15. psalm 15 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 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 please take your trinity center psalter hymnal and turn to psalm 98 selection c c is in charlie psalm 98 and stand with me we'll sing together one so yes foreign foreign sorry foreign [Music] is [Music] you may be seated let's go to our great god in prayer our father in heaven we thank you for the privilege we have now of coming before you as a people to worship you together to hear the word preached to be inspired and to be in awe at your majesty in your grace and your kindness and your compassion thank you for the week that's passed thank you for watching over us all and keeping us safe thank you that that jordan porter is recovering i pray god that you'll be merciful to him and that he would continue on that road to recovery whether you'd give him strength and reason to rejoice as you deal kindly with him lord i pray for others in our congregation that may be sick or suffering from chronic illness i pray lord you be gracious be gracious to thee to the elderly amongst us and lord to those who have needs that no one knows of i pray that you'd have compassion and kindness on them as well strengthen your body this day strengthen us as we as we delve into the scriptures and hear the word preached i pray that it would be a bomb to our souls i thank you lord that the gospel is going forth from this place and is going forth all over the face of the earth thank you that the gospel has been preached in countries all around the world this morning and this afternoon and this evening and we pray that you would draw a great multitude to yourself and cause a great many people to hear the gospel and to believe lord i pray for our sister churches that you would be gracious to them bless pastor kirkpatrick this evening as he preaches to the congregation in surrey pray that you would encourage their hearts and continue to to add to their number and continue to strengthen them and mature them in the faith i pray to bless the work in the north oak okanagan bless pastor ryan maljar is there in armstrong i pray god you would cause that fledgling congregation to be well-founded and to grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth again i pray that you would add to their numbers those whom you have have chosen and caused them to grow i pray lord that you would bless the the group out in dryden ontario encourage them lord and cause them to be well founded bless dan and joshua as they as they lead i pray that you'd give them much wisdom much grace much patience the lord i pray as well for the the work in honduras bless that congregation for you would encourage them add to their numbers daily such as should be saved and i ask these things in jesus name amen for our next hymn we're going to sing number 457 in your hymnal please stand with me 4 57. uh foreign foreign [Music] oh oh foreign [Music] foreign [Music] jesus [Music] please be seated for our evening scripture reading turn to the book of numbers with me to chapter four we'll break it up into two readings so we'll read tonight from verse 1 to verse 28 and the remainder of the chapter lord willing next sunday evening numbers chapter 4 then the lord spoke to moses and aaron saying take a census of the sons of kohath from among the children of levi by their families by their father's house from 30 years old and above even to 50 years old all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting this is the service of the sons of kohath and the tabernacle of meeting relating to the most holy things when the camp prepares to journey aaron and his sons shall come and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of the testimony with it then they shall put on it a covering of badger skins and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue and they shall insert its poles on the table of showbread they shall spread a blue cloth and put on it the dishes the pans the bowls and the pitchers for pouring and the show bread shall be on it they shall spread over them a scarlet cloth and cover the same with the covering of badger skins and they shall insert its poles and they shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand of light of the light with its lamps its wick trimmers its trays and all its oil vessels with which they service it then they shall put it with all the its utensils in a covering of badger skins and put it on a carrying beam over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth and cover it with a covering of badger skins and they shall insert its poles then they shall take all the utensils of service with which they minister in the sanctuary put them in a blue cloth cover them with a covering of badger skins and put them on a carrying beam also they should take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it they should put on it all its implements with which they minister there the fire pans the forks the shovels the basins and all the utensils of the altar and they shall spread on it a covering of badger skins and insert its poles and when aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary when the camp is set to go then the sons of kohath shall come and carry them but they shall not touch any holy thing lest they die these are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of kohath are to carry the appointed duty of eliezer the son of aaron the priest is the oil for the light the sweet incense the daily grain offering the anointing oil the oversight of all the tabernacle of all that is in it with the sanctuary and its furnishings then the lord spoke to moses and aaron saying do not cut off the tribe of the families of the kohathites from among the levites but do this in regard to them that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint each of them to his service and his task but they shall not go into watch while the holy things are being covered lest they die then the lord spoke to moses saying also take a census of the sons of gershon by their families by their father's house by their families from 30 years old and above even to 50 years old you shall number them all who enter to perform the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting this is the service of the families of the gershonites in serving and carrying they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the taber tabernacle of meeting with its covering the covering of badger skins that is on it the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting the screen for the door of the gate of the court the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and altar and their cords all the furnishings for their service and all that is made for these things so shall they serve aaron and his sons shall assign all the service of the sons of the gershots all their tasks and all their service and you shall appoint to them all their tasks as their duty this is the service of the families of of the sons of gershon in the tabernacle of meeting and their duties shall be under the authority of ithamar the son of aaron the priest amen let us pray gracious father we thank you for the detailed instructions that you gave moses concerning your worship we thank you that all these things pointed forward to christ who is the lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world and thank you for that that great day in which the the veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom and we now have access to god the father through the blood of christ jesus our lord i pray you would be with us as we can continue in worship and i pray lord that you would strengthen our hearts this night in jesus name amen for our last hymn turn to number 234 hymn 234 in your hymnal and stand as we sing together [Music] uh [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] yes [Music] is is [Music] is bye [Music] oh is is [Music] so [Music] proverbs chapter 6. proverbs 6 our focus tonight will be verses 16 to 19. i'll just read though beginning in verse 1 my son if you become surety for your friend if you have shaken hands and pledge for a stranger you are snared by the words of your mouth you are taken by the words of your mouth so do this my son and deliver yourself for you have come into the hand of your friend go and humble yourself plead with your friend give no sleep to your eyes nor slumber to your eyelids deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter and like a bird from the hand of the fowler go to the ant you sluggard consider her ways and be wise which having no captain overseer or ruler provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest how long will you slum slumber oh sluggard when will you rise from your sleep a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler and your need like an armed man a worthless person a wicked man walks with a perverse mouth he winks with his eyes he shuffles his feet he points with his fingers perversity is in his heart he devises evil continually he sows discord therefore his calamity shall come suddenly suddenly he shall be broken without remedy these six things the lord hates yea seven are an abomination to him a proud look a lying tongue hands that shed innocent blood a heart that devises wicked plans feet that are swift and running to evil a false witness who speaks lies and one who sows discord among brethren my son keep your father's command and do not forsake the law of your mother bind them continually upon your heart tie them around your neck when you roam they will lead you when you sleep they will keep you and when you awake they will speak with you for the commandment is a lamp and the law a light reproofs of instruction of the way of life to keep you from the evil woman from the flattering tongue of a seductress do not lust after her in your heart nor let her allure you with her eyelids for by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life can a man take fire to his bosom and his clothes not be burned can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be seared so is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife whoever touches her shall not be innocent people do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving yet when he is found he must restore sevenfold he may have to give up all the substance of his house whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding he who does so destroys his own soul wounds and dishonor he will get and his reproach will not be wiped away for jealousy is a husband's fury therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance he will accept no recompense nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts amen let us pray father thank you for your word thank you for the book of proverbs and the great wisdom that we have here revealed to us by the spirit through solomon we ask god that you would give us open hearts to receive these things and in particular may we ponder may we contemplate may we meditate upon those things that you hate and may we as a result avoid them like the plague and may you help us to embrace those things that you love and help us to walk in holiness and in righteousness forgive us again for all of our sin and unrighteous all that righteousness all that remaining corruption that is in our hearts as well father we pray for those here among us that are still dead in their trespasses and sins that they would know the forgiveness of god most high as it comes through the gospel of our blessed lord jesus christ fill us now by the spirit may he guide us and lead us into all truth and we pray in the name of our lord jesus christ amen well we read in first john that god is love nowhere that i'm aware of in the bible do we read that god is hate but we do have in proverbs 6 16 to 19 those things that god does hate it's not confined to this particular list there are other things in the bible that are sinful this is not an exhaustive or a comprehensive list but it is a good summary statement it deals with actual members of the body and then it deals with actions that are engaged in by sinful people so again very important that we understand this if you look back for just a moment to proverbs chapter 3 specifically at verse 7 do not be wise in your own eyes fear the lord and depart from evil proverbs chapter 8 at verse 13 the fear of the lord is to hate evil so there is on the part of the people of god a hatred in their hearts for those things that are contrary to god and to his revealed will we see that that is consistent with the teaching here in proverbs 6 16-19 these six things yahweh hates yea seven are an abomination to him there is a close connection to the preceding context if you look at verses 12 to 15 it's a description of the man of belial literally or a worthless person a wicked man notice in verse 12 a worthless person a wicked man a son of belial walks with a perverse mouth he winks with his eyes he shuffles his feet he points with his fingers he uh perversity is in his heart he devises evil continually he sows discord therefore his calamity shall come suddenly suddenly he shall be broken without remedy so in this next catalog this numeric catalog it sort of amplifies or exemplifies what is going on with reference to this son of belial so the first place i want to look at the declaration concerning god's hatred in verse 16 and then secondly the description of what god hates in verses 17 to 19 again it's broken down into two categories the abominable members the proud look the lying tongue the murdering hands the cunning heart and the running feet and then the abominable actions in verse 19 one who bears false witness and one who sows discord among the brethren but notice in the first place these six things the lord hates yes seven are an abomination to him god is love but god does hate those things contrary to him if you look specifically at the book of psalms you can turn to psalm 5 a passage that i'm sure we're all aware of the apostle paul quotes from psalm 5 in romans chapter 3 he appeals to the psalm to show or to evidence his doctrine of total depravity but in psalm 5 5 we read the boastful shall not stand in your sight you hate all workers of iniquity psalm 11 at verse 5 underscores the same thing the lord tests the righteous but the wicked and the one who loves violence his soul hates again those things that are contrary to our blessed god turn over to the prophet isaiah isaiah chapter 1 underscores the same reality there are actions there are things about sinners sinners themselves according to psalm 5 5 that god abominates that god hates notice in isaiah 1 at verse 14 your new moon and your appointed feasts my soul hates they are a trouble to me i am weary of bearing them so the reality is that god is opposed to that which is contrary to him you see this in james and peter god resists the proud god is opposed to the proud but he gives grace to the humble and then with reference to our text when it says these six things the lord hates yea seven are an abomination to him the second half of the verse simply escalates the thought again it's a literary convention that the the wise man is employing for our benefit so there is the declaration concerning god's hatred now let's focus in on the description of what god hates in verses 17 to 19. notice in the first place in terms of the abominable members the proud look verse 17 a proud look the manifest the sin in view is pride and the manifestation of it is through the eyes the sin of pride is repeatedly condemned in the book of proverbs over and over again we see it condemned repeatedly in the new testament we see it as that sin of sins in many ways that is the fountainhead of a all host of other sins that flow from it in proverbs for instance you can look at chapter 11 at verse 2. proverbs chapter 11 at verse 2 when pride comes then comes shame but with the humble is wisdom proverbs 13 and verse 10. by pride comes nothing but strife but with the well advised is wisdom proverbs 14 3 in the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride but the lips of the wise will preserve them proverbs 16 and verse 5 everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the lord though they join forces none will go unpunished proverbs 16 at verse 18 pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall proverbs 18 and verse 12. you're getting the point you're getting the emphasis solomon make sure that we understand that pride is an abomination to god proverbs 18 12 before destruction the heart of a man is haughty and before honor is humility proverbs 21 at verse 4 a haughty look a proud heart and the plowing of the wicked are sin proverbs 27 at verse 2. proverbs 27 at verse 2. same emphasis let another man praise you and not your own mouth a stranger and not your own lips there he's going in terms of a real life application of this all the other preceding verses are simply condemnations and descriptions but here there's a real life application don't praise yourself don't call attention to how great you are let another man praise you be a humble servant of the lord jesus christ the people of god are not to virtue signal the people of god are not to be pharisaic the people of god are not to stand on the street corner and pray thus with themselves i thank you god that i'm not like other men i'm not a murderer i'm not an extortionist i'm not an adulterer i'm not like this tax collector that i have standing next to me the pride of man is fallen god most high calls us to imbibe a spirit of humility notice in proverbs 28 verse 25 he who is of a proud heart stirs up strife but he who trusts in the lord will be prospered proverbs 29 23 a man's pride will bring him low but the humble and spirit will retain honor and then in 30 chapter 30 specifically in verse 13 but look at verses 11 to 14 with me 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 now we're not the first generation to display or exhibit these things certainly it was rampant at the time that solomon wrote or he would have no need to condemn it but this is an apt description of our own generation rebellion self-righteousness arrogance covetousness these are the manifestations of sin and depravity from the heart of man john gill says pride is the first of the hateful things mentioned it being the first sin committed as is probable the sin of angels and of the first man and is a predominant evil in human nature and is directly opposite to god and to his nature and against which he sets himself for he resisteth the proud said james in james 4 6. matthew henry says there are seven things that god hates and pride is the first because it is at the bottom of much sin and it gives rise to it now when we conclude the sermon tonight i'm gonna encourage us to try and imbibe and pursue the opposites of what god hates so if god abominates a a proud look that doesn't mean we look lowly and and humble and just walk in such a way as to to demonstrate our our humility but the idea is is that we pursue humility and the means by which we pursue humility firstly is by killing bride to oppose it in our own heart to not let it give vent not everybody needs to hear everything we're ever thinking this is one of the problems if you want my estimation of what is wrong today a generation ago nobody knew what everybody else was thinking and nobody cared what everybody else was thinking now we have blog comments we have twitter we have all these avenues to make sure everybody hears the wonderful nuggets of wisdom that drip from our lips how in the world did the world manage before that came alive how in the world did we ever function without knowing the thoughts of a man that is on the other side of the world brethren we need to engage in humility we need to guard our hearts against the sin of pride god opposes it he resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble it is a most blessed thing to seek to cultivate humility again i think the best way in cultivating humility is by killing pride because no doubt when we're cultivating humility we're gonna tell everybody that we're cultivating humility and by that we'll undo the very cultivation of humility i'm really working on humility i'm being so much more humble than i've ever been before brethren that's not a humble statement one of my brothers and i used to joke a good book title would be humility and how i mastered it that would absolutely contradict the very fame under investigation the best way to cultivate humility is to kill pride god opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble notice secondly the lying tongue these six things the lord hates yea seven are an abomination to him a proud look a lying tongue again let's see that this is not confined to this list of what god abominates proverbs 12 at verse 17. proverbs 12 17 he who speaks truth declares righteousness but a false witness deceit proverbs 12 19 the truthful lip shall be established forever but a lying tongue is but for a moment verse 22 lying lips are an abomination to the lord but those who deal truthfully are his delight notice in 13 3 he who guards his mouth preserves his life but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction proverbs 17 4 proverbs 17 4 an evil doer gives heed to false lips a liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue proverbs 26 18 and 19 proverbs 26 18 and 19. like a madman who throws firebrands arrows and death is the the man who deceives his neighbor and says i was only joking lies and deceit is a wretched evidence of our depravity under a holy god it ought not to surprise us in the language of psalm 31 that lord god of truth would be opposed to lies and notice the consistency with the father of lies when we exhibit this the lord jesus upgraded the religious leaders of his day in john 4 john 8 you're like your father the devil and the deeds of your father you want to do he was a murderer from the beginning and a liar so these things are absolutely contrary to the living and true god again gill says nor is there anything in which a man more resembles the devil who is the father of lies notice thirdly he speaks concerning the murdering hands the murdering hands hands that shed innocent blood note that connection between lying and murder in light of john 8 44. he was a father a murderer from the beginning and a liar there's no truth in him he has not the capability or ability to speak the truth so there is that that close juxtaposition there between that lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood now that innocent blood is not absolutely innocent we know that there is none righteous no not one we know that everybody is born in adam but it speaks concerning the judicially innocent we know from scripture that there are three instances of lawful homicide it's not wrong to kill somebody in terms of capital punishment genesis 9 and romans 13 underscore that secondly it's not wrong to kill somebody if they are found breaking in your house at night and you defend your property or you defend your people exodus 22 22 exonerates the man who defends his house from a savage attacking him that is absolutely legitimate and justifiable homicide and brethren if we need to return to scripture we need it at that point as well because of the case that there is instances at least in the u.s where persons are being indicted and sentenced for murder as a result of having defended themselves in very clear-cut situations and then of course the third is holy war god said to israel go in and utterly dispossess the land of the canaanites do that by killing them do that by removing them from the land romans 13 the magistrate has the sword not only to punish evil doers within society but as well to defend the body politic from foreign invaders from without of society so there are lawful instances of homicide that the bible speaks of but what solomon condemns here is murder hands that shed innocent blood it clearly portrays murder go back to proverbs chapter 1. proverbs chapter 1 specifically at verses 11 to 14. well verse 10 my son if sinners entice you do not consent if they say come with us let us lie in way to shed blood let us learn secretly for the innocent without cause let us swallow them alive like she'll and whole like those who go down to the pit we shall find all kinds of precious possessions we shall fill our houses with spoil cast in your lot among us let us all have one purse my son do not walk in the way with them keep your foot from their path for their feet run to evil and they make haste to shed blood surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird but they lie and wait for their own blood they lurk secretly for their own lives so are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain it takes away the life of its owners notice in proverbs 28 proverbs 28 verse 17. again god abominates hands that shed innocent blood proverbs chapter 28 specifically at verse 17 a man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit let no one help him now the burden with bloodshed isn't accidental homicide it isn't lawful homicide but it is rather unlawful homicide therefore don't help him this man deserves what he gets as a result of his crime of murder and then notice in 31 8-9 31 8-9 open your mouth for the speechless and the cause of all who are appointed to die open your mouth judge righteously and plead the cause of the poor and the needy now brethren we can make obvious application in terms of euthanasia make obvious application in terms of of abortion the hands that shed innocent blood are an abomination to god the persons today shouting their abortion are shouting those things that are contrary and opposite to who god is and god most high will punish god most i will vindicate his elect who cry to him day and night and god most high hears the cry of that blood from the earth he hears the cry of righteous abel certainly hears the cry of all those innocents that have been murdered in abortion it is not a right for a woman to choose to kill somebody it is not a right for a man to choose to kill somebody it is not right brethren the bible condemns it and hands that shed innocent blood are an abomination to god most high the fact that our nations are saturated with blood ought to give us great cause for fear the reality is is that god is angry with the wicked every day and while he hasn't lashed out in that fury and sent down hailstones to destroy planned parenthood and all of those engaged in this wickedness it is coming the lord most high is not mocked and he will on one day bring to to write all of those who have opposed his holy law at the level of the six commandment and then notice in terms of the last member it's the or i'm sorry the the four uh the fourth is the cunning heart and this is the literary center of the text notice three items pre-precede and three items follow the heart is the ethical center of man turn back to proverbs chapter four specifically at verse 23 keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life keep your heart with all diligence not keep everybody else's heart keeping your heart is a full-time job that'll keep you occupied for 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days out of the year doesn't mean you can't help your fellows doesn't mean you can't pray for others doesn't mean you can't be there for assistance but the keeping of the heart is for the individual keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life notice what jesus teaches relative to the same truth in matthew's gospel you can turn to matthew chapter 12. matthew chapter 12. we see that same emphasis on the heart matthew chapter 12 specifically at verse 34. brood of vipers how can you being evil speak good things for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks a good man out of the good treasure of his eve of his heart brings forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things but i say to you that for every idol word men may speak they will give account of it in the day of judgment for by your words you will be justified by your words you will be condemned and then over in matthew chapter 15. remember the pharisees come and they're upset because jesus disciples are eating without washing their hands crime of crimes and so jesus of course rebukes them and the means by which he rebukes them is found in verse 10. when he had called that i mean he does other stuff prior to that but he brings it to uh brings it here uh home here notice in verse 10 when he had called the multitudes to himself he said to them here and understand not what goes into the mouth defiles a man but what comes out of the mouth this defiles a man then his disciples came and said to him do you know that the pharisees were offended when they heard this saying do you know that they didn't like that do you know that upset then do you know that that triggered them does jesus say well you know i'm going to go on my apology tour now i'm going to you know make sure that everybody knows that we never say anything that will ever ever ever upset anybody no jesus doesn't do that jesus doubles down in luke's gospel there's an instance where a lawyer said or or or uh he's rebuking the scribes and the pharisees and then the lawyer says you know this offends me and then jesus turns his cannons to that lawyer too well you got issues as well so he doesn't back down he's not afraid to name the sin notice in verse 13 he answered and said every plant which my heavenly father has not planted will be uprooted he sees in that the absolute positive sovereignty of god most high and then he says let them alone they are blind leaders of the blind and if the blind leads the blind both will fall into a ditch and peter answered and said to him explain this parable to us so jesus said are you still without understanding do you not understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated but those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witness blasphemies these are the things which defile a man but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man so going back to the proverbs solomon is on to something the wise man says keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life the greater than solomon reaffirms that very commitment you gotta watch your heart back in our list our vice list we see a heart that devises evil plans turn to chapter 11 in verse 20 in the book of proverbs chapter 11 verse 20 those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the lord but the blameless in their ways are his delight and then over in proverbs 24 1-2 proverbs chapter 24 1-2 do not be envious of evil men nor desire to be with them for their heart devises violence and their lips talk of trouble-making we see that emphasis all the way back in genesis chapter 6 in verse 5 then the lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually now brethren if a man does not act upon the thoughts of his heart he's not engaged in criminal activity but in the sense that he has engaged in that in his heart he's engaged in sinful activity and god sees that and god will deal with that notice in psalms psalm 36 verse 4 speaking of the wicked he devises wickedness on his bed he sets himself in a way that is not good he does not abhor evil he devises wickedness on his bed perhaps your custom in the morning is to wake up to wipe the you know the the dust out of your eyes to kind of contemplate what's going to happen during the day perhaps you reach over to your phone you look at the weather's going to be like so you know how to dress up appropriately i'd suggest those are probably good ways to wake up uh uh thankfulness to god that he kept you through the night let's go have coffee let's get the day rolling but not the wicked they're devising wickedness in their bed they're planning and plotting how they can engage in pain misery and destruction for those who happen to get in their way the wicked are really wicked brethren i'm not suggesting that we are not but there is a class of sinners that have no concern whatsoever for god most high and god most high is contrary well to all sinners but with reference to those particularly wicked ones we see lots of things written concerning them in the scripture now i'm not saying again that there's only the really bad and then there's the righteous no we've all sinned against a holy god but i think you'd agree that paul pot and joseph stalin and mouse seitan were probably in a different league than most of us garden variety sinners i have never actively engaged in the collectivization of land i have never squeezed people into a famine scenario i have never and i'm not tooting my own horn brethren this is very low hanging fruit the fact that i've not committed mass murder is not a commendation on my righteousness or goodness just so you know there are those persons that plan wickedness on their bed matthew henry says the more there is of craft and management and sin the more it is an abomination to god and then fifth by way of members notice the running feet they not only have this heart that is cunning and devising evil but they have feet that are swift in running to it you've got this heart that devises wicked plants and feet that are swift and running to evil they're not jumping out of bed to get coffee so they can embark on their day they don't kiss their wives so they can go work hard at whatever the job is they get off their beds and their swift feet are swift and running to do evil it is a horrific situation now paul quotes this in romans chapter one with reference again to the sinner i'm sorry romans chapter three as paul is building his case in terms of total depravity he does take a whole host of passages from the old testament brings them together in chapter three and summarizes the the biblical doctrine concerning sin and he mentions this one in particular you see it or we saw it in 116 116 for their feet run to evil and they make haste to shed blood again matthew henry says vigor and diligence in the prosecution of sin they're not just sitting they have vigor and diligence in it i mean take a christian i mean we sin don't we but typically we we cry out with the apostle paul the good that i want to do i don't do the evil i don't want to do i find myself doing it says wretched man that i am who will deliver me from this body of death there's conviction there's that understanding there's that realization that we stand and fall before a holy god he goes on to say the policy and vigilance the eagerness and industry of sinners and their sinful pursuits may shame us who go about that which is good so awkwardly and so coldly i pointed that out i think it's around acts chapter 23 where you have this conspiracy against the apostle paul these men take an oath that they will eat no food until they rid the earth of the apostle paul now in hindsight you'd want to say how did that work out for you i bet you folded i bet you ate i bet you had to take some morsel or else you wouldn't have continued on in your dreary miserable existence but those men saw paul as such a threat that they would bind themselves with an oath not to eat until paul was dead oh that god would give us the grace to have that kind of zeal that kind of eagerness i mean psalm 122. i was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the lord david's feet were swift and running too good running to the house of god that's the contrast the wicked however has feet that are swift in running to evil now notice the actions that follow you have one who bears false witness so after the members we've got the uh the proud look or the eye we've got the lying tongue we've got the hands that shed innocent blood we got a heart that devises wicked plans and feet that are swift and running to evil notice next he says in terms of an action a false witness who speaks lies a false witness who speaks lies now think about this for just a moment he's already said in verse 17 a lying tongue you mean twice out of these six things yahweh hates yay seven are an abomination to him uh uh lie deceit uh falsehood is is mentioned twice why is that because it's absolutely positively wretched that's why it's a bad thing god is the lord god of truth the specific sin of perjury or character assassination is what's in view here we have the the commandment that prohibits this the ninth commandment exodus 20 deuteronomy chapter 5 you shall not bear false witness you're not supposed to do that and look at the language of our text a false witness who speaks lies this indicates that the purger speaks lies with the specific person of destroying others he's doing this calculatedly to ruin his fellow that is a bad thing and again something that ought to concern us in terms of court proceedings in terms of people going up there swearing to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth and then perjuring themselves lying to various persons and never being held accountable i mean some of these lies are patently obvious they are found out they are exposed they are seen in the newspapers and yet nothing ever seems to happen well if you continue down that path you demoralize the body politic you bring people to a place of utter frustration and exasperation when there is no justice needed out when there is a two-tier justice system that in my estimation is a way to break the back of the body politic and in my estimation i think that's what we're seeing we are seeing the erosion of due process and things that ought to be in place this is the uh with reference to uh this false witness speaking lies in terms of perjury it is the deliberate willful giving a false misleading or incomplete testimony under oath and it's not just the fifth commandment i'm sorry ninth commandment but exodus 23 uh twice speaks to this and then deuteronomy 19 deuteronomy 19 is the law of witness sets you need to have witnesses in the plural and they need to speak the truth as well the book of proverbs notice in chapter 14 proverbs chapter 14 verse 5 a faithful witness does not lie but a false witness will utter lies no accident that a brother read psalm 15 tonight i believe psalm 15 is a description ultimately of jesus who can ascend to the holy hill of yahweh who can stand in his presence is jesus and by virtue of the gospel he brings us with him but it says there that he swears to his own hurt brethren that's that's what it must be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth and we see that here faithful witness does not lie but a false witness will utter lies notice as well uh verse 25 verse 25 a true witness delivers souls but a deceitful witness speaks lies so what does that mean he the the true deliver souls the false speaks lies what happens then he destroys souls he's not delivering them at that point he's actually engaged in the contrary he's destroying them proverbs 17 verse 15. he who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the just both of them alike are an abomination to the lord proverbs 19 and verse 5. proverbs 19 and verse 5 a false witness will not go unpunished and he who speaks lies will not escape again verse 9 a false witness will not go unpunished and he who speaks lies will perish 20 21 28 21 28 a false witness shall perish but the man who hears him will speak endlessly and then proverbs 25 at verse 18 25 18 a man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club a sword and a sharp arrow that old children's adage that says sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me is absolutely positively wrong we can destroy people with the power of the tongue and with reference to solomon reiterating these or re emphasizing these or repeating these in a whole host of ways think of it not only in terms of general christian conduct but solomon is a king solomon's sons are a dynasty of kings so what is solomon emphasizing with reference to his kings a righteous civilization a righteous kingdom a righteous body politic is founded on the truth when we compromise the truth we see the dissolution of all that is good and all that is holy and all that binds us together as fellows in a common society matthew henry says there cannot be a greater affront to god to whom to whom in an oath appeal is made lord greater injury to our neighbor all whose interests in this world even the dearest lie open to an attack of this kind then knowingly to give in a false testimony there are seven things which god hates and lying involves two of them he hates it and doubly hates it and then the final one notice back in proverbs 6 19 a false witness who speaks lies and one who sows discord among brethren look up to the description of the son of belial or the worthless man the wicked man notice in verse 14. perversity is in his heart he devises evil continually he sows discord now this discord is sown in those social units the discord is sown in family the discord is sown in church this the discord is sown in in society we have all these politicians we want to unify everybody all the while they are sowing discord turning the body politic members of that body politic against one another that is wretched behavior that is contrary conduct god is opposed to that these six things yahweh hates yea seven are an abomination to him i suspect there are a whole host of church men a whole host of the people of god actually i'm not get uh uh i'm seeing contrary reports to this but i like to think that that all churchmen everywhere would oppose abortion that all churchmen everywhere would oppose euthanasia they would oppose hands that shed innocent blood and they would not engage in that particular activity they would not go and get an abortion they would not go and euthanize somebody but how many of those self-same church men will sow discord among brethren will gossip will slander will whisper we'll tell tales about others that is not anybody's business we need to guard our hearts at this point sowing discord among the brethren is something that god abominates this is something that you and i have access to certainly all the other ones i'm not suggesting we don't but there is this sense where i think and again i'd like to think that most of us wouldn't go have an abortion most of us wouldn't go pay for an abortion but when it comes to sowing discord among the brethren are we as careful do we see it as repugnant do we see it as loathsome in the sight of a holy god i mean the same god that loathes or abominates the hands that shed innocent blood is the god who abominates the one who sows discord among brethren gill again says whether in a natural relation or in a civil society or in a religious community this can happen wherever we find ourselves and this is something we need to resist and guard our hearts against now proverbs doesn't leave us asking or doesn't leave us wanting in terms of information we ask the question how can we do this and i hope we're not asking it so that we can do this but how can we do this so that we'll avoid it so that we won't engage in it so that we won't cause that kind of strife or generate that kind of discord or bring that kind of division or ultimately dissolution well first the sin of gossip look at chapter 11 and verse 13. the sin of gossip 11 13. a tail bearer reveals secrets but he was of a faithful spirit conceals a matter when the tail bear reveals those secrets what do you think happens you think everybody says oh that's great so glad my secrets have been revealed to my church we need to guard against this in prayer meeting you know brethren i want to pray for so and so because of this that and the other well you better make sure so and so is okay with you telling us about this that or the other i make sure that anybody who gets a prayer request sent out through my computer asks me to do it some people don't want that and they're not to be faulted for that everybody has a basic and fundamental right to privacy whether the government respects that or not i think ecclesiastical government should so if you want your prayer requests to go out make sure you let me know or i'll ask you do you want me to send that out some people don't want to do that and if that's the case then perhaps we shouldn't make you know verbalize everybody's issues in the context of the church notice in 1628 1628 when we engage in gossip we can sow discord among brethren this is the point a perverse man sows strife and a whisperer separates the best of friends whisperer is a vice that we find in paul's vice list in romans chapter 1 at verse 29 it literally means a rumor monger or a tale bearer what happens when we engage in this particular activity look at it a perverse man so strife and a whisperer separates the best of friends don't do that don't be that guy don't be that girl guard against it notice in 18 8 18 8 the words of a tail bear are like tasty trifles they they go down into the inmost body there's something about it that we crave we're not supposed to crave it we're supposed to resist it we're supposed to oppose it 20 19 chapter 2019 he who goes about as a tailbearer reveals secrets therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips and then over in 26 20 to 22 chapter 26 20-22 where there is no wood the fire goes out and where there is no tailbearer strife ceases i'm not a physicist but i know enough that if you don't have something to burn there's not going to be fire but in ecclesiology or in society or in family if there's no tailbearer then strife ceases he goes on to say his charcoal is to burning coals and wood to fire so has a conscientious man to kindle strife the words of a tale bear are like tasty trifles and they go down in the inmost body why do you think he keeps repeating that because we keep needing to hear it because there's something again in us that gravitates toward those things that are none of our business there are things that do not concern us keep your own heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life the sin of pride is another way to do this 28 25 28 25 he who is of a proud heart stirs up what he stirs up strife but he who trusts in the lord will be pros uh prospered and then the rejection of due process turn back to chapter 18. and due process doesn't simply apply to a courtroom but it applies to those other social conventions your family your church your ethics your life your conduct there are two passages in proverbs 18 that we should seek by grace to master seek by grace to imbibe seek by grace to live according to proverbs 18 13 he who answers a matter before he hears it it is folly and shame to him don't answer a matter that you've only heard one side of brethren there's always two sides to a story and when somebody tells you one side the typical response is oh i can't believe it how wretched and horrible is that other person and then you do a bit of cross-examination and you find out they're probably not as wretched and horrible as person a depicted them to be don't answer a matter until you've heard it ideally don't listen to the matter if it doesn't concern you and then notice in proverbs 18 17 the first one to plead his cause seems right until his neighbor comes and examines him same sort of an emphasis again this is the foundation of of civilization's jurisprudence this should be just commonplace but we're seeing the erosion of it we're seeing the defection from these standards in western civilization but that doesn't give us the right to defect it doesn't give us the right to say well you know these civil courts they don't they don't cross-examine any more so we don't have to absolutely positively we must now with reference to this particular list back in proverbs chapter six we need to understand these are not things that are simply uh uh something god just kind of doesn't like these six things yahweh hates yea seven are an abomination to him bridges comments on this the man who sows discord among brethren he says let the self-willed separatist remember the double stamp verses 14 and 19 upon him that soweth discord among brethren if the heavenly dew descends upon the brethren that dwell together in unity psalm 133 a withering blast will fall on those who mistaking prejudice for principle cause divisions for their own selfish ends fearful is the lord's mark upon them sensual having not the spirit jude 19. matthew henry says those who blow the coals of contention are but preparing for themselves a fire of the same nature so in conclusion it is good for us first to understand what god loves but secondly to understand what god hates and understanding what god hates ought to go a long way in helping us to avoid those things a couple of months ago my beloved and i were driving to the city of vancouver and as we approached ikea land i looked over at her and i said i know that you love me because you're not going to ask me to go to ikea she knows what i hate so she doesn't bring it right to me she doesn't try to get me to do that if i happen to know that she hates flowers i'm not going to give her flowers if i happen to know that she hates diamonds i'm not going to give her diamonds that i know that she hates diamonds or anything like that but you get the point it's good in a marriage relationship to know what our our fellow loves and our fellow hates well with reference to our walk with god we ought to know the same thing we ought to guard our hearts against those things that are contrary to the nature of our holy god and then as i said the necessity to pursue what god loves the pursuit of humility god opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble what should we take from that i ought to be humble i ought to kill pride i ought not to vaunt myself or exalt myself or walk around like i'm eight foot for tall and bulletproof i'm not all that i'm not the the best thing that's ever lived i need to make sure that i understand that secondly the practice of speaking the truth swearing to his own hurt and not changing is again the description of our blessed christ in psalm 15. the practice of speaking the truth brethren we need to be careful in this regard god is in fact the lord god of truth third the protection of life if god abominates hands that shed innocent blood what should we do protect innocent life we should protect our lives we should protect the lives of those around us and we should be outspokenly opposed to a government that sees as its primary mandate the murder of the unborn around us that is simply unconscionable and we cannot stand idly by and not speak out against that as well fourthly the protection of the heart notice the wicked the the heart that devises wicked plans keep our own hearts with all diligence understanding that out of it spring the issues of life as well the pursuit of goodness if there are feet that are swift and running to evil let our feet be swift and running to church let our feet be swift and running to the family altar let our feet be swift and running to help the brothers that are in need feet that are swift and running to good contra these wicked persons the practice of bearing true witness if we're ever called upon to testify in a court the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help us god that is the underscoring statement that we swear fidelity too and with reference to our everyday conduct let our yes be yes and our no be no the men and women that speak the truth and do not shrink back from it and then notice as well the pursuit of peace and family society and the church if god abominates one who sows discord among brethren we ought to be peacemakers doesn't jesus pronounce a beatitude upon the peacemakers blessed are the peacemakers we're not supposed to be those who bring division who so strife and who bring discord and then i'd suggest finally we ought to praise god most high that we have our salvation in our lord jesus christ we sang tonight jesus thy blood and righteousness because if you look at this list and you look at it honestly you know that it finds you out whether pre-conversion or as a christian person you are struggling like all of us with remaining corruption these things are not uh foreign they're not things that i have to try and convince you about there's there's actually people that name the name of christ that fall into these things of course we do we've got problems we've got a proneness to wander and a prone is to leave the god that we love but our blessed jesus is the one who is perfect the lord jesus christ obeyed the father perfectly at every point there was no sin no rebellion no bad heart no feet that were running to evil no hands that shut innocent blood our blessed christ is our righteousness that doesn't get us off the hook in terms of normative approach to the law we seek by the grace of god and the power of his holy spirit to inculcate these to imbibe these and to pursue not these but the contrary but with reference to christ he is our righteousness he is our hope he is the reason for which we are going to heaven well let us pray our father in heaven we thank you so very much that you tell us not only what you love that you are love but you also indicate what you hate and abominate god help us to go thou and do likewise we see uh in proverbs 8 the fear of the lord is to hate evil there are things that the people of god are supposed to hate and this is a wonderful list for us to take and to internalize and to to be like you with reference to these evils we ask that you would bless and keep and protect us watch over this church and help us and all things to bring glory to you and we thank you for a wonderful lord's day we thank you for the privilege of gathering together and singing hymns of praise unto our blessed god coming to the father through the son in the spirit and and knowing the the joy of the lord as our strength and we pray in the name of the lord jesus christ amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation you