The Overlooked Requirements for Riches, Honor, and Life
As we are at the
beginning of another school year, it is always good to look at ways that we can
help our children be successful.
Proverbs
22:4 (NKJV) By humility and the
fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.
The first requirement is humility.
Proverbs 3:34 (NKJV) Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the
humble.
Proverbs 18:12 (NKJV) Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and
before honor is humility.”
James 4:6–10 (NKJV) But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the
proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the
devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to
you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you
double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to
mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,
and He will lift you up.
I Peter 5:5–6 (NKJV) Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your
elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with
humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore
humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due
time.
What is humility? Jesus gives us some insights.
Matthew 18:3-4 (NKJV) Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become
as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore
whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven.
Matthew 23:11-12 (NKJV) But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And
whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be
exalted.”
Luke 14:8-11 (NKJV) When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not
sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;
and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’
and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are
invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you
comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in
the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself
will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 18:13-14 (NKJV) And the
tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to
heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell
you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for
everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be
exalted.
Philippians 2:8 (NKJV) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself
and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
The Lord will humble us
if we do not humble ourselves!
Look at Peter…
The second requirement is the fear of the Lord.
The rewards of
developing the fear of the Lord are emphasized throughout Scripture. Bill Gothard lists 25 of them.
Worship
Psalms 5:7 (NKJV) But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude
of Your mercy; in fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
To be taught the way of the Lord
Psalm 25:12 (NKJV) Who is man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the
way He chooses.
The secrets of the Lord
Psalms 25:14 (NKJV) The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He
will show them His covenant.”
Experiences of God’s goodness
Psalms 31:19 (NKJV) Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for
those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the
presence of the sons of men!”
God’s watchful care and provision
Psalm 33:18–19 (NKJV) Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those
who hope in His mercy, 19 to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them
alive in famine.
Deliverance from trouble
Psalm 34:7 (NKJV) The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear
Him, and delivers them.
God’s faithful provision
Psalm 34:9 (NKJV) Oh fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those
who fear Him.
Access to God’s salvation
Psalm 85:9 (NKJV) Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him that
glory may dwell in our land.
God’s mercy
Psalm 103:11 (NKJV) For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is
His mercy toward those who fear Him.
The Lord’s fatherly pity
Psalm 103:13 (NKJV) As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those
who fear Him.
Food
Psalm 111:5 (NKJV) He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be
mindful of His covenant.
The fulfillment of desires
Psalm 145:19 (NKJV) He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also
will hear their cry and save them.
Bringing pleasure to God
Psalm 147:11 (NKJV) The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who
hope in His mercy.
Knowledge
Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Healing and strength
Proverbs 3:7–8 (NKJV) Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart
from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.
Wisdom
Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the
knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Prolonged life
Proverbs 10:27 (NKJV) The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the
wicked will be shortened.
Strong confidence and refuge
Proverbs 14:26 (NKJV) In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His
children will have a place of refuge.
A fountain of life
Proverbs 14:27 (NKJV) The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn one
away from the snares of death.
The basis for contentment
Proverbs 15:16 (NKJV) Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, than great
treasure with trouble.
Strength to turn away from evil
Proverbs 16:6 (NKJV) In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity; and
by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil.
A satisfying life
Proverbs 19:23 (NKJV) The fear of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will
abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.
Becoming God’s special treasure
Malachi 3:16 (NKJV) Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and
the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before
Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. 17 “They shall be
Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I
will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
Perfect holiness
2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV) Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in
the fear of God.
Scriptural submission to one another
Ephesians 5:21 (NKJV) Submitting to one another in the fear of God.
What is the ‘fear of the Lord’?
Reverential awe.
Exodus 20:18-20 NKJV Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning
flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the
people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You
speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and
that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”
Revelation 15:3-4 (NKJV) They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of
the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just
and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord,
and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and
worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.”
The hatred of evil.
Proverbs 8:13 (NKJV) The fear of the Lord
is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I
hate.
Now let’s go back and insert
that phrase in a few passages and see how that affects the meaning.
Proverbs
22:4 (NKJV) By humility and ‘the
hatred of evil’ are riches and honor and life.
Psalms 25:14 (NKJV) The secret of the LORD is with those who ‘hate evil’, and
He will show them His covenant.”
Psalm 34:7 (NKJV) The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who ‘hate
evil’ and delivers them.
Psalm 145:19 (NKJV) He will fulfill the desire of those who ‘hate evil’; He
also will hear their cry and save them.
Does that change the way
we look at some things?
It is more than just a
hatred of evil things; it is our relationship with the Lord! We hate them because He hates them and we
want to please Him! We do not want
anything in our life that would break His heart!
How do we develop the fear of the Lord?
The Holy Spirit
Isaiah 11:2–3 (NKJV) The Spirit of the
Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of
counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the
fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in
the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor
decide by the hearing of His ears;
The Word of God
Deuteronomy 17:18–20
(NKJV)
Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall
write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the
priests, the Levites. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read
it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear
the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and
these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted above his
brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or
to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his
children in the midst of Israel.
Deuteronomy 31:9–13
(NKJV)
So Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi,
who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10
And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the
appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, 11
when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He
chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12
Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who
is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the
Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, 13
and that their children, who have not known it, may hear
and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land
which you cross the Jordan to possess.”
Parents and the Church have the responsibility
for training children.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NKJV) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall
love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all
your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your
heart. You shall teach them diligently to your
children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by
the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign
on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write
them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Acts 5:42 (NKJV) And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease
teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
There is a wonderful
tool that helps parents and churches fulfill these responsibilities: the
Christian school!
The Christian school is:
Based on the Word of God
Based on hearing and
obeying the voice of God
Based on a philosophy of
the Almighty God not the exalted man
TESTIMONY
I know many of you feel you cannot afford it.
Matthew 16:26 (NKJV) For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world,
and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
This is meant to be a
guilt trip, but an exhortation. God will make a way! I have a dream!
My dream is to be able
to provide a Christian education for every child under our care. We already
have a Christian school, but tuition can be an obstacle. I long for the day
that our church could provide scholarships for those that cannot afford to
attend, especially those who are orphans and widows. We do not charge for
Sunday school; I wish we would not have to charge for Monday school.
We are not in a position
as a church to do that. However, if you desire a Christian education for your
child, come talk to Alba or I and we will believe God to provide a way! If you know of an orphan or a single parent
that would benefit, consider giving a scholarship to help them. If your
children are out of school, pray about helping a needy child to attend our
Christian school.
I am not saying this
because JCS needs students. I am saying it because I believe that Christian
education is the hope for the future!
“There is no fear of God
before their eyes…”
No comments:
Post a Comment