THE LORD’S DELIGHT
Jeremiah 9:23-24
[23] Thus says the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; [24] 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. [NKJV]
OPENING REMARKS –
1. People Brag
. They brag about their talents – sports, art, or sciences/academia.
. They brag about their wealth – the fame, prestige and power that it affords them to exercise.
. They brag about their health – strength, endurance, or stamina.
NOTE: I am sure all of us at one time or another when we were able have bragged about or gloried in such things as our: Favorite sports team, Car, Job, House, Kids, Vacation, and Friends or Acquaintances.
2. Churches Brag
. About their beautiful sanctuary.
. About their huge fellowship-family center.
. About their outreach of the church.
. About their sensational of the choir.
. About the excitement of their worship service.
. About the eloquence of their pastor!!!!
3. Preachers boast too! – They may not want to admit that, but they do, especially to other preachers.
. They glory in their seminary school and the professors they sat under.
. They glory in the number and type of degrees they have earned.
. They glory in which deep biblical doctrines that they have conquered.
. They brag about their books - as to how many of them they have read or written.
. They boast about their church – Especially if it is the First Baptist Church of anywhere.
. About the size of their congregations – usually it is bigger than it actually may be.
. About the number of converts each year.
. About the number of baptisms each year.
. About the number of programs they have going.
4. Text - God’s own Jerusalem (the city of God) boasted or gloried a lot too.
. They boasted in their wisdom (government and priestly leaders), their might (army), and their riches (anything available just for the taking) – but of all that they could glory in, the one they forgot was to boast in was God!
TEXT –
[23] Thus says the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; [24] 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.
Gleanings from the Text:
1. Importance of Thus says the Lord
2. Boasting that does not delight God.
3. Boasting that does delight God.
I. Importance of Thus says the Lord
23a and 24b
Thus says the Lord [beginning of the text] . . . declares the Lord [ending of the text].
NOTE: When both the beginning and the ending of the text being considered is emphasized with Thus Says the Lord – we as Christians should take heed to what is found within the textual thought.
. In the Bible when this happens, this is like putting this whole text into capital letters, bold color, and flashing off and on – The Holy Spirit is telling us – Understand what is being said here.
A. Why – you say? | Because:
1. God’s Word is inspired –
2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching [doctrine], for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. [NASB]
2. God’s Word judges our ideas and thoughts of the heart -
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart. [HCSB]
3. God’s Word is used to grow us up spiritually –
1 Peter 2:2
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby. [NKJV]
NOTE: It cannot be over stated that we should study the Bible – 2 Tim 2:15.
II. Boasting that does not delight God.
23b
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
1. Man’s Delight – as Jerusalem of the text – so too of us today:
A. Wisdom – is an indication of experience and education.
. Just as those in Jeremiah’s day who thought so highly of their skillfulness and talent to be enough to deliver them from the Babylonians – so too today do we depend on the skills and talent of our very best to solve all of our ills of society.
B. Might – is an indication of a multitude in numbers and sophisticated weaponry.
. Jerusalem was impenetrable – come to think of it, so too was Jericho! – Today we are considered to be the world’s great Super Power. How vulnerable are we in spite of our reputation?
C. Riches – is an indication of abundance w/o worry.
. Silver and gold were plentiful = riches meant blessings from God – a sign that one was in favor with God – Cf. Job & his three friends!
APPLICATION: As with those of Jerusalem, so too with many of us today who delight in our own resources instead of looking to God.
a. When we refuse to read God’s Word – we declare that we do not need His wisdom – We are shouting that our own experience and education is sufficient to solve all of our woes.
b. When we refuse to pray to God that we may understand His divine providence – We are declaring that we do not need such support for our own strength in numbers and weaponry is sufficient to destroy all of our enemies.
c. When we refuse to lean upon God’s abundant blessings – We are exclaiming that we do not need His provision, for our own riches and material wealth are plentiful enough for us – we have all that we will ever need to fulfill every whim of our hearts.
NOTE: God tells us here that we are not to boast of our mighty and wonderful works – but instead when we glory – glory in Him!
. Jerusalem here (in the context) was depending on its great men of thought (scholars, leaders, and priests), on their impenetrable walls of strength (much like Jericho), and on their vast amounts of silver and gold (a sign of great blessings) to be their own sufficient defense against their enemies. But were only to soon to find out that w/o God their future was a bleak one indeed.
. Let us take heed here to this passage and not become like those at Jerusalem who trusted their own wisdom, might, and riches to save them from calamity – for they were soon destroyed. So too will we be destroyed if we reject the God of wisdom, strength, and riches for our own efforts.
III. Boasting that does delight God.
24a
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
A. Understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
B. God’s Delight is exercising -
1. Lovingkindness – 1 John 4:19 | We love Him because He first loved us.
2. Justice – Genesis 18:25 | Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
3. Righteousness – Romans 1:16-17 | For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
4. in the earth – John 3:16 | God so love the world [kosmos] that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
CONCLUSION
J. Vernon McGee
As a nation, what are the things we glory in? Obviously, we trust in human wisdom, in riches, and in power. We need to be reminded that:
. Our strength is not in the brain trust in Washington.
. Our strength is not in Wall Street, the stock market, and the economy.
. Our strength does not lie in the cleverness of politicians.
. Our strength is not found in the fact that we have nuclear weapons.
Any strength that we have must lie in our spiritual values, our moral values, our character, and our purpose. …
Let him that [glories] glory in this, that he understands and [knows] me.
. What we need desperately is a group of leaders who know something other that the present godless philosophy.
. We need people who know God, who know His Word and are obeying it.
. The great need of this country today is a return to God.
. We need to set aside our hypocrisy and our sophistication and our illusion that we are such a smart people.
. We brag about our achievements when our great need is to walk in a way that will glorify God. ----- [Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee: Proverbs through Malachi, vol. 3, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982, 372 (adapted)]
INVITATION
So what do you boast in today?
Is it your own wisdom?
Is it your own strength?
Is it your own riches?
Or do you boast in what God has done for you?
2 Corinthians 10:17
He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.
Jonathan Edwards
A true love of God must begin with a delight in His holiness and not a delight in any other attribute.
. We invite you to come to the Lord Jesus now.
. Begin with a delight in His holiness.
.. Our Invitation is open to all – what hinders you today?
. Come to Christ
. Come if you need to pray
. Come be a part of us
. Come share with us what the Lord would have you to do
.. May the Holy Spirit guide and lead you in these matters.
Bruce Allen
Underwood Baptist Church
April 13, 2008
bea0210@hotmail.com
http://pilgrimskeyboard.blogspot.com
