Proverbs Thematic Sermon - God's Sovereignty & Our Plans (Erik Veerman)
Thank you to Tim Townsend for preaching last week… a very clear and convicting exposition on finances and wealth in Proverbs – and very much centered on Christ.
Please take out the Proverbs insert.
Our Proverbs theme today is more broadly related to wisdom. So far, we’ve covered the various contrasts between wisdom and foolishness and between righteousness and wickedness. But there’s a theme that transcends it all. This theme has been scattered throughout the Proverbs…. and it directs our attention to the source of all wisdom – God himself. It answers the questions: Who is the God of wisdom? And how should we submit to him?
Let’s now come to God’s Word.
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God's Sovereignty Over All Things
Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD makes rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.
15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
16:33 The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the LORD.
18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
20:12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
the LORD has made them both.
20:27-28 The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD,
searching all his innermost parts.
Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.
21:1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD;
he turns it wherever he will.
21:30 No wisdom, no understanding,
no counsel can avail against the LORD.
22:2 The rich and the poor meet together;
the LORD is the Maker of them all.
22:12 The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge,
but he overthrows the words of the traitor.
29:26 Many seek the face of a ruler,
but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice.
Submitting Our Plans to God's Will
Proverbs 16:1-3
1 The plans of the heart belong to man,
but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the LORD weighs the spirit.
3 Commit your work to the LORD,
and your plans will be established.
16:9 The heart of man plans his way,
but the LORD establishes his steps.
19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
20:18 Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.
20:24 A man's steps are from the LORD;
how then can man understand his way?
21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
21:31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the LORD.
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It was not safe to be a Protestant Reformer, to say the least. Many were martyred for their belief in God’s Word and for calling out abuses in the church. One of the Scottish Reformers, George Wishart, even had a bodyguard. This man would stand behind Wishart wielding a rather large two-handed sword. You see, these were men who preached about God’s Sovereignty according to the Scriptures, while at the same time taking practical steps to defend themselves.
However, having a bodyguard was not enough to save Wishart. He was arrested in 1546. In fact, Wishart did not allow his bodyguard to come with him to his trial. He said, “one is sufficient for one sacrifice.” Wishart knew what was coming. He was tried, convicted, and executed – had his bodyguard joined him, they both would likely have been martyred.
Well, after Wishart’s death, this young man, this bodyguard, himself took up the mantle of preaching God’s Word… standing firm on God’s truth and the Gospel. And like the other reformers, he found himself in great peril.
· At one point he was captured by the French navy and forced to row in the galley of their ship while in chains. He endured that for 19 months… and almost died, but God preserved him. That did not deter this former bodyguard.
· When he was released, he resumed preaching and teaching God’s Word and survived multiple attempts on his life.
· At one point he fled to England, where he would end up preaching to and serving under king Edward VI.
· But when bloody Mary became Queen in 1553, he fled again, this time to Geneva – where he studied under John Calvin.
Finally, he was able to return to Scotland in 1559 for good. God protected this man and used him to lead the Scottish reformation. He was none other than John Knox - former bodyguard, former slave. And by the mid-1560s, Scotland had gone through a profound transformation. Much of the country submitted itself to the principals found in God’s Word and not unbiblical human traditions of the church.
In many ways, we are here today… 450 years later… because of how God used Knox. As a Presbyterian church, we trace part of our heritage back to Scotland. They believed, back then, that all aspects of life and all aspects of the church should be submitted to God’s Word. And we believe that today.
I bring this history up for several reasons.
1. First, it demonstrates God’s sovereignty. Some, like Knox, God preserved to be a lasting voice. Others, like Wishart, would die for their beliefs and either the church would scatter and the Gospel would spread or God would embolden his church through their martyrdom to stand for his truth and grace.
2. Second, they faithfully taught about God as sovereign who will accomplish his plan. They whole heartedly believed the Bible teaches God’s providence over all things.
So, they were examples of God’s sovereignty. They taught about God’s sovereignty.
3. And third, even though they believed in God’s sovereignty, it did not deter them from making plans and seeking to be faithful - at times fleeing from danger; at times facing danger and death. They submitted their plans to God’s purposes and will.
In short, this is what these verses teach us. God is sovereign in a whole bunch of different ways – which we’ll see. And we are responsible to submit to his sovereignty while we pursue life and godliness.
Let’s first look at the Proverbs on the left side. They answer the question, how is God sovereign? And then, second, we’ll look at the Proverbs on the right, which answer the question, how should that affect us in our day-to-day lives?
1. God’s Sovereignty Over All Things
I think this goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. How you view God greatly affects how you live life.
· If you have a big view of God as he has revealed himself, you will understand that he knows all and oversees all and he is to be rightly feared. Feared in a Proverbs sort of way – reverent honor and awe in all of life.
· On the other hand, if your view of God is small, meaning he is unable to accomplish what he wishes, then you will live life as if God is inconsequential to what you think and do.
There’s a big difference. And do you see how this is related to wisdom? Having God’s wisdom includes knowing the God of wisdom. When you know how vast God is in his wisdom and power, you will desire to act according to his wisdom.
So, who is this God of wisdom?
Here’s the summary and then we’ll look to some of these specific Proverbs:
God is all powerful, all knowing, and present everywhere at all times. God is the creator. He rules over all things and is the judge of all things.
Let me say that again if you are taking notes. God is all powerful, all knowing, and present everywhere at all times. He is the creator. He rules over all things and is the judge of all things.
All-powerful, all-knowing, all-present, creator, ruler, and judge of all. For the children here, I want to give you some big words to learn. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Those are from the latin. Omni means “all.” God is omnipotent which means he’s all powerful. He’s omniscient meaning all-knowing, and omni-present meaning present everywhere.
Let’s consider some of these.
First, God is omnipotent, all-powerful and related to that, he’s the ruler over all things. Look at Proverbs 21:1 “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” There is no king on earth, or president of any nation, whom the Lord cannot use to accomplish his purposes. And similarly, the very next proverb. 21:30. “No wisdom [meaning no earthly wisdom], no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.” Nothing can thwart his plan or purposes! In his nature as omnipotent, God actively rules over all! Everything is within his domain of control. And remember, Solomon is the King, the greatest king on earth at the time. He recognizes the Lord’s sovereignty. And Solomon wants his sons, who are in his royal lineage, to know the expanse of God’s power. He is all-powerful and ruler over all.
Second, God is all-knowing, omniscient and related, he’s the judge of all things. He knows everything. He knows the good and bad, the righteous and wicked, the wise and the foolish. And in that knowledge, he will judge all things. Proverbs 22:12 “The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor.” Or, as it says in the next Proverb, “it is from the Lord that man gets justice.” Perfect justice and judgment come from the one who knows all and who is the just judge. A few weeks ago we talked about God’s perfect justice.
Think about a courtroom trial - you a judge and a jury. The lawyers call witnesses to the stand… the whole purpose of a trial is to uncover the truth of what happened so that justice can be achieved. Well, God knows all and sees all. That is why he can judge justly. His knowledge is perfect and it’s comprehensive and his judgment is utterly just.
And God’s knowledge and judgement are not just outward things. No, God knows our thoughts. He judges the heart of man – Look at Proverbs 20:27 “The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts.” As we responsively read earlier from Psalm 139 – he knows your thoughts and even before you speak a word, he knows that word. Isn’t that both amazing and frightening to think about. Nothing is hidden from his sight, he is a just judge of everything.
So, (1) all-powerful ruler over all; (2) all knowing judge of all;
And next, he is present everywhere - omnipresent. Proverbs 15:3 – “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” The universe is vast beyond what we can even consider, but God is even greater. He is present everywhere. He doesn’t just know all, he sees all. And one of the reasons is because he is the creator God. Proverbs 20:12 “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both.” He’s made the rich and the poor as 22:2 says. He’s the creator God.
Let’s go back to John Knox.
When Knox returned to Scotland in 1559, one of the very first things he did was to help write a confession of faith. It was very important to them to articulate and summarize what the Bible taught. That’s because the Roman Catholic church had strayed in so many ways, from the Scriptures.
So Knox and a few others published the Scottish Confession in 1560. Article 1, the very first article, is about God. Let me read parts of it.
“We confess and acknowledge one only God…. Who is eternal, infinite, immeasurable, incomprehensible, omnipotent, invisible… By whom we confess and believe all things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, to have been created, to be retained in their being, and to be ruled and guided by His inscrutable providence, to such end, as His eternal wisdom, goodness, and justice has appointed them, to the manifestation of His own glory.”
A beautiful summary of God’s sovereignty.
And even though it summarizes God’s nature from the whole of Scripture, it certainly captures what Proverbs teaches. God is ultimately sovereign in his power and knowledge and presence, as creator and ruler and judge of all things.
2. God’s Sovereignty Over All Things
And that brings us to the second question, the second main point. How should God’s sovereignty affect us in our day-to-day living?
Given that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, and creator, ruler, and judge, does that mean we live life with a fatalistic or deterministic mindset? In other words, do we do whatever we want because whatever we do, God knows and it is part of his will? Or, do we just not do anything because God is in control.
The answer is neither. God’s sovereignty does not remove our responsibility. God has created us in his image and he’s given us the ability to make choices in life. He desires us to pursue him and honor him. Isn’t that what the book of Proverbs is about? Looking to God and his wisdom, seeking to know what is good and right and true, and avoiding foolishness. It’s been about pursuing righteousness and shunning wickedness. In short, Proverbs as whole answers the question! We are called to know God and to trust him and to pursue what he’s laid out for us in his Word.
And what is very clear in these second set of verses on the right is that we should plan and make choices and pursue things in life.
But in all of it, we are to submit to the Lord and his sovereignty and his wisdom.
In any and all of our decisions and plans, God still oversees and fulfills his purposes. God’s sovereignty should not inhibit you from planning and living. The question is, how do you to do it?
I want to give you three principals that I think best summarize the answer from these Proverbs.
Principal #1 – In your plans, know that the Lord will accomplish his purposes.
That is, in essence what the first set of verses on the left is about. God is sovereign and we need to believe it. Look at the ver last Proverbs on the right. 21:31 “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.” We make our plans, but we give glory to him. He is the one who brings about all things. We look to him and see him in all of his sovereign power and wisdom and understanding.
16:3 is another one. “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” We are to look to the Lord in any and all plans and decisions we make. We’re to trust in him to accomplish his purposes. In everything we do, we’re to commit it to the Lord.
Principal #2 – In your plans, pursue God’s wisdom and righteousness.
This goes back to something we’ve seen over and over in Proverbs. Wisdom and righteousness are not something defined within us. No, God defines wisdom and righteousness because he is the God of all wisdom and righteousness. In everything we plan and do, we need to submit to God’s wisdom.
Proverbs 16:2 “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit.”
God knows our thoughts and motivations. We need to be asking, is what I am planning and doing honoring to him? Is it pure in God’s eyes? Think back on all the Proverbs themes we’ve considered, and that can be a framework for decision making. Are you pursuing discipline and integrity in your plans? Are you honoring your parents and seeking true justice? Are you seeking wise counsel? That’s another Proverb here. 20:18 “Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.”
Seek counsel from Godly advisors who know the Scriptures and have lived life reflecting God and his Word.
One of my favorite books is Kevin DeYong’s book, Just Do Something. It’s about making decisions. Whom should I marry? Where should I live? What job should I pursue? It’s a great book. Throughout the book, DeYoung’s point is that the number one thing is to pursue God and his righteousness. He writes this: “[God] calls us to run hard after Him, His commands, and His glory. The decision to be in God's will is not the choice between Memphis or Fargo or engineering or art; it's the daily decision we face to seek God's kingdom or ours, submit to His lordship or not, live according to His rules or our own.” In summary, DeYoung’s point is that we need to look first to God and the wisdom of his Word. Beyond that, God gives us freedom to make choices, and, as he puts it, just do something. He’s not saying that every decision will be easy, rather he’s encouraging us to pursue God and righteousness in him and wise counsellors… and then to thoughtfully make decisions rather than be idle or overthink them.
Ok, principal number #3 – In your plans, be open to the Lord redirecting you.
Proverbs 16:9, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” We plan and live, but we should do so in prayer, understanding that the Lord is the one who directs our steps. If the Lord closes a door, we need to recognize that he is redirecting us to another door. That can be hard, but it’s also freeing to realize that when the Lord closes a door, he is leading you.
Later next month will be our 4th anniversary as a church. About a third of you were part of our launch team. And if you were, you will remember that we planned to launch on April 5th 2020. Well, 2-3 weeks before our launch, as you know, COVID shut down the world. We all had to learn that the Lord establishes our steps. We learned (I learned) that we need to plan with an open hand, and let the Lord redirect us. “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” And he did in many ways – beyond what we could think of or imagine.
So, again,
· #1 In your plans, know that the Lord will accomplish his purposes. Look to him.
· #2 In your plans, pursue God’s wisdom and righteousness. Look to his Word.
· #3 In your plans, be open to the Lord redirecting you, according to his perfect will.
God is all-powerful, all-knowing, present everywhere, the creator, ruler and judge of all thing. As you plan and live life, look to him and his Word, but do so trusting in his Providence.
Conclusion
Let me point out one more thing. Look back down at the two columns of verses and just scan them. There’s a word that sticks out. Notice the word LORD is all-caps in every use. Do you see that? 18 times! We’ve come across this before. That is God’s covenant name. Yahweh – the great “I am”.
The description of God’s sovereignty and the call to submit to him is not about some uber powerful deity detached from personality and detached from a relationship with us. No, he is the covenant keeping Lord. In all of his vast power and knowledge, he desires that we know him and he desires to guide us in our plans, according to his way. That is really important to realize. Again, 18 uses of the word LORD here, but that’s 18 out of 88 uses in the book of Proverbs. All of the guidance and warnings in Proverbs come from the covenant Lord and point to his covenant promises.
Solomon’s readers (his sons and the people of Israel) would have intimate knowledge of God’s Covenant promises – His covenant with Noah, and Abraham and Moses, and Solomon’s father, King David. So, as they were reading the name, “Lord” – the name Yahweh, over and over, they would understand that these Proverbs fit within the broader promises of God in the redemption of his people.
To say it in another way related to these verses… any and all of our plans fit within the grander purposes of God in redemption. God in his sovereignty revealed his plan of redemption through the covenant with his people. The Lord has been working all things together for his purposes… to fulfill and bring to completion that plan of redemption.
This is the big narrative that God has been orchestrating, every detail, since before creation.
Now, Solomon and really all of God’s people before Christ, did not know how God would fulfill his promises, but they knew he would. They knew his covenant promises. And they knew that through that redemption, they could know God and submit their plans and lives to him.
For us, we know how God fulfilled his covenant promises – God has fulfilled them in Christ Jesus, and he will bring his plan to full completion when Jesus returns.
To say it in another way: all things have been, are, and will work together for God’s purposes in redemption. And the very center of that plan is the death and resurrection of Jesus. The apostle Peter, in his first sermon after Jesus’ resurrection, testified to God’s sovereignty in it. Listen to what he said (this is in Acts chapter 2): “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God [God is sovereign], you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men [man is responsible]. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”
God orchestrated it all. He sovereignly ordained that Jesus would die, how he would die (through the hands of lawless men), and through his all powerful nature, he raised him from the grave.
And it all occurred for his glory and as Romans says, for the “good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” That in his death, we may be reconciled to him, and in his resurrection, we may have hope of life forever.
Very briefly in closing… God is sovereign. He is the sovereign covenant keeping Lord, who sovereignly fulfilled his perfect plan through Christ. And when we… when you and I know this Lord, then we are his redeemed. In that redemption, may we submit all our plans to him… looking to him, pursuing his wisdom in our life, and trusting in his providence. Amen.