Address—Eric James
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Spell our heads must've got her. Father, we thank thee again for this privilege. We have to speak about heavenly things. Speak about that love of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Had such a great heart that it purposed in a past eternity to create a race of men, though fallen and ruined, that they would be part of God's family forever.
We thank Thee and bless Thee for such high truth. And so we pray now, as we spend a few minutes in the precious word, that we would have the needed grace to have our hearts touched, that we would go away a different way. We thank Thee for Thy love and Thy care. Pray for Thy help now in Jesus precious name, Amen.
Like to look first at some verses in Revelation?
Revelation chapter one.
I'm going to take up a subject today that's a little different, I guess, than what we've often heard, but I don't think the truth is different. But the theme perhaps is a little different. And I entitled this little talk our royal dignity. Let's look at some verses in Revelation.
Revelation chapter one.
And verse 4.
I'm sorry, verse 5.
Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness in the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us or loves us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Then over in the 4th chapter.
Verse 10.
The four and 20 elders fell down before it, fall down before him that sat on the throne and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns or diadems before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things.
And for thy pleasure, they are in work created and then over in the next chapter, Chapter 5.
And verse 9.
Well known verses. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof. For thou was slain, and hath redeemed to us, to God, by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue, and people, and nation. And this made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on her over the earth. I know the translations a little different on these things.
And yet.
There is a misconception.
And I know for a long time I struggled with that misconception. Some people translate the verse in chapter one is a Kingdom of priests. But if you look at the new translation and you look at what Mr. Kelly's written, translated and written, he puts a comma after Kingdom. And he said, no, it really is kings and we are priests. As I say, this is a subject we don't hear a lot about, but we are kings.
And priests, and I want to talk about that royalty, I think I mentioned the topic of my little talk here today is our royal dignity. There's a number of principles that flow from that truth. I want to look at three main principles, 3 misconceptions in connection with those principles, and then some applications of that. But first of all, the 1St.
Misconception is just what I mentioned is that we're not really royalty, we're just a Kingdom of priests, as wonderful as that is.
But we are indeed kings. We are indeed royalty. I didn't see anything on the invitation that said.
This is a gathering of royalty, but nonetheless, that's what God says and I want to look into that subject a little this afternoon. I think I've been enjoying some things and wanted to share them with my brethren.
Reminds me of a discussion that Albert Hal had with his father some time ago and many, many years ago now. Of course they're both with the Lord, but I remember Albert speaking about it and he said, you know father, he said if I didn't have any self esteem.
I wouldn't care how I looked. I wouldn't care whether I washed my clothes or whether I cut my hair or how I looked. It wouldn't make any difference to me. And his father, he said, was taken aback some and looked at him. And he said, son, we need always to walk into being, being in the dignity of the sons of God. And I think that's a great truth. We need to always walk in the dignity that becomes the sons of God. Let me read a quotation I wrote down.
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Couple quotations that I've enjoyed recently. I happen to be reading at home. We're reading in First Kings, and I happen to be reading a little booklet that I recommend by Mr. Faraday called Solomon in His Temple, and he's got a quotation there that I've enjoyed for some time. But I read it again because it's in the beginning of that book, and he quotes, first of all, what Balaam was saying about Israel.
Jehovah, his God, is with him. Remember, Balaam spoke with no more intelligent than his donkey, as we're told.
But nonetheless, one of the things that was put into his mouth was Jehovah his God is with them, Speaking of Israel, and the shout of a king is among them. Oh, that was a wonderful commendation for Israel, wasn't it? The shout of a king is among them. But then he goes on to say, this is Mr. Faraday speaking for as surely as the people of Israel.
Were divinely intended to be the aristocracy of the earth.
Those who are now being blessed and who composed the Church are the aristocracy of the universe.
Our conduct should be consistent with their dignity. Those are telling words, aren't they?
Let's look on now. That's the first point I wanted to make was that indeed we are royalty. And you read the commentaries of Mr. Darby and Kelly on those verses and they point that out. It's not merely a Kingdom, but we are royalty. And I want to speak about that. Let's look at God's purpose.
Over in Ephesians, we'll look first in the third chapter of Ephesians.
What?
Purpose does God have for us? We sang that song about the Lord Jesus coming from a past eternity to make the heart of God Dome. What purpose does God have?
In the the incarnation and the great work that the Lord Jesus accomplished, what's that great purpose? Well, let's look at that a little bit. I think we have a purpose, present purpose.
Ephesians chapter 3 and verse nine and to make.
All, don't use that word, don't leave that word men there. It doesn't belong, because as you can see, the context is not only for men, but for all the angels and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery. This is the mystery of Christ in the Church, which from the beginning of the world hath been hidden God who created all things by Jesus Christ.
To the intent that now not future, but now.
Under the principalities and powers and heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, so at the present time God.
Once his church to display.
To be so that by the Church might be known the manifold wisdom of God. You know, some of us were talking between meetings about John Bunyan, how little truth he had compared to what we have today.
He was royalty, of course, just the same as we are, but he the truth hadn't all been recovered.
And if you read Pilgrims Progress, which is a wonderful little book, you see that he struggled during his lifetime and even at the end when he was crossing the River Jordan, so to speak, he was not sure he was going to make it to the other side. He didn't have the assurance of salvation. But we do. And all the truth, the whole council of God has been recovered.
In these last 200 years we have so much to be thankful for and I sometimes wonder, why is it that God put it in the scriptures?
Doesn't He want us to walk in the good of it and to enjoy it? We all have the same title, Mr. Bunyan included. But it's only been in these last years that this whole truth has come out in its beauty. And so the Lord wants us to walk in the good of it. Why?
As it says here to the intent that now under the principalities and powers, who are those?
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Those are the angels, aren't they? The angels are watching under the principalities and powers, and heavenly places might be known by the Church, the manifold wisdom of God. And so as we walk in the truth that's been revealed in Scripture, especially speaking about the mystery of Christ in the Church, the manifold wisdom of God is displayed for not just men.
But all the principalities and powers of the universe.
To observe what a wonderful purpose that is. Well, what about another purpose of God? Turn over to the first chapter some well known verses here.
One of the misconceptions?
Is that it doesn't make much difference how we live in this life, but it doesn't really have an impact on the future. Sometimes you hear people articulate that and they say, you know, you really doesn't make much difference how you live because when we get to heaven, we're all going to be the same. It's not true. It is true that we all have the same title, but there will be distinctions.
In heaven, based on what we've learned here on earth. So what is God preparing us for?
Well, the one thing he's preparing us for, if we look at chapter one, it's a future thing, Chapter one of Ephesians. And let's start with verse 9.
Having made known unto us the mystery of His will again these things that have been hidden, God, according to His good pleasure, which He hath purposed in Himself. So clearly God's purpose again, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in earth, even in Him, and whom also we have obtained an inheritance.
Being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. God is preparing us for the Millennium. We're going to speak about that a little bit more. I think from the Old Testament. We'll see some examples of how a ruler should be. Because remember, if we look in places like Luke 19, it speaks about.
Talents that have been entrusted to the servants. And then the result is those talents multiply or they don't.
And if they multiply, the result is that there are rulers over that many cities. And so we will be rulers during the Millennium. Depending on our faithfulness, There will be a distinction, as we clearly have there the Millennium. You know, a brother came to me once and he said, you know, I don't really care about prophecy. He doesn't have anything to do with me. And I said, brother.
Don't you know that that's our inheritance? We have a spiritual inheritance now. That's true. It's over our heads.
But the physical inheritance where heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, and we're going to take possession of that inheritance too, when the Lord Jesus does. For that thousand year reign of the Millennium. Are we prepared? Are we really preparing for that Millennium? Are we preparing to be good rulers for that time? Well, that's a question because we are royalty and we're training now to learn to be better at our jobs.
Let me just read a poem I read not long ago. Just a part of the poem. I know so much of scripture is prophecy, but William Cowper lived in the 18th century. He was a dear spiritual man, but he had mental struggles. As many of you would know. He was a close friend of John.
Well, the Wesley's partly too, but.
Of others as well wrote the only only only him only hymns.
With another. And he struggled all his life with depression, but he also wrote some very spiritual things. I just want to quote a little bit from a poem of his called The Winter Walk at Noon, where he's speaking about the Millennium. One song employs all nations and all cry worthy the Lamb, for he was slain for us.
The dwellers in the veils and on the rocks shout to each other, and the mountaintops from distant mountains catch the flying joy.
Till nation after nation taught the strain, Earth rolls their rapturous hosanna round. That's the Millennium. And we're going to reign with the Lord Jesus. We're going to be rulers during that period of time. Now there's another time, I believe it's a future time, but we're being prepared for. And again, there's going to be distinctions, I believe. And that's of course the eternal state. Now I know the Kingdom lasts for 1000 years.
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We won't be rulers per SE after the Kingdom, but nonetheless, I think there will be distinctions. Now if we turn to Ephesians, were there or did the third chapter again look at verse 20?
Ephesians 3 and verse 20. Interesting verse here. Know unto him that is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in US. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus.
Throughout all ages, world without end, or unto the ages of ages, which is a formula in Scripture for eternity. So we're being prepared for eternity as well. It's interesting if we turn to the end of Revelation, we see that dispensational distinctions by and large disappear. God is All in all. And yet here we have that, the church.
Remains a distinct entity throughout all eternity.
Where the bride of Christ for all eternity were being prepared for that time. And it does make a difference. Let's turn over to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4. I want to look at a verse there because again, there's a misconception that says what doesn't really make any difference how I live now. I'm a Christian, I'll get to heaven. When I get to heaven, we're all going to be the same.
It's not true. We are being prepared for the Millennium.
We're being prepared now to show forth the praises of the One who died for us as we just read, and we're being prepared for eternity. Look in Second Corinthians chapter 4 and verse seven. I think, Jim, you quoted a verse this morning. And pressure, thou hast enlarged me. Does God have a purpose not only for time, but for eternity? Well, what does Scripture say?
That's where we get the truth. 2nd Corinthians 4 verse 17.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
So even the things that we're learning now worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Well, I want to go on to the third. What are the means of preparation now? What's the rule of life, we might say? Let's turn over to Galatians a well known verse, Galatians chapter 2.
How are we to prepare for the Millennium? How are we to prepare for eternity? How are we to prepare day by day that we might our conduct might be consistent with our royalty, our royal dignity?
Galatians 220 well known verse. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. There's a misconception here. We hear it on the radio all the time. We see it in Christian literature, and that is once you're saved.
The rule of life is to keep the law. They may not use that term, but what they're saying is Christianity is to make me better in this world, to make me be a better father, make me be a better son, make me have a better marriage. That's really the purpose of Christianity, is what many people would tell you.
That's not what scripture says. I think that's a great misconception. Scripture that's really just law keeping and people fail regularly because they don't have the strength to do those things to be a better Christian. But what does scripture teach? Here's the secret. Jenna Galatians 220 I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.
And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me.
And gave himself warming. It's not trying to be a better Christian that makes me a better Christian, but it's being occupied with Christ. He's given us a new position as we're going over in our readings. He's given us a new life, eternal life. He's given us the Spirit of God that indwells us. And I think this is so important because many people go to marriage counseling and things and they just are told how to be a better Christian. And, you know, it usually doesn't work.
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I understand the percentage of divorces among evangelical Christians is just as high as a percentage of divorce in the world. It doesn't work very well. Addictions are rampant among Christians. Why? Because they're hoping that they can live up to their Christian convictions, but they don't know that the secret is to walk in the presence of the Lord Jesus, to have the Lord Jesus as our object, and when we walk in communion with the Lord Jesus and we have the Lord Jesus.
Is our object then we are better Christians, we are better husbands, we are better fathers and sons and so on. And so one is a top down approach and that's what you hear most of the time in Christianity and it doesn't work very well. The other is a top down approach. Perhaps we can say if I'm walking in communion with the Lord Jesus.
If I'm reading the scriptures and finding what God's mind is and I'm praying.
In in the spirit I will be a better father, I will have a better marriage relationship and these various things that we talk about. Christianity then, is the reflex of the new nature of our new standing, of the new relationships. We have as the bride of Christ, the body of Christ being members of the House of God. We have the indwelling spirit and we have a new object.
But the secret is to walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I know that's pretty simple, but how many, how many times have we felt, well, you know, I've got extra work to do that's more important than going to meeting or, you know, I, I need a little extra sleep. You know, I'm not going to read this morning. And I know I'm not pointing fingers at anybody because I've been there, done that.
But those are the things that robbed me of what's truly vital in Christianity.
And so I make that point. What are the means of preparation for to fulfill help? Our responsibility in fulfilling God's purpose is our royal dignity. It's Christ and communion with him. Let's look quickly over to Romans chapter 8.
We'll hopefully get there, but just a little preview.
Romans chapter 8 and verse 6.
For to be carnally minded is death. It's that simple. If I'm carnally minded, it's moral death. But to be spiritually minded is life and peace. That's the secret of a consistent Christian walk. We learn that very hardly, don't we? But that's really the secret.
Of spiritual blessing.
We could turn to John 15. We don't have time, but there the Lord speaks about. He's the vine where the branches. Apart from Him we will not be fruitful. It's that simple. Let me read a quotation for Mr. Darby came across recently. He said we must look above our path to be able to walk in it.
A Jew who had the secret of Jehovah.
And who waited for the Messiah was pious and faithful according to the Law. A Jew who had only the Law assuredly did not keep it. If we're only looking for a religious system, we're not going to be able to live up to it. A Christian who has heaven before him and a Savior and glory is the object of his affections.
Will walk well upon the earth, he who has only the earthly path for his rule.
Will fail in the intelligence and motives needed to walk in it. He will become a prey to worldliness, and his Christian walk in the world will be more or less on a level with the world in which he walks the eyes upward on Jesus. Will keep the heart and the steps in a path conformable to Jesus, and which consequently will glorify him and make him known in the world.
Seeing what we are, we must have a motive above our path.
To be able to walk in it. So, so much for that misconception.
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We hear it. There's books, self help books. They're wrong. They're basically giving us as Christians the law. We're saying do this, you'll be a better have a better marriage. Well, it works for a little while maybe, but it's just a system. But the secret is.
Not I, but Christ often said that that's really the Christian motto. Not I but Christ. That's the secret of Christianity, of a fruitful life, of a happy life. We can be so thankful for it. So we looked at those 3 principles that we are kings and we are kings, we are royalty. God has a purpose both for the present, for the future, for the Millennium, for eternity. And there's means of a preparation, and that is.
To walk in communion with the Lord and those Christian disciplines that are part and parcel of that. Remember hearing chapter Brown? I never heard him personally, but on tape he said are you a regular? Do I regularly go to the meetings? Do I want to be there? That's walking in the spirit, isn't it? Or do I walk in the flesh? Do I have all these excuses? Am I regular in my disciplines? I'm not saying this is keeping the law, but I'm saying.
Christian, I won't have a happy successful life, fruitful life unless I put the Lord first. That's the path of blessing. Now I want to look at some application. It's interesting in our meeting we've been going over, here's another misconception. I want to look some applications of these things. We've been going over proverbs and many times it talks about kings and Princess and proverbs and I thought what doesn't apply to me that's.
Isn't it? That's for people who are really kings and Princess in this world. But when I thought about it some more, I realized that we are royalty. And so we can get a lot of practical applications as to how a royal should act from the Old Testament as well as from the New Testament. You know, there's a lot of commandments in the New Testament. A lot of people forget that they pull out of concordance and look, and you'll see there's a number of commandments in the New Testament.
You say, well, I thought the commandments had to do with the law, but the difference again is that if Christ is first, then there's that which comes from putting Christ first. There's behavior that results from putting Christ 1St, and that's the secret of Christianity. You notice even the way the epistles are set up, most of the epistles have doctrine in the beginning, then they have application. It's not the other way around.
That's generally what Christians do, sad to say, is they? Well, I just want a better life on earth.
But to get a better life on earth, we have to have Christ first. Well, let's go back to Proverbs. We'll start with Proverbs chapter 8.
So every principal has a practical application. Proverbs, chapter 8.
Verse 15 by May kings reign.
And Princess decree, Justice, Proverbs 815 by me, Princess, rule and nobles, even all the judges of the earth, we're going to be the judges of the earth. I realize we have the title now, but not the position yet. But in the Millennium we will have the position.
So are we training for that? It's by me that's wisdom speaking by me kings reign and prince's decree justice by me prince's rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. And why is this versus we know so well down to verse 22? The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting from the beginning.
Or ever the earth was.
When there were no depths, I was brought forth. When there were no fountains abounding with water, before the mountains were settled before the hills, was I brought forth. While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the earth. We know this is wisdom with a capital W. It's Speaking of none other than the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. He dwelt in a past eternity. He never had a beginning. He is the eternal God, or as it tells us.
In in Isaiah Chapter 9, the better translation is the Father of eternity. He never had a beginning. He's the eternal God. When he prepared the heavens, I was there. He's a distinct person in the Godhead. When he set a compass upon the face of the depth, when he established the clouds above, when he strengthened the fountains of the deep, when he gave to the sea his decree that the water should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the.
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Foundations of the earth than I was by him as one brought up with him. If you notice there in the margin in the notes of the J&D translation, you'll find something interesting in that verse 30. Then I was by him as his nurse length. But the note says artisan.
His artisan and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. He was the creator of the universe. What about this universe? Will I understand that the Milky Way in which we live, it looks like a band in the sky. It wasn't until Galileo came along and made a telescope that he realized it wasn't just a band, but actually made-up of many distinct.
Stars.
That's true, but it wasn't until about 100 years ago that men began to realize that there are far more galaxies than just the Galaxy in which we live, the Milky Way. And now people have measured and they estimate that this Galaxy is about. Numbers vary all the time, but somewhere about 180 light, 180,000 light years across.
A light year, you know, a light year is about a 100 and about 186,000 miles per second.
It's pretty quick, it'll only take you about a second and a half to get to the moon if you could travel as fast as the light so.
The the Milky Way, our Galaxy is about 180,000 light years across. As it turns out, it's not the only Galaxy in the universe. They thought that till about 100 years ago. We're speaking about creation here, the artistry of the Son of God, God the Son. And so they've studied more and more and they said, you know.
This this Galaxy probably has somewhere.
Between 2 and 3 billion stars. Not only is it just a band, not only is it a number of stars, but they estimate now that there's several billions of stars in this Galaxy alone. Beautiful and at the center as a great black hole, or so they tell us, and many, many other things that they're just discovering. And then they looked and they started to see that there's many, many other galaxies.
The estimate now is that they're estimating. And I, I appreciate the fact that the scientists, you know how scientists tend to be fairly arrogant, but they're finally starting to say the observable universe because it always grows when the technology gets better.
Doesn't really grow, although the universe is expanding and it's expanding at an increasing rate, but.
The observable universe, now they estimate there's between 1:00 and 2:00 trillion galaxies in this universe of the observable universe. And as technology gets better, it's going to increase. This is the artist, the Lord Jesus Christ was the one who created all of that and he's the one that it said in verse 31.
Of Proverbs 8 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and my delights.
Were with the sons of men. This is the one who came to this world, who walked as a man for 33 1/2 years, a perfect life. And we went to Calvary's cross and paid the debt. I often say that the that the cross is the center. We sometimes sing, don't we? This cross is the center of two eternities.
Everything passed.
Previous to the cross, look forward to that time. Everything after the cross has proceeded from that time and looks back to that point. Because it's changed the face of eternity. I sometimes say that it's the greatest event and all the animals of eternity. And that's true, isn't it? This artisan became a man and yet fully God.
He came into this world.
Well, let's look over in Psalms. Keep your finger in Proverbs because I want to spend more time there, but.
13th Psalm. We see in a little sense the greatness of this person.
Tremendous universe that he created, and yet it's sometimes been said He created the universe with his fingers, but he couldn't redeem one man to heaven. Apart from the work at the cross. Tremendous, tremendous thought. We are royalty. And why is it that we're royalty? Well, let's look at that.
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Psalm 113, verse 7.
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill.
That he may set him with Princess, even the Princess of his people.
Where were we? In a dunghill?
We were poor in the dust. He raised us up to be Princess among God's people. He's raised us up to be royalty from the dunghill. Thank God for that. We don't have dunghills much anymore, but there's still some outhouses around where I live in the old, in the, in the country. And they used to have dunghills. That's where they would put the dung, Needless to say.
Can't think of a lower place than that.
But that's what he's raised us from. By his matchless grace. He's raised us up from the dunghill and set us among Princess. Let's look at some other things. I want to have a number of verses. Let's go to Proverbs 16.
These are things that characterize a Prince or royalty, and so our behavior should be consistent with those things. Proverbs chapter 16 went to a concordance and got some of these things that are so helpful. Verse 12, Proverbs 16, Verse 12. It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness.
For the throne is established by righteousness. You know, there's a a misconception going around.
Christians and even the Lord's people, they call it grace. They say, well, you know, it's OK if that young person is or that person not living a very good life. It's just race. We'll cover it with grace or immorality. That's OK. Just give him a hug. I had a letter from my brother once concerning some young people and we knew they weren't doing well at all. Oh, just give him a hug whenever they show up.
Well, what does it say here?
I lost the verse here, verse 12. It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness, for the throne is established by righteousness. That's one of the things we're learning, isn't it? We should be learning righteousness. Now we are royalty, and here's a characteristic of royalty. It's an abomination to do wickedness. Don't say it's OK.
Don't tell yourself it's OK. Immorality. That's OK. Just show grace, no.
It's an abomination to do wickedness for royalty. Let's go on. We have a number of these verses I wanted to look at. Hop over to chapter 20 in Proverbs.
20 verse 28.
Mercy and truth preserve the King, and his throne is upholding by mercy. Those two things go together. God loves to show mercy, doesn't he? But it's always in conjunction with truth.
Mercy and truth.
Preserve the king.
And His throne is upholding by mercy. We're going to act on these principles during the Millennium. And to the extent we act on them now, the principalities and powers are observing the fact that somebody that was raised from the dunghill can walk consistently in mercy and truth. Wonderful, marvelous truth, isn't it? Let's go on quickly here, Chapter 25.
Proverbs.
Chapter 25 and verse two. An interesting verse. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.
Listening to a talk that Mister Lundeen gave some years ago and he said, you know, the Bible is mostly parables. You've got to dig into them. To get the pictures. You go to the Old Testament. Norman Berry used to often say, and I so appreciated it, Barbarian's father, that the Bible is like a textbook. The New Testament is the text, the Old Testament are the pictures that illustrate the text.
And I so appreciated that over the years, but it takes digging to get that.
And so it says here it's the glory of God to conceal a thing. The Scriptures have treasures concealed, but it takes the honor of kings is to search out of matter. You search out those things. Do I search out those things? And when you find those jewels, do we value those things? Revel in their beauty? You know, you have to dig in the earth to get jewels, and then they have to be polished up and they're beautiful.
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And that's the way it is with Scripture. Beautiful treasure box. But we have to dig to get it because God's concealed some. Some of the things are right on the surface, but much of it we have to dig for. So that's a good reason to be diligent and reading the scriptures. And in going to places where the scriptures are expounded, it's never been easier to have access.
To good commentaries and now hop on the Internet.
And you can get tremendous help from stempublishingbiblecenter.org. Bible Truth Publishers. And her brother Robert Bullard is putting on many of the books their brother Bruce has published. They're becoming available in electronic format now. We can be so thankful for that. There's never been a time in the history of mankind that the truth has been so available.
Yeah. And yet do we take advantage of it?
Chapter 31.
I love this chapter. We all love this chapter. Proverbs 31 look at verse.
First, well, we'll start with first one, the words of King Lemuel, probably a pet name for Solomon, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
Well, you young couples, do you realize that you're raising Princess with God? We trust the Lord will save them. Are you raising those children? Here's a mother raising her children, her her, her kingly son in a royal manner.
And that's our responsibility. I tell the young couples, we have six young couples in our little meeting. And I say, you know, the Lord has just lent that child to you. It's not yours to raise any way you want to, but the Lord has lent that child to you to raise for him. And we're to raise him in a princely way, Princely according to the word of God, not according to man's standard. That doesn't last, that's only seen and only temporal, but for eternity.
And so verse two, what my son, here's the mother speaking, What the son of my womb, what the son of my vows, give not thy strength unto woman, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth king. This is a young people's meeting. That's good advice, isn't it?
Flee immorality. Flee fornication, The scripture says drunkenness. That's a sad thing too. Verse.
Verse 4.
It is not for kings, O Lemuel. It is not for kings to drink wine, nor for Princess Strong drink, lest they drink and forget the law and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Those are not characteristics of a royal. And we are royal in God's sight, kings and Princess, and we're going to be for all eternity as the bride of Christ.
Thank God for it. Well, we have a little bit of time. Let's skip over to a Song of Solomon.
Few pages forward.
Sonu Solomon, Chapter One.
What is the basis of our royal dignity? Song of Solomon, Chapter one, verse 4. Draw me. We will run after thee. That's companionship, isn't it? One person makes a decision, others follow. We have to be careful of our companions. Draw me, we will run after thee. The king hath brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in thee. We we will remember thy love more than wine.
The upright love thee. So we have there the truth that our relationship with the King is the basis of our dignity. Look down a few more verses down to verse 12.
While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. Reminds us of Mary of Bethany, doesn't it? She didn't say anything. In fact, I just noticed. I hadn't noticed it before, but if we read in the book of Mark, that time when Mary anointed the Lord Jesus just before his death, it says they murmured at him. But you know the new translation. I never noticed it before.
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But the new translation says the disciples, the apostles. Really.
Were very angry with Mary. Isn't that interesting? They didn't like what she did. Anointing the Lord, giving him that preeminent place. Should have just sold it and given it to the poor. Isn't that much better? Look at that. They were very angry, but the Lord delights.
In worshippers, we have that in John four, don't we? The Father seek us such to worship Him. Well, let's go on to Chapter 7 of Song of Solomon.
And we're covering a lot of verses, but you could look these up yourself and many more.
Chapter 7. Chapter Verse one. How beautiful are the feet, thy feet, which with shoes, O Prince's daughter, this is a bride speaking to the bridegroom. The joints of thy thighs are like jewels. The work of thy hands are a cunning Workman. Notice the new translation there. The same word, or close to the same word, the work of the hands.
Of an artist.
Mr. Darby has a reference to that verse we read in Proverbs chapter 8. But this is a different thought, isn't it? Not an artist in respect to creation, but an artist in respect to our walk through this world. How beautiful are thy feet with shoes? The Lord appreciates a walk that honors Him. He's the artist.
That forms that walk. O Prince's daughter, the joints of thy thighs are like jewels.
The work of the hands of an artist.
The Lord Jesus Christ, what an honor to Him when we put him first. Let's look over to Ecclesiastes back a couple pages.
Mr. JB Dunlop, I never knew him, of course, but he was a laboring brother. Actually. He was first of all an officer in the Royal Army. He was stationed over here. He was a captain in the Royal Army.
He was stationed over in Canada and he had been converted at some point, and he was on fire for the Lord. Turns out that at some point he and one of his fellow officers by the name of.
Cecil Adelbert Cecil sometimes called Lord Cecil. They were both army officers together and stationed there in Canada, and they were both on fire for the Lord, and they gave up their commissions, began to preach the gospel, and later on they said they came into the truth.
That had been recovered and they said it was like AI forget the exact term they used. It was like a like a new salvation, a new revelation. And they reveled in that truth and they were gathered to the Lords name and preached among the Lord's people for many years. And so at Mr. Dunlap's funeral this verse was read. I never thought of it in connection.
This connection before, but it struck me since Ecclesiastes chapter 10.
And verse 7.
Solomon speaking. I have seen servants upon horses and then this part, and Princess walking as servants upon the earth. Princess walking as servants upon the earth. Isn't that a wonderful commendation?
Mr. Dunlop was respected in that way. And it is funeral. They read that verse that he was as a Prince walking as a servant.
Upon the earth, That's what the Lord would desire for us to be Princess walking as servants upon the earth. Let's look a little further down in that same chapter, verse 16. Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, thy Princess eat in the morning. We don't want to be that kind of a Prince, do we?
We get to the Millennium, are we going to be a like a child because we weren't diligent in school?
In the school of God that we're in right now, Woe unto thee, O land, when thy king is a child.
And thy Princess eat in the morning. Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles. And thy Princess eat. And due season for strength and not for drunkenness. So may the Lord grant that we would have the desire to not be children when we get to the Millennium, not be that kind of a Prince, but rather one who has prepared well.
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Taken our duties and privileges seriously.
So that the Lord would have the honor. That's the fruitful life, That's the happy life. There's no other.
Well.
We're about running out of time here. I wanted to just reference Jotham's Riddle and we don't have time. I didn't plan to turn to it, but I wanted to mention it if we had time. Back in Judges Chapter 9, you remember they were looking for somebody to reign over them. And first they said to the olive tree, why don't you rule over us? And he said, why should I leave my fatness and rule over men? The olive tree is a picture. We know olive oil comes from the olive.
It's a picture of being guided, directed by the Spirit of God. Well, that's a good characteristic for a ruler, isn't it? And then he said, well, no. But then the next one, they went to the fig tree. So well, why don't you become our ruler? He said, well, why should I leave my fruitfulness? Pig is a picture of being fruitful. The Lord wants us to be a fruitful ruler, but the fig tree said no.
No, I don't want to leave my fruitfulness.
And so they went to the vine, the vineyard. So why don't you reign over us? No, no, I I'm I'm happy with the wine that cheareth God and men is is a reference there in those verses. And wine is a picture of joy. And so these are royal characteristics to be led by the spirit of God to be fruitful, spiritually fruitful.
And that's the secret of true joy. So then what do they resolve on? They resolve on a Bramble. A Bramble as a result of the curve.
A Bramble has no fruit, and the Bramble what became their ruler. Let's not be brambles, let's be one of these other rulers and enjoy the truth that God has for us. One more verse, Ephesians chapter 2 again.
You know we read about.
We read about the artist enrollment and Proverbs chapter 8, The one who created this vast universe. Read about the artist. A similar word apparently in Song of Solomon, directing the path of the believer, the Princess daughter. Here's another artist in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 7.
That in the ages to come this is eternity. Now he that is God might show the exceeding riches of his grace, and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained.
That we should walk in them now this is speaking about.
Christians collectively, for we are his workmanship. That word workmanship, I'm told, is the Greek word poema. I believe that's the keyword in the book of Ephesians poema. It's the word that our it's the Greek word that our word poem comes from. We are his own.
That a beautiful thought collectively. Some people don't think much about the collective aspects of the truth, but it's the highest. And what was it Mr. Hale used to say? It's a mountain peak, a blessing beyond which God himself could not go. We are his masterpiece that's been translated. We are his poema, his poem.
Created in Christ Jesus and the good works which God hath before ordained.
That we should walk in them beautiful. And so our royal dignity. May God grant that we walk in that. Let me just read one more quotation in clothing.
I don't know where this came from, Mr. Bell. It quoted it in his little book on Psalms, and I don't know where he got it, but he put it in quotation marks. But I've appreciated it over the years and jotted it down in the back of my Bible. Here's what he says. He says every Christian is treading the ascent of wisdom and goodness, and an era in his course shall arrive.
When supernal beings, ancient proficients, and virtue shall count him.
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Their worthy companion and delight in his commerce. We're soon going to be in his presence, and among all those other worthies. Every Christian is treading the ascent of wisdom and goodness, and an era in his course shall arrive, when supernal beings, ancient proficiency and virtue, the Daniels, the Abrahams, the.
Marian martyrs, so many others. Luther Swingley shall count him their worthy companion.
And delight in his converse. Let's pray.
Blessed God our Father, and we thank Thee for such dignity that thou hast brought us into because of thy love in that past eternity, that love between the persons of the Godhead, that is desire that we would be part of thy family, an intimate part, members of thy family. Blessed God our Father, filled with thy spirit.
The bridegroom of thy beloved Son, so many more blessings that we've been entrusted with. We thank thee and blessing. We pray for grace now that we would walk worthy of that calling or what we've been called. We pray these things now. We give thee thanks and Jesus precious name, Amen.