God Is Not Mocked

The Mockery of the Guilt Offering and the Upright’s Acceptance

Well, please stand and honor what God's Word in that way as we read the text for this afternoon's preaching. Turn your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 14 and verse 9. Proverbs 14 9 fools mock at the guilt offering.

But the upright enjoy acceptance. God bless that reading of his word and now the proclamation of that portion of God's Word. Please be seated. Fools mock at the guilt offering. But the upright enjoy acceptance.

Have you ever been mocked for your faith? There have been. I don't mean just made fun of. I don't mean that person just teases you and says something like oh, that's silly. How can you believe that that's just super, you know, those those unfounded arguments.

They're so specious and have no real foundation and they can almost be brushed aside. I'm not talking about that kind of mocking. I'm talking about the planned attack by someone who's lined up his arguments like an artillery barrage.

Someone who has an intellect equal to or often greater than your own. Whose arguments are all lined up and he's practiced them or she's practiced them and they're just made for one reason. To make you look silly.

To take away your faith in Jesus Christ to set you aside as a real idiot really is what the world wants. Have you ever been mocked in that way by that sophisticated Strategist who really knows how to get under your skin and makes those arguments that you know are wrong.

But they're so well put together and they're so tightly knit together. You just don't know how to take them apart. You'll come away feeling inadequate like oh, why didn't I have a Defense for the hope that lies within me what an inadequate Christian I am because I couldn't answer and take apart their arguments.

Have you ever been mocked in that way? Well as we look at this proverb Proverbs 14 9. This is the kind of mockery that Solomon the wisest man who ever lived saved Jesus Christ himself. This is the kind of mockery he has in mind.

Not the fool who comes along and makes those stupid kind of arguments against you. We're talking about the sophisticate. We're talking about the cynic. We're talking the one who is always sardonic and sarcastic but in a sophisticated Laid back way that kind of covers up the real intent and before you know it.

He's twisted your understanding of your faith into a pretzel a Gordian knot that's the kind of mockery that we have here in this proverb and the proverb really is a condensation a condensation. Condensing excuse me, it's a condensing of the conflict between the godly and the ungodly since Genesis 3 15.

When God said there would be a seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent and they'll be at enmity with each other so we had Abel and Cain and.

Then we have.

David and Saul and It goes on throughout history all the way to Jesus's temptation in the wilderness against the devil himself. The fool mocking at the guilt offering and the upright enjoying acceptance.

So the fool and the upright and these are Really kind of a picture if you will of that conflict has gone on since Genesis 3 15. Seed of the serpent Mocking the faith and the seed of the woman I would say today the church Standing upright and enjoying the acceptance that we have in God with God because of Jesus Christ.

So this is our text just that one verse just those few words. Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy.

Acceptance.

We want to take this apart just a little bit. Want to understand some of the details here that Solomon is bringing forth if you look at chapter 14 of Proverbs. It's sort of a disjointed bunch of Proverbs you know those pithy statements that he has and this one jumps out at me because of the Formality of the guilt offering that is involved here.

Let's take this apart a little bit, but we'll start with that the guilt offering. We need to understand what that is now if you go back into Leviticus and don't do this now. We'll just discuss it very very quickly.

Chapter 4 of Leviticus begins with the law of the sin offering and then chapter 5. There's a law of another offering. That's very like the sin offering. The sin offering is when there's known guilt you did something wrong.

You've been confronted with it you need to go and confess your sin bring the animal to the temple or to the tabernacle and Have it slain in your place put your hand on the head of the animal confess your sins.

It's killed it will be forgiven. It says over and over in the book of Leviticus in chapter 5. There's an offering that's very similar called the guilt offering and The law and the lay your head on the animal and the death of the animal what you do with the blood is all the same.

As the sin offering it appears, and this is my quick reading, and I'm no expert in these things. They're a little hard to unwind, but it appears that the guilt offering is that unintentional sin. That is in the civic sense.

You've done something against someone you have not kept your word to somebody. You failed in some way with a contract. Maybe that sort of thing and when you know the guilt you didn't intend to do it you bring an offering very like the sin offering.

The point there is that this is.

Part of the law of.

The temple part of the law of Moses as it applies to the temple. It's a very holy a serious and a grave moment when you come in to the Tabernacle or the temple with your guilt offering. This is what's in view here.

This is the subject of the proverb if you look at the two halves of the Proverbs. On the one hand we have the fools. On the other half we have the upright and the fools do something. But we don't find out what happens because they do it.

And then we have the upright and we don't know what they do but we find out the Result of what it is that they did whatever it is the fool mocks. Let's hold in suspense. What happens because of their mockery.

The upright enjoy acceptance. So what happens is the one half fills in the details of the other half. Let me put it to you this way. The fool mocks at the guilt offering and so receives no benefit from it.

The upright Approaches it with reverence and so enjoys the acceptance that that offering by God's Word. Promises to see how the one half fills in the details of the other half. Fools mock at the guilt offering.

But the upright enjoy acceptance meaning the fools mock and receive nothing. Here's what they do. They mock. That's the guilt offering receive no benefit from it. The upright enjoy the acceptance promised by the guilt offering.

Because they approach it with reverence the one side filling in the other.

Who's the fool?

There's another detail we need to work out here to understand what this proverb is about. And what it means to us in the church. The fool here is not the common fool of Proverbs. It's not the fool like Nabal who we meet in first Samuel 25.

Jeremy Nabal Abigail's husband. He was Nabal. That's the more common word in Proverbs for the fool. He was a stupid man. He was a brutish man. He was a self-centered man. And when David came to him with a reasonable offer.

Do you remember this in first Samuel 25? He said well feed my men because we've protected you and your cattle and your sheep for so long. And you've lost nothing because we've watched over you. So we're just asking for some food.

He says now tell him to go away. I'm not gonna pay him anything. Who is this guy? He's just a rebel against King Saul and Proves his foolhardiness this way. That's the more common fool. This particular fool is as I said at the beginning is a Veal not in the ball, but a veal and this is a fool.

Like I said, who is probably Intellectually above. The common fool then the ball fool this truly stupid person who just doesn't get it. He's a step above him intellectually. But he's way below him morally.

Because the Nebal fool might stumble into sin. But he's stumbling. He doesn't quite know what he's doing. He needs correction. The avil avil fool the fool of Proverbs 14 9 Knows exactly what they're doing.

They're coming in as the cynic. They're presenting themselves as the intellectual superior and They're mocking as something that's very very important the guilt offering. Making fun of those who would treat it with reverence.

Again with those well spun together arguments the ones that leave you going. I know they're wrong, but I can't take it apart. I don't know how to answer this. I know he's incorrect. I know it's completely out to lunch.

I Just don't know how to answer because the argument is so good. That's the fool of Proverbs 14 9 the upright. This uprightness is a moral unethical uprightness this is someone who's straight and that's what the Hebrew word actually means someone who follows a straight and right path a Consistent path not turning left not turning right someone who listens to correction.

Someone who is someone you could actually follow and see their example follow imitate me as the Apostle Paul says as I imitate Christ. This is the upright one. He's on that right path. Uprightness is often paired with of the heart in Scripture uprightness straightness oneness of heart.

So here's the fool mocking deriding being cynical being Sardonic about everything. This is him. He's a bragger. He's a big talker. He's a ridiculer. We could even go forward into Revelation 13 and say he's the beast coming out of the sea with all all those blasphemies and the names written on him.

That's sort of what this is though amplified by time we get to the end of Scripture, but that's what this one is like blaspheming God mocking your faith. Looking at the guilt offering that God set as a way to be accepted back to him and then the upright the upright.

Enjoying acceptance because they approach the guilt offering with reverence. With thankfulness to God because God in his love and his mercy in his sovereignty in his goodness in his justice. Makes a way for us to come to him.

For them way back then to come to him to atone for their guilt. Now we know that the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin we know this from the book of Hebrews and Yet even then for the discreet sin not sin as a whole Person as Jesus Christ did on the cross, but for the sin that is confessed and by faith brought before God.

There is in Scripture that acceptance. It will be accepted. It will be forgiven. It says in Leviticus on this very process this very procedure of the guilt offering. The upright enjoy acceptance now enjoy in our ESV Bible.

Enjoy is kind of a unique translation of the word there and I can go into Long detail on the different versions and what they have chosen for that but the word behind it in Hebrew means to be discerning.

Means to enjoy a power of a judgment and have perceptive insight and it's demonstrated in a proper use of knowledge. So this upright person Enjoys something because he has discerned it correctly. That's why I meant when I was saying he approaches this thing with reverence with what we would say is faith.

Faith believing that it really is a God who really needs to have an Atoning sacrifice in order to assuage our guilt before him. Fools mocking and guilt and upright enjoying. Acceptance. Enjoying acceptance by God.

What is it to be accepted by God? Exactly what it says. Acceptance by God is when sinners find themselves Because of nothing in themselves because of nothing that we bring to God accepted by God. How does this happen?

By faith in Jesus Christ. If he's in chapter 1 6 6 to the great love of God by which we are accepted in the Beloved. Our ESV doesn't say accepted that's in the New King James Accepted in the Beloved which is a pretty good translation of the Greek behind it, but it's a really good interpretation.

I Think our ESV technically is better, but I like what the New King James says Accepted by the blood of Jesus Christ accepted in the Beloved. Well, of course back in Solomon's day Solomon being the one who built the temple and Established the worship in the temple according the instruction of his father David.

That's what he's looking at here this guilt offering and he's looking at those who come in and mock at it. And we today do we not hear mockery because we believe in a living Lord Jesus Christ who became as God became flesh.

We believe in a Lord Jesus Christ who is eternally God the second person the Trinity as we call it. The word became flesh and dwelt among us. We believe in a Lord Jesus Christ Who took their sin upon himself?

We believe in the Lord who we can say in 2nd Corinthians 15. He who knew no sin. Became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him that we might become if I can use the proverb upright before God in Christ and because of Christ.

And we're mocked because of that. Are we not? Are we not mocked because we don't have a Figure we can point to made out of precious metals or fine wood and say well, here's our Jesus. We say no, he's he's at the father's right hand.

He's on the throne right now ruling this moment. And are we not mocked for that because we can't bring him down. We can't go up to heaven and bring him down to show him and here's our Jesus and let him go back up.

Who would do such a thing who could do such a thing?

Are we not mocked.

Because we believe in the historical fact that Jesus Christ was crucified and on that cross Paid for our sins suffered for you and me suffered for our redemption. That which we will celebrate at the end of this service today when we take the Lord's table in the historical fact.

That the stone was rolled away. And that Jesus Christ was resurrected and He's ascended a mockery that we endure at the guilt offering Is very similar to what Solomon was saying here in Proverbs 14 9.

Because the world today denies the very idea of guilt of sin. It's not just that they deny that Jesus Christ was dead and buried and Resurrected that is one thing but in terms of their worldview and the way they look at this thing.

And the reason we receive so much mockery. Because there's many religions out there that believe crazy things that are held in good esteem. It's because of guilt. It's because of sin. It's because in order to.

Understand.

The life of Jesus Christ and his purpose in coming and His purpose on the cross. We need to acknowledge ourselves as sinners do we not. Is it not necessary to confess our guilt before God. To a world that says although sin, that's a bad word sin.

Don't tell me I'm a sinner. That's some puritanical thing. There's a movement that was some years ago even suggested in high circles like in the Congress. That to raise children to believe in sin is child abuse.

So against the idea of sin and guilt. More than just mocking us for it, but hating the church because of it, but the upright enjoy acceptance. But those who back to 2nd Corinthians 15, for example. Who know the righteousness of God who have become the righteousness of God who've become upright enjoying what?

Acceptance the acceptance pictured by the temple. It's that Solomon built. That was behind this proverb this one short verse. True acceptance before God and not coming again and again for each guilt offering or sin offering.

But because of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. The one for all time sacrifice the time on his cross when he said it is finished and our redemption was secured and our salvation. Was made sure enjoying that acceptance.

Discerning as I said that is behind that word. Enjoy the word discern meaning I discern something. I understand something I've fought it through and it means something to me today. Now with each step I take in this world in this breath that I have because we're but a vapor.

Enjoying the acceptance I have in God brethren. Do you live in that acceptance? I Often pictured the opposite of it in some forms of Christianity. Where sin is so emphasized that you forget that there's a redemption.

Where the rebukes are so constant you forget that there's even forgiveness. It's like Christians running with their hand over the head afraid God's gonna smite them from heaven for every bad thought. We must be those Who halt ourselves with those kinds of thoughts?

Who rebuke ourselves and go to God for forgiveness and confess our sins. Sin is that important? I'm not setting that aside in any way but The flip side of our high view of what sin is in the light of a holy and righteous and mighty and all-powerful God is acceptance.

Acceptance when you go to God confessing your sin. When you go to God and ask forgiveness first John 1 9 again. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Why can you go to him in repentance for your sin? Because you know, he accepts you. Because your repentance is eloquent. It's long. It's heartfelt. No. Because of Jesus Christ because of him alone. Because when we go to him We go to God in his name.

We're accepted because of him the beloved. You're reading Jesus high priestly prayer how the love that God has for him Jesus Christ himself is the same love. It's a straight line to those who are in Christ Jesus.

This is why we can live a non-neurotic Christian life. This is why we can confront our own sin. Because we are accepted. We're not trying to save our life. We're not trying to get ourselves saved Jesus Christ secured.

That We can enjoy the acceptance we have in God and because of that acceptance that once-for-all-time. Acceptance not the again and again and again as in Solomon's time. That once-for-all-time acceptance we have Makes our sin two things.

It makes it greater in my eyes as I enjoy the acceptance I have in God. Because not afraid. I'm not scared of going to hell. I don't think he's going to smite me because he smoked Jesus Christ in my place.

So I'm not afraid to confront my sin. It also gives me a higher view of God. Because when we confront our own sin and bring it to God. We're seeing again that chasm between us and the holiness of God.

And when we see that chasm for what it is. And there's huge difference between me and him. Can't we love him all the more. Can't we appreciate what the Apostle Paul says about the great love with which he loved us while we were yet sinners.

While this chasm was as infinite as it is even this moment. But we find ourselves accepted by God. God hearing our prayers. God forgiving our sin. Why. Because of Jesus Christ. Because of his holy one.

Because of his righteous one. The upright. Are those who do not mock? The guilt offering the ultimate gift of guilt offering of Jesus Christ on the cross. Far from mocking. Who are the upright? We are the righteous again.

2nd Corinthians 15. We are those who have been made righteous by God because of Christ. As we approach it reverently, it's not quite there yet. But the Lord's table will be served. I ask you How do you approach it?

You've talked about sin. We've talked about now because we are accepted by God we can confront sternly and rigidly and with great strain our own sin. Because we're accepted because of Jesus Christ. So don't be afraid of your sin.

Don't be afraid of confronting it. We come to the Lord's table. Do you approach it reverently? It's a reminder. It's a remembrance of that ultimate guilt offering of Jesus Christ. We do this in remembrance of him.

His body broken for us his blood spilled out his life given up for us. How do you approach it brethren? Are you prepared for this table? You heard pastor Owens preach the gospel to you this morning from Luke 16.

I Thought he did just a wonderful job explaining why that man was commended. That one has always confused me. I'm really glad he took it up and I didn't have to preach that one. That was tough.

That's the gospel.

That's the gospel you heard. You're hearing the gospel again, and we're going to portray the gospel and we're gonna take the elements of the gospel if you like. In a few minutes. How do you approach? Are you ready?

Does it let a man examine himself that doesn't mean take care of every sin before you can take the table. You must take the table. Sinners take the table. What I'm saying is approach it reverently as We walk in this life and take our sins seriously.

We come on Sundays and remember here's the answer for sin. I think Proverbs 14 9 helps us prepare well for that ordinance that we will take in a little while. Fools mock at the guilt offering. The world mocks at the idea of guilt.

The world derides your faith because we can't show them a Jesus. They deny everything important about him. You remember this as a brief excursus of brief aside. Remember what Jesus said to Saul.

S.

Saul on his way Damascus. He says Saul. Saul. Why are you persecuting me? So who's really being mocked? Oh, we're the ones who feel the sting of embarrassment. And that's not good. I'm not downplaying that in the least bit.

What did Jesus say? Why are you persecuting me as if to say Saul? Pharisee murderer of Christians only because they are Christians. You're doing this against me. Not them ultimately against me. Know that we are accepted in the Beloved.

Know that because the guilt offering of Jesus Christ in which our fate is placed Makes you accepted and know then that this mockery we feel this derision from the world Christ takes personally. Who's going to answer?

For that grudge again piggybacking on this morning's message. They will to you to me. When they see Jesus the one who ultimately they mocked in the meantime brethren. Live in the hope that we have. Live enjoying the acceptance that we have it by with God because of Christ.

Know that he did all that would bring us to him. You are upright before God because Christ makes us righteous. We have the righteousness of God before him. We don't live as righteous as that would make us think we in fact Objectively don't and yet God because of Christ will view us that way and that's why he accepts us.

Here's our prayers and forgives your sins when you repent. Amen. Let me pray and then we will. To prepare ourselves up for the table. Excuse me. We're gonna go to prayer. Excuse me one second Heavenly Father.

You thank you for the acceptance that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord. I Pray father that as we go to you in prayer. That you would hear our prayers as we pray for our needs as we pray for our church.

We pray for the world Lord that because we are accepted by Christ Jesus. That the world which we'll even pray for in a while that that world father Would by your grace by your Holy Spirit be changed and made into disciples such as ourselves.

So we thank you for this word of encouragement. We thank you for the acceptance we have With you because of Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.