Blood Covenant - Part 8 — Bob Phillips

This is tape number 8 in a series. We urge you to listen to all the tapes in this series in numerical order so that the whole teaching can be received and understood. Listening to a part of this series or to the tapes out of sequence can lead to a misunderstanding of the nature, the intent, and the importance of this series.

Wisdom, Understanding, and the Fear of the Lord

By wisdom, the house is built. And by understanding, it's established. But what's wisdom? Turn with me to Job 28. Job, chapter 28. Job, chapter 28. There's a real good question asked here. Job, chapter 28, verse 12.

If wisdom is going to build the house, it's pretty important for us to know where wisdom is. Is that right? Job 28, verse 12. But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of what? Understanding.

What's going to establish the house? Understanding. Where can wisdom be found and where is the place of understanding? Know this for sure. Man does not know its value. Nor is it found in the land of the living.

Now that's interesting. If you can't find it in the land of the living, that means you can't get it from another man. Are you hearing what I'm saying? No man's going to establish it by wisdom. Unless the Lord build a house, the building's in vain.

So he says that man doesn't know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. The deep says it's not in me. The sea says it's not in me. Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it. Nor can silver be weighed as its price.

It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir. In precious onyx or sapphire, gold or glass cannot equal it. Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold. Verse 20. Where then does wisdom come from? That's a good question, is it not?

And where is the place of understanding? If they're going to build the house and establish the house, where does it come from? And where is the place of understanding? How many of you are with me? Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all the living and concealed from the birds of the sky.

Abaddon and death, say, or destruction and death. Let's put it this way. What are Abaddon and death names for? Are they names for Satan? Well, here's what Satan says. Satan says, with our ears, we've heard a report of it.

We don't know who it is. We don't know what it is. But with our ears, we hear reports of it. Verse 23. God understands its worth. He knows its place. For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

When he imparted weight to the wind and met it out in the waters by measure. When he set a limit for the rain and a course for the thunderbolt, then he saw it and he declared it. He established it and he searched it out.

And to man, he said, behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. And to depart from sin is understanding. Now, let's reread Proverbs 24. Don't have to turn there. By the fear of the Lord, the house is built.

And by departing from sin, it's established. Could we say that? I say, could we say that? Turn with me to Proverbs 2. Proverbs 2. Proverbs 2. Verse 1. My son, if. Proverbs 2. Verse 1. My son, if. Does that a condition?

If you will receive my sayings and treasure my commandments. Where are you going to treasure them? Within you. Would that be in your heart? Now, look at this. Make your ear attentive to wisdom and incline your heart to understanding.

Let's reread that. Make your ear. What is wisdom? The fear of the Lord. Make your ear attentive to the fear of the Lord and incline your heart to doing what? Departing from sin. Now, God says. Verse 4.

If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures, then you will discern the fear of the Lord. God says, I'll teach you the fear of the Lord. We're going to see that in a moment. The fear of the Lord is something that's deposited in your heart with the new hearts.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? But it has to be learned and discerned. But I want you to know something. From the moment it was deposited in your heart as a new creation, Satan set out to steal it. Because if he could rob the fear of the Lord from being before your eyes, your heart would listen.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? I say, are you hearing what I'm saying? Now, notice. Verse 5. Then you'll discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. Now, just look at all the promises that come from this walking in the fear of the Lord and departing from evil.

For the Lord gives wisdom. Verse 6. And from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom. Who's he stored up for? For the righteous or the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.

Can I tell you that's a covenant term? When God made covenant with Abraham, do you remember what we read last night? He said, behold, I'll be a shield to you and your great reward. And so he says that's the covenant.

I'll be a shield to those who walk. How are they going to walk? In integrity, guarding the paths of justice. He preserves the way. Who does he preserve the way of? Of his saints or his godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity in every good course.

For wisdom or the fear of the Lord, what's going to happen? It's going to enter your hearts. And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will guard you. Understanding will watch over you to deliver you from the way of evil.

From the man who speaks perverse things. From those who leave the path of unrighteous uprightness. To walk in the ways of darkness. Who delight in doing evil and rejoice in the perversity of evil. Whose paths are crooked and whose devious.

Who are devious in their ways. To deliver you from the strange woman. From the adulteress. Who flatters with her words. Now look at this. That leaves the companion of her youth. And forgets the covenant of her God.

Now it says that there's an adulteress. And a strange woman. That's to draw your heart away. That you may forget the covenant you have with God. And that you no longer walk in the fear of him. Are you hearing what I'm saying?

Now notice where that leads to. If you follow that woman. Now I'm not talking about a literal woman by the way. Now I want you to see something. You're going to see something. For her house sinks down to death.

And her tracks lead to the dead. None who go to her return again. Nor do they reach the paths of life. Is that strong? All right now listen to me. He's not talking about the woman. He's talking about.

The adulteress. Heart. Church. With all of it's doctrines. Of peace and safety. That no longer let the fear of God. Be before your eyes. You want to know how your heart dropped hard. To sin. Because somewhere along the line.

The adulteress. Told you about a scripture. About a verse. About a doctrine. That says. You can go ahead and walk in that sin. As long as you don't do these sins. You can walk in these sins. But don't do those sins.

You can walk this way. But don't go that way. And you're still going to go to heaven. Even though. You could have read it for yourself. Right here. And God said. None of it. Are you hearing what I'm saying?

And you know what happened? Peace and safety came into your heart. The fear of God. Disappeared. And so you walked under the law. Because you walked. Not doing certain things. Don't do this. But this is okay.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? And the fear of God. Left you. When the fear of God left you. Your heart. Was open. To hear. Transgression. And temptation. From the devil. Are you with me? I say are you with me?

The Fear of God as Protection from Hardness and Sin

Alright now notice this. Turn with me. To Proverbs 28. Let's just see. What advantage it is to have the fear of God. Proverbs chapter 28. Verse 14. I just want you to go through some of these scriptures with me.

I want you to see. If the fear of God is a good thing or a bad thing. Proverbs 28. Verse 14. How blessed. How what? Blessed is the man who what? Fears always. But he who hardens his heart. What's going to happen to him?

He's going to fall into calamity. Let me tell you something. When the fear of God. Let me say it again. When the fear of God is removed from your heart. The end result will always be. A hardening of the heart.

Why? Because. You just accept certain temptations. And you do them. Still believing you're going to go to heaven. Even though you may feel a little guilty. But your heart just keeps getting harder. And harder.

Are you with me? I say are you with me? Alright. But now notice some things. Turn with me to Proverbs 16. Proverbs chapter 16. I quoted this several times. But I want you to see it. Proverbs chapter 16.

Verse 6. By loving kindness and truth. Iniquity is atoned for. And by the fear of the Lord. One keeps away from evil. How many of you see that? The fear of the Lord is your strength to keep away from evil.

Now listen to me. Now this ought to be an encouragement to some of you. Because I want you to hear me. There are some of you who have wanted to walk with God. Some of you really have wanted to deal with the rebellion.

And the temptations that come your way. And you've tried to resist. And tried to resist. But haven't been able to. And you hated it. I mean you didn't like the sin. But then the next thing you know. You were right back in the same trap.

And you wonder, God what's wrong with me? God's telling you what's wrong. Something stole at some point the fear of God from before your eyes. And therefore your heart is open to hear the transgression and the temptation of the devil.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? Now here's the good part. God says if you incline your ear to knowing about the fear of the Lord. And you set your heart toward not walking in sin. But understanding which is to depart from evil.

God says through the fear of the Lord I'll build that house. And I will establish it. Are you turning from sin? Are you with me? All right. Then here's what he does. As you put the fear of God before your eyes.

And you ask God. Remember the fear of the Lord must be discerned. And it must be learned. But it's a product of that new heart. Are you hearing what I'm saying? God says let me teach you the fear of the Lord.

And if I teach you the fear of the Lord. You will find a new strength to turn away from temptation and sin. Are you hearing what I'm saying? I say are you hearing what I'm saying? All right. Now notice this.

Turn with me to Proverbs 14. Proverbs 14. Verse 26. You remember the times you come before God. And you just wish that you could just feel God's presence. And you just wish that you could stand confidently before God.

And not have to hang your head low. And not have to feel like you didn't belong there. How many of you remember those times? Well listen to me. Here's what he says. Verse 26. In the fear of the Lord. What is there?

There's strong confidence. Not only will the fear of the Lord keep you from evil. But the fear of the Lord will put strong confidence in your heart before God. Your children will have a refuge. You see because that adulterous comes not only to infect your way.

But when your children see how you walk. They get a picture of what it's like to walk with God. But when you learn and have the fear of God before your eyes. It's also infectious. It's in your home. And it has a safeguard for your children.

Are you with me? Verse 27. The fear of the Lord is a pounting of life. That one may avoid the snares of death. Now let me ask you a question. All of a sudden. The fear of the Lord is not such a bad thing is it?

Verse 2. Chapter 14. He who walks in his uprightness. What does he do? He fears the Lord. But he who is crooked in his ways. What happens to him? He despises the Lord. Now turn with me to Proverbs 23.

Proverbs 23. Now I want you to notice this. Proverbs 23. Verse 12. Apply your heart to discipline. And your ears to the words of knowledge. What are you supposed to apply your heart to? To discipline.

And your ears to the words of knowledge. Verse 17. Do not let your heart envy sinners. But you are to live in the fear of the Lord. How often? Always. Now notice this. Surely there is a hope. And your hope will not be cut off.

My son. Listen my son and be wise. And direct your heart in the way. Verse 26. God says this. What is he after? Give me your heart my son. And let your eyes delight my ways. Now notice this. For a harlot.

That's that adulterous we read about. What's that harlot like? A deep pit. And an adulterous woman is a narrow well. Surely she lurks as a robber. And what does it increase? Transgression or faithlessness among men.

Now how many of you see that? Alright. Now here's what it says. At some point. You had the fear of God. It happens to you. You got the fear of God deposited in your heart. I want to tell you something.

If you live in a harlot of men. You lost the fear of God before your heart. If you had doctrines of peace and safety. That told you how righteous you were. While you walked in the lust, rebellion of your heart.

And maybe nobody else knew. But you felt comfortable. You were going to go to heaven. Day by day. Sunday after Sunday. Year after year. You got those things deposited in your heart. And then when anybody tried to tell you.

That you just might fall away and go to hell. If you weren't walking in righteousness. That old doctrine just jumped up inside. And said not me. Not me. You were so eager to defend that doctrine. That you never even listened to examine.

Am I walking with a whole heart toward God. You know why? Because the adulterous harlot. Had stolen the fear of God before your eyes. And all you needed was somebody to say. You are righteous. And you didn't even have to go find out.

And God himself. You just rejected what you didn't know. The result. No fear of God before your eyes. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Now when that was there. You couldn't walk in victory. Because transgression spoke to you.

And it increased your faithlessness. Among men. You became unfaithful to God's love. Turn with me to Psalm 12. How many of you are hearing what I'm saying? Psalm 12. Now let me ask you another question.

Is it in the Bible? Psalm 12. Psalm chapter 12. 12th Psalm. Verse 1. Now I want you to notice. It's a Psalm of David. And David looks around him. And he cries out something. Here's what he cries. Now look carefully.

Help Lord. For the godly man. What kind of a man? The godly man ceases to be. For the faithful. Disappear from among the sons of men. How many of you have seen that? See, David looked around him. And you know what he saw?

He didn't see any godly men. And he didn't see faithful people. Did we just see that the harlot adulterous steals faithfulness? And adds transgression? It increases transgression. Takes away faithfulness.

Are you getting what I'm saying? And so he looked around him. He didn't see any. Look at the problem. Verse 2. They speak falsehood to one another. With flattering lips. And what kind of a heart? And a double heart they speak.

May the Lord cut off all flattering lips. And the tongue that speaks great things. Who have said with our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is Lord over us. You see, when the heart gets doubled.

In order to protect yourself. Everybody just starts flattering one another. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Just flattering. With words. Turn with me to Hosea chapter 4. Hosea chapter 4. Hosea chapter 4.

Verse 1. Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel. For the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land. Because there's no faithfulness or kindness. Now the King James says truth or mercy.

But I want you to remember something. Psalm 51 verse 6. David was crying out to God. And he said, God, my sin is ever before me. Against thee and thee only have I sinned. And he said this. He said, Lord, thou dost desire truth in the innermost heart.

Create in me a clean heart, O God. There's no faithfulness or truth or kindness or knowledge of God in the land. Now I want you to notice. We're going to come to a popularly quoted verse. But we never understood it.

Because we don't read the whole thing. As a result, he says this in verse 6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. How many of you have heard that? We just quote that all the time. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

But notice why they're destroyed. Because you have rejected knowledge. See, God wants to give us knowledge. The reason the people are destroyed is not because they haven't heard it. It's because they've rejected it.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? They don't want to hear it. Because their heart is not faithful to God. What's the problem? Verse 7. The more they multiply, the more they send against me. I'll change their glory into shame.

They feed on the sin of my people. And direct their desire or set their heart on what? On iniquity and sin. Verse 10. And they eat, but they don't have enough. That's just the opposite of the covenant.

God said, I want to supply everything pertaining to life and godliness for you. They eat, but they don't have enough. They play the harlot, but not increase, because they stop giving heed to the Lord.

Harlotry, wine, and new wine take away the understanding. My people consult their wooden idol and their diviner's wand and informs them, for a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, for they have played the harlot, departing from their God.

Can I tell you that it's the spirit that works to draw you astray? Is that what it says? I say, is that what it says? Does it say a spirit of harlotry draws you aside? And what does the spirit of harlotry work?

Harlotry, Covenant Unfaithfulness, and the New Testament Warning

Turn with me to Hosea 5. We've got a few more scriptures I want you to go through. Turn with me to Hosea 5. Verse 3. I know, Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me. For now, O Ephraim, you have played the harlot.

Israel has defiled herself. Their deeds will not allow them to return to their God for a spirit of harlotry. You swear? It's within them, in their midst. They don't know God. Verse 6. They'll go with their flocks and herds to seek the Lord, but they'll not find him.

He has withdrawn from them. They have dealt treacherously against the Lord. Hosea 6, verse 6. For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burn offerings. But like Adam, and the King James says like men, but if you look at most of the side margins of the King James, it'll say Adam.

Like Adam, they have done what? They have transgressed the what? The covenant. Now, I'm showing you all these things for a purpose, but I want you to now go with me to the New Testament, because I want you to say something in Luke.

Turn with me to Luke. I'm showing you how, what happens when the fear of God is gone, transgression speaks to your heart, and a spirit of harlotry takes over your heart. Are you hearing what I'm saying?

I say, are you hearing what I'm saying? Alright, now notice. In Luke, chapter 12. Luke, chapter 12. Now, I want you to watch closely with me. We are reading from the New Covenant, are we not? Luke, chapter 12, verse 34.

For where your treasure is, what's going to be there? Your heart's going to be there also. Be dressed in readiness. Now, I want you to see this, and I want you to notice carefully how God says that you ought to be waiting for the coming of Jesus.

Be dressed in readiness. Keep your lance alit, or alight. And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.

Blessed are those slaves whom the master shall find on, what are they going to be on? On alert. When he comes, truly I say to you that he will gird himself to serve. Now, this is covenant. He'll gird himself to serve, God will, and recline at the table and come up and wait on them.

Now, isn't that a beautiful promise? God says, those people that are alert, I'm going to display myself as their covenant God, and I'm going to come up and serve them. Now, notice this. Verse 38. Whether he comes in the second watch or even in the third and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

And be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You too, be what? Be ready for the son of man's coming at an hour that you do not expect.

Alright, now I don't want you to read on, I want you to listen to me. I can read those verses, and even tonight, there are people here, you just look at it, it doesn't apply to you. You don't even wonder.

You don't even think about it. It's just about the second coming, I'm ready, I'm alright. You may be, some of you, but there are people here that I know and see. You're not even the least bit interested in anything we're talking about.

Not even the slightest bit. Your mind, all night long, has been drifting off to something else. And it's spread apart. When Peter heard this, you know what it did? It shook him. When Jesus said this to Peter, Peter, Peter, it shook him up.

It shook him up so much that he said in the next verse, and Peter said, Lord, are you addressing this parable to us or to everyone else as well? In other words, Lord, could you possibly be including us in this?

But the church today, they hear it, and they apply it down the street. They apply it to somebody else. But Peter, he wanted to know, God, could this be in his way? You know why? Peter had before his eyes the fear of God.

Hating Evil and Loving Christ Above All

I want to tell you what the fear of God is. Proverbs 8 .13 says the fear of God is to hate evil. Let me tell you how God showed me what the fear of God was. Now listen to me carefully. I was in an office, and I picked up a magazine.

It was a Life magazine, and it had a picture of a big grizzly on the front of it. And I'm fascinated by grizzlies, especially when they're just in magazines. So I opened the magazine up, and I began to read about this, these grizzlies.

And I came to an article about a woman, a mother, 5 '4", 124 pounds. She lived on the edge of the woods somewhere in the north. She heard this scream out back, and she recognized it was the voice of her little son, probably six years old.

She rushed to the back of the house, and when she got to the door, she saw a grizzly. And in his paws and in his mouth was her son. She grabbed the closest thing next to her, which was a broom. And she attacked that grizzly and chased him into the woods.

God spoke from her heart, and He said, Because that woman so loved her son, she feared nothing whatsoever, not even her own life, just to protect the object of her life. And God said, Sin, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life, is that grizzly.

You are that woman, that mother, and I, Jesus, am that boy in the mouth of the grizzly. And to walk in the fear of the Lord is to so love Jesus with all your heart that you will not let one thing rob you of the object of your life.

And when you fear God like that, you will absolutely fear nothing except losing the object of your life. Are you getting what I'm saying? And everything else will go in comparison to that. That's the fear of God.

When you fear God, that's why He hates sin. Sin robs you of your love relationship with God. And when you have God, there's no need to fear anything else. Are you with me? Peter so had to fear God before his eyes, that when Jesus even slightly mentioned that some people might not be ready, Peter said, Lord, could you possibly be talking about me?

Are you hearing me? I said, are you hearing me? He didn't look down the street. He didn't look at the other people standing there. And I want you to see what God said to him. We said the harlot, the spirit of harlotry within you robs you of being faithful to God.

Is that what we read? Look at the answer Jesus gave him. Jesus, now listen to me. Jesus didn't say, no, Peter, no, because you've had an experience with me. And so Peter, everything's all right with you.

I was talking about other people. No, no, Peter, I'm really, don't you worry about it, my son, because you don't even have to be concerned because I know who you are, Peter. My goodness, you've been walking with me all this time.

And so, Peter, you're all right. No, Jesus didn't say that at all. He said in verse 42,. And the Lord said, Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of all of his servants to give him their rations at the proper time?

Now, remember, the subject is whether or not you're going to be ready when Jesus comes. How many of you see that's the subject? And he says, Blessed is that slave whom the master so finds doing when he comes.

Truly, I say to you, he'll put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says what? In his heart, his heart's not right. My master will be a long time in coming. It's going to be a while.

He begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, to eat and drink and get drunk. Now, I want you to understand, he's not just talking about alcoholics. He's talking about people. You're going to see in a minute who he's talking about.

He's talking about people who are no longer concerned about righteousness and holiness, just satisfying their flesh. Are you hearing what I'm saying? And here's what he says. This is the New Testament, isn't it?

He is talking about believers, isn't he? The master of that slave, verse 46, will come. Did he say he was a master? He said the man was a slave. Is somebody in the world, do they call Jesus master? Are they a slave?

The master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him. At an hour he does not know, and he will cut him in pieces. Does that sound like covenant? Breaking covenant? And assign him a place with the unbelievers.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? Turn with me to Luke chapter 14, because I want you to see this. There were a group of religious people around. And in Luke chapter 14, verse 1, it came about when he went to the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him closely.

And there in front of him was a certain man suffering from dropsy. And since Jesus was the messenger of the covenant, he just operated in the covenant. And he said, and Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees saying, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?

But they kept silent and took hold of him. And he took hold of him and healed him and sent him away. Now let me ask you a question. Who do you think their heart was? Was their heart with Jesus or in their own traditions?

All right, now notice this. Jesus said to them, and he said to them, which one of you shall have a son or an ox fall into a well and will not immediately pull it out on the Sabbath day? And they could make no reply to this.

You know why they couldn't make a reply? Because they knew exactly what they'd do. They'd go get their ox and go get their son. But to say it now would have embarrassed them. Are you hearing what I'm saying?

So they didn't say anything. So he began to speak a parable. Now look at this. He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when he noticed how they'd been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, when you're invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him.

And he who invited you both shall come and say to you, give place to this man. And then in disgrace, you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you're invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, friend, move up higher, and then you'll have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.

For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted. May I tell you what he just said? He said, there's going to be a banquet. There's going to be a dinner. That dinner has an honored guest that's coming.

Now, make sure that you don't try to go to that banquet by taking the seat of honor that's reserved for the guest. Because if you take this seat of honor that's reserved for the guest, when the guest comes, you'll have to get up and give it to him.

In other words, when King Jesus comes, make sure you're not sitting on the throne of your hearts, or you won't be at the table. Are you hearing what I'm saying? That you'll be asked to leave. And then he began to relate it to three people.

The Parable of the Great Dinner and the Cost of Discipleship

And they all three had an excuse about why they couldn't come to the table. And he talks about it in verse 15. And when one of those who were reclining at the table with him heard this, he said to him, Blessed is everyone who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

What he said to him. You see what you understand? That man heard this. Now listen to me. That man heard it. He heard it. And you know what he's saying? He said, Amen. Boy, that's good. Man, that's good preaching.

Boy, that's a good thing to say. Boy, that's a good parable. Blessed is the man who eats bread in the kingdom of God. Jesus turned to him and said, Well, what he said to him, verse 16. A certain man was giving a big dinner.

He invited many. And at the dinner hour, he sent his slaves to say to those who had been invited, Come, for everything's ready now. But they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, I bought a piece of land.

I need to go out and look at it. Please commit to me an excuse. Does that sound to you like something had the lust of his eyes? And to another, he said, Verse 19. Another one said, I bought five yoke of oxen.

I'm going to try them out. Please consider me an excuse. Does that sound like the lust of his flesh had his heart? Are you hearing me? And then the third one, which almost sounds reasonable, because he said in verse 20, I've married a wife and for that reason I can't go.

But you know what he was saying? He's saying, God, I've got a covenant relationship that's more important to me than my covenant relationship with you. You know what God said? God said, in verse 26, If anyone, and oh, how sad, because these verses are so familiar to us.

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters. See, he's trying to pick out the most precious things in your life. But you know, some of you may not have had a good mother and father and brother and sister relationship.