Title: Wait for the Lord
[Min Byeong-seok's Proverbs Exposition] 48
you wait for the LORD
Text: (Proverbs 20:22)
Today's Commentary on Proverbs is based on the theme of Proverbs 20:22, and we want to receive grace by saying, 'Wait for the Lord.' Christianity can be seen as a religion of waiting. Christianity is the religion of hope, because hope is a future-oriented thing that can only be realized by waiting.
We can think of Christianity in two ways. One is our salvation and the other is God's covenant. Salvation is future, not real. In Romans 8:24-25 it says, “For through hope we have been saved, and the hope we see is not hope. Who can expect what we see?” In this way, our salvation is future and future. We can only look at it and believe it. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, by which the forefathers have obtained the evidence.” Hope here means our hope.
1. The Hope Christians Should Have
Although this hope is not near or visible to the eye, Christians can see the true form of this hope. How can I look? (by faith). Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” A person without faith cannot see the true face of all the hope promised in Christ, and thus will suffer from suffering rather than joy. These people don't even have a burning passion.
Those who do not have the joy and patience of hope are those who do not have faith. Salvation, heaven, and eternal life are all lies, vain, and delusional thoughts that do not leave our heads, so we cannot hope for loyalty or zeal.
(1) The eyes that see the world are called the eyes of the flesh. But Christians have eyes that see hope. This is what we call spiritual eyes. Because spiritual eyes can see with the eyes of the spirit, only those with open spiritual eyes can see. This does not mean, however, that when your spiritual eyes are opened, you see visions or see mystical things. These eyes are opened when the Spirit of God in me shows them through faith through the Word.
This is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 2:9 and below. What God has prepared for us is not something that the eye can see, the ear hear, or the heart think. Then, how does God show us this hope? He said he was seen by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, in order to see hope, the eyes of the spirit must be opened through the Holy Spirit.
In order for the eyes of the spirit to be clear, the heart must be pure. Sin must be removed from the heart. Sin darkens our minds so that we cannot see all that God has to offer. We often use the phrase that we must have a clear spirit. A clear spirit is the spirit of the person who can quench the sins in our hearts, accept the word of God, and see hope with faith in the word. The spirit of a person who sees visions, sees visions, sees and makes strange mystical prophecies, is not clear or bright.
If we do not keep our hearts clear, that person's faith becomes worldly, and even if such people receive answers, they will receive answers like Balaam. Another reason why our Christianity is a religion of hope is that Christianity is a religion of covenant. Christianity always begins with the covenant and ends with the fulfillment of the covenant. And this covenant of God is always future. Therefore, God's covenant can only be received by those who wait. Abraham waited 25 years by God's eye ointment, and then his hope came true. Noah waited 120 years while building the ark.
So what does it mean to wait on God? Let's think a few things about how we should wait for what kind of work.
2. Wait for God
(1) In today's text, he said, 'Do not say that you will repay evil, but wait on the Lord.' God forbids me to take revenge on my enemies. Romans 12:19 tells us that revenge is not mine, but God's. He said that God would avenge my revenge. Say you'll pay it back with my own hands. It is an action that I want to do what God is going to do, and God just looks at me with my arms crossed.
David said in Psalm 54, “God repays my enemies for evil.” In Psalm 59, it says, “He makes it possible for me to see my enemies receiving retribution from God.” Then what should we do to my enemies? This is what Romans 12:20 says about this. He said, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink, and you will heap coals of coals on his head.” Please find the words of Proverbs 25:21-22. What did you say at the end? ‘What will Jehovah give you?’ This is what you need to know.
Not because God never loved my enemies. This is what he said in order to reward me for doing this. In Exodus 23, there are words with a deep meaning. In verses 4-5, “If you meet your enemy’s lost ox or donkey, you must return it to him; and if you see the donkey of one who hates you lying on its stomach, be careful not to leave it alone, but to help him with the burden. ' he said.
Our Lord also said in Luke 6:27, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who insult you.” Why did you tell me to do this? There is a lesson from God that we must keep in mind. That's what Proverbs 24:17 says, "Do not let your heart rejoice when the enemy stumbles." Because when God saw it, he was not pleased and told him to fear that he would remove his wrath from him.
(2) Next, we need to wait to receive God's promises. In the process of waiting for God's promise, there are times when we doubt or complain when the promise is delayed. And when the wicked prosper or the righteous suffer hardships, we often express our anger.
But God said that He will surely show His justice to those who believe in His promises and wait patiently. God's justice revealed to evildoers is not prosperous or blessed, but in Psalm 37 it says, “For the sake of evil, those who do evil will be cut off.” What he is trying to do is to stop. Things that seem to be going well at first and prosperous are just the bait of God. The wicked will reap according to the seed he sowed.
It is said that the lifespan of the wicked doing evil is not long. He said it would disappear after a while. He said that when God blows with his breath, it will soon disappear, and no matter how closely we look, we will not find it. Verse 13 says that God laughs at the wicked. Because God has already prepared the day when the wicked will be destroyed. Verse 14 says, "All the evil that the wicked do, eventually his sword will pierce his heart, and his bow will break."
But what kind of reward was he preparing for those who fear God and wait for the Lord? Please see Psalm 37:11. He said, “You will take possession of the land.” The earth is God's inheritance. It is a sure response to the promise. What other blessings are promised next? He said, 'Enjoy with abundance of peace'. His life is to be enjoyed with the peace that God makes. Please see verse 17. What happened to the arm of the wicked? You said 'broken'. But the righteous will uphold. Even if you fall seven times, how many times will you get up? Let's look at verse 18. “Our company will last forever,” he said. No one can take that company away. Because God guarantees that enterprise.
Verse 19 says, “They will not be ashamed in the day of trouble, nor will they have abundance in the day of famine.” Gentlemen, God's justice like this will surely bear fruit in any case. That's why God says, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently." The LORD is a God of justice, and blessed are those who believe in his promises and wait for him. Isaiah 30:18 says, “For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all who wait for him.”
(3) Next, we must wait for the Lord during the test. There is a test for all who live in this world, whether they are Christians or not. Then, who can receive God's blessing by passing the exam? The Bible speaks of this in several ways. In Psalm 40:1-2 it says, “I waited for the Lord and waited, and attentive to my ears he heard my cry; he brought me up out of the miraculous pit and pit, he set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. ' he is saying.
What did God say he would do to those who wait? He said, “You have listened to me and heard my cry.” Whose prayer did God say He would answer? He said, “He hears and answers the prayers of those who wait for the Lord.” Then he said, 'He said, 'He will pull me up out of the wondrous pits and pits. He said that he set my feet on a rock. You have put in my mouth a song of praise to God.”
The words of instruction about those who endure temptation are well spoken of in the book of James. “Blessed is the one who endures temptation, for after being approved in this way, he will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
When we are tempted or faced with difficulties, the reason we have to be patient with God is because we cannot straighten what God has made crooked by human strength. There is always an end to everything. Then, how does God bring an end to our trials and difficulties? He said, “All the trials of God are to give you hope in your future.” It's about making your dreams come true. He said, “All things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Because God is just, there must be a history of reaping what you sow.
Conclusion: Our posture of waiting quietly before God does not mean waiting without meaning. Waiting is not so easy. Waiting on Jehovah is subject to two conditions: First, you have to be patient. Such patience is obtained through faith in God's promises. Therefore, those who do not have faith cannot bear the fruit of perseverance. A wait of several days or months may be tolerated by human will. However, waiting for the invisible hope and waiting for the covenant to be fulfilled long after that requires prayer. Prayer is the power of waiting.
The next time we wait for the Lord, we must have trust in God. Reliance is faith that desires to be fulfilled according to God's will. You cannot be the victor of waiting without the request that it be done according to your will, not my will. God tells us to trust only God's covenant and wait for the Lord in all things. It is telling you that you must have faith waiting for the Lord in order to fulfill your wishes and receive the covenant God has spoken to you. I hope that you will not become a foolish loser who is disappointed or frustrated by waiting, and that you will become a saint who fulfills the covenant with Soma in order to win over waiting until the end.