In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith gives fatherly exhortations and advice to his son. He emphasizes the importance of not getting caught up in the crowd of drinkers and gluttons, as it can lead to poverty and clouded judgment. Solomon's instructions to his son also include etiquette when dining with a ruler, cautioning against overindulgence. Pastor Chuck encourages listeners to follow after the things of the Spirit, walk in holiness, and experience the love and power of Christ in their lives.

Oh, let the Son of God enfold you With His Spirit and His love Let Him fill your heart and satisfy your soul Oh, let Him have the things that hold you And His Spirit like a dove Will descend upon your life And make you whole Now, I don't know that there's anything so spiritual about the first bit of instruction that we receive here. Just good, practical, sound advice. Now, several times in the 23rd chapter, we're going to be hearing Solomon address his remarks to his son. He's talking about making his father happy, about making his mother proud. And so, these are just sort of fatherly exhortations or fatherly advice to a son. And a part of the training of a son, and a part of the fatherly advice is teaching them certain etiquette. And so, this has to deal more with etiquette, probably, than spiritual things. But he is saying, when you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you. And put a knife to your throat if you're given to appetite. Now, when they come around with those trays of fancy food, don't just scarf up on everything. That's basically what he's saying. Watch what you do, you know. Those little, you know, hors d'oeuvres and all, they're not really to fill up on. And be not desirous, he said, of the dainties, for they are deceitful meat. Now, I'll tell you that is true. The hors d'oeuvres that I've had are deceitful meat. They look good many times. But I have a hard time with them. Well, labor not to be rich. Don't let being rich be your goal in life. Jesus said, don't lay up for yourself treasures on earth where moth and rust can corrupt and decay, treasures that can be stolen by thieves, but rather lay up for yourself treasures in heaven. Paul, in writing to Timothy, warning him about riches, declared, they that will be rich fall into diverse temptations which drown men's souls in perdition. And therefore, the Bible exhorts us, if riches increase, set not your heart upon them. If God has blessed you, prospered you, great, but don't set your heart upon it. Don't labor to be rich. Jesus spoke of the difficulty for the man who trusts in riches to enter into the kingdom of heaven. After the experience where the rich young ruler came and fell at his feet and said, good master, what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life? And he had this interchange with Jesus. And when he heard the reading command or the requirements that Jesus set to him, he went away sorrowful because he was very wealthy. And Jesus said, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of heaven. It's easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle for than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. The problem again with riches, you never can get enough. When can you say, well, I have enough? And with riches, there is no place. There's always that desire for more. So labor not to be rich and cease from your own wisdom. That is your own conniving and all to get rich. Will you set your eyes upon that which is not? A fallacy that is quite common is that riches are the cure to every problem. If I was just rich, you know, I wouldn't have any problems. Wrong. And thus there is that hope of fulfillment. There is that hope of... And it's illusion. He said you're setting your eyes on something which isn't. For riches certainly take wings and they fly away as a eagle toward heaven. You've heard the stories I have too of lost fortunes. You know, people who were millionaires and are now digging ditches. Do not eat the bread of him that hath an evil eye. Now, this is not the evil eye in the sense of some of the superstitious people who think that a person can, you know, give you some kind of a weird look and put a hex on you. And the Muslims over in Israel, and I've seen some here, have these little hands that are sort of on a spring, on a suction cup they put in the back window of the car. And, you know, as the car is bumping down the road, the hand going like this. The idea is to ward off the evil eye. Now, I've had some... I've looked in the rear view mirror and seen some evil eyes when I've done some dumb things in the car. But this is not a reference to an evil eye as though someone can put a hex on you. Sometimes fighters have guys in their corner, you know, that will look weird at the other boxer trying to put an evil eye and a hex on him and all. It's amazing what people do and believe. But this is an eye that is towards evil. Jesus said, if thine eye be evil. And he warns about having an eye towards evil or evil things. So don't eat the bread of that person who has an eye towards evil and neither desire his dainty meats. So watch out for the ruler's deceitful meats and his dainties and watch out for the dainty meat of the man whose eye is towards evil. For as he thinks in his heart, so he is. And he will say to you, eat and drink. But his heart is not with you. So when I was a young pastor in Tucson, Arizona many years ago, there was a sergeant in the Air Force that attended our church and he invited us over for Sunday dinner. And he also invited a fellow that I had known from Santa Monica who also was a sergeant in the Air Force. And they had pot roast. I remember it very clearly. And so it was very good, and we ate it. And so he said, have seconds. Come on, eat seconds. And so it was good, and so I went ahead and took seconds, as did Glenn, my buddy. Then afterwards he said, usually a roast like this will last us all week, but it's sure this one's not, you know. Solomon's talking about something, kind of a guy like that, you know. Eat, man, eat. But he says, his heart isn't with you. Be careful, you know. And the morsel that you've eaten, he said, you'll vomit up. And Rita, I would like to have given him back the meat. If you speak in the ears of a fool, he will despise the wisdom of your words. So you're just wasting your words. You have a guy that is a fool. If you try and reason with him, try to rationalize with him, you're just wasting your time. And so it's just sort of an exhortation. No, don't waste your time trying to instruct a fool. Now, again, remove not the old landmarks. We've had this several times. They were highly respected. In fact, this actually is under the law. It goes back to Deuteronomy. And they had certain laws that they would chant. And the people would say, amen, amen. And one of the laws that they would sort of chant was the law of remove not the landmark. And the people would respond, amen, amen. And so they were held sort of sacred. This is the family's ground. Don't cheat trying to move the pile over a little further to give yourself a little more acreage. And enter not into the fields of the fatherless. Don't take advantage of those that have no defense. For they do have a defense. Their Redeemer is mighty. God watches over the fatherless. God watches over the poor. And He will plead their cause with you. You're going to be contending with God if you try to take advantage of the fatherless or the poor. And the Bible says, woe is he who strives with his Maker. Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to the words of knowledge. And I can hear a dad saying that to his son. Now, son, apply your heart to instruction. Give heed to words of knowledge. Now, again, Solomon is giving advice concerning correcting your children that I don't suggest that you follow in this day and age. Withhold not correction from your child. If you beat him with a rod, he will not die. So you shall beat him with a rod and deliver his soul from hell. If you beat him with a rod, you may deliver his soul from hell, but you'll end in jail. It is true that there is child abuse, and it's a terrible, horrible thing. And because of that, they've had to make restrictive laws. But again, it's... they overstep their bounds. And they take away, in a sense, the parents' rights to their own children. And so the Bible tells us to be in subjection to those who are ruling over us, that we are to obey the laws. And because of the laws that they do have, I say I don't suggest that you follow Solomon's exhortation, though what he's basically saying, you can beat the hell out of your kids, but you better not. Beat him with a rod, you'll deliver his soul from hell. So that's basically what he's saying. My son, if your heart be wise, then my heart will rejoice. How a father rejoices in the wisdom of his son. Yea, he said, my innermost being will rejoice when your lips speak right things. Proud dad, when his son speaks wise things. Then let not your heart envy sinners. In the next chapter, first verse we read, don't be envious against evil men. And then verse 19 of chapter 24, neither be envious of the wicked. Sometimes a person envies the riches of the sinner. As in Psalm 73, when Asaph said that his foot almost slipped, he had almost been wiped out. When he saw the prosperity of the wicked, he became envious of them. Seeing their prosperity, he began to envy. The fact that they had so much. They seemed to have, he said, more than their hearts could wish. And people are just giving them more. And yet here I am, pressured by my bills and can't pay my rent. And so he was envious of the wicked when he saw their prosperity. Envious until God allowed him to see their end, the end of the wicked. Surely thou hast set them in slippery places, as in a moment they will go down into destruction. They'll be wholly consumed with terror. And then he realized how blessed he really was to have God as his guide, as his friend, to receive him into glory at the end of the road. So don't be envious of the sinner, but instead contrast. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. Walk in the fear of the Lord. And the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. The fear of the Lord is that fear that comes from standing in awe of the presence of the creator of the universe. I go down to the beach and I watch the surf on a stormy day. And I just stand there in awe of God's creation. I love it. And that's what the fear of the Lord is. It's actually the reverence, the awe of God as we become aware of his wisdom, his power, his love. Don't be envious of the sinners, for surely, he said, there is an end, and thine expectation shall not be cut off. Walk in the fear of the Lord, considering the end, looking towards the end. And that's always the key. As I walk down the path of life, the path that I have chosen, where will it lead me? Look down the path. Where are you going? When you get to the end, and there is an end, what is at the end of that path? And if you walk the path of iniquity, unrighteousness, the path of sin, the path of the flesh, the end of it is destruction. But if you walk the path of righteousness, daily walking in the fear of the Lord, the end of the path is eternal life with Jesus. So there is an end. And he says, realize that. You're going to get to the end of the road one day, so it's important that you're on the right path. Hear, my son, again, father to son, hear this and be wise and guide your heart in the right way. Don't associate with winebibbers and among gluttonous people, riotous eaters of flesh. For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty and drowsiness shall clothe the man with rags. Don't get caught up in that crowd. Drinkers, gluttons. Jesus warns us concerning the days before his return, the last days, that we should be careful that we not be caught unaware by surprise. As the result, he said, of surfeiting, which is gluttony, and of drinking, so that that day would catch you by surprise. The exhortation of Jesus there in Luke and warning against the same two things, gluttony and drinking, that can sort of cloud your judgment. Solomon said, it'll bring you to poverty, son. Hearken to your father that begat thee, and don't despise your mother when she is old. Buy the truth and sell it not, also wisdom and instruction and understanding. That's the valuable thing in life. That's what you want to really buy. Gain the truth, gain wisdom, gain knowledge, gain understanding. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise child shall have the joy of him. So the father who has a son who's walking in righteousness, what a joy that is, what a blessing to have a son that walks in righteousness and is wise. John, writing in his epistle, said, I have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in truth. My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways. He's warning now concerning the whore. It's a deep ditch. The strange woman is a narrow pit. Son, listen to me. Give me your heart. Give me the attention of your heart. Let your eyes observe my ways. Know this, for she lies in wait as for a prey, and she increases the transgressors among men. We'll return with more of our verse-by-verse study through the book of Proverbs in our next lesson as Pastor Chuck Smith continues with more fatherly exhortations. And we do hope you'll make plans to join us. But right now, I'd like to remind you that if you'd like to secure a copy of today's message, simply order Proverbs 23, verse 1 when you visit thewordfortoday.org. And while you're there, we encourage you to browse the many additional biblical resources by Pastor Chuck. You can also subscribe to the Word for Today podcast or sign up for our email subscription. Once again, all this can be found at thewordfortoday.org. And if you wish to call, our toll-free number is 1-800-272-WORD. And our office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time. Again, that's 1-800-272-9673. For those of you preferring to write, our mailing address is The Word for Today, P.O. Box 8000, Costa Mesa, California, 92628. And now, on behalf of The Word for Today, we'd like to thank all of you who share in supporting this ministry with your prayers and financial support. And be sure to join us again next time as Pastor Chuck continues his verse-by-verse study through the Bible. That's right here on the next edition of The Word for Today. And now, once again, here's Pastor Chuck with today's closing comments. I pray that God will make this a very special week for you, that you might follow after the things of the Spirit, that He'll protect and shield you from those influences of the world that are so prevalent. We're surrounded by them on all sides, but may the Lord just put a shield around you. And may you walk in holiness and in purity and in righteousness before Him. And may the love of Christ just dwell in your hearts richly as you experience His love and power working in and through your life. In Jesus' name. Amen. Have you ever thought about the simple phrase, God loves you? This just might be the most important truth you could ever grasp, that God has called you into a loving relationship with Himself. Unfortunately, many of us have been brought up to think that we need to earn God's love. In Chuck Smith's book, Why Grace Changes Everything, Pastor Chuck imparts years of wisdom from his own experiences. How he thought he had to work hard and deny his own desires for God to love him, but when he unlocked the secret to God's grace, this changed everything. Come alongside Pastor Chuck to discover an astonishing truth about your relationship with Jesus Christ, that it's not based upon your works, but based upon God's love for you. It's true, grace changes everything. To find out more and to read a preview, visit the wordfortoday.org and click on the link to download Why Grace Changes Everything by Chuck Smith. Or if you'd like to order this book in print, call the Word for Today at 800-272-9673. This program has been sponsored by the Word for Today in Costa Mesa, California.