The Book of Proverbs
Getting Ready For The Second Greatest Day Of Your Life
Lesson 6 Part 2
Jacob, do you remember Jacob? Marriage is such a wonderful attraction that seven years of hard labor is worth
waiting for. It is like a moment. Let me read to you chapter 29.
Genesis 29
1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth.
3 And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.
4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
6 And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
7 And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.
8 And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.
9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them.
10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father.
13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?
16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.
25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.
34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.
Do you remember Jacob was making a deal to get his wife, and her dad, Laban, tricked him, and gave him the wrong
wife, so he had to wait seven more years? Listen to this. So, Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed
like only a few days to him, because of the love he had for her. That’s Biblical marriage. That seven years would
seem like nothing to wait for that one that you love so much. Psalm 128 says marriage is supposed to be like a
fruitful vine that delightfully grows around our life. How do you get that?
You have to be or become and wait and find a person who believes God designed marriage. What you have to do is
find someone who wants a Genesis 2:18 marriage. You know what God says? For this cause shall a man leave his
father and mother and cleave to his wife. So, there’s leaving and cleaving. Then the next two parts, do you guys
know Genesis 2:18?
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
It’s really the framework of marriage. It says in verse 18, I will make you a helper comparable
to Him. So, you have to see that God has made someone that completely fits into your life.
One of the ways to show this is if this article is printed. What I would do is I would tear this sheet and I
would have two pieces. Then I would bring those two pieces together and show you how they exactly fit to make the
sheet. That’s the Hebrew word comparable, that it exactly conforms, but how does it happen?
Keep going down to Genesis 2:24.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother, that’s severance, and be joined to his wife, that’s
permanence. So, God wants you to sever from all other relationships that you were a part of, and permanently
cleave to the one that He’s given you. It says, And they shall become one flesh, that’s unity.
Genesis 2:25
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Severance, permanence, unity, and then the last one: they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were
not ashamed. Boy, is that ever an interesting verse. Do you know what that talks about? The absolutely amazing part.
It’s not unity by the way, in this verse, it’s not sex. Do you know what intimacy is? It’s what’s missing from most
marriages. Intimacy is an absolutely, transparently shared spiritual, emotional, and mental life together. It’s
totally living with someone where you’re not hiding anything.
You know, most people don’t have a shared life. They have two separate lives. Men, they live with the guys. They’re
always in the gaming stuff that they do, or their sports betting, their fantasy football, they go hunting, they’re
in some kind of a jogging thing, workout thing, and they see their wife and their kids, but they have a life apart.
Women. Do you know what most women do? They’re closer to their mother than their husband. They’re closer to their
sisters than their husbands. They’re closer to their children than their husbands. That’s honestly most marriages
in America. I don’t know about Korea, Taiwan, Canada, and other countries. In America, most women are best
friends with their mothers, their sisters, their kids, not their husbands. Do you know what God says? Let me show
you what God says, okay? Let’s keep going. Marriage is with a person who will correspond to you, that’s what I
just went through here.
A person who will be glued to you permanently. Have you ever seen an envelope that has this sticky stuff on it,
but you can peel it up? It’s a self-stick envelope. So you seal it and then you go, oh, I forgot to put in the
money. So, you carefully undo it, and you put the money in, then you seal it. Have you ever noticed it doesn’t
quite seal the same way? Do you know why many people have very unhappy marriages? Because they have cleaved to
too many people. They’ve stuck, unstuck, stuck. Do you know what dating has become in America? It’s stuck,
unstuck, stuck, unstuck. So, they have lost that complete, permanent relationship. They’ve shared it with too
many people. They’re not glued to their husband or wife.
A person who likes to be home and not always running. Do you know what the goal of marriage is? God says that
you establish a home that becomes your focus. We’re going to see this when I get to Titus in just a minute.
A person who loves children and wants to teach them. Do you know what Paul told women? He said you cannot be
an elder or a pastor. God says a woman cannot be an elder or a pastor. I’m glad I didn’t say that, I would get
in trouble, god said that. But do you know what Paul said to the women? He said you will be saved from second
place as if the husband would be number one. He said the husband is not number one. You are saved from being
second place if you share in having children and becoming a homemaker. Do you know what our culture says is the
greatest thing for you to do? Get a career. You become the greatest ad executive in the world. You become a lawyer,
a partner in a law firm. Forget the kids, forget the husband thing. You need to do that. Boy, I’m glad I’m not
broadcasting this.
I was at a church in California where the pastor actually preached a sermon like that. The Los Angeles newspaper
got wind of it. The next Sunday, there were thousands of people protesting in front of John MacArthur’s church.
Thousands were carrying signs saying, this man is taking us back to the Stone Ages. Before long, he’s going to be
dragging women by the hair behind him like a caveman. All he was doing was reading what I just said from the Bible.
God says you want to have a Christian home and a Christian marriage. Find a person who loves children and wants
to teach them.
God says, find someone that loves children. Find someone who loves to teach
them because if they’re your wife, they’ll be saved from second place because they get to raise the children
and influence them more than anyone else ever will. Also, someone who wants a pure home, someone who keeps
their word.
What is the pathway to usefulness? Turn in your Bibles to Titus 2.
1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much
wine, teachers of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not
blasphemed.
6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil
thing to say of you.
9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering
again;
10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all
things.
(The word “purloin” comes from the Anglo-French verb purluigner, which means “to prolong, postpone, or set aside”.
In the 15th century, English speakers began using the word to describe when someone sets something aside or
conceals it so that it cannot be used by someone else.)
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly,
in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Did you know that Titus 2 is a very unique chapter in the whole Bible? It’s the only chapter that
talks about something. There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible. You all know that, right? There are 1,189 chapters
in the Bible. This is the only chapter in the Bible that in one place has the plan of God for everyone. Look at
this every older man, he text, every older woman, every younger man, younger woman.
2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much
wine, teachers of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not
blasphemed.
6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
Now let me ask you this, who else is there in any church in the world? If you looked at the congregation and said,
okay, this morning I’m going to give a curriculum. By the way, it’s a curriculum, it’s a guide to be followed, a
curriculum. How do you know what a curriculum is? It’s something that’s supposed to be taught. So, Paul says,
teach every older man, older woman, younger woman, younger man. Who else is left in the church? Is there any
other group? Nowadays there would be, right? Because people don’t identify with those labels anymore. But from
God’s perspective, He wrote a curriculum. It’s the only one in the whole Bible. There is no other place where
it says older man, older woman, younger man, younger woman. So let me show you the words.
If you’ve never circled these, you ought to circle them because it becomes very thrilling to read them. Verse 1
of chapter 2, But speak these things which are proper for sound doctrine, that the verse 2, what does it say?
Older men, there they are, and it gives a list. The older women, that’s the second group. Then look at verse 4,
Admonish the younger women. Finally verse 6, the younger men. That’s the only curriculum in one chapter, side by
side, that gives God’s plan, His wisdom. Okay, Titus 2, older men, older women, younger men, younger women,
younger men.
What it gives is, that God gives 12 qualities for godly men and 12 for godly women, I’m going to show them to
you, okay? By the way, here’s my conclusion, Marry someone living a balanced life in an obsessive-compulsive
world. You live in an obsessive-compulsive world. People are like this, pow! Po! Pow! I don’t want to pick on her,
but Taylor Swift just became a billionaire, she’s worth 1.1 billion. Do you know what we found out about her?
When she wears an outfit, all these girls want that outfit. They’ll pay any amount of money to get it. By the
way, the current outfit costs $1,200 and you can have one too, just like Taylor. Do you know what that’s called?
Obsessive-compulsive. You obsess, and you compulsively want that outfit. That’s not the kind of person you want
to marry.
Let’s go through these qualities. A Titus 2 older man. I’ve never said anything original,
it’s all in the Bible anyway. It has the older men, the older women, the younger men.
As for you, the older men should be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, and patient. What is
that? Sober is maintaining a balanced life in an obsessive-compulsive world. By the way, that word, that Greek
word sober, is the only word that’s in all four lists. God wants you and me to be sober which means mind under
His control.
Reverent. Getting serious about God in an amused world. Temperate, living wisely in a foolish world. Sound in faith.
That Greek word, it’s the word hygieno, hygiene, like medical. It means guarding your mind. Some people will do
anything to sterilize silverware, I mean they don’t want any germs. Yet they’ll let anything go in through their
eyes to their mind that pollutes you worse than any germ. So, we should guard a healthy mind. Our world is sick.
Sound in love. Did you know if you play too many video games and just watch too much stuff the cruel world will
start being on you and you will not have compassion and a tender heart? God says to guard your tenderheartedness
so that you have compassion for suffering people. Sound in patience. Do you know what a lot of people get? They
get hopeless. God says in Psalm 92 that older people should be in the greatest days of their lives. That’s His
plan.
What are younger men supposed to be like? Sober-minded, same word, living a restrained life in a lust-filled world.
Showing yourself a pattern. Most young men should decide that they want to be a pattern for others to follow.
Believing right so you behave right, that’s why doctrine’s important. Focused on God in a world of distractions,
which is reverence. I love this one, incorruptible, keeping an uncorroded life in a decaying world, sound in
speech. What you speak reflects God.
Now for the women. Older women, I love this one, reverent in behavior. That Greek word is hieroprepes. In most
Greek cities, the temple was outside the city, about a mile. I don’t know if you know that. If you go on the
trip to Asia, to Turkey, you’ll find the temple of Diana is a mile outside of town. The temple of Diana.
Why? Because people couldn’t come before their gods anytime they wanted. They put a wall around it and the only
way to get to the temple was a little road that had walls the whole way. It was called the sacred way. If you
go to Athens, there’s a sacred way. If you go to any city, there’s a sacred way. Rome, all of them had a sacred
way to the temple. If you wanted to go see the god, you came up to the gate, you knocked, and said I have an
offering for Zeus. Then from inside the gate a woman would come, dressed in white, kind of like Lord of the Rings,
Galadriel, or whatever her name was. You know that one in the white robe. They come out and they go, okay, take
a bath, put on a robe, I’ll lead you. And they would go like this, motion them in, and the people would walk
behind them.
A hieroprepes was a woman who represented the gods. That’s the first word in the description, that the older
women likewise, that they are hieroprepes. That they are a woman that says to people, hey, follow me. I’ll take
you to God. You do what I do. You follow me. You listen to me. I’m headed toward God. That’s the highest goal.
That’s the first quality God says I want in every woman, that your life if someone watches you and follows you,
they can tell you’re headed toward God. Paul used a word from the culture that riveted the minds.
Do you know this list became the curriculum of the Early Church? This is what they taught in the 1st, 2nd, and
3rd centuries. This is why the Roman world was transformed by the Church. People couldn’t believe Christianity,
that the older women were not slanderers. See, not slanderers. Did you know that’s the name of Satan? Diabolos?
Is someone that slanders? Satan is a slanderer. He accuses people before God.
Not given to much wine. Most older women were so depressed in the Roman world, that they drank all the time.
Teachers of good things. They become a model, a teacher, and they invest in others. They admonish the young women.
But now look at the younger women. I love this. What’s the first thing every younger woman was to be taught in
the Church? To love their husband. Not to have the greatest career. Not to have the greatest skin or the greatest
figure. To learn how to be best friends with her husband. Do you know what that word is? Philandros. It means
your husband’s best friend. What’s in America now? For most women, their best friend is their mom. Their next
best friend is their sister. Their next best friend is their kids. Where’s their husband? I don’t know. He’s
gaming with the guys and working on cars.
Why? Why do men have affairs? Because they’re sinners, but do you know why they have affairs? Because they get
closer to the ladies at work than they are to their own wives. Why do married couples just
grow apart. I was so busy at work, I was never home and the ladies at work became my very best friends.
I lost that closeness with my wife. Now whose fault is that? His. But what was his wife not taught?
To be the very best friend of your husband.
Did you know if you have a very best friend, you know when they’re not your very best friend? You know it
right away. You know when they’re not close to you. See, that’s what a woman was to guard, that her husband
be her very best friend, then love her children, then focus on God, then pursue modesty in an immodest world.
Did you know the sports in the Roman world were immodest? Do you know how many clothes men wore when they played
sports in the ancient world? No clothes. Have you ever seen pictures of Olympic athletes? The discus player is
one of the most famous. What does he have on? Nothing. The only thing they wore in the ancient world was olive
oil. Yeah, they rubbed their bodies with olive oil, and they wore no clothes. Do you know what the word gymnasium
means, where you work out? Gymnós is the Greek word for naked. That’s the word for naked. You know that from
science. Gymnosperms and angiosperms are the two kinds of seeds. The gymnós have no covering. The angios have
a covering. All athletics were naked. In a very immodest world, Christian women were supposed to be modest,
homemakers, good, and obedient to their husbands.
God designed marriage to be the most public display of His plan and purpose for the
world to see. We are supposed to go out and live in a dark, hopeless world that’s chasing after elusive
pleasures and never finding them and radiating Christ.
How do we do that?
Ephesians 5.
1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know*, that no* whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather* reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein* is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one* flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless* let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
How do we reflect Christ? We do it like the Church is supposed to reflect their love for Christ. I’m just
going to go through these. How does Christ reflect His love to the Church? He loves us every day. He sacrifices
for us. He cleanses us. He affirms us and nurtures us. Do you ever think of all the reasons why you love the Lord?
You know He loves you. You know He sacrificed Himself. You know He offers to cleanse us any time that we need His
forgiveness. He affirms and nurtures, protects, and pursues. He never gives up on us. Do you ever think the Lord’s
going to give up on you? That’s how husbands are supposed to love. Remember it says husbands love your wives
like Christ loves His Church. A husband is supposed to love his wife every day, sacrifice for her, make sure
everything’s clear in their marriage, and affirm them.
A wife is supposed to respond like the Church does. How are we supposed to respond to Christ? We follow Him,
we honor Him, we respond, we enjoy Him, follow, feel, seek time with Him, and love His plan. That kind of a
marriage is that kind of a marriage of the bride and groom, but that is the rarest thing in the world.
“Only one life to live and soon is past
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Hoping to make the time I have left count for the glory of God.
Lesson 6 The Book of Proverbs Getting Ready For The Second Greatest Day Of Your Life Part 2