Proverbs 16:1

Well, turn in your Bibles with me to Proverbs chapter 16 and verse 1. And tonight is gonna mark the beginning of a new sort of mini series that we're gonna do on Wednesday nights. And I'm not sure yet exactly how many weeks we're gonna do, but we are just gonna start working through Proverbs chapter 16, one verse per week, and just meditate on these Proverbs. And so tonight, we are in verse one, and Proverbs 16, one says, the plans of the heart belong to man. But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. And I'd like to make three observations from this text. And the first is this. This proverb reminds us that there exists a mysterious harmony between God's sovereignty and human choice. This reminds us that there exists a mysterious harmony between God's sovereignty and human choice. It says that the plans of the heart belong to man. So in man's heart, he considers options, he chooses a path, and he makes plans accordingly. But it also says the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. So the very organ through which man reveals his heart. And one of the key ways that we put our plans into practice, the tongue answers from the Lord. Now elsewhere, scripture so closely connects man's tongue with his heart that Jesus says, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And yet here, it attributes the activity of those two organs to two different actors. The planning of the heart is of man, but the answering of the tongue is of God. And that's why I say there exists a harmony within our own being between the activity of man and the activity of God. God directs the answers of our tongue. God directs our steps. If you look just a few verses ahead to Proverbs chapter 16, verse nine, it says, the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. God even directs our hearts themselves. In Proverbs 21, verse 1, it says, So in other words, God is sovereign over everything we do and every decision we make, but at the same time, man still plans his way. Man's still fully accountable for his words, and man still willingly chooses his steps. There's perfect harmony between God's sovereignty and human choice. But it's a mysterious harmony, because at least in this life, we just can't fully understand how those two realities fit together. We can simply trust God's word that they do. And this mystery shouldn't frustrate us, it shouldn't discourage us, and it certainly shouldn't cause us to doubt God or his word. It should fill us with awe and wonder at who our God is and how nothing is too hard for him. how God is never responsible for evil, but he can still use it for good, and how God can create free moral agents like us who can love and think and make real willing choices while maintaining perfect control over all that is. So, Brothers and sisters, let's first of all just marvel at this reality, this mysterious harmony between God's sovereignty and human choice. Now, the second observation from this proverb is that this proverb assures us that in spite of man's planning, God's purposes always stand. In spite of man's planning, God's purposes always stand. So in other words, not only is there a mysterious harmony between God's sovereignty and human choice, But there's a certain priority to the sovereignty of God. His plans and purposes always stand, but man's do not. And this priority becomes clear if you try switching the proverb around. So it says, the plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. But what if it said, the plans of the heart belong to God, but the answer of the tongue is from man? Would that mean the same thing? And I think the answer is no, not quite. Because there's something significant about the order and the relationship between planning and answering. Plans are often many and varied and they're always theoretical. But the answer of the tongue is the thing that actually happens in reality. Now the point isn't that God is sovereign only over the speaking part and not the planning part. But the emphasis is that God's sovereign determination is over what actually happens in the end. And so really this proverb echoes Proverbs 19.21, which says, Now let me illustrate this by an example. Remember the story of Esther. And particularly the point when Haman appears before the king, planning to speak with him about having Mordecai hung on the gallows that he had just built for him. But then before Haman can ask the king his question, the king asks him a question and the king says, what should be done for the man whom the king delights to honor? And Haman thinks to himself, well, who would the king delight to honor more than me? And of course, Haman already had plans for how he would like to be honored. In fact, he clearly spent a lot of time thinking about that. And so Haman says, for the man whom the king delights to honor, Let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set, and let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor. So Haman planned, and Haman answered, but as Proverbs 16 verse 1 says, the answer of the tongue was from the Lord. Because Haman's answer didn't serve to fulfill Haman's plans to honor himself, but the Lord's purpose to honor the man whom the Lord delighted to honor. And so to Haman's horror, the king responded, hurry, take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai, the Jew, who sits at the king's gate, leave out nothing that you have mentioned. And so friends, we see that the plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. Or consider the story of Joseph and his brothers and how the brothers see Joseph coming in the distance and they say, here comes that dreamer. Let's kill him and we will see what will become of his dreams. And then Judah speaks up from motivated by nothing but greed saying, well, if we kill him, what good is that? Why not just sell him? And yet little does Judah realize that he words of his tongue. The answer of his tongue was actually of the Lord, not to exterminate Joseph's dreams, but to fulfill them. And in fact, the very words with Judah intended for harm, the Lord intended for good. Or finally, consider Caiaphas, the high priest. You know, remember right after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the Jewish leaders became concerned that, you know, everybody is going to believe in this man, Jesus, this one that they thought was nothing but a false prophet and a radical insurrectionist, and they feared that Jesus would bring about the ruin of their place and nation. And then Caiaphas stepped forward with a plan, saying, do you not understand that it is better for one man to die for the people than that the whole nation should perish. And with that justification, the plot to kill Jesus began. And of course, really, that wicked scheme was simultaneously the means through which the sovereign purpose of God was established as well. And in fact, Caiaphas, with his own tongue, unwittingly spoke the truth of the gospel itself. As John the Evangelist explains, he says, And so friends, we see that the plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. And we can be assured that no matter how many are the plans of man's heart, and no matter how wicked his schemes, the purpose of the Lord, that will stand. And that brings us to our third and final observation from this proverb. This proverb encourages us that God is able to give us the words to speak when we need them. It encourages us that God is able to give us the words to speak when we need them. So not only is there a mysterious harmony between God's sovereignty and human choice, and not only does this harmony assure us that God's purposes rather than human plans will succeed, it also encourages us that God uses weak, ignorant people like us as his instruments to accomplish his purposes. And as we just saw, if he can do that with wicked men who plan and scheme contrary to his purposes, how much more can he do it through the tongues of his own redeemed people who actually want to glorify his name? And friends, this should be such an encouragement to us. I mean, just think for a moment about all the ways that we are called to use our tongues to serve the Lord in evangelism. in parenting, in giving friends advice, in counseling one another, in giving a reason for the hope that's within us, or giving an answer when we're confronted with a decision. And if you're like me, quite often you think, I don't know what to say. I'm not sure if any of my plans, any of my thoughts are any good at all. And even if I think that I do know what should be communicated, will I really be able to articulate it? Do I really have anything helpful to say? Well, friends, the wonderful encouragement of this proverb is that God is able to sanctify our stammering tongue to fulfill his purposes. Think of Moses, who said, Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, but I am slow of speech and of tongue. And God replied, who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak. And remember Isaiah, who saw the glory and the holiness of God and cried out, woe is me, I am undone. For I have seen the Lord of hosts, the King. And he says, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips. But then God sent the angel with the tongs and the burning coal from the altar, and it touched his lips. And the angel said, behold, your sin is taken away and your iniquity atoned for. And then God sent him forth to go and proclaim his word to his people. And friends, in the same way, God in Christ has sanctified us. And he sanctified our mouths, having brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, so that we might now proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light. And so, let's be bold evangelists. Let's be faithful counselors, and let's present our members, including our mouths, as instruments to God that he might use us, stammering, ignorant, and ineloquent as we are, to convey his truth and to establish his purposes. Because the plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. And finally, just consider that when you're tempted to fear a situation that you just won't have the answer for. Remember the words of Christ to his disciples when he sent them out in Luke chapter 12. And he said, Just what an amazing thought. God himself will give you the words in the midst of this most fearful hour. And how often God chooses to bless even, you know, the words we speak and it feels like just bricks, like I didn't have anything helpful to say. And yet, just as we speak the word of God, how the Lord uses that and how he proves this the case, that the plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the Lord, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. Amen. Let's pray. Our Father, we just marvel tonight at your sovereignty, We rejoice knowing that your good purposes will stand over against the wicked schemes of wicked men and also over against the foolish plans that we make for ourselves. And God, we thank you that as your people, you give us the great joy and privilege of being able to speak words of life and truth and hope and joy and peace by sharing your word. and the way that you have sanctified our mouths for your purpose and for your glory. And we pray all these things in Jesus' name, amen.