The Hope Of The Nation

Proverbs 24:15-16 KJV Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: 16 For A JUST MAN FALLETH SEVEN TIMES, and RISETH UP AGAIN: but THE WICKED SHALL FALL INTO MISCHIEF.

Think about those words for just a minute. It starts out as a warning.

Let’s Talk About The “Wicked” First

Proverbs 24:15 KJV LAY NOT WAIT, O WICKED [man], against the DWELLING OF THE RIGHTEOUS; spoil not his resting place

Word Study: That Old English “LAY NOT WAIT” is the Hebrew ‘al ‘āraḇ, which means “to ambush, to lurk and sneak around in order to do harm”. The word “man” is added by the King James translators. The warning to the wicked, to those who will not follow the Word of God, that the wicked that seek to ambush the home of the children of God will not succeed.

God looks after His children. “The Angel of the Lord sets up camp around those who fear the Lord – and He will deliver them” (Psalm 34:7). And again, “The Lord will not forsake His saints, but they are PRESERVED FOREVER: but the children of the wicked WILL BE CUT OFF” (Psalm 37:28)

Who are “the WICKED”? The wicked are those who refuse to hear God and His Word. The Bible says

“the wicked WILL NOT SEEK AFTER GOD. God is NOT IN ALL HIS THOUGHTS” (Psalm 10:4).

The wicked mock and ignore God, and His Son Jesus. When God calls them, they ignore His call. They prefer to walk in their own way, defining their own lives regardless as to His command.

To be “wicked” a person need only ignore God and His Word. A “wicked” person may be moral, but in action detached from God.

Proverbs 15:9 (AP) The WAY {dereḵ, the way of life, the journey} OF THE WICKED is an ABOMINATION {tôʿēḇâ, disgusting} unto the Lord: but God LOVES HIM THAT FOLLOWS AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS

When Jesus came to this earth, He called people to His side. “Follow Me. Walk with Me”. God calls everyone to walk with Him. Listen to me, Beloved. God would save the wicked if he or she would hear His call, repent, and come. God calls them. God calls all to salvation.

“God so loved THE WORLD that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH ON HIM SHALL NOT PERISH, but have EVERLASTING LIFE” (John 3:16).

God calls everyone to salvation. God cries out to the wicked, to those enslaved in sin and to Satan. While you are alive, God calls. He says …

Isaiah 55:7 Let the WICKED FORSAKE HIS WAY, and the UNRIGHTEOUS MAN HIS THOUGHTS: and let him RETURN UNTO THE LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for HE WILL ABUNDANTLY PARDON.

God says “The Door is for all. Jesus is the Door. FORSAKE YOUR WAY, and follow HIM WHO IS THE WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE (John 14:6)”. If you will hear His call, REPENT, and come to Him Who so loved you He gave His life for you, “OUR GOD WILL ABUNDANTLY PARDON”.

Religious People Who Do Not Walk With Jesus
Hate Those Who Walk With Jesus

The wicked hate the righteous. When Jesus walked this earth doing good, the wicked stalked Him and sought to overthrow Him. The most wicked were the wolves in sheep clothing, the Pharisees. They followed after Jesus, constantly picking at Him, seeking to destroy His resting place. The Bible warns us of these religious but detached from God people:

Titus 1:15-16 NKJV – To the PURE {katharos} all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but IN WORKS THEY DENY JESUS, being abominable, disobedient, and DISQUALIFIED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK.

Preach! Those who are righteous (Greek katharos, blameless, those who are surrendered to Christ) seek the Lord, work for the Lord. Those who are wicked are detached from God – and no good work is right in God’s eyes unless it is to the glory of Jesus.

The religious but unsaved – the wicked hypocrite – “IN WORKS THEY DENY (JESUS)”. They follow after idols. They will not hear the Word of God unless they can modify it. They do not do the GOOD WORK that every believer is expected to do. They are drawn toward darkness, not toward light.

Illustrate How Would God Think?: I had a Craftsman© ratchet wrench – ½ inch drive, long handle, very expensive – lock up and go bad. I always bought Craftsman© because they had a lifetime warranty, no receipt needed. If it broke, you just returned it. They either repaired it, or gave you a new one. I thought when Sears© closed, that the warranty was gone. It’s not. Stanley© tools took over the brand. You can go online and get a replacement. So I did. They told me they would send me a new replacement in two weeks. I waited, and finally came home to find my replacement. UPS© delivered it.

It was an empty envelope! Literally!

The UPS© driver came to my house, parked his truck, took an absolutely empty envelope out of the truck, and walked 50 feet to my front door. He or she (whoever the rascal was) laid an envelope that had “Three Pounds” stamped on the front of it – an unpadded envelope that couldn’t have weighed three ounces – on my doorstep. That rascal then texted me that the package was delivered.

I was furious! Wouldn’t you be?

I contacted both Stanley© and UPS© and expressed my ire at my replacement. Supposedly they’re working on the problem. So, what does this have to do with the wicked? Other than the fact that I think the driver was wicked and stupid to deliver an empty envelope, that envelope – which looked like my replacement – was useless to me.

As angry as I was at that empty envelope, how do you think God feels when someone poses as one of His children, but NEVER DOES ANYTHING to honor Him or to be of use to the Kingdom of God? I suspect God is furious! What do you think?

Those who claim to be children of God, but who practice only lawlessness, rejecting following Jesus, are in reality wicked. These people have always been around. These wicked people pretend to be children of God, but lie in ambush for God’s people. They “have a FORM or ILLUSION OF GODLINESS, but they DENY ITS POWER” (2 Timothy 3:5).

The Righteous May Fall, But They Rise
To The Light, Not The Darkness

Proverbs 24:16 KJV For A JUST MAN FALLETH SEVEN TIMES, and RISETH UP AGAIN: but THE WICKED SHALL FALL INTO MISCHIEF.

Now when we speak of the “WICKED”, we’re talking about those whose WAY OF LIFE is separate from the clear teaching of God’s Word. There are a lot of religious people who justify actions that God has condemned as “WICKED” or “ABOMINATIONS” in order to please man and not God. But I want to be very careful to say this plainly:

“A JUST MAN FALLETH”

Those who are saved by faith in Christ – justified by God’s Grace – can fall into desire and sin. The Bible is full of examples.

At last year’s Revival (September 21, 2025) I preached a message from 2 Kings 4:38-41 called “There’s Poison in The Pot”. While the Prophet Elisha was ministering in Gilgal, he had several young preachers he was training. The Bible tells us:

2 Kings 4:38 … there was FAMINE in the land

Elisha sent his cook out to forage in Gilgal, to find things that would make a stew for those who followed the Lord. The Cook made a mistake that many have made when foraging – he picked up the wrong gourd. Just like you can find wild mushrooms that are edible, you can also find wild mushrooms that will kill you. The same is true of gourds. The Cook got hold of some wild gourds, cut them up, and made a stew.

Then everyone sat down to eat. Once they started eating,
They cried out to Elisha

2 Kings 4:40 … O thou man of God, there is DEATH IN THE POT

The righteous fall. The righteous mess up. God’s children are not perfect – but they love the Lord. What happened next was fascinating. Elisha told the Cook, “Bring me qemaḥ (flour)”. Elisha threw the flour in the pot and – here’s what you might have missed – when he threw the flour in the pot, it not only took the poison out of the pot, but IT NEUTRALIZED THE POISON THE DISCIPLES HAD ALREADY EATEN. Back to our text.

Proverbs 24:16 KJV A JUST MAN FALLETH SEVEN TIMES, and RISETH UP AGAIN

Preach: The Cook didn’t mean to make a poison stew – but he fell. The Preachers didn’t mean to eat a poison stew – but they did. Elisha didn’t mean to appoint a man who would poison his whole crew with bad food – but he did. Guess what? The Justified – the Saved by Grace – those who love the Lord FALL, but they “RISE UP AGAIN”.

When you read through the Bible, it is painfully honest about those whom God has saved. The only Perfect Person without sin that you ever see is Jesus Christ. All the others are flawed.

1. King David – a man after God’s own heart – did WICKED THINGS. He stole another man’s wife, then had that man murdered to cover up what he did. Yet when confronted with his sin, David “ROSE UP AGAIN” and grabbed the nail scarred hand of Jesus. “I acknowledge my transgressions – my sin is ever before me. Against You, and You only O Lord, I have sinned and done wickedly in Your sight” (Psalm 51:3-4).

2. The Apostle Peter declared that he alone would stand with Jesus when all others failed. But Jesus knew Peter would deny Him three times – before the rooster crowed. Peter’s intention was good, but he allowed FEAR to drive him. The third time he denied Jesus, the Bible says “The Lord turned, and looked at Peter. Peter remembered what Jesus had said, and left Him, WEEPING BITTERLY” (Luke 22:61-62). Yet Peter “ROSE UP AGAIN” and, after Christ’s ascension into Glory, preached boldly and without fear of death until his life was taken away by crucifixion.

3. The Great Prophet Moses was a faithful servant of the Lord (Numbers 12:7). But when Israel got to Kadesh, and there was no water there, the congregation threatened Moses and Aaron. God told Moses to “Take your rod, and you and Aaron gather the people before the dry rock. SPEAK TO THE ROCK and it will yield its water” (Numbers 20:8). But Moses allowed anger against the people to control him. He stood in front of the rock, crying out to the people:

Numbers 20:12 (LSB) Listen now, you rebels; shall WE BRING FORTH WATER for you out of this rock?

Striking the rock, God in His Grace allowed water to come from the rock. But Moses lost the Promised Land. Why? Because his action detracted from Jesus. It robbed God of the glory He should have received.

Yet the Bible tells us that – though he died just short of the Jordan River – God Himself buried Moses (Deuteronomy 34:5-6). A “JUST MAN FALLS seven times, but RISES UP AGAIN”.

As to the word “SEVEN”, it is not just saying those who are God’s children by faith in Christ will only fall seven times. The number SEVEN is symbolic. God rested on the SEVENTH DAY, for creation was finished.

If you are saved by faith in Christ, you are God’s cherished possession, God’s son by adoption. In this life you will have falls – but no fall for the one who loves Christ is fatal or final.

We see this repeated often throughout Scripture. Listen to this Psalm:

Psalm 37:16-24 NKJV – A LITTLE THAT A RIGHTEOUS MAN HAS IS BETTER THAN THE RICHES OF THE WICKED. 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the LORD UPHOLDS THE RIGHTEOUS. 18 The LORD knows the days of the upright, And THEIR INHERITANCE SHALL BE FOREVER. 19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And IN THE DAYS OF FAMINE THEY SHALL BE SATISFIED. 20 But the WICKED SHALL PERISH; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. 21 The WICKED BORROWS AND DOES NOT REPAY, But the RIGHTEOUS SHOWS MERCY AND GIVES. 22 For THOSE BLESSED BY GOD SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH, But [those] cursed by Him shall be cut off. 23 The steps of a [good] man are ORDERED BY THE LORD, And {the Father} DELIGHTS IN HIS WAY. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD UPHOLDS HIM WITH HIS HAND

Those who follow Jesus have much to praise God about! Though we may walk through valleys, and be discounted by the wicked – in the end we shall be abundantly blessed! Eternal life is ours because we love Jesus. That which we promote is not our trademark, but joy in Jesus. The Gospel is the tool that God giver us to light the darkness. We live for Jesus. We love Jesus! We will see Jesus!

The Righteous Are The Hope Of A Nation

Proverbs 24:16 KJV For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but THE WICKED SHALL FALL INTO MISCHIEF.

When the wicked fall, they fall. They don’t get back up. They have never heard the call to salvation, and will not repent. They are their own gods. And in time, the wicked will destroy a nation. The Bible doesn’t say that the wicked MIGHT fall. It says that they SHALL FALL. What do they fall into?

Word Study: The King James uses the word “MISCHIEF”. This is the Hebrew raʿ, which means “bad, wickedness, evil, vicious hurt”. Those who love the Lord Jesus will fail and fall at times. The Prophet wrote:

Micah 7:8-9 NKJV – Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; WHEN I FALL I WILL ARISE; When I sit in darkness, The LORD WILL BE A LIGHT TO ME. 9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I WILL SEE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

When the wicked fall, they continue to fall into wickedness. But those who are saved by Grace are upheld by the hand of God. Dear friends, if you belong to Jesus, you MUST stand with Him and live in His way.

Our nation is in a famine. Not a famine of food and water, but a terrible famine nonetheless. God tells the nations through the Prophets:

Ezekiel 14:12-14 NKJV The word of the LORD came again to me, saying: 13 “Son of man, when A LAND SINS AGAINST ME BY PERSISTENT UNFAITHFULNESS, I will stretch out My hand against it; I WILL CUT OFF ITS SUPPLY OF BREAD, SEND FAMINE ON IT, and CUT OFF MAN AND BEAST FROM IT. 14 “Even [if] these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would DELIVER ONLY THEMSELVES BY THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS,” says the Lord GOD.

God sends famine on a land that rejects Him. Beloved, there is famine in the land. There is famine in America.

Illustrate: I recently read a news article from financial expert Ted Jenkin entitled “Americans say they’re broke. So why can’t they stop spending so much?”. The first paragraph of the article said:

“Some Americans are crying poverty with a $1,500 iPhone in one hand and an $8 Starbucks latte in the other. They say groceries are unaffordable, but somehow the restaurants are packed, airports are crowded, and the neighbor just pulled into his driveway with a brand-new $90,000 SUV. Apparently, we’re one bad economic report away from bankruptcy and one Instagram post away from booking another trip to Cabo. Consumer confidence is in the basement. Consumer spending apparently didn’t get the memo.”

I’ve asked the same question myself. Americans are crying that they’re impoverished, but they have a cable television subscription that costs hundreds a year. They have “smart phones” and data plans that costs hundreds a month. Restaurants and stores are packed with people spending money – and yet we want more. Why? Because America is in the midst of a famine.

There is a famine of justice. Millions of American taxpayer dollars were embezzled by fraudulent child care centers in Minnesota, and it was uncovered and exposed by journalist Nick Shirley. Rather than fix the problem, nothing has happened to fix the problem other than government cover up.

There is a famine of science and medicine. In 2014, Facebook offered 58 gender options. God says there are only two genders, male and female. Social media promotes much more. Scientifically and biologically there are only two genders, male and female. Yet we now make allowances for “gender identity”, which leads to this famine.

There is a famine of truth. Just because you think it, or just because you are offended, does not establish truth. God established the genders, and God assigned roles to each gender, roles that are not to be disregarded.

There is a famine of morality. Everywhere you look, you see grift and theft. There is a famine in America. Church, God calls on us to rise.

There is a famine of patriotism. I have heard people say that it’s racist to fly the red, white, and blue flag of our nation. People use the riches that God has given this nation, and then castigate it as unfit to live in. People run here illegally from other countries, then bring their national flags with them to celebrate the nation they would not stand up for while in it.

There is a famine of accountability. Every time there is a school shooting, half the nation blames the gun, and seeks to make guns illegal contrary to the Second Amendment. Recently in Oregon, four people – a teacher and three children aged five, eight, and eleven, were killed at Silver Rail Elementary School. A sixteen year old boy – now dead – did it. No one will blame the boy who did the killing, nor the parenting that raised the child. The problem is the GUN.

There is a famine in America – not of riches or affordability. There is a famine of God’s Word. God said:

Amos 8:11-12 NKJV – Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD, “That I WILL SEND A FAMINE ON THE LAND, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, BUT OF HEARING OF THE WORDS OF THE LORD. 12 They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; THEY SHALL RUN TO AND FRO, SEEKING THE WORD OF THE LORD, But shall not find [it].

There is a famine for the Word of God in America today. Because people have chosen wickedness over righteousness, they cannot find happiness. People need the Lord.

People cannot receive the Lord unless they hear the Gospel. The Gospel is God’s gift to the world, and God’s power to the Church. The Gospel is encapsulated in …

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 NKJV – Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you–unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God [which was] with me. 11 Therefore, whether [it was] I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Gospel once delivered is that Jesus died for our sins, and rose again – and that He bids whosoever will to come and follow Him. The Gospel is that we repent and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Following our salvation, we through prayer and study of His Word, do the things that He bids us do.

The Gospel is to walk with Jesus, to follow His way. Jesus said:

Matthew 16:24-27 NKJV – Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Only The Church Can Restore America –
But It Begins With Us

If you’re saved by Grace, you’re saved to live for Jesus. You are a New Creation in Christ. You are called to be the Light of the world. You are to shine by the good that you do. Salvation is not about working your way to Heaven. It’s about living for Jesus as if you are already in Heaven, because that’s why Jesus saved you. He saved you so that you can walk through this life with Him.

As we live for Jesus, do that which He bids we do, we have an effect on the world around us. We can’t afford to sit on the side lines and watch America in famine. People need the Lord Jesus. We, together, need to live for Him. For His glory and honor.

1. Start bringing your Bibles to Church. Mark it during the preaching. Take notes. Learn to be like Christ.

2. Start praying as if Jesus is next to you, for He is.

3. Stop asking “What can Jesus do for me?” and start asking, “What do You want me to do, Jesus?”

4. Begin treating others around you as more than furniture. Treat them with the same love that Jesus gives you every day.

Amen.