TRUNEWS with Rick Wiles - Date: Jan. 26, 2026. Lesson: 16-2026. Title: The Question No One Can Answer

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

Proverbs 20:7–9 highlights the blessing that flows from integrity and the sobering limits of human righteousness. The just man walks in uprightness, leaving a legacy of blessing for his children. Yet the passage ends with a penetrating question: who can truly say they have cleansed their own heart or stand free from sin? In today’s Morning Manna, Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart explore how integrity shapes generations, why moral self-confidence is misplaced, and how these verses quietly point beyond human virtue to the need for God’s cleansing grace. Lesson 16-2026 Teachers: Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart You can partner with us by visiting MannaNation.com, calling 1-888-519-4935, or by mail at PO Box 399 Vero Beach, FL 32961. MEGA FIRE reveals the ancient recurring cycles of war and economic collapse that have shaped history for 600 years. These patterns predict America is now entering its most dangerous period since World War II. Get your copy today! www.megafire.world Get high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves! www.AmericanReserves.com It’s the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today! www.Amazon.com/Final-Day Apple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books! www.books.apple.com/final-day Purchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today. www.Sacrificingliberty.com

Well, good morning, everybody. Welcome to Morning Manna. We're absolutely delighted that you have set aside this time to be with us to study the Word of God. What's taking place is a global, worldwide virtual Bible study class. We meet every Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. Eastern Time, USA, at manna nation.com. And you are invited. Wherever you are in the world, I know of different time zones, is not going to be 8 a.m. Eastern Time, USA, at manna nation.com. And you are invited. Wherever you are in the world, I know of different time zones is not going to be 8 a.m. where you live, if you're in Europe or Africa, other places all the world. But you are welcome to join us, 8 a.m. Eastern Time at manna nation.com. There's a large group of people who gather there and also over at our YouTube channel, which is Rick Wiles today. And we would like to have you there. So we are studying the book of Proverbs. We're in the 20th chapter. And today we're looking at verses seven through nine. Doc, I'm going to pray, invite the Holy Spirit, then I'll have you read the verses.

We'll begin our lesson. Almighty God, Father in heaven, we pray to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Father, as your sons and daughters, we come to your breakfast table, desiring to be fed by your spirit. So our mouths are open, and we ask, Father, that you fill our spirit.

with knowledge, with wisdom, with discernment and understanding. For the glory of your son, Jesus Christ, in His name we pray. Amen. Amen. All right. Well, we're glad to have you here with us on a Monday morning here on Morning Manor. We're so privileged to have you here with us. Today's lesson, if you follow along with this, is lesson 16-2026. That's 16-226.

and we're continuing our study in the book of Proverbs. And we're going to be focusing our attention today on Proverbs chapter 20 verses 7 through 9. If you have your Bibles, I encourage you get them out, follow along with me, read along with me. Always try to encourage you to read out loud if you can. If you're in a position to do so, I always think that's an important thing to do. Get the Word of God out there with your voice. but I'll read here in the King James this morning The just man walketh in his integrity

His children are blessed after him A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment Scattereth away all evil with his eyes And verse 9 Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin God bless the reading of his word today

Okay Now the way we teach the word The method that we use, we go verse by verse and we break each verse into segments. Usually two, sometimes three segments, and we drill down inside each segment to get the full meaning of the verse. Also, when we are in the Old Testament scriptures, we read both the King James translation and the English translation of the Greek Septuagint. Proverbs 20, verse 7, the King James says, The just man walketh in his integrity. His children are blessed after him.

The Septuagint translation says, He that walks blameless injustice shall leave his children blessed. All right, let's begin with the first part of this verse. The just man walketh in his integrity. day. We need to begin by defining the just man or the just woman. They are not sinless, but they are righteous. The just man or the just woman has been justified by faith in Christ and lives in a covenant loyalty to and with God. The term just describes a person who stands in right relationship with God,

both by God's gracious verdict and by living an upright, consistent life. Again, it does not mean that they are sinless. It does not mean that they have not failed along the way. It does mean that no matter what happens in their journey through life, they always return to God in a spirit of humility and repentance. If that's you, you're just.

The Hebrew word means, as for just, means wholeness, completeness, innocence. It implies a life that is not fractured by the pussy. The just man or the just woman is the same in the dark as he is in the light. Yes.

The same at home as he or she is in the marketplace. The just man or just man or woman walks in his or her integrity. So what is it, the integrity? The integrity is the visible fruit of a heart that is right with God. It means living the same in private as in public, keeping your word, fearing the Lord. The just person has aligned his or her life with God's divine order and God's character, reflecting the righteousness that has been imputed to him or her through Christ. This integrity is not perfection. It is perseverance. The righteous stumble, but they rise again. And we'll study that later in our study of Proverbs, Proverbs 24 verse 16.

in his integrity. Yes. The verb implies continuous action. It's not past tense. It's present tense. He or she is walking in their integrity. It pictures a steady course. Not an occasional act.

This person's whole character of life is marked by, again, wholeness, sincerity, transparency before God. Integrity is not a, I should say, integrity is a daily habit. It's not an occasional act of religiosity. It's the way the person lives day after day. I'm glad that you brought out that point that integrity is not perfection, Rick. How do we know this?

It says here in this verse that the just man walketh. Well, what happens if a just man falls? Well, Scripture has a response to that too. You mentioned this verse that we'll be studying in a few weeks, Preverbs 2416. It says, for a just man falleth seven times, but riseth up again, but the wicked shall fall in the mischief.

In order to fall, you need to be walking first, right? And so the idea is that you may fall, but you don't stay down. You get back up and walk. more. That's what a just man does. And Proverbs 24, it's saying a just man or woman falls seven times, not just

once in life. Yes. And the seven isn't meant to be, well, if it's eight times, you're out. No, the seven is meant, no matter how many times it happens. As long as you get back up again and rise up again, but don't fall into mischief.

That's the difference there. That's the difference. But we'll do deep dive in that in a few weeks, but this verse here is teaching that true righteousness is proven each and every day, not in big, glorious grand gestures of some kind, but in steady faithfulness. The just person's integrity springs from the fear of the Lord and the idea of that renewing grace that he provides. God himself has made the man or the one. the just man or woman, straight inside, and therefore his steps are straight on the outside. Presbyterian Theologian Matthew Hemery said that such a man governs himself by a fixed rule,

keeps a good conscience, and is free for inward unrest that hogs those who walk in deceit. Baptist pastor John Gill sees this just man as one made righteous by Christ's obedience, who then walks by faith, the just shall live by faith, and according to the truth of the gospel, so that his daily conduct reflects his standing. So it's not perfection, as you said, but it is daily integrity. And getting back up again and again and again, Rick.

Yes. Doc, it says the just man, and again, it can be woman, the just man, the just woman, walketh. it suggests that he or she may be walking through life alone. Right. We live in a corrupt society. It was corrupt in Solomon's day. It's even worse today and getting more corrupt every year.

But it was just a week or so ago that we studied, well, it was verse chapter 20. It hasn't been that long ago where Solomon said, faithful men, are rare, where can you find them? So to me this implies that the just person is living a fairly lonely life. There's not a high population of just people, Doc. They're hard to find. And when you find another person who is upright and just, you need to befriend them and You need to keep that person in your life.

So the just man or the just woman maintains his or her course through life, regardless of what the crowd is doing. The believer, the Christian believer, both cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Walking in integrity requires making deliberate choices. Yes. refusing crooked financial gain refusing to

participate in deceit, half truth, whatever people want to call their lives, okay? Refusing to compromise, even when it's costly, you have to make choices.

And walking in integrity often means walking away from quick gain, from easy money, that just man or woman chooses a clean conscience over a overflowing bank account. They have to make a choice.

So the image here is a man or woman walking a straight path, unwavering, even when the road is difficult, even when it's sometimes hard to see. This walk is really the most powerful sermon that a parent can preach to their children. Yes. Youngsters rarely listen to what their parents say, but they never fail to imitate what they see and hear their parents do.

You're exactly right, Rick. And ultimately, the just man walks in integrity. And that walking in integrity, guess what it does again? It points to Christ, just like we've seen all throughout Proverbs. here pointing to Jesus. Jesus was the perfectly righteous one who walked in flawless integrity and blesses all of us as his children forever. We get to rest in that righteousness and that sanctification and that if you will that justness in him. One of our commentators Methodist Adam Clark said he walks in his integrity. He has a high sense of honor and a tender conscience.

He deals justly with all men, Rick. Yes. William Arnaut said the just man's walk is a life of consistent holiness. It is a visible track across the desert of this world. Yes. And Baptist John Gill said he walks in his integrity, speaking the truth, in performing his promises, he is upright in his specific generation. Okay, now let's go to the second part of this verse. It says his children are blessed after him. Yes.

His children or her children, the offspring of a righteous man or woman. And this includes both literal children born from your flesh, also spiritual descendants, people who are influenced by your life. They are your children. It says that they are blessed. The word blessed means happy. They receive divine favor. They receive divine protection, divine provision.

They receive a spiritual inheritance. It's not always material, but it is a blessing from heaven. It says, his children are blessed after him. After him, and again, it could be after her. It means in his or her footsteps, in their legacy. The blessings flow generationally through the righteous person's examples and prayers. Solomon connects the parent's character directly to their children's future. It doesn't necessarily mean a large financial bank account,

but it could also include the spiritual blessing of a good name, divine favor through years of life. Doc, I am convinced. I am absolutely convinced that my life over the years has been blessed from the legacy of Christian relatives I had in my family. Right. Now, my mom and dad were not Christians, But my parents, my grandparents were, and their families were Christians.

I had a lot of Christians around me. They just weren't in my home where I grew up. My mom and dad were not saved. But I had a lot of Christians who prayed for me as a child, prayed for me as a young man. And they lived a good life. They were hardworking, honest, good people. And I believe I'm receiving the residue. blessings from their lives. I agree, yes. So the challenge, what Solomon is saying to us here is,

what are you leaving for your children and grandchildren? The way that you live for Christ determines the blessing that's going to be on your children and grandchildren for generations to come. Right. The King James says his children are blessed after him. The Septuagin says, shall leave his children blessed. King James says they are blessed. Septuagint says they shall be blessed. All right. It implies the blessing continues

after the parents are gone. A righteous life casts a long shadow. The prayers that parents and grandparents pray, the integrity that they maintain, Their generosity, their love in their lifetime. All this goes together to bear fruit in their children and grandchildren's lives. Yes. Proverbs 1914.

Hey, Doc, it just seems like, you think it was a long time ago. We studied chapter 19, but it's only been a week or two. Yes. Verse 14 says, House and riches are in the inheritance of fathers and a prudent, wife is from the Lord. Houses and riches are in the inheritance of fathers. The blessings upon a just man or woman are superior.

They provide spiritual security that money cannot buy for your children. If you desire to bless your children and your grandchildren, the most effective strategy is not to hustle for more money, not to try to build the biggest investment portfolio. The best thing you can do is to walk in deep integrity before the Lord. Your holiness is their security and future prosperity. What God is saying here through Solomon is, yes, it's a good thing for you to leave an inheritance,

a financial inheritance, property, investments, and so forth. But the main thing is that you leave a spiritual inheritance because God himself will see to it that your children and grandchildren are blessed. Right. And I'm reminded, Rick, that this is not limited to just flesh and blood children and grandchildren, but through the spiritual children that we beget through the gospel. In fact, 1 Corinthians 415 says, for though you have 10,000 instructors in Christ,

ye have not many fathers. Think about that. This is Paul writing to Corinth. You have not many fathers, for in Christ Jesus, have I begotten you through the gospel. Even Paul was dealing with this issue in his day, Rick, that there weren't many fathers. And that's the message Solomon is getting across here too.

So the second half of verse 7, states really a gracious consequence. The righteous man's children after him come under a special blessing connected with his life or her life. Scripture consistently teaches that God delights to extend favor to the household of the upright. So in this scenario here, the righteous man or woman not only does well for himself or herself, but does well for his family as well. God has mercy in store for the seed of the faithful, and their children are better off because of it, too. So children are blessed with temporal favors, walking in the same integrity, and they're further blessed with spiritual blessings here and eternal blessedness hereafter.

So we can connect this verse with the promises of the covenant. that God shows mercy to thousands of generations that love him. So a godly walk today may mean spiritual opportunity for your descendants tomorrow. Doc, I just said, I sense that right now, this verse is bringing comfort to people who feel like financially they're not leaving a large estate to their children and grandchildren. and it saddens them. But I believe this is bringing comfort to them that God himself will provide the inheritance

to your children and grandchildren. Yes. If you have lived a godly, righteous life, God himself will provide the inheritance to your children and grandchildren. Even if you can't leave a large estate for them to inherit, God will see to it that your children and grandchildren are blessed because you lived a godly life before him for many, many years.

Now, the Septuagin translation says, shall leave his children blessed. This hints at inheritance and it's beyond a material provision. Right. This heritage includes a good name, a legacy, open doors of favor. with God and men and women. And so, again, I think this first should encourage all mothers and fathers who quietly walk with God, that even when immediate results are unseen, God is weaving future blessings for your children.

Yes. So we look some of the great preachers of the past and what their thoughts, for on this reg. I'll start off with Adam Clark today. Adam Clark said, God blesses those who obey his commandments and his posterity have a particular share in that divine favor. And G. Campbell-Morgan said, the greatest legacy a man can leave his children is that of a clean, strong, upright life. It is an intel of blessing which no lawyer can break. Preacher Charles Spurgeon said, the best insurance for a family is the father's faith. A holy life is a rich legacy. And Alexander McLaren said, the father's goodness is the children's safety. A good name is the best

heritage. It is a shield to his children when he is in the grave. Rick, if you don't mind me asking you a question here before we're on in verse 8. You know, we live in a very fractured society. Families get split up. for various reasons. Sometimes parents aren't the best example for their children. There might be people watching or listening today that may not have had that godly example in their life. If someone came to you, Rick, and said, listen, I don't know how to do these things. I don't know how to be that righteous man, that just man. I didn't have that example in my life. What advice would you give to them?

Well, the very first thing would be to go to your heavenly father is you have a father. Yes. Every single person has a father, our heavenly father, and say to him, you are aware I did not have a earthly father that guided me with wisdom. But I recognize you as my heavenly father. And I am embracing you. and I am desiring you to mentor me

to teach me to train me your heavenly father will take you he will draw you in he will pull you into himself so close and love on you you will be amazed at his love

his affection you almost feel his kisses on your cheek he's a loving father and he will teach and the first thing he's going to do is send you to his word. That's true. And it's the first thing he's going to do.

He's going to send you to his word and most likely to the book of Proverbs because Proverbs is like the nuts and bolts of living. You've got to get Proverbs down and before you can go on to other things. Doc, if people have grown up without a parent, without a godly father in their life, they have God the father. Yes. You can go beyond having a godly father.

You can have a father who is God. Yes. And he is your father. Amen. In my lifetime, I've been a Christian since 1978. And there's been a progression in my relationship with him. In the early years, he was Almighty God. I mean, he was fearsome to behold.

He was Almighty God. And then he became holy father. Sometime, I don't know what years in my life, he became holy father. He's now Papa. Yes. Where he sat in my life is he's now my Papa. Amen. I talk to him now on an end-level.

Of course I fear him as I've got to remind myself every day. my papa happens to be Almighty God. But he's still my papa. And I can talk to him about anything, anything, absolutely anything. I can talk to him about anything. Yes. And he will not judge me. He will not push me aside.

He will not get angry. He will talk to me. I can tell him anything that I need to talk to him about. Yes. And have a conversation with him. You'll teach me and here I am at age 72 and he is still teaching me. Yes. And if I could add, if I could add something else here too is in addition to having God,

the father being a father to us, we also have the opportunity where we can seek out those spiritual fathers and mothers in our lives to teach us along the way. You don't have to do this alone. You know, I just keep going back. that 1 Corinthians 415, not many fathers. Boy, isn't that true, Rick, the church is missing fathers. And not just in the physical sense, but in the spiritual sense. They don't have those examples that are examples of integrity and honesty.

They're very, very few. A lot of people like to teach the Bible. A lot of people like to teach. And nowadays, Rick, everybody is an expert on the Bible now. with the online school of theology now. Everybody's an expert on the Bible. But are they an expert on being a father, a spiritual father, having integrity and character?

We have a responsibility as believers to seek out those individuals and let them speak into our lives today. We might hear the voice of the father speaking through an earthly father, an earthly father that's serving the Lord. Amen. Ask the Lord to send you a spiritual father or mother. And he will. He'll do it.

He'll bring people into your life. Let's go to verse 8. A king that siteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes. The Septuagin says, whenever a righteous king sits on the throne, no evil thing can stand before his eyes. Start with the first half. whenever a righteous king sits on the throne. This first depicts the king not in his palace, a palace of pleasure. Not the king on the battlefield.

No. But this is his primary civil function administering justice. To sit implies a settled, deliberate posture, attention to duty. You know, when we say the judge is sitting in the courthouse now, we all know what that means. The judge has taken his place on the bench in the courtroom. He's sitting.

When he sits, he's in authority. He's in his place of authority. In this verse, the king is not, he's not merely reigning. He's now ruling. He's presiding. as a judge. So the King James uses the phrase throne of judgment.

So this is distinct from a throne of pomp. In the ancient near east, the king was the Supreme Court. In fact, Doc, if I'm right, wasn't Solomon and his two mothers weren't they the Supreme Court

of Israel? Yes. I'm seriously, you're right. I think so. So the text implies that the king is doing this personally. He is sitting. He's not delegating it to others. He is sitting. He is presiding.

He's making the decisions. He's making the decisions. So justice flourishes when authority is personally present and engaged. When the king takes his seat to judge, The first implies that criminals tremble. Evil relies on the negligence of authority. That evil people are counting on those in authority not paying attention to what they're doing,

being distracted, not observing their activities. But when authority sits to do its job, Evil loses its confidence. Yes. We see this right now in the USA. I don't mean to become political with this, but for many, many years, America has had an open-door immigration policy, which has allowed tens of millions of illegal immigrants to come into the country, and most of them are good people.

but a lot of them are evil. They're wicked. They're violent. And Doc, they've gotten away with their crimes for a number of years. With something's changed in America. In January 2025, a new ruler took his seat, and he's not winking at these crimes. He's pursuing them.

And what's happening, the evil are fleeing. Why? Because the man in charge of the country is now directly looking at their crimes. And so now the evil is fleeing. I'm trying to find a present-day analogy to teach this scripture.

We can expand us first to include all rulers, governors, judges, leaders, parents, all who are entrusted with the responsibility of justice. Sitteth on the throne of judgment. It means that they occupy the seat of authority with purpose, with stability. The throne symbolizes delegated divine power to execute justice, righteousness. See, every judge in the world, every judge in the world who has ever lived will be held accountable on judgment day for the court decisions he or she made. That's right. Every judge. Every judge.

Because they were sitting in representation of righteousness. They were supposed to judge in fairness in righteousness. many of them did but many also were corrupt and they will have to be held accountable by God for the judicial decisions that they made a lot of these judges have no idea that they they are actually extinctions extensions of God yes even even evil judges are yes but God did make them evil they're ruling in evil ways but they're going to be held accountable just as Police officers are ministers of justice. If you are in law enforcement, you've been called by God.

You are a minister of justice. So this judgment is not casual. It's a throne, a position of divine authority where the judge's decisions affect lives and families and businesses and nations. In the home, parents sit on a throne of authority. How do they judge the affairs of their household? So that's the practical application there, Rick.

You know, it comes right down to the home. Justice has to be administered there as well. It's important to note here in this verse, it says a righteous judge, a righteous judge. A righteous judge is going to rule righteously with justice. And so you mentioned the sitting that the, King is doing, it implies that this, you know, that this requires settled, careful attention. The king's not rushing into this. He's not making a rash decision, but he's taking his place as a judge to hear, to examine, and determine cases according to the law. So the verse is portraying the

king not like just as a figurehead, but as someone who is active, personally seated. Personally, on that throne of judgment to wait cases and to meet out justice. Now, the honor of a king, especially a righteous king, is to be diligent in judging causes. He's not to abandon this work to others while he lives in ease and pleasure. So this reflects kind of the ideal picture of kingship in ancient Israel. The king was supposed to be God's minister for justice, for justice, ruling in the fear of the Lord and upholding righteousness. Unfortunately, Israel and Judah both dealt with a lot of not so righteous kings on the throne.

But this sort of judgment symbolizes both authority and responsibility. The king sits as one who must answer to God for how he deals with evil and he will be held accountable. we see this royal image, in this royal image here, a faint foreshadowing of Christ the king sitting on his throne. And one day from that very throne, he is going to judge everything, judge all things. But he's going to do it with perfect wisdom and perfect equity. He is going to do it with righteousness, Rick. Amen. Amen. Let's look at some of the quotations from the old theologians and Bible scholars from centuries ago.

I'll let you start first, Doc. Yeah, I'll start off with Matthew Henry here. It says he sits, he sits, he takes pains and applies himself to the administration of justice. He does not leave it to his ministers, but looks into it himself. It is not enough to have a throne of judgment, but there must be a king sitting in it. And I would add, there must be a righteous king sitting in it. And it's, G. Campbell Morgan said, the throne is not a lounge.

It is the place of judgment. The king is the supreme magistrate. His business is to see that right is done. Yes. And then John Wesley said, a king that sitteth. That makes it his business to execute judgment, who executes the laws against all offenders without respect of persons. But that's just the first half of this verse, Rick.

That's right. The second part says, scattereth away all evil with his eyes. Subtugent says, no evil thing can stand before his eyes. Speaking about the righteous king. We'll begin with this first part, scatterth away all evil with his eyes.

This segment describes the effect of a righteous ruler. the king scatters away all evil with his eyes. Just with his eyes. How does that happen? Well, the Hebrew word used for scatter means to winnow to sift. Now, if you come from a farm background, you know what this means to winnow or sift,

wheat, or grain. in the old days before modern farm machinery the farmer would throw grain up into the air and the wind would blow away the chaff so what this is saying is the king's eyes his scrutiny as he scans the courtroom

looking at everybody every witness every person in the courtroom the king's eyes separates the way wicked from the righteous. Just the stare the king is enough to bring out the truth. He does it with his eyes. He doesn't need a sword. Just his look, a mere look of discernment, is enough to drive evil into the shadows. Yes. You got the penetration of the king's eyes,

a gaze that looks through excuses and false witnesses. You have the detection of the king's eyes. The wickedness cannot hide from a diligent ruler. And you have the disapproval of the king's eyes. The king's look conveys moral disapproval. He shames vice into hiding. And he does it all with his eyes. Yes.

This scattering often happens before the crime. before the crime is committed. In other words, the very presence of a righteous ruler prevents criminals and conspirators from gathering. They are scattered before they can unite to do their evil. So now, again, the Septuagint says, no evil thing can stand before his eyes. It means darkness cannot coexist with light

when the king turns his face towards corruption, corruption has no choice but to flee. It's got to run. It's got to leave. Yes. Well, Matthew Henry taught Christians in a wise bonarch by diligent inspection scatters evil. How does he do it? He breaks the power of wicked men

and scourges those who do mischief. And I'll just compound on that scattereth away. It means to disperse, to disperse, drive out to cause it to flee. The mere look of a righteous king terrifies evil and causes it, causes it to vanish. And with his eyes there, it's got that, I can just imagine that discerning, penetrating gaze. Wisdom and moral authority so radiate from this king, this righteous king that evil can't stand in his presence. So the righteous ruler's look is not intimidation. It's the expression of moral clarity and divine authority that exposes and expels evil.

So this is the power of righteous leadership. Integrity and justice create an atmosphere where sin cannot thrive. And true justice is actually prevented. A godly leader's presence, just a godly leader's presence, deterred wrongdoing before it takes root. and ultimately, scattered away all evil with his eyes is fulfilled with Christ. How's this? Well, Jesus, the king, he's going to judge the nations with righteousness,

and before him every evil will flee. But there are a couple of verses in Revelation. In fact, two places in Revelation, where it talks about Jesus' eyes were like flames of fire. Revelation 114 and in Revelation 1912 twice in Revelation. And so if an earthly judge can strike fear in the hearts of men with just a look, imagine what the ultimate judge at the end of time with eyes like flames and fire who are going to look, those eyes are going to look at every sin on the hearts of men.

because everybody, we must all appear before the judgment seat, often called the bema seat of Christ, 2nd Corinthians 510. And there's going to be a sorting, a separation, a winnowing, like Matthew 312 says, whose fan is in his hand. John the Baptist is talking about Jesus coming, whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor. Rick, I understand that look in the eyes of someone. I had a godly grandmother, and she could stop evil with a look.

She didn't have to say a word. All she had to do was look. And you, you know, you straightened up real fast. My dad and my uncle and some of my other uncles and everything, they were some of the most foul-mouthed people, Rick. but they never, never, never cussed in front of grandma. Never, never. All she had to do was look and she saw, you know,

the conversation was getting a little while, she just looked at somebody. And it was, you know, sometimes it was humorous to watch until those eyes were locked on you. Doc, when I was my elementary school principal, Her name was Mrs. Nora Snyder, and no sane adult would have dared challenged her authority to run that school, let alone a kid. Right. I'm talking about the adults wouldn't even dare challenge her.

And I can still remember her stairs. She'd walk into a classroom or in the auditorium. and just stare, and kids would start crying. I think I had a teacher like that in school, too. Just look at you, bring down. Like laser beams. I'll tell you that this is a true story. I'm telling this.

My brother, he actually, he was maybe six years old. He actually wet his pants. Her stare. Her stare was that bad. She ruled. She ruled, okay? You didn't dare challenge her. So if a human can do that.

Yeah. Then what is God like on Judgment Day? Man. Flames of fire. Alexander McLaurene said the king's eyes are like a flame of fire. They burn up the evil. The look of the judge is enough. cannot bear the light.

Yes, you touched on this before. G. Campbell Morgan had this to say, scatters away all evil. You talked about that scattering. G. Campbell Morgan says that this word means to winnow, like winnowing wheat. The king's eyes are always sitting the nation, separating the chap from the wheat.

That's the purpose of a righteous king. as John Wesley said John Wesley said with his eyes by his very looks into which he strikes a terror or rather by his prudent observation and inspection of his affairs and Charles Bridges said the king is God's lamp

his office is to drive away evil he must be the terror of evildoers not just the judge but their terror That's right. Okay, now we go to verse 9. King James says, Who can say I have made my heart clean?

I am pure from my sin. The Septuagin translation says, Who will boast that he has a pure heart? Or who will boldly say that he is pure from sins? Solomon poses a question that he knows has no answer. They can only be silent. It's a challenge thrown out to the entire human race.

The emphasis is on one word, I, can say, I have made my heart clean. Who can say I am pure from sin? The Septuagin says, who will boast that he has a pure heart? The verse crushes human pride, dog. Yes. In Romans 3, verse 23, three, Paul said, for all have sin. Yes.

All have sin. It shucks every mouth before God. There is no one. Whatever mistakes you've made in your life, whatever sins you've committed, do not allow anybody to put shame and guilt upon you. If you've repented, don't live some righteous proud. puffed up person, look down on you and treat you with contempt because you stumbled, because you failed.

They have two. You just don't know about it. The only difference is that person who is treating you with contempt and scorn and and shaming you because they know about your sin. Right. The only difference is you don't know about their sin. Yes. If you knew about their sin, they would shut their mouth.

See, nobody has the right to boast, I am pure. Nobody. That is pride at a level I can't even comprehend. Doc, people can wash their hands, they can wash their clothes, they can wash their cars, they can wash their boots, they can wash everything. They can wash their reputations, they can wash their credit records, but they cannot wash away their sins. No human has the ability to wash away their sins.

You cannot wash your heart. That's right. By proving that no man or woman can say this truthfully, Solomon implicitly points to the need for an external agent of cleansing. Right. If I cannot do it, who can. Someone else must do it.

If I can't remove my sins, who is it that can remove my sins? That's the question he's asking. Right. He's prompting the reader, prompting the listener, prompting the student to consider that philosophical question.

If you can't do it, who can't? If you can't do it, who can't? We'll talk about that here in a minute. And it's interesting, this comes on the heels of the previous verse about judgment. and justice, right? Who can make themselves pure? I mean, really, if you stand before the judge, who's innocent?

Who is really, really innocent of all things? And so obviously, Solomon's answer to this question is no one. No one is a rhetorical answer. That made my heart clean focuses on the inner person. The thoughts, the motives, the desires, not just the outward behavior that we're talking about, but rather what's going on inside. We have to press beyond surface morality

to that hidden life inside. And Rick, I've known some godly people in my life, and so of you. They deserve the label saint. But even the best of saints can't even say their hearts are wholly clean. Grace has indeed cleanse them in part, but that remnant of corruption remain to humble them, to keep them humble. Rick, the human heart is by nature unclean.

And though there isn't such a thing as a clean heart in all purity in the natural, but it's only by the grace of God and blood of Christ that we have any hope. Solomon doesn't say this, but he points us to it here. So the question exposes how deceived we can be by our own hearts. You know, Rick, people readily imagine that they've set themselves right inside, right? Well, you know, I have a good heart. Really? You think so? Yet unseen sins and false motives often lie undetected.

And so this clause here drives the soul. prayer like David. Remember the prayer of David in the Psalms? He cried out, creating me a clean heart, oh God. This was a man after God's own heart. And he acknowledged that the only divine action that can truly purify the inner man is God himself. Amen. The second part of this verse is Solomon says, and who can say I am pure from my sin or who woefully say that he is pure from sin as the Septuagium describes this verse. In the first part of this verse, Solomon asks, who can say I have made my heart clean? In the second part, he says, who can say I am pure? Yes. from sin.

So the second part of verse 9 sharpens the point. Not only can no one claim to have cleansed his or her heart, but no one can truthfully say he is altogether pure from their sin. That's right.

It's impossible. Now, theologically, we must distinguish between our legal standing as saints and our inward condition as saved sinners. In justification, the believer is counted pure from sin before God. Yet in experience, he or she still battles remaining sin and cannot claim sinlessness.

Can you explain that theologically better than what I just did? I'm trying to explain that, yes, in God's eyes, we all. are sinless. But in reality, in this life, we're still dealing with sin. The best way I can describe it, Rick, is when God looks at us, he's looking at us through Christ, and he sees us as sinless. Now, we're ultimately going to be sinless at some point in the future. When we have an upgrade on this body, we get an upgrade on this meat suit so we can live

in eternity. And that sin that was the corruption that goes with this current flesh will be gone. We won't have sin that exist in eternity. So there will be no temptation there. So there's coming a time where this perfection will be in place, that we will have pure hearts, that we will be pure from sin. But the way it is right now, Christ, God the Father looks at us through Christ and sees us justified, sanctified, and righteous

within Christ. But it's by faith. It's by faith. We have to remain in Christ. And so legally, we're pure from sin. No guilt remains. But none are pure from indwelling sin or acts of sin in this life to claim that would be ignorant and untruthful. And Proverbs says this. We read it back in verse 7, Rick. You know, it talked about that just man, and yet we showed over in Proverbs 2416 that the just man can fall, right?

Are you just or are you fallen? Well, a just man can fall. So obviously, sin can continue at some point. So 1st John 1 8 in the New Testament says, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, but listen to this, and the truth is not in us. The truth is not in us. The only person who would say this, that they are without sin, would be a liar or lunatic, or Christ himself, because he was the only sinless one. The more holy a man becomes, the more clearly he sees the remaining sinless.

spots on his soul. Like Isaiah, in Isaiah chapter 6, crying out, woe is me, I have a man of unclean lips. Only as a spiritually blind think they're clean. And while no man can say I've made my

heart clean, the believer can say Christ has made me clean. I will Christ. Make me clean. Now you are clean. This is Jesus talking. Now you are clean through the word which I've spoken

unto you, John 15.3. 1.7. The blood of Jesus Christ, His son. What cleanses us from all sin? And so, the law asks the question. Who can say,

I'm pure. The silence of humanity is the confession of guilt, right? No one can say that. But the gospel provides the answer. Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Amen. Doc, I was saved in 1978. I was just shy, maybe three months shy of my 25th birthday.

And I'm not going to tell the entire story. But when I went forward in the church to be saved, I didn't even know when I walked down the aisle of the church that I was going there for salvation. It's too long of a story to tell you right now. I didn't know that I was walking down the aisle to be saved. I didn't know it. But when I got to the front of the church,

I was suddenly overwhelmed with my sinfulness. As 24 years old, I had long hair down my... Back, you know, I was living a party life, and suddenly I was aware that it was a sinner. And, Doc, I didn't pray the sinner's prayer. The words that I spoke were, Jesus, make me clean. Praise God. That's what I said. Jesus make me clean.

Why did I say those words? I didn't say, make me a Christian. I said, make me clean. Because when I got to the front of that church, I suddenly was aware that I was a sinner. Praise God. I was suddenly aware that I was spiritually dirty. And the only thing I could think about was I got to get clean.

Praise God. I got to get clean. I can't continue living like this. I'm in trouble. And I said, Jesus, make me clean. That's how I was saved. look at some of the quotations from our Bible heroes from the past Alexander McLaren one of my favorite pastors

he said the question waits for an answer and the answer comes from the cross the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin what we cannot do for ourselves he has done for us Amen. Charles Spurgeon put this eloquently. He said, a clean heart is a creation, not a reformation.

A creation, not a reformation. You may scour a leveret, but you cannot scour his spots away. The Ethiopian cannot change his skin, nor can you change your heart. We am or not. Free Church of Scotland said, The question is intended to shut us up to the faith. It drives us from the Lord. all to the gospel. I cannot wash my heart, but I can bring it to the fountain open for sin

in unclaimed. Amen. Well, Doc, that's the end of our lesson here today. I hope it's been a blessing to everybody. And I encourage you to throughout today meditate on these scriptures, ask the Lord to speak to you about them, and also encourage you to invite friends and coworkers and relatives to try out morning manna. Invite them to go to manna nation.com or over at youtube at rickwows today and just encourage them to to watch a couple Bible lessons. I think they'll get hoped. I think they'll get eventually, if the Lord is dealing with them, if the Lord is wooing them,

the Holy Spirit will draw them in. Amen. You know, if they're not interested, it is in time. It just isn't time. It's counted as seed. Yes. All right. The people who are interested in a long-form Bible study are hungry souls.

Yes. All right. So we know the story. We know the old saying, you can lead a horse of water, but you can't make a drink. Well, you can lead to a horse of water, but you can't make a drink. Well, you can lead. people to a Bible study, but you can't make them listen. Yes.

Okay. They have to be hungry. You have to be thirsty. And the people that come to this Bible lesson five days a week for an hour are hungry and thirsty. And I don't have to do anything to make you come back except serve another meal. All right. And so tomorrow we'll have another meal. And after that, we'll have another meal. And you'll keep coming back.

because it's satisfying your soul. If it doesn't satisfy your soul, you're not going to come back. And there's nothing I can do to make you come back. I wouldn't even try. You have to come back because your heart desires to be fed this word every day. God bless you. We'll see you tomorrow and morning, man. God bless you.