Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need

The Theology of Worms - Part 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Covenant Theology

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2025-11-13

Synopsis: John Weaver explores the biblical imagery of worms to reveal the depth of human depravity and the greatness of God's grace. Using Job 25:6 and Psalm 22:6, he distinguishes between the Hebrew words for 'worm' applied to fallen man (rimmah, maggot) and to Christ (tola'ath). The sermon examines how worms illustrate man's origination from dust, spiritual blindness, degradation, and ultimate destination—both physical decay and eternal judgment. Applications emphasize humility and gratitude for God's condescending mercy in lifting sinners from the dunghill to become His children.

[John Weaver] So the title of these two messages are The Theology of Worms. The Theology of Worms. So I want you to turn in your Bibles, first of all, to Job 25, and we're going to read verse 6. And by the way, I did check, I preached these messages back in 2009. 2009, that's been a long time. So, notice if you would, Job 25, and then I want you to also turn to Psalm 22. We probably won't get to Psalm 22. In fact, I know we won't, but I just will point it out. So, look in Job chapter 25 and verse 6. I will come back to the context.

[John Weaver] But he says, how much less man that is a worm and the son of man which is a worm. So, He's talking about man being a worm. Then he talks of the Son of Man, which is a worm, which would refer to the Lord Jesus Christ. So, if you will look in Psalm 22 and verse 6, which is a Messianic Psalm, by the way, notice what our Lord said, but I am a worm and no man.

[John Weaver] a reproach of men and despised of the people. Now, if you go through Psalm 22, you will find that many of these verses are repeated in the New Testament and particularly in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. So like verse 14, I'm poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax is melted in the midst of my bowels. All of this passage refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. So, worms are not necessarily an interesting subject in and of themselves to most people. And, needless to say, they're not really an appetizing subject either. And, I'm sure that to some people, worms probably are very intriguing. I know I've told this, but it was so funny to me because I knew the people personally.

[John Weaver] And, years ago, I had some dear friends had a child late in life. His name was Roger. And so, his daddy took him fishing for the first time. And he was about three or four years old. And of course, they used worms. And so, when they came back from fishing, he took his wife and his other son and his little baby and went nearby to an Italian restaurant. and they ordered spaghetti. And so, when the waitress brought it out and put it on the table, Little Roger said, look, mama, worms, worms, all worms. So, well, it may have looked like worms, but it wasn't worms, that is for sure. But there's a great deal that can be learned not only from worms, but also about worms as well.

[John Weaver] So, the Bible gives us many and varied verses concerning worms. In fact, let me say this, and I will repeat it again later, I would venture to say that one cannot properly understand the corruption and depravity of man or the sufferings of Christ, nor the humiliation and humanity of Christ, without a proper understanding of the subject of worms in the Bible. I will repeat that later. But worms give us excellent pictures not only concerning the corruption and the depravity of man, but also the humiliation and the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. So it may surprise you to learn that, yes, a worm is a picture of Jesus Christ in the Bible. We can certainly understand that in reference to fallen man. That does not surprise us, and we can comprehend that fallen man could be very easily compared to a worm, but Christ?

[John Weaver] So you'd have to ask, what in the world is the Word of God teaching us when it talks about worms? Now, we're bidden in Proverbs chapter 6 and verse 6, Go to the aunt thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise. So God oftentimes sends us the insects and he also said, ask the birds and they shall tell thee, and the animals. So there are plenty of animals in the Bible from which we may learn and learn spiritual truths. In fact, when you stop and think about the lambs, the oxen, the birds, the sheep, all of these things were pictures of Jesus Christ. And certainly we can learn from those as well. The very first time the word worms and worm is used in the Bible is found in Exodus chapter 16 and verse 20. There worms is found in the plural form and then in verse 24 it is found in the singular form and it's in the discussion of manna.

[John Weaver] So if you want to turn there very quickly find else I'll just quote it for you. In Exodus chapter 16 and verse 20 The Bible says, Notwithstanding they hearkened, nodded to Moses, but some of them left it until the morning, and it bred worms and stank, and Moses was wroth with them. And then in verse 24, And they laid it up till morning, as Moses bade, and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.

[John Weaver] So the manna then was miraculously and mysteriously provided for the Israelites by God Himself. And I say mysteriously because originally they did not know from whence it came or how it appeared. In verse 15 of Exodus chapter 16, the Word of God says this, and when the children of Israel saw it, They said one to another, it is manna, for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, this is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat." Now the word manna actually means, what is it? They had no idea what it was, that's why it was called manna.

[John Weaver] So when the people then disobeyed and gathered more than they should have gathered, it bred worms and stank. However, before the Sabbath, when they gathered twice as much, that is for two days, in obedience to God, it did not bring worms and it did not stink. So, we can ask this question just off the cuff. What in the world could worms then teach us about obedience? Stop and think about this.

[John Weaver] There's a passage in 1 Timothy chapter 6 verses 7 through 10. So when the Israelites then tried to hoard the manna, when they were selfish and was going to get more than they needed, it bred worms and it stank. But in 1 Timothy chapter 6, the Apostle Paul says it like this. for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out, and having food and raiment, let us therewith be content.

[John Weaver] But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men even in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." So he's talking about the love of money. I've got a dear friend who lives in another country, who I suppose you would say he's an investor, but he invests in like silver, gold, mines, and that kind of thing. And so I got news from him today He had just bought some stock in one of these copper companies or gold companies.

[John Weaver] And he made a modest profit, 7%. And so he said he sold it. And he was so thankful because after he sold it, it went back down. So I emailed him back and I said, you know, The Lord blesses us when we are not greedy and trying to take everything. I said, when you stop and think about this a little. Numerous times add up to an awful lot.

[John Weaver] And so we have to be content. So the Word of God tells us. In the book of James. Chapter 5 verses one through six and talking about the rich, here's what James wrote. Go to now, you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, your garments are moth-eaten, your gold and silver is cankered, and the rest of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it was fire.

[John Weaver] You have heaped treasures together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers, who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, cried. And the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of the Sabbath. You have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanted. You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter.

[John Weaver] You have condemned and killed the just, and he doth not resist you. So there's a condemnation of those who are completely selfish and greedy and covetous and clearly God condemns that just like in the manna where they hoarded it, it certainly did not help them at all. There's a little couplet that was written by John Bunyan. I've quoted this many times. Bunyan just put it like this, there was a man and many did count him mad.

[John Weaver] The more he gave away, the more he had. Stop and think about that, and certainly that is an absolute contradiction then to James and of course 1st Timothy 5 there, where people are just absolutely greedy. God has never condoned or commended a greedy, covetous disposition. In fact, Psalm 10 and verse 3 tells us the wicked most is of his heart's desire and blessed the covetous whom the Lord hated." So God tells us he hates the covetous. Now you would have to ask yourself this question, why does God hate the covetous?

[John Weaver] Well there's an answer given us in several places in the Bible. The first one is Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 5 where the apostle said, for this you know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, which is an idolater, hath been inherited to the kingdom of Christ and of God." So again he tells us that covetousness is idolatry. And then he said it very plainly in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 5,"...mortify therefore your members which are upon this earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry.

[John Weaver] So, worms then can teach us that it is unwise, unbiblical, and useless to accumulate just simply for the sake of accumulation. Ultimately, all that is unsanctified and unholy will be destroyed. Secondly, worms can teach us that disobedience brings death and destruction. So you have to ask, what happened to that manna that they heaped up and was going to save? And the truth of the matter, it just simply disappeared because it became putrid and it stunk and it had to be thrown out. And so those who just simply are covetous, which are idolatrous, they're just simply bringing the judgment and the condemnation from God upon them.

[John Weaver] The Apostle Paul said it like this in Ephesians 5 and verse 6. He said, let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. And then in Colossians 3 and verse 6, he says, for which things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience. And so here it is, you just simply cannot disobey and sin against God and get away with it.

[John Weaver] You have to be sure that your sins will find you out. So thirdly, worms can teach us that obedience brings blessings no matter how little we have.

[John Weaver] Now, I do want you to look in the book of Exodus chapter 16. I want you to watch this. So worms can teach us, can teach us, that obedience brings blessings no matter how little we have. So if you look there in Exodus chapter 16, let's begin reading there in verse 16. Look at this. This is the thing which the Lord had commanded. Gathered at every man according to his eating, and over for every man according to the number of your persons, take you every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so and gathered, watch this, some more, some less. And when they did meet it with an over, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack. They gathered every man according to his eating. And of course, Moses said, let no man leave it until the morning. So obviously, we can learn that obedience does indeed bring blessings.

[John Weaver] Those who obey God are always going to have a sufficiency. I hope you remember that passage in 1 Kings chapter 17 where God sent Elijah the prophet to live with this widow woman for three and a half years. And so, when he got there, she was out in the yard and he said, fetch me a cup of water. And as she was going, he said, and make me a few little cakes.

[John Weaver] and bring them to me. And she said, as the Lord liveth, I'm gathering these few sticks that I may cook the last little bit for my son and myself, and then we're going to die. And he says, nevertheless, do what I say, because the Lord has said, the crews of oil shall not fail and the meal shall not fail. And so that same crews of oil, that same barrel of meal lasted then until that drought was over. So those who obey our Lord are not going to be suffering a doing of doubt.

[John Weaver] I think one of my favorite verses is found in Psalm chapter 37 or Psalm 37 verse 25, where David said, I've been young and now I'm old, yet I've not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed breaking bread. So obviously there are blessings for obedience. Let me give you some scriptures. Proverbs 16 and verse 8, the Word of God declares, better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. And then in Psalm 37 verse 16, a little that a righteous man had is better than the riches of many wicked. And then of course, Proverbs 15 and verse 16, better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therein. Moreover, let me point out the fact that when God gives blessings, He does not add a curse to them.

[John Weaver] So when these people, these Israelites, gathered a double amount when it was not before the Sabbath, it bred worms and it stunk. But when they doubled it at the express command of God, it stayed and was fresh and usable. The Bible says in Proverbs 10 and verse 22, the blessing of the Lord, it maketh us rich and he hath no sorrow with it. So once we're in obedience to God, it is a blessing from him.

[John Weaver] Now, although we can learn a lot about worms from the manna And what the manna represents, what the worms represent, this message is not particularly about the manna or the worms of the manna. But it is indeed a message about worms in particular and worms in general. So if you look back in Job chapter 25 and verse 6, Job 25 and verse 6, Bildad is speaking, Bildad the Shuhite, And he asks this question, how much less man that is a worm and the son of man which is a worm. Now, man is likened to a worm and the son of man is likened to a worm.

[John Weaver] Is there a difference between these two words? And the answer is yes, emphatically. The first word for worm, which I will deal with a little bit, refers to man. The second word refers to the Son of Man, which would be the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, it is the same word that is used in Psalm 22 in verse 6 when Christ said, But I am a worm in no manner reproach of men and despise of the people.

[John Weaver] So let me go back and remind you of something I said when we began to study this lesson. I said I would venture to say that no one can properly understand the depravity and the corruption of man as well as the sufferings of Christ nor the humiliation and humility and humanity of Christ without a proper understanding of worms in the Bible. So what I want to do tonight is just simply take the first part. When Bildad asks this question, how much less man that is a worm. Now, I want you to note that Bildad is trying to show the difference between God and a man.

[John Weaver] Or in verse two, he says, Dominion and fear are with him. He make it peace in high places. And is there any number of his armies? And upon whom does not his light arise? Then he asks this question, how then can a man be justified with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of woman? We hold even to the moon, and it shineth not, yea, the stars are not pure in his sight, how much less than man. The Lord's only thing he can say is this, I really can't find anything that would compare to God, obviously, but here is a contrast between God and man. God is great, God is sovereign, God has all dominion, but yet he says man is a So he's showing us, in one sense of the word, the depravity and the worthlessness of man.

[John Weaver] So Bildad did not come up with a comparison. He only came up with a contrast. Man is a worm. Now, here we go. The Hebrew word for worm here is the word oremah, which means maggot. That's exactly what he said. How much less man that is a maggot. The word maggot is used because maggots are related to decay and death. And that description of man should be enough to take the wind out of our sails. When you stop and think that proud haughty, arrogant, self-righteous man is nothing but a maggot in the face of God.

[John Weaver] So, let me give you several points to consider. First one is this. Man is compared and contrasted to a worm as to our origination.

[John Weaver] Now, it is true that God made us. It is true that we are the creatures of God. But may I remind you, in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 19, God said that since we were created out of the dust of Durham, he told us that in the sweat of our face we shall eat bread until we return to the ground, for out of dust was thou taken and into dust thou shalt return. That just reminded me. of a story that I read years ago about the preacher who preached on this verse and he said that man was made out of the dust and of the dust he should return.

[John Weaver] Well they went home Sunday after church and the little boy was playing in his room and dropped something on the floor and he looked under his bed and he hollered Loudly, mama, mama, come quick, come quick. He said, ran in there and said, what is it, son? He said, look under my bed. Somebody's either coming or going. So obviously, there's a lot of dust under that bed. The man was taken out of the dust. and man is going to return.

[John Weaver] Now the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 that Adam was taken out of the earth and therefore he is earthy. The second man of course is the Lord from heaven. So it's amusing to me in one sense of the word to think of all the high and mighty, all the rich, all the wealthy, all the highfalutin high society people and to consider the fact that they're absolutely nothing but maggots.

[John Weaver] And just, I mean, that ought to really break you down to size is what it amounts to. That's what the Word of God says. No matter what their station in life is, they're nothing more than worms. So man may boast himself, he may elevate himself above the clouds, but soon he's going to be returned to dust and be eaten by the worms. So as worms love the earth, So does man by nature, unsaved and unconverted man, pant after the world and all that is within it.

[John Weaver] The Apostle Paul said it like this in the book of Philippians, chapter 3, verses 18 and 19. He said, For many walk, whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. That's man. In fact, If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Amos, the minor prophet, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, or look at Amos chapter 2 in verses 6 and 7, just to show you how corrupt, how worldly all the man is. Look at it, Amos chapter 2 verse 6. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof." Look at this.

[John Weaver] "...because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes, that pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek. And a man and his father were going to the same maid to revein my holy name." Note, if you would, they pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor. They sell the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes.

[John Weaver] Look, if you would, at these people who are involved in kidnapping and selling people into slavery. Look at the sex trafficking. This is exactly what he's talking about. So, man, then, is compared to a worm, first of all, in his origination. So, here's the second thing. Man is also compared and contrasted with a worm to obfuscation.

[John Weaver] Now the word obfuscate literally means to darken, to obscure, hence it reflects then a lack of understanding and a lack of comprehension. So here's a good question. What can a worm understand? What can a worm comprehend. Have you ever seen a trained worm? Stop and think about it. When you think about a worm, you think about something that is steeped in abysmal ignorance, impossible to learn. You know what the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 18 concerning the ungodly? Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart.

[John Weaver] So, fallen man by nature is blind. He's absolutely, I'll use the word stupid, because that's exactly what God calls him a fool. And a foolish man is not someone who happens to be mentally incompetent. A foolish man or fool in the Bible is someone who will not listen, someone who will not be taught, someone who will not comprehend the truth. So what did our Lord say in John chapter 3?

[John Weaver] Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Neither will they come to the light unless their deeds be reproved. So Fallen man is compared to a worm because of his darkness, because of his lack of understanding. As Jude 13 tells us that the unsaved and converted men are the children of darkness to whom is reserved a blackness of darkness forever. Wow. So when you stop and think about man being a worm, Being a maggot, his origination is bad, but his lack of understanding is even worse.

[John Weaver] So, let me give this another way. Here's the third thing. Man is compared and contrasted with the worm to his degradation. I could use another word instead of degradation. I could use the word putrefaction. Man has fallen from his original state and has degraded himself and become dumber than the beasts. Think about this, man who was created in the image of God has fallen and degraded himself So even actually, he's compared to animals, but sometimes below animals. Because in Isaiah chapter 1, what did God say?

[John Weaver] The ox knoweth his stall, and the ass his master's scrimp, but my people doth not know, my people doth not consider. So God then likens unsaved then to dumber than beasts. But listen to this. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 49. Psalm 49. And look, if you would please, at verse 20. Psalm 49 and verse 20. This is exactly what we're talking about. Psalm 49, verse 20. He says, Man that is in honor and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish. Look at that. Man that is in honor and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish.

[John Weaver] In other words, he's as dumb as a beast. Look, if you would, to Psalm 49 there in verse 12. He says, nevertheless, man being in honor abided not. He's like the beasts that perish. Wow. In Ecclesiastes chapter 3 in verse 18, Solomon said it like this. I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. That is dumb. However, a worm is lower than a beast. Can you think of anything lower than a worm? Can you think of anything lower than a magnet?

[John Weaver] There are some worms, I'm sure, that are more beneficial than others. Certainly, earthworms are good for your garden. I understand that. But I don't know what use a maggot is except to eat dead flesh. That's what it amounts to. And by the way, whether you are aware of this or not, that used to be a medical procedure. Because if you had rotting flesh on your arm or something, they would put maggots on your arm to eat that rotting flesh. But I'm just simply pointing out the fact, think about a maggot would be considered the worst of all as far as I'm concerned.

[John Weaver] Now, Dildad then in Job chapter 25 in verse 6 asks, how much less man that is a wormer? At least a beast has some understanding. I quoted Isaiah chapter 1 earlier. But I don't know of any trained worms. I don't know how you could communicate with a worm. Worms are just simply ignorant, as far as I can say. Abysmally ignorant.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you some pictures. You know, when Bildad says that man is a maggot, he's actually describing man as being depraved and wicked, rebellious. There are numerous pictures in the Bible concerning our sin. None of those pictures are beautiful. In fact, all of those pictures are basically what you and I would call repulsive. So, in Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 6, again, God says, from the sole of the foot to the top of the head, there is no soundness in it, talking about man, but wounds and bruises and putrefied sores that have not been closed, neither bound up nor mollified with ointment. Now, I don't know if you can consider or even picture in your mind someone that was eaten up with putrefied sores. Running sores.

[John Weaver] I was preaching in Leesville, South Carolina. And it was just a few minutes before I got up to preach. A man walked in. with huge baggy overalls on. And the pastor leaned over me and said, I'm really thankful to see that man here. And we didn't have time to talk because the song was ending and I had to preach. And so after the service, he took me to that man. And he called his name and he said, I want you to show Brother Weaver why I told him I was so thankful to see you and to have you here. And the man pulled up his pants legs, which like I said, huge overalls. And you could not find, you could not find a place to put your finger on his legs.

[John Weaver] They were not full of sores, putrefying sores. I don't even know how the man was walking. but but he came in and when I saw that I immediately thought of Isaiah 1 in verse 6 and I thought to myself look how repulsive look how how how gagging that is to me that I was raised on the farm and then I thought what must my sins be like to my

[John Weaver] heavenly father So God tells us about our worms. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Job chapter 17. Watch this. I hope this will help you understand. In fact, I've got several messages I have not yet preached On understanding the book of Job, I'm going to be doing that, Lord willing, in the not-too-distant future. I've got one more message to finish.

[John Weaver] There'll be six or seven in a row. But look, if you would, in Job chapter 7, it is. I said 17. That's Job chapter 7. And look, if you would, at what he said there in verse 5, Job 7, verse 5. He says, My flesh is clothed with worms. and clods of dust, thy skin is broken, and become loathsome." Now, I do want you to look at Job 17 now and verse 14, and now you can understand this passage. Then we're going back to Job 7. Look in Job chapter 17, verse 14.

[John Weaver] He said, I've said to corruption, thou art my father, to the worm, thou art my mother and my sister. Now why did Job say to corruption, Thou art my father, and to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister? Now go back to Job chapter 7 and look at verse 5. He said, My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin is broken and become loathsome. So when Satan smoked Job from head to foot, Job was literally being eaten alive by worms. Thus, Corruption was his father, and his mother and his sister happened to be those worms of which he was constantly scraping out and scraping off of his sins.

[John Weaver] He sat down with a potsherd to scrape himself. Now, so when you stop and think about that, you say that's repulsive. I don't want to think on a subject like that. Well, I can assure you the picture is only loathsome. It is repulsive. It is nauseous. But on the other hand, it is a very accurate picture of our sins and what we are in the sight of God in and of ourselves. That's why God said in Jeremiah chapter 44 in verse 4, Oh, do not that abominable thing which I hate. God hates sin. and God hates idolatry.

[John Weaver] So here's what we do. We think flippantly and we think lightly of our depravity and we think flippantly and we think lightly of all of our sins. And like the Psalmist said, is it not a little one? Or it's like Lot said as well, talking about the Zohar, is it not a little one? Just a little city. And it was Solomon who said there's little boxes for the vines. It's those little things. And we don't think are as bad as... other sins, and yet they are all wicked and wrong.

[John Weaver] But let me tell you what sin is. Here it is. Sin is nothing less than the dare of God's justice, the rape of God's mercy, the jeer of God's patience, the slight of God's power, the upbraiding of God's providence, the scoff of God's promise, and the reproach of God's wisdom, and the despisement of God's person and his word. This is why God gives such loathsome and repulsive pictures concerning us. None of these pictures of us in the Bible are pretty.

[John Weaver] If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 24 and verse 6. Here's another picture. Ezekiel chapter 24 and verse 6. Notice if you would what God says. Ezekiel chapter 24 and verse 6. Here's what our sin is likened unto. Look at this. Wherefore, thus saith the Lord God, Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it.

[John Weaver] Bring it out of out, piece by piece, let no lot fall upon it. Now what God has done, He's told Ezekiel, to settle the pot. Don't put any water in it. Just put some wicked, wrong, and dirty pieces of bone and meat in it and let it seethe. And what happens is there's no water in it. It's coated with a scum. And this is what God is likening our sin as, the scum of a boiling pot in which is a detestable carcass. It stinks. It sticks. It is absolutely nauseous. But that's what God is likening it unto.

[John Weaver] Now, our sin is also likened unto the vomit of a dog and the wallowing of a sow in the mire. Now, everybody's familiar with the passage in 2 Peter. But look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 48. Jeremiah chapter 48 and notice if you would please verse 26. Jeremiah 48 verse 26. Look what God says. Jeremiah 48 verse 26. He says, making him drunken so he magnified himself against the Lord. Moab also shall wallow in his vomit and he shall also be in derision. You know, I've often said this, out of all the alcohol commercials, they always show you beautiful young women and handsome young men who are drinking and having a good old time, but they never show you a drunk wallowing in the sweet of his own vomit and own filth. You know, I'm just pointing out the fact that, you know, God is not playing with us. And of course you know the passage there in 2 Peter 2 and verse 22 when he said, but it's happened according to the true proverb, the dog has returned to his own vomit again and also the sow that was washed to her wallet in a mire.

[John Weaver] You cannot, you cannot, you cannot keep a wild hog clean. That's all there is to it. and a dog will return to his own vomit. That's all there is to it. And God is giving this as a picture of our sins. Look at the people that have said, well, I'm going to quit this. I'm not doing this anymore. And then next week do the same thing all over again. Just like the dog and just like the sow. Well, there's another picture in the Bible.

[John Weaver] If you look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 7, Romans chapter 7, and I think you probably know this one but look in Romans chapter 7 look at this Romans chapter 7 and notice what the Apostle Paul said there in verse 24 Romans 7 verse 24 he says O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death now what in the world is he talking about O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death. Did you know that in the ancient world, especially in Roman times, if a man murdered another man, let's say that I murdered Warren Luke. I just murdered him.

[John Weaver] If they caught me in a timely fashion, they would tie my living body to his dead body, my face to his face, my chest to his chest, my arms and hands to his arms and my legs to his... And guess what? They would leave me tied until the worms from his body ate me alive. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul is talking about. He's talking about his own sinful nature. He's no wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

[John Weaver] He said, I am corrupt. Have you ever come to the realization that your flesh hates God? That's why flesh and blood is not going to inherit the kingdom of God. You can't sanctify your flesh. Your flesh is enmity against God. It hates God. And that's exactly what the Apostle Paul was crying about. Oh, wicked man. Oh, wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

[John Weaver] Again, the picture is one of total putrefaction, I might say, because you remember in Isaiah chapter 1, from the top of the head to the bottom of the foot, your full source, putrefying source, which had neither been mollified nor bound up with ointment. It's complete and total putrefaction. Then here's another one. If you look in your Bibles, through the book of Isaiah chapter 64, Isaiah chapter 64, And look at this one. Isaiah 64.

[John Weaver] And notice if you would please verse 6. Isaiah 64 and verse 6. The word of God says it like this. That we are all as an unclean thing. We're all as an unclean thing. And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. And we all do fate as a leaf. But our wickedness, like the wind, have taken us away. Now look at this. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Wow.

[John Weaver] I told you that everything in the Bible concerning our sins was repulsive. The filthy rags are actually minstrels' faults. That's exactly what that is teaching. Let me show you another one. Look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 16. Ezekiel chapter 16. Did you know that we are also likened under the blood and pollutions of a newborn child? In Ezekiel chapter 16, look if you would beginning with verse 4. Look what God says. Ezekiel 16 verse 4. He says this for thy nativity in the day that thou was born thy navel was not cut. neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee, thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled all. None eye pitted thee to do any of these things unto thee, to have compassion upon thee. But thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee, When thou wast in thy blood, live.

[John Weaver] Yea, I said unto thee, When thou wast in thy blood, live." No one cared for us. We were filthy. We were wicked. If God had not sovereignly, mercifully saved us, we would have just been dead. That's all there is to it. So, clearly then, there's no picture that shows us being good and upright and all this. No, no, no. It just always shows us how wicked, how ungodly, how lost we were. One more, if you will look in your Bibles, it's in the book of Matthew chapter 23. Matthew chapter 23, look at verses 27 and 28. Matthew 23, verses 27 and 28. Look at this. Look at what our Lord says. The Lord to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are locked into whited sepulchres, graves, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness. For you so outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."

[John Weaver] So here men are likened unto the noise of stench and the poisonous fumes from an open grave. I suppose that many people have never seen an open grave. That is one that has been torn up after someone has been buried for a little while. But I was preaching in Cairo, Georgia many years ago, and just before I got to the church building to preach that night, there was a tornado and it hit the graveyard and it tore all the graves up.

[John Weaver] and the headstones and everything. And yes, there were graves that were open. I'm just simply pointing out the fact this is what God likened us to. This should remind us of the curse of God that is upon sin and disobedience. God said in Deuteronomy chapter 28 and verse 39, thou shalt plant thy vineyards and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes, for the worms shall eat them. That was part of the curse. And of course, you remember in the book of Jonah, chapter four, verse seven, when that gourd grew up and shaded Jonah, he was happy, but God prepared a worm and he ate the gourd. So worms then are associated with a curse because fallen man is referred to as a worm which means also he is under the curse of God. Proverbs 3 and verse 33 tells us the curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked but he blesses the habitation of the just. And, of course, Galatians chapter 3 and verse 10 tells us why we're under the curse of God.

[John Weaver] For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, for it is written, a person is every one that continueth not in all these things which were written in the book of the law to do them. No wonder man is compared to a worm. He's full of corruption and he's under the curse of God. In light of man's comparison to a worm and to his corruption, I want you to understand Job's statements. So, go back in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Job, and look, if you would, first of all, at Job 21 and verse 26. Job 21 and verse 26. Job 21 verse 26 he says they shall lie down alike in the dust and the worms shall cover them and if you look in Job 24 and verse 20 look at this the womb shall forget him the worm shall feed sweetly on him He shall be no more remembered, and wickedness shall be broken as a tree." Wow! Now, if you would turn right on over to the book of Isaiah chapter 14 and look at verse 11, at the judgment here that God speaks of, Isaiah 14 verse 11, He says concerning the king of Tyre, thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy vowels, the worm

[John Weaver] is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. Fallen man shall be destroyed by worms.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you one other last thought before I make some applications, and that is this. man is compared to and contrasted with a worm as to his destination. It is true that worms shall sweetly feed upon our mortal bodies because we shall all die physically. The body of flesh shall decay and return to dust from which it originated. However, there's far more to those who die and say they're just simply being eaten by worms physically.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 12. Acts chapter 12. We're going to come back to another Old Testament passage momentarily. But look at Acts chapter 12. Let's begin reading there with verse 20 and find out about King Herod. Watch this. Acts chapter 12, and let's begin reading there with verse 20. Acts 12, verse 20. The Bible says, And Herod was hot at his fleas with them of Tyre and Sidon, but they came with one accord, and having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace, because their country was nourished by the king's country. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.

[John Weaver] And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a God, and not a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory, and was eating of worms, and gave up the ghost." So King Herod was eaten alive by worms. Wow.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing here is I want you to go back to Isaiah 66 and look at verse 24. There's also a passage in the book of Mark, but look first of all at Isaiah chapter 66 and look at verse 24. Isaiah 66 and verse 24. Here we go. And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me, says God, for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched, and that shall be a pouring unto all flesh. So God says their worm shall not die, Neither shall their fire be quenched." Now, I want you to hold that just momentarily, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Mark chapter 9, and you will see our Lord basically using this Old Testament passage. But in Mark chapter 9, look if you would please, beginning there, verse 44. Mark 9, verse 44. He says, Where there worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

[John Weaver] If I should offend thee, cut it all. It is better for thee to enter to halt into life, than having two feet, and to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched. Where there worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Verse 48, he says it again, Where there worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. quenched now the figure denotes great misery and certain and terrible destruction so these verses Isaiah 64 and Mark chapter 9 go beyond the grave this is not just talking about worms feeding sweetly upon you as your physical body rots and goes back into dust. I want to give you a quote, two quotes in fact. The first one is by John Gill when he's talking about Isaiah 66 in verse 24.

[John Weaver] He says, for their worms shall not die with which their carcasses shall be covered they lying rotting above the ground, or figuratively, their consciences, and the horrors and terrors that shall seize upon them, which they will never get rid of, as they will not, though their bodies may, but were made to suffer the wrath of God to all eternity, neither shall their fire be quenched in hell." He says, those wicked men, the followers and worshippers of Antichrist, will be cast into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, they will forever suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, and the smoke of their torment shall ascend up forever and ever." Then John Trapp says this,"'As out of the corruption of our bodies worms breed, which consume the flesh, so out of the corruption of our souls this never-dying worm This worms as divides is only a continual remorse and furious reflection of the soul upon its own willful folly and now woeful misery. Oh, consider this before thy friends, be scrambling for thy goods, worms for thy body, devils for thy soul.

[John Weaver] go not dancing to hell in thy bolts, rejoice not in thy bondage, as many do, whom the preaching of hell is but the painting of a toad, which men can look on and handle without fear." Wow. So he is saying that where the worm doth not is the conscience. I've often said, I think one of the greatest miseries and terrors of hell eternal destruction. Because you don't remember all of your sins. You'll remember, I believe, every sermon you've ever heard, every scripture you ever read. And you will think, what a fool, what a fool, what a fool I was over and over and over and over.

[John Weaver] And there's nothing but torment. So the Doctrine of Worms then basically demonstrates all too clearly the origination, obfuscation, degradation, and destination of fallen man. If we understand the Bible teaching of worms, we can understand the corruption and the depravity of man.

[John Weaver] Now I want to make a couple of applications. The first one is this. If we grasp even a tenth of what I said tonight, it should tend to make us humble, lowly, and meek. When we stop and think that we have nothing to boast about in our lives, Everything we are and everything we have, God has graciously and mercifully given unto us.

[John Weaver] We're compared to maggots. What is pride to a maggot? Is a maggot in the head of a carcass Any less than a maggot who's in the rear of her carcass. I mean, a maggot is a maggot. Doesn't matter where you are in the body of life, a maggot is a maggot. And if we understand that, there should not be any ostentatious displays of pride and arrogance and haughtiness in our lives.

[John Weaver] Because we realize who we are and what we are. I want you to go back to the book of Job and look, if you would, at Job chapter 7 again, Job 7. Look at this. I want you to also consider with me. The absolute greatness, mercy and wonderful, wonderful grace of God. Look at Job 7 verse 17. What is man that thou shouldest magnify him? Thou shouldest set thine heart upon him.

[John Weaver] Let me ask you a question. How can God, who is the infinite, sovereign, holy, righteous, perfect God, condescend the love of Agathe? Think about that. What is man that thou shouldest magnify him, and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? Why would God set his heart upon us, as wicked, as depraved, as rebellious, as sinful as we are? The psalmist asked the same question in Psalm 18, verse 4. What is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him? Why would God stoop to pay attention to us.

[John Weaver] But we've hated him, despised him, rejected him, refused him. I want you to turn, if you would, to Psalm 113. Look in Psalm 113. This is one of my favorite Psalms. This is absolutely astounding. Psalm 113. Let's begin reading there in verse one. Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O you servants of the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord. He's going to tell you why we should be praising Him. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. From the rising of the sun and the going down of the sea, the Lord's name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations and His glory above the heavens. Now look Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high," here it is,"...who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth." What's that? He humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth.

[John Weaver] He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifted up the needy out of what? Out of what? Out of the dunghill! That's where maggots are. that he may set him with the princes, even with the princes of his people. He maketh the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord. Can you imagine that God looks down upon we poor maggots and snatches us out of the dunghill and makes us kings and priests unto him?

[John Weaver] My goodness, my goodness, What grace, what mercy. Look if you went back in Job chapter 19. Job chapter 19. Where's the wonderful thing? Those that have been lifted from the dunghill. Those who've been made princes, those who've been made sons of the king. Shall certainly see our Heavenly Father. Job chapter 19, note this if you would please, verse 26. What does Job say? Well, let's read verse 25.

[John Weaver] For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and none another will my reins be consumed within me. What did he say? no worms eat this body yet in my flesh in a glorified body I will see the Lord those that have been lifted up from the dunghill are princes are kings and priests unto our God one last passage Isaiah 51 verses 7 and 8 God says are going to be you that know righteousness,

[John Weaver] the people in whose heart is my law. Fear you not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool. But my righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation from generation to generation. So we who have been lifted up by the grace of God We'll see the worms destroy the enemies of God and his people. Yeah.

[John Weaver] I know that you've sung this hymn many times, and I'm certainly not going to sing it because I can't sing, but it should have new meanings. That hymn written by Isaac Watts alas did my savior bleed alas did my savior bleed and did my sovereign die would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as i i'm back wow would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I." If you really want to understand the depravity, the corruption, and the fall of man, you need to study worms. If you want to see the greatness and the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we will cover next week. You need to study worms. There is a theology of worms. What is humility?

[John Weaver] The Bible tells us that we are to walk humbly with our God. Real biblical humility is when we know who God is. And we know who and what we are. How could a maggot? Be arrogant. And haughty. And proud. And rebellious. And the fact that God has visited the Dome Hill and raised us up should make us give Him constant and continual praise. For it is man that Thou art mindful of him, for the Son of Man Thou visitest him.

The Theology of Worms - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	111925551583461
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need
Genre	Sermon
Date	2025-11-13
Dictation Name
Book	Book 097: The Theology of Worms — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	89

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Theology of Worms

Weaver introduces the topic, reading Job 25:6 and Psalm 22:6, noting that worms picture both the depravity of man and the humiliation of Christ.

So the title of these two messages are "The Theology of Worms." The Theology of Worms. So I want you to turn in your Bibles, first of all, to Job 25, and we're going to read verse 6. And by the way, I did check, I preached these messages back in 2009. 2009, that's been a long time. So, notice if you would, Job 25, and then I want you to also turn to Psalm 22. We probably won't get to Psalm 22. In fact, I know we won't, but I just will point it out. So, look in Job chapter 25 and verse 6. I will come back to the context.

But he says, "How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?" So, He's talking about man being a worm. Then he talks of the Son of Man, which is a worm, which would refer to the Lord Jesus Christ. So, if you will look in Psalm 22 and verse 6, which is a Messianic Psalm, by the way, notice what our Lord said,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 22:6

"But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people."

Now, if you go through Psalm 22, you will find that many of these verses are repeated in the New Testament and particularly in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. So like verse 14, "I'm poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels." All of this passage refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. So, worms are not necessarily an interesting subject in and of themselves to most people. And, needless to say, they're not really an appetizing subject either. And, I'm sure that to some people, worms probably are very intriguing. I know I've told this, but it was so funny to me because I knew the people personally.

Lessons from Manna and Worms

The manna in Exodus 16 teaches that hoarding breeds worms and stench, illustrating the futility of greed and the blessings of obedience.

So if you want to turn there very quickly, find it, else I'll just quote it for you. In Exodus chapter 16 and verse 20, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 16:20,24

"Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them."

And then in verse 24, "And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein." So the manna then was miraculously and mysteriously provided for the Israelites by God Himself. And I say mysteriously because originally they did not know from whence it came or how it appeared. In verse 15 of Exodus chapter 16, the Word of God says this, "And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat." Now the word "manna" actually means, "What is it?" They had no idea what it was, that's why it was called manna.

So when the people then disobeyed and gathered more than they should have gathered, it bred worms and stank. However, before the Sabbath, when they gathered twice as much, that is for two days, in obedience to God, it did not bring worms and it did not stink. So, we can ask this question just off the cuff. What in the world could worms then teach us about obedience? Stop and think about this. There's a passage in 1 Timothy chapter 6 verses 7 through 10. So when the Israelites then tried to hoard the manna, when they were selfish and was going to get more than they needed, it bred worms and it stank. But in 1 Timothy chapter 6, the Apostle Paul says it like this, "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."

"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." So he's talking about the love of money. I've got a dear friend who lives in another country, who I suppose you would say he's an investor, but he invests in like silver, gold, mines, and that kind of thing. And so I got news from him today. He had just bought some stock in one of these copper companies or gold companies. And he made a modest profit, 7%. And so he said he sold it. And he was so thankful because after he sold it, it went back down. So I emailed him back and I said, "You know, the Lord blesses us when we are not greedy and trying to take everything." I said, "When you stop and think about this a little, numerous times add up to an awful lot."

And so we have to be content. So the Word of God tells us in the book of James, chapter 5, verses 1 through 6, and talking about the rich, here's what James wrote. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire." "Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter."

Scripture Reading — James 5:1-6

"Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you."

So there's a condemnation of those who are completely selfish and greedy and covetous and clearly God condemns that just like in the manna where they hoarded it, it certainly did not help them at all. There's a little couplet that was written by John Bunyan. I've quoted this many times. Bunyan just put it like this, "There was a man, and many did count him mad; The more he gave away, the more he had." Stop and think about that, and certainly that is an absolute contradiction then to James and of course 1 Timothy 5 there, where people are just absolutely greedy. God has never condoned or commended a greedy, covetous disposition. In fact, Psalm 10 and verse 3 tells us, "The wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth." So God tells us he hates the covetous. Now you would have to ask yourself this question, why does God hate the covetous?

Well there's an answer given us in several places in the Bible. The first one is Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 5 where the apostle said,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 5:5

"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."

So again he tells us that covetousness is idolatry. And then he said it very plainly in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 5, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." So, worms then can teach us that it is unwise, unbiblical, and useless to accumulate just simply for the sake of accumulation. Ultimately, all that is unsanctified and unholy will be destroyed. Secondly, worms can teach us that disobedience brings death and destruction. So you have to ask, what happened to that manna that they heaped up and was going to save? And the truth of the matter, it just simply disappeared because it became putrid and it stunk and it had to be thrown out. And so those who just simply are covetous, which are idolatrous, they're just simply bringing the judgment and the condemnation from God upon them.

The Apostle Paul said it like this in Ephesians 5 and verse 6. He said, "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." And then in Colossians 3 and verse 6, he says, "For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience." And so here it is, you just simply cannot disobey and sin against God and get away with it. You have to be sure that your sins will find you out. So thirdly, worms can teach us that obedience brings blessings no matter how little we have.

Now, I do want you to look in the book of Exodus chapter 16. I want you to watch this. So worms can teach us, can teach us, that obedience brings blessings no matter how little we have. So if you look there in Exodus chapter 16, let's begin reading there in verse 16. Look at this. "This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating." And of course, Moses said, "Let no man leave of it till the morning." So obviously, we can learn that obedience does indeed bring blessings.

Man as a Worm: The Hebrew Word Rimmah

Bildad's question in Job 25:6 uses 'rimmah' (maggot) to contrast man with God, emphasizing man's worthlessness and corruption.

Is there a difference between these two words? And the answer is yes, emphatically. The first word for worm, which I will deal with a little bit, refers to man. The second word refers to the Son of Man, which would be the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, it is the same word that is used in Psalm 22 in verse 6 when Christ said, "But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people."

So let me go back and remind you of something I said when we began to study this lesson. I said I would venture to say that no one can properly understand the depravity and the corruption of man as well as the sufferings of Christ nor the humiliation and humility and humanity of Christ without a proper understanding of worms in the Bible. So what I want to do tonight is just simply take the first part. When Bildad asks this question, "How much less man, that is a worm?" Now, I want you to note that Bildad is trying to show the difference between God and a man. Or in verse 2, he says, "Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?" Then he asks this question, "How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. How much less man..." The only thing he can say is this, I really can't find anything that would compare to God, obviously, but here is a contrast between God and man. God is great, God is sovereign, God has all dominion, but yet he says man is a worm. So he's showing us, in one sense of the word, the depravity and the worthlessness of man.

So Bildad did not come up with a comparison. He only came up with a contrast. Man is a worm. Now, here we go. The Hebrew word for worm here is the word "rimmah," which means maggot. That's exactly what he said. "How much less man, that is a maggot?" The word maggot is used because maggots are related to decay and death. And that description of man should be enough to take the wind out of our sails. When you stop and think that proud, haughty, arrogant, self-righteous man is nothing but a maggot in the face of God.

So, let me give you several points to consider. First one is this. Man is compared and contrasted to a worm as to our origination.

Man's Origination: Dust and Decay

Man is compared to a worm in his origin from dust and return to dust, highlighting the futility of human pride.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:19

Now, it is true that God made us. It is true that we are the creatures of God. But may I remind you, in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 19, God said that since we were created out of the dust of the ground, He told us that in the sweat of our face we shall eat bread until we return to the ground, for out of dust wast thou taken, and into dust thou shalt return. That just reminded me of a story that I read years ago about the preacher who preached on this verse and he said that man was made out of the dust and of the dust he should return. Well they went home Sunday after church and the little boy was playing in his room and dropped something on the floor and he looked under his bed and he hollered loudly, "Mama, Mama, come quick, come quick." He said, she ran in there and said, "What is it, son?" He said, "Look under my bed. Somebody's either coming or going." So obviously, there's a lot of dust under that bed. The man was taken out of the dust, and man is going to return.

Now the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 that Adam was taken out of the earth and therefore he is earthy. The second man of course is the Lord from heaven. So it's amusing to me in one sense of the word to think of all the high and mighty, all the rich, all the wealthy, all the highfalutin high society people and to consider the fact that they're absolutely nothing but maggots. And just, I mean, that ought to really break you down to size is what it amounts to. That's what the Word of God says. No matter what their station in life is, they're nothing more than worms. So man may boast himself, he may elevate himself above the clouds, but soon he's going to be returned to dust and be eaten by the worms. So as worms love the earth, so does man by nature, unsaved and unconverted man, pant after the world and all that is within it.

Man's Obfuscation: Spiritual Blindness

Like a worm, fallen man is steeped in ignorance, with understanding darkened and alienated from God.

Now the word obfuscate literally means to darken, to obscure, hence it reflects then a lack of understanding and a lack of comprehension. So here's a good question. What can a worm understand? What can a worm comprehend? Have you ever seen a trained worm? Stop and think about it. When you think about a worm, you think about something that is steeped in abysmal ignorance, impossible to learn. You know what the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 18 concerning the ungodly? "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart."

So, fallen man by nature is blind. He's absolutely, I'll use the word stupid, because that's exactly what God calls him, a fool. And a foolish man is not someone who happens to be mentally incompetent. A foolish man or fool in the Bible is someone who will not listen, someone who will not be taught, someone who will not comprehend the truth. So what did our Lord say in John chapter 3? "Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Neither will they come to the light, lest their deeds be reproved." So fallen man is compared to a worm because of his darkness, because of his lack of understanding. As Jude 13 tells us that the unsaved and unconverted men are the children of darkness to whom is reserved a blackness of darkness forever. Wow. So when you stop and think about man being a worm, being a maggot, his origination is bad, but his lack of understanding is even worse.

Man's Degradation: Putrefaction and Sin

Scripture uses repulsive images—putrefying sores, vomit, menstrual cloths—to depict the loathsomeness of sin.

"The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." So God then likens unsaved then to dumber than beasts. But listen to this. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 49. Psalm 49. And look, if you would please, at verse 20. Psalm 49 and verse 20. This is exactly what we're talking about. Psalm 49, verse 20. He says, "Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish." Look at that. "Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish."

In other words, he's as dumb as a beast. Look, if you would, to Psalm 49 there in verse 12. He says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 49:12,20

"Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish."

Wow. In Ecclesiastes chapter 3 in verse 18, Solomon said it like this. "I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts." That is dumb. However, a worm is lower than a beast. Can you think of anything lower than a worm? Can you think of anything lower than a maggot?

There are some worms, I'm sure, that are more beneficial than others. Certainly, earthworms are good for your garden. I understand that. But I don't know what use a maggot is except to eat dead flesh. That's what it amounts to. And by the way, whether you are aware of this or not, that used to be a medical procedure. Because if you had rotting flesh on your arm or something, they would put maggots on your arm to eat that rotting flesh. But I'm just simply pointing out the fact, think about a maggot would be considered the worst of all as far as I'm concerned.

Now, Bildad then in Job chapter 25 in verse 6 asks, "How much less man, that is a worm?" At least a beast has some understanding. I quoted Isaiah chapter 1 earlier. But I don't know of any trained worms. I don't know how you could communicate with a worm. Worms are just simply ignorant, as far as I can say. Abysmally ignorant.

Now, let me give you some pictures. You know, when Bildad says that man is a maggot, he's actually describing man as being depraved and wicked, rebellious. There are numerous pictures in the Bible concerning our sin. None of those pictures are beautiful. In fact, all of those pictures are basically what you and I would call repulsive. So, in Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 6, again, God says, "From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it;" talking about man, "but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment." Now, I don't know if you can consider or even picture in your mind someone that was eaten up with putrefied sores. Running sores.

I was preaching in Leesville, South Carolina. And it was just a few minutes before I got up to preach. A man walked in with huge baggy overalls on. And the pastor leaned over me and said, "I'm really thankful to see that man here." And we didn't have time to talk because the song was ending and I had to preach. And so after the service, he took me to that man. And he called his name and he said, "I want you to show Brother Weaver why I told him I was so thankful to see you and to have you here." And the man pulled up his pants legs, which like I said, huge overalls. And you could not find, you could not find a place to put your finger on his legs.

They were not full of sores, putrefying sores. I don't even know how the man was walking. But but he came in and when I saw that I immediately thought of Isaiah 1 in verse 6 and I thought to myself, look how repulsive, look how how gagging that is to me that I was raised on the farm and then I thought, what must my sins be like to my heavenly Father? So God tells us about our worms. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Job chapter 17. Watch this. I hope this will help you understand. In fact, I've got several messages I have not yet preached on understanding the book of Job, I'm going to be doing that, Lord willing, in the not-too-distant future. I've got one more message to finish.

There'll be six or seven in a row. But look, if you would, in Job chapter 7, it is. I said 17. That's Job chapter 7. And look, if you would, at what he said there in verse 5, Job 7, verse 5. He says,

Scripture Reading — Job 7:5

"My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome."

Now, I do want you to look at Job 17 now and verse 14, and now you can understand this passage. Then we're going back to Job 7. Look in Job chapter 17, verse 14.

He said,

Scripture Reading — Job 17:14

"I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister."

Now why did Job say to corruption, "Thou art my father," and to the worm,

Scripture Reading — Job 17:14

"Thou art my mother and my sister"

? Now go back to Job chapter 7 and look at verse 5. He said, "My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome." So when Satan smote Job from head to foot, Job was literally being eaten alive by worms. Thus, corruption was his father, and his mother and his sister happened to be those worms of which he was constantly scraping out and scraping off of his skin. He sat down with a potsherd to scrape himself. Now, so when you stop and think about that, you say that's repulsive. I don't want to think on a subject like that. Well, I can assure you the picture is only loathsome. It is repulsive. It is nauseous. But on the other hand, it is a very accurate picture of our sins and what we are in the sight of God in and of ourselves. That's why God said in Jeremiah chapter 44 in verse 4, "Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate." God hates sin. And God hates idolatry.

So here's what we do. We think flippantly and we think lightly of our depravity and we think flippantly and we think lightly of all of our sins. And like the Psalmist said, "Is it not a little one?" Or it's like Lot said as well, talking about Zoar, "Is it not a little one?" Just a little city. And it was Solomon who said there's little foxes that spoil the vines. It's those little things. And we don't think are as bad as other sins, and yet they are all wicked and wrong.

But let me tell you what sin is. Here it is. Sin is nothing less than the dare of God's justice, the rape of God's mercy, the jeer of God's patience, the slight of God's power, the upbraiding of God's providence, the scoff of God's promise, and the reproach of God's wisdom, and the despisement of God's person and his word. This is why God gives such loathsome and repulsive pictures concerning us. None of these pictures of us in the Bible are pretty. If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 24 and verse 6. Here's another picture. Ezekiel chapter 24 and verse 6. Notice if you would what God says. Ezekiel chapter 24 and verse 6. Here's what our sin is likened unto. Look at this. "Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it!

Bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it." Now what God has done, He's told Ezekiel, to set on the pot. Don't put any water in it. Just put some wicked, wrong, and dirty pieces of bone and meat in it and let it seethe. And what happens is there's no water in it. It's coated with a scum. And this is what God is likening our sin as, the scum of a boiling pot in which is a detestable carcass. It stinks. It sticks. It is absolutely nauseous. But that's what God is likening it unto.

Now, our sin is also likened unto the vomit of a dog and the wallowing of a sow in the mire. Now, everybody's familiar with the passage in 2 Peter. But look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 48. Jeremiah chapter 48 and notice if you would please verse 26. Jeremiah 48 verse 26. Look what God says. Jeremiah 48 verse 26. He says, "Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the Lord: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision." You know, I've often said this, out of all the alcohol commercials, they always show you beautiful young women and handsome young men who are drinking and having a good old time, but they never show you a drunk wallowing in the spew of his own vomit and own filth. You know, I'm just pointing out the fact that, you know, God is not playing with us. And of course you know the passage there in 2 Peter 2 and verse 22 when he said, "But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

You cannot, you cannot, you cannot keep a wild hog clean. That's all there is to it. And a dog will return to his own vomit. That's all there is to it. And God is giving this as a picture of our sins. Look at the people that have said, "Well, I'm going to quit this. I'm not doing this anymore." And then next week do the same thing all over again. Just like the dog and just like the sow. Well, there's another picture in the Bible.

If you look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 7, Romans chapter 7, and I think you probably know this one but look in Romans chapter 7 look at this Romans chapter 7 and notice what the Apostle Paul said there in verse 24 Romans 7 verse 24 he says "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Now what in the world is he talking about? "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Did you know that in the ancient world, especially in Roman times, if a man murdered another man, let's say that I murdered Warren Luke. I just murdered him. If they caught me in a timely fashion, they would tie my living body to his dead body, my face to his face, my chest to his chest, my arms and hands to his arms and my legs to his... And guess what? They would leave me tied until the worms from his body ate me alive. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul is talking about. He's talking about his own sinful nature. He's no wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

He said, "I am corrupt." Have you ever come to the realization that your flesh hates God? That's why flesh and blood is not going to inherit the kingdom of God. You can't sanctify your flesh. Your flesh is enmity against God. It hates God. And that's exactly what the Apostle Paul was crying about. "Oh, wicked man. Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

Again, the picture is one of total putrefaction, I might say, because you remember in Isaiah chapter 1, from the top of the head to the bottom of the foot, your full of sores, putrefying sores, which had neither been mollified nor bound up with ointment. It's complete and total putrefaction. Then here's another one. If you look in your Bibles, through the book of Isaiah chapter 64, Isaiah chapter 64, and look at this one. Isaiah 64. And notice if you would please verse 6. Isaiah 64 and verse 6. The word of God says it like this.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 64:6

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

Now look at this.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 64:6

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."

Wow.

I told you that everything in the Bible concerning our sins was repulsive. The filthy rags are actually menstrual cloths. That's exactly what that is teaching. Let me show you another one. Look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 16. Ezekiel chapter 16. Did you know that we are also likened unto the blood and pollutions of a newborn child? In Ezekiel chapter 16, look if you would beginning with verse 4. Look what God says. Ezekiel 16 verse 4. He says this, "And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live;

yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live." No one cared for us. We were filthy. We were wicked. If God had not sovereignly, mercifully saved us, we would have just been dead. That's all there is to it. So, clearly then, there's no picture that shows us being good and upright and all this. No, no, no. It just always shows us how wicked, how ungodly, how lost we were. One more, if you will look in your Bibles, it's in the book of Matthew chapter 23. Matthew chapter 23, look at verses 27 and 28. Matthew 23, verses 27 and 28. Look at this. Look at what our Lord says. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."

Man's Destination: Physical and Eternal Decay

Worms consume the body in death, but the undying worm of conscience and unquenchable fire point to eternal judgment.

Now, let me give you one other last thought before I make some applications, and that is this. Man is compared to and contrasted with a worm as to his destination. It is true that worms shall sweetly feed upon our mortal bodies because we shall all die physically. The body of flesh shall decay and return to dust from which it originated. However, there's far more to those who die and say they're just simply being eaten by worms physically. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 12. Acts chapter 12. We're going to come back to another Old Testament passage momentarily. But look at Acts chapter 12. Let's begin reading there with verse 20 and find out about King Herod. Watch this. Acts chapter 12, and let's begin reading there with verse 20. Acts 12, verse 20. The Bible says, "And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.

And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost." So King Herod was eaten alive by worms. Wow. Now, the interesting thing here is I want you to go back to Isaiah 66 and look at verse 24. There's also a passage in the book of Mark, but look first of all at Isaiah chapter 66 and look at verse 24. Isaiah 66 and verse 24. Here we go. "And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." So God says their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched. Now, I want you to hold that just momentarily, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Mark chapter 9, and you will see our Lord basically using this Old Testament passage. But in Mark chapter 9, look if you would please, beginning there, verse 44. Mark 9, verse 44. He says, "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be

Scripture Reading — Mark 9:44,46,48

quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Verse 48, he says it again, "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

Now the figure denotes great misery and certain and terrible destruction. So these verses Isaiah 66 and Mark chapter 9 go beyond the grave. This is not just talking about worms feeding sweetly upon you as your physical body rots and goes back into dust. I want to give you a quote, two quotes in fact. The first one is by John Gill when he's talking about Isaiah 66 in verse 24. He says, "For their worm shall not die, with which their carcasses shall be covered, they lying rotting above the ground, or figuratively, their consciences, and the horrors and terrors that shall seize upon them, which they will never get rid of, as they will not, though their bodies may, but were made to suffer the wrath of God to all eternity, neither shall their fire be quenched in hell." He says, "Those wicked men, the followers and worshippers of Antichrist, will be cast into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, they will forever suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, and the smoke of their torment shall ascend up forever and ever." Then John Trapp says this, "As out of the corruption of our bodies worms breed, which consume the flesh, so out of the corruption of our souls this never-dying worm. This worm is nothing else but a continual remorse and furious reflection of the soul upon its own willful folly and now woeful misery. Oh, consider this before thy friends be scrambling for thy goods, worms for thy body, devils for thy soul.

Go not dancing to hell in thy bolts, rejoice not in thy bondage, as many do, whom the preaching of hell is but the painting of a toad, which men can look on and handle without fear." Wow. So he is saying that where the worm dieth not is the conscience. I've often said, I think one of the greatest miseries and terrors of hell eternal destruction. Because you don't remember all of your sins. You'll remember, I believe, every sermon you've ever heard, every scripture you ever read. And you will think, what a fool, what a fool, what a fool I was over and over and over and over. And there's nothing but torment. So the Doctrine of Worms then basically demonstrates all too clearly the origination, obfuscation, degradation, and destination of fallen man. If we understand the Bible teaching of worms, we can understand the corruption and the depravity of man.

Applications: Humility and Gratitude

Understanding our worm-like state should produce humility and awe at God's grace in lifting us from the dunghill to be His children.

Now I want to make a couple of applications. The first one is this. If we grasp even a tenth of what I said tonight, it should tend to make us humble, lowly, and meek. When we stop and think that we have nothing to boast about in our lives, everything we are and everything we have, God has graciously and mercifully given unto us.

We're compared to maggots. What is pride to a maggot? Is a maggot in the head of a carcass any less than a maggot who's in the rear of a carcass? I mean, a maggot is a maggot. Doesn't matter where you are in the body of life, a maggot is a maggot. And if we understand that, there should not be any ostentatious displays of pride and arrogance and haughtiness in our lives. Because we realize who we are and what we are. I want you to go back to the book of Job and look, if you would, at Job chapter 7 again, Job 7. Look at this. I want you to also consider with me the absolute greatness, mercy and wonderful, wonderful grace of God. Look at Job 7 verse 17. "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?"

Let me ask you a question. How can God, who is the infinite, sovereign, holy, righteous, perfect God, condescend to love a maggot? Think about that. "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?" Why would God set his heart upon us, as wicked, as depraved, as rebellious, as sinful as we are? The psalmist asked the same question in Psalm 8, verse 4. "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" Why would God stoop to pay attention to us?

But we've hated him, despised him, rejected him, refused him. I want you to turn, if you would, to Psalm 113. Look in Psalm 113. This is one of my favorite Psalms. This is absolutely astounding. Psalm 113. Let's begin reading there in verse 1. "Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord." He's going to tell you why we should be praising Him. "Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high," here it is, "who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!" What's that? He humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth.

"He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;" That's where maggots are. "That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord." Can you imagine that God looks down upon we poor maggots and snatches us out of the dunghill and makes us kings and priests unto him? My goodness, my goodness, what grace, what mercy. Look if you would back in Job chapter 19. Job chapter 19. Here's the wonderful thing. Those that have been lifted from the dunghill, those who've been made princes, those who've been made sons of the King, shall certainly see our Heavenly Father. Job chapter 19, note this if you would please, verse 26. What does Job say? Well, let's read verse 25.

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." What did he say? Though worms eat this body, yet in my flesh, in a glorified body, I will see the Lord. Those that have been lifted up from the dunghill are princes, are kings and priests unto our God. One last passage, Isaiah 51 verses 7 and 8. God says, "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation." So we who have been lifted up by the grace of God, we'll see the worms destroy the enemies of God and his people. Yeah.

I know that you've sung this hymn many times, and I'm certainly not going to sing it because I can't sing, but it should have new meanings. That hymn written by Isaac Watts, "Alas! and did my Saviour bleed? And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?" I'm back. Wow. "Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?" If you really want to understand the depravity, the corruption, and the fall of man, you need to study worms. If you want to see the greatness and the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we will cover next week, you need to study worms. There is a theology of worms. What is humility?

The Bible tells us that we are to walk humbly with our God. Real biblical humility is when we know who God is, and we know who and what we are. How could a maggot be arrogant and haughty and proud and rebellious? And the fact that God has visited the dunghill and raised us up should make us give Him constant and continual praise. For it is man that Thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that Thou visitest him.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Human Depravity

Summary: Fallen man is likened to a maggot, emphasizing total corruption, worthlessness, and rebellion against God.

Evidence: Bildad asks, 'How much less man, that is a worm?' using the Hebrew word for maggot, related to decay and death.

The Repulsiveness of Sin

Summary: God uses loathsome images—putrefying sores, vomit, menstrual cloths—to show how sin appears in His sight.

Evidence: Isaiah 1:6 describes wounds and putrifying sores; Isaiah 64:6 calls righteousnesses 'filthy rags' (menstrual cloths).

Spiritual Blindness

Summary: Unregenerate man is compared to a worm in ignorance, unable to comprehend spiritual truth.

Evidence: Ephesians 4:18 says the ungodly have understanding darkened; John 3 says men love darkness rather than light.

The Curse of Sin

Summary: Worms are associated with the curse of God upon disobedience, as seen in the manna and in Deuteronomy 28.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 28:39 says worms shall eat the vineyards as part of the curse; Galatians 3:10 explains the curse of the law.

Eternal Judgment

Summary: The undying worm and unquenchable fire represent the eternal torment of hell for the unrepentant.

Evidence: Mark 9:44,46,48 quotes Isaiah 66:24 about the worm that dieth not and fire not quenched.

God's Condescending Grace

Summary: Despite man's worm-like vileness, God humbles Himself to love and lift sinners from the dunghill to be His children.

Evidence: Psalm 113:6-8 says God humbleth Himself to behold the earth and raiseth the poor from the dunghill.

Humility

Summary: Recognizing our worm-like nature should produce genuine humility, not pride or arrogance.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'What is pride to a maggot? Is a maggot in the head of a carcass any less than a maggot who's in the rear?'

Key Arguments

Worms illustrate the corruption of man

Summary: The Hebrew word 'rimmah' (maggot) in Job 25:6 depicts man as associated with decay and death, showing his depravity.

Evidence: Bildad contrasts God's greatness with man being a maggot, emphasizing man's worthlessness.

Sin is repulsive to God

Summary: Biblical pictures of sin—sores, vomit, menstrual cloths—are intentionally nauseating to convey God's hatred of sin.

Evidence: Isaiah 1:6, Jeremiah 48:26, Isaiah 64:6, and Ezekiel 16:4-6 all use repulsive imagery for sin.

Man is spiritually blind by nature

Summary: Like a worm, unregenerate man cannot comprehend spiritual truth, being darkened in understanding.

Evidence: Ephesians 4:18 and John 3:19-20 describe the blindness and love of darkness in fallen man.

Disobedience brings destruction

Summary: The manna that bred worms when hoarded teaches that greed and disobedience lead to ruin.

Evidence: Exodus 16:20 shows that hoarded manna bred worms and stank, while obedient gathering did not.

Eternal torment is pictured by the undying worm

Summary: The worm that dieth not in Mark 9 represents the eternal remorse and suffering of the damned.

Evidence: Mark 9:44,46,48 and Isaiah 66:24 speak of the worm that dieth not and fire not quenched.

God's grace is magnified by man's lowliness

Summary: The contrast between God's holiness and man's worm-like state highlights the wonder of His saving love.

Evidence: Psalm 113:6-8 shows God humbling Himself to lift the needy from the dunghill.

Scripture References

Job 25:6

Context: Bildad asks, 'How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?' introducing the contrast between God and man.

Psalm 22:6

Context: Messianic psalm where Christ says, 'But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.'

Exodus 16:20,24

Context: Manna bred worms and stank when hoarded in disobedience, but not when gathered obediently for the Sabbath.

1 Timothy 6:7-10

Context: Paul warns against the love of money, which leads to destruction, paralleling the greed that caused manna to breed worms.

James 5:1-6

Context: James condemns the rich who hoard wealth, warning of miseries and corruption.

Ephesians 5:5

Context: Covetousness is idolatry, excluding one from the kingdom of Christ and God.

Colossians 3:5

Context: Covetousness is idolatry, which believers are to mortify.

Proverbs 10:22

Context: The blessing of the Lord makes rich without adding sorrow, contrasting with hoarded manna that bred worms.

Genesis 3:19

Context: Man returns to dust, showing his origination from the earth and connection to worms.

Philippians 3:18-19

Context: Enemies of the cross mind earthly things, their god is their belly, reflecting the worm-like nature of fallen man.

Amos 2:6-7

Context: Israel's sins include selling the righteous for silver and panting after the dust of the earth, showing corruption.

Ephesians 4:18

Context: The ungodly have understanding darkened, being alienated from God through ignorance.

Psalm 49:12,20

Context: Man in honor without understanding is like the beasts that perish, emphasizing spiritual ignorance.

Isaiah 1:6

Context: From head to foot, man is full of wounds and putrifying sores, picturing the repulsiveness of sin.

Job 7:5

Context: Job's flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust, his skin broken and loathsome.

Job 17:14

Context: Job says to corruption, 'Thou art my father,' and to the worm, 'Thou art my mother and my sister.'

Isaiah 64:6

Context: All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (menstrual cloths), showing the defilement of even our best works.

Ezekiel 16:4-6

Context: Israel is likened to a newborn cast out, polluted in blood, until God said 'Live,' picturing salvation from filth.

Mark 9:44,46,48

Context: Jesus quotes Isaiah 66:24 about the worm that dieth not and fire not quenched, referring to hell.

Psalm 113:6-8

Context: God humbles Himself to behold the earth and raises the poor from the dunghill, showing His grace to worms.

Historical References

John Bunyan's couplet

Context: Weaver quotes Bunyan: 'There was a man, and many did count him mad; The more he gave away, the more he had,' illustrating the opposite of greed.

Roman punishment of tying murderer to victim

Context: Weaver explains that in Roman times, a murderer was tied face-to-face with the corpse until worms consumed him, illustrating 'the body of this death' in Romans 7:24.

John Gill's commentary on Isaiah 66:24

Context: Gill interprets the undying worm as the conscience and eternal torment in hell for the wicked.

John Trapp's commentary on the undying worm

Context: Trapp describes the worm as continual remorse and furious reflection of the soul on its willful folly in hell.

Isaac Watts' hymn 'Alas! and did my Saviour bleed?'

Context: Weaver quotes the line 'Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?' to apply the worm imagery to Christ's sacrifice.

Important Quotes

I would venture to say that one cannot properly understand the corruption and depravity of man or the sufferings of Christ, nor the humiliation and humanity of Christ, without a proper understanding of the subject of worms in the Bible.

Significance: States the central thesis that the theology of worms is essential for grasping both human sinfulness and Christ's work.

How much less man, that is a maggot?

Significance: Weaver's paraphrase of Job 25:6, emphasizing the shocking Hebrew word 'rimmah' to convey man's lowliness.

Sin is nothing less than the dare of God's justice, the rape of God's mercy, the jeer of God's patience, the slight of God's power, the upbraiding of God's providence, the scoff of God's promise, and the reproach of God's wisdom, and the despisement of God's person and his word.

Significance: A powerful definition of sin's offensiveness to God, explaining why He uses repulsive imagery.

What is pride to a maggot? Is a maggot in the head of a carcass any less than a maggot who's in the rear of a carcass?

Significance: Illustrates the absurdity of human pride in light of our worm-like nature.

Though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Significance: Job 19:26-27 expresses hope of resurrection despite physical decay, a key application for believers.

Real biblical humility is when we know who God is, and we know who and what we are.

Significance: Defines true humility as the proper understanding of God's greatness and our worm-like lowliness.

Discussion Questions

How does the image of man as a maggot (rimmah) challenge our natural tendency toward pride and self-righteousness?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that Bildad's contrast in Job 25:6 uses the word for maggot to show man's worthlessness before God.

Why does God use such repulsive pictures (sores, vomit, menstrual cloths) to describe sin, and how should that affect our view of sin?

Context: The sermon lists multiple biblical images that are intentionally nauseating to convey God's hatred of sin.

In what ways does the manna breeding worms illustrate the consequences of greed and disobedience in our own lives?

Context: Exodus 16 shows that hoarding manna led to worms and stench, while obedient gathering did not.

How does the concept of the 'undying worm' in Mark 9 shape our understanding of hell and the urgency of evangelism?

Context: Weaver explains that the worm represents eternal remorse and torment, not just physical decay.

What does Psalm 113:6-8 teach us about God's character in stooping to save those who are like worms?

Context: God humbles Himself to behold the earth and lifts the needy from the dunghill, showing amazing grace.

How can meditating on our 'worm-like' nature produce genuine humility rather than false modesty or despair?

Context: Weaver argues that knowing who God is and who we are leads to walking humbly with God.

Applications

Cultivate Humility

Summary: Recognizing that we are like maggots before God should strip away pride and produce genuine lowliness of heart.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'What is pride to a maggot?' and states that real humility comes from knowing who God is and who we are.

Praise God for His Condescending Grace

Summary: Because God has lifted us from the dunghill of sin, we should give Him constant praise and gratitude.

Evidence: Psalm 113:6-8 shows God raising the poor from the dunghill; Weaver calls this 'what grace, what mercy.'

View Sin as God Views It

Summary: We should not think lightly of sin but see it as repulsive and loathsome, as the biblical imagery portrays.

Evidence: Weaver says we think flippantly of our depravity, but God uses nauseating pictures to show sin's true nature.

Avoid Greed and Covetousness

Summary: The manna that bred worms warns against hoarding and selfish accumulation, which is idolatry.

Evidence: Exodus 16 and 1 Timothy 6 teach that greed leads to destruction; obedience brings sufficiency.

Hope in the Resurrection

Summary: Though worms destroy our physical bodies, believers have the assurance of seeing God in a glorified body.

Evidence: Job 19:26-27 declares that after worms destroy his body, yet in his flesh he shall see God.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T01:56:04Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T15:38:45Z

Clean Transcript

The Theology of Worms - Part 1

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

So the title of these two messages are "The Theology of Worms." The Theology of Worms. So I want you to turn in your Bibles, first of all, to Job 25, and we're going to read verse 6. And by the way, I did check, I preached these messages back in 2009. 2009, that's been a long time. So, notice if you would, Job 25, and then I want you to also turn to Psalm 22. We probably won't get to Psalm 22. In fact, I know we won't, but I just will point it out. So, look in Job chapter 25 and verse 6. I will come back to the context.
#1 | 0:00 to 0:45 | cleaned
But he says, "How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?" So, He's talking about man being a worm. Then he talks of the Son of Man, which is a worm, which would refer to the Lord Jesus Christ. So, if you will look in Psalm 22 and verse 6, which is a Messianic Psalm, by the way, notice what our Lord said, "But I am a worm, and no man;
#2 | 0:47 to 1:19 | cleaned
a reproach of men, and despised of the people." Now, if you go through Psalm 22, you will find that many of these verses are repeated in the New Testament and particularly in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. So like verse 14, "I'm poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels." All of this passage refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. So, worms are not necessarily an interesting subject in and of themselves to most people. And, needless to say, they're not really an appetizing subject either. And, I'm sure that to some people, worms probably are very intriguing. I know I've told this, but it was so funny to me because I knew the people personally.
#3 | 1:20 to 2:15 | cleaned
And, years ago, I had some dear friends had a child late in life. His name was Roger. And so, his daddy took him fishing for the first time. And he was about three or four years old. And of course, they used worms. And so, when they came back from fishing, he took his wife and his other son and his little baby and went nearby to an Italian restaurant. And they ordered spaghetti. And so, when the waitress brought it out and put it on the table, Little Roger said, "Look, Mama, worms, worms, all worms." So, well, it may have looked like worms, but it wasn't worms, that is for sure. But there's a great deal that can be learned not only from worms, but also about worms as well.
#4 | 2:16 to 3:08 | cleaned
So, the Bible gives us many and varied verses concerning worms. In fact, let me say this, and I will repeat it again later, I would venture to say that one cannot properly understand the corruption and depravity of man or the sufferings of Christ, nor the humiliation and humanity of Christ, without a proper understanding of the subject of worms in the Bible. I will repeat that later. But worms give us excellent pictures not only concerning the corruption and the depravity of man, but also the humiliation and the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. So it may surprise you to learn that, yes, a worm is a picture of Jesus Christ in the Bible. We can certainly understand that in reference to fallen man. That does not surprise us, and we can comprehend that fallen man could be very easily compared to a worm, but Christ?
#5 | 3:08 to 4:12 | cleaned
So you'd have to ask, what in the world is the Word of God teaching us when it talks about worms? Now, we're bidden in Proverbs chapter 6 and verse 6, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise." So God oftentimes sends us the insects and he also said, "Ask the birds, and they shall tell thee," and the animals. So there are plenty of animals in the Bible from which we may learn and learn spiritual truths. In fact, when you stop and think about the lambs, the oxen, the birds, the sheep, all of these things were pictures of Jesus Christ. And certainly we can learn from those as well. The very first time the words "worm" and "worms" is used in the Bible is found in Exodus chapter 16 and verse 20. There "worms" is found in the plural form and then in verse 24 it is found in the singular form and it's in the discussion of manna.
#6 | 4:13 to 5:19 | cleaned
So if you want to turn there very quickly, find it, else I'll just quote it for you. In Exodus chapter 16 and verse 20, the Bible says, "Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them." And then in verse 24, "And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein."
#7 | 5:20 to 5:51 | cleaned
So the manna then was miraculously and mysteriously provided for the Israelites by God Himself. And I say mysteriously because originally they did not know from whence it came or how it appeared. In verse 15 of Exodus chapter 16, the Word of God says this, "And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat." Now the word "manna" actually means, "What is it?" They had no idea what it was, that's why it was called manna.
#8 | 5:52 to 6:38 | cleaned
So when the people then disobeyed and gathered more than they should have gathered, it bred worms and stank. However, before the Sabbath, when they gathered twice as much, that is for two days, in obedience to God, it did not bring worms and it did not stink. So, we can ask this question just off the cuff. What in the world could worms then teach us about obedience? Stop and think about this.
#9 | 6:38 to 7:17 | cleaned
There's a passage in 1 Timothy chapter 6 verses 7 through 10. So when the Israelites then tried to hoard the manna, when they were selfish and was going to get more than they needed, it bred worms and it stank. But in 1 Timothy chapter 6, the Apostle Paul says it like this, "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."
#10 | 7:18 to 7:55 | cleaned
"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." So he's talking about the love of money. I've got a dear friend who lives in another country, who I suppose you would say he's an investor, but he invests in like silver, gold, mines, and that kind of thing. And so I got news from him today. He had just bought some stock in one of these copper companies or gold companies.
#11 | 7:55 to 8:46 | cleaned
And he made a modest profit, 7%. And so he said he sold it. And he was so thankful because after he sold it, it went back down. So I emailed him back and I said, "You know, the Lord blesses us when we are not greedy and trying to take everything." I said, "When you stop and think about this a little, numerous times add up to an awful lot."
#12 | 8:47 to 9:17 | cleaned
And so we have to be content. So the Word of God tells us in the book of James, chapter 5, verses 1 through 6, and talking about the rich, here's what James wrote. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire."
#13 | 9:18 to 9:51 | cleaned
"Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter."
#14 | 9:52 to 10:14 | cleaned
"Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you." So there's a condemnation of those who are completely selfish and greedy and covetous and clearly God condemns that just like in the manna where they hoarded it, it certainly did not help them at all. There's a little couplet that was written by John Bunyan. I've quoted this many times. Bunyan just put it like this, "There was a man, and many did count him mad;
#15 | 10:14 to 10:49 | cleaned
The more he gave away, the more he had." Stop and think about that, and certainly that is an absolute contradiction then to James and of course 1 Timothy 5 there, where people are just absolutely greedy. God has never condoned or commended a greedy, covetous disposition. In fact, Psalm 10 and verse 3 tells us, "The wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth." So God tells us he hates the covetous. Now you would have to ask yourself this question, why does God hate the covetous?
#16 | 10:49 to 11:37 | cleaned
Well there's an answer given us in several places in the Bible. The first one is Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 5 where the apostle said, "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." So again he tells us that covetousness is idolatry. And then he said it very plainly in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 5, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry."
#17 | 11:37 to 12:25 | cleaned
So, worms then can teach us that it is unwise, unbiblical, and useless to accumulate just simply for the sake of accumulation. Ultimately, all that is unsanctified and unholy will be destroyed. Secondly, worms can teach us that disobedience brings death and destruction. So you have to ask, what happened to that manna that they heaped up and was going to save? And the truth of the matter, it just simply disappeared because it became putrid and it stunk and it had to be thrown out. And so those who just simply are covetous, which are idolatrous, they're just simply bringing the judgment and the condemnation from God upon them.
#18 | 12:26 to 13:12 | cleaned
The Apostle Paul said it like this in Ephesians 5 and verse 6. He said, "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." And then in Colossians 3 and verse 6, he says, "For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience." And so here it is, you just simply cannot disobey and sin against God and get away with it.
#19 | 13:13 to 13:45 | cleaned
You have to be sure that your sins will find you out. So thirdly, worms can teach us that obedience brings blessings no matter how little we have.
#20 | 13:45 to 13:56 | cleaned
Now, I do want you to look in the book of Exodus chapter 16. I want you to watch this. So worms can teach us, can teach us, that obedience brings blessings no matter how little we have. So if you look there in Exodus chapter 16, let's begin reading there in verse 16. Look at this. "This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating." And of course, Moses said, "Let no man leave of it till the morning." So obviously, we can learn that obedience does indeed bring blessings.
#21 | 13:56 to 15:06 | cleaned
Those who obey God are always going to have a sufficiency. I hope you remember that passage in 1 Kings chapter 17 where God sent Elijah the prophet to live with this widow woman for three and a half years. And so, when he got there, she was out in the yard and he said, "Fetch me a cup of water." And as she was going, he said, "And make me a few little cakes,
#22 | 15:07 to 15:36 | cleaned
and bring them to me." And she said, "As the Lord liveth, I'm gathering these few sticks that I may cook the last little bit for my son and myself, and then we're going to die." And he says, "Nevertheless, do what I say, because the Lord has said, 'The cruse of oil shall not fail, and the meal shall not fail.'" And so that same cruse of oil, that same barrel of meal lasted then until that drought was over. So those who obey our Lord are not going to be suffering a doing without.
#23 | 15:37 to 16:08 | cleaned
I think one of my favorite verses is found in Psalm chapter 37 or Psalm 37 verse 25, where David said, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." So obviously there are blessings for obedience. Let me give you some scriptures. Proverbs 16 and verse 8, the Word of God declares, "Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right." And then in Psalm 37 verse 16, "A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked." And then of course, Proverbs 15 and verse 16, "Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith." Moreover, let me point out the fact that when God gives blessings, He does not add a curse to them.
#24 | 16:08 to 17:08 | cleaned
So when these people, these Israelites, gathered a double amount when it was not before the Sabbath, it bred worms and it stunk. But when they doubled it at the express command of God, it stayed and was fresh and usable. The Bible says in Proverbs 10 and verse 22, "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it." So once we're in obedience to God, it is a blessing from him.
#25 | 17:09 to 17:51 | cleaned
Now, although we can learn a lot about worms from the manna and what the manna represents, what the worms represent, this message is not particularly about the manna or the worms of the manna. But it is indeed a message about worms in particular and worms in general. So if you look back in Job chapter 25 and verse 6, Job 25 and verse 6, Bildad is speaking, Bildad the Shuhite, and he asks this question, "How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?" Now, man is likened to a worm and the son of man is likened to a worm.
#26 | 17:51 to 18:47 | cleaned
Is there a difference between these two words? And the answer is yes, emphatically. The first word for worm, which I will deal with a little bit, refers to man. The second word refers to the Son of Man, which would be the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, it is the same word that is used in Psalm 22 in verse 6 when Christ said, "But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people."
#27 | 18:48 to 19:21 | cleaned
So let me go back and remind you of something I said when we began to study this lesson. I said I would venture to say that no one can properly understand the depravity and the corruption of man as well as the sufferings of Christ nor the humiliation and humility and humanity of Christ without a proper understanding of worms in the Bible. So what I want to do tonight is just simply take the first part. When Bildad asks this question, "How much less man, that is a worm?" Now, I want you to note that Bildad is trying to show the difference between God and a man.
#28 | 19:21 to 20:13 | cleaned
Or in verse 2, he says, "Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?" Then he asks this question, "How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. How much less man..." The only thing he can say is this, I really can't find anything that would compare to God, obviously, but here is a contrast between God and man. God is great, God is sovereign, God has all dominion, but yet he says man is a worm. So he's showing us, in one sense of the word, the depravity and the worthlessness of man.
#29 | 20:13 to 21:01 | cleaned
So Bildad did not come up with a comparison. He only came up with a contrast. Man is a worm. Now, here we go. The Hebrew word for worm here is the word "rimmah," which means maggot. That's exactly what he said. "How much less man, that is a maggot?" The word maggot is used because maggots are related to decay and death. And that description of man should be enough to take the wind out of our sails. When you stop and think that proud, haughty, arrogant, self-righteous man is nothing but a maggot in the face of God.
#30 | 21:02 to 22:03 | cleaned
So, let me give you several points to consider. First one is this. Man is compared and contrasted to a worm as to our origination.
#31 | 22:04 to 22:15 | cleaned
Now, it is true that God made us. It is true that we are the creatures of God. But may I remind you, in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 19, God said that since we were created out of the dust of the ground, He told us that in the sweat of our face we shall eat bread until we return to the ground, for out of dust wast thou taken, and into dust thou shalt return. That just reminded me of a story that I read years ago about the preacher who preached on this verse and he said that man was made out of the dust and of the dust he should return.
#32 | 22:16 to 22:57 | cleaned
Well they went home Sunday after church and the little boy was playing in his room and dropped something on the floor and he looked under his bed and he hollered loudly, "Mama, Mama, come quick, come quick." He said, she ran in there and said, "What is it, son?" He said, "Look under my bed. Somebody's either coming or going." So obviously, there's a lot of dust under that bed. The man was taken out of the dust, and man is going to return.
#33 | 22:58 to 23:26 | cleaned
Now the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 that Adam was taken out of the earth and therefore he is earthy. The second man of course is the Lord from heaven. So it's amusing to me in one sense of the word to think of all the high and mighty, all the rich, all the wealthy, all the highfalutin high society people and to consider the fact that they're absolutely nothing but maggots.
#34 | 23:27 to 23:53 | cleaned
And just, I mean, that ought to really break you down to size is what it amounts to. That's what the Word of God says. No matter what their station in life is, they're nothing more than worms. So man may boast himself, he may elevate himself above the clouds, but soon he's going to be returned to dust and be eaten by the worms. So as worms love the earth, so does man by nature, unsaved and unconverted man, pant after the world and all that is within it.
#35 | 23:54 to 24:31 | cleaned
The Apostle Paul said it like this in the book of Philippians, chapter 3, verses 18 and 19. He said, "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things." That's man. In fact, if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Amos, the minor prophet, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, or look at Amos chapter 2 in verses 6 and 7, just to show you how corrupt, how worldly all the man is. Look at it, Amos chapter 2 verse 6. "Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof." Look at this.
#36 | 24:33 to 25:35 | cleaned
"...because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; that pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name." Note, if you would, they pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor. They sell the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes.
#37 | 25:35 to 26:02 | cleaned
Look, if you would, at these people who are involved in kidnapping and selling people into slavery. Look at the sex trafficking. This is exactly what he's talking about. So, man, then, is compared to a worm, first of all, in his origination. So, here's the second thing. Man is also compared and contrasted with a worm to obfuscation.
#38 | 26:04 to 26:32 | cleaned
Now the word obfuscate literally means to darken, to obscure, hence it reflects then a lack of understanding and a lack of comprehension. So here's a good question. What can a worm understand? What can a worm comprehend? Have you ever seen a trained worm? Stop and think about it. When you think about a worm, you think about something that is steeped in abysmal ignorance, impossible to learn. You know what the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 18 concerning the ungodly? "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart."
#39 | 26:33 to 27:26 | cleaned
So, fallen man by nature is blind. He's absolutely, I'll use the word stupid, because that's exactly what God calls him, a fool. And a foolish man is not someone who happens to be mentally incompetent. A foolish man or fool in the Bible is someone who will not listen, someone who will not be taught, someone who will not comprehend the truth. So what did our Lord say in John chapter 3?
#40 | 27:27 to 28:00 | cleaned
"Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Neither will they come to the light, lest their deeds be reproved." So fallen man is compared to a worm because of his darkness, because of his lack of understanding. As Jude 13 tells us that the unsaved and unconverted men are the children of darkness to whom is reserved a blackness of darkness forever. Wow. So when you stop and think about man being a worm, being a maggot, his origination is bad, but his lack of understanding is even worse.
#41 | 28:00 to 28:54 | cleaned
So, let me give this another way. Here's the third thing. Man is compared and contrasted with the worm to his degradation. I could use another word instead of degradation. I could use the word putrefaction. Man has fallen from his original state and has degraded himself and become dumber than the beasts. Think about this, man who was created in the image of God has fallen and degraded himself so even actually, he's compared to animals, but sometimes below animals. Because in Isaiah chapter 1, what did God say?
#42 | 28:55 to 29:41 | cleaned
"The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." So God then likens unsaved then to dumber than beasts. But listen to this. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 49. Psalm 49. And look, if you would please, at verse 20. Psalm 49 and verse 20. This is exactly what we're talking about. Psalm 49, verse 20. He says, "Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish." Look at that. "Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish."
#43 | 29:42 to 30:29 | cleaned
In other words, he's as dumb as a beast. Look, if you would, to Psalm 49 there in verse 12. He says, "Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish." Wow. In Ecclesiastes chapter 3 in verse 18, Solomon said it like this. "I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts." That is dumb. However, a worm is lower than a beast. Can you think of anything lower than a worm? Can you think of anything lower than a maggot?
#44 | 30:29 to 31:25 | cleaned
There are some worms, I'm sure, that are more beneficial than others. Certainly, earthworms are good for your garden. I understand that. But I don't know what use a maggot is except to eat dead flesh. That's what it amounts to. And by the way, whether you are aware of this or not, that used to be a medical procedure. Because if you had rotting flesh on your arm or something, they would put maggots on your arm to eat that rotting flesh. But I'm just simply pointing out the fact, think about a maggot would be considered the worst of all as far as I'm concerned.
#45 | 31:28 to 32:16 | cleaned
Now, Bildad then in Job chapter 25 in verse 6 asks, "How much less man, that is a worm?" At least a beast has some understanding. I quoted Isaiah chapter 1 earlier. But I don't know of any trained worms. I don't know how you could communicate with a worm. Worms are just simply ignorant, as far as I can say. Abysmally ignorant.
#46 | 32:17 to 32:53 | cleaned
Now, let me give you some pictures. You know, when Bildad says that man is a maggot, he's actually describing man as being depraved and wicked, rebellious. There are numerous pictures in the Bible concerning our sin. None of those pictures are beautiful. In fact, all of those pictures are basically what you and I would call repulsive. So, in Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 6, again, God says, "From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it;" talking about man, "but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment." Now, I don't know if you can consider or even picture in your mind someone that was eaten up with putrefied sores. Running sores.
#47 | 32:54 to 34:09 | cleaned
I was preaching in Leesville, South Carolina. And it was just a few minutes before I got up to preach. A man walked in with huge baggy overalls on. And the pastor leaned over me and said, "I'm really thankful to see that man here." And we didn't have time to talk because the song was ending and I had to preach. And so after the service, he took me to that man. And he called his name and he said, "I want you to show Brother Weaver why I told him I was so thankful to see you and to have you here." And the man pulled up his pants legs, which like I said, huge overalls. And you could not find, you could not find a place to put your finger on his legs.
#48 | 34:13 to 35:16 | cleaned
They were not full of sores, putrefying sores. I don't even know how the man was walking. But but he came in and when I saw that I immediately thought of Isaiah 1 in verse 6 and I thought to myself, look how repulsive, look how how gagging that is to me that I was raised on the farm and then I thought, what must my sins be like to my
#49 | 35:17 to 35:51 | cleaned
heavenly Father? So God tells us about our worms. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Job chapter 17. Watch this. I hope this will help you understand. In fact, I've got several messages I have not yet preached on understanding the book of Job, I'm going to be doing that, Lord willing, in the not-too-distant future. I've got one more message to finish.
#50 | 35:51 to 36:22 | cleaned
There'll be six or seven in a row. But look, if you would, in Job chapter 7, it is. I said 17. That's Job chapter 7. And look, if you would, at what he said there in verse 5, Job 7, verse 5. He says, "My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome." Now, I do want you to look at Job 17 now and verse 14, and now you can understand this passage. Then we're going back to Job 7. Look in Job chapter 17, verse 14.
#51 | 36:22 to 37:02 | cleaned
He said, "I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister." Now why did Job say to corruption, "Thou art my father," and to the worm, "Thou art my mother and my sister"? Now go back to Job chapter 7 and look at verse 5. He said, "My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome." So when Satan smote Job from head to foot, Job was literally being eaten alive by worms. Thus, corruption was his father, and his mother and his sister happened to be those worms of which he was constantly scraping out and scraping off of his skin.
#52 | 37:02 to 37:54 | cleaned
He sat down with a potsherd to scrape himself. Now, so when you stop and think about that, you say that's repulsive. I don't want to think on a subject like that. Well, I can assure you the picture is only loathsome. It is repulsive. It is nauseous. But on the other hand, it is a very accurate picture of our sins and what we are in the sight of God in and of ourselves. That's why God said in Jeremiah chapter 44 in verse 4, "Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate." God hates sin. And God hates idolatry.
#53 | 37:54 to 38:39 | cleaned
So here's what we do. We think flippantly and we think lightly of our depravity and we think flippantly and we think lightly of all of our sins. And like the Psalmist said, "Is it not a little one?" Or it's like Lot said as well, talking about Zoar, "Is it not a little one?" Just a little city. And it was Solomon who said there's little foxes that spoil the vines. It's those little things. And we don't think are as bad as other sins, and yet they are all wicked and wrong.
#54 | 38:40 to 39:12 | cleaned
But let me tell you what sin is. Here it is. Sin is nothing less than the dare of God's justice, the rape of God's mercy, the jeer of God's patience, the slight of God's power, the upbraiding of God's providence, the scoff of God's promise, and the reproach of God's wisdom, and the despisement of God's person and his word. This is why God gives such loathsome and repulsive pictures concerning us. None of these pictures of us in the Bible are pretty.
#55 | 39:13 to 39:48 | cleaned
If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 24 and verse 6. Here's another picture. Ezekiel chapter 24 and verse 6. Notice if you would what God says. Ezekiel chapter 24 and verse 6. Here's what our sin is likened unto. Look at this. "Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it!
#56 | 39:50 to 40:21 | cleaned
Bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it." Now what God has done, He's told Ezekiel, to set on the pot. Don't put any water in it. Just put some wicked, wrong, and dirty pieces of bone and meat in it and let it seethe. And what happens is there's no water in it. It's coated with a scum. And this is what God is likening our sin as, the scum of a boiling pot in which is a detestable carcass. It stinks. It sticks. It is absolutely nauseous. But that's what God is likening it unto.
#57 | 40:21 to 41:08 | cleaned
Now, our sin is also likened unto the vomit of a dog and the wallowing of a sow in the mire. Now, everybody's familiar with the passage in 2 Peter. But look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 48. Jeremiah chapter 48 and notice if you would please verse 26. Jeremiah 48 verse 26. Look what God says. Jeremiah 48 verse 26. He says, "Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the Lord: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision." You know, I've often said this, out of all the alcohol commercials, they always show you beautiful young women and handsome young men who are drinking and having a good old time, but they never show you a drunk wallowing in the spew of his own vomit and own filth. You know, I'm just pointing out the fact that, you know, God is not playing with us. And of course you know the passage there in 2 Peter 2 and verse 22 when he said, "But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."
#58 | 41:09 to 42:39 | cleaned
You cannot, you cannot, you cannot keep a wild hog clean. That's all there is to it. And a dog will return to his own vomit. That's all there is to it. And God is giving this as a picture of our sins. Look at the people that have said, "Well, I'm going to quit this. I'm not doing this anymore." And then next week do the same thing all over again. Just like the dog and just like the sow. Well, there's another picture in the Bible.
#59 | 42:39 to 43:09 | cleaned
If you look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 7, Romans chapter 7, and I think you probably know this one but look in Romans chapter 7 look at this Romans chapter 7 and notice what the Apostle Paul said there in verse 24 Romans 7 verse 24 he says "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Now what in the world is he talking about? "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Did you know that in the ancient world, especially in Roman times, if a man murdered another man, let's say that I murdered Warren Luke. I just murdered him.
#60 | 43:09 to 44:05 | cleaned
If they caught me in a timely fashion, they would tie my living body to his dead body, my face to his face, my chest to his chest, my arms and hands to his arms and my legs to his... And guess what? They would leave me tied until the worms from his body ate me alive. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul is talking about. He's talking about his own sinful nature. He's no wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
#61 | 44:07 to 44:43 | cleaned
He said, "I am corrupt." Have you ever come to the realization that your flesh hates God? That's why flesh and blood is not going to inherit the kingdom of God. You can't sanctify your flesh. Your flesh is enmity against God. It hates God. And that's exactly what the Apostle Paul was crying about. "Oh, wicked man. Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"
#62 | 44:44 to 45:11 | cleaned
Again, the picture is one of total putrefaction, I might say, because you remember in Isaiah chapter 1, from the top of the head to the bottom of the foot, your full of sores, putrefying sores, which had neither been mollified nor bound up with ointment. It's complete and total putrefaction. Then here's another one. If you look in your Bibles, through the book of Isaiah chapter 64, Isaiah chapter 64, and look at this one. Isaiah 64.
#63 | 45:12 to 45:45 | cleaned
And notice if you would please verse 6. Isaiah 64 and verse 6. The word of God says it like this. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Now look at this. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Wow.
#64 | 45:45 to 46:19 | cleaned
I told you that everything in the Bible concerning our sins was repulsive. The filthy rags are actually menstrual cloths. That's exactly what that is teaching. Let me show you another one. Look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 16. Ezekiel chapter 16. Did you know that we are also likened unto the blood and pollutions of a newborn child? In Ezekiel chapter 16, look if you would beginning with verse 4. Look what God says. Ezekiel 16 verse 4. He says this, "And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live;
#65 | 46:21 to 47:32 | cleaned
yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live." No one cared for us. We were filthy. We were wicked. If God had not sovereignly, mercifully saved us, we would have just been dead. That's all there is to it. So, clearly then, there's no picture that shows us being good and upright and all this. No, no, no. It just always shows us how wicked, how ungodly, how lost we were. One more, if you will look in your Bibles, it's in the book of Matthew chapter 23. Matthew chapter 23, look at verses 27 and 28. Matthew 23, verses 27 and 28. Look at this. Look at what our Lord says. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."
#66 | 47:33 to 48:48 | cleaned
So here men are likened unto the noise of stench and the poisonous fumes from an open grave. I suppose that many people have never seen an open grave. That is one that has been torn up after someone has been buried for a little while. But I was preaching in Cairo, Georgia many years ago, and just before I got to the church building to preach that night, there was a tornado and it hit the graveyard and it tore all the graves up.
#67 | 48:49 to 49:30 | cleaned
and the headstones and everything. And yes, there were graves that were open. I'm just simply pointing out the fact this is what God likened us to. This should remind us of the curse of God that is upon sin and disobedience. God said in Deuteronomy chapter 28 and verse 39, "Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them." That was part of the curse. And of course, you remember in the book of Jonah, chapter 4, verse 7, when that gourd grew up and shaded Jonah, he was happy, but God prepared a worm and it smote the gourd. So worms then are associated with a curse because fallen man is referred to as a worm which means also he is under the curse of God. Proverbs 3 and verse 33 tells us, "The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just." And, of course, Galatians chapter 3 and verse 10 tells us why we're under the curse of God.
#68 | 49:31 to 50:48 | cleaned
"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." No wonder man is compared to a worm. He's full of corruption and he's under the curse of God. In light of man's comparison to a worm and to his corruption, I want you to understand Job's statements. So, go back in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Job, and look, if you would, first of all, at Job 21 and verse 26. Job 21 and verse 26. Job 21 verse 26 he says, "They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them." And if you look in Job 24 and verse 20, look at this, "The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree." Wow! Now, if you would turn right on over to the book of Isaiah chapter 14 and look at verse 11, at the judgment here that God speaks of, Isaiah 14 verse 11, He says concerning the king of Tyre, "Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm
#69 | 50:49 to 52:47 | cleaned
is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee." Fallen man shall be destroyed by worms.
#70 | 52:47 to 52:59 | cleaned
Now, let me give you one other last thought before I make some applications, and that is this. Man is compared to and contrasted with a worm as to his destination. It is true that worms shall sweetly feed upon our mortal bodies because we shall all die physically. The body of flesh shall decay and return to dust from which it originated. However, there's far more to those who die and say they're just simply being eaten by worms physically.
#71 | 52:59 to 53:38 | cleaned
I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 12. Acts chapter 12. We're going to come back to another Old Testament passage momentarily. But look at Acts chapter 12. Let's begin reading there with verse 20 and find out about King Herod. Watch this. Acts chapter 12, and let's begin reading there with verse 20. Acts 12, verse 20. The Bible says, "And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
#72 | 53:38 to 54:40 | cleaned
And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost." So King Herod was eaten alive by worms. Wow.
#73 | 54:41 to 55:06 | cleaned
Now, the interesting thing here is I want you to go back to Isaiah 66 and look at verse 24. There's also a passage in the book of Mark, but look first of all at Isaiah chapter 66 and look at verse 24. Isaiah 66 and verse 24. Here we go. "And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." So God says their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched. Now, I want you to hold that just momentarily, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Mark chapter 9, and you will see our Lord basically using this Old Testament passage. But in Mark chapter 9, look if you would please, beginning there, verse 44. Mark 9, verse 44. He says, "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
#74 | 55:07 to 56:31 | cleaned
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Verse 48, he says it again, "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Now the figure denotes great misery and certain and terrible destruction. So these verses Isaiah 66 and Mark chapter 9 go beyond the grave. This is not just talking about worms feeding sweetly upon you as your physical body rots and goes back into dust. I want to give you a quote, two quotes in fact. The first one is by John Gill when he's talking about Isaiah 66 in verse 24.
#75 | 56:32 to 57:42 | cleaned
He says, "For their worm shall not die, with which their carcasses shall be covered, they lying rotting above the ground, or figuratively, their consciences, and the horrors and terrors that shall seize upon them, which they will never get rid of, as they will not, though their bodies may, but were made to suffer the wrath of God to all eternity, neither shall their fire be quenched in hell." He says, "Those wicked men, the followers and worshippers of Antichrist, will be cast into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, they will forever suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, and the smoke of their torment shall ascend up forever and ever." Then John Trapp says this, "As out of the corruption of our bodies worms breed, which consume the flesh, so out of the corruption of our souls this never-dying worm. This worm is nothing else but a continual remorse and furious reflection of the soul upon its own willful folly and now woeful misery. Oh, consider this before thy friends be scrambling for thy goods, worms for thy body, devils for thy soul.
#76 | 57:42 to 58:59 | cleaned
Go not dancing to hell in thy bolts, rejoice not in thy bondage, as many do, whom the preaching of hell is but the painting of a toad, which men can look on and handle without fear." Wow. So he is saying that where the worm dieth not is the conscience. I've often said, I think one of the greatest miseries and terrors of hell eternal destruction. Because you don't remember all of your sins. You'll remember, I believe, every sermon you've ever heard, every scripture you ever read. And you will think, what a fool, what a fool, what a fool I was over and over and over and over.
#77 | 59:00 to 59:50 | cleaned
And there's nothing but torment. So the Doctrine of Worms then basically demonstrates all too clearly the origination, obfuscation, degradation, and destination of fallen man. If we understand the Bible teaching of worms, we can understand the corruption and the depravity of man.
#78 | 59:53 to 1:00:24 | cleaned
Now I want to make a couple of applications. The first one is this. If we grasp even a tenth of what I said tonight, it should tend to make us humble, lowly, and meek. When we stop and think that we have nothing to boast about in our lives, everything we are and everything we have, God has graciously and mercifully given unto us.
#79 | 1:00:24 to 1:01:05 | cleaned
We're compared to maggots. What is pride to a maggot? Is a maggot in the head of a carcass any less than a maggot who's in the rear of a carcass? I mean, a maggot is a maggot. Doesn't matter where you are in the body of life, a maggot is a maggot. And if we understand that, there should not be any ostentatious displays of pride and arrogance and haughtiness in our lives.
#80 | 1:01:14 to 1:01:48 | cleaned
Because we realize who we are and what we are. I want you to go back to the book of Job and look, if you would, at Job chapter 7 again, Job 7. Look at this. I want you to also consider with me the absolute greatness, mercy and wonderful, wonderful grace of God. Look at Job 7 verse 17. "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?"
#81 | 1:01:49 to 1:02:32 | cleaned
Let me ask you a question. How can God, who is the infinite, sovereign, holy, righteous, perfect God, condescend to love a maggot? Think about that. "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?" Why would God set his heart upon us, as wicked, as depraved, as rebellious, as sinful as we are? The psalmist asked the same question in Psalm 8, verse 4. "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" Why would God stoop to pay attention to us?
#82 | 1:02:33 to 1:03:26 | cleaned
But we've hated him, despised him, rejected him, refused him. I want you to turn, if you would, to Psalm 113. Look in Psalm 113. This is one of my favorite Psalms. This is absolutely astounding. Psalm 113. Let's begin reading there in verse 1. "Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord." He's going to tell you why we should be praising Him. "Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high," here it is, "who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!" What's that? He humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth.
#83 | 1:03:29 to 1:04:32 | cleaned
"He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;" That's where maggots are. "That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord." Can you imagine that God looks down upon we poor maggots and snatches us out of the dunghill and makes us kings and priests unto him?
#84 | 1:04:32 to 1:05:08 | cleaned
My goodness, my goodness, what grace, what mercy. Look if you would back in Job chapter 19. Job chapter 19. Here's the wonderful thing. Those that have been lifted from the dunghill, those who've been made princes, those who've been made sons of the King, shall certainly see our Heavenly Father. Job chapter 19, note this if you would please, verse 26. What does Job say? Well, let's read verse 25.
#85 | 1:05:09 to 1:05:53 | cleaned
"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." What did he say? Though worms eat this body, yet in my flesh, in a glorified body, I will see the Lord. Those that have been lifted up from the dunghill are princes, are kings and priests unto our God. One last passage, Isaiah 51 verses 7 and 8. God says, "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness,
#86 | 1:05:53 to 1:06:49 | cleaned
the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation." So we who have been lifted up by the grace of God, we'll see the worms destroy the enemies of God and his people. Yeah.
#87 | 1:06:51 to 1:07:23 | cleaned
I know that you've sung this hymn many times, and I'm certainly not going to sing it because I can't sing, but it should have new meanings. That hymn written by Isaac Watts, "Alas! and did my Saviour bleed? And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?" I'm back. Wow. "Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?" If you really want to understand the depravity, the corruption, and the fall of man, you need to study worms. If you want to see the greatness and the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we will cover next week, you need to study worms. There is a theology of worms. What is humility?
#88 | 1:07:25 to 1:09:04 | cleaned
The Bible tells us that we are to walk humbly with our God. Real biblical humility is when we know who God is, and we know who and what we are. How could a maggot be arrogant and haughty and proud and rebellious? And the fact that God has visited the dunghill and raised us up should make us give Him constant and continual praise. For it is man that Thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that Thou visitest him.
#89 | 1:09:04 to 1:10:05 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T01:56:04Z

The Theology of Worms - Part 1

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver explores the biblical imagery of worms to reveal the depth of human depravity and the greatness of God's grace. Using Job 25:6 and Psalm 22:6, he distinguishes between the Hebrew words for 'worm' applied to fallen man (rimmah, maggot) and to Christ (tola'ath). The sermon examines how worms illustrate man's origination from dust, spiritual blindness, degradation, and ultimate destination—both physical decay and eternal judgment. Applications emphasize humility and gratitude for God's condescending mercy in lifting sinners from the dunghill to become His children.

Introduction: The Theology of Worms

Weaver introduces the topic, reading Job 25:6 and Psalm 22:6, noting that worms picture both the depravity of man and the humiliation of Christ.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 22:6

"But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people."

Lessons from Manna and Worms

The manna in Exodus 16 teaches that hoarding breeds worms and stench, illustrating the futility of greed and the blessings of obedience.

So if you want to turn there very quickly, find it, else I'll just quote it for you. In Exodus chapter 16 and verse 20, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 16:20,24

"Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them."

Scripture Reading — James 5:1-6

"Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you."

Well there's an answer given us in several places in the Bible. The first one is Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 5 where the apostle said,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 5:5

"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."

Man as a Worm: The Hebrew Word Rimmah

Bildad's question in Job 25:6 uses 'rimmah' (maggot) to contrast man with God, emphasizing man's worthlessness and corruption.

So, let me give you several points to consider. First one is this. Man is compared and contrasted to a worm as to our origination.

Man's Origination: Dust and Decay

Man is compared to a worm in his origin from dust and return to dust, highlighting the futility of human pride.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:19

Now, it is true that God made us. It is true that we are the creatures of God. But may I remind you, in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 19, God said that since we were created out of the dust of the ground, He told us that in the sweat of our face we shall eat bread until we return to the ground, for out of dust wast thou taken, and into dust thou shalt return. That just reminded me of a story that I read years ago about the preacher who preached on this verse and he said that man was made out of the dust and of the dust he should return. Well they went home Sunday after church and the little boy was playing in his room and dropped something on the floor and he looked under his bed and he hollered loudly, "Mama, Mama, come quick, come quick." He said, she ran in there and said, "What is it, son?" He said, "Look under my bed. Somebody's either coming or going." So obviously, there's a lot of dust under that bed. The man was taken out of the dust, and man is going to return.

Man's Obfuscation: Spiritual Blindness

Like a worm, fallen man is steeped in ignorance, with understanding darkened and alienated from God.

Man's Degradation: Putrefaction and Sin

Scripture uses repulsive images—putrefying sores, vomit, menstrual cloths—to depict the loathsomeness of sin.

In other words, he's as dumb as a beast. Look, if you would, to Psalm 49 there in verse 12. He says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 49:12,20

"Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish."

There'll be six or seven in a row. But look, if you would, in Job chapter 7, it is. I said 17. That's Job chapter 7. And look, if you would, at what he said there in verse 5, Job 7, verse 5. He says,

Scripture Reading — Job 7:5

"My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome."

Now, I do want you to look at Job 17 now and verse 14, and now you can understand this passage. Then we're going back to Job 7. Look in Job chapter 17, verse 14.

He said,

Scripture Reading — Job 17:14

"I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister."

Now why did Job say to corruption, "Thou art my father," and to the worm,

Scripture Reading — Job 17:14

"Thou art my mother and my sister"

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 64:6

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

Now look at this.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 64:6

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."

Wow.

Man's Destination: Physical and Eternal Decay

Worms consume the body in death, but the undying worm of conscience and unquenchable fire point to eternal judgment.

And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be

Scripture Reading — Mark 9:44,46,48

quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Verse 48, he says it again, "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

Applications: Humility and Gratitude

Understanding our worm-like state should produce humility and awe at God's grace in lifting us from the dunghill to be His children.

The Theology of Worms - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	111925551583461
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need
Genre	Sermon
Date	2025-11-13
Dictation Name
Book	Book 097: The Theology of Worms — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	89

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Theology of Worms: Weaver introduces the topic, reading Job 25:6 and Psalm 22:6, noting that worms picture both the depravity of man and the humiliation of Christ.
Lessons from Manna and Worms: The manna in Exodus 16 teaches that hoarding breeds worms and stench, illustrating the futility of greed and the blessings of obedience.
Man as a Worm: The Hebrew Word Rimmah: Bildad's question in Job 25:6 uses 'rimmah' (maggot) to contrast man with God, emphasizing man's worthlessness and corruption.
Man's Origination: Dust and Decay: Man is compared to a worm in his origin from dust and return to dust, highlighting the futility of human pride.
Man's Obfuscation: Spiritual Blindness: Like a worm, fallen man is steeped in ignorance, with understanding darkened and alienated from God.
Man's Degradation: Putrefaction and Sin: Scripture uses repulsive images—putrefying sores, vomit, menstrual cloths—to depict the loathsomeness of sin.
Man's Destination: Physical and Eternal Decay: Worms consume the body in death, but the undying worm of conscience and unquenchable fire point to eternal judgment.
Applications: Humility and Gratitude: Understanding our worm-like state should produce humility and awe at God's grace in lifting us from the dunghill to be His children.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Worms illustrate the corruption of man

The Hebrew word 'rimmah' (maggot) in Job 25:6 depicts man as associated with decay and death, showing his depravity.

Bildad contrasts God's greatness with man being a maggot, emphasizing man's worthlessness.

Sin is repulsive to God

Biblical pictures of sin—sores, vomit, menstrual cloths—are intentionally nauseating to convey God's hatred of sin.

Isaiah 1:6, Jeremiah 48:26, Isaiah 64:6, and Ezekiel 16:4-6 all use repulsive imagery for sin.

Man is spiritually blind by nature

Like a worm, unregenerate man cannot comprehend spiritual truth, being darkened in understanding.

Ephesians 4:18 and John 3:19-20 describe the blindness and love of darkness in fallen man.

Disobedience brings destruction

The manna that bred worms when hoarded teaches that greed and disobedience lead to ruin.

Exodus 16:20 shows that hoarded manna bred worms and stank, while obedient gathering did not.

Eternal torment is pictured by the undying worm

The worm that dieth not in Mark 9 represents the eternal remorse and suffering of the damned.

Mark 9:44,46,48 and Isaiah 66:24 speak of the worm that dieth not and fire not quenched.

God's grace is magnified by man's lowliness

The contrast between God's holiness and man's worm-like state highlights the wonder of His saving love.

Psalm 113:6-8 shows God humbling Himself to lift the needy from the dunghill.

Scripture References

Job 25:6: Bildad asks, 'How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?' introducing the contrast between God and man.
Psalm 22:6: Messianic psalm where Christ says, 'But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.'
Exodus 16:20,24: Manna bred worms and stank when hoarded in disobedience, but not when gathered obediently for the Sabbath.
1 Timothy 6:7-10: Paul warns against the love of money, which leads to destruction, paralleling the greed that caused manna to breed worms.
James 5:1-6: James condemns the rich who hoard wealth, warning of miseries and corruption.
Ephesians 5:5: Covetousness is idolatry, excluding one from the kingdom of Christ and God.
Colossians 3:5: Covetousness is idolatry, which believers are to mortify.
Proverbs 10:22: The blessing of the Lord makes rich without adding sorrow, contrasting with hoarded manna that bred worms.
Genesis 3:19: Man returns to dust, showing his origination from the earth and connection to worms.
Philippians 3:18-19: Enemies of the cross mind earthly things, their god is their belly, reflecting the worm-like nature of fallen man.
Amos 2:6-7: Israel's sins include selling the righteous for silver and panting after the dust of the earth, showing corruption.
Ephesians 4:18: The ungodly have understanding darkened, being alienated from God through ignorance.
Psalm 49:12,20: Man in honor without understanding is like the beasts that perish, emphasizing spiritual ignorance.
Isaiah 1:6: From head to foot, man is full of wounds and putrifying sores, picturing the repulsiveness of sin.
Job 7:5: Job's flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust, his skin broken and loathsome.
Job 17:14: Job says to corruption, 'Thou art my father,' and to the worm, 'Thou art my mother and my sister.'
Isaiah 64:6: All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (menstrual cloths), showing the defilement of even our best works.
Ezekiel 16:4-6: Israel is likened to a newborn cast out, polluted in blood, until God said 'Live,' picturing salvation from filth.
Mark 9:44,46,48: Jesus quotes Isaiah 66:24 about the worm that dieth not and fire not quenched, referring to hell.
Psalm 113:6-8: God humbles Himself to behold the earth and raises the poor from the dunghill, showing His grace to worms.

Historical References

John Bunyan's couplet: Weaver quotes Bunyan: 'There was a man, and many did count him mad; The more he gave away, the more he had,' illustrating the opposite of greed.
Roman punishment of tying murderer to victim: Weaver explains that in Roman times, a murderer was tied face-to-face with the corpse until worms consumed him, illustrating 'the body of this death' in Romans 7:24.
John Gill's commentary on Isaiah 66:24: Gill interprets the undying worm as the conscience and eternal torment in hell for the wicked.
John Trapp's commentary on the undying worm: Trapp describes the worm as continual remorse and furious reflection of the soul on its willful folly in hell.
Isaac Watts' hymn 'Alas! and did my Saviour bleed?': Weaver quotes the line 'Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?' to apply the worm imagery to Christ's sacrifice.

Important Quotes

I would venture to say that one cannot properly understand the corruption and depravity of man or the sufferings of Christ, nor the humiliation and humanity of Christ, without a proper understanding of the subject of worms in the Bible.

States the central thesis that the theology of worms is essential for grasping both human sinfulness and Christ's work.

How much less man, that is a maggot?

Weaver's paraphrase of Job 25:6, emphasizing the shocking Hebrew word 'rimmah' to convey man's lowliness.

Sin is nothing less than the dare of God's justice, the rape of God's mercy, the jeer of God's patience, the slight of God's power, the upbraiding of God's providence, the scoff of God's promise, and the reproach of God's wisdom, and the despisement of God's person and his word.

A powerful definition of sin's offensiveness to God, explaining why He uses repulsive imagery.

What is pride to a maggot? Is a maggot in the head of a carcass any less than a maggot who's in the rear of a carcass?

Illustrates the absurdity of human pride in light of our worm-like nature.

Though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Job 19:26-27 expresses hope of resurrection despite physical decay, a key application for believers.

Real biblical humility is when we know who God is, and we know who and what we are.

Defines true humility as the proper understanding of God's greatness and our worm-like lowliness.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the image of man as a maggot (rimmah) challenge our natural tendency toward pride and self-righteousness?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that Bildad's contrast in Job 25:6 uses the word for maggot to show man's worthlessness before God.

[Question]

Why does God use such repulsive pictures (sores, vomit, menstrual cloths) to describe sin, and how should that affect our view of sin?

[Context]

The sermon lists multiple biblical images that are intentionally nauseating to convey God's hatred of sin.

[Question]

In what ways does the manna breeding worms illustrate the consequences of greed and disobedience in our own lives?

[Context]

Exodus 16 shows that hoarding manna led to worms and stench, while obedient gathering did not.

[Question]

How does the concept of the 'undying worm' in Mark 9 shape our understanding of hell and the urgency of evangelism?

[Context]

Weaver explains that the worm represents eternal remorse and torment, not just physical decay.

[Question]

What does Psalm 113:6-8 teach us about God's character in stooping to save those who are like worms?

[Context]

God humbles Himself to behold the earth and lifts the needy from the dunghill, showing amazing grace.

[Question]

How can meditating on our 'worm-like' nature produce genuine humility rather than false modesty or despair?

[Context]

Weaver argues that knowing who God is and who we are leads to walking humbly with God.

Applications

Format deepseek deepseek-v4-pro structured study JSON | Source Commentary.net transcript enrichment

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T15:38:45Z