Clean Transcript

Ruling With God

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• Daniel, Hosea, right after the book of Daniel, the book of Hosea, Hosea 11 and verse 12. The title of the message is "Ruling with God." I think you'll understand as we look at this text. Hosea 11 and verse 12, God says, "Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithful with the saints." This message is not primarily about eschatology, which is the doctrine of last things, although I will refer to eschatology. I should also say that this message is not a personal attack upon certain views of eschatology. In fact, I could go on and say that this message is really and truly not even about the sweet by and by.

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• It is about the dirty here and now. The truth of the matter is most saints want to look forward to the future and are enamored with what it holds and are unconcerned about what they should be doing right now. Allow me just to give you an illustration. Many saints wish to think about heaven and how we will be worshiping our Lord and loving him and giving him honor, praise, and glory.

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• And I certainly believe in eternity, and I believe in eternity we'll certainly be doing that. However, we should be doing that right now in time and in history. What makes an individual think that he will love the Lord in eternity when he doesn't even love him now? What makes him think that he's going to be really concerned about giving God honor, glory, and praise and worship in eternity when he's not willing to take the time to do it even right now?

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• The truth is, we cannot be so enamored about the future that we forget the present. The truth of the matter is this: we do not have the future in our grasp. The only thing that we have is the present. We've been commanded in Proverbs 27, verse 1, listen carefully: "Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." We don't have the future, we just have the present.

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• The Apostle James spells it out very clearly in James 4, verses 13 through 15. Listen carefully to what he said: "Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." So James makes it clear that we do not have tomorrow, we only have today.

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• We may have eternity in our hearts, and yet we're not there yet. We must deal with the present until it fades into the future.

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• Now, practically every eschatological position has a venue in which the saints rule with God. Historic premillennialism and dispensational premillennialism all teach that the saints shall rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years. Amillennialism, in that view, the amillennialists spiritualize the reign and teach that Christ is ruling and reigning in our hearts right now, and that we are ruling and reigning with him since he is ruling in our hearts at this present time. Postmillennialists teach that Christ will return after a period of victory where we are allowed to rule and reign with him by his Spirit and through his Word.

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• So the point I'm trying to make is this: if you are a premillennialist or an amillennialist or a postmillennialist, in either one of those views, you still have a view of ruling and reigning with Jesus Christ.

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• Now, I'm not seeking today to explain any of these three positions. I'm not going to be talking about historic premillennialism versus dispensational premillennialism, nor amillennialism, nor even postmillennialism per se. But I do personally believe that the saints shall be enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority of the Word of God to see victory in time and in history, because our Lord Jesus Christ is the victor. The Bible tells us in Romans 8, verse 37, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." So in Hosea chapter 11 and verse 12 is where we are, and the thought is "ruling with God." And I'm just mentioning these eschatological positions because, as I stated earlier, every eschatological position has a view of somehow the saints ruling with God. But if you look in Hosea 11 and verse 12 again, Scripture says, "Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints."

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• The thing that struck me as I read through the book of Hosea recently was this verse: "But Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithful with the saints." So Judah was ruling with God in time and in history. Now, let me just tell you up front that there are divisions among the scholars on the meaning in the translation of the Hebrew in Hosea 11 and verse 12. However, I do believe that our King James Bibles have it correct, and I believe that I can demonstrate that based upon not only the

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• immediate context, but also the remote context as well. We do have the preserved, pure, and plain Word of God. A little bit later on, I'm going to share at least three quotes with you just to demonstrate that historically godly men have expounded this verse exactly the way it is given to us in our Bibles. However, to begin with, we need to observe, we need to consider and concentrate upon the contrast that is obvious in this verse. So look at it. Hosea 11, verse 12: "Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithful with the saints." So here you have a strong contrast then between Israel, the northern kingdom, and Judah in the southern kingdom. As I stated earlier, the leading tribe in the northern kingdom was Ephraim. Sometimes as you read the Bible, you will find the word "Ephraim" or the name "Ephraim," and it is just simply speaking not just of that tribe, but of the ten tribes that comprise Israel.

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• Sometimes you will find Ephraim and Israel mentioned together, and I believe so when that is done, it is for emphasis as well. So the ten northern tribes, you remember, defected from the house of David during the reign of King Rehoboam, who was the son of King Solomon. Rehoboam happened to be a tyrant, and he happened to be exceptionally stupid in the dealings with his people. And you can read all about that split in 1 Kings chapter 12. I'm not going to be dealing with the split right now per se, but what I do want to show you is this: that Jeroboam, who was the first king of Israel, the very first king of the ten northern tribes, is the man who made the two golden calves that introduced idolatry into Israel and led them away into apostasy. So I want you to hold Hosea chapter 11 and look in your Bibles very quickly to 1 Kings chapter 12. 1 Kings chapter 12. And I just want to show you what Jeroboam has done. Lord willing, in the not too distant future, I'm going to be looking at this passage in detail.

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• But look in 1 Kings chapter 12, beginning there with verse 25. Now, this is after the split. This is after the ten tribes have left Judah and Benjamin, the two tribes in the southern kingdom. So the Bible says in 1 Kings chapter 12 and verse 25, "Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: if this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Wherefore the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem:

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• "Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

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• And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense." So obviously now, Jeroboam has led the ten northern tribes into apostasy.

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• Now, the northern kingdom paid for their rebellion against God, for in 722 BC, they were taken into captivity into Assyria. Their land was ravaged, their wealth plundered, their homes devastated, and multitudes lost their lives. Let me point out that the Assyrians were known for their cruelty and their violence. The Assyrians were the individuals who would skin people alive. They were the ones who started the crudest form of crucifixion. They were the ones that would pile heaps and heaps of skulls of individuals that they had decapitated. So, yes, Israel paid for this rebellion very dearly. Now, it is equally true that Judah, the southern kingdom, was judged and sent into captivity into Babylon.

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• However, that was in 586 BC. So that means there was 136 years that elapsed between the northern kingdom going into captivity and the southern kingdom going into captivity. Certainly, Judah sinned. But that does not mean that Judah sinned immediately, initially, and instantly. For a while, evidently, they did remain faithful with God, according to Hosea 11 and verse 12. Now, I want you to go back to Hosea, Hosea chapter 11, because I want you to see again this strong contrast between Israel and Judah. I want you to see it in the immediate context, not just in verse 12. In verse 12 of Hosea chapter 11, he says, "Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit"—there's the northern kingdom—"but Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithful with the saints." That is the southern kingdom. So I want you to see how God is dealing with Israel in Hosea 10 and Hosea 11. So if you look in Hosea chapter 10, let's begin reading there with verse 1, and we'll read through verse 8.

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• I could read the entire chapter, but I want you to just see that God is dealing with these ten northern tribes. He says in verse 1, "Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars"—that is idolatry—"according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images. Their heart is divided;

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• now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images. For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us? They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock"—which is poison—"in the furrows of the field. The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth-aven:

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• for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it. It shall be also carried unto Assyria"—that's where he's going to send them—"for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel. As for Samaria"—that is the capital of the northern kingdom—"her king is cut off as the foam upon the water. The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed:

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• the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us." Now skip down to verse 15. He says it again: "So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off."

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• Now, go to chapter 11. The point I'm just trying to make right now is God is condemning the apostasy of those ten northern tribes. So he says in verse 1 of Hosea 11, "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images. I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.

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• I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them. He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return." Please remember, this is about the northern tribes. "And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.

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• And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him." So obviously, we're reading here of God's condemnation of Israel, those ten northern tribes that apostatized from him by making those golden calves. When you get to verse 12 of chapter 11, again, the contrast is very, very clear.

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• Now, I want to give you three quick quotes. I want you to listen, first of all, to John Calvin, secondly, Matthew Henry, and thirdly, John Gill. They're going to be commenting on verse 12 where it says, "But Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithful with the saints." First of all, John Calvin: "He afterwards subjoins that Judah still ruled or held sovereignty with God and was faithful with the saints. By saying that he held sovereignty with God, he declares, I doubt not, that the kingdom of Judah was legitimate because it was connected with a pure and lawful priesthood. From whence did arise the corruptions in the other kingdom but because the people had revolted from the family of David.

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• Hence it was that the new king changed both the law and the worship of God and erected new temples. Israel then did not rule with God, for the kingdom was spurious and the beginning of the dispersion, so that the people forsook God. But of Judah, the prophet speaks much otherwise, that he still ruled with God, because the posterity of David, though we know that they labored under many vices, yet had not changed the worship prescribed by the law, except that Ahaz had erected an altar like one at Damascus, as the sacred history relates. But yet pure religion always prevailed at Jerusalem. But the prophet speaks comparatively, as it will be presently seen, for he does not wholly excuse the Jews, but says that in comparison with Israel, they yet rule with God. For the kingdom and the priesthood, as we have said, were joined together in Judah, and both had been divinely instituted." So once again, Calvin is just saying, look, they had a legitimate priesthood, they had a legitimate worship, they had a legitimate ruler, so they rule with God.

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• Here it is, Matthew Henry, very quick paragraph. He said, "Here is a pleasant commendation of the integrity of the two tribes"—that's Benjamin and Judah—"which they held fast. And this comes in as an aggravation of the perfidiousness of the ten tribes and a reason why God had that mercy in store for Judah, which he did not have for Israel. For Judah yet ruleth with his God and is faithful with the saints, or with the Most Holy." So once again, Matthew Henry is saying that Judah at this time remained faithful. The last one is John Gill. He says this: "But Judah yet ruleth with God. A theocracy"—by the way, the word "theocracy," theos is the Greek word for God, kratos is the Greek word for power. A theocracy just means the rule of God by His power. He says, "But Judah yet ruleth with God. A theocracy was as yet acknowledged and supported among them. God ruled in the midst of them, and they ruled with Him.

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• Their kings ruled in the fear of God, according to His laws, statutes, and appointments, and not their own, particularly in the days of Hezekiah, which may be here respected. The people retained and practiced the true worship and service of God, which as it is the truest liberty, so is the highest honor and dignity. Such are rulers with God, as all of the Lord's people, all that believe in Christ are. They are made by His grace kings and priests.

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• They appear to be so by their new birth. They're clothed, fed, and guarded as princes, as the sons of a king, as kings themselves. They have the riches and power of kings. They're possessed of the kingdom of grace now, which is within them, and where grace reigns through righteousness over their lusts and corruptions. And great power like princes have they in prayer with God, and are heirs of the kingdom of glory, as well as shall reign with Christ on earth.

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• But this is rather an epitaph of Judah, who kept to the word and worship of the true God, as the saints of old, their ancestors had done, walked in the good old way, in the way of good men, and kept the paths of righteousness, abode by the true priests of the Lord, who were set apart and sanctified for that office, and hearkened to the prophets, the holy men of God, who spake to them, being moved by the Holy Spirit, and adhered firmly to holy things.

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• I don't care if you're talking about John Calvin, I don't care if you're talking about Matthew Henry, I don't care if you're talking about John Gill. In a nutshell, here's what they're saying: Judah was ruling with God because they had a legitimate government, they had a legitimate worship, and they had a legitimate obedience. And that is contrasted with the rebellion and with the apostasy of the ten northern tribes.

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• Now, I want to just show you that the Word of God corroborates the interpretation, not only that I'm giving, but that which Calvin, Henry, and Gill gave as well. So I want you to hold Hosea chapter 11 and turn back in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles. 2 Chronicles chapter 13. I want you to watch carefully 2 Chronicles chapter 13 because here you are going to see King Abijah, who is about to enter into a battle with Jeroboam. And I want you to see what Abijah says to Jeroboam. 2 Chronicles chapter 13.

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• And let's begin with verse 6. 2 Chronicles 13 and verse 6: "Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord." Now watch. In fact, let's go back to verse 4. Let's start at verse 4. "And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel; so Abijah is talking to Jeroboam and the ten northern tribes. Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord. And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them." Now watch what he says: "And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David;

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• and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods. But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business: and they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him. And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper."

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• Wow. Now, I want you to note what Abijah said. Abijah said, "You're the ones that have left the true worship of God. You left the orderly government that God ordained. You left God's orderly way of worship. You kicked out the priests, the Levites, and you have men of the lowest order as your priests and Levites. You're not worshiping God. You're worshiping idols. You are idolaters. You are apostate. We, however, are abiding by the law of God, the worship of God, the government of God." So here is what we're seeing, according to what Abijah has just said. Israel is not ruling with God at this point. Israel is rebelling against God. Judah is ruling with God because they have the Word of God, the law of God, and the worship of God.

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• Now, listen to me very carefully. Ruling with God involves submission to him, obedience to his orderly way, giving him the honor, praise, and worship that is due unto him and his holy name, and also it is applying his law to every situation and every circumstance. By the way, do you remember in Genesis 32 that Jacob's name was changed to Israel? Why was his name changed to Israel?

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• Because that's where he wrestled with the angel and he said, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." And he changed his name to Israel. He said, "For as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." The very name Israel literally means "prevailing" or "ruling with God." So, at this time in history, the Israel of the ten northern tribes were apostates. They were not ruling with God. According to Hosea 11 verse 12, Judah at this point would have been the true Israel of God because they were ruling in God and under God, and they alone would deserve the name Israel. When we order our lives, then, in agreement with God and in conformity to the Word of God, and when our lives are in legitimate and lawful compliance to God's law, to the best of our ability, knowledge, and power, it could be said that we are ruling with God. It is true that we are being ruled by God, but at the same time we are ruling ourselves, and we're bringing our lives in conformity to his mandates.

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• Now, I want you to hold Hosea, but I want you to turn to the book of Zechariah. Let me show you something. The book of Zechariah is right before the book of Malachi, next to the last book in the Old Testament. I want you to go to Zechariah chapter 7. Zechariah chapter 7. I want to show you something. Someone says, "Well, I want to rule with God." Really? Well, let me show you from the Scripture what you do not wish to do if you really want to rule with God.

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• Listen, it is impossible to be in rebellion and submission at the same time. It's impossible to rule with God and be in rebellion to God. So look in Zechariah chapter 7, and let's begin reading there with verse 2. Zechariah 7, verse 2: "When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to pray before the LORD, and to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have

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• done these so many years?" That is, while they were in captivity. "Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?" Now watch verse 7: "Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?" And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, "Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true

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• judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:

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• but I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate."

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• Now, I want you to note: they came and said, "Should we weep and mourn in the fifth month and the seventh month, just like we've been doing for 70 years?" And what did God say? "When you fasted, did you at all fast to me? No. You had a ritual, you had a ceremony. And when you ate and drank, did you eat and drink to me? No, you ate and you drank for yourself.

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• You had no thought of me in your mind." He said, "Let me tell you something. If you want to know what you should have been doing, you should have listened to the former prophets before you were sent into captivity. The former prophets told you how to live. They told you how to act. They told you how to worship. You wouldn't listen." The point I'm trying to make is very clear.

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• Israel, just like a lot of professing Christians, are more concerned with ceremony and ritual and religion, while at the same time they're disobedient, unholy, ungodly, and rebellious, and somehow think that they're God's people and they're going to rule with God.

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• Now, I want you to look in Zechariah chapter 8. Look in Zechariah chapter 8, verses 16 and 17. In fact, let's read verse 15. God said, "So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not. These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD." Wow. You know, if you compare those two verses, verses 16 and 17, with Zechariah 7, verses 9 and 10, look at Zechariah 7, verse 9: "Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart." What did he say?

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• He said, "I told you once before what you should be doing, and I'm telling you the same thing again." Do you realize that submission and obedience trump ritual, ceremony, and religion every time? Micah 6 and verse 8: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" So I want you to listen to what I'm about to tell you. Walking with God, living for God, obeying His Word equals ruling with God. Now, I want you to listen to some questions.

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• Because undoubtedly, everybody loves eschatology. They love the Doctrine of Last Things. They love to have their ears tickled with what might be and what might come and all this kind of stuff. Well, let me just bring you back to the present time. Here's some questions. Listen carefully. Number one: Why are you looking forward to ruling with God in the future? Someone answers, "When that comes to pass, I will be ruling under God's authority and sharing in His purpose and plan."

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• And I can say to that, wonderful. Here's question number two: If you rule with God, what will be the essence of your rule? That is, what will you do? Your answer is, "Well, I will be worshiping, honoring, and glorifying God, fulfilling His will, and applying His law to every instance and every circumstance." Again, I say, wonderful. But I want you to think this through. Listen carefully. If you're looking forward to ruling with God in the future, and it involves, includes, and entails being under His authority and sharing in His purpose and plan, is that not what you're supposed to be doing right now in time and history? Hmm. Why would you be interested in doing that in the sweet by and by and not be interested in doing it right now in the dirty now and now? Wait a minute. If ruling with God includes loving and honoring and worshiping and glorifying Him and applying His law to every individual and every circumstance, is that not what you're supposed to be doing right now in time and history?

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• If you wish to do those things in the future, why do you not wish to do them now? I can hear an objection. Someone says, "But you don't understand. I will be ruling over others." Really? Why would you wish to rule over others and not rule over yourself? Why would you wish to apply God's law to someone else and you're unwilling to apply it to yourself? Are you a Pharisee? Are you a hypocrite? How did Judah rule with God in time and history? By having an orderly government, by having an orderly worship, by doing everything according to God's Word.

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• I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 3. 1 John chapter 3. I want to show you how so many people have a defective eschatology. A defective eschatology. You say, "You're attacking my eschatological position." Well, if the shoe fits, wear it, is all I can say. Here it is. Look at 1 John 3 and let's begin reading there with verse 3. In fact, let's read verse 2.

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• He says it like this: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Now watch carefully: "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." Why? Did I read that right? Let me put it to you plainly: if your eschatology does not make you holier, godlier, and more obedient, more like Christ, then you have a wrong and wicked and unbiblical view of the return of Christ. Your eschatology is deficient. If you really believe that Christ is returning, the Scripture says it'll make us purify ourselves, even as he is pure.

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• Let me go one step further. Listen carefully. If your eschatology does not encourage you to rule with Christ now in time in history, if it does not encourage you to rule with Christ in the dirty now and now, how is it preparing you to rule with him in the future? If you are unable to rule over the smallest, simplest things right now in your life, what makes you think you're going to be ruling over something great in the future? If you cannot control your own self, what makes you think you're going to be able to control others?

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• Do you remember the parable of the talents? I want you to look in your Bibles very quickly to Matthew 25. Matthew 25. And let's begin reading there with verse 14. Matthew 25, verse 14. Watch carefully. Matthew 25, verse 14, our Lord says, "For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents:

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• behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

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• thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

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• Oh, what did our Lord say? If you are not willing to work and serve and rule now, what makes you think you'll be able to work and rule and serve in the future? If you cannot rule your life under God, with God now, you certainly will not be able to in the future. Let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this: We should learn from this text that the true worship of God and submission to his Word and his will is not only true liberty and freedom, but it is also our dignity and our honor. Judah yet ruled with God. In other words, the princes, those who had authority over government, ruled in light of the Word of God.

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• You know what the Bible says in 2 Samuel chapter 23 and verse 3? "He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God." And so at that particular time, the princes of Judah were just and ruling in the fear of God. And certainly it was their honor and their praise to do so. The priests did what they were supposed to do. The Levites did as they were supposed to do. It is our honor to rule with God as we obey Him. Secondly, go back to Hosea chapter 11 and look at verse 12.

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• And I want you to think about this. This should be a very obvious application. Hosea 11 and verse 12, God said, "Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints." When we see how many there are that compass God around with lies and deceit, it should make us thankful that God does have a remnant who cleave to Him with purpose of heart and are faithful to and with the saints. They are the ones that are actually ruling with God. Idolaters and vassals and slaves to the devil and to their own superstitious fears are not worshipers of God. They're worshipers of themselves or the devil. No. The only way that you can worship God and rule with God is by obeying God. Listen, when you look at Hosea 11 verse 12, you have to come away with this truth: Israel's apostasy was aggravated by Judah's integrity. Do you understand? The faithful remnant will always be a stain and a reproach to those that are unfaithful.

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• And that's one reason why the faithful remnant are always hated and despised. Here's the third application. I do want you to turn to one last passage, Galatians chapter 6. Go ahead and turn there. Galatians 6, and get ready, I'll give you the verse just momentarily. Galatians 6. When you consider our word "rule," I want you to think about what it means to rule with God. Here are some of the ways that our English word "rule" are used.

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• First, it refers to dominance or power through legal authority. We do have dominance and power through God's Word, which is our legal authority.

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• Secondly, it is a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior. Wow. God's Word is to govern our behavior.

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• Thirdly, it is a prescribed guide for conduct or action, something to be regarded as a normative example and prescribed guide for conduct and action. Wow, is that what God's Word is? Isn't that how God rules us? It is also a basic generalization that is accepted as true that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct. If we're interested in ruling with our Lord in the future, we should be exercising ourselves by ruling with Him in the present by practical, biblical, and godly obedience.

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• Let me say this very plainly: His Word is our prescribed rule. His Word is our authority.

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• Now, if you look in Galatians 6 and verse 16, here it is spelled out. Galatians 6 and verse 16, the Apostle Paul says, "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God." As many as walk according to this rule. What rule? The word "rule" there is the Greek word kanon. It's where we get our English word "canon," C-A-N-O-N. We talk about the canon of Scripture, the Old Testament canon, the New Testament canon. Not C-A-N-N-O-N, that's the kind that shoots, but the C-A-N-O-N, the canon of Scripture. The word "canon," or kanon here, means a rule, a rod, or a measuring stick. Here's what he said: "As many as walk according to this rule, this rod, this measuring stick, peace be upon them, and mercy upon the Israel of God." The Israel of God and those that rule with God are those who follow this standard and are in submission to Him. Are you ruling with God?

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• Think about it. If you're not ruling with Him now, what makes you think you're going to rule with Him in the future? Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We ask, Lord, that You would help us, build us up in the most holy faith, help us to rule with Thee, Lord, by living biblical, godly, practical, obedient lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

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• This program was produced by Dominion Ministry. For more information about Pastor Weaver's sermons, you may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N Street, Suite 705, PMB 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406, or give us a call at 912-... You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com.

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:06:37Z