Daniel

Trembling at the Word of God

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2008-08-24

Synopsis: John Weaver expounds Isaiah 66:1-2, contrasting God's disregard for magnificent buildings with His regard for the humble, contrite person who trembles at His Word. He explains that trembling at God's Word means reverential obedience, not mere fear, and calls believers to examine whether they truly fear God by submitting to Scripture.

[John Weaver] Notice Isaiah 66, beginning there with verse 1. Thus saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you build unto me, and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord. But to this man will I look, even him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. He that killeth an ox, as if he slew a man.

[John Weaver] He that sacrifices a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck. He that offered an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood. He that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them, because when I called, none did answer. When I spake, they did not hear.

[John Weaver] But they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word. Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified, but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed." I want to call your attention to the latter part of verse two, where God says, But to this man will I look, even him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and that trembleth at my word. So the message today is entitled Trembling at the Word of God. All of us. Have heard the word of God at times with great reverence, respect, love and admiration, and there have been times when we've heard the word of God that we wept openly when we heard it. There have been times also when we rejoiced and laughed when we heard it.

[John Weaver] But the question that you have to ask yourself is this. Have you ever trembled at the word of God? If God has respect unto a man that is poor and of a contrite heart and trembleth at his word, would it not be wise to desire to be one of those who do indeed tremble at his word? So you have to ask yourself, what does it mean to tremble at the word of God? Now, before I try to answer that question for you, I want you to look at verse one and let's consider the implications of verse one before we ever get to verse two. God says in verse one, thus saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool.

[John Weaver] Where's the house that you build unto me and where's the place of my rest first? and most obvious. In verse one is the implication that God is. That is, God most certainly does exist. Verse one is just merely a declaration of the existence of God. Let me point something out that you may not have ever thought. But here it is. Nowhere in the Bible Does the Bible ever try to prove the existence of God? It assumes it. It's a presuppositional fact. That's why the Bible begins, in the beginning, God. So nowhere are you going to find an argument in the Bible to try to prove the existence of God. And the very first implication you have in verse one is that God is. The second implication is this, that God has spoken.

[John Weaver] That is, God has revealed himself, not only in his creation, but he's revealed himself in his special revelation, the word of God. So thus saith the Lord. So God not only is, but secondly, God has spoken. Thirdly, Very clearly, you should see that God is greater than His creation. The theological term is God is transcendent. That is, he is above his creation. Now, it is true that God may be seen in his creation, but he is over, above, and beyond his creation. He is not bound up in his creation. He is not mixed up in his creation.

[John Weaver] And if you understand God's transcendence, then you also understand the error and the heresy and the wickedness of pantheism. which teaches that God somehow is bound up in the creation, that everything that you see is God. A pantheist would hit this pulpit and say, this pulpit is God. He would touch that tree outside and say, that tree is God. He would touch the ground and say, the ground is God. Why? Because the pantheist sees God in all of creation, but it's not just that he sees Him in creation, he believes he's mixed up in creation. That God and creation are one and the same.

[John Weaver] That's where you get Mother Earth. That's where you get be kind to your mother. That's where you get the tree hugging mentality. It all comes from an era and heresy of pantheism. There's a fourth implication here. And that is, we see, or at least we should see, the supremacy and the sovereignty of God.

[John Weaver] Now, stop and think about this. If heaven is God's throne and earth is His footstool, then obviously He is over all. He is supreme. He is the sovereign. He is in control. The Bible says in Psalm 115 in verse 3, But our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased. You know what God does? God does only as He pleases and always as He pleases. And none can stop Him, none can thwart Him, and none can hinder Him. That's why the Bible says in Daniel 4 in verse 35, And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven, and in the inhabitants of the earth, listen, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? So God is obviously sovereign. If the earth is God's footstool, it means that he treads upon it.

[John Weaver] It is at his disposal. He may do with it as he pleases. He's the sovereign and whatever he does is right. Not only in relation to heaven, but also in relation to the earth. The fifth implication of verse one is this. You must see the omnipresence of God. He said the heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. The omnipresence of God just simply means that God is everywhere at one time in the totality of His person.

[John Weaver] He asks, where is the house that you build unto me? Where is the place of my rest? In other words, there is no house, there is no building, there is no tabernacle, there is no temple that can contain God. God is omnipresent. He did indeed manifest himself in the tabernacle and in the temple in a very peculiar and special way, yet neither one of them contained God. In fact, when Solomon was dedicating the temple in 1 Kings 8 and verse 27, he said this, But will God indeed dwell on earth? Behold, the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, much less the house which I have built. So even Solomon knew that the heavens could not contain God. God is greater than his creation.

[John Weaver] David acknowledged the omniscience and the omnipresence of God in Psalm 139 verses 1 through 12. Take the time just to go there and look at that. You're talking about a beautiful passage. And how in the world can you not see God's omniscience as well as God's omnipresence? God is not only all-knowing, He is everywhere present at one time in the totality of His being. So David says it like this, Psalm 139, verse 1, O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Now look what it says, Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising. Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways." Oh, listen,"'For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.' Now David says, Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.

[John Weaver] Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, and as high I cannot attain unto it." Now watch verse 7,"'Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit, and whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I stand up in heaven, Thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, the old aren't there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as a day, for the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."

[John Weaver] David confesses and acknowledges not only God's omniscience, He knows all, but also God's omnipresence, that God is everywhere at one time in the totality of His being. There's a sixth implication in verse 1, and that is this. There is in verse 1 a declaration of God's absolute ownership of all things. Look at verse 1. Thus saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, the earth is my footstool, where is the house that ye will build unto me?

[John Weaver] Where is the place of my rest? And notice what else he says, verse two, for all these things have my hand made and all those things have been said the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now ask yourself a very simple question. What in the world can you give unto the Lord? The answer in reality is nothing in reality. Why? Because God is the creator. God is the owner of all things. Everything that is this God made. It really and truly belongs to Him. You may be a steward over it. You may possess some of it. But the only reason you have it is because God originally created it and gave it to you.

[John Weaver] Listen to what the Bible says. Psalm 24 and verse 1. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and they dwell therein. You know what God said in Psalm 50 and verse 12? Listen to this. God said, if I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof. Why would God need anything? God created everything that exists. And God said, if I needed it, I would take it, because it's mine anyhow. Then in Psalm 89, verse 11, the Word of God says this, the heavens are thine. The earth also is thine as for the world and the fullness thereof thou hast founded them.

[John Weaver] Now, what I want you to do is let's put these last three points together. I want you to think about the supremacy, the sovereignty of God, the omnipresence of God and God's absolute declaration to be the owner of all things. And look what he says in verse one, thus saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, the earth is my footstool. Now look at the question. Where's the house that you build into me and where's the place of my rest? Now, I want you to stop and think just a moment. Here's my question, what was the temple in relation to God? I could ask, what was the temple in comparison to God? Do you realize it does not matter how magnificent the temple was? It does not matter how beautiful, how great, how excellent it was? What is the comparison of that temple to the one true and the living God? Let me ask the question another way. How can anyone place the emphasis upon the temple or anything that is material, for God is greater than His creation.

[John Weaver] Everything that went into the temple, no matter how beautiful, how excellent it was, everything that went into the temple was made by God. There is no house, there is no building, there is no temple that man could build that would adequately express God's glory. There is no external worship that would be suitable to declare His Majesty. Why? Because God is greater than His creation.

[John Weaver] Now, it is true, as you read through the Bible, that the Lord said of the temple in Psalm 132 and verse 14, this is my rest forever, here will I dwell. It is also true that in 2 Chronicles 6 in verse 41, the Bible says, enter into thy rest, O Lord. But when he spoke about the temple like that, he was speaking about the fact that In the temple was a peculiar and a special manifestation of His glory.

[John Weaver] It was just a mere token of His presence. It certainly did not contain God. It could not contain God. It was just a mere demonstration of His power and of His presence. God did not command men to build in order that they may look at the temple or the building and then, according to their own fancy, worship the building more than the Creator. May I tell you something?

[John Weaver] That is exactly what they did in the Old Testament. That is exactly what the attitude was also in the New Testament. The temple was built So that men might look at that temple and say that God is more excellent and God is more glorious than any building that man can make. God is over and above and beyond His creation. And if you were to take all of creation and put it in one building, God is still greater than that building. And do you know one of the sins that God charged Israel with?

[John Weaver] Let me quote it for you. Hosea chapter 8 and verse 14. Listen carefully. Israel hath forgotten his maker and buildeth temples. Israel hath forgotten his maker and buildeth temples. Has not Christianity fallen into the same trap? Do you realize we build elaborate buildings? In fact, multi-million dollar buildings. Buildings that are so expensive, as well as expensive, buildings which you and I cannot even conceive of practically. And those great expensive and expensive buildings are used three to five hours a week.

[John Weaver] And we sit back and we say, look at our architectural work. Look at our carpet. Look at our padded pews. Look at our stained glass windows. Listen to that deep throated organ that we have. Listen to that expensive Steinway piano that we have. Are you listening? Do you realize that modern day Christians usually normally attend church for fellowship, for socializing, and for entertainment. The worship of God is the farthest thing from their thoughts.

[John Weaver] Ministry to the saints does not even enter into their mind. The duty and responsibility and privilege of worshiping God is a fact unknown to their thinking. The philosophy of modern day church builders, and I'm using the word church in terms of buildings, the philosophy of modern day church builders is this, you build it and they will come. And so the more expensive, the more elaborate, the more beautiful the building, the more programs that you have, the more people you have. Why?

[John Weaver] Because they're interested in socialization, entertainment, and fellowship. They're not interested in worshiping God.

[John Weaver] Now, I said all that to show you this. If you understand Isaiah 66 verses 1 and 2, you will understand that God does not think nearly as highly of our buildings as we do. He not only slights them, but there are times that He holds them in absolute contempt. You know, the disciples in our Lord's day endeavored to impress upon Him the beauty and the magnificence of the temple.

[John Weaver] And I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Matthew 24. and verses one and two, and I want you to see our Lord's response when they were talking about how great, how magnificent, how beautiful that temple was. And this was Herod's temple, this was not even the temple that Solomon built. That temple had been destroyed. And by the way, if you'll read the Minor Prophets, you'll find that the old men who were alive when they saw the rebuilding, of the temple after they came back from captivity, they wept because even then that building was not comparable to the one that Solomon built. But so here we have Herod's temple in Matthew 24. And certainly it was a great, magnificent and beautiful building. The Bible says in Matthew 24, verse one, and Jesus went out and departed from the temple. So he's walked out of the temple doors and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. In other words, look how magnificent, look how beautiful, Lord, these are.

[John Weaver] Jesus said to them, see ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. What did our Lord say? You better get your eyes off the building. You better get your eyes off material things. Everything here is about to be destroyed. You see, the Jews in Isaiah's time and afterwards in Christ's time gloried much in the temple and promised themselves great things from the temple. In order to humble them, in order to shape their confidence in vain things, both the prophets and Christ foretold the ruin of the temple and that God would soon leave it absolutely desolate. That temple was destroyed by the Chaldeans, but it was rebuilt.

[John Weaver] The ceremonial services were restored. But when the Romans got through with the temple. It was not rebuilt. Nor were the ceremonial services restored. God was just simply demonstrating. In the destruction of that temple, what little regard he had for buildings. I want you to watch. Go back to Isaiah 66. Let's put these two things together. If God has very little regard for our expensive, expansive buildings. If he has so little regard of the temple and he thoroughly, totally destroyed it and left it desolate.

[John Weaver] Then you have to ask. What does God have regard unto? Well, here it is, Isaiah 66, verse 1. Thus saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you build unto me? Where is the place of my rest? For all those things have my hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord. But, contrast this with a beautiful, magnificent temple. Contrast this with the most beautiful, expensive buildings that we have today.

[John Weaver] But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite heart and that trembleth at my word." And here's what God is saying. God is saying, I will ignore all the most beautiful, expensive buildings and regard them with absolute and total contempt. But I will look with favor to a humble, repentant, and gracious soul that trembles at my word. It's not the beauty of the buildings that God looks at. It's not their greatness, their vastness, nor their expensiveness that God looks at, but to those who tremble at his word.

[John Weaver] Have you ever stopped to think about this? God did not need the temple. God does not need a temple or any temple. Heaven is a throne of His government. And he sits there infinitely exalted in the highest dignity and dominion above all blessing and praise. The earth is his footstool on which he stands overruling everything in the earth and doing according to his will. If God has a throne so large and so bright and so glorious, and if God has a footstool like the earth, What in the world can a building be unto God? How can any building be the resonance of His glory? Or how can any building be the praise of His glory? What satisfaction could the eternal, sovereign God of heaven and earth take with a building made with the hands of men? Does God need a building? The answer is no.

[John Weaver] The Bible says, that he neither faints, nor sleeps, nor is weary. God doesn't need a place of rest. God is never tired. God is not like us. And according to Psalm 50, which I quoted earlier, if God did need something like that, He wouldn't tell us. Why? Because everything He made is His. God says concerning the earth and all of creation, all these things have been, that is, they've had their being And they had their beginning and the power and in the will of God. God was happy in eternity past in and of himself before the world was ever created. And God could still be the eternally happy. Transcendent God. Without any earth and without any beings today. If he so chose. God is God. If God required a house, He would build it. If He required a house, He would have built it when He created the world. And it would not need repair. It would not need anything that man could do. But God had absolutely no need of a temple made with hands.

[John Weaver] So God then does not give heed to great and beautiful buildings. What God does give heed to is a humble, penitent, gracious heart. Heaven is His making. Earth is His making. And God says, I will overlook heaven and earth. I will overlook temples and buildings. And I will look to this man who is humble, serious, self-abasing, self-denying, who has a heart that is truly contrite for sin, One who is repentant for his sin. One who is broken for his sin. And one who trembles at my word. Such a heart is a living temple of God.

[John Weaver] And I want to show you a Bible verse in just a few minutes. And God says, that's where I will dwell. Now, look in verse 2. God says, For all those things have mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord, but to this man will I look, even him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word. Now, let's look at verse 2. And he said, To this man he's going to look, even him that is poor. Well, let me tell you right off, the word poor does not have reference to a lack of money. It doesn't have reference to poverty. The Hebrew word refers to one who is afflicted, one who is humble, one who is wretched, one who is needy, one who is lowly. You should automatically think, first of all, of James 4 and verse 6, where the Bible says, wherefore God resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble. You should also think of 1 Peter 5 and verse 5, where he says, Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.

[John Weaver] Yea, all of you be subject one to another. Be clothed with humility. Why? For God resisted the proud, but He gave the grace to the humble. What is the poor man to whom God looks? It's one who has seen his sin, his wickedness, his rebellion. It's one who recognizes his wretchedness, his need, his poverty. He realizes he is a man in need of divine help. He cannot save himself, he cannot help himself. He's come to the point, he's come to the realization, if God does not help him, he's lost. That's a poor man. A man who has nothing in himself. Absolutely nothing. No hope! No help! He's powerless. Then God says in verse 2, He's going to look to a man who is of a contrite spirit. Now the word contrite refers to one who is smitten, stricken, and contrite. Let me give it to you another way. A contrite person is one who is truly sorry for his sin. One who is truly repentant and humbled because of his sins.

[John Weaver] You know, there's really two kinds of sorrow that the Bible talks about. The Apostle Paul himself pointed this out. There is a sorrow of the world. And there is this godly sorrow that worketh repentance. He said that need not be repented of. Let's say here's a man. And he's a thief. He's a family man. He's a church man. But he gets caught stealing from his own company. Or from the man for which he works. You know what the first thought of that man is? Oh my, I'm caught. I'm so embarrassed. I mean, now the world's going to know that I'm a thief and my family's going to be embarrassed and my children are going to be embarrassed. That's worldly sorrow. The truth of the matter is, in one sense of the word, we really should be embarrassed because of our sins. But godly sorrow is far more than embarrassment. Godly sorrow means that we are genuinely grieved because we have sinned against God. We violated his law. We've broken his word. We've insulted his majesty.

[John Weaver] We've disdained his honor. We or wicked, a man who is of a contrite heart, has no pride, no arrogance, no haughtiness. No. He's a broken man. He's been stricken. He's been smitten. He's been afflicted. And he understands. That if he got really and truly what he deserved. He'd be doomed and damned. Let me show you. I want you to follow me whole Isaiah 66, please, but go back in your Bibles.

[John Weaver] To Psalm 34 to begin with. Psalm 34. Look at verse 18. Psalm 34, verse 18. Watch carefully.

[John Weaver] The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. And save it such as be of a contrite spirit. Who does God say those who are of a contrite spirit? What's contrite mean? Someone who's been stricken, smitten, someone who's truly sorrowful and truly repented for his sins. No arrogance in this fellow, no haughtiness. Look at Psalm 51 and verse 17. Psalm 51, verse 17. Again, the psalmist says this, Psalm 51, verse 17, the sacrifices of God or a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Is God going to despise someone who's truly, genuinely repentant? No. And if you would look in your Bibles to Isaiah 57, on your way back to Isaiah 66, Isaiah 57, and look, if you would please, at verse 15.

[John Weaver] Remember all those beautiful buildings that we have today, and think of how gorgeous and exquisite and excellent the tabernacle and the temple were. But look what God says in Isaiah 57 and verse 15, For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, look what God says, I dwell of a high and holy place, with Him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Now how many beautiful buildings does God dwell in? None. But he said, I dwell. In eternity. In the high and holy place and with him also, who's of a contrite and humble spirit. Now, if you go back to Isaiah 66, there's a word and this is what I want to deal with. God says he not only looks to the man that is poor and of a contrite spirit, but also to the man that trembles at His Word. If you skip down to verse 5 in Isaiah 66, hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at His Word.

[John Weaver] Wow! Do you tremble at the Word of God? Well, what in the world does it mean really to tremble? Let me show you. I want to show you how the word is used in one sense of the word. If you would turn back in your Bibles to first Samuel chapter 13. Here is the same word that is used for Samuel 13. Look in verse 7. First Samuel 13 verse 7.

[John Weaver] Of course, Saul now is going to be fighting the Philistines. He's choosing him out 3,000 men of Israel. Notice, if you would please, the Bible says in 1 Samuel 13 and verse 7. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. What's that mean? They were afraid.

[John Weaver] They were about to go into battle. There's 3,000 of them and thousands of the Philistines. So they were trembling looking for Samuel Chapter 14 and verse 15. Same word. And there was trembling in the host in the field and among all the people in the garrison and the spoilers, they also trembled. And the earthquake, so it was a very great trembling. Now, very obviously, when you see the word tremble here.

[John Weaver] You know what it means. All of us have trembled at times. Sometimes we've trembled out of fear. Sometimes we've trembled out of anger. Sometimes we've trembled out of excitement. Well, let's clarify this word tremble even further. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 2 just to show you there are different kinds of trembling And there's some trembling that you and I are not to engage in, I can assure you. But look in the book of James chapter 2 and verse 19. Look what the Bible says. James 2 verse 19. In James 2 and verse 19, the Word of God says this. James 2 verse 19, thou believest there is one God, thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble. Someone says, oh wait a minute, Brother Weaver, I believe in God, I believe in God. Oh, says God. All right, fine. Yeah, that's good.

[John Weaver] But let me point something out. He said the demons also believe, but they do more than believe. They tremble. Wow.

[John Weaver] Now, the trembling that the devils do certainly is not the kind that is acceptable with God. The Greek word for tremble here is the word friso, and it literally means to tremble, but it also means to bristle, to stiffen up, to stand up, to shudder, to be struck with extreme fear and to be horrified. Does God regard the trembling of demons? No. Does that kind of trembling please God again? The answer is no. God does not want people that stiffen up against him and rebel against him and that are horrified at his word. The devil and his demons may tremble. But their trembling is not a reverential submission. To the Word of God. Their trembling.

[John Weaver] is out of rebellion and anger and knowledge of their certain and sure judgment. Let me point out also, when God says He's going to look at the man that trembles at His word, it is not just human fear and human trembling that pleases God. If you will go back in your Bibles, Acts 24. Acts 24. And notice, if you would please, verse 25. You're going to find that old Felix trembled at the preaching of Paul. Notice Acts chapter 24 and verse 25. Acts 24 verse 24. And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, who was a Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith of Christ. Now watch. Verse 25, And as he, Paul, reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, Go thy way for this time.

[John Weaver] When I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. Wow, isn't that amazing? Paul was preaching and Felix was so affected that he was trembling. He couldn't contain himself. You say, man, that's good. I'd like to see people tremble at the word of, but not this kind of trembling. You know what this kind of trembling did? This kind of trembling drove Felix to want to get rid of the preacher and to get out from under his message. He said, go away. Get out of here. I don't want to hear any more of this. When I have a convenient season, I'll call for you. I don't want to hear you right now. Don't bother. Don't upset me. Was Felix trembling? Oh yeah, he was trembling. But his kind of trembling was the kind that made him get mad at the preacher. In fact, the Greek word is emphobos.

[John Weaver] It means literally to be thrown into fear, to be terrified, to be frightened. What Paul was saying frightened him. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to hear it. He did not want it to enter his mind. And his trembling then drove him to get rid of the preacher. To get out from under the preaching of the Word of God. Now, let's ask, what does it mean to tremble at God's Word? I want to give you a quote from John Calvin.

[John Weaver] And I believe he's absolutely correct. And I could have just told you this myself. But he said it so beautifully. Listen. He says, so far as it relates to trembling, it might be thought strange at first sight that God demands that in believers, since nothing is more sweet or gentle than the word of the Lord and nothing is more opposite to it than to excite terror. I reply, says Calvin, there are two kinds of trembling.

[John Weaver] one by which they are terrified, who hate and flee from God, and another, or the second, which affects the heart and promotes the obedience of those who reverence and fear God. This clause, I am aware, is viewed by others as relating to the law, which threatens and terrifies and proclaims the dreadful judgment of God. But I take it in a more general acceptation, for even believers tremble at His promises when they embrace them with reverence. Hints infer that true godliness consists in having our senses brought into a state of obedience to God and in making no boastful or wicked claims for ourselves. The nature of faith is to yield obedience to God and to listen to Him attentively and patiently when He speaks. But when we are puffed up and carried away by vain confidence in ourselves, we have no piety or fear of God, for we cannot make even the smallest claim for ourselves without despising God.

[John Weaver] Now what did Calvin say? Calvin said there are two kinds of trembling. One is when you tremble out of anger and fear and you want nothing to do with God. The other trembling is out of reverential respect and submission and obedience to God. Now Calvin correctly relates trembling with obedience. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Ezra chapter 10. Ezra chapter 10. And as you find Ezra, I want you to remember what is happening in this particular passage. Ezra chapter 10. And look at verse 3. Ezra 10 verse 3.

[John Weaver] The people have come back into the land. And have intermarried with the heathen. Which God had strictly forbidden. So Ezra comes along and later Nehemiah does the same thing. He rebukes the people because they've married these strange wives and had these strange children. If you look in Ezra chapter 10, let's just begin reading there with verse 1. Now, when Ezra had prayed and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled on him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children, for the people wept very sore. And Shechemiah, the son of Jehiel, and one of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Now watch carefully.

[John Weaver] Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and such as are born of them according to the counsel of my Lord, listen, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the law. Now does that mean When Ezra stood up and reminded them what the law of God said about not intermarrying with the heathen, that the people necessarily literally tremble, some may have when they understood the implications of it. But what he said was this. We're willing to listen. We're willing to repent. We're willing to turn from our sins. We're willing to do whatever God says is necessary. And we will obey the commandment of God. Who are those that tremble at the Lord? Who are those who tremble at his word? Those who obey him. Those who bring their lives in conformity to his word.

[John Weaver] Let me ask you, I want you to stop and think about this. Here's my question. Since we live in such an adulterous and wicked age, Why don't you do what the majority does and just run out and fornicate and become adulterers? Why would you not do that? You say, I would not do it because it is sin. It's a violation of God's law. And I fear God. Wouldn't you say that?

[John Weaver] What if I said this? Well, why don't we go out and loot and steal like everybody else is doing in the land? Even the government. But why don't we do that? You say, I would not do that because it's a sin, it's a violation of God's law, and I fear God. You know what you're doing? You're trembling at God's Word. You're saying, not me. I'm not going to do those things. I have respect to God. I have respect to His Word. I'm not going to do that. Think about this. If you believe that God's Word is the holy, powerful, authoritative, inspired, infallible Word of God, and it originates from the sovereign God of heaven and earth, well, you don't have respect for that Word? Let me tell you something, if you just stopped and thought Who gave that Word? Who issued that Word?

[John Weaver] And what His position is? That should be enough to make you tremble. The Sovereign God of heaven and earth to whom you will answer and give an account for every thought, every deed. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 5. Jeremiah, chapter five. Just a few pages over from Isaiah 66, Jeremiah, chapter five, looking who would please at verse twenty two. I want to show you again what it means to tremble at the word of God. Look in Jeremiah five, verse twenty two, look what God asks. Fear ye not me? God said, aren't you afraid of me? Fear ye not me, saith the Lord. Will you not tremble at my presence?

[John Weaver] Which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by perpetual decree that it cannot pass it. And though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail? Though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

[John Weaver] Now look what he's asking. Will you not fear me, saith the Lord? Will you not tremble at my presence? Look what I have done. I have not only created the world, I have said to the sea, hitherto shalt thou come and no further. And the sea obeys me. Everything obeys me. Will you not tremble at my word? as great, as mighty, as powerful as the sea is, it cannot break the bounds that God has placed upon it. Oh, but look what he says in verses 23 and 24.

[John Weaver] But this people hath a revolting heart, a rebellious heart. They are revolted and gone, neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth rain, both the former and the latter. In his season, he reserveth and does the appointed weeks of harvest. Note what they said. God said, will you not fear me, will you not tremble? They said, no, God, we're not going to tremble. Because we have a revolting and rebellious heart and we don't want to hear you, we don't have anything to do with you. And we do not fear you. Hope you see where this is going. Only those who obey. Tremble at God's word. Those who disobey.

[John Weaver] Despise God, let me just quote a few passages, listen carefully. Do you remember in Psalm 2 and verse 12 or verse 11 this? Where God commanded the kings and the people, serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. What does it mean to rejoice with trembling? You rejoice with obedience. In Daniel 10 and verse 11, And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright. For to thee am I now sent. And when he spoke this word unto me, Daniel said, I stood trembling. Why? He knew it was a word from God.

[John Weaver] He understood the source of the message. God said this concerning Ephraim in Hosea 13 verse 1. Now listen, when Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel, but when he offended in Baal, he died. What's that mean? It means when Ephraim feared God. and tremble at his word, and obeyed God, God exalted he for him. But when he offended in Baal, he died. And in other words, he ceased fearing God, he ceased trembling at God's word, and he turned to a false idol.

[John Weaver] Do you remember in Acts 16, how Paul and Silas had been thrown into jail? And at midnight, They prayed and sang praises to God. And God sent a great earthquake. And in Acts 16, verse 29, the Bible said, Then he, the jailer, called for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? The Bible says in Philippians chapter 2 verse 12, wherefore, my beloved, as you've always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling with fear and obedience is what he's talking about. You see, many people boast today that they have great reverence and great fear of God.

[John Weaver] But at the same time, they disregard and despise his word. and in reality show that they are great despisers of God. The reverence that we owe to God must be paid to his word in which he wishes us to not only obey, but to recognize that word as the authoritative commands from a one true and living God who is the source of that word. Obviously, those who hate And despise the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Do not tremble at it. In Jeremiah six and verse 10, you may be there already, if you do just look Jeremiah six and verse 10, look what God says. To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear? To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken. Behold, the word of the Lord is unto them of reproach, and they have no delight in it." Those who do not tremble at God's word, to them it is a reproach. They have no delight in it.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make just two quick applications. The first one is this. If we recognize and reverence God, we will tremble at His word. We will be reverentially fearful of disobeying and dishonoring Him. Are you listening? The problem we have today is exactly the same problem that Paul addressed in his day when in Romans 3, He was listing the wickedness of the people, the vileness and the rebellion of the people. And finally, he said in verse 18, are you listening? There is no fear of God before their eyes. There is no fear of God before their eyes. What's he saying? They don't care anything about God. They don't regard His Word. They don't tremble before Him. They don't bow to Him. They don't pay any respect to Him.

[John Weaver] What is wrong with our nation? There's no fear of God. What's wrong with our government? There's no fear of God. What's wrong with our churches? There's no fear of God. What's wrong with our families? There's no fear of God. What's wrong with individuals? There's no fear of God. If you fear God, you would tremble at his word. In other words, you would say, I must obey him. I will not dishonor and disrespect God.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn to one last passage. Here's the last application. Look, if you would, to Psalm 138. I want to show you how vital, how important the Word of God really is. So many people disdain it. So many people despise it. So many people think so lightly concerning the Word of God. May I point out that God's Word does not contain empty threats or empty promises. The authority and the power of the sovereign God of heaven and earth is behind His Word. In Psalm 138, notice if you would please, David said in verse 1, I will praise thee with my whole heart before the gods or the rulers while I sing praise unto thee, I will worship toward thy holy temple and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth, for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

[John Weaver] You know what that means, folks? If God ever allows His word to fail. He will cease being God.

[John Weaver] Now, do you think his threats are empty? You think his promises are vain? Do you think God will ever cease being God? The very fact that he is God means he cannot change. And if God has magnified his word above his name, you can mark it down. You better learn to tremble. Because he will not change. His threats are real. His promises are real. And God says, here's the man to whom I'm going to look. A man that is a poor and contrite heart. and the man that trembles at my word. It's that man with whom I will dwell.

[John Weaver] I will overlook the most beautiful buildings. I don't care about their expensiveness. I don't care about their expansiveness. I don't care anything about the buildings. What I want is a gracious, humble, repentant heart to dwell in. Thus saith the high and lofty One, that inhabited the eternity, I dwell in the high and lofty place, and also with him that is with a broken and contrite heart. Let's pray.

[John Weaver] Father, we do ask you in the name of Jesus Christ to teach us to tremble at Your Word. Teach us, Heavenly Father, to obey Thy Word. To recognize the source of Thy Word's authority. And it comes from Thee, O Lord. Help us to see, Father, that we must fear Thee. We must obey Thee. And submit our lives to Thee and conform them to Your Word. Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

Trembling at the Word of God

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	91208188307
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Daniel
Genre	Sermon
Date	2008-08-24
Dictation Name
Book	Book 087: Daniel — Chapter 4
Source Timed Segments	74

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Text

Weaver reads Isaiah 66:1-5 and introduces the theme: God looks to the one who is poor, contrite, and trembles at His Word.

Notice Isaiah 66, beginning there with verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 66:1-5

"Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man." "He that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear."

"But they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed." I want to call your attention to the latter part of verse two, where God says, "But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word." So the message today is entitled "Trembling at the Word of God." All of us have heard the word of God at times with great reverence, respect, love, and admiration, and there have been times when we've heard the word of God that we wept openly when we heard it. There have been times also when we rejoiced and laughed when we heard it.

Implications of God's Transcendence (Isaiah 66:1)

Six implications are drawn from verse 1: God exists, has spoken, is transcendent, sovereign, omnipresent, and owns all things.

"Where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" First and most obvious in verse one is the implication that God is. That is, God most certainly does exist. Verse one is just merely a declaration of the existence of God. Let me point something out that you may not have ever thought, but here it is: Nowhere in the Bible does the Bible ever try to prove the existence of God. It assumes it. It's a presuppositional fact. That's why the Bible begins, "In the beginning, God." So nowhere are you going to find an argument in the Bible to try to prove the existence of God. And the very first implication you have in verse one is that God is. The second implication is this, that God has spoken.

That is, God has revealed himself, not only in his creation, but he's revealed himself in his special revelation, the word of God. So "Thus saith the Lord." So God not only is, but secondly, God has spoken. Thirdly, very clearly, you should see that God is greater than His creation. The theological term is God is transcendent. That is, he is above his creation. Now, it is true that God may be seen in his creation, but he is over, above, and beyond his creation. He is not bound up in his creation. He is not mixed up in his creation.

And if you understand God's transcendence, then you also understand the error and the heresy and the wickedness of pantheism, which teaches that God somehow is bound up in the creation, that everything that you see is God. A pantheist would hit this pulpit and say, "This pulpit is God." He would touch that tree outside and say, "That tree is God." He would touch the ground and say, "The ground is God." Why? Because the pantheist sees God in all of creation, but it's not just that he sees Him in creation, he believes he's mixed up in creation. That God and creation are one and the same. That's where you get Mother Earth. That's where you get "be kind to your mother." That's where you get the tree-hugging mentality. It all comes from an error and heresy of pantheism. There's a fourth implication here, and that is, we see, or at least we should see, the supremacy and the sovereignty of God.

Now, stop and think about this. If heaven is God's throne and earth is His footstool, then obviously He is over all. He is supreme. He is the sovereign. He is in control. The Bible says in Psalm 115 and verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 115:3

"But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased."

You know what God does? God does only as He pleases and always as He pleases. And none can stop Him, none can thwart Him, and none can hinder Him. That's why the Bible says in Daniel 4 and verse 35, "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" So God is obviously sovereign. If the earth is God's footstool, it means that he treads upon it.

It is at his disposal. He may do with it as he pleases. He's the sovereign and whatever he does is right, not only in relation to heaven, but also in relation to the earth. The fifth implication of verse one is this: You must see the omnipresence of God. He said, "The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool." The omnipresence of God just simply means that God is everywhere at one time in the totality of His person. He asks, "Where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" In other words, there is no house, there is no building, there is no tabernacle, there is no temple that can contain God. God is omnipresent. He did indeed manifest himself in the tabernacle and in the temple in a very peculiar and special way, yet neither one of them contained God. In fact, when Solomon was dedicating the temple in 1 Kings 8 and verse 27, he said this, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" So even Solomon knew that the heavens could not contain God. God is greater than his creation.

David acknowledged the omniscience and the omnipresence of God in Psalm 139 verses 1 through 12. Take the time just to go there and look at that. You're talking about a beautiful passage. And how in the world can you not see God's omniscience as well as God's omnipresence? God is not only all-knowing, He is everywhere present at one time in the totality of His being. So David says it like this, Psalm 139, verse 1, "O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether." Now David says, "Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it." Now watch verse 7, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." David confesses and acknowledges not only God's omniscience—He knows all—but also God's omnipresence, that God is everywhere at one time in the totality of His being. There's a sixth implication in verse 1, and that is this: There is in verse 1 a declaration of God's absolute ownership of all things. Look at verse 1. "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me?"

"Where is the place of my rest?" And notice what else he says, verse two, "For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord." Now ask yourself a very simple question. What in the world can you give unto the Lord? The answer in reality is nothing. Why? Because God is the creator. God is the owner of all things. Everything that is, God made. It really and truly belongs to Him. You may be a steward over it. You may possess some of it. But the only reason you have it is because God originally created it and gave it to you.

God's Disregard for Temples and Buildings

God does not need temples; He holds them in contempt when they replace true worship. Jesus foretold the temple's destruction.

Now, what I want you to do is let's put these last three points together. I want you to think about the supremacy, the sovereignty of God, the omnipresence of God, and God's absolute declaration to be the owner of all things. And look what he says in verse one, "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool." Now look at the question. "Where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" Now, I want you to stop and think just a moment. Here's my question, what was the temple in relation to God? I could ask, what was the temple in comparison to God? Do you realize it does not matter how magnificent the temple was? It does not matter how beautiful, how great, how excellent it was? What is the comparison of that temple to the one true and the living God? Let me ask the question another way. How can anyone place the emphasis upon the temple or anything that is material, for God is greater than His creation.

Everything that went into the temple, no matter how beautiful, how excellent it was, everything that went into the temple was made by God. There is no house, there is no building, there is no temple that man could build that would adequately express God's glory. There is no external worship that would be suitable to declare His majesty. Why? Because God is greater than His creation.

Now, it is true, as you read through the Bible, that the Lord said of the temple in Psalm 132 and verse 14, "This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell." It is also true that in 2 Chronicles 6 in verse 41, the Bible says, "Enter into thy rest, O Lord." But when he spoke about the temple like that, he was speaking about the fact that in the temple was a peculiar and a special manifestation of His glory. It was just a mere token of His presence. It certainly did not contain God. It could not contain God. It was just a mere demonstration of His power and of His presence. God did not command men to build in order that they may look at the temple or the building and then, according to their own fancy, worship the building more than the Creator. May I tell you something?

That is exactly what they did in the Old Testament. That is exactly what the attitude was also in the New Testament. The temple was built so that men might look at that temple and say that God is more excellent and God is more glorious than any building that man can make. God is over and above and beyond His creation. And if you were to take all of creation and put it in one building, God is still greater than that building. And do you know one of the sins that God charged Israel with? Let me quote it for you. Hosea chapter 8 and verse 14. Listen carefully.

Scripture Reading — Hosea 8:14

"Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples."

Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples. Has not Christianity fallen into the same trap? Do you realize we build elaborate buildings? In fact, multi-million dollar buildings. Buildings that are so expensive, as well as expansive, buildings which you and I cannot even conceive of practically. And those great expensive and expansive buildings are used three to five hours a week.

And we sit back and we say, "Look at our architectural work. Look at our carpet. Look at our padded pews. Look at our stained glass windows. Listen to that deep-throated organ that we have. Listen to that expensive Steinway piano that we have." Are you listening? Do you realize that modern day Christians usually normally attend church for fellowship, for socializing, and for entertainment. The worship of God is the farthest thing from their thoughts.

Ministry to the saints does not even enter into their mind. The duty and responsibility and privilege of worshiping God is a fact unknown to their thinking. The philosophy of modern day church builders, and I'm using the word church in terms of buildings, the philosophy of modern day church builders is this: you build it and they will come. And so the more expensive, the more elaborate, the more beautiful the building, the more programs that you have, the more people you have. Why? Because they're interested in socialization, entertainment, and fellowship. They're not interested in worshiping God.

Now, I said all that to show you this. If you understand Isaiah 66 verses 1 and 2, you will understand that God does not think nearly as highly of our buildings as we do. He not only slights them, but there are times that He holds them in absolute contempt. You know, the disciples in our Lord's day endeavored to impress upon Him the beauty and the magnificence of the temple. And I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Matthew 24, and verses one and two, and I want you to see our Lord's response when they were talking about how great, how magnificent, how beautiful that temple was. And this was Herod's temple, this was not even the temple that Solomon built. That temple had been destroyed. And by the way, if you'll read the Minor Prophets, you'll find that the old men who were alive when they saw the rebuilding of the temple after they came back from captivity, they wept because even then that building was not comparable to the one that Solomon built. But so here we have Herod's temple in Matthew 24. And certainly it was a great, magnificent and beautiful building. The Bible says in Matthew 24, verse one, "And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple." So he's walked out of the temple doors "and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple." In other words, look how magnificent, look how beautiful, Lord, these are.

"Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." What did our Lord say? You better get your eyes off the building. You better get your eyes off material things. Everything here is about to be destroyed. You see, the Jews in Isaiah's time and afterwards in Christ's time gloried much in the temple and promised themselves great things from the temple. In order to humble them, in order to shake their confidence in vain things, both the prophets and Christ foretold the ruin of the temple and that God would soon leave it absolutely desolate. That temple was destroyed by the Chaldeans, but it was rebuilt.

The ceremonial services were restored. But when the Romans got through with the temple, it was not rebuilt. Nor were the ceremonial services restored. God was just simply demonstrating in the destruction of that temple what little regard he had for buildings. I want you to watch. Go back to Isaiah 66. Let's put these two things together. If God has very little regard for our expensive, expansive buildings, if he has so little regard of the temple and he thoroughly, totally destroyed it and left it desolate,

The Man to Whom God Looks

God looks to the poor (humble, needy) and contrite (broken over sin) person, not to impressive buildings.

then you have to ask, what does God have regard unto? Well, here it is, Isaiah 66, verse 1. "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but"—contrast this with a beautiful, magnificent temple. Contrast this with the most beautiful, expensive buildings that we have today. "But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word." And here's what God is saying. God is saying, I will ignore all the most beautiful, expensive buildings and regard them with absolute and total contempt. But I will look with favor to a humble, repentant, and gracious soul that trembles at my word. It's not the beauty of the buildings that God looks at. It's not their greatness, their vastness, nor their expensiveness that God looks at, but to those who tremble at his word.

Have you ever stopped to think about this? God did not need the temple. God does not need a temple or any temple. Heaven is a throne of His government, and He sits there infinitely exalted in the highest dignity and dominion above all blessing and praise. The earth is his footstool on which he stands overruling everything in the earth and doing according to his will. If God has a throne so large and so bright and so glorious, and if God has a footstool like the earth, what in the world can a building be unto God? How can any building be the residence of His glory? Or how can any building be the praise of His glory? What satisfaction could the eternal, sovereign God of heaven and earth take with a building made with the hands of men? Does God need a building? The answer is no.

The Bible says that he neither faints, nor sleeps, nor is weary. God doesn't need a place of rest. God is never tired. God is not like us. And according to Psalm 50, which I quoted earlier, if God did need something like that, He wouldn't tell us. Why? Because everything He made is His. God says concerning the earth and all of creation, "all those things have been," that is, they've had their being and they had their beginning in the power and in the will of God. God was happy in eternity past in and of himself before the world was ever created. And God could still be the eternally happy, transcendent God without any earth and without any beings today, if he so chose. God is God. If God required a house, He would build it. If He required a house, He would have built it when He created the world. And it would not need repair. It would not need anything that man could do. But God had absolutely no need of a temple made with hands.

So God then does not give heed to great and beautiful buildings. What God does give heed to is a humble, penitent, gracious heart. Heaven is His making. Earth is His making. And God says, I will overlook heaven and earth. I will overlook temples and buildings. And I will look to this man who is humble, serious, self-abasing, self-denying, who has a heart that is truly contrite for sin, one who is repentant for his sin, one who is broken for his sin, and one who trembles at my word. Such a heart is a living temple of God.

And I want to show you a Bible verse in just a few minutes. And God says, that's where I will dwell. Now, look in verse 2. God says, "For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word." Now, let's look at verse 2. And he said, "To this man" he's going to look, "even him that is poor." Well, let me tell you right off, the word "poor" does not have reference to a lack of money. It doesn't have reference to poverty. The Hebrew word refers to one who is afflicted, one who is humble, one who is wretched, one who is needy, one who is lowly. You should automatically think, first of all, of James 4 and verse 6, where the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — James 4:6

"Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

You should also think of 1 Peter 5 and verse 5, where he says, "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.

Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." What is the poor man to whom God looks? It's one who has seen his sin, his wickedness, his rebellion. It's one who recognizes his wretchedness, his need, his poverty. He realizes he is a man in need of divine help. He cannot save himself, he cannot help himself. He's come to the point, he's come to the realization, if God does not help him, he's lost. That's a poor man. A man who has nothing in himself. Absolutely nothing. No hope! No help! He's powerless. Then God says in verse 2, He's going to look to a man who is of a contrite spirit. Now the word "contrite" refers to one who is smitten, stricken, and contrite. Let me give it to you another way. A contrite person is one who is truly sorry for his sin. One who is truly repentant and humbled because of his sins.

The Contrite Spirit Defined

A contrite spirit is one truly sorry for sin, broken, and repentant. God dwells with such, not in temples.

You know, there's really two kinds of sorrow that the Bible talks about. The Apostle Paul himself pointed this out. There is a sorrow of the world, and there is this godly sorrow that worketh repentance. He said that needeth not to be repented of. Let's say here's a man, and he's a thief. He's a family man. He's a church man. But he gets caught stealing from his own company, or from the man for which he works. You know what the first thought of that man is? "Oh my, I'm caught. I'm so embarrassed. I mean, now the world's going to know that I'm a thief and my family's going to be embarrassed and my children are going to be embarrassed." That's worldly sorrow. The truth of the matter is, in one sense of the word, we really should be embarrassed because of our sins. But godly sorrow is far more than embarrassment. Godly sorrow means that we are genuinely grieved because we have sinned against God. We violated his law. We've broken his word. We've insulted his majesty.

We've disdained his honor. We are wicked. A man who is of a contrite heart has no pride, no arrogance, no haughtiness. No. He's a broken man. He's been stricken. He's been smitten. He's been afflicted. And he understands that if he got really and truly what he deserved, he'd be doomed and damned. Let me show you. I want you to follow me to Isaiah 66, please, but go back in your Bibles.

To Psalm 34 to begin with. Psalm 34. Look at verse 18. Psalm 34, verse 18. Watch carefully.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 34:18

"The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

Who does God save? Those who are of a contrite spirit. What's contrite mean? Someone who's been stricken, smitten, someone who's truly sorrowful and truly repentant for his sins. No arrogance in this fellow, no haughtiness. Look at Psalm 51 and verse 17. Psalm 51, verse 17. Again, the psalmist says this, Psalm 51, verse 17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Is God going to despise someone who's truly, genuinely repentant? No. And if you would look in your Bibles to Isaiah 57, on your way back to Isaiah 66, Isaiah 57, and look, if you would please, at verse 15.

Remember all those beautiful buildings that we have today, and think of how gorgeous and exquisite and excellent the tabernacle and the temple were. But look what God says in Isaiah 57 and verse 15, "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Now how many beautiful buildings does God dwell in? None. But he said, "I dwell in eternity, in the high and holy place, and with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." Now, if you go back to Isaiah 66, there's a word and this is what I want to deal with. God says he not only looks to the man that is poor and of a contrite spirit, but also to the man that trembles at His Word. If you skip down to verse 5 in Isaiah 66, "Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word."

What It Means to Tremble at God's Word

Trembling is not demonic fear or Felix's terror, but reverential obedience. True trembling leads to submission to God's commands.

Wow! Do you tremble at the Word of God? Well, what in the world does it mean really to tremble? Let me show you. I want to show you how the word is used in one sense of the word. If you would turn back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 13. Here is the same word that is used for "tremble." 1 Samuel 13. Look in verse 7. 1 Samuel 13 verse 7.

Of course, Saul now is going to be fighting the Philistines. He's choosing him out 3,000 men of Israel. Notice, if you would please, the Bible says in 1 Samuel 13 and verse 7,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 13:7

"And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling."

What's that mean? They were afraid. They were about to go into battle. There's 3,000 of them and thousands of the Philistines. So they were trembling. Look at 1 Samuel chapter 14 and verse 15. Same word. "And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling." Now, very obviously, when you see the word "tremble" here,

you know what it means. All of us have trembled at times. Sometimes we've trembled out of fear. Sometimes we've trembled out of anger. Sometimes we've trembled out of excitement. Well, let's clarify this word "tremble" even further. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 2 just to show you there are different kinds of trembling. And there's some trembling that you and I are not to engage in, I can assure you. But look in the book of James chapter 2 and verse 19. Look what the Bible says. James 2 verse 19. In James 2 and verse 19, the Word of God says this. James 2 verse 19, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." Someone says, "Oh wait a minute, Brother Weaver, I believe in God, I believe in God." Oh, says God. "All right, fine. Yeah, that's good.

But let me point something out." He said the demons also believe, but they do more than believe. They tremble. Wow. Now, the trembling that the devils do certainly is not the kind that is acceptable with God. The Greek word for "tremble" here is the word "phrisso," and it literally means to tremble, but it also means to bristle, to stiffen up, to stand up, to shudder, to be struck with extreme fear and to be horrified. Does God regard the trembling of demons? No. Does that kind of trembling please God? Again, the answer is no. God does not want people that stiffen up against him and rebel against him and that are horrified at his word. The devil and his demons may tremble, but their trembling is not a reverential submission to the Word of God. Their trembling

is out of rebellion and anger and knowledge of their certain and sure judgment. Let me point out also, when God says He's going to look at the man that trembles at His word, it is not just human fear and human trembling that pleases God. If you will go back in your Bibles, Acts 24. Acts 24. And notice, if you would please, verse 25. You're going to find that old Felix trembled at the preaching of Paul. Notice Acts chapter 24 and verse 25. Acts 24 verse 24: "And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ." Now watch. Verse 25, "And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time.

When I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." Wow, isn't that amazing? Paul was preaching and Felix was so affected that he was trembling. He couldn't contain himself. You say, "Man, that's good. I'd like to see people tremble at the word of—" but not this kind of trembling. You know what this kind of trembling did? This kind of trembling drove Felix to want to get rid of the preacher and to get out from under his message. He said, "Go away. Get out of here. I don't want to hear any more of this. When I have a convenient season, I'll call for you. I don't want to hear you right now. Don't bother. Don't upset me." Was Felix trembling? Oh yeah, he was trembling. But his kind of trembling was the kind that made him get mad at the preacher. In fact, the Greek word is "emphobos."

It means literally to be thrown into fear, to be terrified, to be frightened. What Paul was saying frightened him. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to hear it. He did not want it to enter his mind. And his trembling then drove him to get rid of the preacher, to get out from under the preaching of the Word of God. Now, let's ask, what does it mean to tremble at God's Word? I want to give you a quote from John Calvin.

And I believe he's absolutely correct. And I could have just told you this myself, but he said it so beautifully. Listen. He says, "So far as it relates to trembling, it might be thought strange at first sight that God demands that in believers, since nothing is more sweet or gentle than the word of the Lord and nothing is more opposite to it than to excite terror. I reply," says Calvin, "there are two kinds of trembling. one by which they are terrified, who hate and flee from God, and another, or the second, which affects the heart and promotes the obedience of those who reverence and fear God. This clause, I am aware, is viewed by others as relating to the law, which threatens and terrifies and proclaims the dreadful judgment of God. But I take it in a more general acceptation, for even believers tremble at His promises when they embrace them with reverence. Hence infer that true godliness consists in having our senses brought into a state of obedience to God and in making no boastful or wicked claims for ourselves. The nature of faith is to yield obedience to God and to listen to Him attentively and patiently when He speaks. But when we are puffed up and carried away by vain confidence in ourselves, we have no piety or fear of God, for we cannot make even the smallest claim for ourselves without despising God."

Now what did Calvin say? Calvin said there are two kinds of trembling. One is when you tremble out of anger and fear and you want nothing to do with God. The other trembling is out of reverential respect and submission and obedience to God. Now Calvin correctly relates trembling with obedience. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Ezra chapter 10. Ezra chapter 10. And as you find Ezra, I want you to remember what is happening in this particular passage. Ezra chapter 10. And look at verse 3. Ezra 10 verse 3.

The people have come back into the land and have intermarried with the heathen, which God had strictly forbidden. So Ezra comes along and later Nehemiah does the same thing. He rebukes the people because they've married these strange wives and had these strange children. If you look in Ezra chapter 10, let's just begin reading there with verse 1. "Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore. And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Now watch carefully.

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law." Now does that mean when Ezra stood up and reminded them what the law of God said about not intermarrying with the heathen, that the people necessarily literally trembled? Some may have when they understood the implications of it. But what he said was this: We're willing to listen. We're willing to repent. We're willing to turn from our sins. We're willing to do whatever God says is necessary. And we will obey the commandment of God. Who are those that tremble at the Lord? Who are those who tremble at his word? Those who obey him. Those who bring their lives in conformity to his word.

Let me ask you, I want you to stop and think about this. Here's my question. Since we live in such an adulterous and wicked age, why don't you do what the majority does and just run out and fornicate and become adulterers? Why would you not do that? You say, "I would not do it because it is sin. It's a violation of God's law. And I fear God." Wouldn't you say that?

Obedience as the Evidence of Trembling

Those who tremble obey God's Word; disobedience shows contempt. Examples from Ezra, Jeremiah, and others illustrate this.

What if I said this: Well, why don't we go out and loot and steal like everybody else is doing in the land? Even the government. But why don't we do that? You say, "I would not do that because it's a sin, it's a violation of God's law, and I fear God." You know what you're doing? You're trembling at God's Word. You're saying, "Not me. I'm not going to do those things. I have respect to God. I have respect to His Word. I'm not going to do that." Think about this. If you believe that God's Word is the holy, powerful, authoritative, inspired, infallible Word of God, and it originates from the sovereign God of heaven and earth, well, don't you have respect for that Word? Let me tell you something, if you just stopped and thought who gave that Word, who issued that Word,

and what His position is, that should be enough to make you tremble. The Sovereign God of heaven and earth to whom you will answer and give an account for every thought, every deed. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 5. Jeremiah, chapter five. Just a few pages over from Isaiah 66, Jeremiah, chapter five, look if you would please at verse twenty two. I want to show you again what it means to tremble at the word of God. Look in Jeremiah five, verse twenty two, look what God asks. "Fear ye not me?" God said, "Aren't you afraid of me? Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence?"

"Which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?" Now look what he's asking. "Will ye not fear me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence?" Look what I have done. I have not only created the world, I have said to the sea, "Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further." And the sea obeys me. Everything obeys me. Will you not tremble at my word? As great, as mighty, as powerful as the sea is, it cannot break the bounds that God has placed upon it. Oh, but look what he says in verses 23 and 24.

"But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest." Note what they said. God said, "Will you not fear me, will you not tremble?" They said, "No, God, we're not going to tremble. Because we have a revolting and rebellious heart and we don't want to hear you, we don't have anything to do with you. And we do not fear you." Hope you see where this is going. Only those who obey tremble at God's word. Those who disobey

despise God. Let me just quote a few passages, listen carefully. Do you remember in Psalm 2 and verse 11 this? Where God commanded the kings and the people, "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." What does it mean to rejoice with trembling? You rejoice with obedience. In Daniel 10 and verse 11, "And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling." Why? He knew it was a word from God.

He understood the source of the message. God said this concerning Ephraim in Hosea 13 verse 1. Now listen, "When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died." What's that mean? It means when Ephraim feared God and trembled at his word, and obeyed God, God exalted him. But when he offended in Baal, he died. And in other words, he ceased fearing God, he ceased trembling at God's word, and he turned to a false idol. Do you remember in Acts 16, how Paul and Silas had been thrown into jail? And at midnight, they prayed and sang praises to God. And God sent a great earthquake. And in Acts 16, verse 29, the Bible said, "Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" The Bible says in Philippians chapter 2 verse 12, "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." With fear and obedience is what he's talking about. You see, many people boast today that they have great reverence and great fear of God.

Applications and Conclusion

The lack of fear of God explains societal and church problems. God magnifies His Word above His name; we must tremble and obey.

Now, let me make just two quick applications. The first one is this. If we recognize and reverence God, we will tremble at His word. We will be reverentially fearful of disobeying and dishonoring Him. Are you listening? The problem we have today is exactly the same problem that Paul addressed in his day when in Romans 3, he was listing the wickedness of the people, the vileness and the rebellion of the people. And finally, he said in verse 18, are you listening? "There is no fear of God before their eyes." There is no fear of God before their eyes. What's he saying? They don't care anything about God. They don't regard His Word. They don't tremble before Him. They don't bow to Him. They don't pay any respect to Him.

What is wrong with our nation? There's no fear of God. What's wrong with our government? There's no fear of God. What's wrong with our churches? There's no fear of God. What's wrong with our families? There's no fear of God. What's wrong with individuals? There's no fear of God. If you fear God, you would tremble at his word. In other words, you would say, "I must obey him. I will not dishonor and disrespect God."

Now, I want you to turn to one last passage. Here's the last application. Look, if you would, to Psalm 138. I want to show you how vital, how important the Word of God really is. So many people disdain it. So many people despise it. So many people think so lightly concerning the Word of God. May I point out that God's Word does not contain empty threats or empty promises. The authority and the power of the sovereign God of heaven and earth is behind His Word. In Psalm 138, notice if you would please, David said in verse 1, "I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."

You know what that means, folks? If God ever allows His word to fail, He will cease being God. Now, do you think his threats are empty? You think his promises are vain? Do you think God will ever cease being God? The very fact that he is God means he cannot change. And if God has magnified his word above his name, you can mark it down. You better learn to tremble. Because he will not change. His threats are real. His promises are real. And God says, "Here's the man to whom I'm going to look. A man that is of a poor and contrite heart, and the man that trembles at my word." It's that man with whom I will dwell.

I will overlook the most beautiful buildings. I don't care about their expensiveness. I don't care about their expansiveness. I don't care anything about the buildings. What I want is a gracious, humble, repentant heart to dwell in. Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." Let's pray. Father, we do ask you in the name of Jesus Christ to teach us to tremble at Your Word. Teach us, Heavenly Father, to obey Thy Word. To recognize the source of Thy Word's authority. And it comes from Thee, O Lord. Help us to see, Father, that we must fear Thee. We must obey Thee. And submit our lives to Thee and conform them to Your Word. Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

God's Transcendence and Sovereignty

Summary: God is above creation, sovereign over all, and needs nothing from man, including temples.

Evidence: Weaver explains that heaven is God's throne and earth His footstool, showing His supremacy and ownership.

The Insufficiency of External Religion

Summary: God disregards magnificent buildings and external worship when hearts are not humble and obedient.

Evidence: Weaver contrasts God's contempt for the temple with His regard for the contrite, citing Matthew 24:1-2 and Hosea 8:14.

Humility and Contrition

Summary: God looks to the poor in spirit and contrite heart—those who recognize their sin and need for God.

Evidence: Weaver defines 'poor' and 'contrite' using Hebrew meanings and cross-references Psalm 34:18, 51:17, and Isaiah 57:15.

Reverential Obedience as True Trembling

Summary: Trembling at God's Word means reverent submission and obedience, not mere emotional fear.

Evidence: Weaver distinguishes demonic trembling (James 2:19) and Felix's fear (Acts 24:25) from the obedience seen in Ezra 10:3.

The Fear of God

Summary: A lack of fear of God leads to disobedience and societal decay; true fear produces trembling at His Word.

Evidence: Weaver cites Romans 3:18 and Jeremiah 5:22 to show that fearing God means obeying Him.

The Authority of God's Word

Summary: God magnifies His Word above His name; His threats and promises are certain, demanding our trembling obedience.

Evidence: Weaver references Psalm 138:2 to emphasize that God's Word is backed by His unchanging character.

Key Arguments

God does not need or value temples made by human hands.

Summary: Since God is transcendent and owns all, He has no need of a house; He holds elaborate buildings in contempt when they replace true worship.

Evidence: Weaver argues from Isaiah 66:1-2 and Matthew 24:1-2 that God destroyed the temple to show His disregard for buildings.

God looks to the humble and contrite, not to external grandeur.

Summary: The 'poor' and 'contrite' are those who recognize their spiritual poverty and sinfulness, and God dwells with them.

Evidence: Weaver defines the Hebrew terms and cites Psalm 34:18, 51:17, and Isaiah 57:15 to show God's dwelling with the humble.

Trembling at God's Word is reverential obedience, not mere fear.

Summary: True trembling is shown by obeying God's commands, as in Ezra 10:3, not by the fear of demons or Felix.

Evidence: Weaver contrasts James 2:19 and Acts 24:25 with Ezra 10:3 and Jeremiah 5:22 to define trembling as obedience.

Disobedience proves a lack of fear of God.

Summary: Those who do not tremble at God's Word despise Him; the root problem in society and churches is no fear of God.

Evidence: Weaver cites Romans 3:18 and Jeremiah 6:10 to show that rejecting God's Word is evidence of no fear.

God's Word is supremely authoritative and certain.

Summary: Because God magnifies His Word above His name, His promises and threats are sure; we must tremble and obey.

Evidence: Weaver references Psalm 138:2 to argue that God's Word cannot fail without God ceasing to be God.

Scripture References

Isaiah 66:1-5

Context: The primary text, read at the opening, contrasting God's throne and footstool with the temple and calling for trembling at His Word.

Psalm 115:3

Context: Cited to support God's sovereignty: He does whatever He pleases.

Daniel 4:35

Context: Used to show God's absolute sovereignty over all inhabitants of the earth.

1 Kings 8:27

Context: Solomon's dedication prayer acknowledging that heaven cannot contain God, supporting His transcendence.

Psalm 139:1-12

Context: Quoted to illustrate God's omniscience and omnipresence.

Psalm 24:1

Context: Cited to show God's ownership of the earth and everything in it.

Psalm 50:12

Context: God declares He would not tell us if He were hungry because the world is His.

Psalm 89:11

Context: Affirms that the heavens and earth belong to God.

Hosea 8:14

Context: Israel forgot its Maker and built temples; used to warn against trusting in buildings.

Matthew 24:1-2

Context: Jesus foretells the temple's destruction, showing God's disregard for the building.

James 4:6

Context: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, defining 'poor' in spirit.

1 Peter 5:5

Context: Reinforces that God gives grace to the humble.

Psalm 34:18

Context: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the contrite spirit.

Psalm 51:17

Context: A broken and contrite heart God will not despise.

Isaiah 57:15

Context: God dwells with the contrite and humble, not in temples.

1 Samuel 13:7

Context: Example of the Hebrew word for 'tremble' used for fear in battle.

1 Samuel 14:15

Context: Another use of 'tremble' for fear and earthquake.

James 2:19

Context: Demons believe and tremble, but their trembling is not acceptable to God.

Acts 24:24-25

Context: Felix trembled at Paul's preaching but sent him away, showing wrong kind of trembling.

Ezra 10:1-3

Context: Those who tremble at God's commandment obey it, demonstrating true trembling.

Historical References

Herod's Temple

Context: The temple in Jesus' day, which the disciples admired but Jesus foretold its destruction.

Destruction of the Temple by the Chaldeans

Context: The first temple was destroyed, but later rebuilt; contrasted with the final Roman destruction.

Roman Destruction of the Temple

Context: After the Romans destroyed the temple, it was never rebuilt, showing God's disregard.

John Calvin

Context: Weaver quotes Calvin's commentary on Isaiah 66:2 regarding two kinds of trembling.

Important Quotes

But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Significance: The key verse of the sermon, defining whom God regards.

Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Significance: Establishes God's transcendence and the futility of temples.

Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples.

Significance: Warns against trusting in buildings instead of God.

See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Significance: Jesus' prophecy of the temple's destruction, showing God's disregard for the building.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Significance: Defines the contrite heart that God accepts.

I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Significance: Shows God dwells with the humble, not in temples.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Significance: Distinguishes demonic trembling from acceptable trembling.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Significance: Diagnoses the root problem of sin and disobedience.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean to be 'poor and of a contrite spirit'? How can we cultivate such a heart?

Context: Weaver defines these terms as humility and brokenness over sin, citing Psalm 34:18 and 51:17.

How can we distinguish between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow for sin?

Context: Weaver contrasts embarrassment over being caught with genuine grief for sinning against God.

In what ways might modern churches be guilty of 'forgetting their Maker and building temples'?

Context: Weaver critiques elaborate church buildings used for entertainment rather than worship.

What is the difference between the trembling of demons (James 2:19) and the trembling God desires?

Context: Weaver explains demonic trembling is rebellious fear, while godly trembling is reverent obedience.

How does obedience to God's Word demonstrate that we tremble at it?

Context: Weaver uses Ezra 10:3 to show that those who tremble at God's commandment obey it.

Why is the fear of God lacking in our culture, and what are the consequences?

Context: Weaver cites Romans 3:18 and applies it to nation, government, churches, and families.

What does it mean that God has magnified His Word above His name (Psalm 138:2)?

Context: Weaver explains that God's Word is backed by His unchanging character; if it fails, He ceases to be God.

How can we practically 'work out our salvation with fear and trembling' (Philippians 2:12)?

Context: Weaver connects this verse to obedience and reverential fear, not terror.

Applications

Examine your heart for humility and contrition.

Summary: Ask whether you are poor in spirit and truly sorry for sin, not just embarrassed by consequences.

Evidence: Weaver defines 'poor' and 'contrite' and urges self-examination in light of God's regard for such.

Evaluate your view of church buildings and programs.

Summary: Do not place confidence in elaborate buildings or entertainment-focused services; God looks at the heart.

Evidence: Weaver critiques modern church emphasis on buildings and programs over worship.

Tremble at God's Word by obeying it.

Summary: True trembling is shown by conforming your life to Scripture, not by emotional fear.

Evidence: Weaver uses Ezra 10:3 and other passages to equate trembling with obedience.

Cultivate the fear of God.

Summary: Recognize that a lack of fear of God leads to disobedience; pray for reverential awe.

Evidence: Weaver cites Romans 3:18 and Jeremiah 5:22 to show the necessity of fearing God.

Trust in the certainty of God's Word.

Summary: Because God magnifies His Word above His name, His promises and threats are sure; live accordingly.

Evidence: Weaver references Psalm 138:2 to emphasize the reliability of Scripture.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T17:48:13Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T09:08:27Z

Clean Transcript

Trembling at the Word of God

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

Notice Isaiah 66, beginning there with verse 1. "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man."
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"He that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear."
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"But they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed." I want to call your attention to the latter part of verse two, where God says, "But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word." So the message today is entitled "Trembling at the Word of God." All of us have heard the word of God at times with great reverence, respect, love, and admiration, and there have been times when we've heard the word of God that we wept openly when we heard it. There have been times also when we rejoiced and laughed when we heard it.
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But the question that you have to ask yourself is this: Have you ever trembled at the word of God? If God has respect unto a man that is poor and of a contrite heart and trembleth at his word, would it not be wise to desire to be one of those who do indeed tremble at his word? So you have to ask yourself, what does it mean to tremble at the word of God? Now, before I try to answer that question for you, I want you to look at verse one and let's consider the implications of verse one before we ever get to verse two. God says in verse one, "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool."
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"Where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" First and most obvious in verse one is the implication that God is. That is, God most certainly does exist. Verse one is just merely a declaration of the existence of God. Let me point something out that you may not have ever thought, but here it is: Nowhere in the Bible does the Bible ever try to prove the existence of God. It assumes it. It's a presuppositional fact. That's why the Bible begins, "In the beginning, God." So nowhere are you going to find an argument in the Bible to try to prove the existence of God. And the very first implication you have in verse one is that God is. The second implication is this, that God has spoken.
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That is, God has revealed himself, not only in his creation, but he's revealed himself in his special revelation, the word of God. So "Thus saith the Lord." So God not only is, but secondly, God has spoken. Thirdly, very clearly, you should see that God is greater than His creation. The theological term is God is transcendent. That is, he is above his creation. Now, it is true that God may be seen in his creation, but he is over, above, and beyond his creation. He is not bound up in his creation. He is not mixed up in his creation.
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And if you understand God's transcendence, then you also understand the error and the heresy and the wickedness of pantheism, which teaches that God somehow is bound up in the creation, that everything that you see is God. A pantheist would hit this pulpit and say, "This pulpit is God." He would touch that tree outside and say, "That tree is God." He would touch the ground and say, "The ground is God." Why? Because the pantheist sees God in all of creation, but it's not just that he sees Him in creation, he believes he's mixed up in creation. That God and creation are one and the same.
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That's where you get Mother Earth. That's where you get "be kind to your mother." That's where you get the tree-hugging mentality. It all comes from an error and heresy of pantheism. There's a fourth implication here, and that is, we see, or at least we should see, the supremacy and the sovereignty of God.
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Now, stop and think about this. If heaven is God's throne and earth is His footstool, then obviously He is over all. He is supreme. He is the sovereign. He is in control. The Bible says in Psalm 115 and verse 3, "But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." You know what God does? God does only as He pleases and always as He pleases. And none can stop Him, none can thwart Him, and none can hinder Him. That's why the Bible says in Daniel 4 and verse 35, "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" So God is obviously sovereign. If the earth is God's footstool, it means that he treads upon it.
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It is at his disposal. He may do with it as he pleases. He's the sovereign and whatever he does is right, not only in relation to heaven, but also in relation to the earth. The fifth implication of verse one is this: You must see the omnipresence of God. He said, "The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool." The omnipresence of God just simply means that God is everywhere at one time in the totality of His person.
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He asks, "Where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" In other words, there is no house, there is no building, there is no tabernacle, there is no temple that can contain God. God is omnipresent. He did indeed manifest himself in the tabernacle and in the temple in a very peculiar and special way, yet neither one of them contained God. In fact, when Solomon was dedicating the temple in 1 Kings 8 and verse 27, he said this, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" So even Solomon knew that the heavens could not contain God. God is greater than his creation.
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David acknowledged the omniscience and the omnipresence of God in Psalm 139 verses 1 through 12. Take the time just to go there and look at that. You're talking about a beautiful passage. And how in the world can you not see God's omniscience as well as God's omnipresence? God is not only all-knowing, He is everywhere present at one time in the totality of His being. So David says it like this, Psalm 139, verse 1, "O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether." Now David says, "Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
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Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it." Now watch verse 7, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."
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David confesses and acknowledges not only God's omniscience—He knows all—but also God's omnipresence, that God is everywhere at one time in the totality of His being. There's a sixth implication in verse 1, and that is this: There is in verse 1 a declaration of God's absolute ownership of all things. Look at verse 1. "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me?"
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"Where is the place of my rest?" And notice what else he says, verse two, "For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord."
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Now ask yourself a very simple question. What in the world can you give unto the Lord? The answer in reality is nothing. Why? Because God is the creator. God is the owner of all things. Everything that is, God made. It really and truly belongs to Him. You may be a steward over it. You may possess some of it. But the only reason you have it is because God originally created it and gave it to you.
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Listen to what the Bible says. Psalm 24 and verse 1: "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." You know what God said in Psalm 50 and verse 12? Listen to this. God said, "If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." Why would God need anything? God created everything that exists. And God said, "If I needed it, I would take it, because it's mine anyhow." Then in Psalm 89, verse 11, the Word of God says this, "The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them."
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Now, what I want you to do is let's put these last three points together. I want you to think about the supremacy, the sovereignty of God, the omnipresence of God, and God's absolute declaration to be the owner of all things. And look what he says in verse one, "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool." Now look at the question. "Where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" Now, I want you to stop and think just a moment. Here's my question, what was the temple in relation to God? I could ask, what was the temple in comparison to God? Do you realize it does not matter how magnificent the temple was? It does not matter how beautiful, how great, how excellent it was? What is the comparison of that temple to the one true and the living God? Let me ask the question another way. How can anyone place the emphasis upon the temple or anything that is material, for God is greater than His creation.
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Everything that went into the temple, no matter how beautiful, how excellent it was, everything that went into the temple was made by God. There is no house, there is no building, there is no temple that man could build that would adequately express God's glory. There is no external worship that would be suitable to declare His majesty. Why? Because God is greater than His creation.
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Now, it is true, as you read through the Bible, that the Lord said of the temple in Psalm 132 and verse 14, "This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell." It is also true that in 2 Chronicles 6 in verse 41, the Bible says, "Enter into thy rest, O Lord." But when he spoke about the temple like that, he was speaking about the fact that in the temple was a peculiar and a special manifestation of His glory.
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It was just a mere token of His presence. It certainly did not contain God. It could not contain God. It was just a mere demonstration of His power and of His presence. God did not command men to build in order that they may look at the temple or the building and then, according to their own fancy, worship the building more than the Creator. May I tell you something?
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That is exactly what they did in the Old Testament. That is exactly what the attitude was also in the New Testament. The temple was built so that men might look at that temple and say that God is more excellent and God is more glorious than any building that man can make. God is over and above and beyond His creation. And if you were to take all of creation and put it in one building, God is still greater than that building. And do you know one of the sins that God charged Israel with?
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Let me quote it for you. Hosea chapter 8 and verse 14. Listen carefully. "Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples." Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples. Has not Christianity fallen into the same trap? Do you realize we build elaborate buildings? In fact, multi-million dollar buildings. Buildings that are so expensive, as well as expansive, buildings which you and I cannot even conceive of practically. And those great expensive and expansive buildings are used three to five hours a week.
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And we sit back and we say, "Look at our architectural work. Look at our carpet. Look at our padded pews. Look at our stained glass windows. Listen to that deep-throated organ that we have. Listen to that expensive Steinway piano that we have." Are you listening? Do you realize that modern day Christians usually normally attend church for fellowship, for socializing, and for entertainment. The worship of God is the farthest thing from their thoughts.
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Ministry to the saints does not even enter into their mind. The duty and responsibility and privilege of worshiping God is a fact unknown to their thinking. The philosophy of modern day church builders, and I'm using the word church in terms of buildings, the philosophy of modern day church builders is this: you build it and they will come. And so the more expensive, the more elaborate, the more beautiful the building, the more programs that you have, the more people you have. Why?
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Because they're interested in socialization, entertainment, and fellowship. They're not interested in worshiping God.
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Now, I said all that to show you this. If you understand Isaiah 66 verses 1 and 2, you will understand that God does not think nearly as highly of our buildings as we do. He not only slights them, but there are times that He holds them in absolute contempt. You know, the disciples in our Lord's day endeavored to impress upon Him the beauty and the magnificence of the temple.
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And I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Matthew 24, and verses one and two, and I want you to see our Lord's response when they were talking about how great, how magnificent, how beautiful that temple was. And this was Herod's temple, this was not even the temple that Solomon built. That temple had been destroyed. And by the way, if you'll read the Minor Prophets, you'll find that the old men who were alive when they saw the rebuilding of the temple after they came back from captivity, they wept because even then that building was not comparable to the one that Solomon built. But so here we have Herod's temple in Matthew 24. And certainly it was a great, magnificent and beautiful building. The Bible says in Matthew 24, verse one, "And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple." So he's walked out of the temple doors "and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple." In other words, look how magnificent, look how beautiful, Lord, these are.
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"Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." What did our Lord say? You better get your eyes off the building. You better get your eyes off material things. Everything here is about to be destroyed. You see, the Jews in Isaiah's time and afterwards in Christ's time gloried much in the temple and promised themselves great things from the temple. In order to humble them, in order to shake their confidence in vain things, both the prophets and Christ foretold the ruin of the temple and that God would soon leave it absolutely desolate. That temple was destroyed by the Chaldeans, but it was rebuilt.
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The ceremonial services were restored. But when the Romans got through with the temple, it was not rebuilt. Nor were the ceremonial services restored. God was just simply demonstrating in the destruction of that temple what little regard he had for buildings. I want you to watch. Go back to Isaiah 66. Let's put these two things together. If God has very little regard for our expensive, expansive buildings, if he has so little regard of the temple and he thoroughly, totally destroyed it and left it desolate,
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then you have to ask, what does God have regard unto? Well, here it is, Isaiah 66, verse 1. "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but"—contrast this with a beautiful, magnificent temple. Contrast this with the most beautiful, expensive buildings that we have today.
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"But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word." And here's what God is saying. God is saying, I will ignore all the most beautiful, expensive buildings and regard them with absolute and total contempt. But I will look with favor to a humble, repentant, and gracious soul that trembles at my word. It's not the beauty of the buildings that God looks at. It's not their greatness, their vastness, nor their expensiveness that God looks at, but to those who tremble at his word.
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Have you ever stopped to think about this? God did not need the temple. God does not need a temple or any temple. Heaven is a throne of His government, and He sits there infinitely exalted in the highest dignity and dominion above all blessing and praise. The earth is his footstool on which he stands overruling everything in the earth and doing according to his will. If God has a throne so large and so bright and so glorious, and if God has a footstool like the earth, what in the world can a building be unto God? How can any building be the residence of His glory? Or how can any building be the praise of His glory? What satisfaction could the eternal, sovereign God of heaven and earth take with a building made with the hands of men? Does God need a building? The answer is no.
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The Bible says that he neither faints, nor sleeps, nor is weary. God doesn't need a place of rest. God is never tired. God is not like us. And according to Psalm 50, which I quoted earlier, if God did need something like that, He wouldn't tell us. Why? Because everything He made is His. God says concerning the earth and all of creation, "all those things have been," that is, they've had their being and they had their beginning in the power and in the will of God. God was happy in eternity past in and of himself before the world was ever created. And God could still be the eternally happy, transcendent God without any earth and without any beings today, if he so chose. God is God. If God required a house, He would build it. If He required a house, He would have built it when He created the world. And it would not need repair. It would not need anything that man could do. But God had absolutely no need of a temple made with hands.
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So God then does not give heed to great and beautiful buildings. What God does give heed to is a humble, penitent, gracious heart. Heaven is His making. Earth is His making. And God says, I will overlook heaven and earth. I will overlook temples and buildings. And I will look to this man who is humble, serious, self-abasing, self-denying, who has a heart that is truly contrite for sin, one who is repentant for his sin, one who is broken for his sin, and one who trembles at my word. Such a heart is a living temple of God.
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And I want to show you a Bible verse in just a few minutes. And God says, that's where I will dwell. Now, look in verse 2. God says, "For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word." Now, let's look at verse 2. And he said, "To this man" he's going to look, "even him that is poor." Well, let me tell you right off, the word "poor" does not have reference to a lack of money. It doesn't have reference to poverty. The Hebrew word refers to one who is afflicted, one who is humble, one who is wretched, one who is needy, one who is lowly. You should automatically think, first of all, of James 4 and verse 6, where the Bible says, "Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." You should also think of 1 Peter 5 and verse 5, where he says, "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.
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Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." What is the poor man to whom God looks? It's one who has seen his sin, his wickedness, his rebellion. It's one who recognizes his wretchedness, his need, his poverty. He realizes he is a man in need of divine help. He cannot save himself, he cannot help himself. He's come to the point, he's come to the realization, if God does not help him, he's lost. That's a poor man. A man who has nothing in himself. Absolutely nothing. No hope! No help! He's powerless. Then God says in verse 2, He's going to look to a man who is of a contrite spirit. Now the word "contrite" refers to one who is smitten, stricken, and contrite. Let me give it to you another way. A contrite person is one who is truly sorry for his sin. One who is truly repentant and humbled because of his sins.
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You know, there's really two kinds of sorrow that the Bible talks about. The Apostle Paul himself pointed this out. There is a sorrow of the world, and there is this godly sorrow that worketh repentance. He said that needeth not to be repented of. Let's say here's a man, and he's a thief. He's a family man. He's a church man. But he gets caught stealing from his own company, or from the man for which he works. You know what the first thought of that man is? "Oh my, I'm caught. I'm so embarrassed. I mean, now the world's going to know that I'm a thief and my family's going to be embarrassed and my children are going to be embarrassed." That's worldly sorrow. The truth of the matter is, in one sense of the word, we really should be embarrassed because of our sins. But godly sorrow is far more than embarrassment. Godly sorrow means that we are genuinely grieved because we have sinned against God. We violated his law. We've broken his word. We've insulted his majesty.
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We've disdained his honor. We are wicked. A man who is of a contrite heart has no pride, no arrogance, no haughtiness. No. He's a broken man. He's been stricken. He's been smitten. He's been afflicted. And he understands that if he got really and truly what he deserved, he'd be doomed and damned. Let me show you. I want you to follow me to Isaiah 66, please, but go back in your Bibles.
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To Psalm 34 to begin with. Psalm 34. Look at verse 18. Psalm 34, verse 18. Watch carefully.
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"The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Who does God save? Those who are of a contrite spirit. What's contrite mean? Someone who's been stricken, smitten, someone who's truly sorrowful and truly repentant for his sins. No arrogance in this fellow, no haughtiness. Look at Psalm 51 and verse 17. Psalm 51, verse 17. Again, the psalmist says this, Psalm 51, verse 17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Is God going to despise someone who's truly, genuinely repentant? No. And if you would look in your Bibles to Isaiah 57, on your way back to Isaiah 66, Isaiah 57, and look, if you would please, at verse 15.
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Remember all those beautiful buildings that we have today, and think of how gorgeous and exquisite and excellent the tabernacle and the temple were. But look what God says in Isaiah 57 and verse 15, "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Now how many beautiful buildings does God dwell in? None. But he said, "I dwell in eternity, in the high and holy place, and with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." Now, if you go back to Isaiah 66, there's a word and this is what I want to deal with. God says he not only looks to the man that is poor and of a contrite spirit, but also to the man that trembles at His Word. If you skip down to verse 5 in Isaiah 66, "Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word."
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Wow! Do you tremble at the Word of God? Well, what in the world does it mean really to tremble? Let me show you. I want to show you how the word is used in one sense of the word. If you would turn back in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 13. Here is the same word that is used for "tremble." 1 Samuel 13. Look in verse 7. 1 Samuel 13 verse 7.
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Of course, Saul now is going to be fighting the Philistines. He's choosing him out 3,000 men of Israel. Notice, if you would please, the Bible says in 1 Samuel 13 and verse 7, "And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling." What's that mean? They were afraid.
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They were about to go into battle. There's 3,000 of them and thousands of the Philistines. So they were trembling. Look at 1 Samuel chapter 14 and verse 15. Same word. "And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling." Now, very obviously, when you see the word "tremble" here,
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you know what it means. All of us have trembled at times. Sometimes we've trembled out of fear. Sometimes we've trembled out of anger. Sometimes we've trembled out of excitement. Well, let's clarify this word "tremble" even further. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 2 just to show you there are different kinds of trembling. And there's some trembling that you and I are not to engage in, I can assure you. But look in the book of James chapter 2 and verse 19. Look what the Bible says. James 2 verse 19. In James 2 and verse 19, the Word of God says this. James 2 verse 19, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." Someone says, "Oh wait a minute, Brother Weaver, I believe in God, I believe in God." Oh, says God. "All right, fine. Yeah, that's good.
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But let me point something out." He said the demons also believe, but they do more than believe. They tremble. Wow.
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Now, the trembling that the devils do certainly is not the kind that is acceptable with God. The Greek word for "tremble" here is the word "phrisso," and it literally means to tremble, but it also means to bristle, to stiffen up, to stand up, to shudder, to be struck with extreme fear and to be horrified. Does God regard the trembling of demons? No. Does that kind of trembling please God? Again, the answer is no. God does not want people that stiffen up against him and rebel against him and that are horrified at his word. The devil and his demons may tremble, but their trembling is not a reverential submission to the Word of God. Their trembling
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is out of rebellion and anger and knowledge of their certain and sure judgment. Let me point out also, when God says He's going to look at the man that trembles at His word, it is not just human fear and human trembling that pleases God. If you will go back in your Bibles, Acts 24. Acts 24. And notice, if you would please, verse 25. You're going to find that old Felix trembled at the preaching of Paul. Notice Acts chapter 24 and verse 25. Acts 24 verse 24: "And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ." Now watch. Verse 25, "And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time.
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When I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." Wow, isn't that amazing? Paul was preaching and Felix was so affected that he was trembling. He couldn't contain himself. You say, "Man, that's good. I'd like to see people tremble at the word of—" but not this kind of trembling. You know what this kind of trembling did? This kind of trembling drove Felix to want to get rid of the preacher and to get out from under his message. He said, "Go away. Get out of here. I don't want to hear any more of this. When I have a convenient season, I'll call for you. I don't want to hear you right now. Don't bother. Don't upset me." Was Felix trembling? Oh yeah, he was trembling. But his kind of trembling was the kind that made him get mad at the preacher. In fact, the Greek word is "emphobos."
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It means literally to be thrown into fear, to be terrified, to be frightened. What Paul was saying frightened him. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to hear it. He did not want it to enter his mind. And his trembling then drove him to get rid of the preacher, to get out from under the preaching of the Word of God. Now, let's ask, what does it mean to tremble at God's Word? I want to give you a quote from John Calvin.
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And I believe he's absolutely correct. And I could have just told you this myself, but he said it so beautifully. Listen. He says, "So far as it relates to trembling, it might be thought strange at first sight that God demands that in believers, since nothing is more sweet or gentle than the word of the Lord and nothing is more opposite to it than to excite terror. I reply," says Calvin, "there are two kinds of trembling.
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one by which they are terrified, who hate and flee from God, and another, or the second, which affects the heart and promotes the obedience of those who reverence and fear God. This clause, I am aware, is viewed by others as relating to the law, which threatens and terrifies and proclaims the dreadful judgment of God. But I take it in a more general acceptation, for even believers tremble at His promises when they embrace them with reverence. Hence infer that true godliness consists in having our senses brought into a state of obedience to God and in making no boastful or wicked claims for ourselves. The nature of faith is to yield obedience to God and to listen to Him attentively and patiently when He speaks. But when we are puffed up and carried away by vain confidence in ourselves, we have no piety or fear of God, for we cannot make even the smallest claim for ourselves without despising God."
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Now what did Calvin say? Calvin said there are two kinds of trembling. One is when you tremble out of anger and fear and you want nothing to do with God. The other trembling is out of reverential respect and submission and obedience to God. Now Calvin correctly relates trembling with obedience. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Ezra chapter 10. Ezra chapter 10. And as you find Ezra, I want you to remember what is happening in this particular passage. Ezra chapter 10. And look at verse 3. Ezra 10 verse 3.
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The people have come back into the land and have intermarried with the heathen, which God had strictly forbidden. So Ezra comes along and later Nehemiah does the same thing. He rebukes the people because they've married these strange wives and had these strange children. If you look in Ezra chapter 10, let's just begin reading there with verse 1. "Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore. And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Now watch carefully.
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Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law." Now does that mean when Ezra stood up and reminded them what the law of God said about not intermarrying with the heathen, that the people necessarily literally trembled? Some may have when they understood the implications of it. But what he said was this: We're willing to listen. We're willing to repent. We're willing to turn from our sins. We're willing to do whatever God says is necessary. And we will obey the commandment of God. Who are those that tremble at the Lord? Who are those who tremble at his word? Those who obey him. Those who bring their lives in conformity to his word.
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Let me ask you, I want you to stop and think about this. Here's my question. Since we live in such an adulterous and wicked age, why don't you do what the majority does and just run out and fornicate and become adulterers? Why would you not do that? You say, "I would not do it because it is sin. It's a violation of God's law. And I fear God." Wouldn't you say that?
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What if I said this: Well, why don't we go out and loot and steal like everybody else is doing in the land? Even the government. But why don't we do that? You say, "I would not do that because it's a sin, it's a violation of God's law, and I fear God." You know what you're doing? You're trembling at God's Word. You're saying, "Not me. I'm not going to do those things. I have respect to God. I have respect to His Word. I'm not going to do that." Think about this. If you believe that God's Word is the holy, powerful, authoritative, inspired, infallible Word of God, and it originates from the sovereign God of heaven and earth, well, don't you have respect for that Word? Let me tell you something, if you just stopped and thought who gave that Word, who issued that Word,
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and what His position is, that should be enough to make you tremble. The Sovereign God of heaven and earth to whom you will answer and give an account for every thought, every deed. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 5. Jeremiah, chapter five. Just a few pages over from Isaiah 66, Jeremiah, chapter five, look if you would please at verse twenty two. I want to show you again what it means to tremble at the word of God. Look in Jeremiah five, verse twenty two, look what God asks. "Fear ye not me?" God said, "Aren't you afraid of me? Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence?"
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"Which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?"
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Now look what he's asking. "Will ye not fear me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence?" Look what I have done. I have not only created the world, I have said to the sea, "Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further." And the sea obeys me. Everything obeys me. Will you not tremble at my word? As great, as mighty, as powerful as the sea is, it cannot break the bounds that God has placed upon it. Oh, but look what he says in verses 23 and 24.
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"But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest." Note what they said. God said, "Will you not fear me, will you not tremble?" They said, "No, God, we're not going to tremble. Because we have a revolting and rebellious heart and we don't want to hear you, we don't have anything to do with you. And we do not fear you." Hope you see where this is going. Only those who obey tremble at God's word. Those who disobey
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despise God. Let me just quote a few passages, listen carefully. Do you remember in Psalm 2 and verse 11 this? Where God commanded the kings and the people, "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." What does it mean to rejoice with trembling? You rejoice with obedience. In Daniel 10 and verse 11, "And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling." Why? He knew it was a word from God.
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He understood the source of the message. God said this concerning Ephraim in Hosea 13 verse 1. Now listen, "When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died." What's that mean? It means when Ephraim feared God and trembled at his word, and obeyed God, God exalted him. But when he offended in Baal, he died. And in other words, he ceased fearing God, he ceased trembling at God's word, and he turned to a false idol.
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Do you remember in Acts 16, how Paul and Silas had been thrown into jail? And at midnight, they prayed and sang praises to God. And God sent a great earthquake. And in Acts 16, verse 29, the Bible said, "Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" The Bible says in Philippians chapter 2 verse 12, "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." With fear and obedience is what he's talking about. You see, many people boast today that they have great reverence and great fear of God.
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But at the same time, they disregard and despise his word, and in reality show that they are great despisers of God. The reverence that we owe to God must be paid to his word in which he wishes us to not only obey, but to recognize that word as the authoritative commands from the one true and living God who is the source of that word. Obviously, those who hate and despise the Word of God
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do not tremble at it. In Jeremiah six and verse 10, you may be there already, if you do just look Jeremiah six and verse 10, look what God says. "To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it." Those who do not tremble at God's word, to them it is a reproach. They have no delight in it.
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Now, let me make just two quick applications. The first one is this. If we recognize and reverence God, we will tremble at His word. We will be reverentially fearful of disobeying and dishonoring Him. Are you listening? The problem we have today is exactly the same problem that Paul addressed in his day when in Romans 3, he was listing the wickedness of the people, the vileness and the rebellion of the people. And finally, he said in verse 18, are you listening? "There is no fear of God before their eyes." There is no fear of God before their eyes. What's he saying? They don't care anything about God. They don't regard His Word. They don't tremble before Him. They don't bow to Him. They don't pay any respect to Him.
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What is wrong with our nation? There's no fear of God. What's wrong with our government? There's no fear of God. What's wrong with our churches? There's no fear of God. What's wrong with our families? There's no fear of God. What's wrong with individuals? There's no fear of God. If you fear God, you would tremble at his word. In other words, you would say, "I must obey him. I will not dishonor and disrespect God."
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Now, I want you to turn to one last passage. Here's the last application. Look, if you would, to Psalm 138. I want to show you how vital, how important the Word of God really is. So many people disdain it. So many people despise it. So many people think so lightly concerning the Word of God. May I point out that God's Word does not contain empty threats or empty promises. The authority and the power of the sovereign God of heaven and earth is behind His Word. In Psalm 138, notice if you would please, David said in verse 1, "I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."
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You know what that means, folks? If God ever allows His word to fail, He will cease being God.
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Now, do you think his threats are empty? You think his promises are vain? Do you think God will ever cease being God? The very fact that he is God means he cannot change. And if God has magnified his word above his name, you can mark it down. You better learn to tremble. Because he will not change. His threats are real. His promises are real. And God says, "Here's the man to whom I'm going to look. A man that is of a poor and contrite heart, and the man that trembles at my word." It's that man with whom I will dwell.
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I will overlook the most beautiful buildings. I don't care about their expensiveness. I don't care about their expansiveness. I don't care anything about the buildings. What I want is a gracious, humble, repentant heart to dwell in. Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." Let's pray.
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Father, we do ask you in the name of Jesus Christ to teach us to tremble at Your Word. Teach us, Heavenly Father, to obey Thy Word. To recognize the source of Thy Word's authority. And it comes from Thee, O Lord. Help us to see, Father, that we must fear Thee. We must obey Thee. And submit our lives to Thee and conform them to Your Word. Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T17:48:13Z

Trembling at the Word of God

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver expounds Isaiah 66:1-2, contrasting God's disregard for magnificent buildings with His regard for the humble, contrite person who trembles at His Word. He explains that trembling at God's Word means reverential obedience, not mere fear, and calls believers to examine whether they truly fear God by submitting to Scripture.

Introduction and Text

Weaver reads Isaiah 66:1-5 and introduces the theme: God looks to the one who is poor, contrite, and trembles at His Word.

Notice Isaiah 66, beginning there with verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 66:1-5

"Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man." "He that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear."

Implications of God's Transcendence (Isaiah 66:1)

Six implications are drawn from verse 1: God exists, has spoken, is transcendent, sovereign, omnipresent, and owns all things.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 115:3

"But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased."

God's Disregard for Temples and Buildings

God does not need temples; He holds them in contempt when they replace true worship. Jesus foretold the temple's destruction.

Scripture Reading — Hosea 8:14

"Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples."

The Man to Whom God Looks

God looks to the poor (humble, needy) and contrite (broken over sin) person, not to impressive buildings.

Scripture Reading — James 4:6

"Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

You should also think of 1 Peter 5 and verse 5, where he says, "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.

The Contrite Spirit Defined

A contrite spirit is one truly sorry for sin, broken, and repentant. God dwells with such, not in temples.

To Psalm 34 to begin with. Psalm 34. Look at verse 18. Psalm 34, verse 18. Watch carefully.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 34:18

"The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

What It Means to Tremble at God's Word

Trembling is not demonic fear or Felix's terror, but reverential obedience. True trembling leads to submission to God's commands.

Of course, Saul now is going to be fighting the Philistines. He's choosing him out 3,000 men of Israel. Notice, if you would please, the Bible says in 1 Samuel 13 and verse 7,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 13:7

"And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling."

Obedience as the Evidence of Trembling

Those who tremble obey God's Word; disobedience shows contempt. Examples from Ezra, Jeremiah, and others illustrate this.

Applications and Conclusion

The lack of fear of God explains societal and church problems. God magnifies His Word above His name; we must tremble and obey.

Trembling at the Word of God

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	91208188307
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Daniel
Genre	Sermon
Date	2008-08-24
Dictation Name
Book	Book 087: Daniel — Chapter 4
Source Timed Segments	74

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Text: Weaver reads Isaiah 66:1-5 and introduces the theme: God looks to the one who is poor, contrite, and trembles at His Word.
Implications of God's Transcendence (Isaiah 66:1): Six implications are drawn from verse 1: God exists, has spoken, is transcendent, sovereign, omnipresent, and owns all things.
God's Disregard for Temples and Buildings: God does not need temples; He holds them in contempt when they replace true worship. Jesus foretold the temple's destruction.
The Man to Whom God Looks: God looks to the poor (humble, needy) and contrite (broken over sin) person, not to impressive buildings.
The Contrite Spirit Defined: A contrite spirit is one truly sorry for sin, broken, and repentant. God dwells with such, not in temples.
What It Means to Tremble at God's Word: Trembling is not demonic fear or Felix's terror, but reverential obedience. True trembling leads to submission to God's commands.
Obedience as the Evidence of Trembling: Those who tremble obey God's Word; disobedience shows contempt. Examples from Ezra, Jeremiah, and others illustrate this.
Applications and Conclusion: The lack of fear of God explains societal and church problems. God magnifies His Word above His name; we must tremble and obey.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

God does not need or value temples made by human hands.

Since God is transcendent and owns all, He has no need of a house; He holds elaborate buildings in contempt when they replace true worship.

Weaver argues from Isaiah 66:1-2 and Matthew 24:1-2 that God destroyed the temple to show His disregard for buildings.

God looks to the humble and contrite, not to external grandeur.

The 'poor' and 'contrite' are those who recognize their spiritual poverty and sinfulness, and God dwells with them.

Weaver defines the Hebrew terms and cites Psalm 34:18, 51:17, and Isaiah 57:15 to show God's dwelling with the humble.

Trembling at God's Word is reverential obedience, not mere fear.

True trembling is shown by obeying God's commands, as in Ezra 10:3, not by the fear of demons or Felix.

Weaver contrasts James 2:19 and Acts 24:25 with Ezra 10:3 and Jeremiah 5:22 to define trembling as obedience.

Disobedience proves a lack of fear of God.

Those who do not tremble at God's Word despise Him; the root problem in society and churches is no fear of God.

Weaver cites Romans 3:18 and Jeremiah 6:10 to show that rejecting God's Word is evidence of no fear.

God's Word is supremely authoritative and certain.

Because God magnifies His Word above His name, His promises and threats are sure; we must tremble and obey.

Weaver references Psalm 138:2 to argue that God's Word cannot fail without God ceasing to be God.

Scripture References

Isaiah 66:1-5: The primary text, read at the opening, contrasting God's throne and footstool with the temple and calling for trembling at His Word.
Psalm 115:3: Cited to support God's sovereignty: He does whatever He pleases.
Daniel 4:35: Used to show God's absolute sovereignty over all inhabitants of the earth.
1 Kings 8:27: Solomon's dedication prayer acknowledging that heaven cannot contain God, supporting His transcendence.
Psalm 139:1-12: Quoted to illustrate God's omniscience and omnipresence.
Psalm 24:1: Cited to show God's ownership of the earth and everything in it.
Psalm 50:12: God declares He would not tell us if He were hungry because the world is His.
Psalm 89:11: Affirms that the heavens and earth belong to God.
Hosea 8:14: Israel forgot its Maker and built temples; used to warn against trusting in buildings.
Matthew 24:1-2: Jesus foretells the temple's destruction, showing God's disregard for the building.
James 4:6: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, defining 'poor' in spirit.
1 Peter 5:5: Reinforces that God gives grace to the humble.
Psalm 34:18: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the contrite spirit.
Psalm 51:17: A broken and contrite heart God will not despise.
Isaiah 57:15: God dwells with the contrite and humble, not in temples.
1 Samuel 13:7: Example of the Hebrew word for 'tremble' used for fear in battle.
1 Samuel 14:15: Another use of 'tremble' for fear and earthquake.
James 2:19: Demons believe and tremble, but their trembling is not acceptable to God.
Acts 24:24-25: Felix trembled at Paul's preaching but sent him away, showing wrong kind of trembling.
Ezra 10:1-3: Those who tremble at God's commandment obey it, demonstrating true trembling.

Historical References

Herod's Temple: The temple in Jesus' day, which the disciples admired but Jesus foretold its destruction.
Destruction of the Temple by the Chaldeans: The first temple was destroyed, but later rebuilt; contrasted with the final Roman destruction.
Roman Destruction of the Temple: After the Romans destroyed the temple, it was never rebuilt, showing God's disregard.
John Calvin: Weaver quotes Calvin's commentary on Isaiah 66:2 regarding two kinds of trembling.

Important Quotes

But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

The key verse of the sermon, defining whom God regards.

Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Establishes God's transcendence and the futility of temples.

Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples.

Warns against trusting in buildings instead of God.

See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Jesus' prophecy of the temple's destruction, showing God's disregard for the building.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Defines the contrite heart that God accepts.

I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Shows God dwells with the humble, not in temples.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Distinguishes demonic trembling from acceptable trembling.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Diagnoses the root problem of sin and disobedience.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean to be 'poor and of a contrite spirit'? How can we cultivate such a heart?

[Context]

Weaver defines these terms as humility and brokenness over sin, citing Psalm 34:18 and 51:17.

[Question]

How can we distinguish between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow for sin?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts embarrassment over being caught with genuine grief for sinning against God.

[Question]

In what ways might modern churches be guilty of 'forgetting their Maker and building temples'?

[Context]

Weaver critiques elaborate church buildings used for entertainment rather than worship.

[Question]

What is the difference between the trembling of demons (James 2:19) and the trembling God desires?

[Context]

Weaver explains demonic trembling is rebellious fear, while godly trembling is reverent obedience.

[Question]

How does obedience to God's Word demonstrate that we tremble at it?

[Context]

Weaver uses Ezra 10:3 to show that those who tremble at God's commandment obey it.

[Question]

Why is the fear of God lacking in our culture, and what are the consequences?

[Context]

Weaver cites Romans 3:18 and applies it to nation, government, churches, and families.

[Question]

What does it mean that God has magnified His Word above His name (Psalm 138:2)?

[Context]

Weaver explains that God's Word is backed by His unchanging character; if it fails, He ceases to be God.

[Question]

How can we practically 'work out our salvation with fear and trembling' (Philippians 2:12)?

[Context]

Weaver connects this verse to obedience and reverential fear, not terror.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T09:08:27Z