Clean Transcript

The Wrath of God - 5 of 5

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

• Nahum chapter 1, if you look at verse 14: "And the Lord hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile." If you would remember, I gave you in the opening message on Nahum chapter 1 just simply a historical and biblical overview how that God has two books in the Bible against the Assyrian Empire and particularly against Nineveh—Jonah and Nahum. I pointed out how that these two books showed both the goodness and the severity of God: Jonah the goodness of God, and Nahum the severity of God. I also pointed out how that Nineveh was known for her vastness and for her vileness. And I told you the key verse was verse 3: "The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked."

  #1 | 0:01 to 1:10 | cleaned

• And then we began to look through this passage, and I covered such questions as, "Who can stand before His indignation? And who can abide the fierceness of His wrath?" And, "What do ye imagine against the Lord?" Today, we're coming to this text in verse 14, where God tells Sennacherib, the king of the Assyrian Empire, "I will make thy grave; for thou art vile." I'm going to point out a little bit later, this not only applies to Sennacherib and the whole Assyrian Empire, but it also points to all of those who are in rebellion against God. So, in the last message that I preached last week, I dealt with this phrase from Nahum chapter 2: "Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord." And as we looked at that message, we saw that God was not only against the Assyrian Empire, He was not only against Sennacherib, He was also against all who were in rebellion against Him.

  #2 | 1:11 to 2:10 | cleaned

• All who try to thwart His sovereign authority and law. Now, when God says, "Behold, I am against you," and I showed you a number of scriptures, how the word literally means motion toward with the intent to do evil or harm or destroy. So it refers then to God moving and acting in a state of war toward His enemies.

  #3 | 2:10 to 2:35 | cleaned

• Now, let me just kind of lay this out a little further today before I get started. When God says, "Behold, I am against you," in reality, there are two thoughts that we should consider. First of all, when God says, "Behold, I am against thee," He's referring to someone or some group or some nation. First of all, it means this: that all of the attributes of God are against those whom God is against. So the wrath of God then is moving to satisfy His righteousness. The wisdom of God has perfected righteous justice. The longsuffering of God is trying for vengeance. The power of God is flexing its muscles to do its worst. The faithfulness of God ensures His indignation against the wicked. The immutability of God guarantees that God will not at all acquit the wicked. The eternality of God cries for eternal punishment. The infinity of God makes sure that the wrath of His indignation will be without reprieve, and the sufficiency of God declares that God alone will tread the winepress of His wrath. And the love of God admires His holiness in the infliction of His wrath, and the mercy of God is satisfied with His justice by vindicating His justice against wicked men who have long abused His grace and His mercy.

  #4 | 2:36 to 4:15 | cleaned

• So, first of all, when God says, "Behold, I am against thee," it means that all of God's attributes are working against those whom God is against. Secondly, when God says, "Behold, I am against thee," it implies that all of the activity of God is against them. We've got to understand that God is not a neutral being. He is not some inactive God. He is not some stolid person—no. The Bible teaches that God is an active God.

  #5 | 4:15 to 4:48 | cleaned

• He's either actively blessing or actively cursing. So God curses all of those who disobey or rebel, and God blesses all of those who submit, surrender, and obey. And when a man is outside of Christ, it not only means that all the attributes of God are against him, but it means that all of the activity of God is against him, and God is dressed in full battle array, moving against that individual. So God says, "Behold, I am against you." It means that God is moving with the intent to destroy.

  #6 | 4:48 to 5:25 | cleaned

• Now, before we begin the study today, let me just point out that you can have a great overview of the doctrine of the wrath of God and of the book of Nahum by just simply noting the progress of the statements in the book of Nahum. For instance, look in verse 2. Nahum 1, verse 2: "God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies." So first, God reserves vengeance and wrath for His enemies. Secondly, look in verse 3. The Bible says, "The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked." So we find that God not only reserves wrath, He will not at all acquit the wicked. Thirdly, He asks in verse 6, "Who can stand before His indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of His anger?"

  #7 | 5:25 to 6:25 | cleaned

• "His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him." Fourth, God asks in verse 9, "What do ye imagine against the Lord?" And we looked at that in verse 10, showing that men imagine vain things against the Lord. Then fifthly, in chapter 2 and verse 13, God says, "Behold, I am against thee."

  #8 | 6:25 to 6:47 | cleaned

• Now today we come to this final phrase in verse 14, if you'll look at the last phrase in Nahum 1 in verse 14, where God says, "I will make thy grave; for thou art vile." Now, I want you to note, when God tells the Assyrian Empire that He's going to make their grave because they are vile, this is not some temporary judgment. This is a permanent, total, and absolute judgment. And may I point out that it is also a purposeful, deliberate judgment. If you look at the first part of verse 14: "And the Lord hath given a commandment concerning thee." Note that. God has given a commandment concerning thee. And then He says, "I will make thy grave; for thou art vile." Now let me tell you what I'm going to be teaching today. I'm going to show you that this passage teaches and demonstrates the light esteem that God has for those who are outside of Christ.

  #9 | 6:49 to 8:02 | cleaned

• Now, let me say that again. This message today is going to show you the light esteem that God has for those who are outside of Christ. Before I finish today, I think you're going to say that my statement was a kind and gentle expression of the truth. Because you're going to find that it's more than a light esteem that God has; it is an absolute abhorrence and detestation that God has. You see, the pride and vanity of man likes to think that God was created for us. Most people like to think that God—and I'm using this purposely—that God is our little servant boy. That God was created for us and that He is there at our beck and our command. And we, as fallen creatures, as sinful, rebellious, wicked creatures, like to think that God was created to serve us and He's just like us.

  #10 | 8:03 to 9:11 | cleaned

• Well, hold on one. But look back in your Bibles to the book of Psalms, Psalm 50 and verse 21. Look at Psalm 50 and verse 21. Here's what God tells the wicked. Notice carefully, Psalm 50, verse 21. Psalm 50, verse 21, God says, "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes." So God says, you thought I was someone just like you, but you're mistaken. I'm not anywhere near like you. And to show you that I'm not, says God, I will set your sins in order before your eyes.

  #11 | 9:12 to 10:04 | cleaned

• Now, there are sufficient illustrations in the Word of God to deflate the proud, arrogant, haughty attitude of sinners if sinners would only heed His word. Now, let me very quickly today give you eight illustrations of the wickedness, the vileness of our depravity. We're not going to take time to look up these scriptures. I'm going to give you the scripture. You may look them up later. For instance, in the Word of God, sinners and our sin are likened to several things. First of all, number one, our sin and sinners are likened unto the scum of a boiling pot wherein is a detestable carcass.

  #12 | 10:05 to 11:00 | cleaned

• You will find that in Ezekiel 24, verses 3 through 12. Ezekiel 24, verses 3–12. There where God commands Ezekiel to put this detestable carcass in a pot and boil it. And then God says this is what your sins are like. Secondly, you will find that our sins and sinners are likened to the blood and pollution of a newborn child. You'll find that in Ezekiel 16, verses 1–6. In fact, God says that in the day that we were born, we were cast out in our filth and in our wickedness. Thirdly, you will find that our sins and sinners are likened to putrefying boils and sores that have not been doctored. You'll find that in Isaiah 1, verses 5 through 6. From the top of the head to the toe of the foot, says God, we're covered with boils.

  #13 | 11:01 to 12:02 | cleaned

• "Putrefying sores which have neither been bound up nor mollified with ointment." Isaiah 1 verses 5 through 6. Number four, we're likened unto filthy, rotten rags. Isaiah 30 verse 22, Isaiah 64 and verse 6, and Lamentations 1 verse 17. It's also in Ezekiel 36 and verse 17. So here we're likened unto rags. And number five, sinners and their sin are likened to the noise and stench and the poisonous fumes from an open grave. The noise and stench and the poisonous fumes from an open grave. Matthew 23 and verse 27. And if you've never, ever been around an opened grave, count yourself blessed.

  #14 | 12:03 to 12:58 | cleaned

• I was going to preach in a church one night in Cairo, Georgia, and a tornado passed through right before I got to the church. Tore down numbers of trees that were in the cemetery, and as the trees blew over, it pulled up the graves. So, that's what God says our sins are like. Number six, He likens our sins to a dead and rotting body in Romans 7 in verse 24, where the Apostle Paul cries out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Does everybody remember that?

  #15 | 12:59 to 13:37 | cleaned

• I've told you before what that speaks of. You see, back in those days, if a man murdered another man, and the murderer was caught relatively soon, or relatively quickly, then what they would do is they would take the murdered man and tie him face-to-face with the living man who murdered him. Hand-to-hand, stomach-to-stomach, leg-to-leg, until the dead man—the worms that ate him—ate the living man alive. That is the illustration that the Apostle Paul is using when he says, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

  #16 | 13:38 to 14:24 | cleaned

• And he was talking about his sinful nature. He's talking about his wickedness. So, there God says that our sins then are likened to a dead and rotting body. Number seven, God likens our sins to the vomit of a dog and the wallowing of a sow in the mire. The vomit of a dog and the wallowing of a sow in the mire. You'll find that in 2 Peter 2 and verse 22. And then thirdly, or lastly I should say, number eight, God likens our sins—and I'm going to go ahead and say this—and our righteousnesses as dung. Philippians 3 and verse 8.

  #17 | 14:24 to 15:10 | cleaned

• You remember what the Apostle Paul said about all of his righteousness? He did count it but dung. And so that's how God likens our sins.

  #18 | 15:10 to 15:20 | cleaned

• Now, out of these eight analogies, I'm only going to develop one today, and that is number eight, where our sins and our righteousnesses are likened as unto dung. If you look back in verse 14 of Nahum chapter 1, and look at that last phrase again of what God says to Sennacherib and the Assyrian Empire, He says, "I will make thy grave; for thou art vile." Now, you've got to remember that the king of Assyria and his empire are representative of all who are in rebellion against God.

  #19 | 15:20 to 16:06 | cleaned

• Now, there is in the Bible what is known as case law. In case law, first of all, what the Bible does is give a very broad general principle, like the Ten Commandments. Secondly, the Bible then will give a specific case that illustrates that commandment. And then thirdly, we're to make the applications from that specific illustration. Well, you remember God says in the very first commandment, "I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before me."

  #20 | 16:07 to 16:45 | cleaned

• And the second is, you're not to bow down to any graven images. Well, you know, there are scriptures that indicate the worth of those who hate God and rebel against Him. I want you to look today at two passages. I want you to find these in your Bibles and mark them. The first one is Deuteronomy 23, and the second one is Ezekiel chapter 6. You can hold the book of Nahum. We'll look in the Bibles first of all to Deuteronomy and then we're going to Ezekiel chapter 6. Deuteronomy 23 and notice if you would please verse 12.

  #21 | 16:46 to 17:37 | cleaned

• Now here is a case law that God gives to the children of Israel especially in relationship to their army. Notice if you would Deuteronomy 23 verse 12. Got it? Deuteronomy 23, verse 12. God said, "Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad: and thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee: for the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee." Now here's a very interesting case law. God demanded that those in His army, when they were out in the field and they had to use the bathroom, they literally had to dig a hole, ease themselves, and then turn again and cover it. Now, God is not just giving this law for sanitary reasons.

  #22 | 17:37 to 18:55 | cleaned

• Certainly, sanitation was involved. But there is another reason for this, and God says, here is why, in verse 14: "For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee." So what God is demanding is this: not just a holy army and not just a holy cause, but a holy camp as well.

  #23 | 18:55 to 19:30 | cleaned

• Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel, chapter 6 and verse 4. Ezekiel 6 and verse 4. Here's the other passage that will shed light upon Nahum 1 in verse 14. In Ezekiel 6 and verse 4, God says, "And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols." Now, I want you to pay particular attention to the word "idols." The word in the Hebrew for idols is the word "gilul," or "gilulim," plural. There are a number of Hebrew words used in the Bible for idols.

  #24 | 19:31 to 20:23 | cleaned

• There is "elil," which literally means a thing of naught, a vile thing, a naughty thing, a vain thing. There is the word "shikkuts," which means that which is detestable or an abomination, and the word "gilulim" occurs 39 times in the book of Ezekiel. So 39 times God uses this word, "gilulim," just like He does in Ezekiel 6 and verse 4 when He's talking about idols. Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles just for a moment to the book of Nahum, if you would please. Nahum chapter 1 and verse 14. And I want you to think with me about that which God is literally telling Sennacherib. In the latter part of Nahum in verse 14, God says, "I will make thy grave; for thou art vile." Look at the word "vile." Let me give you what a couple of commentators say concerning the word "vile."

  #25 | 20:24 to 21:33 | cleaned

• The first one is John Calvin. And here's what Calvin says. He, God, adds, "for thou art excreable." "I will make thy grave, for thou art excreable," or a thing to be abominated. I'm still quoting Calvin. It may indeed be referred to that history, but I take it by itself as meaning that Sennacherib was to be abominable, and not he alone, but also the whole royal family and the monarchy of Nineveh. For it is not consistent, as we have said already, to say that all these things refer to the person of Sennacherib, for the prophet speaks of the destruction of the city and the nation, and generally, at that time, this does not prevent him from referring, as it were in passing, to the person of Sennacherib. So what Calvin is saying is, when God says, "I will bury thee, for thou art vile," or "thou art excreable," or a thing to be abominated, He's not just talking about Sennacherib, He's talking about Nineveh, the capital, and the whole Assyrian Empire. And Calvin then renders the word "gilulim" as excreable, a thing to be abominated.

  #26 | 21:35 to 22:49 | cleaned

• Now let me tell you what the word literally means. I'm not trying to be ugly, I'm just trying to tell you. The word actually means, "gilulim," that which is round, logs, or shapeless things.

  #27 | 22:50 to 23:02 | cleaned

• Now you need to ask yourself this question. Why would God say to Sennacherib, "I will bury thee, I will make thy grave, for thou art vile"? And why then would Calvin turn around and interpret and translate this word as excreable? Well, let me tell you why. Because Kohler and Baumgartner, in their lexicon, render the word "gilulim" as dung balls, dung pellets. Literally, what God is saying is this: "I will make thy grave." Now, I hope you understand then why God is talking about a grave. I hope you understand why I read Deuteronomy 23. Why did God demand that soldiers who ease themselves abroad dig a grave and bury that which came from themselves? Because it was considered vile, it was considered a thing to be abominated. And what therefore did God say to the Assyrian monarch? "I will make thy grave, I will bury thee, for thou art vile." Now, you and I understand, some of us in our younger days, we had outhouses.

  #28 | 23:03 to 24:38 | cleaned

• And they were not in our living room. I tell people that when I was a boy, my mother carpeted our bathroom. And she liked it so much she ran it all the way into the house. Well, we had an outhouse is what I'm trying to say. But it was some distance from the house. Why do we have septic systems? The answer is, because we consider it abomination and vile and useless and worthless and of no value. Now, you say, why in the world are you saying all this, Pastor? Well, I want you to look in your Bible. There's a biblical reason. Look in your Bible to Psalm 115, and let's begin reading there with verse 3.

  #29 | 24:42 to 25:32 | cleaned

• Here's a passage where God is talking about idols. Look what He says, Psalm 115 verse 3. I love this verse. Psalm 115 verse 3: "But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." Now look what He says about the idols. "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not."

  #30 | 25:32 to 26:08 | cleaned

• "Eyes have they, but they see not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: they have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat." Well, that's a pretty good description of idols, isn't it? Until you get to verse 8. "They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them." Now, wait a minute.

  #31 | 26:08 to 26:39 | cleaned

• If one of the main words for idols—and remember it occurs 39 times in Ezekiel alone—if one of the main words is "gilulim," and it literally refers to dung balls and dung pellets, look what God says. "They that make them," that is the idol, the dung ball or the dung pellets, "are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them." In other words, they become dung balls as well.

  #32 | 26:41 to 27:10 | cleaned

• You have heard the statement—not the story, but the statement—you've heard the statement, "You are what you eat." Well, God changes that. He says you are what you worship. And let me show you that. Look in your Bible to Jeremiah 2 and verse 5. Jeremiah 2 and verse 5. In our Bible sometimes the word "elil" for idol is translated as "vanity." And when you talk about the vanities, he's talking about idols. So look at Jeremiah 2 and verse 5: "Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?" In other words, they became what the idol was. So what God is saying, you are what you worship. They walked after the vanity and they became vain, useless, worthless, and profitless.

  #33 | 27:11 to 28:24 | cleaned

• Now, someone is going to say, "Wait a minute, Brother Weaver, all of that's Old Testament." Well, as I love to say, you've got to remember we have one Bible, not two. But it just so happens our Lord teaches exactly the same thing in the New Testament. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Matthew 5. And let's begin reading there at verse 29, and I'm going to read these passages for specific purpose. Matthew 5.

  #34 | 28:25 to 28:58 | cleaned

• Notice if you would please verse 29. Matthew 5 verse 29, God said: "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." I want you to take note of the word "hell." Verse 30: "And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." Look in Matthew 10 and verse 28. Matthew 10 verse 28. Here he says, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Now look in Matthew 23 and verse 33, and I'm going to tell you why I've read all of these passages. Matthew 23. And look, if you would please, at verse 33. Our Lord says, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"

  #35 | 28:58 to 30:17 | cleaned

• Now, in each of these verses that I just read, the word for hell in the Greek is the word "Gehenna." The word "Gehenna" occurs twelve times in our New Testament and each time it is translated as hell. Why? Because it is a fit description of hell for three reasons. First of all, number one, the valley of Hinnom—Gehenna, the valley of Hinnom—had been the seat of idolatrous worship to Moloch.

  #36 | 30:21 to 31:02 | cleaned

• To whom children were sacrificed. You will find that in 2 Chronicles 28 in verse 3 and 2 Chronicles 33 in verse 6. There the image of Moloch stood. There they sacrificed their children to Moloch. The valley of the son of Hinnom or Gehenna is also called the valley of Tophet. You'll read Tophet in the Bible. In fact, God said, "I have ordained Tophet of old." And the word "Toph" literally means to roll like a drum. And that is because when these people were sacrificing their children to Moloch, literally they were burned alive, they would roll the drum to drown the cries of the children as they were being sacrificed to Moloch. So Gehenna, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, has been associated with idolatry down through the ages.

  #37 | 31:04 to 32:03 | cleaned

• Secondly, here's the second reason. The valley of the Son of Hinnom, or Gehenna, was defiled by Josiah, King Josiah, and became associated with judgment, desecration, and destruction.

  #38 | 32:04 to 32:21 | cleaned

• Now, if you will just jot down 2 Kings 23 and verse 10, and then I want you to turn to Jeremiah chapter 7. Let me just show you. Jeremiah 7 and then Jeremiah 19. Notice, if you would, Jeremiah 7. And look, if you would, at verse 32. Jeremiah 7, verse 32. God says this, Jeremiah 7, verse 32: "Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet."

  #39 | 32:22 to 32:55 | cleaned

• "Nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place." So God says, I'm going to change it from Hinnom and Tophet to the Valley of Slaughter because I'm going to execute all of those wicked, abominable, idol worshippers.

  #40 | 32:57 to 33:14 | cleaned

• Now if you look at Jeremiah chapter 19 and verse 11, you'll see that it's mentioned again and it's associated with judgment. Notice Jeremiah 19 verse 11: "And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury."

  #41 | 33:15 to 33:44 | cleaned

• So what is God doing? God is judging and God is destroying and said, I'm burying all these bodies in Tophet, okay? Here's the third reason why Gehenna is translated hell, and that is because the Valley of the Son of Hinnom or Gehenna was south of Jerusalem where the filth and the dead animals of the city were cast out and burned. It was a fitting symbol of the wicked and their destruction.

  #42 | 33:45 to 34:20 | cleaned

• Moreover, are you still listening? Moreover, the sewers of Jerusalem emptied into the valley. Consequently, it was a filthy, abominable place and there was a perpetual fire that raged there to consume the filth and the corruption. So Gehenna then is a fitting symbol of cruelty, misery, pollution, filth, defilement, and perpetual destruction and perpetual fire, so therefore it's a fitting symbol for the reality of hell.

  #43 | 34:20 to 34:57 | cleaned

• Now, let me just try to start tying things together. Listen carefully. The valley of the Son of Hinnom, Gehenna, was the outhouse of Jerusalem. It was the place of excrement for the city. What is hell? It is God's outhouse for the dung balls of this life. That's literally what it is.

  #44 | 34:57 to 35:42 | cleaned

• Now, go back in your Bibles. Let me show you this. To Deuteronomy 23. I want you to pay close attention to something. Deuteronomy 23. And notice, if you would, verse 12 through 14, again, we read them earlier, but I want to emphasize something I did not emphasize earlier. Look at Deuteronomy 23, verse 12. God says, "Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad: and thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee: for the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee." Now, notice two things. First of all, verse 12: "Thou shalt have a place also." Where? "Without the camp." Not in the camp. Without the camp.

  #45 | 35:43 to 37:02 | cleaned

• It had to be a place away from the camp. Why? Because God is holy. And God says, I walk among my people, and I do not want to see any unclean thing, and I demand that you be holy as I am holy. Okay?

  #46 | 37:06 to 37:25 | cleaned

• Now let's go a little bit further. Notice if you would what he said in verse 13: "And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself"—a very euphemistic way of saying it's a relief to get to go to the bathroom, okay—"when thou shalt ease thyself."

  #47 | 37:26 to 37:54 | cleaned

• Now, the reason I'm pointing this out is because God uses this same specific language. Follow with me. Look in your Bibles to Isaiah 1 and verse 24. Isaiah 1, verse 24. I want you to note the language that God uses when He's going to fully, finally judge. Notice Isaiah 1 and look at verse 24. Watch carefully now. Remember what God said, "when thou shalt ease thyself abroad." Now God says in Isaiah 1 in verse 24: "Therefore thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies." Look at that language. Now, I want you to turn to the book of Revelation. And let's look at Revelation chapter 21. Revelation chapter 21 and verse 27. Revelation 21 verse 27. Look what he says. Revelation 21 verse 27. He's talking about the eternal kingdom.

  #48 | 37:55 to 39:26 | cleaned

• And he says, "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." Now, I want you to look at that, "and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth." Well, let me tell you about the word "defileth." The Greek word is "koinoo," and it literally means to defile, pollute, to be unclean. It is rendered that which is unhallowed, defiled, or profane, and even the word in the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, referred to that which would be Levitically unclean. So, God says there's nothing unclean going to be here.

  #49 | 39:26 to 40:19 | cleaned

• Now, if the Israelite army had an outhouse in the midst of their camp, it would be unclean. God said you have to put it outside the camp. So, what is God saying? God says in His kingdom, there's not going to be anything that defiles. Nothing's going to enter in. And then He says in verse 27, look at it, "neither whatsoever worketh abomination."

  #50 | 40:19 to 40:47 | cleaned

• Now, the word "abomination" is the Greek word "bdelugma," which literally means a foul thing, a detestable thing, and it pertains to idols and idolatry as well. Hmm.

  #51 | 40:48 to 41:02 | cleaned

• Now, what is God telling us? He is saying, "There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

  #52 | 41:04 to 41:18 | cleaned

• Now, look at Revelation 22 and verse 15. He says this, talking about outside of the kingdom of God: "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."

  #53 | 41:18 to 41:44 | cleaned

• Now, let me make a statement, then I want to make some applications. I want to try to tie this together for you. God gave His law. But God is not bound by His law. God is above law. God is the giver of law. He's the lawgiver. He is the judge. He is the king. But I want you to know what God does in Scripture. God still acts in principle according to His law.

  #54 | 41:46 to 42:15 | cleaned

• So, therefore, in Deuteronomy 23, He said you're going to have a place outside the camp to ease yourself abroad. It's not going to be in the camp because I am holy and I demand a holy camp and a holy people and a holy cause. It's going to be outside. And when you go to ease yourself, you go outside.

  #55 | 42:17 to 42:38 | cleaned

• Now, what God is saying is this. Outside of His kingdom, it's going to be the outhouse. Nothing's going to come in this kingdom that defiles or works an abomination. All of that is outside.

  #56 | 42:39 to 43:00 | cleaned

• Now, let me tell you, listen carefully. I hope you remember the message that I preached last week, where I developed the theme through Scripture, "Behold, I am against you." The message to the wicked and the message to the unrepentant is not, "Smile, God loves you." It is, "Behold, I am against you, and I will dig thy grave, for thou art foul." In other words, these are fearful words from a fearful God. You know what? The author of the book of Hebrews said in Hebrews 10 and verse 31, now listen: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Why? Because that living God can make thy grave, for thou art vile. Now, let me make some applications.

  #57 | 43:01 to 44:14 | cleaned

• The first one should be very simple. A principle that I enunciated earlier, I want to enunciate again. I said you've heard the statement that you are what you eat, but God says you are what you worship. It is true in reality to idols. God says, they that make them and they that worship them are likened to them. But if it is true in relationship to idols, it is also even more true in relationship to the one true and the living God. Now, I quote this passage, but I want you to see it. I want you to turn to 1 Peter, chapter 1. I want you to look at 1 Peter, chapter 1. And I want you to look, please, at verses 15 and 16. Because the principle is you are, or you become, what you worship. Look in 1 Peter 1 and verse 15. 1 Peter 1 and verse 15.

  #58 | 44:15 to 45:25 | cleaned

• "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." Now let me ask you a question. If you worship the one true and the living God who is holy, what will you become? Holy? You can't help it. He demands that. If you worship Him, you obey Him, you hear Him, you heed Him, you bring your life in conformity to His Word. So it is true. You are and you become what you worship. Those who worship the idol become like the idol, according to Jeremiah 2 in verse 5 and Psalm 115 in verse 8. So if we worship the one true and living God, we are to be holy and godly.

  #59 | 45:25 to 46:25 | cleaned

• The second application is this. If you look in your Bibles to the book of Philippians chapter 3 in verse 8, and I referred to this passage earlier, I did not read it, but I'll do so now. Philippians 3. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians. Philippians chapter 3 and verse 8. The Apostle Paul says this: "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."

  #60 | 46:27 to 47:06 | cleaned

• Now, let me just show you the defining distinction between the saved and the unsaved. Here's the defining distinction. The saved is willing to count everything in this world and everything in this life nothing but dung, that they may win Christ and serve Christ and love Him. They're not interested in fame. They're not interested in money. What I'm trying to say is, yes, everybody needs money to live. And yes, if God gives you money, you may use it for His kingdom and His honor and His glory. But money is not your goal. Fame is not your goal. Popularity is not your goal. Your goal is to serve and honor Jesus Christ. And you're willing to count everything else but dung. It doesn't bother you.

  #61 | 47:06 to 48:07 | cleaned

• It's not worth anything to you. It's worthless. You remember that little couplet, "Only one life, 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last"? That's because you recognize everything else is but dung. But to the unsaved, they view the ministry of Christ and the preaching and teaching of the Word of God and His service as dung. They don't want it. It's valueless to them. It's worthless to them.

  #62 | 48:07 to 48:38 | cleaned

• Why would they waste a perfectly good Sunday when they could be fishing or at the beach coming to church? You see what I'm saying? Where we would count everything but dung outside of Christ, they count everything that's in Christ as dung and worthless. To them, the world is everything. Those who hate Christ, and despise His law and rebel against Him, count His worship, His service, His ministry as dung, worthless, useless and unprofitable. Only the child of God whose eyes have been opened by the grace of God can see the value and the beauty and the wonder and the awe that is in Jesus Christ. It is Christ who gives us purpose. It is Christ who gives life meaning and direction. All who hate Him destroy their own souls.

  #63 | 48:38 to 49:47 | cleaned

• Do you remember that passage in Proverbs 8 in verse 36 where our Lord said, "All they that hate me love death"? Thirdly, a true understanding of this message today will provide us an ample ground for humility. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 113. What I mean by that statement is this. If you truly grasp the significance of what I preach today, you have no ground for boasting as a child of God. You say, "Well, bless God, I won't be in God's outhouse." Well, I understand that, but I want to show you something.

  #64 | 49:48 to 50:53 | cleaned

• Let me ask you a question. If you are a child of God by grace, and you will not be in God's outhouse, why will you not be there?

  #65 | 50:54 to 51:09 | cleaned

• Now, I want you to look at this. Look in Psalm 113. And I love this. Verse 5: "Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!" Now, look what God does. "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust," help me out now, "and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill." The only reason we will not be in God's outhouse is because God humbly reached in and took us out and made us what we are in Jesus Christ.

  #66 | 51:09 to 52:07 | cleaned

• Without Him, we're all nothing but dung. And fit only for God's outhouse. One last illustration or application, and that's this. If you understand this message, it ought to give you a proper motivation for evangelism. And for witnessing and for warning and for telling your friends and your family and your loved ones, without Christ, you have no hope. Without Christ, you're worthless and useless. That which gives us hope is Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. And we have hope not only in this life, but in the life to come because God has sovereignly reached down and lifted us up out of the dunghill.

  #67 | 52:09 to 53:15 | cleaned

• And let's finish with verse 8. Go back. Psalm 113, verse 7: "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill." Why? "That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people." Who is it that made us kings and priests unto our God? Jesus Christ. We are what we are only by the grace of God. And when we see the wicked and the rebellious and the ungodly, yes, we may warn them and we must warn them. But at the same time, we must be humbled and grateful and thankful to our God. Who lifted us up. And made us His people. Let's pray. Father, we ask you in the name of Jesus Christ today that you would teach us. Lord, above all that you would make us thankful and grateful. To Thee for Thy great salvation in Jesus Christ. Thank you, Father, for the shed blood of Jesus Christ, for giving us your Son. Thank you, Father, for lifting us up out of the dunghill and making us kings and priests unto our God.

  #68 | 53:16 to 54:55 | cleaned

• Thank you, Father, for your infinite mercy and grace. May we walk humbly before Thee. Acknowledging we are what we are only by the grace of God. Give us grace and mercy to serve Thee. Make us like unto Thee, Lord. Make us holy as Thou art holy. And may our lives be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. And bring honor and glory to Thy name. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we ask and pray, Amen.

  #69 | 54:57 to 55:33 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T12:42:50Z