Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne

Learning the Righteousness of God - 4

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2005-09-04

Synopsis: John Weaver continues his series on learning the righteousness of God by examining the connection between sin and judgment from Numbers 25 and Micah 6. He argues that God's righteous anger against sin is rooted in His sovereignty, holiness, and justice. Because God is sovereign, He has the absolute right to command obedience; disobedience is an attack on His person and authority. God's holiness means He cannot condone sin, and His justice demands that sin be punished. The only way to turn away God's fierce anger is through righteous judgment, ultimately pointing to the need for Christ's atoning work.

[John Weaver] Micah chapter 6. Let's begin reading there with verse 1. Micah 6, verse 1. Hear you now what the Lord saith. Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear, O you mountains, the Lord's controversy, and you strong foundations of the earth. For the Lord hath a controversy with his people. He will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of service.

[John Weaver] Now I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittimun to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or ten thousand rivers of oil?

[John Weaver] Shall I give the firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed the old man what is good and what does the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God.

[John Weaver] Now, this is the fifth message. That I'm bringing in this series on learning the righteousness of God, and I have already or the fourth message, it is not the fifth, but the fourth one. And I've already given you several principles, and I want to very quickly remind you of those principles. As we learn the righteousness of God, looking in Numbers 25, since he says in verse 5, O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, And what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal. So we went back to Numbers 25 to Shittim there that we might actually learn the principles of God's righteousness. The very first principle that I unseated was simply this, that God's law word is our standard for righteousness and any deviation from that truth is sin and wickedness.

[John Weaver] Then I pointed out that the. Consuming point. Under that would simply be this, that when God forbids any sin at the same time, he forbids anything and everything that would lead up to that sin. So sins of attitude, sins of disposition, lust, covetousness, all were as wicked and sinful as the physical acts themselves.

[John Weaver] Now, the second principle that I then ceded from Numbers 25 is this. Sin places us under the judgment and curse of God no matter how we arrive at the sin. Doesn't matter if we just simply say, well, I'm going to purposely, deliberately do so and so, or whether we're enticed, seduced and led into it unknowingly, ignorantly. Whatever we do, however we get there at that sin, sin always places us under the judgment and under the curse of God. The third principle that I enunciated last week is this, that partial obedience is disobedience. We cannot obey God in one area and disobey Him in the other area and somehow expect that our obedience is going to balance out our disobedience. Luke 6 and verse 44, Our Lord said, Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not those things which I say unto you? So obedience is tied to Lordship. So partial obedience is disobedience. Now, the fourth principle that I enunciated last week is this, that we must see and understand the connection between immorality and idolatry.

[John Weaver] It is impossible to be immoral without at the same time being idolatrous. Those who are immoral are idolatrous because they have already denied the sovereignty, supremacy and lordship of God, and they have elevated their lusts and their desires above God Himself. Does it matter to them what God has said? They want what they want, and they will do what they will do. And if you look, by the way, in Numbers chapter 25, verses 14 and 15, I'll deal with some of this a little bit later, but I want to show you how brazen sin can get.

[John Weaver] In verse 14, now the name of that Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of the chief of the house of the Simeonites. And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cosby, the daughter of Zur. He was a head over a people of chief over the house of Midian. Now skip down, if you would please, to verse 6, or up to verse 6. And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought in unto his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of Israel. In other words, the sin was so open and so brazen that it was done in the full sight of Moses and all the people there who were weeping and crying before the congregation.

[John Weaver] So once you progress into immorality, you have also progressed into idolatry, and sooner or later your immorality and your idolatry will be more and more bold and more and more brazen, not caring who sees or who you offend or who you upset, even God himself. We must understand there's a connection between immorality and idolatry.

[John Weaver] Now, go back to Numbers chapter 25, because here's the fifth point today. And this is the only point that I'm going to be covering. I want you to see the connection between sin and judgment. And disobedience and the righteous anger of God. So look in verse three, and Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor. and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay you every one of his men that were joined under Baal Peor."

[John Weaver] Now let me ask several leading questions. Have you ever wondered why God is angry with sinners? What about Judgment. Does it surprise you that God's judgments fall upon sin?

[John Weaver] Now, let me just get a little more personal. How can God righteously destroy individuals, families, churches, and even nations that are in rebellion and disobedience to Him and His Word?

[John Weaver] Now in order to answer some of these questions, and to elucidate this point, there are three attributes of God that you must comprehend and understand to some degree. Those three attributes are the sovereignty of God, the holiness of God, and the justice of God. Now let me mention something about attributes. Whenever we talk about the attributes of God, we are referring to those manifestations of his person and of his power that are revealed in scripture and in creation. An attribute is something that is an inherent characteristic. It is something that properly makes up the person. So when we talk about the attributes of God, then properly speaking, we could say that the attributes are those realities which belong to God which designate him as God and reveal aspects of his character.

[John Weaver] Now let me just give you a little caveat before I begin today. And I'm sure that you already understand this. But may I warn you and may I remind you that the only God that exists is the God of Scripture. Simply because someone is ignorant of this one true and living God, Or simply because someone has another God drawn up in the figment of his imaginations does not negate the reality of the One True and the Living God. The figments of the imaginations are not real. We can imagine God to be a certain way when He is not. And we can imagine God not to be a certain way when he really is. But our imaginations do not affect reality. Our thinking does not affect reality. The only one true in the living God is the God who has revealed himself in Holy Scripture.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask and try to answer this question. How then can a righteous God justly slay and condemn wicked sinners and rebels?

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look at Numbers chapter 25. First of all, at verse 3. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor. Watch carefully. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. Now, verse 4. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay you every one of his men that were joined unto Baal Peor.

[John Weaver] Now, we may conclude from these three passages that God is indeed a just God and is righteously angry. Did you know the Bible teaches over and over that God is angry not just with sin, but with sinners? In fact, If you want to turn there, I would encourage you to do so. Look in Psalm 7 and verse 11, holding numbers 25. But look in Psalm 7 and verse 11.

[John Weaver] Here's a very simple passage. In fact, most of us memorized this verse long ago. Psalm 7 and verse 11. The Bible says that God judgeth the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day. How often is God angry with the wicked? Every single solitary day. There's not an hour, there's not a minute, there's not a second, there's not a moment in the day that God's righteous anger is not burning hot against sinners. That's why God says in verse 12, if he, the sinner, turn not, he, God, will whet his sword, he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He has also prepared for him, that is a sinner, the instruments of death.

[John Weaver] He ordained his arrows against the persecutors. In other words, God is upset and angry with the righteous, with the wicked on a daily basis. God judges the righteous, but he's angry with the wicked. Look at Psalm 9, verses 16 and 17. Psalm 9, verse 16. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executed. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. May I remind you of Revelation chapter 19 verses 1 through 11 without turning there. What does the Bible say when God judges the wicked and the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever? What does the righteous say? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. In other words, praise God. God is angry with sinners. It is a righteous anger. By the way, Sometimes God is righteously angry with his own people. He was angry with Moses. He was angry with Aaron. He was angry with Miriam. He's been angry with Israel over and over and over. So God then does indeed have an anger.

[John Weaver] Now, how do we explain this anger? Let me just tell you, first and foremost, that anger in and of itself is not sinful. Anger is an emotion. And even anger in you and I can be a righteous anger and does not necessarily have to be a sinful anger. Many times when you and I think about anger, we automatically think of sinful, wicked anger because most of our anger is sinfully wicked.

[John Weaver] But you know what the Bible says in Ephesians 4 and verse 26? Listen to this. Here's a direct command from God. Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Then verse 27, neither give place to the devil. So what did God say? He's saying, and it's an imperative in the Greek, I command you to be angry. And at the same time, I commanded you not to sin in your anger. So there is indeed a righteous anger. God says, let not the sun go down upon your wrath. So there is a way that you and I can be righteously angry and not sin. But most of the time we are unrighteously angry and we do sin. But God's anger is a righteous anger. God is not sinful, nor is he capable of sinning.

[John Weaver] Now, how do we explain this? Well, first of all, you've got to understand God's sovereignty. Now, when I talk about God's sovereignty. What am I referring to? What does this expression reveal about God? When we talk about God's sovereignty, we're talking about God's supremacy, the kingship of God, the Godhood of God. To say that God is sovereign is to say that God is God. To say that God is sovereign is to say, like Daniel in Daniel 4 and verse 35, that He, God, doeth according to His will in the armies of heaven and in the heavens of the earth, and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou? To say that God is sovereign is to say with the psalmist in Psalm 115 and verse 3, But our God is in the heavens.

[John Weaver] He hath done whatsoever He is pleased. He has all power. His purpose cannot be thwarted. His counsel cannot be overthrown. He does whatsoever He pleases. It is to say with David in Psalm 22 and verse 28 that God is the judge of the nations. God puts up nations and God takes down nations. It is to say with Paul in 1 Timothy 6 and verse 15 that he is the only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords and God of gods. So when we say that God is sovereign, what do we mean? We mean that God really and truly is God. Everything that makes God, that's what He is. He is sovereign.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just tell you, folks, it is one thing to confess and acknowledge God's sovereignty. It is quite another thing to comprehend and apply that sovereignty in every area of our lives. Do you realize that confession without application and understanding in one sense of the word is worthless. You could stand up and say all day long, I confess that God is sovereign. I confess that God is sovereign. Well, you may be confessing accurately and truthfully, but unless you comprehend that sovereignty and know how to apply that sovereignty in your everyday life, your confession really is worthless. How can you derive any comfort, any benefit Any courage from a doctrine that you do not understand or comprehend, nor can apply.

[John Weaver] It's absolutely impossible to do so. I want you to understand there can only be one sovereign. There can only be one absolute. There can only be one ultimate.

[John Weaver] Now you've got to ask yourself this simple question. If God is not sovereign, who is? There must be a sovereign. And I don't know about you, but I prefer to believe the Bible and believe that God is sovereign rather than to postulate sovereignty in luck, chance, fate, or fortune, or even man. God is sovereign. Now listen to this. Whoever is sovereign has the absolute right to command. Whoever is sovereign has the absolute right to demand. Whoever is sovereign has the absolute right to issue law. Since God is sovereign, God is one, and His law is one. Do you comprehend this simple statement? A king rules by his law. Every ruler rules by his law. I don't care if it's the bureaucratic mess that we have in this country. or if it's some tyrannical monarch in another country, a king rules by his law. God is a king, and God is sovereign, and so God, the sovereign king of the universe, has issued then his law, and he has the absolute right to lay down his law.

[John Weaver] Now, since he has the right to lay down his law, he also has the right to command and demand that we obey his law. Now I want you to stop just for a moment and think about this. If God was not sovereign, his commands would be powerless. And his law would be useless. How could he back up anything if he was not sovereign? Moreover, if God is not sovereign, then we owe our obedience to whoever or what is sovereign. Now. Thankfully, God is sovereign and his sovereignty is declared over and over in the scripture. Now, the important point that I want you to understand right now is this. I want you to see that the issue of sovereignty and the issue of obedience are vitally connected.

[John Weaver] Let me say that again. The issue of sovereignty and the issue of obedience are vitally connected. The sovereign God of heaven and earth has the absolute right to issue His law, then He has the absolute right to command and demand that we obey His law. In fact, it is not just simply an expectation, it is a demand.

[John Weaver] Now let me give you two illustrations that will, I hope, help you to see the wickedness in disobeying God. Most of the adults in this room are parents. As parents, you are given a proper and a righteous authority over your children. Listen to me now. As parents, you were given a proper and a righteous authority over your children. What does the Bible say in Ephesians 6 verse 3? Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

[John Weaver] Let me ask you a question. Why is it right? Why is it right? Why is it right that James should have to obey Henry and Janet? Why is it right that Tripp has to obey his mom and dad? Why is it right? Children, obey your parents and the Lord, for this is right. Why is it right? Let me show you why. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 11, verse 3. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 3. It is right Because the sovereign God of heaven and earth has constituted an order of authority, not only in the universe, but also in the home. In 1 Corinthians 11, look if you would please at verse 3.

[John Weaver] The apostle Paul says, but I would have you to know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of the woman is the man. and the head of Christ is God.

[John Weaver] Now, what is God's sovereign order in the universe? It is God and Christ and man and woman, and then under that, of course, children. That's why in Ephesians 5 and verse 25, the Bible says, wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord, for the husband is the head of the house, even as Christ is the head of the church. In other words, there is a God-ordained order of authority in the universe, in the church, in the home.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you this. I want you to think about this. So here you are as Christian parents, and you understand that you have been given a proper and a righteous authority from God Himself. to rule over your children. Now, here's my question. If your children purposefully. And deliberately disobeyed you. Would it not peak your anger? Now listen to me, it is not just that they have disobeyed you. It is not just that they have sinned. It's more than that. They have denied your rightful authority and your proper role as their head.

[John Weaver] It doesn't matter whether their sin was great or minor. The fact still remains, by their disobedience, they have challenged and despised and denied your parental authority over them. That's an insult. That's a slap. in the face of the parents, and it's an attack upon the family, and an attack upon the God-given role of parents.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question. What right does a child have to disobey his parents? The answer is none, as long as those commands are lawful and right. Note, if you would please, No child has the right to disobey his parents as long as those commands are lawful and right. And when a child does disobey his parents, he is challenging their authority and their position as parents, which is an insult.

[John Weaver] Now, let me go a step further. Here you are, a businessman. You own your own business. You started it. You've run that business. You've built that business. Your heart has been in that business. And thankfully, by the grace of God, it has expanded. And so you hired someone to help you. And so you give a clear and distinct and direct order to your employee. And what does he do?

[John Weaver] He purposely and deliberately disobeys you. Would that not be an insult to you? It's not the fact. It's not the fact that he's wasting your time and wasting your money. That, too, is wrong. But it's the fact that he's challenging your authority. You're the one who owns the business. You're the head of the business. You built the business. And now he's saying to you, in essence, you don't have enough sense to run this business.

[John Weaver] I'm going to disobey you and do what I think is best. Do you see how that is an attack upon the owner of the business? It's an attack upon his authority.

[John Weaver] Now listen, if you can see the magnitude of rebellion in these two illustrations, between children and parents, and an employee and an employer, and you've got to remember, as good and as godly And as holy as Christian parents and Christian employers can be by the grace of God, they're still sinners. And if you can see the magnitude of that rebellion against parents and employers, how much greater How much greater does the sovereign God of heaven and earth, who is sinlessly perfect, have an absolute right to command our obedience and demand our obedience? And how much greater is our insult to him when we say, God, you don't have enough sense to come out of the rain.

[John Weaver] We'll do what we want to do regardless. It's not just the sin. It is that, but it's more, it's an attack upon God Himself. It's an attack upon His person, His power, His position. You see, since God is sovereign, He has the right to lay down the law. He laid down the law on the Garden of Eden. He laid down the law on Mount Sinai. He's laid down the law all through Scripture. And moreover, when he lays it down, he has an absolute right to command that we obey him.

[John Weaver] That's why the Bible says in Acts 17 verses 30 and 31 talking about repentance. And God in times past winked at your ignorance, listen now, but he now commanded all men everywhere to repent. God commands men to repent. The Bible says in 1 John 3 and verse 23, and this is his commandment that we believe on his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God has the absolute right to command you to repent. He has the absolute right to command you to believe on Jesus Christ. Why? Because He is the sovereign God.

[John Weaver] It's more than an invitation. It is a command. And when you disobey a plain command, you are not just sitting against God. You are denying His sovereignty. You're denying His right to issue law. you're denying his right to command.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you, when you go back to Numbers 25, and you see how the children of Israel violated the first commandment, the second commandment, the seventh commandment, the tenth commandment, in essence they violated all the law. Can you now begin to understand how God's righteous anger was stirred, and yet it developed into a Fierce anger. Why? It was not just that they were committing adultery. Yes, they were. Not just that they were committing fornication. Yes, they were. Not just that they were committing idolatry. Yes, they were.

[John Weaver] And as bad and as wicked as those sins are in and of themselves, the greater sin was. It was an attack upon God's sovereignty. It was an attack upon God Himself. Because, in essence, they were saying, God, You're not God. I am. You don't have the right to tell me how to live. I choose that. I am my own God. Every sin is an attack upon the sovereignty of God. No wonder God is righteously angry at sin. Secondly, if you're going to understand how God can judge sin and sinners, you must understand God's holiness. Did you know that God is more often styled the Holy One of Israel in Scripture than any other title? God is more often called the Holy One than any other title in Scripture. The Bible says in Revelation chapter 15 in verse 4, talking about God, Thou only art holy. Holiness is a central attribute of God. It is so absolutely essential that without it, God would not be God.

[John Weaver] Stephen Charnock, one of the old Puritans who wrote two volumes on thee, person and existence of God or the existence and the attributes of God said it like this. He said power is God's arm or God's hand. Omniscience is God's eye. Mercy is God's bowels. Eternity is God's duration. But holiness is God's beauty. And certainly holiness is indeed God's beauty. Holiness is the purity and the rectitude of his nature, whose nature is so pure that God is without spot and without stain. He is light itself. He is purity itself.

[John Weaver] Scripture teaches that he is of purer eyes than the behold evil. He is our pattern for over and over in scripture, he says, Be ye holy, for I am holy, saith the Lord. He said that in Leviticus 11, verses 44 and 45. He said that in Leviticus 19, verse 2. He said that in 1 Peter 1, verses 15 and 16. Be ye holy, for I am holy. What is he saying? I am the holy God. So holiness is an essential attribute of God. It is His nature and his essence, he himself is holy. And the Bible tells us, since God swears by himself, because he can swear by no other. He also swears by his holiness. Why? Because holiness is God and God is holy. Now watch. Think about this. Without holiness, God's power would be tyranny. Without holiness, His justice would be vindictiveness. Without holiness, His wisdom would be craft and cunning. Without holiness, His mercy would be a false sympathy. Without holiness, His wrath would be a horrible rage. But God is holy.

[John Weaver] He is essentially and necessarily holy and everything he is and everything he does is holy and right. Now the Bible says in Habakkuk chapter 1 in verse 13, let me quote it. Habakkuk says to God, thou art of pure eyes that behold evil and canst not look upon iniquity. Now let me tell you what that verse does not mean and what that verse does not say. First of all, that verse does not mean that God does not see your sin and know your sin. God certainly sees your sin. The Bible says the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, beholding the evil and the good. God sees your sin.

[John Weaver] How else would he take note of it to judge it and condemn it? So this verse does not mean that God does not see sin, nor does it mean that God will not judge sin. But when the Bible says that thou art of pure eyes and behold evil and cast not look upon iniquity, it simply means this, that God can never look upon evil approvingly, and God can never look upon it condoningly. Why? Because God is infinitely holy. I have seen parents and grandparents that condone the sin and rebellion of their children and their grandchildren. And just simply pretend that it doesn't exist.

[John Weaver] That is beyond me, that that that boggles my mind. We must take notice in the way God does, and we must judge them the way God judges sin. But since God is infinitely holy, God cannot approve or condone anyone's sin. And in Numbers chapter 25, when they turn their backs upon God and begin to commit fornication, adultery, and idolatry, God in His holiness judged them. Do you realize that their sins, in Numbers 25, was a slap in the face of a holy God. Likewise, our sins today are a slap in the face of a holy God. Because God is holy, He hates sin. All sin. Sin of every kind, caliber, degree, or intensity. It's all hated by God. He hates everything that is not in conformity to Himself and His Word. He loves everything that is in conformity to Himself and His Word, but anything that is contrary to Himself, anything that is contrary to His Word, He hates.

[John Weaver] You know, the Bible says in Proverbs 15 and verse 26, listen carefully, the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. It's not just the actions of the wicked that are an abomination of the Lord. Even the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination of the Lord. Let me show you how holy God really is. I do not want you to think for a second that somehow, some way, the wicked will escape the judgment of God. They will not. And if you're wicked, you will escape either.

[John Weaver] You may fool me because I'm a man. You may fool your parents. But you can never, ever fool God. And you know what so many people try to do? They deceive themselves into thinking that somehow God is going to deal with them more leniently than His Word declares. That somehow God will overlook their sins. Somehow God will say, well, okay, I won't judge that. I'll let you in my kingdom. Somehow they think that God is just going to be some little pansy and not be nearly as demanding as His Word declares that He is. I want to read to you a quote from Stephen Charnock, and I'm going to make a commentary upon it.

[John Weaver] Listen to what he said. If you think that somehow, some way, you are going to escape or the wicked are going to escape the consequences of your sins, listen carefully. Charnock said, and I quote, Not all the vials of judgment that have or shall be poured out upon the wicked world, nor the flaming furnace of a sinner's conscience, nor the irreversible sentence pronounced against the rebellious demons, nor the groans of the damned creatures give such a demonstration of God's hatred of sin

[John Weaver] as the wrath of God let loose upon His own dear Son. Never did divine holiness appear more beautiful and lovely than at the time our Savior's countenance was most marred in the midst of His dying groans. This himself acknowledged in Psalm 22, when God had turned His smiling face from him and thrust His sharp knife into his heart, which forced that terrible cry from him, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

[John Weaver] He, Christ, adores this perfection. Thou art holy." Let me tell you something, folks. If God was ever going to slacken his hand, if God was ever going to hold back his sword, if God was ever going to be lenient with sin, if God was ever going to downplay his anger, if God was ever going to withhold his wrath, it would have been what the wrath of God would have put it to his own dear, innocent son. But he didn't. He poured out his wrath to the fullest. And if you think God will pour out His wrath upon His own dear innocent Son without reservation, who was dying in the place of sinners, and then let you escape, and let you slip by, you're deceived.

[John Weaver] You know, the Bible says in Isaiah 53 and verse 10, Talking about the sufferings of Christ, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He had put him to grief, but thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. If God's holiness would not allow him to deal more gently and leniently with his own dear son, what makes you think he's going to deal more leniently or gently with you?

[John Weaver] I can assure you he will not. His own son was innocent. Our sins were imputed to him. But you have purposely and deliberately and willfully and maliciously rebelled against him. And you think that you shall escape? Oh, no. If you're going to see the righteousness of God, especially the righteousness of God in judging sin, you must understand His sovereignty, you must understand His holiness. And thirdly, you must in some degree understand His justice. When we think of God's justice, we normally think of what is known as His punitive or vindictive justice. Now the word punitive means punishment. We think of God's judgment that is sent directly for punishment.

[John Weaver] I'll deal with this verse a little more later on, but the Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 1 and verse 6, seeing it is a righteous thing to recompense tribulation to them that troubled you. In other words, it's a righteous thing with God to judge sinners. It's an aspect of God's justice. Without you turning there, I'm sure that you remember in 2 Peter 2, where God spared not the angels that sinned against him, but cast them down into hell. You remember how he spared not the old world. You remember how he spared not Sodom and Gomorrah. You remember also how he spared not Pharaoh and Egypt. By the way, You can think of other countries and other civilizations that God did not spare either. He did not spare Moab. He did not spare Babylon. He did not spare Assyria. He did not spare a host of others. You can look in the Bible and you can look in history and see the righteous justice of God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask a question just so that I can show you a verse. Why is it Then we have all the wars and all the judgments that happen in time and history. Why do we have the hurricanes? Why do we have the tsunamis? Look in your Bibles to the book of Job chapter 19 and verse 29. Job 19 and verse 29. Here's what the Bible says, Job 19 verse 29.

[John Weaver] If you want to know why these things are happening, here it is. Job 19, verse 29. Look what God says. God says, Be afraid of the sword. That's a statement, isn't it? Be afraid of the sword. Why? For wrath bringeth the punishment of the sword. Well, why does God in his wrath send the sword? Here's why, that you may know that there is a judgment. In other words, all the temporal judgments in time and in history point to the reality that there is one eternal and final judgment. You know what the Bible says in Amos 3 verse 6?

[John Weaver] Let me just quote it. He says this, Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? What is he saying? He's saying that it's God who sends those judgments in justice against cities, nations, families, individuals. Let me give you an illustration. I read an article in World Net Daily on August 31st.

[John Weaver] of this year is written by Deborah Caldwell. I want to just read three paragraphs. Here's the title, Did God Send the Hurricane? She goes on to say, This natural disaster is bringing together a perfect storm of environmentalists and doomsday sayers. What caused Hurricane Katrina to slam the U.S. Gulf Coast? Was it a typical late summer tropical storm caused by wind, water, and heat? Mother Nature's crying out on behalf of the Earth's pain? An angry God?

[John Weaver] Depends on whom you ask. All along the theological and political spectrum, Katrina has crystallized people's fear into a now familiar brew of apocalyptic theories similar to that which we saw after September 11th and after the Asian tsunami several months ago.

[John Weaver] Now, notice she starts out right, but she ends up wrong. In other words, she says, here's all these possibilities. No, they're not all those possibilities if you believe the Bible. Can there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it? What's the answer? No. It's God who directs the hurricanes. It's God who directs the tsunamis. You could say, well, Brother Weaver, over there where that tsunami hit, man, those people were idolaters. They were pagans. What do you think they were where Hurricane Katrina hit?

[John Weaver] You said, but we're a Christian nation. Oh, no, we were formed as one. We started out as one, but we've turned our backs upon God a long time ago. Yes, there were Christians there. And Christians suffer like everyone else suffers as well. But the point I'm trying to make is this, folks, God directs those hurricanes. Those are his judgments. Tornadoes are his judgments. Are you listening to me?

[John Weaver] The truth is simply this, that God's righteousness cries for justice. In a world of sin, rebellion, wickedness, and disobedience, the only true justice is God's justice. As Henry pointed out, the mayor of New Orleans may not have canceled Southern Decadence, But God did. And he took care of some of the decadent people there, too. But that same God can take care of the decadent people in Georgia.

[John Weaver] Or in any other state. Do you realize in our judicial system, the wicked often go unpunished or are likely punished while the righteous are railroaded, persecuted and slaughtered. But I'm here to tell you, There is a judge who will write things. And he will begin to write them in time and history and will culminate that judgment in the ultimate and consummate justice in the final day. The Bible said in Psalm 55 verse 23, listen as I quote it, but thou, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction.

[John Weaver] Bloody and deceitful men shall not live down half their days. What does the Bible say? God will bring them down to the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. What will God do? Strike them down in time and in history. Nahab 1.3 says it like this. The Lord is slow to anger. and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet."

[John Weaver] Did you hear what I read? And He will not at all acquit the wicked. It is God who has His way in the whirlwind and the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.

[John Weaver] Now go back to Numbers 25. Let me show you one thing. I'll develop this more fully later on, but I want you to look at this. Look at Numbers chapter 25. I've asked the question. How can we explain the righteous anger of God against sin? If you're going to understand God's righteousness, you must understand that God is righteously angry against sin and God sends his judgment against it. I told you. that you must comprehend in some degree the sovereignty of God, the holiness of God and the justice of God. And we're still looking at the justice, but look at it in Numbers 25. He said in verse three, and Israel joined himself in the veil, Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. Verse four, and the Lord said to Moses, take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the sun. Why? that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay you every one of his men that were joined unto Baal Peor."

[John Weaver] Here's my question. What will it take to turn the fierce anger of God away? Here is the answer. Only His righteous justice.

[John Weaver] Let me spell this out for you.

[John Weaver] When those are killed. Who need killing? That's what he said. Do you know why? In the Old Testament, the avenger of blood. Went after the one who had murdered his relative. It was not just an act of vengeance. God said the murderer must be put to death to cleanse the land from blood. When the murderer was not put to death, then blood, innocent blood, was upon the land. You want to know what's happening in this country? You think of the 40 to 50 million aborted babies whose blood cries out for justice. You think of the thousands of murderers that have never been executed and probably will not be executed by our judicial system. It cries out for justice. Don't you remember when Cain killed Abel? What did God say? Your brother's blood cries unto me from the ground. You think of all the rapes and the sodomites and the wickedness that cries to God for justice, and what is God saying? God's saying the only way my fierce anger can be turned away is when those who need to be put to death are put to death.

[John Weaver] And when government will not do it, God does it. We'll cover that later. That's why God sends his judgments. Now, listen carefully. If you haven't seen it, I don't know how much more I can explain it, but there is a connection between sin and judgment. There is a connection between disobedience and God's righteous anger. The connection is simply this, that God is sovereign. God is holy. God is just. And consequently, God hates sin. He hates all sin. And God will judge it accordingly. One cannot sin against God and escape God's judgment.

[John Weaver] And let me close with this thought. I've told you this before, but I'm telling you again. The Hebrew word for righteousness and the Hebrew word for justice are one and the same. Why? Because when something is right, it is just. And when something is just, it is right. Once you understand God's holiness, God's sovereignty, and God's justice, which is equated with His righteousness, then you'll understand the connection between sin and judgment. and disobedience and anger. Let's pray.

[John Weaver] Father, we are thankful today for Jesus Christ, for His grace, and for His mercy to us. Father, we want to acknowledge and confess once again that Thou art God, and besides Thee Thou art, there is no other. Thou art the sovereign, holy, righteous, and just God of the universe. who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and we bow unto thee and are thankful for the mercy and the grace that has brought us in Jesus Christ. And we understand the only way that we can ever escape the penalty of our sins and the righteous anger of a holy, sovereign God is to flee to Jesus Christ, who is our Lord and Savior. Give us grace to serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

[John Weaver] In Thy name we pray, Amen.

Learning the Righteousness of God - 4

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	9805134637
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne
Genre	Sermon
Date	2005-09-04
Dictation Name
Book	Book 165: Learning the Righteousness of God — Chapter 4
Source Timed Segments	76

Formatted Transcript

Opening

Micah chapter 6. Let's begin reading there with verse 1. Micah 6, verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Micah 6:1-8

Hear ye now what the Lord saith. Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear, O ye mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth. For the Lord hath a controversy with his people. He will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of

service.

Now I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give the firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God.

Introduction and Review of Previous Principles

Weaver introduces the fourth message in the series and reviews four principles from Numbers 25: God's law is the standard of righteousness; sin includes attitudes leading to the act; sin places us under judgment regardless of how we arrive at it; partial obedience is disobedience; and immorality is inherently idolatrous.

Now, this is the fifth message that I'm bringing in this series on learning the righteousness of God, and I have already—or the fourth message, it is not the fifth, but the fourth one. And I've already given you several principles, and I want to very quickly remind you of those principles. As we learn the righteousness of God, looking in Numbers 25, since he says in verse 5, "O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal." So we went back to Numbers 25 to Shittim there that we might actually learn the principles of God's righteousness. The very first principle that I enunciated was simply this, that God's law word is our standard for righteousness and any deviation from that truth is sin and wickedness.

Then I pointed out that the corollary point under that would simply be this, that when God forbids any sin at the same time, he forbids anything and everything that would lead up to that sin. So sins of attitude, sins of disposition, lust, covetousness, all were as wicked and sinful as the physical acts themselves. Now, the second principle that I then ceded from Numbers 25 is this. Sin places us under the judgment and curse of God no matter how we arrive at the sin. Doesn't matter if we just simply say, well, I'm going to purposely, deliberately do so and so, or whether we're enticed, seduced and led into it unknowingly, ignorantly. Whatever we do, however we get there at that sin, sin always places us under the judgment and under the curse of God. The third principle that I enunciated last week is this, that partial obedience is disobedience. We cannot obey God in one area and disobey Him in the other area and somehow expect that our obedience is going to balance out our disobedience. Luke 6 and verse 44, Our Lord said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not those things which I say unto you?" So obedience is tied to Lordship. So partial obedience is disobedience. Now, the fourth principle that I enunciated last week is this, that we must see and understand the connection between immorality and idolatry.

It is impossible to be immoral without at the same time being idolatrous. Those who are immoral are idolatrous because they have already denied the sovereignty, supremacy and lordship of God, and they have elevated their lusts and their desires above God Himself. Does it matter to them what God has said? They want what they want, and they will do what they will do. And if you look, by the way, in Numbers chapter 25, verses 14 and 15, I'll deal with some of this a little bit later, but I want to show you how brazen sin can get. In verse 14, now the name of that Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of the chief of the house of the Simeonites. And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cosby, the daughter of Zur. He was a head over a people of chief over the house of Midian. Now skip down, if you would please, to verse 6, or up to verse 6. And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought in unto his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of Israel. In other words, the sin was so open and so brazen that it was done in the full sight of Moses and all the people there who were weeping and crying before the congregation.

The Connection Between Sin and Judgment

The fifth principle is introduced: there is a direct connection between sin and judgment, and between disobedience and God's righteous anger. Weaver reads Numbers 25:3-5 to show God's command to execute the leaders of Israel's idolatry.

So once you progress into immorality, you have also progressed into idolatry, and sooner or later your immorality and your idolatry will be more and more bold and more and more brazen, not caring who sees or who you offend or who you upset, even God himself. We must understand there's a connection between immorality and idolatry. Now, go back to Numbers chapter 25, because here's the fifth point today. And this is the only point that I'm going to be covering. I want you to see the connection between sin and judgment. And disobedience and the righteous anger of God. So look in verse three,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 25:1-5

"And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one of his men that were joined unto Baal Peor."

Now let me ask several leading questions. Have you ever wondered why God is angry with sinners? What about judgment? Does it surprise you that God's judgments fall upon sin?

Understanding God's Sovereignty

God's sovereignty means He is the supreme ruler with absolute right to command and demand obedience. Disobedience is not merely sin but an attack on God's person and authority. Illustrations from parent-child and employer-employee relationships demonstrate the insult of rebellion.

Now in order to answer some of these questions, and to elucidate this point, there are three attributes of God that you must comprehend and understand to some degree. Those three attributes are the sovereignty of God, the holiness of God, and the justice of God. Now let me mention something about attributes. Whenever we talk about the attributes of God, we are referring to those manifestations of his person and of his power that are revealed in scripture and in creation. An attribute is something that is an inherent characteristic. It is something that properly makes up the person. So when we talk about the attributes of God, then properly speaking, we could say that the attributes are those realities which belong to God which designate him as God and reveal aspects of his character.

Now let me just give you a little caveat before I begin today. And I'm sure that you already understand this. But may I warn you and may I remind you that the only God that exists is the God of Scripture. Simply because someone is ignorant of this one true and living God, or simply because someone has another God drawn up in the figment of his imaginations does not negate the reality of the One True and the Living God. The figments of the imaginations are not real. We can imagine God to be a certain way when He is not. And we can imagine God not to be a certain way when he really is. But our imaginations do not affect reality. Our thinking does not affect reality. The only one true and the living God is the God who has revealed himself in Holy Scripture.

Now, let me ask and try to answer this question. How then can a righteous God justly slay and condemn wicked sinners and rebels? Now, I want you to look at Numbers chapter 25. First of all, at verse 3. "And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor." Watch carefully. "And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel." Now, verse 4. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one of his men that were joined unto Baal Peor."

Now, we may conclude from these three passages that God is indeed a just God and is righteously angry. Did you know the Bible teaches over and over that God is angry not just with sin, but with sinners? In fact, if you want to turn there, I would encourage you to do so. Look in Psalm 7 and verse 11, holding Numbers 25. But look in Psalm 7 and verse 11. Here's a very simple passage. In fact, most of us memorized this verse long ago. Psalm 7 and verse 11. The Bible says that God judgeth the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day. How often is God angry with the wicked? Every single solitary day. There's not an hour, there's not a minute, there's not a second, there's not a moment in the day that God's righteous anger is not burning hot against sinners. That's why God says in verse 12,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:11-13

"If he, the sinner, turn not, he, God, will whet his sword, he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He has also prepared for him, that is a sinner, the instruments of death."

He ordained his arrows against the persecutors. In other words, God is upset and angry with the righteous—with the wicked on a daily basis. God judges the righteous, but he's angry with the wicked. Look at Psalm 9, verses 16 and 17. Psalm 9, verse 16.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 9:16-17

"The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands."

The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. May I remind you of Revelation chapter 19 verses 1 through 11 without turning there. What does the Bible say when God judges the wicked and the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever? What does the righteous say? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. In other words, praise God. God is angry with sinners. It is a righteous anger. By the way, sometimes God is righteously angry with his own people. He was angry with Moses. He was angry with Aaron. He was angry with Miriam. He's been angry with Israel over and over and over. So God then does indeed have an anger.

Now, how do we explain this anger? Let me just tell you, first and foremost, that anger in and of itself is not sinful. Anger is an emotion. And even anger in you and I can be a righteous anger and does not necessarily have to be a sinful anger. Many times when you and I think about anger, we automatically think of sinful, wicked anger because most of our anger is sinfully wicked.

But you know what the Bible says in Ephesians 4 and verse 26? Listen to this. Here's a direct command from God.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:26-27

"Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath."

Then verse 27,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:26-27

"Neither give place to the devil."

So what did God say? He's saying, and it's an imperative in the Greek, I command you to be angry. And at the same time, I commanded you not to sin in your anger. So there is indeed a righteous anger. God says, let not the sun go down upon your wrath. So there is a way that you and I can be righteously angry and not sin. But most of the time we are unrighteously angry and we do sin. But God's anger is a righteous anger. God is not sinful, nor is he capable of sinning.

Now, how do we explain this? Well, first of all, you've got to understand God's sovereignty. Now, when I talk about God's sovereignty, what am I referring to? What does this expression reveal about God? When we talk about God's sovereignty, we're talking about God's supremacy, the kingship of God, the Godhood of God. To say that God is sovereign is to say that God is God. To say that God is sovereign is to say, like Daniel in Daniel 4 and verse 35, that He, God, doeth according to His will in the armies of heaven and in the heavens of the earth, and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou? To say that God is sovereign is to say with the psalmist in Psalm 115 and verse 3, "But our God is in the heavens."

He hath done whatsoever He is pleased. He has all power. His purpose cannot be thwarted. His counsel cannot be overthrown. He does whatsoever He pleases. It is to say with David in Psalm 22 and verse 28 that God is the judge of the nations. God puts up nations and God takes down nations. It is to say with Paul in 1 Timothy 6 and verse 15 that he is the only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords and God of gods. So when we say that God is sovereign, what do we mean? We mean that God really and truly is God. Everything that makes God, that's what He is. He is sovereign.

Now, let me just tell you, folks, it is one thing to confess and acknowledge God's sovereignty. It is quite another thing to comprehend and apply that sovereignty in every area of our lives. Do you realize that confession without application and understanding in one sense of the word is worthless. You could stand up and say all day long, I confess that God is sovereign. I confess that God is sovereign. Well, you may be confessing accurately and truthfully, but unless you comprehend that sovereignty and know how to apply that sovereignty in your everyday life, your confession really is worthless. How can you derive any comfort, any benefit, any courage from a doctrine that you do not understand or comprehend, nor can apply?

It's absolutely impossible to do so. I want you to understand there can only be one sovereign. There can only be one absolute. There can only be one ultimate.

Now you've got to ask yourself this simple question. If God is not sovereign, who is? There must be a sovereign. And I don't know about you, but I prefer to believe the Bible and believe that God is sovereign rather than to postulate sovereignty in luck, chance, fate, or fortune, or even man. God is sovereign. Now listen to this. Whoever is sovereign has the absolute right to command. Whoever is sovereign has the absolute right to demand. Whoever is sovereign has the absolute right to issue law. Since God is sovereign, God is one, and His law is one. Do you comprehend this simple statement? A king rules by his law. Every ruler rules by his law. I don't care if it's the bureaucratic mess that we have in this country, or if it's some tyrannical monarch in another country, a king rules by his law. God is a king, and God is sovereign, and so God, the sovereign king of the universe, has issued then his law, and he has the absolute right to lay down his law.

Now, since he has the right to lay down his law, he also has the right to command and demand that we obey his law. Now I want you to stop just for a moment and think about this. If God was not sovereign, his commands would be powerless. And his law would be useless. How could he back up anything if he was not sovereign? Moreover, if God is not sovereign, then we owe our obedience to whoever or what is sovereign. Now, thankfully, God is sovereign and his sovereignty is declared over and over in the scripture. Now, the important point that I want you to understand right now is this. I want you to see that the issue of sovereignty and the issue of obedience are vitally connected.

Let me say that again. The issue of sovereignty and the issue of obedience are vitally connected. The sovereign God of heaven and earth has the absolute right to issue His law, then He has the absolute right to command and demand that we obey His law. In fact, it is not just simply an expectation, it is a demand.

Now let me give you two illustrations that will, I hope, help you to see the wickedness in disobeying God. Most of the adults in this room are parents. As parents, you are given a proper and a righteous authority over your children. Listen to me now. As parents, you were given a proper and a righteous authority over your children. What does the Bible say in Ephesians 6 verse 3? "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."

Let me ask you a question. Why is it right? Why is it right? Why is it right that James should have to obey Henry and Janet? Why is it right that Tripp has to obey his mom and dad? Why is it right? "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." Why is it right? Let me show you why. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 11, verse 3. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 3. It is right because the sovereign God of heaven and earth has constituted an order of authority, not only in the universe, but also in the home. In 1 Corinthians 11, look if you would please at verse 3.

The apostle Paul says, "But I would have you to know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of the woman is the man. And the head of Christ is God." Now, what is God's sovereign order in the universe? It is God and Christ and man and woman, and then under that, of course, children. That's why in Ephesians 5 and verse 25, the Bible says, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord, for the husband is the head of the house, even as Christ is the head of the church." In other words, there is a God-ordained order of authority in the universe, in the church, in the home.

Now, let me show you this. I want you to think about this. So here you are as Christian parents, and you understand that you have been given a proper and a righteous authority from God Himself to rule over your children. Now, here's my question. If your children purposefully and deliberately disobeyed you, would it not peak your anger? Now listen to me, it is not just that they have disobeyed you. It is not just that they have sinned. It's more than that. They have denied your rightful authority and your proper role as their head.

It doesn't matter whether their sin was great or minor. The fact still remains, by their disobedience, they have challenged and despised and denied your parental authority over them. That's an insult. That's a slap in the face of the parents, and it's an attack upon the family, and an attack upon the God-given role of parents.

Now let me ask you a question. What right does a child have to disobey his parents? The answer is none, as long as those commands are lawful and right. Note, if you would please, no child has the right to disobey his parents as long as those commands are lawful and right. And when a child does disobey his parents, he is challenging their authority and their position as parents, which is an insult.

Now, let me go a step further. Here you are, a businessman. You own your own business. You started it. You've run that business. You've built that business. Your heart has been in that business. And thankfully, by the grace of God, it has expanded. And so you hired someone to help you. And so you give a clear and distinct and direct order to your employee. And what does he do?

He purposely and deliberately disobeys you. Would that not be an insult to you? It's not the fact. It's not the fact that he's wasting your time and wasting your money. That, too, is wrong. But it's the fact that he's challenging your authority. You're the one who owns the business. You're the head of the business. You built the business. And now he's saying to you, in essence, you don't have enough sense to run this business.

I'm going to disobey you and do what I think is best. Do you see how that is an attack upon the owner of the business? It's an attack upon his authority. Now listen, if you can see the magnitude of rebellion in these two illustrations, between children and parents, and an employee and an employer, and you've got to remember, as good and as godly and as holy as Christian parents and Christian employers can be by the grace of God, they're still sinners. And if you can see the magnitude of that rebellion against parents and employers, how much greater? How much greater does the sovereign God of heaven and earth, who is sinlessly perfect, have an absolute right to command our obedience and demand our obedience? And how much greater is our insult to him when we say, God, you don't have enough sense to come out of the rain.

We'll do what we want to do regardless. It's not just the sin. It is that, but it's more, it's an attack upon God Himself. It's an attack upon His person, His power, His position. You see, since God is sovereign, He has the right to lay down the law. He laid down the law on the Garden of Eden. He laid down the law on Mount Sinai. He's laid down the law all through Scripture. And moreover, when he lays it down, he has an absolute right to command that we obey him.

That's why the Bible says in Acts 17 verses 30 and 31 talking about repentance. "And God in times past winked at your ignorance," listen now,

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:30-31

"but he now commandeth all men everywhere to repent."

God commands men to repent. The Bible says in 1 John 3 and verse 23, "And this is his commandment that we believe on his son, the Lord Jesus Christ." God has the absolute right to command you to repent. He has the absolute right to command you to believe on Jesus Christ. Why? Because He is the sovereign God. It's more than an invitation. It is a command. And when you disobey a plain command, you are not just sinning against God. You are denying His sovereignty. You're denying His right to issue law. You're denying his right to command.

Now let me ask you, when you go back to Numbers 25, and you see how the children of Israel violated the first commandment, the second commandment, the seventh commandment, the tenth commandment, in essence they violated all the law. Can you now begin to understand how God's righteous anger was stirred, and yet it developed into a fierce anger? Why? It was not just that they were committing adultery. Yes, they were. Not just that they were committing fornication. Yes, they were. Not just that they were committing idolatry. Yes, they were.

Understanding God's Holiness

God's holiness is His essential purity; He cannot look upon sin approvingly. The cross demonstrates God's hatred of sin, as He did not spare His own Son. If God judged Christ fully, no sinner will escape judgment.

And as bad and as wicked as those sins are in and of themselves, the greater sin was. It was an attack upon God's sovereignty. It was an attack upon God Himself. Because, in essence, they were saying, God, You're not God. I am. You don't have the right to tell me how to live. I choose that. I am my own God. Every sin is an attack upon the sovereignty of God. No wonder God is righteously angry at sin. Secondly, if you're going to understand how God can judge sin and sinners, you must understand God's holiness. Did you know that God is more often styled the Holy One of Israel in Scripture than any other title? God is more often called the Holy One than any other title in Scripture. The Bible says in Revelation chapter 15 in verse 4, talking about God, "Thou only art holy." Holiness is a central attribute of God. It is so absolutely essential that without it, God would not be God.

Stephen Charnock, one of the old Puritans who wrote two volumes on the person and existence of God or the existence and the attributes of God said it like this. He said power is God's arm or God's hand. Omniscience is God's eye. Mercy is God's bowels. Eternity is God's duration. But holiness is God's beauty. And certainly holiness is indeed God's beauty. Holiness is the purity and the rectitude of his nature, whose nature is so pure that God is without spot and without stain. He is light itself. He is purity itself.

Scripture teaches that he is of purer eyes than to behold evil. He is our pattern for over and over in scripture, he says, "Be ye holy, for I am holy, saith the Lord." He said that in Leviticus 11, verses 44 and 45. He said that in Leviticus 19, verse 2. He said that in 1 Peter 1, verses 15 and 16. "Be ye holy, for I am holy." What is he saying? I am the holy God. So holiness is an essential attribute of God. It is His nature and his essence, he himself is holy. And the Bible tells us, since God swears by himself, because he can swear by no other. He also swears by his holiness. Why? Because holiness is God and God is holy. Now watch. Think about this. Without holiness, God's power would be tyranny. Without holiness, His justice would be vindictiveness. Without holiness, His wisdom would be craft and cunning. Without holiness, His mercy would be a false sympathy. Without holiness, His wrath would be a horrible rage. But God is holy.

He is essentially and necessarily holy and everything he is and everything he does is holy and right. Now the Bible says in Habakkuk chapter 1 in verse 13, let me quote it. Habakkuk says to God,

Scripture Reading — Habakkuk 1:13

"Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity."

Now let me tell you what that verse does not mean and what that verse does not say. First of all, that verse does not mean that God does not see your sin and know your sin. God certainly sees your sin. The Bible says the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, beholding the evil and the good. God sees your sin.

How else would he take note of it to judge it and condemn it? So this verse does not mean that God does not see sin, nor does it mean that God will not judge sin. But when the Bible says that thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look upon iniquity, it simply means this, that God can never look upon evil approvingly, and God can never look upon it condoningly. Why? Because God is infinitely holy. I have seen parents and grandparents that condone the sin and rebellion of their children and their grandchildren. And just simply pretend that it doesn't exist.

That is beyond me, that that boggles my mind. We must take notice in the way God does, and we must judge them the way God judges sin. But since God is infinitely holy, God cannot approve or condone anyone's sin. And in Numbers chapter 25, when they turn their backs upon God and begin to commit fornication, adultery, and idolatry, God in His holiness judged them. Do you realize that their sins, in Numbers 25, was a slap in the face of a holy God. Likewise, our sins today are a slap in the face of a holy God. Because God is holy, He hates sin. All sin. Sin of every kind, caliber, degree, or intensity. It's all hated by God. He hates everything that is not in conformity to Himself and His Word. He loves everything that is in conformity to Himself and His Word, but anything that is contrary to Himself, anything that is contrary to His Word, He hates.

You know, the Bible says in Proverbs 15 and verse 26, listen carefully,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 15:26

"The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord."

It's not just the actions of the wicked that are an abomination of the Lord. Even the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination of the Lord. Let me show you how holy God really is. I do not want you to think for a second that somehow, some way, the wicked will escape the judgment of God. They will not. And if you're wicked, you will escape either. You may fool me because I'm a man. You may fool your parents. But you can never, ever fool God. And you know what so many people try to do? They deceive themselves into thinking that somehow God is going to deal with them more leniently than His Word declares. That somehow God will overlook their sins. Somehow God will say, well, okay, I won't judge that. I'll let you in my kingdom. Somehow they think that God is just going to be some little pansy and not be nearly as demanding as His Word declares that He is. I want to read to you a quote from Stephen Charnock, and I'm going to make a commentary upon it.

Listen to what he said. If you think that somehow, some way, you are going to escape or the wicked are going to escape the consequences of your sins, listen carefully. Charnock said, and I quote, "Not all the vials of judgment that have or shall be poured out upon the wicked world, nor the flaming furnace of a sinner's conscience, nor the irreversible sentence pronounced against the rebellious demons, nor the groans of the damned creatures give such a demonstration of God's hatred of sin as the wrath of God let loose upon His own dear Son. Never did divine holiness appear more beautiful and lovely than at the time our Savior's countenance was most marred in the midst of His dying groans. This himself acknowledged in Psalm 22, when God had turned His smiling face from him and thrust His sharp knife into his heart, which forced that terrible cry from him, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'

He, Christ, adores this perfection. 'Thou art holy.'" Let me tell you something, folks. If God was ever going to slacken his hand, if God was ever going to hold back his sword, if God was ever going to be lenient with sin, if God was ever going to downplay his anger, if God was ever going to withhold his wrath, it would have been when the wrath of God would have been poured out to his own dear, innocent son. But he didn't. He poured out his wrath to the fullest. And if you think God will pour out His wrath upon His own dear innocent Son without reservation, who was dying in the place of sinners, and then let you escape, and let you slip by, you're deceived. You know, the Bible says in Isaiah 53 and verse 10, talking about the sufferings of Christ, "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief, but thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin." If God's holiness would not allow him to deal more gently and leniently with his own dear son, what makes you think he's going to deal more leniently or gently with you?

Understanding God's Justice

God's justice demands punishment for sin. Temporal judgments like hurricanes and wars point to the final judgment. God's righteousness and justice are equated in Hebrew, showing that what is right is just.

I can assure you he will not. His own son was innocent. Our sins were imputed to him. But you have purposely and deliberately and willfully and maliciously rebelled against him. And you think that you shall escape? Oh, no. If you're going to see the righteousness of God, especially the righteousness of God in judging sin, you must understand His sovereignty, you must understand His holiness. And thirdly, you must in some degree understand His justice. When we think of God's justice, we normally think of what is known as His punitive or vindictive justice. Now the word punitive means punishment. We think of God's judgment that is sent directly for punishment.

I'll deal with this verse a little more later on, but the Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 1 and verse 6,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 1:6

"Seeing it is a righteous thing to recompense tribulation to them that troubled you."

In other words, it's a righteous thing with God to judge sinners. It's an aspect of God's justice. Without you turning there, I'm sure that you remember in 2 Peter 2, where God spared not the angels that sinned against him, but cast them down into hell. You remember how he spared not the old world. You remember how he spared not Sodom and Gomorrah. You remember also how he spared not Pharaoh and Egypt. By the way, you can think of other countries and other civilizations that God did not spare either. He did not spare Moab. He did not spare Babylon. He did not spare Assyria. He did not spare a host of others. You can look in the Bible and you can look in history and see the righteous justice of God.

Now, let me ask a question just so that I can show you a verse. Why is it then we have all the wars and all the judgments that happen in time and history? Why do we have the hurricanes? Why do we have the tsunamis? Look in your Bibles to the book of Job chapter 19 and verse 29. Job 19 and verse 29. Here's what the Bible says, Job 19 verse 29.

If you want to know why these things are happening, here it is. Job 19, verse 29. Look what God says. God says,

Scripture Reading — Job 19:29

"Be afraid of the sword."

That's a statement, isn't it?

Scripture Reading — Job 19:29

"Be afraid of the sword."

Why?

Scripture Reading — Job 19:29

"For wrath bringeth the punishment of the sword."

Well, why does God in his wrath send the sword? Here's why,

Scripture Reading — Job 19:29

"that ye may know that there is a judgment."

In other words, all the temporal judgments in time and in history point to the reality that there is one eternal and final judgment. You know what the Bible says in Amos 3 verse 6?

Let me just quote it. He says this, "Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?" What is he saying? He's saying that it's God who sends those judgments in justice against cities, nations, families, individuals. Let me give you an illustration. I read an article in World Net Daily on August 31st. of this year is written by Deborah Caldwell. I want to just read three paragraphs. Here's the title, "Did God Send the Hurricane?" She goes on to say, "This natural disaster is bringing together a perfect storm of environmentalists and doomsday sayers. What caused Hurricane Katrina to slam the U.S. Gulf Coast? Was it a typical late summer tropical storm caused by wind, water, and heat? Mother Nature's crying out on behalf of the Earth's pain? An angry God?"

"Depends on whom you ask. All along the theological and political spectrum, Katrina has crystallized people's fear into a now familiar brew of apocalyptic theories similar to that which we saw after September 11th and after the Asian tsunami several months ago." Now, notice she starts out right, but she ends up wrong. In other words, she says, here's all these possibilities. No, they're not all those possibilities if you believe the Bible. Can there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it? What's the answer? No. It's God who directs the hurricanes. It's God who directs the tsunamis. You could say, well, Brother Weaver, over there where that tsunami hit, man, those people were idolaters. They were pagans. What do you think they were where Hurricane Katrina hit?

You said, but we're a Christian nation. Oh, no, we were formed as one. We started out as one, but we've turned our backs upon God a long time ago. Yes, there were Christians there. And Christians suffer like everyone else suffers as well. But the point I'm trying to make is this, folks, God directs those hurricanes. Those are his judgments. Tornadoes are his judgments. Are you listening to me?

The truth is simply this, that God's righteousness cries for justice. In a world of sin, rebellion, wickedness, and disobedience, the only true justice is God's justice. As Henry pointed out, the mayor of New Orleans may not have canceled Southern Decadence, but God did. And he took care of some of the decadent people there, too. But that same God can take care of the decadent people in Georgia. Or in any other state. Do you realize in our judicial system, the wicked often go unpunished or are lightly punished while the righteous are railroaded, persecuted and slaughtered. But I'm here to tell you, there is a judge who will write things. And he will begin to write them in time and history and will culminate that judgment in the ultimate and consummate justice in the final day. The Bible said in Psalm 55 verse 23, listen as I quote it, "But thou, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction."

"Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days." What does the Bible say? God will bring them down to the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. What will God do? Strike them down in time and in history. Nahum 1:3 says it like this. "The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet."

Did you hear what I read? And He will not at all acquit the wicked. It is God who has His way in the whirlwind and the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. Now go back to Numbers 25. Let me show you one thing. I'll develop this more fully later on, but I want you to look at this. Look at Numbers chapter 25. I've asked the question. How can we explain the righteous anger of God against sin? If you're going to understand God's righteousness, you must understand that God is righteously angry against sin and God sends his judgment against it. I told you that you must comprehend in some degree the sovereignty of God, the holiness of God and the justice of God. And we're still looking at the justice, but look at it in Numbers 25. He said in verse three, "And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel." Verse four, "And the Lord said to Moses, Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the sun." Why? "That the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one of his men that were joined unto Baal Peor."

The Only Way to Turn Away God's Fierce Anger

God's fierce anger is turned away only by righteous justice—the execution of those who deserve death. When human government fails, God Himself executes judgment. The ultimate escape is through Jesus Christ.

Here's my question. What will it take to turn the fierce anger of God away? Here is the answer. Only His righteous justice.

Let me spell this out for you.

When those are killed who need killing? That's what he said. Do you know why? In the Old Testament, the avenger of blood went after the one who had murdered his relative. It was not just an act of vengeance. God said the murderer must be put to death to cleanse the land from blood. When the murderer was not put to death, then blood, innocent blood, was upon the land. You want to know what's happening in this country? You think of the 40 to 50 million aborted babies whose blood cries out for justice. You think of the thousands of murderers that have never been executed and probably will not be executed by our judicial system. It cries out for justice. Don't you remember when Cain killed Abel? What did God say? "Your brother's blood cries unto me from the ground." You think of all the rapes and the sodomites and the wickedness that cries to God for justice, and what is God saying? God's saying the only way my fierce anger can be turned away is when those who need to be put to death are put to death.

And when government will not do it, God does it. We'll cover that later. That's why God sends his judgments. Now, listen carefully. If you haven't seen it, I don't know how much more I can explain it, but there is a connection between sin and judgment. There is a connection between disobedience and God's righteous anger. The connection is simply this, that God is sovereign. God is holy. God is just. And consequently, God hates sin. He hates all sin. And God will judge it accordingly. One cannot sin against God and escape God's judgment.

And let me close with this thought. I've told you this before, but I'm telling you again. The Hebrew word for righteousness and the Hebrew word for justice are one and the same. Why? Because when something is right, it is just. And when something is just, it is right. Once you understand God's holiness, God's sovereignty, and God's justice, which is equated with His righteousness, then you'll understand the connection between sin and judgment, and disobedience and anger. Let's pray.

Father, we are thankful today for Jesus Christ, for His grace, and for His mercy to us. Father, we want to acknowledge and confess once again that Thou art God, and besides Thee Thou art, there is no other. Thou art the sovereign, holy, righteous, and just God of the universe, who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and we bow unto thee and are thankful for the mercy and the grace that has brought us in Jesus Christ. And we understand the only way that we can ever escape the penalty of our sins and the righteous anger of a holy, sovereign God is to flee to Jesus Christ, who is our Lord and Savior. Give us grace to serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Study Guide

Major Themes

God's Sovereignty and the Right to Command Obedience

Summary: God's sovereignty means He has absolute authority to issue law and demand obedience. Disobedience is a direct attack on His person and rule.

Evidence: Since God is sovereign, He has the right to lay down the law... He has an absolute right to command that we obey him. (1671.1-1703.5s)

God's Holiness and Hatred of Sin

Summary: God's holiness is His essential purity; He cannot approve or condone sin. The cross supremely displays His hatred of sin.

Evidence: Never did divine holiness appear more beautiful and lovely than at the time our Savior's countenance was most marred... (2338.5-2366.9s)

God's Justice and Righteous Judgment

Summary: God's justice demands punishment for sin. Temporal judgments foreshadow the final judgment, and God's righteousness and justice are inseparable.

Evidence: The Hebrew word for righteousness and the Hebrew word for justice are one and the same. (3239.8-3290.4s)

The Connection Between Sin and Judgment

Summary: Sin inevitably brings God's judgment because of His sovereign, holy, and just nature. No sinner can escape His righteous anger.

Evidence: There is a connection between sin and judgment. There is a connection between disobedience and God's righteous anger. (3187.8-3237.8s)

The Insult of Rebellion Against God

Summary: Disobedience is not just sin but an insult to God's authority, analogous to a child rebelling against a parent or an employee against an employer.

Evidence: It's an attack upon God Himself. It's an attack upon His person, His power, His position. (1628.7-1670.8s)

The Necessity of Christ's Atonement

Summary: The only escape from God's righteous anger is through Jesus Christ, who bore the full wrath of God for sinners.

Evidence: The only way that we can ever escape the penalty of our sins and the righteous anger of a holy, sovereign God is to flee to Jesus Christ. (3291.1-3348.7s)

Key Arguments

Disobedience is an attack on God's sovereignty

Summary: Because God is sovereign, every act of disobedience denies His right to rule and is a personal insult to Him.

Evidence: Every sin is an attack upon the sovereignty of God. (1766.8-1855.8s)

God's holiness demands judgment on sin

Summary: God's holy nature cannot approve sin; therefore, He must judge it. The cross shows He did not spare even His Son.

Evidence: If God's holiness would not allow him to deal more gently and leniently with his own dear son, what makes you think he's going to deal more leniently or gently with you? (2429.5-2460.6s)

Temporal judgments point to final judgment

Summary: God sends hurricanes, wars, and other disasters as temporal judgments that foreshadow the ultimate judgment.

Evidence: All the temporal judgments in time and in history point to the reality that there is one eternal and final judgment. (2634.8-2678.1s)

Righteous anger is not sinful

Summary: Anger itself is not sinful; God commands righteous anger. God's anger is always righteous and just.

Evidence: Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. (799.0-852.3s)

Partial obedience is disobedience

Summary: Obeying God in one area while disobeying in another does not balance out; partial obedience is full disobedience.

Evidence: Partial obedience is disobedience. We cannot obey God in one area and disobey Him in the other area and somehow expect that our obedience is going to balance out our disobedience. (155.5-232.1s)

Immorality is inherently idolatrous

Summary: Those who are immoral have already denied God's lordship and elevated their own desires, making them idolaters.

Evidence: It is impossible to be immoral without at the same time being idolatrous. (233.7-271.9s)

Scripture References

Micah 6:1-8

Context: Weaver reads the passage as the foundation for the series, highlighting God's controversy with His people and the call to remember His righteous acts.

Numbers 25:1-5

Context: The primary text for the message, showing Israel's sin with Baal Peor and God's command to execute the leaders to turn away His fierce anger.

Numbers 25:14-15

Context: Weaver references these verses to show the brazenness of sin, as Zimri brought a Midianite woman openly before Moses and the congregation.

Psalm 7:11-13

Context: Cited to show that God is angry with the wicked every day and prepares instruments of death for those who do not turn.

Psalm 9:16-17

Context: Quoted to demonstrate that the wicked will be turned into hell and all nations that forget God.

Ephesians 4:26-27

Context: Used to show that anger itself is not sinful; God commands righteous anger without sin.

1 Corinthians 11:3

Context: Cited to establish God's sovereign order of authority: God, Christ, man, woman.

Acts 17:30-31

Context: Referenced to show that God commands all men everywhere to repent, demonstrating His sovereign right to command.

1 John 3:23

Context: Cited alongside Acts 17 to show God's command to believe on Jesus Christ.

Habakkuk 1:13

Context: Quoted to show God's holiness: He is of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on iniquity approvingly.

Proverbs 15:26

Context: Cited to show that even the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord.

Isaiah 53:10

Context: Quoted to show that it pleased the Lord to bruise Christ, demonstrating God's unsparing justice.

2 Thessalonians 1:6

Context: Referenced to show that it is a righteous thing for God to recompense tribulation to those who trouble His people.

Job 19:29

Context: Quoted to explain that temporal judgments come so that people may know there is a judgment.

Amos 3:6

Context: Cited to show that evil in a city is from the Lord, affirming His sovereign direction of disasters.

Psalm 55:23

Context: Quoted to show that God will bring bloody and deceitful men down to destruction.

Nahum 1:3

Context: Quoted to show that the Lord is slow to anger but will not acquit the wicked; He has His way in the whirlwind.

Revelation 19:1-11

Context: Referenced to show that the righteous praise God when He judges the wicked.

Daniel 4:35

Context: Alluded to in describing God's sovereignty: He does according to His will and none can stay His hand.

Psalm 115:3

Context: Alluded to in describing God's sovereignty: Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.

Historical References

Stephen Charnock, Puritan theologian

Context: Weaver quotes Charnock's work on the attributes of God, specifically on holiness and the demonstration of God's hatred of sin at the cross.

Hurricane Katrina (2005)

Context: Weaver references an article from World Net Daily debating whether God sent Hurricane Katrina, using it as an example of God's temporal judgment.

Asian tsunami (2004)

Context: Mentioned alongside Hurricane Katrina as an example of a disaster that people interpreted apocalyptically.

Southern Decadence festival, New Orleans

Context: Weaver notes that the mayor of New Orleans did not cancel the festival, but God did through Hurricane Katrina.

September 11 attacks

Context: Mentioned as a previous event that sparked apocalyptic theories similar to those after Katrina.

Important Quotes

Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

Significance: Weaver uses this command to show that anger itself is not sinful; there is a righteous anger that God commands and models.

Every sin is an attack upon the sovereignty of God.

Significance: This statement encapsulates the argument that sin is not merely a violation of law but a personal rebellion against God's rightful authority.

The Hebrew word for righteousness and the Hebrew word for justice are one and the same.

Significance: This linguistic point reinforces the inseparable connection between God's righteous character and His just judgments.

If God's holiness would not allow him to deal more gently and leniently with his own dear son, what makes you think he's going to deal more leniently or gently with you?

Significance: This rhetorical question drives home the certainty of judgment for those who reject Christ, based on the Father's treatment of Jesus.

All the temporal judgments in time and in history point to the reality that there is one eternal and final judgment.

Significance: Weaver explains the purpose of temporal disasters as foreshadows of the ultimate judgment, grounding his application of Hurricane Katrina.

Discussion Questions

How does understanding God's sovereignty change the way we view our own disobedience?

Context: Weaver argues that every sin is an attack on God's sovereignty. This question encourages reflection on the personal nature of sin.

In what ways do we try to 'balance out' our disobedience with partial obedience, and why is this unacceptable to God?

Context: The principle that partial obedience is disobedience is reviewed from the previous message.

How should the cross shape our understanding of God's hatred of sin and His justice?

Context: Weaver uses Charnock's quote to show that the cross is the greatest demonstration of God's wrath against sin.

What is the difference between righteous anger and sinful anger, and how can we cultivate righteous anger?

Context: Weaver distinguishes between righteous and sinful anger based on Ephesians 4:26.

How should we interpret natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina in light of God's sovereignty and justice?

Context: Weaver uses Katrina as an example of God's temporal judgment, raising questions about how to discern God's hand in such events.

Why is it important that the Hebrew words for righteousness and justice are the same?

Context: Weaver highlights this linguistic point to show that God's righteous character demands just judgment.

Applications

Flee to Christ for refuge from God's wrath

Summary: The only way to escape the penalty of sin and God's righteous anger is to flee to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Evidence: The only way that we can ever escape the penalty of our sins and the righteous anger of a holy, sovereign God is to flee to Jesus Christ. (3291.1-3348.7s)

Serve God with reverence and godly fear

Summary: In light of God's holiness and justice, believers are called to serve Him acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Evidence: Give us grace to serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. (3291.1-3348.7s)

Recognize the insult of disobedience

Summary: Understand that every sin is a personal attack on God's authority, and repent of rebellion against His sovereignty.

Evidence: It's an attack upon God Himself. It's an attack upon His person, His power, His position. (1628.7-1670.8s)

Do not presume upon God's leniency

Summary: Do not deceive yourself into thinking God will overlook sin; He did not spare His own Son, so He will not spare unrepentant sinners.

Evidence: If you think God will pour out His wrath upon His own dear innocent Son without reservation... and then let you escape... you're deceived. (2429.5-2460.6s)

Understand the connection between immorality and idolatry

Summary: Recognize that sexual sin is inherently idolatrous, as it elevates personal desires above God's lordship.

Evidence: It is impossible to be immoral without at the same time being idolatrous. (233.7-271.9s)

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:18:55Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T00:11:34Z

Clean Transcript

Learning the Righteousness of God - 4

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

Micah chapter 6. Let's begin reading there with verse 1. Micah 6, verse 1. Hear ye now what the Lord saith. Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear, O ye mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth. For the Lord hath a controversy with his people. He will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of service.
#1 | 0:00 to 0:29 | cleaned
Now I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or ten thousand rivers of oil?
#2 | 0:29 to 0:57 | cleaned
Shall I give the firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God.
#3 | 0:58 to 1:12 | cleaned
Now, this is the fifth message that I'm bringing in this series on learning the righteousness of God, and I have already—or the fourth message, it is not the fifth, but the fourth one. And I've already given you several principles, and I want to very quickly remind you of those principles. As we learn the righteousness of God, looking in Numbers 25, since he says in verse 5, "O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal." So we went back to Numbers 25 to Shittim there that we might actually learn the principles of God's righteousness. The very first principle that I enunciated was simply this, that God's law word is our standard for righteousness and any deviation from that truth is sin and wickedness.
#4 | 1:13 to 2:10 | cleaned
Then I pointed out that the corollary point under that would simply be this, that when God forbids any sin at the same time, he forbids anything and everything that would lead up to that sin. So sins of attitude, sins of disposition, lust, covetousness, all were as wicked and sinful as the physical acts themselves.
#5 | 2:11 to 2:34 | cleaned
Now, the second principle that I then ceded from Numbers 25 is this. Sin places us under the judgment and curse of God no matter how we arrive at the sin. Doesn't matter if we just simply say, well, I'm going to purposely, deliberately do so and so, or whether we're enticed, seduced and led into it unknowingly, ignorantly. Whatever we do, however we get there at that sin, sin always places us under the judgment and under the curse of God. The third principle that I enunciated last week is this, that partial obedience is disobedience. We cannot obey God in one area and disobey Him in the other area and somehow expect that our obedience is going to balance out our disobedience. Luke 6 and verse 44, Our Lord said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not those things which I say unto you?" So obedience is tied to Lordship. So partial obedience is disobedience. Now, the fourth principle that I enunciated last week is this, that we must see and understand the connection between immorality and idolatry.
#6 | 2:35 to 3:52 | cleaned
It is impossible to be immoral without at the same time being idolatrous. Those who are immoral are idolatrous because they have already denied the sovereignty, supremacy and lordship of God, and they have elevated their lusts and their desires above God Himself. Does it matter to them what God has said? They want what they want, and they will do what they will do. And if you look, by the way, in Numbers chapter 25, verses 14 and 15, I'll deal with some of this a little bit later, but I want to show you how brazen sin can get.
#7 | 3:53 to 4:31 | cleaned
In verse 14, now the name of that Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of the chief of the house of the Simeonites. And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cosby, the daughter of Zur. He was a head over a people of chief over the house of Midian. Now skip down, if you would please, to verse 6, or up to verse 6. And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought in unto his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of Israel. In other words, the sin was so open and so brazen that it was done in the full sight of Moses and all the people there who were weeping and crying before the congregation.
#8 | 4:34 to 5:25 | cleaned
So once you progress into immorality, you have also progressed into idolatry, and sooner or later your immorality and your idolatry will be more and more bold and more and more brazen, not caring who sees or who you offend or who you upset, even God himself. We must understand there's a connection between immorality and idolatry.
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Now, go back to Numbers chapter 25, because here's the fifth point today. And this is the only point that I'm going to be covering. I want you to see the connection between sin and judgment. And disobedience and the righteous anger of God. So look in verse three, "And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one of his men that were joined unto Baal Peor."
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Now let me ask several leading questions. Have you ever wondered why God is angry with sinners? What about judgment? Does it surprise you that God's judgments fall upon sin?
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Now, let me just get a little more personal. How can God righteously destroy individuals, families, churches, and even nations that are in rebellion and disobedience to Him and His Word?
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Now in order to answer some of these questions, and to elucidate this point, there are three attributes of God that you must comprehend and understand to some degree. Those three attributes are the sovereignty of God, the holiness of God, and the justice of God. Now let me mention something about attributes. Whenever we talk about the attributes of God, we are referring to those manifestations of his person and of his power that are revealed in scripture and in creation. An attribute is something that is an inherent characteristic. It is something that properly makes up the person. So when we talk about the attributes of God, then properly speaking, we could say that the attributes are those realities which belong to God which designate him as God and reveal aspects of his character.
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Now let me just give you a little caveat before I begin today. And I'm sure that you already understand this. But may I warn you and may I remind you that the only God that exists is the God of Scripture. Simply because someone is ignorant of this one true and living God, or simply because someone has another God drawn up in the figment of his imaginations does not negate the reality of the One True and the Living God. The figments of the imaginations are not real. We can imagine God to be a certain way when He is not. And we can imagine God not to be a certain way when he really is. But our imaginations do not affect reality. Our thinking does not affect reality. The only one true and the living God is the God who has revealed himself in Holy Scripture.
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Now, let me ask and try to answer this question. How then can a righteous God justly slay and condemn wicked sinners and rebels?
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Now, I want you to look at Numbers chapter 25. First of all, at verse 3. "And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor." Watch carefully. "And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel." Now, verse 4. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one of his men that were joined unto Baal Peor."
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Now, we may conclude from these three passages that God is indeed a just God and is righteously angry. Did you know the Bible teaches over and over that God is angry not just with sin, but with sinners? In fact, if you want to turn there, I would encourage you to do so. Look in Psalm 7 and verse 11, holding Numbers 25. But look in Psalm 7 and verse 11.
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Here's a very simple passage. In fact, most of us memorized this verse long ago. Psalm 7 and verse 11. The Bible says that God judgeth the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day. How often is God angry with the wicked? Every single solitary day. There's not an hour, there's not a minute, there's not a second, there's not a moment in the day that God's righteous anger is not burning hot against sinners. That's why God says in verse 12, "If he, the sinner, turn not, he, God, will whet his sword, he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He has also prepared for him, that is a sinner, the instruments of death."
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He ordained his arrows against the persecutors. In other words, God is upset and angry with the righteous—with the wicked on a daily basis. God judges the righteous, but he's angry with the wicked. Look at Psalm 9, verses 16 and 17. Psalm 9, verse 16. "The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. May I remind you of Revelation chapter 19 verses 1 through 11 without turning there. What does the Bible say when God judges the wicked and the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever? What does the righteous say? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. In other words, praise God. God is angry with sinners. It is a righteous anger. By the way, sometimes God is righteously angry with his own people. He was angry with Moses. He was angry with Aaron. He was angry with Miriam. He's been angry with Israel over and over and over. So God then does indeed have an anger.
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Now, how do we explain this anger? Let me just tell you, first and foremost, that anger in and of itself is not sinful. Anger is an emotion. And even anger in you and I can be a righteous anger and does not necessarily have to be a sinful anger. Many times when you and I think about anger, we automatically think of sinful, wicked anger because most of our anger is sinfully wicked.
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But you know what the Bible says in Ephesians 4 and verse 26? Listen to this. Here's a direct command from God. "Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Then verse 27, "Neither give place to the devil." So what did God say? He's saying, and it's an imperative in the Greek, I command you to be angry. And at the same time, I commanded you not to sin in your anger. So there is indeed a righteous anger. God says, let not the sun go down upon your wrath. So there is a way that you and I can be righteously angry and not sin. But most of the time we are unrighteously angry and we do sin. But God's anger is a righteous anger. God is not sinful, nor is he capable of sinning.
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Now, how do we explain this? Well, first of all, you've got to understand God's sovereignty. Now, when I talk about God's sovereignty, what am I referring to? What does this expression reveal about God? When we talk about God's sovereignty, we're talking about God's supremacy, the kingship of God, the Godhood of God. To say that God is sovereign is to say that God is God. To say that God is sovereign is to say, like Daniel in Daniel 4 and verse 35, that He, God, doeth according to His will in the armies of heaven and in the heavens of the earth, and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou? To say that God is sovereign is to say with the psalmist in Psalm 115 and verse 3, "But our God is in the heavens."
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He hath done whatsoever He is pleased. He has all power. His purpose cannot be thwarted. His counsel cannot be overthrown. He does whatsoever He pleases. It is to say with David in Psalm 22 and verse 28 that God is the judge of the nations. God puts up nations and God takes down nations. It is to say with Paul in 1 Timothy 6 and verse 15 that he is the only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords and God of gods. So when we say that God is sovereign, what do we mean? We mean that God really and truly is God. Everything that makes God, that's what He is. He is sovereign.
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Now, let me just tell you, folks, it is one thing to confess and acknowledge God's sovereignty. It is quite another thing to comprehend and apply that sovereignty in every area of our lives. Do you realize that confession without application and understanding in one sense of the word is worthless. You could stand up and say all day long, I confess that God is sovereign. I confess that God is sovereign. Well, you may be confessing accurately and truthfully, but unless you comprehend that sovereignty and know how to apply that sovereignty in your everyday life, your confession really is worthless. How can you derive any comfort, any benefit, any courage from a doctrine that you do not understand or comprehend, nor can apply?
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It's absolutely impossible to do so. I want you to understand there can only be one sovereign. There can only be one absolute. There can only be one ultimate.
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Now you've got to ask yourself this simple question. If God is not sovereign, who is? There must be a sovereign. And I don't know about you, but I prefer to believe the Bible and believe that God is sovereign rather than to postulate sovereignty in luck, chance, fate, or fortune, or even man. God is sovereign. Now listen to this. Whoever is sovereign has the absolute right to command. Whoever is sovereign has the absolute right to demand. Whoever is sovereign has the absolute right to issue law. Since God is sovereign, God is one, and His law is one. Do you comprehend this simple statement? A king rules by his law. Every ruler rules by his law. I don't care if it's the bureaucratic mess that we have in this country, or if it's some tyrannical monarch in another country, a king rules by his law. God is a king, and God is sovereign, and so God, the sovereign king of the universe, has issued then his law, and he has the absolute right to lay down his law.
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Now, since he has the right to lay down his law, he also has the right to command and demand that we obey his law. Now I want you to stop just for a moment and think about this. If God was not sovereign, his commands would be powerless. And his law would be useless. How could he back up anything if he was not sovereign? Moreover, if God is not sovereign, then we owe our obedience to whoever or what is sovereign. Now, thankfully, God is sovereign and his sovereignty is declared over and over in the scripture. Now, the important point that I want you to understand right now is this. I want you to see that the issue of sovereignty and the issue of obedience are vitally connected.
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Let me say that again. The issue of sovereignty and the issue of obedience are vitally connected. The sovereign God of heaven and earth has the absolute right to issue His law, then He has the absolute right to command and demand that we obey His law. In fact, it is not just simply an expectation, it is a demand.
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Now let me give you two illustrations that will, I hope, help you to see the wickedness in disobeying God. Most of the adults in this room are parents. As parents, you are given a proper and a righteous authority over your children. Listen to me now. As parents, you were given a proper and a righteous authority over your children. What does the Bible say in Ephesians 6 verse 3? "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."
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Let me ask you a question. Why is it right? Why is it right? Why is it right that James should have to obey Henry and Janet? Why is it right that Tripp has to obey his mom and dad? Why is it right? "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." Why is it right? Let me show you why. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 11, verse 3. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 3. It is right because the sovereign God of heaven and earth has constituted an order of authority, not only in the universe, but also in the home. In 1 Corinthians 11, look if you would please at verse 3.
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The apostle Paul says, "But I would have you to know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of the woman is the man. And the head of Christ is God."
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Now, what is God's sovereign order in the universe? It is God and Christ and man and woman, and then under that, of course, children. That's why in Ephesians 5 and verse 25, the Bible says, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord, for the husband is the head of the house, even as Christ is the head of the church." In other words, there is a God-ordained order of authority in the universe, in the church, in the home.
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Now, let me show you this. I want you to think about this. So here you are as Christian parents, and you understand that you have been given a proper and a righteous authority from God Himself to rule over your children. Now, here's my question. If your children purposefully and deliberately disobeyed you, would it not peak your anger? Now listen to me, it is not just that they have disobeyed you. It is not just that they have sinned. It's more than that. They have denied your rightful authority and your proper role as their head.
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It doesn't matter whether their sin was great or minor. The fact still remains, by their disobedience, they have challenged and despised and denied your parental authority over them. That's an insult. That's a slap in the face of the parents, and it's an attack upon the family, and an attack upon the God-given role of parents.
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Now let me ask you a question. What right does a child have to disobey his parents? The answer is none, as long as those commands are lawful and right. Note, if you would please, no child has the right to disobey his parents as long as those commands are lawful and right. And when a child does disobey his parents, he is challenging their authority and their position as parents, which is an insult.
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Now, let me go a step further. Here you are, a businessman. You own your own business. You started it. You've run that business. You've built that business. Your heart has been in that business. And thankfully, by the grace of God, it has expanded. And so you hired someone to help you. And so you give a clear and distinct and direct order to your employee. And what does he do?
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He purposely and deliberately disobeys you. Would that not be an insult to you? It's not the fact. It's not the fact that he's wasting your time and wasting your money. That, too, is wrong. But it's the fact that he's challenging your authority. You're the one who owns the business. You're the head of the business. You built the business. And now he's saying to you, in essence, you don't have enough sense to run this business.
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I'm going to disobey you and do what I think is best. Do you see how that is an attack upon the owner of the business? It's an attack upon his authority.
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Now listen, if you can see the magnitude of rebellion in these two illustrations, between children and parents, and an employee and an employer, and you've got to remember, as good and as godly and as holy as Christian parents and Christian employers can be by the grace of God, they're still sinners. And if you can see the magnitude of that rebellion against parents and employers, how much greater? How much greater does the sovereign God of heaven and earth, who is sinlessly perfect, have an absolute right to command our obedience and demand our obedience? And how much greater is our insult to him when we say, God, you don't have enough sense to come out of the rain.
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We'll do what we want to do regardless. It's not just the sin. It is that, but it's more, it's an attack upon God Himself. It's an attack upon His person, His power, His position. You see, since God is sovereign, He has the right to lay down the law. He laid down the law on the Garden of Eden. He laid down the law on Mount Sinai. He's laid down the law all through Scripture. And moreover, when he lays it down, he has an absolute right to command that we obey him.
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That's why the Bible says in Acts 17 verses 30 and 31 talking about repentance. "And God in times past winked at your ignorance," listen now, "but he now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." God commands men to repent. The Bible says in 1 John 3 and verse 23, "And this is his commandment that we believe on his son, the Lord Jesus Christ." God has the absolute right to command you to repent. He has the absolute right to command you to believe on Jesus Christ. Why? Because He is the sovereign God.
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It's more than an invitation. It is a command. And when you disobey a plain command, you are not just sinning against God. You are denying His sovereignty. You're denying His right to issue law. You're denying his right to command.
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Now let me ask you, when you go back to Numbers 25, and you see how the children of Israel violated the first commandment, the second commandment, the seventh commandment, the tenth commandment, in essence they violated all the law. Can you now begin to understand how God's righteous anger was stirred, and yet it developed into a fierce anger? Why? It was not just that they were committing adultery. Yes, they were. Not just that they were committing fornication. Yes, they were. Not just that they were committing idolatry. Yes, they were.
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And as bad and as wicked as those sins are in and of themselves, the greater sin was. It was an attack upon God's sovereignty. It was an attack upon God Himself. Because, in essence, they were saying, God, You're not God. I am. You don't have the right to tell me how to live. I choose that. I am my own God. Every sin is an attack upon the sovereignty of God. No wonder God is righteously angry at sin. Secondly, if you're going to understand how God can judge sin and sinners, you must understand God's holiness. Did you know that God is more often styled the Holy One of Israel in Scripture than any other title? God is more often called the Holy One than any other title in Scripture. The Bible says in Revelation chapter 15 in verse 4, talking about God, "Thou only art holy." Holiness is a central attribute of God. It is so absolutely essential that without it, God would not be God.
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Stephen Charnock, one of the old Puritans who wrote two volumes on the person and existence of God or the existence and the attributes of God said it like this. He said power is God's arm or God's hand. Omniscience is God's eye. Mercy is God's bowels. Eternity is God's duration. But holiness is God's beauty. And certainly holiness is indeed God's beauty. Holiness is the purity and the rectitude of his nature, whose nature is so pure that God is without spot and without stain. He is light itself. He is purity itself.
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Scripture teaches that he is of purer eyes than to behold evil. He is our pattern for over and over in scripture, he says, "Be ye holy, for I am holy, saith the Lord." He said that in Leviticus 11, verses 44 and 45. He said that in Leviticus 19, verse 2. He said that in 1 Peter 1, verses 15 and 16. "Be ye holy, for I am holy." What is he saying? I am the holy God. So holiness is an essential attribute of God. It is His nature and his essence, he himself is holy. And the Bible tells us, since God swears by himself, because he can swear by no other. He also swears by his holiness. Why? Because holiness is God and God is holy. Now watch. Think about this. Without holiness, God's power would be tyranny. Without holiness, His justice would be vindictiveness. Without holiness, His wisdom would be craft and cunning. Without holiness, His mercy would be a false sympathy. Without holiness, His wrath would be a horrible rage. But God is holy.
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He is essentially and necessarily holy and everything he is and everything he does is holy and right. Now the Bible says in Habakkuk chapter 1 in verse 13, let me quote it. Habakkuk says to God, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity." Now let me tell you what that verse does not mean and what that verse does not say. First of all, that verse does not mean that God does not see your sin and know your sin. God certainly sees your sin. The Bible says the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, beholding the evil and the good. God sees your sin.
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How else would he take note of it to judge it and condemn it? So this verse does not mean that God does not see sin, nor does it mean that God will not judge sin. But when the Bible says that thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look upon iniquity, it simply means this, that God can never look upon evil approvingly, and God can never look upon it condoningly. Why? Because God is infinitely holy. I have seen parents and grandparents that condone the sin and rebellion of their children and their grandchildren. And just simply pretend that it doesn't exist.
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That is beyond me, that that boggles my mind. We must take notice in the way God does, and we must judge them the way God judges sin. But since God is infinitely holy, God cannot approve or condone anyone's sin. And in Numbers chapter 25, when they turn their backs upon God and begin to commit fornication, adultery, and idolatry, God in His holiness judged them. Do you realize that their sins, in Numbers 25, was a slap in the face of a holy God. Likewise, our sins today are a slap in the face of a holy God. Because God is holy, He hates sin. All sin. Sin of every kind, caliber, degree, or intensity. It's all hated by God. He hates everything that is not in conformity to Himself and His Word. He loves everything that is in conformity to Himself and His Word, but anything that is contrary to Himself, anything that is contrary to His Word, He hates.
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You know, the Bible says in Proverbs 15 and verse 26, listen carefully, "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord." It's not just the actions of the wicked that are an abomination of the Lord. Even the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination of the Lord. Let me show you how holy God really is. I do not want you to think for a second that somehow, some way, the wicked will escape the judgment of God. They will not. And if you're wicked, you will escape either.
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You may fool me because I'm a man. You may fool your parents. But you can never, ever fool God. And you know what so many people try to do? They deceive themselves into thinking that somehow God is going to deal with them more leniently than His Word declares. That somehow God will overlook their sins. Somehow God will say, well, okay, I won't judge that. I'll let you in my kingdom. Somehow they think that God is just going to be some little pansy and not be nearly as demanding as His Word declares that He is. I want to read to you a quote from Stephen Charnock, and I'm going to make a commentary upon it.
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Listen to what he said. If you think that somehow, some way, you are going to escape or the wicked are going to escape the consequences of your sins, listen carefully. Charnock said, and I quote, "Not all the vials of judgment that have or shall be poured out upon the wicked world, nor the flaming furnace of a sinner's conscience, nor the irreversible sentence pronounced against the rebellious demons, nor the groans of the damned creatures give such a demonstration of God's hatred of sin
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as the wrath of God let loose upon His own dear Son. Never did divine holiness appear more beautiful and lovely than at the time our Savior's countenance was most marred in the midst of His dying groans. This himself acknowledged in Psalm 22, when God had turned His smiling face from him and thrust His sharp knife into his heart, which forced that terrible cry from him, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'
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He, Christ, adores this perfection. 'Thou art holy.'" Let me tell you something, folks. If God was ever going to slacken his hand, if God was ever going to hold back his sword, if God was ever going to be lenient with sin, if God was ever going to downplay his anger, if God was ever going to withhold his wrath, it would have been when the wrath of God would have been poured out to his own dear, innocent son. But he didn't. He poured out his wrath to the fullest. And if you think God will pour out His wrath upon His own dear innocent Son without reservation, who was dying in the place of sinners, and then let you escape, and let you slip by, you're deceived.
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You know, the Bible says in Isaiah 53 and verse 10, talking about the sufferings of Christ, "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief, but thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin." If God's holiness would not allow him to deal more gently and leniently with his own dear son, what makes you think he's going to deal more leniently or gently with you?
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I can assure you he will not. His own son was innocent. Our sins were imputed to him. But you have purposely and deliberately and willfully and maliciously rebelled against him. And you think that you shall escape? Oh, no. If you're going to see the righteousness of God, especially the righteousness of God in judging sin, you must understand His sovereignty, you must understand His holiness. And thirdly, you must in some degree understand His justice. When we think of God's justice, we normally think of what is known as His punitive or vindictive justice. Now the word punitive means punishment. We think of God's judgment that is sent directly for punishment.
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I'll deal with this verse a little more later on, but the Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 1 and verse 6, "Seeing it is a righteous thing to recompense tribulation to them that troubled you." In other words, it's a righteous thing with God to judge sinners. It's an aspect of God's justice. Without you turning there, I'm sure that you remember in 2 Peter 2, where God spared not the angels that sinned against him, but cast them down into hell. You remember how he spared not the old world. You remember how he spared not Sodom and Gomorrah. You remember also how he spared not Pharaoh and Egypt. By the way, you can think of other countries and other civilizations that God did not spare either. He did not spare Moab. He did not spare Babylon. He did not spare Assyria. He did not spare a host of others. You can look in the Bible and you can look in history and see the righteous justice of God.
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Now, let me ask a question just so that I can show you a verse. Why is it then we have all the wars and all the judgments that happen in time and history? Why do we have the hurricanes? Why do we have the tsunamis? Look in your Bibles to the book of Job chapter 19 and verse 29. Job 19 and verse 29. Here's what the Bible says, Job 19 verse 29.
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If you want to know why these things are happening, here it is. Job 19, verse 29. Look what God says. God says, "Be afraid of the sword." That's a statement, isn't it? "Be afraid of the sword." Why? "For wrath bringeth the punishment of the sword." Well, why does God in his wrath send the sword? Here's why, "that ye may know that there is a judgment." In other words, all the temporal judgments in time and in history point to the reality that there is one eternal and final judgment. You know what the Bible says in Amos 3 verse 6?
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Let me just quote it. He says this, "Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?" What is he saying? He's saying that it's God who sends those judgments in justice against cities, nations, families, individuals. Let me give you an illustration. I read an article in World Net Daily on August 31st.
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of this year is written by Deborah Caldwell. I want to just read three paragraphs. Here's the title, "Did God Send the Hurricane?" She goes on to say, "This natural disaster is bringing together a perfect storm of environmentalists and doomsday sayers. What caused Hurricane Katrina to slam the U.S. Gulf Coast? Was it a typical late summer tropical storm caused by wind, water, and heat? Mother Nature's crying out on behalf of the Earth's pain? An angry God?"
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"Depends on whom you ask. All along the theological and political spectrum, Katrina has crystallized people's fear into a now familiar brew of apocalyptic theories similar to that which we saw after September 11th and after the Asian tsunami several months ago."
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Now, notice she starts out right, but she ends up wrong. In other words, she says, here's all these possibilities. No, they're not all those possibilities if you believe the Bible. Can there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it? What's the answer? No. It's God who directs the hurricanes. It's God who directs the tsunamis. You could say, well, Brother Weaver, over there where that tsunami hit, man, those people were idolaters. They were pagans. What do you think they were where Hurricane Katrina hit?
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You said, but we're a Christian nation. Oh, no, we were formed as one. We started out as one, but we've turned our backs upon God a long time ago. Yes, there were Christians there. And Christians suffer like everyone else suffers as well. But the point I'm trying to make is this, folks, God directs those hurricanes. Those are his judgments. Tornadoes are his judgments. Are you listening to me?
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The truth is simply this, that God's righteousness cries for justice. In a world of sin, rebellion, wickedness, and disobedience, the only true justice is God's justice. As Henry pointed out, the mayor of New Orleans may not have canceled Southern Decadence, but God did. And he took care of some of the decadent people there, too. But that same God can take care of the decadent people in Georgia.
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Or in any other state. Do you realize in our judicial system, the wicked often go unpunished or are lightly punished while the righteous are railroaded, persecuted and slaughtered. But I'm here to tell you, there is a judge who will write things. And he will begin to write them in time and history and will culminate that judgment in the ultimate and consummate justice in the final day. The Bible said in Psalm 55 verse 23, listen as I quote it, "But thou, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction."
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"Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days." What does the Bible say? God will bring them down to the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. What will God do? Strike them down in time and in history. Nahum 1:3 says it like this. "The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet."
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Did you hear what I read? And He will not at all acquit the wicked. It is God who has His way in the whirlwind and the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.
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Now go back to Numbers 25. Let me show you one thing. I'll develop this more fully later on, but I want you to look at this. Look at Numbers chapter 25. I've asked the question. How can we explain the righteous anger of God against sin? If you're going to understand God's righteousness, you must understand that God is righteously angry against sin and God sends his judgment against it. I told you that you must comprehend in some degree the sovereignty of God, the holiness of God and the justice of God. And we're still looking at the justice, but look at it in Numbers 25. He said in verse three, "And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel." Verse four, "And the Lord said to Moses, Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the sun." Why? "That the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one of his men that were joined unto Baal Peor."
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Here's my question. What will it take to turn the fierce anger of God away? Here is the answer. Only His righteous justice.
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Let me spell this out for you.
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When those are killed who need killing? That's what he said. Do you know why? In the Old Testament, the avenger of blood went after the one who had murdered his relative. It was not just an act of vengeance. God said the murderer must be put to death to cleanse the land from blood. When the murderer was not put to death, then blood, innocent blood, was upon the land. You want to know what's happening in this country? You think of the 40 to 50 million aborted babies whose blood cries out for justice. You think of the thousands of murderers that have never been executed and probably will not be executed by our judicial system. It cries out for justice. Don't you remember when Cain killed Abel? What did God say? "Your brother's blood cries unto me from the ground." You think of all the rapes and the sodomites and the wickedness that cries to God for justice, and what is God saying? God's saying the only way my fierce anger can be turned away is when those who need to be put to death are put to death.
#72 | 51:25 to 53:04 | cleaned
And when government will not do it, God does it. We'll cover that later. That's why God sends his judgments. Now, listen carefully. If you haven't seen it, I don't know how much more I can explain it, but there is a connection between sin and judgment. There is a connection between disobedience and God's righteous anger. The connection is simply this, that God is sovereign. God is holy. God is just. And consequently, God hates sin. He hates all sin. And God will judge it accordingly. One cannot sin against God and escape God's judgment.
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And let me close with this thought. I've told you this before, but I'm telling you again. The Hebrew word for righteousness and the Hebrew word for justice are one and the same. Why? Because when something is right, it is just. And when something is just, it is right. Once you understand God's holiness, God's sovereignty, and God's justice, which is equated with His righteousness, then you'll understand the connection between sin and judgment, and disobedience and anger. Let's pray.
#74 | 53:59 to 54:50 | cleaned
Father, we are thankful today for Jesus Christ, for His grace, and for His mercy to us. Father, we want to acknowledge and confess once again that Thou art God, and besides Thee Thou art, there is no other. Thou art the sovereign, holy, righteous, and just God of the universe, who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and we bow unto thee and are thankful for the mercy and the grace that has brought us in Jesus Christ. And we understand the only way that we can ever escape the penalty of our sins and the righteous anger of a holy, sovereign God is to flee to Jesus Christ, who is our Lord and Savior. Give us grace to serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
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In Thy name we pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:18:55Z

Learning the Righteousness of God - 4

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver continues his series on learning the righteousness of God by examining the connection between sin and judgment from Numbers 25 and Micah 6. He argues that God's righteous anger against sin is rooted in His sovereignty, holiness, and justice. Because God is sovereign, He has the absolute right to command obedience; disobedience is an attack on His person and authority. God's holiness means He cannot condone sin, and His justice demands that sin be punished. The only way to turn away God's fierce anger is through righteous judgment, ultimately pointing to the need for Christ's atoning work.

Opening

Micah chapter 6. Let's begin reading there with verse 1. Micah 6, verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Micah 6:1-8

Hear ye now what the Lord saith. Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear, O ye mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth. For the Lord hath a controversy with his people. He will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of

service.

Introduction and Review of Previous Principles

The Connection Between Sin and Judgment

Scripture Reading — Numbers 25:1-5

"And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one of his men that were joined unto Baal Peor."

Now let me ask several leading questions. Have you ever wondered why God is angry with sinners? What about judgment? Does it surprise you that God's judgments fall upon sin?

Understanding God's Sovereignty

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:11-13

"If he, the sinner, turn not, he, God, will whet his sword, he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He has also prepared for him, that is a sinner, the instruments of death."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 9:16-17

"The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands."

But you know what the Bible says in Ephesians 4 and verse 26? Listen to this. Here's a direct command from God.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:26-27

"Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath."

Then verse 27,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:26-27

"Neither give place to the devil."

It's absolutely impossible to do so. I want you to understand there can only be one sovereign. There can only be one absolute. There can only be one ultimate.

That's why the Bible says in Acts 17 verses 30 and 31 talking about repentance. "And God in times past winked at your ignorance," listen now,

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:30-31

"but he now commandeth all men everywhere to repent."

Understanding God's Holiness

He is essentially and necessarily holy and everything he is and everything he does is holy and right. Now the Bible says in Habakkuk chapter 1 in verse 13, let me quote it. Habakkuk says to God,

Scripture Reading — Habakkuk 1:13

"Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity."

You know, the Bible says in Proverbs 15 and verse 26, listen carefully,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 15:26

"The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord."

Understanding God's Justice

I'll deal with this verse a little more later on, but the Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 1 and verse 6,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 1:6

"Seeing it is a righteous thing to recompense tribulation to them that troubled you."

If you want to know why these things are happening, here it is. Job 19, verse 29. Look what God says. God says,

Scripture Reading — Job 19:29

"Be afraid of the sword."

That's a statement, isn't it?

Scripture Reading — Job 19:29

"Be afraid of the sword."

Why?

Scripture Reading — Job 19:29

"For wrath bringeth the punishment of the sword."

Well, why does God in his wrath send the sword? Here's why,

Scripture Reading — Job 19:29

"that ye may know that there is a judgment."

In other words, all the temporal judgments in time and in history point to the reality that there is one eternal and final judgment. You know what the Bible says in Amos 3 verse 6?

The Only Way to Turn Away God's Fierce Anger

Here's my question. What will it take to turn the fierce anger of God away? Here is the answer. Only His righteous justice.

Let me spell this out for you.

Learning the Righteousness of God - 4

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	9805134637
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne
Genre	Sermon
Date	2005-09-04
Dictation Name
Book	Book 165: Learning the Righteousness of God — Chapter 4
Source Timed Segments	76

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review of Previous Principles: Weaver introduces the fourth message in the series and reviews four principles from Numbers 25: God's law is the standard of righteousness; sin includes attitudes leading to the act; sin places us under judgment regardless of how we arrive at it; partial obedience is disobedience; and immorality is inherently idolatrous.
The Connection Between Sin and Judgment: The fifth principle is introduced: there is a direct connection between sin and judgment, and between disobedience and God's righteous anger. Weaver reads Numbers 25:3-5 to show God's command to execute the leaders of Israel's idolatry.
Understanding God's Sovereignty: God's sovereignty means He is the supreme ruler with absolute right to command and demand obedience. Disobedience is not merely sin but an attack on God's person and authority. Illustrations from parent-child and employer-employee relationships demonstrate the insult of rebellion.
Understanding God's Holiness: God's holiness is His essential purity; He cannot look upon sin approvingly. The cross demonstrates God's hatred of sin, as He did not spare His own Son. If God judged Christ fully, no sinner will escape judgment.
Understanding God's Justice: God's justice demands punishment for sin. Temporal judgments like hurricanes and wars point to the final judgment. God's righteousness and justice are equated in Hebrew, showing that what is right is just.
The Only Way to Turn Away God's Fierce Anger: God's fierce anger is turned away only by righteous justice—the execution of those who deserve death. When human government fails, God Himself executes judgment. The ultimate escape is through Jesus Christ.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Disobedience is an attack on God's sovereignty

Because God is sovereign, every act of disobedience denies His right to rule and is a personal insult to Him.

Every sin is an attack upon the sovereignty of God. (1766.8-1855.8s)

God's holiness demands judgment on sin

God's holy nature cannot approve sin; therefore, He must judge it. The cross shows He did not spare even His Son.

If God's holiness would not allow him to deal more gently and leniently with his own dear son, what makes you think he's going to deal more leniently or gently with you? (2429.5-2460.6s)

Temporal judgments point to final judgment

God sends hurricanes, wars, and other disasters as temporal judgments that foreshadow the ultimate judgment.

All the temporal judgments in time and in history point to the reality that there is one eternal and final judgment. (2634.8-2678.1s)

Righteous anger is not sinful

Anger itself is not sinful; God commands righteous anger. God's anger is always righteous and just.

Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. (799.0-852.3s)

Partial obedience is disobedience

Obeying God in one area while disobeying in another does not balance out; partial obedience is full disobedience.

Partial obedience is disobedience. We cannot obey God in one area and disobey Him in the other area and somehow expect that our obedience is going to balance out our disobedience. (155.5-232.1s)

Immorality is inherently idolatrous

Those who are immoral have already denied God's lordship and elevated their own desires, making them idolaters.

It is impossible to be immoral without at the same time being idolatrous. (233.7-271.9s)

Scripture References

Micah 6:1-8: Weaver reads the passage as the foundation for the series, highlighting God's controversy with His people and the call to remember His righteous acts.
Numbers 25:1-5: The primary text for the message, showing Israel's sin with Baal Peor and God's command to execute the leaders to turn away His fierce anger.
Numbers 25:14-15: Weaver references these verses to show the brazenness of sin, as Zimri brought a Midianite woman openly before Moses and the congregation.
Psalm 7:11-13: Cited to show that God is angry with the wicked every day and prepares instruments of death for those who do not turn.
Psalm 9:16-17: Quoted to demonstrate that the wicked will be turned into hell and all nations that forget God.
Ephesians 4:26-27: Used to show that anger itself is not sinful; God commands righteous anger without sin.
1 Corinthians 11:3: Cited to establish God's sovereign order of authority: God, Christ, man, woman.
Acts 17:30-31: Referenced to show that God commands all men everywhere to repent, demonstrating His sovereign right to command.
1 John 3:23: Cited alongside Acts 17 to show God's command to believe on Jesus Christ.
Habakkuk 1:13: Quoted to show God's holiness: He is of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on iniquity approvingly.
Proverbs 15:26: Cited to show that even the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord.
Isaiah 53:10: Quoted to show that it pleased the Lord to bruise Christ, demonstrating God's unsparing justice.
2 Thessalonians 1:6: Referenced to show that it is a righteous thing for God to recompense tribulation to those who trouble His people.
Job 19:29: Quoted to explain that temporal judgments come so that people may know there is a judgment.
Amos 3:6: Cited to show that evil in a city is from the Lord, affirming His sovereign direction of disasters.
Psalm 55:23: Quoted to show that God will bring bloody and deceitful men down to destruction.
Nahum 1:3: Quoted to show that the Lord is slow to anger but will not acquit the wicked; He has His way in the whirlwind.
Revelation 19:1-11: Referenced to show that the righteous praise God when He judges the wicked.
Daniel 4:35: Alluded to in describing God's sovereignty: He does according to His will and none can stay His hand.
Psalm 115:3: Alluded to in describing God's sovereignty: Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.

Historical References

Stephen Charnock, Puritan theologian: Weaver quotes Charnock's work on the attributes of God, specifically on holiness and the demonstration of God's hatred of sin at the cross.
Hurricane Katrina (2005): Weaver references an article from World Net Daily debating whether God sent Hurricane Katrina, using it as an example of God's temporal judgment.
Asian tsunami (2004): Mentioned alongside Hurricane Katrina as an example of a disaster that people interpreted apocalyptically.
Southern Decadence festival, New Orleans: Weaver notes that the mayor of New Orleans did not cancel the festival, but God did through Hurricane Katrina.
September 11 attacks: Mentioned as a previous event that sparked apocalyptic theories similar to those after Katrina.

Important Quotes

Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

Weaver uses this command to show that anger itself is not sinful; there is a righteous anger that God commands and models.

Every sin is an attack upon the sovereignty of God.

This statement encapsulates the argument that sin is not merely a violation of law but a personal rebellion against God's rightful authority.

The Hebrew word for righteousness and the Hebrew word for justice are one and the same.

This linguistic point reinforces the inseparable connection between God's righteous character and His just judgments.

If God's holiness would not allow him to deal more gently and leniently with his own dear son, what makes you think he's going to deal more leniently or gently with you?

This rhetorical question drives home the certainty of judgment for those who reject Christ, based on the Father's treatment of Jesus.

All the temporal judgments in time and in history point to the reality that there is one eternal and final judgment.

Weaver explains the purpose of temporal disasters as foreshadows of the ultimate judgment, grounding his application of Hurricane Katrina.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does understanding God's sovereignty change the way we view our own disobedience?

[Context]

Weaver argues that every sin is an attack on God's sovereignty. This question encourages reflection on the personal nature of sin.

[Question]

In what ways do we try to 'balance out' our disobedience with partial obedience, and why is this unacceptable to God?

[Context]

The principle that partial obedience is disobedience is reviewed from the previous message.

[Question]

How should the cross shape our understanding of God's hatred of sin and His justice?

[Context]

Weaver uses Charnock's quote to show that the cross is the greatest demonstration of God's wrath against sin.

[Question]

What is the difference between righteous anger and sinful anger, and how can we cultivate righteous anger?

[Context]

Weaver distinguishes between righteous and sinful anger based on Ephesians 4:26.

[Question]

How should we interpret natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina in light of God's sovereignty and justice?

[Context]

Weaver uses Katrina as an example of God's temporal judgment, raising questions about how to discern God's hand in such events.

[Question]

Why is it important that the Hebrew words for righteousness and justice are the same?

[Context]

Weaver highlights this linguistic point to show that God's righteous character demands just judgment.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T00:11:34Z