Revelation: Conflict, Babylon, and Victory

Learning the Righteousness of God - 2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2005-08-21

Synopsis: In this second message on learning the righteousness of God from Micah 6:5 and Numbers 25, John Weaver teaches that sin places us under the judgment and curse of God, no matter how we arrive at the sin. He explains how Balaam, unable to curse Israel directly, advised Balak to seduce the Israelites into immorality and idolatry, leading to God's judgment. The sermon warns that temptation often comes through subtle enticement rather than frontal assault, and that prosperity can be a greater danger than adversity. Believers must recognize that sin begins with inward lust and always leads to death, and that no one is forced to sin—we are responsible for our own actions.

[John Weaver] Alright, I want you to open your Bibles if you would once again to Micah chapter 6 and of course Numbers chapter 25. Micah chapter 6 and we'll read at least the first 8 verses. Micah chapter 6 verses 1-8 and we'll take up where we left off last week. Remember we have been bringing the series on learning the righteousness of God. This is the second message in that series, so notice Micah chapter 6 verse 1.

[John Weaver] Hear you now what the Lord saith, Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O 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 where 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 servants, and 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 to Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.

[John Weaver] 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 with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has 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?

[John Weaver] Now, if you would hold Micah 6, but turn in your Bibles also to Numbers 25, because that is a text that we have been using in reference to Micah 6 and verse 5. So in Numbers 25, you will be ready to look there at those verses in just a moment. Now, may I point out, as you get ready to read from Numbers 25, In the book of Micah chapter 6 in verse 5, God says, O my people, remember now what Balak the king of Moab consulted and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that you may know

[John Weaver] the righteousness of the Lord. Now, last week we began this first message and I pointed out the fact that man by nature does not know God. In fact, I showed you from Ephesians chapter four, where man by nature is alienated from God through the ignorance that is in him. I pointed out also in Acts chapter 17, when Paul went to preach on Mars Hill, he found an altar there with this inscription to the unknown God. And that is exactly what God is to those who are unconverted, unsaved. They may know there is a God, but they do not know the one true and the living God. After having given you that truth, I went on to say it may surprise you even further that Christians do not know God automatically just because they have been regenerated and converted. Yes, we know that He is our Savior. We know that He is the one true God. We know that He is Lord and King. But that does not mean that we understand all of the attributes of God.

[John Weaver] That's why in 1 John 2, John divided Christians into three categories, babes, young men and fathers. And the knowledge of one group is different from the knowledge of the other groups. So you have babes in Christ, you have young men in Christ, and you have fathers in Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is in Micah 6 and verse 5, God says, Oh, my people, you better remember something. You better remember what Balak consulted And what Balaam answered from Shittim to Gilgal, why? That you may learn the righteousness of God. So the incident, this singled out in Numbers chapter 25, is what happened at Shittim in The Old Testament there, and this is where God says that we must learn the righteousness of God. Now we singled out this passage because it was first referred to in Micah 6 and verse 5. Let me give you the main point that I preached last Sunday in this first message. I only dealt with one point. Here it is, that God's law word is our standard for righteousness.

[John Weaver] And any deviation from His truth is sin and unrighteousness. Let me say that again. God's law word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from that truth is sin and unrighteousness.

[John Weaver] Now, the consuming point of Numbers 25, especially verses 1-3, I believe is this. That when God forbids any sin At the same time, he forbids everything and anything else that will lead up to that sin. In other words, The sins of the spirit are just as condemned as sins of the flesh, because sins of the spirit and sins of the mind always lead up to and point the way to the sins of the flesh. So when God has given us His standard for righteousness, whenever we begin to deviate, whether it's mental deviation or emotional deviation or spiritual deviation or willful deviation, it is still sin. So God has given us his standard for righteousness and any deviation from that standard is sin and wickedness.

[John Weaver] Now, there's a second point I want to make this week and only one point today as well. And that is this, that sin places us under the judgment and curse of God. No matter how we arrive at the sin. Now, let me make that point again, because I'm going to develop it. that sin places us under the judgment and curse of God no matter how we arrive at the sin.

[John Weaver] Now look at Numbers 25 verse 1, And Israel began to abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods, and the people did eat and bow down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. Now, remember what Micah 6 and verse 5 said. You better remember what Balak the king of Moab consulted and what Balaam answered from Shittim to Gilgalvite that you might know the righteousness of God. Now, in order to comprehend this one simple point that I'm going to delineate today, you must remember Balak's desire. What did King Balak desire? His desire was to have Balaam to curse Israel. Over and over, Balaam tried to curse Israel, but God would not allow him to do so. Look in Numbers 22, verses 5 and 6. Numbers 22, verses 5 and 6. He sent messengers, therefore, unto Balaam, the son of Beor, to Pthor, which is by the river, the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt, Behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.

[John Weaver] Come now, therefore, I pray thee. Curse me, this people, for they are too mighty for me. For adventure I shall prevail, and that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom thou blesses is blessed, and he whom thou curses is cursed." So Balak then, the king, sins for Balaam. Why? That he might curse Israel, that Balak might have a military victory over them. Look in verse 10. And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zipor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse me then, for adventure I shall be over to come to them, and drive them out. Now, note once again, the purpose was to curse Israel. Without me having to read through all of these passages, you know that every time Balaam then stood up to curse Israel. What did God do?

[John Weaver] He turned it into a blessing. And King Balak got so upset. He said, I called you to curse me, this people, and these three times you've all together blessed them. Now, Balak was so upset. Here's what he said in essence. You better go home, boy, and you better go home quick. In other words, I thought that I was going to promote you. I thought that I was going to make you rich. But now what you've done is you've blessed whom I wanted cursed. You've angered and upset me. And basically what he said to Balaam is you better get out of my sight or I change my mind and kill you.

[John Weaver] Well, now, let me point something out. Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness. In fact, if you hold Numbers 25 and look in your Bibles of 2 Peter 2 and verse 15, you will find out that Balaam was not about to give up so easily. He wanted his reward. He wanted that money. So the Bible tells us in 2 Peter 2 and verse 15 concerning Balaam, who have forsaken the right way and are going astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosar, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. That is, he knew that Balak could make him rich, and he wanted that money, and he was not about to give it up. Now, before I proceed, let me just point out that there is a tremendous truth that we ought to apply to our lives from Numbers 22 through Numbers 25. What is that truth? You remember Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel.

[John Weaver] But every time he stood up to curse them, God turned those curses into a blessing. Here it is. Here's the truth that we should rejoice in. There is absolutely nothing. There is absolutely nothing that can hinder, harm, curse, or vex us as long as we're in the will of God. You stop and think about that, folks. The safest place for any child of God to be is right smack dab in the middle of the will of God. Here's a powerful monarch. Who brought a powerful medium to curse Israel, and every time he tried, he ended up blessing Israel. Do you realize as much as we're hated, maligned, despised, and persecuted in this world, the truth is as long as we have God's blessings upon us, man's curses mean nothing.

[John Weaver] It doesn't matter how irate people are against us. It doesn't matter how upset the government is against us. It doesn't matter how willfully malignant Our enemies are against us. As long as we are under the blessings of God, there is no one who can turn those blessings into curses.

[John Weaver] Now, Balaam did not and could not curse Israel. But on the other hand, Balaam was not going to give up that easily because he loved the wages of unrighteousness and he had another plan that would allow him to get his money. So, Balaam then switched roles from a diviner to a consultant.

[John Weaver] Now, remember what the Bible says in Micah 6 and verse 5. O my people, remember that which Balak consulted, that is, he asked his consultant for some wisdom, and he says, remember what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered. So here is a consultant and a consultee, and God says you better remember that. There's a reason.

[John Weaver] Now, before I get into this, look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 2 and verse 14. By the way, this role of consultant is mentioned in the Bible, and look what God says. In the book of Revelation chapter 2 in verse 14, Balaam once again is pointed out, singled out by Christ himself. So our Lord is talking to the church of Pergamos. And look what he says to the church in verse 14, Revelation chapter 2. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast them there that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication." Now notice what he said, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast them there that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak. He just did not simply advise him, he taught him, he told him exactly what to do, to get Israel to sin. So what is God saying? God is saying you better remember this.

[John Weaver] If you want to learn my righteousness. You better remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered. Now look, since God would not allow either Balak or Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam then came up with a plan. To get God himself. to curse Israel. In Numbers chapter 23, go there. Numbers chapter 23. This is one of those occasions when Balaam was supposed to be cursing Israel. And look what the Bible says. Numbers 23 verse 20. Numbers 23 verse 20. Balaam says, Behold, I have received commandment to bless And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. Now look what he says. He that is God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the shadow of a king is among them.

[John Weaver] Ain't that interesting what he said? They like you want me to curse them, but I've received a command to bless, and that's what I'm going to bless. And I want you to understand, God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel. So here is Balaam's plan. If God sees Israel become perverse, if God sees Israel sin and rebel against him, Then Balaam concludes that the anger of God would be against Israel and God would destroy them Himself. So what does Balaam do? He teaches Balaam how to seduce, entice, and lure the people into fornication and adultery. He taught him how to lure them not only in fornication and adultery, but also into idolatry. Now, let me point it out like this. If Balak had drawn out his sword and fought against Israel, Israel would have bravely resisted and no doubt Israel would have been conquerors. But Balak does not send his sword.

[John Weaver] beautiful women among the men who invite them to their banquets and to their beds. And these men who could not have possibly been overcome with the sword were overcome by these harlots. I want you to learn something, folks. The truth is We are in far greater danger from a smiling world than we are from a frowning world. We're in far greater danger when the world and everyone loves us than when the world hates us. Now, I want you to note this.

[John Weaver] Balak did not have to mount an all out attack against Israel to destroy her. He did not have to needlessly endanger his army, waste his military might, nor empty his arsenal. All he had to do was to entice Israel to sin against God, and God would destroy Israel. Temptation, seduction, deceit, allurement, these things often work far better than an open frontal assault. Do you realize the advantage that the enemy has in seduction and allurement? The advantage is simply this.

[John Weaver] When you're being seduced, when you're being enticed, when you're being allured, you usually do not even recognize or comprehend that until it's too late. You've fallen. It's impossible to disguise your intentions with a frontal attack. When we know that we're being attacked, what do we do? We place ourselves in a defensive position and we're saying, no, no, no, you're not going to do that to me. But when we don't know that we're being attacked and we're being pampered and enticed, we are indeed vulnerable.

[John Weaver] Now, repeated attempts to bring the curse of God upon the people utterly failed. So Balaam then changed his plans. Those who he could not curse, he would corrupt. And when you corrupt someone, then the judgment of God is against them. So what did he do? He sent his most beautiful women in among the men to seduce them. I want you to look in your Bibles. The Proverbs chapter 7, very quickly, I'll refer to this later on, whole number 25, but look in Proverbs chapter 7. Here's a warning. In fact, I would encourage every man and every woman, by the way, to read Proverbs 5, 6 and 7. I want you to look at this. But we're looking primarily at Proverbs chapter 7 and look what God says.

[John Weaver] Let's begin with verse 5. He's talking about his words, his precepts. He says in verse 5 that they may keep thee from the strange woman. From the stranger which flattereth with her words, there's the enticement, the allurement, the seduction. For at the window of my house, I looked through my casement and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding. He didn't just say stupid, he just said void of understanding.

[John Weaver] He said it very nicely. Passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house. In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night, and behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot and subtle of heart. She is loud and stubborn, her feet abide not in her house.

[John Weaver] Now she was out now on the streets and layeth away at every corner. So she called him and kissed him with an impudent face, said unto him, I have peace offerings with me. By the way, this is spiritual now, you see. I have peace offerings with me. This day have I paid my vows. I am right with God, so I can sin, okay? Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I found thee.

[John Weaver] I deck my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. In other words, I've got the best the world can offer. I perfume my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning. Let us solace ourselves with loves, for the good man that is her husband is not at home. He has gone on a long journey. He had taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed.

[John Weaver] The word sees not going to catch us. Watch verse 21. With her much fair speech, she caused him to yield. With the flattering of her lips, she forced him. He goeth after her straightway as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, till a dart strike through his liver, As a bird hasteneth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life, hearken therefore unto me now, therefore, you children, and intend

[John Weaver] unto the words of my mouth, let not mine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths, for she hath cast down many wounded, yea, many strong men have been slain by her, her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." Now, this was Balaam's counsel? If I can't curse, I'll corrupt. And if once I get them corrupted, God will destroy them Himself. That's why He warns that it's nothing but death and destruction.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note in Numbers chapter 25, go back there. The Bible says an Israel abode in Shittim. Now, I told you last week that Shittim was a place in the plains of Moab. It was at the end of their wilderness wanderings. They were camped there before they went into the promised land, went over onto Gilgal. And the place is called Shittam, or Shittam Wood, or you could call it Acacia. The Shittam Wood and the Acacia are the same tree. Scarcely anything else grows there in the borders of the land of Canaan. So they are kept now in what you and I would call a lush, verdant valley, surrounded by all of these Shinem trees, or tastier trees, which means it's a place of comfort, consolation, rest, and plenty. I pointed out last week that in Numbers 33 and verse 49, The place is called Abel Shittim. Now, the word shittim or shittim wood is synonymous with acacia and the word acacia or shittim literally means, listen carefully, that which turns aside. Why in the world would a shittim tree or an acacia tree have the name that which turns aside?

[John Weaver] And here's the answer. Because it was full of big, long thorns. Who wants to run head on into a big, thick thorn bush? No one. So if you're going toward that thorn bush, what are you going to do? You're going to turn aside. So that's what the word means. And I think there's a great deal of spiritual significance to the meaning of that word. Remember, now they're in this valley, lush, verdant, beautiful, comfortable. They enter their wanderings.

[John Weaver] Do you realize that oftentimes we are in greater temptation in the place of prosperity than we ever were in the place of adversity? Listen to me. In adversity, We are always constantly praying and watching and begging God for help. But in the place of prosperity, you don't need the help. So what is there a tendency to do? To forget God. Hole number 25, but look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 8. God understood this principle, and therefore he gave a very stern warning concerning it in Deuteronomy 8 and a multitude of other places in the Bible. But look in Deuteronomy 8, beginning there with verse 11. God knows that we're in greater danger in prosperity than we are in adversity. Here it is. Deuteronomy 8, verse 11. Beware that thou forget not the Lord by God in not keeping his commandments and his judgments and his statutes which I command thee this day now look less when thou hast eaten and are full.

[John Weaver] and has built goodly houses, and dwelt therein. And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied, what's the danger? Then thine heart be lifted up. Then thou forget the Lord thy God, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, where there were fiery serpents and scorpions. and drought, and where there was no water, who brought thee water out of the rock of flint, who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers do not, that he might humble thee, that he might prove thee to do thee good at thy lattery. And watch, here is the danger, and thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, For it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant, which you swear to my fathers as it is today."

[John Weaver] What does God say? God says you better beware when you're in a place of prosperity, because the tendency is to forget God. We don't need you, Lord. And here these people are in a place of comfort and consolation, and we don't need God. Go back to Numbers chapter 25 and look at verse 1. In this place of prosperity, comfort, and consolation, the Bible says, and Israel abode in Shittim, remember that which turns aside, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. Now I want you to note, the Bible says they began.

[John Weaver] It was not an all out headlong rush into sin and fornication. It was begun little by little. You know, we do not understand the power and the dominion of sin. We don't. Most of us think that we can sin just a little bit and quit anytime we want to. I've heard people tell me about smoking. I can quit anytime I want to. They never want to. Same thing with marijuana. Same thing with running around with women. I can quit anytime I want to. No. Sin is addictive. It's powerful. Read Romans chapter 6.

[John Weaver] Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. It's the little things we try to overlook. Let me give you two illustrations. Do you remember in Genesis 19 after God had sent fire and brimstone against Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain? In other words, there were more cities being overthrown rather than just Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot was getting out of the city and here's this little town called Zoar.

[John Weaver] And Lott says, let me escape there that my soul may live. In fact, let me just quote the verse. Genesis 19, verse 20. He says, behold, now this city is near to flee unto. It is a little one. Oh, let me escape thither. Is it not a little one that my soul shall live? OK, Lott, you can go to Zoar. It's just a little one. And from that little one, he stepped out to the mountains. And got drunk.

[John Weaver] And committed incest with his two daughters. Solomon in the Song of Solomon, chapter 2 and verse 15 says this, it is the little foxes that spoil the vines. Now listen to me. It is our little sins. that make up and constitute our greater sins. One of these days, it would be interesting to do a study, just to analyze certain sins, to see what actually makes up the big sin, and when you analyze it, you're going to see that all the big sins are usually made up of numbers of little sins.

[John Weaver] You've got to remember the message that I taught last week. You've got to remember this principle that when God forbids any sin, he also, at the same time, forbids anything and everything that will lead up to that sin.

[John Weaver] Now go back to Numbers 25 and look at it. And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom, little by little. And the Bible says in verse 2, and they, who in the world is a they? Well, it would be the daughters of Moab, that's in the context. And they called the people under the sacrifices of their gods. Now the word called is a very interesting word. It's the Hebrew word qara.

[John Weaver] Which is variously translated in our Bibles. It means to call, to proclaim, to invite, to bid, to summon, to preach.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to know something. These Moabites did not coerce and force these Israelites to come. They invited them. They summoned them. They called them. They enticed them. And undoubtedly, after some of the men had tasted the immorality of the Moabitish women, they hastened to their call.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. When you look at these Moabitish women, they did not just come up to these men and say, hey, let's go to bow down before our false gods. Let's go to bow down before Isis. They didn't do that.

[John Weaver] Now, what did they do? They invited them to their banquets and they invited them to their beds. In other words, they got them to commit immorality before they got them to commit idolatry. By the way, that's going to be explained in the next message. In other words, had they mentioned idol worship up front, many of the men probably would have said, uh-uh. I know better than that. I'm not going to get involved in that.

[John Weaver] But what they've done is they have gotten them by degrees, little by little. You can do this. Well, yeah, OK. Well, now that you've done that, you can do this. Well, well, all right. And the next thing you know, they end up in idolatry. Do you realize that these feasts, by the way, were usually always in celebration of a false god? So just simply by their attending this feast, it was in reality a renunciation of the one true and the living God. Now if you look at what God says in verse 3, just pointing this out.

[John Weaver] And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor. Now the word joined is the word tzomad in the Hebrew and it literally means to link, to gird, to fasten, to frame, to join, to serve. So what did Israel do? Israel fastened herself, linked herself, joined herself with Baltheor, thus forsaking the one true and living God that they might worship the false god of Baltheor. Now, how many men went after Baltheor?

[John Weaver] Well, there was a large number. You'll find that mentioned in Deuteronomy four, which I will deal with a little bit later. But if you look in your Bibles, the first Corinthians chapter 10 and verse eight. There is a number given to us of how many that God killed because of their sin. And I'll deal with this verse later as well, but first Corinthians 10 and verse eight. Look what the Bible says.

[John Weaver] Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Now, I don't know how many were killed later because of this. There may not have been any. There may have been some. I don't know. But we do know, based upon 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 8, in one day, 23,000 Israelites were killed. Why? Because they join themselves under Belpheor in committing fornication and worshipping there.

[John Weaver] Now you say that might not be a very good percentage. I mean, it would be a low percentage. And by the way, notice the Bible said Israel joined himself under Belpheor. Let's say there were two million people there. 23,000 would be a very small percentage out of 2 million people. But let me give you another thought. It could not necessarily be just the percentage that God is referring to, but it could have also been the fact that many of those 23,000 were their leaders. For instance, if you'll skip down to verse 14, You'll find one of those leaders mentioned specifically.

[John Weaver] Now, the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. So undoubtedly, a number of these individuals who were taken away in this adultery and idolatry were leaders. So much so that God said Israel had joined himself in the idols.

[John Weaver] Now let me give you a very important truth. I've hit this before in several different messages, but I want to hit it again. Here is the truth, folks. Whatever we do always affects other people. That's a simple fact. Here were 23,000 men that were killed.

[John Weaver] You say, well, Brother Weaver, it was those men that were killed because they committed fornication and they committed idolatry. Well, think of the widows that were left. Think of the fatherless children that were left. Think of the blight upon the nation. Listen to Romans 14 and verse 7. Here it is. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. What in the world is God teaching us?

[John Weaver] that whatever we do always affects other people. When you take that attitude, well, what I do is my own business, that is a wicked, ungodly, perverted attitude. It's positively wicked and unscriptural. The consequences of sin oftentimes involves other people who are not even the participants in the sin. Here's a man that's a drunkard. And he says, what I do is my own business. I'm not hurting anybody until he gets in his car and he runs head on into another family and murders them. And here you find innocent people are reaping the consequences of another man's sin, although they were not even participants in his sin.

[John Weaver] How about an unfaithful husband who comes home to a faithful wife? and infects her with HIV. She is now reaping the consequences of his sin when she was not even a participant in that sin. What about the leaders of our nation? when they embroil us in unjust and unholy and unbiblical wars, and yet we as a nation have to reap the consequences of what they did. The point I'm making is very simple, folks.

[John Weaver] No man lives by himself and no man dies by himself. Whatever you do always affects other people. Whether it is for good or for bad, it always affects others. It is the height of selfishness. To say this is my life, I'll live it any way I please. Everybody else can go jump in the lake. The Moabites seduced, tempted, and enticed the Israelites. Listen to this statement. I'm going to explain it.

[John Weaver] None or more fatally bewitched than those who are bewitched by their own lusts. None are more fatally deceived than those who are deceived by their own lusts. I want you to hold Numbers 25, but turn in your Bibles to the book of James. James chapter 1. There is a passage that you must understand. James chapter 1. And let's begin reading their verse 13 and read through verse 15. Now, follow with me. This is a very important passage. James 1, verse 13.

[John Weaver] Let no man say when he is tempted. That I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed. And then, when lust hath conceived, bring it forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bring it forth death.

[John Weaver] Now, let's just stop there for a moment. Look what God says in verse 13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. Now, let's stop there. Let me explain that. It is true that God will test us. But God does not tempt us. into sin. God does not set traps for us. That will allow us to fall into sin. God will test our metal, God will test our faith. But if ever we are tempted to sin to violate God's law to do that, which is wrong, God is not the author of What does the Bible say? Let no man say when he's tempted, I'm tempted of God. Why? For God cannot be tempted with evil. That is, God is infinitely holy. And neither tempteth any man. Because God is holy, God is not going to tempt someone else to go contrary to his word. So let me just spell it out for you like this. When you sin, you cannot blame God, either directly or indirectly.

[John Weaver] It is not God's fault. It is your sin. It is your lust. It is your desire. It is not God's fault. And let me go ahead and take care of Flip Wilson. It is not the devil's fault either. You remember he said the devil made me do it? No. The devil doesn't make you do anything. He may tempt you. He may seduce you. He may entice you. He may lure you.

[John Weaver] But you do what you do and you're responsible for every action and every attitude. So it is not God who makes you sin. It is not the devil who makes you sin. But look what the Bible says.

[John Weaver] Now watch verse 13 again. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempted of any man. Here it is. But every man is tempted. When? When he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. So it is our lust. It is our desires. It is our whims, real or imagined, that are unsatisfied and unfulfilled that lead us into sin and disobedience. Now, the Bible says every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed.

[John Weaver] By the way, I want you to note what he said. Every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust. What does that mean? Well, it means this. We are all sinners. But that doesn't mean we all have the same lust. Don's lust may be different from mine. Mine may be different from Doc's. Doc's may be different from Ernie's. Every man has his own lust.

[John Weaver] Now, look what he says. That would include every woman, too, by the way. And every child, Eddie. But here's what he said, but every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and in tax.

[John Weaver] Now, let me explain it to you like this simply stated. When there is something that appears on the outside of you. That you believe would satisfy an inward desire or lust. And you act upon it, the results Now look at it. I'm going to explain it further. He said in verse 14, but every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Now watch. And when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death.

[John Weaver] Now I just told you, here's how this thing works. When there is an inward desire, an inward lust that we have, whether it's real or imagined, it doesn't matter. And there appears something on the outside of us that will satisfy, we think, something on the inside of us. We act upon it, and we do it, and it turns out to be sin. Now, here's an illustration that each of us can identify with.

[John Weaver] My wife and I have a favorite food, and I know you have a favorite food. We love fresh fish. I'd rather have fish than a T-bone steak any day of the week. Okay? I love fish. So if any of you go fishing and you catch more than you want, let me know. All right. So here is a nice bass in my pond and a bunch of bluegill brim. And I want to fish supper.

[John Weaver] So what do I do? I run, dive in my pond and try to catch those fish. Now, how stupid, because those fish can out swim me and outmaneuver me. There's no way in the world I'm going to catch a fish by trying to swim him down. No, I can't catch those fish like that, but now wait a minute, I know The deep inside of those bass and those bream is a strong desire for a nice, juicy fat worm. And so I go give them that fat worm, but I take that fat worm and I hide him on a hook, or hide the hook in that fat worm. And then I drop that fat worm in the water. That fish is safe in the water.

[John Weaver] The fish may even be under some rocks or a fallen log and be even safer. There's no way I can get that fish. But when I drop that hook, when I allure him and he looks and he sees that worm dancing on that hook, there appears outside of him something that is going to satisfy an inward desire. He runs out from under the safety of the rock, bites that hook, And I have fish for supper.

[John Weaver] Do you know that's exactly how it happens to us? When we see something on the outside of us that we think is going to satisfy something on the inside of us, we bite. And look what God says, verse 15, And when lust hath conceived, that is, When it stops being pregnant, when it brings to birth, what does it bring to birth? Sin. And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Are you listening? Here's the analogy. That which promised life, joy and pleasure to that mass ended up in death forever. Because i.e., our sins, our lusts, our desires, when we think we're going to deviate from God's law and have everything in us satisfied that God tells us not to do, it always ends up in death and destruction. It does not bring joy. It does not bring light. It does not bring happiness. It brings death and destruction. Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. What did Israel do? Israel went after those beautiful Moabitish women, and their whoredoms did everything that Balaam's enchantments and curses could not do.

[John Weaver] They set God against Israel. He was turned now to be their enemy. He fought against them, and there fell in one day 23,000 men. Listen to me, folks. It doesn't matter how you get in the violation of God's law. However you get there, whether you do it deliberately, whether you're deceived, whether you're led astray, whether you're tempted, it doesn't matter how you get there. Once you're there, you're under the curse of the judgment of God.

[John Weaver] You know, when I was a boy, we used to play marbles. And you'd shoot and you might miss and you'd always holler, slip us. It slipped, I didn't mean to shoot. Let's call it back and do it over again. No, that doesn't work. Once you're there, you're there, you're caught. That's what God is saying.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make a couple of applications here. The first one. No one makes us sin. We sin because we want to sin. Therefore, we're responsible for all of our sins. The devil does not make us do it. God does not tempt us to do it. God is not the author of our sin. We sin and therefore we must bear the fruit and the consequences of our sins.

[John Weaver] We have to understand and we have to recognize that temptations, seductions and enticements are what they really and truly are. They are indeed that which will lead us contrary to the word of God and which will ultimately end in death and disappointment. Therefore, listen carefully. Therefore, we must never keep unbiblical, unholy and ungodly thoughts in our minds. Why? That's the beginning. What does the Bible say? 1 Corinthians 7, verse 1, having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. That is, our minds, our spirits, our dispositions should be clean and holy as well.

[John Weaver] It is that which begins before we ever commit the physical act. So we've got to view temptations for what they really are, not sources of joy and pleasure, The sources of death. And desolation. The second application is this in light of this truth. We also must understand that our enemies do not always attack us in a straightforward manner. Sure would be easy if they did. But they don't always come to the front waving the flags and hey, we're here to conquer and kill you. No. Many times. They appear behind us. or to the side of us, and seduction away from the truth of God's word is equally an attack just like a frontal assault is an attack.

[John Weaver] Let me spell it out to you. Compromise, toleration, political correctness are tools of destruction. We cannot be in a place of blessing but we are in a position of denying any portion of the Word of God. We must never, under any circumstance, allow ourselves to be led away from the one true and living God and the revelation of Himself in His Word. The first principle of learning the righteousness of God was this, any deviation from God's law. Any deviation from his standard is wickedness, disobedience, and unrighteousness. The second principle we're to learn is this,

Learning the Righteousness of God - 2

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	8250520650
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Conflict, Babylon, and Victory
Genre	Sermon
Date	2005-08-21
Dictation Name
Book	Book 165: Learning the Righteousness of God — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	77

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the previous message, emphasizing that God's law-word is the standard for righteousness and any deviation is sin. He introduces the second point: sin places us under God's judgment and curse.

Alright, I want you to open your Bibles if you would once again to Micah chapter 6 and of course Numbers chapter 25. Micah chapter 6 and we'll read at least the first 8 verses. Micah chapter 6 verses 1-8 and we'll take up where we left off last week. Remember we have been bringing the series on learning the righteousness of God. This is the second message in that series, so notice Micah chapter 6 verse 1. Hear you

Scripture Reading — Micah 6:1-8

now what the Lord saith, Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O 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 where 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 servants, and 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 to 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 with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has 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?

Now, if you would hold Micah 6, but turn in your Bibles also to Numbers 25, because that is a text that we have been using in reference to Micah 6 and verse 5. So in Numbers 25, you will be ready to look there at those verses in just a moment. Now, may I point out, as you get ready to read from Numbers 25, In the book of Micah chapter 6 in verse 5, God says, O my people, remember now what Balak the king of Moab consulted and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord. Now, last week we began this first message and I pointed out the fact that man by nature does not know God. In fact, I showed you from Ephesians chapter four, where man by nature is alienated from God through the ignorance that is in him. I pointed out also in Acts chapter 17, when Paul went to preach on Mars Hill, he found an altar there with this inscription to the unknown God. And that is exactly what God is to those who are unconverted, unsaved. They may know there is a God, but they do not know the one true and the living God. After having given you that truth, I went on to say it may surprise you even further that Christians do not know God automatically just because they have been regenerated and converted. Yes, we know that He is our Savior. We know that He is the one true God. We know that He is Lord and King. But that does not mean that we understand all of the attributes of God.

That's why in 1 John 2, John divided Christians into three categories, babes, young men and fathers. And the knowledge of one group is different from the knowledge of the other groups. So you have babes in Christ, you have young men in Christ, and you have fathers in Christ. Now, the interesting thing is in Micah 6 and verse 5, God says, Oh, my people, you better remember something. You better remember what Balak consulted And what Balaam answered from Shittim to Gilgal, why? That you may learn the righteousness of God. So the incident, this singled out in Numbers chapter 25, is what happened at Shittim in The Old Testament there, and this is where God says that we must learn the righteousness of God. Now we singled out this passage because it was first referred to in Micah 6 and verse 5. Let me give you the main point that I preached last Sunday in this first message. I only dealt with one point. Here it is, that God's law word is our standard for righteousness.

And any deviation from His truth is sin and unrighteousness. Let me say that again. God's law word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from that truth is sin and unrighteousness.

Now, the consuming point of Numbers 25, especially verses 1-3, I believe is this. That when God forbids any sin At the same time, he forbids everything and anything else that will lead up to that sin. In other words, The sins of the spirit are just as condemned as sins of the flesh, because sins of the spirit and sins of the mind always lead up to and point the way to the sins of the flesh. So when God has given us His standard for righteousness, whenever we begin to deviate, whether it's mental deviation or emotional deviation or spiritual deviation or willful deviation, it is still sin. So God has given us his standard for righteousness and any deviation from that standard is sin and wickedness.

Now, there's a second point I want to make this week and only one point today as well. And that is this, that sin places us under the judgment and curse of God. No matter how we arrive at the sin. Now, let me make that point again, because I'm going to develop it. that sin places us under the judgment and curse of God no matter how we arrive at the sin.

Balak's Desire and Balaam's Failed Curses

Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel for military victory, but God turned every curse into a blessing. Weaver highlights that nothing can harm us when we are in God's will.

Now look at Numbers 25 verse 1, And Israel began to abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods, and the people did eat and bow down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. Now, remember what Micah 6 and verse 5 said. You better remember what Balak the king of Moab consulted and what Balaam answered from Shittim to Gilgalvite that you might know the righteousness of God. Now, in order to comprehend this one simple point that I'm going to delineate today, you must remember Balak's desire. What did King Balak desire? His desire was to have Balaam to curse Israel. Over and over, Balaam tried to curse Israel, but God would not allow him to do so. Look in Numbers 22, verses 5 and 6. Numbers 22, verses 5 and 6. He sent messengers, therefore, unto Balaam, the son of Beor, to Pthor, which is by the river, the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt, Behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.

Come now, therefore, I pray thee. Curse me, this people, for they are too mighty for me. For adventure I shall prevail, and that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom thou blesses is blessed, and he whom thou curses is cursed." So Balak then, the king, sins for Balaam. Why? That he might curse Israel, that Balak might have a military victory over them. Look in verse 10. And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zipor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse me then, for adventure I shall be over to come to them, and drive them out. Now, note once again, the purpose was to curse Israel. Without me having to read through all of these passages, you know that every time Balaam then stood up to curse Israel. What did God do?

He turned it into a blessing. And King Balak got so upset. He said, I called you to curse me, this people, and these three times you've all together blessed them. Now, Balak was so upset. Here's what he said in essence. You better go home, boy, and you better go home quick. In other words, I thought that I was going to promote you. I thought that I was going to make you rich. But now what you've done is you've blessed whom I wanted cursed. You've angered and upset me. And basically what he said to Balaam is you better get out of my sight or I change my mind and kill you.

Well, now, let me point something out. Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness. In fact, if you hold Numbers 25 and look in your Bibles of 2 Peter 2 and verse 15, you will find out that Balaam was not about to give up so easily. He wanted his reward. He wanted that money. So the Bible tells us in 2 Peter 2 and verse 15 concerning Balaam, who have forsaken the right way and are going astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosar, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. That is, he knew that Balak could make him rich, and he wanted that money, and he was not about to give it up. Now, before I proceed, let me just point out that there is a tremendous truth that we ought to apply to our lives from Numbers 22 through Numbers 25. What is that truth? You remember Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel.

But every time he stood up to curse them, God turned those curses into a blessing. Here it is. Here's the truth that we should rejoice in. There is absolutely nothing. There is absolutely nothing that can hinder, harm, curse, or vex us as long as we're in the will of God. You stop and think about that, folks. The safest place for any child of God to be is right smack dab in the middle of the will of God. Here's a powerful monarch. Who brought a powerful medium to curse Israel, and every time he tried, he ended up blessing Israel. Do you realize as much as we're hated, maligned, despised, and persecuted in this world, the truth is as long as we have God's blessings upon us, man's curses mean nothing.

It doesn't matter how irate people are against us. It doesn't matter how upset the government is against us. It doesn't matter how willfully malignant Our enemies are against us. As long as we are under the blessings of God, there is no one who can turn those blessings into curses.

Now, Balaam did not and could not curse Israel. But on the other hand, Balaam was not going to give up that easily because he loved the wages of unrighteousness and he had another plan that would allow him to get his money. So, Balaam then switched roles from a diviner to a consultant.

Balaam's Shift to Consultant and the Plan to Corrupt Israel

Unable to curse Israel, Balaam taught Balak to seduce Israel into sin, knowing that God would then judge them. This is the 'doctrine of Balaam' mentioned in Revelation 2:14.

Now, remember what the Bible says in Micah 6 and verse 5. O my people, remember that which Balak consulted, that is, he asked his consultant for some wisdom, and he says, remember what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered. So here is a consultant and a consultee, and God says you better remember that. There's a reason.

Now, before I get into this, look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 2 and verse 14. By the way, this role of consultant is mentioned in the Bible, and look what God says. In the book of Revelation chapter 2 in verse 14, Balaam once again is pointed out, singled out by Christ himself. So our Lord is talking to the church of Pergamos. And look what he says to the church in verse 14, Revelation chapter 2. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast them there that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Scripture Reading — Revelation 2:14

" Now notice what he said, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast them there that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak. He just did not simply advise him, he taught him, he told him exactly what to do, to get Israel to sin. So what is God saying? God is saying you better remember this.

If you want to learn my righteousness. You better remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered. Now look, since God would not allow either Balak or Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam then came up with a plan. To get God himself. to curse Israel. In Numbers chapter 23, go there. Numbers chapter 23. This is one of those occasions when Balaam was supposed to be cursing Israel. And look what the Bible says. Numbers 23 verse 20. Numbers 23 verse 20. Balaam says, Behold, I have received commandment to bless And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. Now look what he says. He that is God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the shadow of a king is among them.

Ain't that interesting what he said? They like you want me to curse them, but I've received a command to bless, and that's what I'm going to bless. And I want you to understand, God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel. So here is Balaam's plan. If God sees Israel become perverse, if God sees Israel sin and rebel against him, Then Balaam concludes that the anger of God would be against Israel and God would destroy them Himself. So what does Balaam do? He teaches Balaam how to seduce, entice, and lure the people into fornication and adultery. He taught him how to lure them not only in fornication and adultery, but also into idolatry. Now, let me point it out like this. If Balak had drawn out his sword and fought against Israel, Israel would have bravely resisted and no doubt Israel would have been conquerors. But Balak does not send his sword.

The Danger of Seduction Over Frontal Assault

Weaver explains that seduction and enticement are more dangerous than open attacks because victims often do not recognize the threat until it is too late. He uses Proverbs 7 to illustrate the allure of the strange woman.

beautiful women among the men who invite them to their banquets and to their beds. And these men who could not have possibly been overcome with the sword were overcome by these harlots. I want you to learn something, folks. The truth is We are in far greater danger from a smiling world than we are from a frowning world. We're in far greater danger when the world and everyone loves us than when the world hates us. Now, I want you to note this. Balak did not have to mount an all out attack against Israel to destroy her. He did not have to needlessly endanger his army, waste his military might, nor empty his arsenal. All he had to do was to entice Israel to sin against God, and God would destroy Israel. Temptation, seduction, deceit, allurement, these things often work far better than an open frontal assault. Do you realize the advantage that the enemy has in seduction and allurement? The advantage is simply this.

When you're being seduced, when you're being enticed, when you're being allured, you usually do not even recognize or comprehend that until it's too late. You've fallen. It's impossible to disguise your intentions with a frontal attack. When we know that we're being attacked, what do we do? We place ourselves in a defensive position and we're saying, no, no, no, you're not going to do that to me. But when we don't know that we're being attacked and we're being pampered and enticed, we are indeed vulnerable.

Now, repeated attempts to bring the curse of God upon the people utterly failed. So Balaam then changed his plans. Those who he could not curse, he would corrupt. And when you corrupt someone, then the judgment of God is against them. So what did he do? He sent his most beautiful women in among the men to seduce them. I want you to look in your Bibles. The Proverbs chapter 7, very quickly, I'll refer to this later on, whole number 25, but look in Proverbs chapter 7. Here's a warning. In fact, I would encourage every man and every woman, by the way, to read Proverbs 5, 6 and 7. I want you to look at this. But we're looking primarily at Proverbs chapter 7 and look what God says.

Let's begin with verse 5. He's talking about his words, his precepts. He says in verse 5 that they may keep thee from the strange woman. From the stranger which flattereth with her words, there's the enticement, the allurement, the seduction. For at the window of my house, I looked through my casement and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding. He didn't just say stupid, he just said void of understanding. He said it very nicely. Passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house. In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night, and behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot and subtle of heart. She is loud and stubborn, her feet abide not in her house.

Now she was out now on the streets and layeth away at every corner. So she called him and kissed him with an impudent face, said unto him, I have peace offerings with me. By the way, this is spiritual now, you see. I have peace offerings with me. This day have I paid my vows. I am right with God, so I can sin, okay? Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I found thee.

I deck my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. In other words, I've got the best the world can offer. I perfume my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning. Let us solace ourselves with loves, for the good man that is her husband is not at home. He has gone on a long journey. He had taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed.

The word sees not going to catch us. Watch verse 21. With her much fair speech, she caused him to yield. With the flattering of her lips, she forced him. He goeth after her straightway as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, till a dart strike through his liver, As a bird hasteneth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life, hearken therefore unto me now, therefore, you children, and intend unto the words of my mouth, let not mine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths, for she hath cast down many wounded, yea, many strong men have been slain by her, her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." Now, this was Balaam's counsel? If I can't curse, I'll corrupt. And if once I get them corrupted, God will destroy them Himself. That's why He warns that it's nothing but death and destruction.

The Setting of Shittim and the Danger of Prosperity

Israel's sin began in Shittim, a place of comfort and prosperity. Weaver warns that prosperity often leads to forgetfulness of God, as seen in Deuteronomy 8.

Now, I want you to note in Numbers chapter 25, go back there. The Bible says an Israel abode in Shittim. Now, I told you last week that Shittim was a place in the plains of Moab. It was at the end of their wilderness wanderings. They were camped there before they went into the promised land, went over onto Gilgal. And the place is called Shittam, or Shittam Wood, or you could call it Acacia. The Shittam Wood and the Acacia are the same tree. Scarcely anything else grows there in the borders of the land of Canaan. So they are kept now in what you and I would call a lush, verdant valley, surrounded by all of these Shinem trees, or tastier trees, which means it's a place of comfort, consolation, rest, and plenty. I pointed out last week that in Numbers 33 and verse 49, The place is called Abel Shittim. Now, the word shittim or shittim wood is synonymous with acacia and the word acacia or shittim literally means, listen carefully, that which turns aside. Why in the world would a shittim tree or an acacia tree have the name that which turns aside?

And here's the answer. Because it was full of big, long thorns. Who wants to run head on into a big, thick thorn bush? No one. So if you're going toward that thorn bush, what are you going to do? You're going to turn aside. So that's what the word means. And I think there's a great deal of spiritual significance to the meaning of that word. Remember, now they're in this valley, lush, verdant, beautiful, comfortable. They enter their wanderings.

Do you realize that oftentimes we are in greater temptation in the place of prosperity than we ever were in the place of adversity? Listen to me. In adversity, We are always constantly praying and watching and begging God for help. But in the place of prosperity, you don't need the help. So what is there a tendency to do? To forget God. Hole number 25, but look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 8. God understood this principle, and therefore he gave a very stern warning concerning it in Deuteronomy 8 and a multitude of other places in the Bible. But look in Deuteronomy 8, beginning there with verse 11. God knows that we're in greater danger in prosperity than we are in adversity. Here it is. Deuteronomy 8, verse 11. Beware that thou forget not the Lord by God in not keeping his commandments and his judgments and his statutes which I command thee this day now look less when thou hast eaten and are full.

and has built goodly houses, and dwelt therein. And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied, what's the danger? Then thine heart be lifted up. Then thou forget the Lord thy God, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, where there were fiery serpents and scorpions. and drought, and where there was no water, who brought thee water out of the rock of flint, who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers do not, that he might humble thee, that he might prove thee to do thee good at thy lattery. And watch, here is the danger, and thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, For it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant, which you swear to my fathers as it is today."

What does God say? God says you better beware when you're in a place of prosperity, because the tendency is to forget God. We don't need you, Lord. And here these people are in a place of comfort and consolation, and we don't need God. Go back to Numbers chapter 25 and look at verse 1. In this place of prosperity, comfort, and consolation, the Bible says, and Israel abode in Shittim, remember that which turns aside, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. Now I want you to note, the Bible says they began.

The Gradual Nature of Sin and Its Consequences

Israel 'began' to commit whoredom, showing sin's progressive nature. The Moabite women invited them to feasts and immorality before idolatry. 23,000 Israelites died in one day as a result.

It was not an all out headlong rush into sin and fornication. It was begun little by little. You know, we do not understand the power and the dominion of sin. We don't. Most of us think that we can sin just a little bit and quit anytime we want to. I've heard people tell me about smoking. I can quit anytime I want to. They never want to. Same thing with marijuana. Same thing with running around with women. I can quit anytime I want to. No. Sin is addictive. It's powerful. Read Romans chapter 6.

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. It's the little things we try to overlook. Let me give you two illustrations. Do you remember in Genesis 19 after God had sent fire and brimstone against Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain? In other words, there were more cities being overthrown rather than just Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot was getting out of the city and here's this little town called Zoar. And Lott says, let me escape there that my soul may live. In fact, let me just quote the verse. Genesis 19, verse 20. He says, behold, now this city is near to flee unto. It is a little one. Oh, let me escape thither. Is it not a little one that my soul shall live? OK, Lott, you can go to Zoar. It's just a little one. And from that little one, he stepped out to the mountains. And got drunk.

And committed incest with his two daughters. Solomon in the Song of Solomon, chapter 2 and verse 15 says this, it is the little foxes that spoil the vines. Now listen to me. It is our little sins. that make up and constitute our greater sins. One of these days, it would be interesting to do a study, just to analyze certain sins, to see what actually makes up the big sin, and when you analyze it, you're going to see that all the big sins are usually made up of numbers of little sins. You've got to remember the message that I taught last week. You've got to remember this principle that when God forbids any sin, he also, at the same time, forbids anything and everything that will lead up to that sin.

Now go back to Numbers 25 and look at it. And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom, little by little. And the Bible says in verse 2, and they, who in the world is a they? Well, it would be the daughters of Moab, that's in the context. And they called the people under the sacrifices of their gods. Now the word called is a very interesting word. It's the Hebrew word qara.

Which is variously translated in our Bibles. It means to call, to proclaim, to invite, to bid, to summon, to preach. Now, I want you to know something. These Moabites did not coerce and force these Israelites to come. They invited them. They summoned them. They called them. They enticed them. And undoubtedly, after some of the men had tasted the immorality of the Moabitish women, they hastened to their call.

Now, the interesting thing is this. When you look at these Moabitish women, they did not just come up to these men and say, hey, let's go to bow down before our false gods. Let's go to bow down before Isis. They didn't do that.

Now, what did they do? They invited them to their banquets and they invited them to their beds. In other words, they got them to commit immorality before they got them to commit idolatry. By the way, that's going to be explained in the next message. In other words, had they mentioned idol worship up front, many of the men probably would have said, uh-uh. I know better than that. I'm not going to get involved in that.

But what they've done is they have gotten them by degrees, little by little. You can do this. Well, yeah, OK. Well, now that you've done that, you can do this. Well, well, all right. And the next thing you know, they end up in idolatry. Do you realize that these feasts, by the way, were usually always in celebration of a false god? So just simply by their attending this feast, it was in reality a renunciation of the one true and the living God. Now if you look at what God says in verse 3, just pointing this out.

And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor. Now the word joined is the word tzomad in the Hebrew and it literally means to link, to gird, to fasten, to frame, to join, to serve. So what did Israel do? Israel fastened herself, linked herself, joined herself with Baltheor, thus forsaking the one true and living God that they might worship the false god of Baltheor. Now, how many men went after Baltheor? Well, there was a large number. You'll find that mentioned in Deuteronomy four, which I will deal with a little bit later. But if you look in your Bibles, the first Corinthians chapter 10 and verse eight. There is a number given to us of how many that God killed because of their sin. And I'll deal with this verse later as well, but first Corinthians 10 and verse eight. Look what the Bible says.

Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Now, I don't know how many were killed later because of this. There may not have been any. There may have been some. I don't know. But we do know, based upon 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 8, in one day, 23,000 Israelites were killed. Why? Because they join themselves under Belpheor in committing fornication and worshipping there.

Sin Affects Others and Stems from Our Own Lusts

Weaver stresses that no one sins in isolation; our actions always affect others. Using James 1:13-15, he explains that temptation arises from our own lusts, not from God, and sin leads to death.

Now you say that might not be a very good percentage. I mean, it would be a low percentage. And by the way, notice the Bible said Israel joined himself under Belpheor. Let's say there were two million people there. 23,000 would be a very small percentage out of 2 million people. But let me give you another thought. It could not necessarily be just the percentage that God is referring to, but it could have also been the fact that many of those 23,000 were their leaders. For instance, if you'll skip down to verse 14, You'll find one of those leaders mentioned specifically.

Now, the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. So undoubtedly, a number of these individuals who were taken away in this adultery and idolatry were leaders. So much so that God said Israel had joined himself in the idols. Now let me give you a very important truth. I've hit this before in several different messages, but I want to hit it again. Here is the truth, folks. Whatever we do always affects other people. That's a simple fact. Here were 23,000 men that were killed.

You say, well, Brother Weaver, it was those men that were killed because they committed fornication and they committed idolatry. Well, think of the widows that were left. Think of the fatherless children that were left. Think of the blight upon the nation. Listen to Romans 14 and verse 7. Here it is. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. What in the world is God teaching us?

that whatever we do always affects other people. When you take that attitude, well, what I do is my own business, that is a wicked, ungodly, perverted attitude. It's positively wicked and unscriptural. The consequences of sin oftentimes involves other people who are not even the participants in the sin. Here's a man that's a drunkard. And he says, what I do is my own business. I'm not hurting anybody until he gets in his car and he runs head on into another family and murders them. And here you find innocent people are reaping the consequences of another man's sin, although they were not even participants in his sin.

How about an unfaithful husband who comes home to a faithful wife? and infects her with HIV. She is now reaping the consequences of his sin when she was not even a participant in that sin. What about the leaders of our nation? when they embroil us in unjust and unholy and unbiblical wars, and yet we as a nation have to reap the consequences of what they did. The point I'm making is very simple, folks. No man lives by himself and no man dies by himself. Whatever you do always affects other people. Whether it is for good or for bad, it always affects others. It is the height of selfishness. To say this is my life, I'll live it any way I please. Everybody else can go jump in the lake. The Moabites seduced, tempted, and enticed the Israelites. Listen to this statement. I'm going to explain it.

None or more fatally bewitched than those who are bewitched by their own lusts. None are more fatally deceived than those who are deceived by their own lusts. I want you to hold Numbers 25, but turn in your Bibles to the book of James. James chapter 1. There is a passage that you must understand. James chapter 1. And let's begin reading their verse 13 and read through verse 15. Now, follow with me. This is a very important passage. James 1, verse 13.

Let no man say when he is tempted. That I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed. And then, when lust hath conceived, bring it forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bring it forth death.

Now, let's just stop there for a moment. Look what God says in verse 13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. Now, let's stop there. Let me explain that. It is true that God will test us. But God does not tempt us. into sin. God does not set traps for us. That will allow us to fall into sin. God will test our metal, God will test our faith. But if ever we are tempted to sin to violate God's law to do that, which is wrong, God is not the author of What does the Bible say? Let no man say when he's tempted, I'm tempted of God. Why? For God cannot be tempted with evil. That is, God is infinitely holy. And neither tempteth any man. Because God is holy, God is not going to tempt someone else to go contrary to his word. So let me just spell it out for you like this. When you sin, you cannot blame God, either directly or indirectly.

It is not God's fault. It is your sin. It is your lust. It is your desire. It is not God's fault. And let me go ahead and take care of Flip Wilson. It is not the devil's fault either. You remember he said the devil made me do it? No. The devil doesn't make you do anything. He may tempt you. He may seduce you. He may entice you. He may lure you.

But you do what you do and you're responsible for every action and every attitude. So it is not God who makes you sin. It is not the devil who makes you sin. But look what the Bible says.

Now watch verse 13 again. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempted of any man. Here it is. But every man is tempted. When? When he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. So it is our lust. It is our desires. It is our whims, real or imagined, that are unsatisfied and unfulfilled that lead us into sin and disobedience. Now, the Bible says every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed.

By the way, I want you to note what he said. Every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust. What does that mean? Well, it means this. We are all sinners. But that doesn't mean we all have the same lust. Don's lust may be different from mine. Mine may be different from Doc's. Doc's may be different from Ernie's. Every man has his own lust.

Now, look what he says. That would include every woman, too, by the way. And every child, Eddie. But here's what he said, but every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and in tax.

Now, let me explain it to you like this simply stated. When there is something that appears on the outside of you. That you believe would satisfy an inward desire or lust. And you act upon it, the results Now look at it. I'm going to explain it further. He said in verse 14, but every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Now watch. And when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death.

Now I just told you, here's how this thing works. When there is an inward desire, an inward lust that we have, whether it's real or imagined, it doesn't matter. And there appears something on the outside of us that will satisfy, we think, something on the inside of us. We act upon it, and we do it, and it turns out to be sin. Now, here's an illustration that each of us can identify with. My wife and I have a favorite food, and I know you have a favorite food. We love fresh fish. I'd rather have fish than a T-bone steak any day of the week. Okay? I love fish. So if any of you go fishing and you catch more than you want, let me know. All right. So here is a nice bass in my pond and a bunch of bluegill brim. And I want to fish supper.

So what do I do? I run, dive in my pond and try to catch those fish. Now, how stupid, because those fish can out swim me and outmaneuver me. There's no way in the world I'm going to catch a fish by trying to swim him down. No, I can't catch those fish like that, but now wait a minute, I know The deep inside of those bass and those bream is a strong desire for a nice, juicy fat worm. And so I go give them that fat worm, but I take that fat worm and I hide him on a hook, or hide the hook in that fat worm. And then I drop that fat worm in the water. That fish is safe in the water.

The fish may even be under some rocks or a fallen log and be even safer. There's no way I can get that fish. But when I drop that hook, when I allure him and he looks and he sees that worm dancing on that hook, there appears outside of him something that is going to satisfy an inward desire. He runs out from under the safety of the rock, bites that hook, And I have fish for supper. Do you know that's exactly how it happens to us? When we see something on the outside of us that we think is going to satisfy something on the inside of us, we bite. And look what God says, verse 15, And when lust hath conceived, that is, When it stops being pregnant, when it brings to birth, what does it bring to birth? Sin. And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Are you listening? Here's the analogy. That which promised life, joy and pleasure to that mass ended up in death forever. Because i.e., our sins, our lusts, our desires, when we think we're going to deviate from God's law and have everything in us satisfied that God tells us not to do, it always ends up in death and destruction. It does not bring joy. It does not bring light. It does not bring happiness. It brings death and destruction. Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. What did Israel do? Israel went after those beautiful Moabitish women, and their whoredoms did everything that Balaam's enchantments and curses could not do.

Applications: Responsibility and Vigilance

We are responsible for our own sins; we must view temptations as death traps, not pleasures. We must guard our minds and recognize that compromise and seduction are attacks on our faith.

They set God against Israel. He was turned now to be their enemy. He fought against them, and there fell in one day 23,000 men. Listen to me, folks. It doesn't matter how you get in the violation of God's law. However you get there, whether you do it deliberately, whether you're deceived, whether you're led astray, whether you're tempted, it doesn't matter how you get there. Once you're there, you're under the curse of the judgment of God.

You know, when I was a boy, we used to play marbles. And you'd shoot and you might miss and you'd always holler, slip us. It slipped, I didn't mean to shoot. Let's call it back and do it over again. No, that doesn't work. Once you're there, you're there, you're caught. That's what God is saying.

Now, let me make a couple of applications here. The first one. No one makes us sin. We sin because we want to sin. Therefore, we're responsible for all of our sins. The devil does not make us do it. God does not tempt us to do it. God is not the author of our sin. We sin and therefore we must bear the fruit and the consequences of our sins.

We have to understand and we have to recognize that temptations, seductions and enticements are what they really and truly are. They are indeed that which will lead us contrary to the word of God and which will ultimately end in death and disappointment. Therefore, listen carefully. Therefore, we must never keep unbiblical, unholy and ungodly thoughts in our minds. Why? That's the beginning. What does the Bible say? 1 Corinthians 7, verse 1, having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. That is, our minds, our spirits, our dispositions should be clean and holy as well.

It is that which begins before we ever commit the physical act. So we've got to view temptations for what they really are, not sources of joy and pleasure, The sources of death. And desolation. The second application is this in light of this truth. We also must understand that our enemies do not always attack us in a straightforward manner. Sure would be easy if they did. But they don't always come to the front waving the flags and hey, we're here to conquer and kill you. No. Many times. They appear behind us. or to the side of us, and seduction away from the truth of God's word is equally an attack just like a frontal assault is an attack.

Let me spell it out to you. Compromise, toleration, political correctness are tools of destruction. We cannot be in a place of blessing but we are in a position of denying any portion of the Word of God. We must never, under any circumstance, allow ourselves to be led away from the one true and living God and the revelation of Himself in His Word. The first principle of learning the righteousness of God was this, any deviation from God's law. Any deviation from his standard is wickedness, disobedience, and unrighteousness. The second principle we're to learn is this,

Study Guide

Major Themes

Sin places us under God's judgment and curse

Summary: No matter how one arrives at sin—whether deliberately, through deception, or enticement—once in sin, one is under God's judgment.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'sin places us under the judgment and curse of God no matter how we arrive at the sin.' He illustrates with Israel's fall at Shittim and the resulting death of 23,000.

The danger of seduction over frontal assault

Summary: The world's seductions are more dangerous than open persecution because they are subtle and often unrecognized until it is too late.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'We are in far greater danger from a smiling world than we are from a frowning world.' He uses Balaam's strategy of sending Moabite women to entice Israel.

Prosperity as a greater temptation than adversity

Summary: In times of comfort and prosperity, people tend to forget God and become self-reliant, making them more vulnerable to sin.

Evidence: Weaver notes: 'oftentimes we are in greater temptation in the place of prosperity than we ever were in the place of adversity.' He references Deuteronomy 8:11-18.

Sin begins with inward lust and leads to death

Summary: Temptation arises from our own desires, and when acted upon, it conceives sin, which ultimately brings forth death.

Evidence: Weaver expounds James 1:13-15: 'every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed... sin when it is finished bringeth forth death.'

Personal responsibility for sin

Summary: No one forces us to sin; we sin because we want to, and we are fully responsible for the consequences.

Evidence: Weaver declares: 'No one makes us sin. We sin because we want to sin. Therefore, we're responsible for all of our sins.' He rejects blaming God or the devil.

The corporate impact of individual sin

Summary: Our sins always affect others, whether family, community, or nation, contradicting the notion that 'what I do is my own business.'

Evidence: Weaver cites Romans 14:7 and gives examples: widows and orphans from the 23,000 slain, a drunk driver killing a family, an unfaithful spouse spreading disease.

Key Arguments

God's blessings cannot be reversed by man's curses

Summary: As long as Israel was in God's will, Balaam's curses were turned into blessings, demonstrating God's sovereign protection.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'There is absolutely nothing that can hinder, harm, curse, or vex us as long as we're in the will of God.' He references Numbers 23:20.

Balaam's doctrine: corrupting to bring God's judgment

Summary: Since Balaam could not curse Israel, he taught Balak to corrupt them through immorality and idolatry, knowing God would then judge them.

Evidence: Weaver explains: 'If God sees Israel become perverse... then Balaam concludes that the anger of God would be against Israel and God would destroy them Himself.' He cites Revelation 2:14.

Seduction works by degrees

Summary: The Moabite women first enticed the Israelites into immorality, then gradually led them to idolatry, showing how sin progresses step by step.

Evidence: Weaver notes: 'They got them to commit immorality before they got them to commit idolatry... they have gotten them by degrees, little by little.'

Little sins lead to greater sins

Summary: Major sins are often composed of many small compromises, and God forbids not only the sin itself but everything that leads to it.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'It is our little sins that make up and constitute our greater sins.' He references the 'little foxes' in Song of Solomon 2:15 and Lot's progression from Zoar to incest.

Temptation exploits our own lusts

Summary: External temptations only have power because they appeal to internal desires; we are drawn away by our own lusts.

Evidence: Weaver uses the fishing analogy: 'When there appears something on the outside of us that will satisfy... something on the inside of us, we act upon it.' He cites James 1:14.

Sin always results in death and destruction

Summary: Despite promises of pleasure, sin ultimately leads to spiritual and often physical death, as seen in the 23,000 Israelites slain.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'That which promised life, joy and pleasure... ended up in death forever.' He references James 1:15 and 1 Corinthians 10:8.

Scripture References

Micah 6:1-8

Context: Read at the beginning; God's controversy with Israel and the call to remember Balak and Balaam to know God's righteousness.

Numbers 25:1-3

Context: Israel's sin at Shittim: committing whoredom with Moabite women and joining to Baal-peor, kindling God's anger.

Numbers 22:5-6

Context: Balak's request for Balaam to curse Israel because they were too mighty for him.

Numbers 23:20-21

Context: Balaam's declaration that God has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, so he cannot curse them.

Revelation 2:14

Context: The doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before Israel to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to idols.

Proverbs 7:5-27

Context: Warning against the seduction of the strange woman, illustrating how enticement leads to destruction.

Deuteronomy 8:11-18

Context: Warning not to forget God in times of prosperity, lest the heart be lifted up and self-reliance lead to forgetting God.

1 Corinthians 10:8

Context: Reference to 23,000 Israelites falling in one day due to fornication, as a warning to believers.

Romans 14:7

Context: None of us lives or dies to himself; our actions always affect others.

James 1:13-15

Context: Temptation does not come from God but from our own lusts; lust conceives and brings forth sin, and sin brings forth death.

2 Peter 2:15

Context: Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness, explaining his motivation to find a way to curse Israel.

Genesis 19:20

Context: Lot's plea to flee to Zoar, a 'little one,' which led to his later sin of drunkenness and incest, illustrating the danger of small compromises.

Song of Solomon 2:15

Context: The little foxes that spoil the vines, used to illustrate how small sins ruin lives.

2 Corinthians 7:1

Context: Call to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness.

Historical References

Balaam and Balak incident

Context: The historical event at Shittim where Balaam advised Balak to seduce Israel into sin, leading to God's judgment.

Paul's sermon on Mars Hill (Acts 17)

Context: Used to illustrate that unconverted people do not know the true God, referencing the altar to the unknown God.

Sodom and Gomorrah destruction

Context: Lot's escape to Zoar and subsequent sin of incest, used as an illustration of small compromises leading to greater sin.

Important Quotes

There is absolutely nothing that can hinder, harm, curse, or vex us as long as we're in the will of God.

Significance: Emphasizes God's sovereign protection over His people when they are obedient, a key encouragement from the Balaam narrative.

We are in far greater danger from a smiling world than we are from a frowning world.

Significance: Highlights the subtle danger of seduction and prosperity over open persecution.

It is our little sins that make up and constitute our greater sins.

Significance: Warns against underestimating small compromises, which lead to major transgressions.

That which promised life, joy and pleasure to that mass ended up in death forever.

Significance: Summarizes the deceptive nature of sin, which promises satisfaction but delivers destruction.

No one makes us sin. We sin because we want to sin. Therefore, we're responsible for all of our sins.

Significance: Affirms personal accountability and rejects shifting blame to God or the devil.

Discussion Questions

How does the truth that 'nothing can harm us as long as we're in the will of God' change the way we respond to opposition or persecution?

Context: Based on the point that Balaam's curses were turned to blessings because Israel was in God's will.

In what ways are we more vulnerable to spiritual attack during times of prosperity and comfort than during adversity?

Context: Weaver warns that prosperity often leads to forgetfulness of God, as seen in Deuteronomy 8.

What are some modern examples of 'the doctrine of Balaam'—strategies that seek to corrupt believers rather than attack them openly?

Context: Balaam taught Balak to seduce Israel into sin to bring God's judgment.

How can we guard against the 'little sins' that gradually lead to greater transgressions?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that sin often begins small and progresses, using the illustration of the little foxes.

Why is it important to recognize that temptation arises from our own lusts rather than external forces? How does this affect our approach to resisting sin?

Context: James 1:13-15 teaches that we are drawn away by our own desires.

In what ways have you seen individual sins impact others beyond the sinner, and how should this reality shape our decisions?

Context: Weaver stresses that no one sins in isolation, citing Romans 14:7 and examples like drunk driving.

Applications

Recognize the danger of seduction and enticement

Summary: Believers must be vigilant against subtle temptations that appear pleasurable but lead to death, viewing them as attacks rather than harmless pleasures.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'We must never keep unbiblical, unholy and ungodly thoughts in our minds... we've got to view temptations for what they really are, not sources of joy and pleasure, the sources of death.'

Guard against compromise in prosperity

Summary: In times of comfort and success, we must intentionally remember God and His commands to avoid self-reliance and spiritual decline.

Evidence: Weaver warns from Deuteronomy 8: 'Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God... when thou hast eaten and are full... then thine heart be lifted up.'

Take personal responsibility for sin

Summary: We must stop blaming God, the devil, or circumstances for our sins and acknowledge that we sin because we choose to follow our own lusts.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'No one makes us sin. We sin because we want to sin. Therefore, we're responsible for all of our sins.'

Consider the corporate impact of personal sin

Summary: Before acting on temptation, we should consider how our sin will affect our family, church, and community, not just ourselves.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'Whatever we do always affects other people... It is the height of selfishness to say this is my life, I'll live it any way I please.'

Resist sin at its earliest stages

Summary: Since God forbids not only the sin but everything leading to it, we must reject even small compromises and impure thoughts.

Evidence: Weaver teaches: 'When God forbids any sin, he also, at the same time, forbids anything and everything that will lead up to that sin.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:45:21Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T01:15:58Z

Clean Transcript

Learning the Righteousness of God - 2

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

Alright, I want you to open your Bibles if you would once again to Micah chapter 6 and of course Numbers chapter 25. Micah chapter 6 and we'll read at least the first 8 verses. Micah chapter 6 verses 1-8 and we'll take up where we left off last week. Remember we have been bringing the series on learning the righteousness of God. This is the second message in that series, so notice Micah chapter 6 verse 1.
#1 | 0:00 to 0:36 | cleaned
Hear you now what the Lord saith, Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O 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 where 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 servants, and 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 to Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.
#2 | 0:36 to 1:18 | cleaned
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 with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has 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 | 1:19 to 1:50 | cleaned
Now, if you would hold Micah 6, but turn in your Bibles also to Numbers 25, because that is a text that we have been using in reference to Micah 6 and verse 5. So in Numbers 25, you will be ready to look there at those verses in just a moment. Now, may I point out, as you get ready to read from Numbers 25, In the book of Micah chapter 6 in verse 5, God says, O my people, remember now what Balak the king of Moab consulted and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that you may know
#4 | 1:51 to 2:35 | cleaned
the righteousness of the Lord. Now, last week we began this first message and I pointed out the fact that man by nature does not know God. In fact, I showed you from Ephesians chapter four, where man by nature is alienated from God through the ignorance that is in him. I pointed out also in Acts chapter 17, when Paul went to preach on Mars Hill, he found an altar there with this inscription to the unknown God. And that is exactly what God is to those who are unconverted, unsaved. They may know there is a God, but they do not know the one true and the living God. After having given you that truth, I went on to say it may surprise you even further that Christians do not know God automatically just because they have been regenerated and converted. Yes, we know that He is our Savior. We know that He is the one true God. We know that He is Lord and King. But that does not mean that we understand all of the attributes of God.
#5 | 2:35 to 3:38 | cleaned
That's why in 1 John 2, John divided Christians into three categories, babes, young men and fathers. And the knowledge of one group is different from the knowledge of the other groups. So you have babes in Christ, you have young men in Christ, and you have fathers in Christ.
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Now, the interesting thing is in Micah 6 and verse 5, God says, Oh, my people, you better remember something. You better remember what Balak consulted And what Balaam answered from Shittim to Gilgal, why? That you may learn the righteousness of God. So the incident, this singled out in Numbers chapter 25, is what happened at Shittim in The Old Testament there, and this is where God says that we must learn the righteousness of God. Now we singled out this passage because it was first referred to in Micah 6 and verse 5. Let me give you the main point that I preached last Sunday in this first message. I only dealt with one point. Here it is, that God's law word is our standard for righteousness.
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And any deviation from His truth is sin and unrighteousness. Let me say that again. God's law word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from that truth is sin and unrighteousness.
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Now, the consuming point of Numbers 25, especially verses 1-3, I believe is this. That when God forbids any sin At the same time, he forbids everything and anything else that will lead up to that sin. In other words, The sins of the spirit are just as condemned as sins of the flesh, because sins of the spirit and sins of the mind always lead up to and point the way to the sins of the flesh. So when God has given us His standard for righteousness, whenever we begin to deviate, whether it's mental deviation or emotional deviation or spiritual deviation or willful deviation, it is still sin. So God has given us his standard for righteousness and any deviation from that standard is sin and wickedness.
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Now, there's a second point I want to make this week and only one point today as well. And that is this, that sin places us under the judgment and curse of God. No matter how we arrive at the sin. Now, let me make that point again, because I'm going to develop it. that sin places us under the judgment and curse of God no matter how we arrive at the sin.
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Now look at Numbers 25 verse 1, And Israel began to abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods, and the people did eat and bow down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. Now, remember what Micah 6 and verse 5 said. You better remember what Balak the king of Moab consulted and what Balaam answered from Shittim to Gilgalvite that you might know the righteousness of God. Now, in order to comprehend this one simple point that I'm going to delineate today, you must remember Balak's desire. What did King Balak desire? His desire was to have Balaam to curse Israel. Over and over, Balaam tried to curse Israel, but God would not allow him to do so. Look in Numbers 22, verses 5 and 6. Numbers 22, verses 5 and 6. He sent messengers, therefore, unto Balaam, the son of Beor, to Pthor, which is by the river, the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt, Behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.
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Come now, therefore, I pray thee. Curse me, this people, for they are too mighty for me. For adventure I shall prevail, and that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom thou blesses is blessed, and he whom thou curses is cursed." So Balak then, the king, sins for Balaam. Why? That he might curse Israel, that Balak might have a military victory over them. Look in verse 10. And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zipor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse me then, for adventure I shall be over to come to them, and drive them out. Now, note once again, the purpose was to curse Israel. Without me having to read through all of these passages, you know that every time Balaam then stood up to curse Israel. What did God do?
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He turned it into a blessing. And King Balak got so upset. He said, I called you to curse me, this people, and these three times you've all together blessed them. Now, Balak was so upset. Here's what he said in essence. You better go home, boy, and you better go home quick. In other words, I thought that I was going to promote you. I thought that I was going to make you rich. But now what you've done is you've blessed whom I wanted cursed. You've angered and upset me. And basically what he said to Balaam is you better get out of my sight or I change my mind and kill you.
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Well, now, let me point something out. Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness. In fact, if you hold Numbers 25 and look in your Bibles of 2 Peter 2 and verse 15, you will find out that Balaam was not about to give up so easily. He wanted his reward. He wanted that money. So the Bible tells us in 2 Peter 2 and verse 15 concerning Balaam, who have forsaken the right way and are going astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosar, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. That is, he knew that Balak could make him rich, and he wanted that money, and he was not about to give it up. Now, before I proceed, let me just point out that there is a tremendous truth that we ought to apply to our lives from Numbers 22 through Numbers 25. What is that truth? You remember Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel.
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But every time he stood up to curse them, God turned those curses into a blessing. Here it is. Here's the truth that we should rejoice in. There is absolutely nothing. There is absolutely nothing that can hinder, harm, curse, or vex us as long as we're in the will of God. You stop and think about that, folks. The safest place for any child of God to be is right smack dab in the middle of the will of God. Here's a powerful monarch. Who brought a powerful medium to curse Israel, and every time he tried, he ended up blessing Israel. Do you realize as much as we're hated, maligned, despised, and persecuted in this world, the truth is as long as we have God's blessings upon us, man's curses mean nothing.
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It doesn't matter how irate people are against us. It doesn't matter how upset the government is against us. It doesn't matter how willfully malignant Our enemies are against us. As long as we are under the blessings of God, there is no one who can turn those blessings into curses.
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Now, Balaam did not and could not curse Israel. But on the other hand, Balaam was not going to give up that easily because he loved the wages of unrighteousness and he had another plan that would allow him to get his money. So, Balaam then switched roles from a diviner to a consultant.
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Now, remember what the Bible says in Micah 6 and verse 5. O my people, remember that which Balak consulted, that is, he asked his consultant for some wisdom, and he says, remember what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered. So here is a consultant and a consultee, and God says you better remember that. There's a reason.
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Now, before I get into this, look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 2 and verse 14. By the way, this role of consultant is mentioned in the Bible, and look what God says. In the book of Revelation chapter 2 in verse 14, Balaam once again is pointed out, singled out by Christ himself. So our Lord is talking to the church of Pergamos. And look what he says to the church in verse 14, Revelation chapter 2. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast them there that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication." Now notice what he said, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast them there that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak. He just did not simply advise him, he taught him, he told him exactly what to do, to get Israel to sin. So what is God saying? God is saying you better remember this.
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If you want to learn my righteousness. You better remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered. Now look, since God would not allow either Balak or Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam then came up with a plan. To get God himself. to curse Israel. In Numbers chapter 23, go there. Numbers chapter 23. This is one of those occasions when Balaam was supposed to be cursing Israel. And look what the Bible says. Numbers 23 verse 20. Numbers 23 verse 20. Balaam says, Behold, I have received commandment to bless And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. Now look what he says. He that is God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the shadow of a king is among them.
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Ain't that interesting what he said? They like you want me to curse them, but I've received a command to bless, and that's what I'm going to bless. And I want you to understand, God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel. So here is Balaam's plan. If God sees Israel become perverse, if God sees Israel sin and rebel against him, Then Balaam concludes that the anger of God would be against Israel and God would destroy them Himself. So what does Balaam do? He teaches Balaam how to seduce, entice, and lure the people into fornication and adultery. He taught him how to lure them not only in fornication and adultery, but also into idolatry. Now, let me point it out like this. If Balak had drawn out his sword and fought against Israel, Israel would have bravely resisted and no doubt Israel would have been conquerors. But Balak does not send his sword.
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beautiful women among the men who invite them to their banquets and to their beds. And these men who could not have possibly been overcome with the sword were overcome by these harlots. I want you to learn something, folks. The truth is We are in far greater danger from a smiling world than we are from a frowning world. We're in far greater danger when the world and everyone loves us than when the world hates us. Now, I want you to note this.
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Balak did not have to mount an all out attack against Israel to destroy her. He did not have to needlessly endanger his army, waste his military might, nor empty his arsenal. All he had to do was to entice Israel to sin against God, and God would destroy Israel. Temptation, seduction, deceit, allurement, these things often work far better than an open frontal assault. Do you realize the advantage that the enemy has in seduction and allurement? The advantage is simply this.
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When you're being seduced, when you're being enticed, when you're being allured, you usually do not even recognize or comprehend that until it's too late. You've fallen. It's impossible to disguise your intentions with a frontal attack. When we know that we're being attacked, what do we do? We place ourselves in a defensive position and we're saying, no, no, no, you're not going to do that to me. But when we don't know that we're being attacked and we're being pampered and enticed, we are indeed vulnerable.
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Now, repeated attempts to bring the curse of God upon the people utterly failed. So Balaam then changed his plans. Those who he could not curse, he would corrupt. And when you corrupt someone, then the judgment of God is against them. So what did he do? He sent his most beautiful women in among the men to seduce them. I want you to look in your Bibles. The Proverbs chapter 7, very quickly, I'll refer to this later on, whole number 25, but look in Proverbs chapter 7. Here's a warning. In fact, I would encourage every man and every woman, by the way, to read Proverbs 5, 6 and 7. I want you to look at this. But we're looking primarily at Proverbs chapter 7 and look what God says.
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Let's begin with verse 5. He's talking about his words, his precepts. He says in verse 5 that they may keep thee from the strange woman. From the stranger which flattereth with her words, there's the enticement, the allurement, the seduction. For at the window of my house, I looked through my casement and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding. He didn't just say stupid, he just said void of understanding.
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He said it very nicely. Passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house. In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night, and behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot and subtle of heart. She is loud and stubborn, her feet abide not in her house.
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Now she was out now on the streets and layeth away at every corner. So she called him and kissed him with an impudent face, said unto him, I have peace offerings with me. By the way, this is spiritual now, you see. I have peace offerings with me. This day have I paid my vows. I am right with God, so I can sin, okay? Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I found thee.
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I deck my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. In other words, I've got the best the world can offer. I perfume my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning. Let us solace ourselves with loves, for the good man that is her husband is not at home. He has gone on a long journey. He had taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed.
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The word sees not going to catch us. Watch verse 21. With her much fair speech, she caused him to yield. With the flattering of her lips, she forced him. He goeth after her straightway as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, till a dart strike through his liver, As a bird hasteneth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life, hearken therefore unto me now, therefore, you children, and intend
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unto the words of my mouth, let not mine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths, for she hath cast down many wounded, yea, many strong men have been slain by her, her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." Now, this was Balaam's counsel? If I can't curse, I'll corrupt. And if once I get them corrupted, God will destroy them Himself. That's why He warns that it's nothing but death and destruction.
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Now, I want you to note in Numbers chapter 25, go back there. The Bible says an Israel abode in Shittim. Now, I told you last week that Shittim was a place in the plains of Moab. It was at the end of their wilderness wanderings. They were camped there before they went into the promised land, went over onto Gilgal. And the place is called Shittam, or Shittam Wood, or you could call it Acacia. The Shittam Wood and the Acacia are the same tree. Scarcely anything else grows there in the borders of the land of Canaan. So they are kept now in what you and I would call a lush, verdant valley, surrounded by all of these Shinem trees, or tastier trees, which means it's a place of comfort, consolation, rest, and plenty. I pointed out last week that in Numbers 33 and verse 49, The place is called Abel Shittim. Now, the word shittim or shittim wood is synonymous with acacia and the word acacia or shittim literally means, listen carefully, that which turns aside. Why in the world would a shittim tree or an acacia tree have the name that which turns aside?
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And here's the answer. Because it was full of big, long thorns. Who wants to run head on into a big, thick thorn bush? No one. So if you're going toward that thorn bush, what are you going to do? You're going to turn aside. So that's what the word means. And I think there's a great deal of spiritual significance to the meaning of that word. Remember, now they're in this valley, lush, verdant, beautiful, comfortable. They enter their wanderings.
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Do you realize that oftentimes we are in greater temptation in the place of prosperity than we ever were in the place of adversity? Listen to me. In adversity, We are always constantly praying and watching and begging God for help. But in the place of prosperity, you don't need the help. So what is there a tendency to do? To forget God. Hole number 25, but look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 8. God understood this principle, and therefore he gave a very stern warning concerning it in Deuteronomy 8 and a multitude of other places in the Bible. But look in Deuteronomy 8, beginning there with verse 11. God knows that we're in greater danger in prosperity than we are in adversity. Here it is. Deuteronomy 8, verse 11. Beware that thou forget not the Lord by God in not keeping his commandments and his judgments and his statutes which I command thee this day now look less when thou hast eaten and are full.
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and has built goodly houses, and dwelt therein. And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied, what's the danger? Then thine heart be lifted up. Then thou forget the Lord thy God, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, where there were fiery serpents and scorpions. and drought, and where there was no water, who brought thee water out of the rock of flint, who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers do not, that he might humble thee, that he might prove thee to do thee good at thy lattery. And watch, here is the danger, and thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, For it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant, which you swear to my fathers as it is today."
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What does God say? God says you better beware when you're in a place of prosperity, because the tendency is to forget God. We don't need you, Lord. And here these people are in a place of comfort and consolation, and we don't need God. Go back to Numbers chapter 25 and look at verse 1. In this place of prosperity, comfort, and consolation, the Bible says, and Israel abode in Shittim, remember that which turns aside, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. Now I want you to note, the Bible says they began.
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It was not an all out headlong rush into sin and fornication. It was begun little by little. You know, we do not understand the power and the dominion of sin. We don't. Most of us think that we can sin just a little bit and quit anytime we want to. I've heard people tell me about smoking. I can quit anytime I want to. They never want to. Same thing with marijuana. Same thing with running around with women. I can quit anytime I want to. No. Sin is addictive. It's powerful. Read Romans chapter 6.
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Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. It's the little things we try to overlook. Let me give you two illustrations. Do you remember in Genesis 19 after God had sent fire and brimstone against Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain? In other words, there were more cities being overthrown rather than just Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot was getting out of the city and here's this little town called Zoar.
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And Lott says, let me escape there that my soul may live. In fact, let me just quote the verse. Genesis 19, verse 20. He says, behold, now this city is near to flee unto. It is a little one. Oh, let me escape thither. Is it not a little one that my soul shall live? OK, Lott, you can go to Zoar. It's just a little one. And from that little one, he stepped out to the mountains. And got drunk.
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And committed incest with his two daughters. Solomon in the Song of Solomon, chapter 2 and verse 15 says this, it is the little foxes that spoil the vines. Now listen to me. It is our little sins. that make up and constitute our greater sins. One of these days, it would be interesting to do a study, just to analyze certain sins, to see what actually makes up the big sin, and when you analyze it, you're going to see that all the big sins are usually made up of numbers of little sins.
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You've got to remember the message that I taught last week. You've got to remember this principle that when God forbids any sin, he also, at the same time, forbids anything and everything that will lead up to that sin.
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Now go back to Numbers 25 and look at it. And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom, little by little. And the Bible says in verse 2, and they, who in the world is a they? Well, it would be the daughters of Moab, that's in the context. And they called the people under the sacrifices of their gods. Now the word called is a very interesting word. It's the Hebrew word qara.
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Which is variously translated in our Bibles. It means to call, to proclaim, to invite, to bid, to summon, to preach.
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Now, I want you to know something. These Moabites did not coerce and force these Israelites to come. They invited them. They summoned them. They called them. They enticed them. And undoubtedly, after some of the men had tasted the immorality of the Moabitish women, they hastened to their call.
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Now, the interesting thing is this. When you look at these Moabitish women, they did not just come up to these men and say, hey, let's go to bow down before our false gods. Let's go to bow down before Isis. They didn't do that.
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Now, what did they do? They invited them to their banquets and they invited them to their beds. In other words, they got them to commit immorality before they got them to commit idolatry. By the way, that's going to be explained in the next message. In other words, had they mentioned idol worship up front, many of the men probably would have said, uh-uh. I know better than that. I'm not going to get involved in that.
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But what they've done is they have gotten them by degrees, little by little. You can do this. Well, yeah, OK. Well, now that you've done that, you can do this. Well, well, all right. And the next thing you know, they end up in idolatry. Do you realize that these feasts, by the way, were usually always in celebration of a false god? So just simply by their attending this feast, it was in reality a renunciation of the one true and the living God. Now if you look at what God says in verse 3, just pointing this out.
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And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor. Now the word joined is the word tzomad in the Hebrew and it literally means to link, to gird, to fasten, to frame, to join, to serve. So what did Israel do? Israel fastened herself, linked herself, joined herself with Baltheor, thus forsaking the one true and living God that they might worship the false god of Baltheor. Now, how many men went after Baltheor?
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Well, there was a large number. You'll find that mentioned in Deuteronomy four, which I will deal with a little bit later. But if you look in your Bibles, the first Corinthians chapter 10 and verse eight. There is a number given to us of how many that God killed because of their sin. And I'll deal with this verse later as well, but first Corinthians 10 and verse eight. Look what the Bible says.
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Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Now, I don't know how many were killed later because of this. There may not have been any. There may have been some. I don't know. But we do know, based upon 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 8, in one day, 23,000 Israelites were killed. Why? Because they join themselves under Belpheor in committing fornication and worshipping there.
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Now you say that might not be a very good percentage. I mean, it would be a low percentage. And by the way, notice the Bible said Israel joined himself under Belpheor. Let's say there were two million people there. 23,000 would be a very small percentage out of 2 million people. But let me give you another thought. It could not necessarily be just the percentage that God is referring to, but it could have also been the fact that many of those 23,000 were their leaders. For instance, if you'll skip down to verse 14, You'll find one of those leaders mentioned specifically.
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Now, the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. So undoubtedly, a number of these individuals who were taken away in this adultery and idolatry were leaders. So much so that God said Israel had joined himself in the idols.
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Now let me give you a very important truth. I've hit this before in several different messages, but I want to hit it again. Here is the truth, folks. Whatever we do always affects other people. That's a simple fact. Here were 23,000 men that were killed.
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You say, well, Brother Weaver, it was those men that were killed because they committed fornication and they committed idolatry. Well, think of the widows that were left. Think of the fatherless children that were left. Think of the blight upon the nation. Listen to Romans 14 and verse 7. Here it is. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. What in the world is God teaching us?
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that whatever we do always affects other people. When you take that attitude, well, what I do is my own business, that is a wicked, ungodly, perverted attitude. It's positively wicked and unscriptural. The consequences of sin oftentimes involves other people who are not even the participants in the sin. Here's a man that's a drunkard. And he says, what I do is my own business. I'm not hurting anybody until he gets in his car and he runs head on into another family and murders them. And here you find innocent people are reaping the consequences of another man's sin, although they were not even participants in his sin.
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How about an unfaithful husband who comes home to a faithful wife? and infects her with HIV. She is now reaping the consequences of his sin when she was not even a participant in that sin. What about the leaders of our nation? when they embroil us in unjust and unholy and unbiblical wars, and yet we as a nation have to reap the consequences of what they did. The point I'm making is very simple, folks.
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No man lives by himself and no man dies by himself. Whatever you do always affects other people. Whether it is for good or for bad, it always affects others. It is the height of selfishness. To say this is my life, I'll live it any way I please. Everybody else can go jump in the lake. The Moabites seduced, tempted, and enticed the Israelites. Listen to this statement. I'm going to explain it.
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None or more fatally bewitched than those who are bewitched by their own lusts. None are more fatally deceived than those who are deceived by their own lusts. I want you to hold Numbers 25, but turn in your Bibles to the book of James. James chapter 1. There is a passage that you must understand. James chapter 1. And let's begin reading their verse 13 and read through verse 15. Now, follow with me. This is a very important passage. James 1, verse 13.
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Let no man say when he is tempted. That I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed. And then, when lust hath conceived, bring it forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bring it forth death.
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Now, let's just stop there for a moment. Look what God says in verse 13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. Now, let's stop there. Let me explain that. It is true that God will test us. But God does not tempt us. into sin. God does not set traps for us. That will allow us to fall into sin. God will test our metal, God will test our faith. But if ever we are tempted to sin to violate God's law to do that, which is wrong, God is not the author of What does the Bible say? Let no man say when he's tempted, I'm tempted of God. Why? For God cannot be tempted with evil. That is, God is infinitely holy. And neither tempteth any man. Because God is holy, God is not going to tempt someone else to go contrary to his word. So let me just spell it out for you like this. When you sin, you cannot blame God, either directly or indirectly.
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It is not God's fault. It is your sin. It is your lust. It is your desire. It is not God's fault. And let me go ahead and take care of Flip Wilson. It is not the devil's fault either. You remember he said the devil made me do it? No. The devil doesn't make you do anything. He may tempt you. He may seduce you. He may entice you. He may lure you.
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But you do what you do and you're responsible for every action and every attitude. So it is not God who makes you sin. It is not the devil who makes you sin. But look what the Bible says.
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Now watch verse 13 again. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempted of any man. Here it is. But every man is tempted. When? When he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. So it is our lust. It is our desires. It is our whims, real or imagined, that are unsatisfied and unfulfilled that lead us into sin and disobedience. Now, the Bible says every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed.
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By the way, I want you to note what he said. Every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust. What does that mean? Well, it means this. We are all sinners. But that doesn't mean we all have the same lust. Don's lust may be different from mine. Mine may be different from Doc's. Doc's may be different from Ernie's. Every man has his own lust.
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Now, look what he says. That would include every woman, too, by the way. And every child, Eddie. But here's what he said, but every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and in tax.
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Now, let me explain it to you like this simply stated. When there is something that appears on the outside of you. That you believe would satisfy an inward desire or lust. And you act upon it, the results Now look at it. I'm going to explain it further. He said in verse 14, but every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Now watch. And when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death.
#66 | 45:56 to 46:33 | cleaned
Now I just told you, here's how this thing works. When there is an inward desire, an inward lust that we have, whether it's real or imagined, it doesn't matter. And there appears something on the outside of us that will satisfy, we think, something on the inside of us. We act upon it, and we do it, and it turns out to be sin. Now, here's an illustration that each of us can identify with.
#67 | 46:33 to 47:08 | cleaned
My wife and I have a favorite food, and I know you have a favorite food. We love fresh fish. I'd rather have fish than a T-bone steak any day of the week. Okay? I love fish. So if any of you go fishing and you catch more than you want, let me know. All right. So here is a nice bass in my pond and a bunch of bluegill brim. And I want to fish supper.
#68 | 47:11 to 47:41 | cleaned
So what do I do? I run, dive in my pond and try to catch those fish. Now, how stupid, because those fish can out swim me and outmaneuver me. There's no way in the world I'm going to catch a fish by trying to swim him down. No, I can't catch those fish like that, but now wait a minute, I know The deep inside of those bass and those bream is a strong desire for a nice, juicy fat worm. And so I go give them that fat worm, but I take that fat worm and I hide him on a hook, or hide the hook in that fat worm. And then I drop that fat worm in the water. That fish is safe in the water.
#69 | 47:44 to 48:45 | cleaned
The fish may even be under some rocks or a fallen log and be even safer. There's no way I can get that fish. But when I drop that hook, when I allure him and he looks and he sees that worm dancing on that hook, there appears outside of him something that is going to satisfy an inward desire. He runs out from under the safety of the rock, bites that hook, And I have fish for supper.
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Do you know that's exactly how it happens to us? When we see something on the outside of us that we think is going to satisfy something on the inside of us, we bite. And look what God says, verse 15, And when lust hath conceived, that is, When it stops being pregnant, when it brings to birth, what does it bring to birth? Sin. And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Are you listening? Here's the analogy. That which promised life, joy and pleasure to that mass ended up in death forever. Because i.e., our sins, our lusts, our desires, when we think we're going to deviate from God's law and have everything in us satisfied that God tells us not to do, it always ends up in death and destruction. It does not bring joy. It does not bring light. It does not bring happiness. It brings death and destruction. Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. What did Israel do? Israel went after those beautiful Moabitish women, and their whoredoms did everything that Balaam's enchantments and curses could not do.
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They set God against Israel. He was turned now to be their enemy. He fought against them, and there fell in one day 23,000 men. Listen to me, folks. It doesn't matter how you get in the violation of God's law. However you get there, whether you do it deliberately, whether you're deceived, whether you're led astray, whether you're tempted, it doesn't matter how you get there. Once you're there, you're under the curse of the judgment of God.
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You know, when I was a boy, we used to play marbles. And you'd shoot and you might miss and you'd always holler, slip us. It slipped, I didn't mean to shoot. Let's call it back and do it over again. No, that doesn't work. Once you're there, you're there, you're caught. That's what God is saying.
#73 | 51:50 to 52:18 | cleaned
Now, let me make a couple of applications here. The first one. No one makes us sin. We sin because we want to sin. Therefore, we're responsible for all of our sins. The devil does not make us do it. God does not tempt us to do it. God is not the author of our sin. We sin and therefore we must bear the fruit and the consequences of our sins.
#74 | 52:18 to 52:44 | cleaned
We have to understand and we have to recognize that temptations, seductions and enticements are what they really and truly are. They are indeed that which will lead us contrary to the word of God and which will ultimately end in death and disappointment. Therefore, listen carefully. Therefore, we must never keep unbiblical, unholy and ungodly thoughts in our minds. Why? That's the beginning. What does the Bible say? 1 Corinthians 7, verse 1, having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. That is, our minds, our spirits, our dispositions should be clean and holy as well.
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It is that which begins before we ever commit the physical act. So we've got to view temptations for what they really are, not sources of joy and pleasure, The sources of death. And desolation. The second application is this in light of this truth. We also must understand that our enemies do not always attack us in a straightforward manner. Sure would be easy if they did. But they don't always come to the front waving the flags and hey, we're here to conquer and kill you. No. Many times. They appear behind us. or to the side of us, and seduction away from the truth of God's word is equally an attack just like a frontal assault is an attack.
#76 | 53:37 to 54:34 | cleaned
Let me spell it out to you. Compromise, toleration, political correctness are tools of destruction. We cannot be in a place of blessing but we are in a position of denying any portion of the Word of God. We must never, under any circumstance, allow ourselves to be led away from the one true and living God and the revelation of Himself in His Word. The first principle of learning the righteousness of God was this, any deviation from God's law. Any deviation from his standard is wickedness, disobedience, and unrighteousness. The second principle we're to learn is this,
#77 | 54:35 to 55:42 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:45:21Z

Learning the Righteousness of God - 2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this second message on learning the righteousness of God from Micah 6:5 and Numbers 25, John Weaver teaches that sin places us under the judgment and curse of God, no matter how we arrive at the sin. He explains how Balaam, unable to curse Israel directly, advised Balak to seduce the Israelites into immorality and idolatry, leading to God's judgment. The sermon warns that temptation often comes through subtle enticement rather than frontal assault, and that prosperity can be a greater danger than adversity. Believers must recognize that sin begins with inward lust and always leads to death, and that no one is forced to sin—we are responsible for our own actions.

Introduction and Review

Scripture Reading — Micah 6:1-8

now what the Lord saith, Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O 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 where 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 servants, and 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 to Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.

And any deviation from His truth is sin and unrighteousness. Let me say that again. God's law word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from that truth is sin and unrighteousness.

Balak's Desire and Balaam's Failed Curses

Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel for military victory, but God turned every curse into a blessing. Weaver highlights that nothing can harm us when we are in God's will.

Balaam's Shift to Consultant and the Plan to Corrupt Israel

Unable to curse Israel, Balaam taught Balak to seduce Israel into sin, knowing that God would then judge them. This is the 'doctrine of Balaam' mentioned in Revelation 2:14.

Scripture Reading — Revelation 2:14

" Now notice what he said, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast them there that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak. He just did not simply advise him, he taught him, he told him exactly what to do, to get Israel to sin. So what is God saying? God is saying you better remember this.

The Danger of Seduction Over Frontal Assault

The Setting of Shittim and the Danger of Prosperity

Israel's sin began in Shittim, a place of comfort and prosperity. Weaver warns that prosperity often leads to forgetfulness of God, as seen in Deuteronomy 8.

The Gradual Nature of Sin and Its Consequences

Israel 'began' to commit whoredom, showing sin's progressive nature. The Moabite women invited them to feasts and immorality before idolatry. 23,000 Israelites died in one day as a result.

Sin Affects Others and Stems from Our Own Lusts

Weaver stresses that no one sins in isolation; our actions always affect others. Using James 1:13-15, he explains that temptation arises from our own lusts, not from God, and sin leads to death.

But you do what you do and you're responsible for every action and every attitude. So it is not God who makes you sin. It is not the devil who makes you sin. But look what the Bible says.

Now, look what he says. That would include every woman, too, by the way. And every child, Eddie. But here's what he said, but every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and in tax.

Applications: Responsibility and Vigilance

We are responsible for our own sins; we must view temptations as death traps, not pleasures. We must guard our minds and recognize that compromise and seduction are attacks on our faith.

Learning the Righteousness of God - 2

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	8250520650
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Conflict, Babylon, and Victory
Genre	Sermon
Date	2005-08-21
Dictation Name
Book	Book 165: Learning the Righteousness of God — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	77

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review: Weaver reviews the previous message, emphasizing that God's law-word is the standard for righteousness and any deviation is sin. He introduces the second point: sin places us under God's judgment and curse.
Balak's Desire and Balaam's Failed Curses: Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel for military victory, but God turned every curse into a blessing. Weaver highlights that nothing can harm us when we are in God's will.
Balaam's Shift to Consultant and the Plan to Corrupt Israel: Unable to curse Israel, Balaam taught Balak to seduce Israel into sin, knowing that God would then judge them. This is the 'doctrine of Balaam' mentioned in Revelation 2:14.
The Danger of Seduction Over Frontal Assault: Weaver explains that seduction and enticement are more dangerous than open attacks because victims often do not recognize the threat until it is too late. He uses Proverbs 7 to illustrate the allure of the strange woman.
The Setting of Shittim and the Danger of Prosperity: Israel's sin began in Shittim, a place of comfort and prosperity. Weaver warns that prosperity often leads to forgetfulness of God, as seen in Deuteronomy 8.
The Gradual Nature of Sin and Its Consequences: Israel 'began' to commit whoredom, showing sin's progressive nature. The Moabite women invited them to feasts and immorality before idolatry. 23,000 Israelites died in one day as a result.
Sin Affects Others and Stems from Our Own Lusts: Weaver stresses that no one sins in isolation; our actions always affect others. Using James 1:13-15, he explains that temptation arises from our own lusts, not from God, and sin leads to death.
Applications: Responsibility and Vigilance: We are responsible for our own sins; we must view temptations as death traps, not pleasures. We must guard our minds and recognize that compromise and seduction are attacks on our faith.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

God's blessings cannot be reversed by man's curses

As long as Israel was in God's will, Balaam's curses were turned into blessings, demonstrating God's sovereign protection.

Weaver says: 'There is absolutely nothing that can hinder, harm, curse, or vex us as long as we're in the will of God.' He references Numbers 23:20.

Balaam's doctrine: corrupting to bring God's judgment

Since Balaam could not curse Israel, he taught Balak to corrupt them through immorality and idolatry, knowing God would then judge them.

Weaver explains: 'If God sees Israel become perverse... then Balaam concludes that the anger of God would be against Israel and God would destroy them Himself.' He cites Revelation 2:14.

Seduction works by degrees

The Moabite women first enticed the Israelites into immorality, then gradually led them to idolatry, showing how sin progresses step by step.

Weaver notes: 'They got them to commit immorality before they got them to commit idolatry... they have gotten them by degrees, little by little.'

Little sins lead to greater sins

Major sins are often composed of many small compromises, and God forbids not only the sin itself but everything that leads to it.

Weaver states: 'It is our little sins that make up and constitute our greater sins.' He references the 'little foxes' in Song of Solomon 2:15 and Lot's progression from Zoar to incest.

Temptation exploits our own lusts

External temptations only have power because they appeal to internal desires; we are drawn away by our own lusts.

Weaver uses the fishing analogy: 'When there appears something on the outside of us that will satisfy... something on the inside of us, we act upon it.' He cites James 1:14.

Sin always results in death and destruction

Despite promises of pleasure, sin ultimately leads to spiritual and often physical death, as seen in the 23,000 Israelites slain.

Weaver says: 'That which promised life, joy and pleasure... ended up in death forever.' He references James 1:15 and 1 Corinthians 10:8.

Scripture References

Micah 6:1-8: Read at the beginning; God's controversy with Israel and the call to remember Balak and Balaam to know God's righteousness.
Numbers 25:1-3: Israel's sin at Shittim: committing whoredom with Moabite women and joining to Baal-peor, kindling God's anger.
Numbers 22:5-6: Balak's request for Balaam to curse Israel because they were too mighty for him.
Numbers 23:20-21: Balaam's declaration that God has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, so he cannot curse them.
Revelation 2:14: The doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before Israel to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to idols.
Proverbs 7:5-27: Warning against the seduction of the strange woman, illustrating how enticement leads to destruction.
Deuteronomy 8:11-18: Warning not to forget God in times of prosperity, lest the heart be lifted up and self-reliance lead to forgetting God.
1 Corinthians 10:8: Reference to 23,000 Israelites falling in one day due to fornication, as a warning to believers.
Romans 14:7: None of us lives or dies to himself; our actions always affect others.
James 1:13-15: Temptation does not come from God but from our own lusts; lust conceives and brings forth sin, and sin brings forth death.
2 Peter 2:15: Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness, explaining his motivation to find a way to curse Israel.
Genesis 19:20: Lot's plea to flee to Zoar, a 'little one,' which led to his later sin of drunkenness and incest, illustrating the danger of small compromises.
Song of Solomon 2:15: The little foxes that spoil the vines, used to illustrate how small sins ruin lives.
2 Corinthians 7:1: Call to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness.

Historical References

Balaam and Balak incident: The historical event at Shittim where Balaam advised Balak to seduce Israel into sin, leading to God's judgment.
Paul's sermon on Mars Hill (Acts 17): Used to illustrate that unconverted people do not know the true God, referencing the altar to the unknown God.
Sodom and Gomorrah destruction: Lot's escape to Zoar and subsequent sin of incest, used as an illustration of small compromises leading to greater sin.

Important Quotes

There is absolutely nothing that can hinder, harm, curse, or vex us as long as we're in the will of God.

Emphasizes God's sovereign protection over His people when they are obedient, a key encouragement from the Balaam narrative.

We are in far greater danger from a smiling world than we are from a frowning world.

Highlights the subtle danger of seduction and prosperity over open persecution.

It is our little sins that make up and constitute our greater sins.

Warns against underestimating small compromises, which lead to major transgressions.

That which promised life, joy and pleasure to that mass ended up in death forever.

Summarizes the deceptive nature of sin, which promises satisfaction but delivers destruction.

No one makes us sin. We sin because we want to sin. Therefore, we're responsible for all of our sins.

Affirms personal accountability and rejects shifting blame to God or the devil.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the truth that 'nothing can harm us as long as we're in the will of God' change the way we respond to opposition or persecution?

[Context]

Based on the point that Balaam's curses were turned to blessings because Israel was in God's will.

[Question]

In what ways are we more vulnerable to spiritual attack during times of prosperity and comfort than during adversity?

[Context]

Weaver warns that prosperity often leads to forgetfulness of God, as seen in Deuteronomy 8.

[Question]

What are some modern examples of 'the doctrine of Balaam'—strategies that seek to corrupt believers rather than attack them openly?

[Context]

Balaam taught Balak to seduce Israel into sin to bring God's judgment.

[Question]

How can we guard against the 'little sins' that gradually lead to greater transgressions?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that sin often begins small and progresses, using the illustration of the little foxes.

[Question]

Why is it important to recognize that temptation arises from our own lusts rather than external forces? How does this affect our approach to resisting sin?

[Context]

James 1:13-15 teaches that we are drawn away by our own desires.

[Question]

In what ways have you seen individual sins impact others beyond the sinner, and how should this reality shape our decisions?

[Context]

Weaver stresses that no one sins in isolation, citing Romans 14:7 and examples like drunk driving.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T01:15:58Z