Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom

A Death Wish

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2004-05-16

Synopsis: John Weaver examines the concept of a 'death wish' from Numbers 14, 16, and 20, identifying three sins unto death: unbelief and provocation, rebellion and defiance, and disobedience and dishonor. He warns that these sins provoke God and lead to judgment, and that those who hate Christ love death in various forms—physical, spiritual, economic, familial, and ecclesiastical.

[John Weaver] Let's open our Bibles, if you would, please. First of all, to Numbers chapter 14. Numbers chapter 14. The message today I'm going to bring is entitled, Death Wish. A death wish. Notice, if you would, Numbers chapter 14, beginning with verse 1. And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt? Or would God that we had died in this wilderness? And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. Many people have used the expression, I wish I was dead.

[John Weaver] Some have used it more often and more frequently than others. The usual response to such an expression is this, be careful for that which you wish, for your wish may be granted. It is undoubtedly true that some people have a death wish of some kind or the other. All you've got to do is look at the way they drive and especially how they live and how they act. It was Charles Bronson, the movie star, who made a great deal of money off several movies entitled Death Wish. Naturally, in his movies, he was the good guy and he was the one fulfilling the wishes of the bad guys by executing them and taking them out. But yet it's amazing to discover that there are indeed death wishes among, supposedly, the people of faith. Moreover, let me point out that it is possible to have a death wish and not even realize it. Do you realize and do you understand that there is in the Bible that which is known as a sin unto death?

[John Weaver] Hold Numbers chapter 14, but look in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 5, and let's look at verses 16 and 17. 1 John 5, and notice verses 16 and 17. 1 John 5, note verse 16. The Word of God says, If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death.

[John Weaver] I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin, And there is a sin unto death. So there are some sins that are not unto death, but our Lord tells us very plainly there are some that are a sin unto death. Now, what are some of those sins unto death? Well, I'm sure that I probably cannot list all of them. However, I can give you several of them because they're revealed in Scripture. And the very first one that is revealed in Scripture is Numbers chapter 14. What are the sins unto death in this chapter? I'm going to tell you it is first of all unbelief and provocation. By the way, unbelief and provocation usually go together.

[John Weaver] So look in verse 2. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, And the whole congregation said unto them, would God that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would God that we had died in this wilderness.

[John Weaver] Now, what in the world is the context for such a death? Which? Well, the spies had searched out the land. You remember there were twelve spies, and ten of them brought back an evil report against the land. Only two, Joshua and Caleb, brought back a true report. Now the other ten spies reminded the children of Israel of the giants that were in the land. For instance, look in Numbers 13, verse 31.

[John Weaver] But the men that went up with them said, We be not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land through which we have gone to search it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants.

[John Weaver] And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sights." Now when the ten spies gave this evil report, it caused the hearts of the people to sink into unbelief, and thus they provoked the sovereign God of heaven and earth. That is why they said in verse 2, would to God we had died in the land of Egypt, or would to God we had died in this wilderness. In other words, they considered it better to be slaves in Egypt than to be free and to face responsibilities.

[John Weaver] By the way, they also had rather be enslaved than fight for their liberty and their freedom. Consequently, in their unbelief, they charged Moses and Aaron with criminal negligence. Look what they said. And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword, and that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? Then one said to another, Let us make an a captain, and let us return into Egypt. In other words, Moses and Aaron, you brought us out here to kill us.

[John Weaver] That's the only reason you led us out this direction. Now the right thing for us to do is for us to make a captain and let us return into Egypt and let us go back to being slaves. Well, Joshua and Caleb, the two who brought the accurate and true report, tried to give the people the truth, but they refused to listen. Look in verse 6. And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunun, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes. And they spake in all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we pass through to search it is an exceeding good land. And if the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give us a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel ye not against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bred for us. Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not.

[John Weaver] Now that was certainly good counsel. Now, it was actually what God had wanted and what God had desired. But what was the response of the people when they listened to the truth? Well, skip down if you would to verse 10. But all the congregation faiths stoned them with stones. In other words, we'll kill you. We'll destroy you. We don't like what you're saying, so we're going to destroy the messengers.

[John Weaver] Now, I suppose the only thing that stopped them from stoning Joshua and Caleb What's what happened next? Look in verse 10. But all the congregation, they had stoned him with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. In other words, when they saw that Shekinah glory, they backed off. They knew that God was present. Now, what does God do? God charges the people with unbelief and with provocation. Look in verse 11. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? And how long will it be ere they believe me for all the signs which I have showed them? Note, God says they disbelieve. They are full of unbelief. Their unbelief has provoked me. Look in verse 22. He says, because all those men who have seen my glory and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice. God said, I gave them signs.

[John Weaver] I gave them wonders. I gave them miracles. I delivered them. Yet in all this they have not believed me, yet they continue to provoke me.

[John Weaver] Now, they wanted to die? God said, I'll tell you why. I'll help you fulfill your wish. In fact, God, what I'll do. Is I'll just kill everybody. And I'll make a greater nation out of Moses, look in verse 12. God says, I will smite them with pestilence and disinherit them and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they. Now, why did. God not smite the entire group of people, And the answer is, because Moses interceded in verse 13, and Moses said to the Lord, then the Egyptian shall hear it for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land, for they have heard that thou art the Lord among this people, and thou art seen face to face, and that the cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them by day, time in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire by night. Then he says, God, if you kill these people, you know what the heathen are going to say?

[John Weaver] They're going to say you brought them out. And the only reason you killed them was you were not able to bring them in. Lord, it'll be a reflection upon you. Well, God says, all right, Moses, I'll tell you what. I will not disinherit the entire congregation. But The people that wish they were dead, I shall grant them their wish. Skip down to chapter 14 in verse 26. Look at it. Chapter 14, verse 26. And the Lord spake unto Moses unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you.

[John Weaver] Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which you have murmured against me, doubtless you shall not come into the land concerning which I swear to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephnon, Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which you said should be a prey, Then will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of days in which you have searched the land, even forty days each day for a year, shall you bear your iniquities even forty years, and you shall know the breach of my promise.

[John Weaver] I, the Lord, have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me, in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. And the men which Moses sent to search the land who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the land, even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land died by the plague before the Lord." So what did God do? God immediately killed the ten men who brought up the evil report, and He said to the others, You wish you had died in the wilderness? I'm going to grant you your wish. You'll die in the wilderness. Every one of you. And all these little children that you said are going to be a prey? They will get into the land, but you shall not get into it.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm not going to ask that you turn there, but in Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 19, and in Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 6, the Bible tells us it was because of their unbelief. that they could not enter into the land. I want you to understand a simple truth, and that is this, that unbelief provokes God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me elucidate upon that just a little more. Because I want you to see, the greater the signs, the greater the miracles, or I will add this, the greater the revelation, the greater the unbelief, and the greater the provocation. The more truth God gives you, when you refuse to believe the greater amount of truth, therefore you have a greater provocation, and you bring upon yourself a greater judgment.

[John Weaver] naively say, when they read a passage like Numbers chapter 14, I'll tell you one thing. Had I been alive back in that day, I would have believed. But the fact is, they won't believe today. What good does it do to say, I would have believed back then, but I will not believe right now. How much more is God provoked by a fuller and more complete Revelation. Let me show you what I'm talking about.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10. And let's begin reading there with verse 28. Hebrews 10. Note, if you would please, verse 28. Hebrews 10, verse 28. The Bible says, watch closely now. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. So if you despise the limited revelation that God had given in the Old Testament, what does God say? You died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Ah, but look at verse 29, of how much sorer or worse punishment, suppose you shall he be thought worthy who have trodden underfoot the Son of God and have counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and have done despite in the spirit of grace. Now, God says, in light of the full revelation that He's made in Jesus Christ, in light of the full revelation that we have in the Word of God, in light of the full revelation of truth, how much sore or worse punishment shall a man be worthy of when he despises that full and

[John Weaver] final revelation that God has made in Jesus Christ? So if you died without mercy in the Old Testament under two or three witnesses, God said it should be even worse in the New Testament when you have all the truth and the full revelation of Jesus Christ, yet you refuse to believe. God says it's that unbelief that provokes me to anger. I've given you the sign. I've given you the miracle. I've given you the truth. And yet you refuse to believe.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm going to quote a verse at this point that you're going to hear me quote several times today. Proverbs 8, 36. Our Lord said, He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death. Did you hear that? He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All that hate me love death. Anyone who hates Christ, anyone who hates God has a death wish. Unbelief and provocation are sins unto death. Well, what is the second sin unto death? Well, if you will turn to Numbers chapter 16, you will see that it is rebellion and defiance. Rebellion and defiance. Look at Numbers chapter 16, and let's begin reading there with verse one. Numbers chapter 16, verse one.

[John Weaver] Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab and On, The son of Pilate, the sons of Reuben, took men, and they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel. Now look, 250 princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown. And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them.

[John Weaver] And the Lord is among them. Wherefore, then lift you up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord. And when Moses heard it, he fell on his face.

[John Weaver] Now, what you have is three ringleaders, Korah, David and Abiram. They're upset with Moses and they're telling Moses, you're taking too much upon yourself. In other words, Moses, you're acting with too much authority. Why don't you know all of God's people are holy? And God is amongst all of us. We can do whatever we want to do. We don't have to do what you tell us. And we don't believe that the priesthood is necessarily reserved for Aaron and his sons. And we don't necessarily believe that you have to be the leader of this people.

[John Weaver] Why, any of us can do that. And moreover, I've got 250 princes. I mean, here are men that have power and money. And they're backing up Korah and Dathan and Abiram. I want you to hold number 16. We're coming right back there. But look in your Bibles to Jude, verse 11. Right before the book of Revelation, you have the book of Jude. Jude, verse 11. And look what is said concerning Korah. Notice Jude and verse 11. In fact, I may come back in the next week or two and preach from this next verse or this next phrase in this verse. Notice if you would, Jude, verse 11. Warned of them, for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the heir of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah." Now, Korah there is Korah. They perished in the gainsaying of Korah. Now, what in the world is gainsaying?

[John Weaver] Well, the word gainsaying occurs several times in Scripture. Let me just show you very quickly. Look in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 21. and verse 15. Luke 21, verse 15, I think you're going to get the idea. Luke 21, verse 15, our Lord says, For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. Now there's that word gainsay. If you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 10. Romans 10. And notice if you would please verse 21. Romans 10, verse 21, you'll see it again. The Bible says, But to Israel he saith, All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

[John Weaver] Now, you don't have to turn to Titus 1 and verse 9, but there Paul told Timothy that the gainsayers must be stopped. Well, what in the world is gainsaying? When the Bible says that they perish in the gainsaying of Korah, what does that mean? Well, the word gainsaying literally means to speak against. It means to dispute. It means to argue with. It means to contend with. It means to contradict. What in the world was Cora, Dathan, and Abiram and the 250 princes doing? They were contradicting. They were arguing. They were contending.

[John Weaver] They were disputing against God and against Moses and against Aaron. Now, if you look in Numbers chapter 26, Whole Numbers chapter 16, we're coming back there. But look at Numbers chapter 26 at verses 9 and 10. This passage makes it exceedingly clear that the gainsaying was against God and also against Moses and Aaron. Look in verse 9. And the sons of Eliab and Emul and Dathan and Abiram, this is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they strove against God. And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah. When that company died, what time the fire devoured 250 men and they became a sign. Now the Bible says that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and those 250 men that perished became a sign. What were they a sign of? They were a sign of rebellion and defiance. What were they doing? They were striving against Moses and Aaron and striving against God. Now I want you to go back to Numbers chapter 16 and let me tell you why this chapter is exceedingly important.

[John Weaver] I'm going to give you three reasons why it is vitally important. First and foremost, this chapter teaches us that all rebellion is ultimately against God. Let me say that again, all rebellion is ultimately against God.

[John Weaver] Now, what were Dathan and Abiram and Ikora doing? They were striving against Moses and Aaron. But what does the Bible say in Numbers 26 and verse 9? They strove against Moses and Aaron when they strove against God. In other words, they may have said they were striving against Moses and Aaron, but ultimately it was against God Himself. Let me spell this out very plainly. Whenever you attack God's lawfully ordained and constituted authority, exercising His authority, in the proper sphere and in the proper way that God has ordained, you are in essence attacking God Himself.

[John Weaver] Are you listening to me? When children dishonor and disobey their parents, they're disobeying and dishonoring God Himself. Why? Because God has constituted those parents as a lawfully ordained authority. And as long as those parents are exercising that authority in the sphere of biblical truth, to oppose the parent is to oppose God. To dishonor the parent is to dishonor God.

[John Weaver] Now, the same thing can be said ecclesiastically. In fact, if you look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 13, let me just show you. Hebrews chapter 13. And notice if you would please, first of all, verse 7, Hebrews 13, verse 7. Look what the Bible says, Hebrews 13, verse 7. And God is writing to these people and he tells them, remember them who have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, we're talking about pastors. We're talking about elders. Remember them who have the rule over you, have spoken to you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

[John Weaver] Now skip down to verse 17. Obey them that have a rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you.

[John Weaver] Now, the same truth is applied ecclesiastically. I cannot come to your house and say, well, you know, I think everybody in this house ought to wear blue shirts. I have no authority to tell you what color shirt to wear. But I do have authority to come to your house and say that you should dress modestly whatever color you're wearing. So whenever I exercise biblical authority in the sphere that God has ordained me to exercise that authority, to resist the one whom God has ordained is to resist God Himself.

[John Weaver] You remember what our Lord said in Matthew chapter 10. You don't have to turn there. But when he sent his disciples out. You remember, he said this, he that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

[John Weaver] Now, the opposite is also true. He that rejects the disciples of Christ rejects Christ. He that rejects Christ rejects the father who sent Christ. The same thing is true when it comes to civil authority. That's why Romans 13 verse 2, God says that the civil authority has been ordained of God and whosoever resisted the ordinance shall receive to himself condemnation. Let me say this again, folks. I am not against government. I'm not against civil government. I believe civil government. God ordained civil government. I don't want to overthrow civil government. All I want to do is to throw wickedness out of civil government and have it work in the proper sphere and the proper function that God ordained it to work in. And if you have a biblical, godly, civil ruler exercising his authority in the sphere that God ordained, to resist him is to resist God. So the point I'm trying to make is this. All rebellion is ultimately against God. You might say that it's against Moses and Aaron. You might say it's against the preacher.

[John Weaver] You might say it's against the civil ruler who's exercising his power lawfully. But in reality, it's against God. Here's the second important truth. Please understand this. Number one, all rebellion is ultimately against God.

[John Weaver] Secondly, rebellion can only be to lawful authority. If there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It is only resistance to tyranny. If I have no lawful authority, folks, that means I have no right to order, to command, to direct, or demand. So if I have no right, I then may be lawfully and righteously resisted.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you what one of the problems we have in this country is. One of the problems we encounter as bureaucratized Americans, and if that's not a word, I just made it up. One of the problems we encounter as bureaucratized Americans is that we're so used to being ordered around, we're so used to being told what to do, we never ever question authority. In other words, we never question whether or not the one who is giving the orders has any lawful authority so that he may rightly give those orders. We're just so used to being told what to do, we do it. Let me tell you something, folks. When it comes to bureaucracy, when it comes to unrighteous civil government, question authority. question authority. If someone does not have a lawful authority, they do not have the right then to tell you what to do or what not to do. Many times one will discover that those who are demanding that you do something, not only do not have the lawful authority to demand it, usually the regulations they want you to comply with don't even apply to you to begin with.

[John Weaver] I've had it happen to me many times. I want to tell you something, folks. It will make a bureaucrat mad as a wet setting hen for you to question his authority and say, show me the law. Show me the law. The point I'm trying to make is this. If there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It's just simply resistance to tyranny. I don't care who the person is. If there is no lawful authority, they have no right to interfere in my life. They have no right to demand anything of me. And if they have no lawful authority, I may resist them and do so righteously and without sinning against God. Here's the third truth. The third thing that we find about rebellion and defiance is this. Not only are rebellion and defiance ultimately against God, secondly, rebellion and defiance are only to lawful authority, but thirdly, we find in this passage the strength and the persistence and the stubbornness of rebellion and defiance. And let me tell you something, people.

[John Weaver] It is absolutely amazing to discover how hard-headed rebellion really is. and how difficult it is to stamp it out.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look back in Numbers chapter 16. Dathan, Abiram, Korah, and the 250 princes have all rebelled against Moses and against Aaron. And when they did so, once again, it was God's determination to kill all of them. Look in verses 20 and 21 of Numbers chapter 16. And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment, because I will kill every one of them. Once again, it was through the intercession of Moses that the congregation was spared. Look in verse 22. And they fell upon their face and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? So God said, All right, I'm not going to kill all of them. I won't do that. But then God says, I tell you what I am going to do. I'm going to kill the rebels. Look in verses 23 and 24. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.

[John Weaver] And Moses went up and went unto Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. And so he tells them, verse 26, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in their sins." Now, what does Moses do? And by the way, I wish I had time to really lay out the things in this chapter, but to show you how stubborn these men were. Moses tried to work things out, and he sent for the men to come and talk to him. And they said, We're not going up to talk to him. If he wants to talk, let him come down here. I mean, you know, wicked. So what Moses does is this. Moses then asks for an uncommon death for these rebels. He wants the people to know it's not him that's doing this. It is God that's killing these rebels. Look in your Bibles to verse 26. And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tits of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.

[John Weaver] So they gaped them from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the door of their tits, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. And Moses said, Hereby you shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord make a new thing in the earth, open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertained unto them, and they go down quick into the pit, then you shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord. And it came to pass, as he had made it in of speaking all these words, that the ground clay was under that was under them, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained to Korah, and all their goods, they, and all that

[John Weaver] appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them, and perished among the congregation." Now, wait a minute, folks. You're talking about an uncommon death. I mean, the earth just opened up and swallowed them. Moses said, if these people die a common death, then God has not sent me. God has not spoken by me. Well, very obviously, since they did not die a common death, but an uncommon death, God had sent Moses and God had spoken by Moses.

[John Weaver] Now, what was the response of the children of Israel when they saw this? Look in verse 34. And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them, for they said, lest the earth swallow us up also. Oh, they said, let's get away from there. I mean, God is angry with these men. They're rebellious and they're defiant. They're wicked. They're wrong.

[John Weaver] Now, God is taking care of Dathan and Byron and all of his. But what about these 250 princes? Now, watch. Once God gets rid of the ringleaders, He now turns his attention to the supporters of the ringleaders. Verse 35, and there came out a fire from the Lord and consumed the 250 men that offered incense. In other words, God miraculously sent fire from heaven and destroyed them.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to stop with me before I go any further and think just for a moment. Let's suppose that you had been alive back during this incident. Or, since you're not alive back then, let me ask this. Would you not think certain things from the people having witnessed this?

[John Weaver] Now remember, they've witnessed the rebellion firsthand. They've witnessed the earth opening up and swallowing them and closing back up. They have witnessed fire coming down from heaven and consuming 250 specific princes.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask some questions. Would you not have been impressed with the fact that God is holy and must be obeyed? Would you not have understood that judgment, that rebellion and defiance are under the judgment and condemnation of God? Would you not have reached the conclusion that God chooses and appoints and ordains whomsoever he will? and whomsoever he pleases, and it is not in our right to question God, would you not have grasped the truth that it is unwise and unhealthy to attack God's lawfully ordained authority?

[John Weaver] After seeing the earth open up and swallow the men alive, and after seeing the fire fall from heaven and kill the 250 princes, would you not have concluded that it was God himself who destroyed the rebels. The question is, how could you not conclude these things? But let me show you the stubbornness, the hard-headedness of rebellion. Look in verse 41. But on the morrow. But on the morrow.

[John Weaver] That means the next day. 24 hours had not elapsed. But on the morrow, all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, You've killed the people of the Lord. Who do you think you are, Moses? Who do you think you are, Aaron? You've just murdered God's people. You killed them. Well, let's read on. And it came to pass when the congregation was gathered together against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation, and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. She counted glory against. And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation, And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

[John Weaver] And they fell on their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censure, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly in the congregation, and make an atonement for them. For there is wrath gone out from the Lord, the plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation, And behold, the plague was begun among the people, and he put on incense and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed.

[John Weaver] Now they that died of the plague were 14,700 men, 700 besides them that died about the matter of Korah. Another nearly 15,000 people dead. Why? Because they were suffering.

[John Weaver] And they once again attacked Moses and attacked Aaron and said, you kill God's people. It was you that had done it. You see, folks, rebellion and defiance are so stubborn and so hard-headed that it will either be corrected In grace or in judgment? Are you listening? Rebellion is so difficult to overcome. It will either be overcome and remedied by the grace of God in repentance or by the judgment of God in destruction.

[John Weaver] Is it not far better to repent than die? Two verses before I go to my next point. Proverbs 29 verse 1. He that being often reproved and hardened of his neck shall suddenly be cut off and that without remedy. God said, you hear and you hear and you hear, but you won't hear. You won't listen. God said, I'll cut you off quickly. And that without remedy. Proverbs 8.36, Our Lord said, He that sinneth against me wronged his own soul.

[John Weaver] All they that hate me love death. Unbelief and provocation results in a death wish. Rebellion and defiance result in a death wish. God killed Thirdly, if you look in your Bibles to Numbers chapter 20, here's the third illustration of a death wish. Let's begin reading there with verse one. Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation into the desert of Zin in the first month.

[John Weaver] And the people abode in Kadesh and Miriam died there and was buried there. And there was no water for the congregation, and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people chode with Moses and spake, saying, Would God that we had died with our brethren when our brethren died before the Lord. Can you believe these people? Would God we had been killed in the judgments? And why have you brought us up out of the congregation, Lord, in this wilderness that we and our cattle should die there?

[John Weaver] And wherefore have you made us to come up out of Egypt to bring us into this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates, neither is there any water to drink."

[John Weaver] Now, let me just stop there and tell you. In verses 3 through 5, it is the people who are once again expressing a death wish. However, in this instance, It's not the people who die. But Moses and Aaron. Let me tell you something, folks. Sometimes you might wish you were dead. But you might not die. Someone very important to you may. Why? I'm going to show you because your attitude and your actions affect others.

[John Weaver] The Bible says no man liveth to himself and no man died to himself. Now, it's the people who are expressing a wish to die, but it's Moses and Aaron who died. I am sure, in fact, I could say positively that neither Moses nor Aaron ever expressed an outward desire to die or to have God to kill them. I told you in my introduction that it is possible to have a death wish and never verbalize it and never even know it. Now you ask me, how is it possible to have a death wish and not even know it? Because while you may not be thinking that you want God to kill, you or that you want to die, your actions are requesting it. Now, what did God do? God killed Aaron on Mount Hor.

[John Weaver] I'm going to tell you why in just a moment. He killed Moses on Mount Nebo. Let me show you why. I'll go ahead. Look in Numbers 20, verse 6. And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly into the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell on their faces, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the van. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Now, Moses, the people are complaining. They want water.

[John Weaver] So here's what you do. Take the rod and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron, thy brother, and speak you unto the rock before their eyes. It shall give forth his water. and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock, so shalt thou give the congregation in their beasts drink.' And Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he commanded him, and Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said to them, Here now, you rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beast also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, Because you believe me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." What does it mean?

[John Weaver] Well, it means they're going to die before they get there. So if you look in chapter 20, skipping down to verse 23, Same chapter. And the Lord spake unto Moses unto Aaron in Mount Hor by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and ye shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto Mount Hor, and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. Moses did as the Lord commanded him. They went up to the Mount Hor in the site of the congregation. And of course, he stripped Aaron. And the Bible says, verse 28, Aaron died there on the top of the Mount. God killed him. God took his life. Now, without me reading Numbers chapter 27, well, we're there. Let's go over Numbers 27.

[John Weaver] Look in chapter 27, beginning there, verse 12. 27, verse 12. And the Lord said unto Moses, Get thee up unto this mount of Biram, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. And when thou hast seen it, thou shalt also be gathered by people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. For you rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, and the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes, and it is the water of Maribon, Kadesh, and the wilderness of Zin. And of course God killed Moses there.

[John Weaver] Now, you'll also find that in Deuteronomy 32 verses 49 and 50. Now Moses acknowledges, by the way, that it was this instance in Numbers chapter 20 that brought God's judgment upon him. Turn right over to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 1. Deuteronomy chapter 1. Look at verse 37. Deuteronomy 1 verse 37. Look what he says. Also the Lord was angry with me for your sake, saying, Thou shalt not go in thither. Now look at chapter 3, beginning there with verse 25. Deuteronomy 3, verse 25. Moses is speaking to God. He says, I pray thee, let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain in Lebanon. But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me. And the Lord said unto me, let it suffice thee, speak no more unto this matter. Get thee up to Pisgah, and you can look there, etc. And then, of course, God killed him. So Moses is acknowledging The reason he could not go over was because of this instance of the water of strife.

[John Weaver] Now, when God gave Moses directions at the complaining of the people, he expected Moses to follow his directions. The people wanted water. So what happens in Numbers chapter 26? God tells Moses to take the rod, the rod of authority, and speak to the rod. Well, you know what happened. He was angry. He was upset. Instead of speaking to the rock, he smote it twice. Water still came out. The people were satisfied. God graciously gave the water even in the face of the disobedience of Moses and Aaron, but yet he judged them for their disobedience and dishonor.

[John Weaver] I told you here are three particular sins that are sins of the death. Unbelief in provocation, rebellion and defiance, and now disobedience and dishonor.

[John Weaver] Now what was the exact offense for which Moses and Aaron were excluded from the promised land? Well, it appears to have consisted in several particulars. First of all, number one, God commanded Moses to speak to the rock, to take the rod in his hand and speak to the rock, and that would produce the water. But it seems that Moses did not think that speaking to the rock would be sufficient. Therefore, he slumped the rock without any command to do so. By the way, That was rebellion on the part of Moses, and that's what it is called in Numbers 27 verse 14 and in other passages as well. So God says, Moses, you speak. But Moses didn't do that. Number two, he smoked the rock twice.

[John Weaver] Which evidenced a great agitation of spirit and certainly a want of attention to the presence of God. Now, without me developing this thought, And without you turning there, 1 Corinthians 10 verse 4 tells us this. And the rock that followed them, what? Can you finish that verse? And the rock that followed them was Christ. The rock was a symbolical representation of Jesus Christ. Now, the rock had already been smitten In Exodus 17 and verse 6 there, God told him to smite the rock. Well, if that rock was a type of Jesus Christ, certainly Isaiah 53 tells us that He was smitten for our transgressions. But Christ was only smitten once.

[John Weaver] Now, Moses smites the rock a second time, and he does so at least twice, which is violative of the typology of Christ suffering once for the sins of his people. So Moses then was unattentive to the typology that that rock was Christ. Instead of speaking, he smoked, unauthorized, in great anger and agitation.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, He permitted his spirit to be carried away by a sense of the people's disobedience. And being provoked, he was led to speak unadvisedly with his lips, the Bible says, because he looked at the people and said, Hear now, you rebels! Must we fetch water out of this rock for you? Not must God give you water, but must we, must Aaron and I do this for you? He failed to acknowledge it was God who was working the miracle.

[John Weaver] Unbelief was the great transgression. Look what God says in verse 12 of Numbers chapter 20. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because what? You believed me not. To sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel. Therefore, you shall not bring this congregation to the land which I have given you. Unbelief was a great transgression. And in Numbers 27 verse 14, it's called a rebelling against God. Now, let me tell you what aggravated Moses and Aaron's sin. The sin was done publicly. All the congregation was there before them. This was not a private sin. It was a public sin. And in public, they disbelieved God, they dishonored God, they disobeyed God, and indicated to the people that God would grudgingly supply their needs And that they must fetch that water by smiting that rock. Our Lord said, you failed to sanctify me. You failed to honor me. And therefore, says God, you'll die. You won't go into this land. It was disobedience and dishonor that brought death to Moses and to Aaron.

[John Weaver] Now listen to me. When we are willfully disobedient, and when we willfully dishonor God, we have a death wish. We may not express it. We may not say it. We may not even think about it. But we have a death wish. Because our Lord says, He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make just a couple of applications. The first one should be very obvious. There is a sin and a death. And today I've listed three of them. Unbelief and provocation. Rebellion and defiance. disobedience and dishonor. These are sins to avoid at all costs. If you commit them, you have a death wish. The second application is this. Let me say it a little more plainly. Those who hate Christ have a death wish. Now, when we think of death, we normally think of physical death. But may I point out that death may come in many forms and many shapes. For instance, there is an economical death. There's a familial death. There's a spiritual death. There's a physical death. There's an ecclesiastical death. There's an eternal death. Now, what did our Lord say? All they that hate me love death.

[John Weaver] If you disobey and dishonor God in your finances, if you're rebellious and defiant, and will not submit to the truth of God. If you disbelieve him and provoke him, let me tell you what's going to happen. You will die financially. There is an economic death. Do you realize the same thing is true in our family? When the wives do not treat their husbands the way God tells them, when the husbands do not treat their wives the way God tells them, when children do not treat their parents the way God tells them, when parents do not treat their children the way God tells them, all they that hate me love death. You will die familiarly. What about a church? When a church Disbelieves God and provokes Him and rebels and is defiant. And disobeys and dishonors. Guess what? It dies. You remember what our Lord told the church in Revelation?

[John Weaver] Thou hast a name that thou livest, but thou art what? Dead. Oh yes. God can kill us physically. And God can kill those who are without Christ eternally. But all of those who refuse to bring their lives in conformity to the Word of God have a death wish. He that sinneth against me, said Christ, wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death. There is a sin unto death, and many people have a death wish, have never verbalized it, have never thought about it, yet their actions are requesting that God kill them, in one way or the other, because of their lives, their disobedience, their sins, their rebellion. their defiance. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ that you would help us.

[John Weaver] That you would teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. Lord, that you would enable us not to be full or filled with unbelief and provocation. That we would not be rebellious and defiant. And that we would not be disobedient and dishonoring to Thee. But Lord, may our lives be brought into conformity to Your Word. And Father, those who obey Thee have a life wish and a life desire. And may we love life and love Thee. For Thou hast said that Thou hast come to give us life and to give it more abundantly. So may we embrace Thee and embrace Thy truth and live as unto Thee.

[John Weaver] In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

A Death Wish

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	670485934
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom
Genre	Sermon
Date	2004-05-16
Dictation Name
Book	Book 085: Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	82

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Reality of Death Wishes

Weaver introduces the concept of a death wish, noting that some people express a desire to die, and that it is possible to have a death wish without realizing it. He references the biblical concept of a 'sin unto death' from 1 John 5.

Let's open our Bibles, if you would, please. First of all, to Numbers chapter 14. Numbers chapter 14. The message today I'm going to bring is entitled, "Death Wish." A death wish. Notice, if you would, Numbers chapter 14, beginning with verse 1:

Scripture Reading — Numbers 14:1-4

"And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt? Or would God that we had died in this wilderness? And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel." Many people have used the expression, "I wish I was dead."

Some have used it more often and more frequently than others. The usual response to such an expression is this: be careful for that which you wish, for your wish may be granted. It is undoubtedly true that some people have a death wish of some kind or the other. All you've got to do is look at the way they drive and especially how they live and how they act. It was Charles Bronson, the movie star, who made a great deal of money off several movies entitled "Death Wish." Naturally, in his movies, he was the good guy and he was the one fulfilling the wishes of the bad guys by executing them and taking them out. But yet it's amazing to discover that there are indeed death wishes among, supposedly, the people of faith. Moreover, let me point out that it is possible to have a death wish and not even realize it. Do you realize and do you understand that there is in the Bible that which is known as a sin unto death?

Hold Numbers chapter 14, but look in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 5, and let's look at verses 16 and 17. 1 John 5, and notice verses 16 and 17. 1 John 5, note verse 16. The Word of God says,

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:16-17

"If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death."

First Sin Unto Death: Unbelief and Provocation (Numbers 14)

The Israelites' unbelief after the spies' evil report provoked God, leading them to wish they had died in Egypt or the wilderness. God granted their wish, condemning that generation to die in the wilderness.

"I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin unto death." So there are some sins that are not unto death, but our Lord tells us very plainly there are some that are a sin unto death. Now, what are some of those sins unto death? Well, I'm sure that I probably cannot list all of them. However, I can give you several of them because they're revealed in Scripture. And the very first one that is revealed in Scripture is Numbers chapter 14. What are the sins unto death in this chapter? I'm going to tell you it is first of all unbelief and provocation. By the way, unbelief and provocation usually go together.

So look in verse 2: "And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would God that we had died in this wilderness." Now, what in the world is the context for such a death wish? Well, the spies had searched out the land. You remember there were twelve spies, and ten of them brought back an evil report against the land. Only two, Joshua and Caleb, brought back a true report. Now the other ten spies reminded the children of Israel of the giants that were in the land. For instance, look in Numbers 13, verse 31.

"But the men that went up with them said, We be not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land through which we have gone to search it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants." "And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sights." Now when the ten spies gave this evil report, it caused the hearts of the people to sink into unbelief, and thus they provoked the sovereign God of heaven and earth. That is why they said in verse 2, "Would to God we had died in the land of Egypt, or would to God we had died in this wilderness." In other words, they considered it better to be slaves in Egypt than to be free and to face responsibilities.

By the way, they also had rather be enslaved than fight for their liberty and their freedom. Consequently, in their unbelief, they charged Moses and Aaron with criminal negligence. Look what they said: "And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword, and that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?" Then one said to another, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt." In other words, "Moses and Aaron, you brought us out here to kill us." That's the only reason you led us out this direction. Now the right thing for us to do is for us to make a captain and let us return into Egypt and let us go back to being slaves. Well, Joshua and Caleb, the two who brought the accurate and true report, tried to give the people the truth, but they refused to listen. Look in verse 6: "And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes. And they spake in all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we pass through to search it is an exceeding good land. And if the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give us a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel ye not against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not."

Now that was certainly good counsel. Now, it was actually what God had wanted and what God had desired. But what was the response of the people when they listened to the truth? Well, skip down if you would to verse 10: "But all the congregation bade stone them with stones." In other words, "We'll kill you. We'll destroy you. We don't like what you're saying, so we're going to destroy the messengers."

Now, I suppose the only thing that stopped them from stoning Joshua and Caleb was what happened next. Look in verse 10: "But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel." In other words, when they saw that Shekinah glory, they backed off. They knew that God was present. Now, what does God do? God charges the people with unbelief and with provocation. Look in verse 11: "And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? And how long will it be ere they believe me for all the signs which I have showed them?" Note, God says they disbelieve. They are full of unbelief. Their unbelief has provoked me. Look in verse 22. He says, "Because all those men who have seen my glory and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice." God said, "I gave them signs."

I gave them wonders. I gave them miracles. I delivered them. Yet in all this they have not believed me, yet they continue to provoke me.

Now, they wanted to die? God said, "I'll tell you why. I'll help you fulfill your wish. In fact, God, what I'll do is I'll just kill everybody. And I'll make a greater nation out of Moses." Look in verse 12. God says, "I will smite them with pestilence and disinherit them and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they." Now, why did God not smite the entire group of people? And the answer is, because Moses interceded in verse 13, and Moses said to the Lord, "Then the Egyptian shall hear it for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land, for they have heard that thou art the Lord among this people, and thou art seen face to face, and that the cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them by day time in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire by night." Then he says, "God, if you kill these people, you know what the heathen are going to say?"

They're going to say you brought them out. And the only reason you killed them was you were not able to bring them in. Lord, it'll be a reflection upon you. Well, God says, "All right, Moses, I'll tell you what. I will not disinherit the entire congregation. But the people that wish they were dead, I shall grant them their wish." Skip down to chapter 14 in verse 26. Look at it. Chapter 14, verse 26: "And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you."

"Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which you have murmured against me, doubtless you shall not come into the land concerning which I swear to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which you said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of days in which you have searched the land, even forty days each day for a year, shall you bear your iniquities even forty years, and you shall know the breach of my promise."

"I, the Lord, have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me, in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. And the men which Moses sent to search the land who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the land, even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land died by the plague before the Lord." So what did God do? God immediately killed the ten men who brought up the evil report, and He said to the others, "You wish you had died in the wilderness? I'm going to grant you your wish. You'll die in the wilderness. Every one of you. And all these little children that you said are going to be a prey? They will get into the land, but you shall not get into it."

Now, I'm not going to ask that you turn there, but in Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 19, and in Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 6, the Bible tells us it was because of their unbelief that they could not enter into the land. I want you to understand a simple truth, and that is this, that unbelief provokes God.

The Greater Revelation, the Greater Provocation (Hebrews 10)

Weaver contrasts the Old Testament judgment for despising Moses' law with the sorer punishment for those who reject the fuller revelation in Christ, emphasizing that unbelief provokes God more under greater light.

Now, let me elucidate upon that just a little more. Because I want you to see, the greater the signs, the greater the miracles, or I will add this, the greater the revelation, the greater the unbelief, and the greater the provocation. The more truth God gives you, when you refuse to believe the greater amount of truth, therefore you have a greater provocation, and you bring upon yourself a greater judgment. People naively say, when they read a passage like Numbers chapter 14, "I'll tell you one thing. Had I been alive back in that day, I would have believed." But the fact is, they won't believe today. What good does it do to say, "I would have believed back then, but I will not believe right now"? How much more is God provoked by a fuller and more complete revelation? Let me show you what I'm talking about.

Look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10. And let's begin reading there with verse 28. Hebrews 10. Note, if you would please, verse 28. Hebrews 10, verse 28. The Bible says, watch closely now:

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 10:28-29

"He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses."

So if you despise the limited revelation that God had given in the Old Testament, what does God say? You died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Ah, but look at verse 29:

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 10:28-29

"Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"

Now, God says, in light of the full revelation that He's made in Jesus Christ, in light of the full revelation that we have in the Word of God, in light of the full revelation of truth, how much sorer or worse punishment shall a man be worthy of when he despises that full and

final revelation that God has made in Jesus Christ? So if you died without mercy in the Old Testament under two or three witnesses, God said it should be even worse in the New Testament when you have all the truth and the full revelation of Jesus Christ, yet you refuse to believe. God says it's that unbelief that provokes me to anger. I've given you the sign. I've given you the miracle. I've given you the truth. And yet you refuse to believe.

Now, I'm going to quote a verse at this point that you're going to hear me quote several times today. Proverbs 8:36. Our Lord said,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 8:36

"He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death."

Did you hear that?

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 8:36

"He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All that hate me love death."

Anyone who hates Christ, anyone who hates God has a death wish. Unbelief and provocation are sins unto death. Well, what is the second sin unto death? Well, if you will turn to Numbers chapter 16, you will see that it is rebellion and defiance. Rebellion and defiance. Look at Numbers chapter 16, and let's begin reading there with verse one. Numbers chapter 16, verse one.

Second Sin Unto Death: Rebellion and Defiance (Numbers 16)

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram's rebellion against Moses and Aaron is shown to be ultimately against God. Their defiance led to an uncommon death as the earth swallowed them, and fire consumed 250 supporters.

"Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, the sons of Reuben, took men, and they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel." Now look, "250 princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown. And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them." "And the Lord is among them. Wherefore, then lift you up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord." And when Moses heard it, he fell on his face.

Now, what you have is three ringleaders: Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. They're upset with Moses and they're telling Moses, "You're taking too much upon yourself." In other words, "Moses, you're acting with too much authority. Why don't you know all of God's people are holy? And God is amongst all of us. We can do whatever we want to do. We don't have to do what you tell us. And we don't believe that the priesthood is necessarily reserved for Aaron and his sons. And we don't necessarily believe that you have to be the leader of this people."

"Why, any of us can do that. And moreover, I've got 250 princes. I mean, here are men that have power and money. And they're backing up Korah and Dathan and Abiram." I want you to hold Numbers 16. We're coming right back there. But look in your Bibles to Jude, verse 11. Right before the book of Revelation, you have the book of Jude. Jude, verse 11. And look what is said concerning Korah. Notice Jude and verse 11. In fact, I may come back in the next week or two and preach from this next verse or this next phrase in this verse. Notice if you would, Jude, verse 11: "Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah." Now, Korah there is Korah. They perished in the gainsaying of Korah. Now, what in the world is gainsaying?

Well, the word gainsaying occurs several times in Scripture. Let me just show you very quickly. Look in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 21, and verse 15. Luke 21, verse 15, I think you're going to get the idea. Luke 21, verse 15, our Lord says, "For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist." Now there's that word gainsay. If you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 10. Romans 10. And notice if you would please verse 21. Romans 10, verse 21, you'll see it again. The Bible says, "But to Israel he saith, All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."

Now, you don't have to turn to Titus 1 and verse 9, but there Paul told Timothy that the gainsayers must be stopped. Well, what in the world is gainsaying? When the Bible says that they perished in the gainsaying of Korah, what does that mean? Well, the word gainsaying literally means to speak against. It means to dispute. It means to argue with. It means to contend with. It means to contradict. What in the world was Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and the 250 princes doing? They were contradicting. They were arguing. They were contending.

They were disputing against God and against Moses and against Aaron. Now, if you look in Numbers chapter 26—hold Numbers chapter 16, we're coming back there—but look at Numbers chapter 26 at verses 9 and 10. This passage makes it exceedingly clear that the gainsaying was against God and also against Moses and Aaron. Look in verse 9:

Scripture Reading — Numbers 26:9-10

"And the sons of Eliab, Nemuel, and Dathan and Abiram, this is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they strove against God. And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah. When that company died, what time the fire devoured 250 men and they became a sign."

Now the Bible says that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and those 250 men that perished became a sign. What were they a sign of? They were a sign of rebellion and defiance. What were they doing? They were striving against Moses and Aaron and striving against God. Now I want you to go back to Numbers chapter 16 and let me tell you why this chapter is exceedingly important.

I'm going to give you three reasons why it is vitally important. First and foremost, this chapter teaches us that all rebellion is ultimately against God. Let me say that again: all rebellion is ultimately against God. Now, what were Dathan and Abiram and Korah doing? They were striving against Moses and Aaron. But what does the Bible say in Numbers 26 and verse 9? They strove against Moses and Aaron when they strove against God. In other words, they may have said they were striving against Moses and Aaron, but ultimately it was against God Himself. Let me spell this out very plainly. Whenever you attack God's lawfully ordained and constituted authority, exercising His authority, in the proper sphere and in the proper way that God has ordained, you are in essence attacking God Himself.

Are you listening to me? When children dishonor and disobey their parents, they're disobeying and dishonoring God Himself. Why? Because God has constituted those parents as a lawfully ordained authority. And as long as those parents are exercising that authority in the sphere of biblical truth, to oppose the parent is to oppose God. To dishonor the parent is to dishonor God.

Now, the same thing can be said ecclesiastically. In fact, if you look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 13, let me just show you. Hebrews chapter 13. And notice if you would please, first of all, verse 7. Hebrews 13, verse 7. Look what the Bible says, Hebrews 13, verse 7. And God is writing to these people and he tells them, "Remember them who have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God."

Now, we're talking about pastors. We're talking about elders. "Remember them who have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." Now skip down to verse 17: "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you."

Now, the same truth is applied ecclesiastically. I cannot come to your house and say, "Well, you know, I think everybody in this house ought to wear blue shirts." I have no authority to tell you what color shirt to wear. But I do have authority to come to your house and say that you should dress modestly whatever color you're wearing. So whenever I exercise biblical authority in the sphere that God has ordained me to exercise that authority, to resist the one whom God has ordained is to resist God Himself. You remember what our Lord said in Matthew chapter 10. You don't have to turn there. But when he sent his disciples out, you remember, he said this: "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me."

Now, the opposite is also true. He that rejects the disciples of Christ rejects Christ. He that rejects Christ rejects the Father who sent Christ. The same thing is true when it comes to civil authority. That's why Romans 13 verse 2, God says that the civil authority has been ordained of God and whosoever resisteth the ordinance shall receive to himself condemnation. Let me say this again, folks. I am not against government. I'm not against civil government. I believe civil government. God ordained civil government. I don't want to overthrow civil government. All I want to do is to throw wickedness out of civil government and have it work in the proper sphere and the proper function that God ordained it to work in. And if you have a biblical, godly, civil ruler exercising his authority in the sphere that God ordained, to resist him is to resist God. So the point I'm trying to make is this: all rebellion is ultimately against God. You might say that it's against Moses and Aaron. You might say it's against the preacher.

You might say it's against the civil ruler who's exercising his power lawfully. But in reality, it's against God. Here's the second important truth. Please understand this. Number one, all rebellion is ultimately against God. Secondly, rebellion can only be to lawful authority. If there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It is only resistance to tyranny. If I have no lawful authority, folks, that means I have no right to order, to command, to direct, or demand. So if I have no right, I then may be lawfully and righteously resisted.

Now let me tell you what one of the problems we have in this country is. One of the problems we encounter as bureaucratized Americans—and if that's not a word, I just made it up—one of the problems we encounter as bureaucratized Americans is that we're so used to being ordered around, we're so used to being told what to do, we never ever question authority. In other words, we never question whether or not the one who is giving the orders has any lawful authority so that he may rightly give those orders. We're just so used to being told what to do, we do it. Let me tell you something, folks. When it comes to bureaucracy, when it comes to unrighteous civil government, question authority. Question authority. If someone does not have a lawful authority, they do not have the right then to tell you what to do or what not to do. Many times one will discover that those who are demanding that you do something, not only do not have the lawful authority to demand it, usually the regulations they want you to comply with don't even apply to you to begin with.

I've had it happen to me many times. I want to tell you something, folks. It will make a bureaucrat mad as a wet setting hen for you to question his authority and say, "Show me the law. Show me the law." The point I'm trying to make is this: if there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It's just simply resistance to tyranny. I don't care who the person is. If there is no lawful authority, they have no right to interfere in my life. They have no right to demand anything of me. And if they have no lawful authority, I may resist them and do so righteously and without sinning against God. Here's the third truth. The third thing that we find about rebellion and defiance is this: not only are rebellion and defiance ultimately against God, secondly, rebellion and defiance are only to lawful authority, but thirdly, we find in this passage the strength and the persistence and the stubbornness of rebellion and defiance. And let me tell you something, people.

It is absolutely amazing to discover how hard-headed rebellion really is, and how difficult it is to stamp it out. Now, I want you to look back in Numbers chapter 16. Dathan, Abiram, Korah, and the 250 princes have all rebelled against Moses and against Aaron. And when they did so, once again, it was God's determination to kill all of them. Look in verses 20 and 21 of Numbers chapter 16:

Scripture Reading — Numbers 16:20-35

"And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment,"

because I will kill every one of them. Once again, it was through the intercession of Moses that the congregation was spared. Look in verse 22:

Scripture Reading — Numbers 16:20-35

"And they fell upon their face and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?"

So God said, "All right, I'm not going to kill all of them. I won't do that." But then God says, "I tell you what I am going to do. I'm going to kill the rebels." Look in verses 23 and 24:

Scripture Reading — Numbers 16:20-35

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram."

And Moses went up and went unto Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. And so he tells them, verse 26, "Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in their sins." Now, what does Moses do? And by the way, I wish I had time to really lay out the things in this chapter, but to show you how stubborn these men were. Moses tried to work things out, and he sent for the men to come and talk to him. And they said, "We're not going up to talk to him. If he wants to talk, let him come down here." I mean, you know, wicked. So what Moses does is this: Moses then asks for an uncommon death for these rebels. He wants the people to know it's not him that's doing this. It is God that's killing these rebels. Look in your Bibles to verse 26: "And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins."

"So they gat them up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. And Moses said, Hereby you shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord make a new thing in the earth, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertained unto them, and they go down quick into the pit, then you shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord. And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained to Korah, and all their goods, they, and all that

appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them, and they perished among the congregation." Now, wait a minute, folks. You're talking about an uncommon death. I mean, the earth just opened up and swallowed them. Moses said, "If these people die a common death, then God has not sent me. God has not spoken by me." Well, very obviously, since they did not die a common death, but an uncommon death, God had sent Moses and God had spoken by Moses.

Now, what was the response of the children of Israel when they saw this? Look in verse 34: "And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them, for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also." Oh, they said, "Let's get away from there. I mean, God is angry with these men. They're rebellious and they're defiant. They're wicked. They're wrong."

Now, God is taking care of Dathan and Abiram and all of his. But what about these 250 princes? Now, watch. Once God gets rid of the ringleaders, He now turns his attention to the supporters of the ringleaders. Verse 35: "And there came out a fire from the Lord and consumed the 250 men that offered incense." In other words, God miraculously sent fire from heaven and destroyed them.

The Stubbornness of Rebellion

Despite witnessing God's judgment, the congregation murmured the next day, accusing Moses and Aaron of killing the Lord's people. A plague killed 14,700, illustrating that rebellion is corrected either by grace or judgment.

Now, I want you to stop with me before I go any further and think just for a moment. Let's suppose that you had been alive back during this incident. Or, since you're not alive back then, let me ask this: would you not think certain things from the people having witnessed this? Now remember, they've witnessed the rebellion firsthand. They've witnessed the earth opening up and swallowing them and closing back up. They have witnessed fire coming down from heaven and consuming 250 specific princes.

Now, let me ask some questions. Would you not have been impressed with the fact that God is holy and must be obeyed? Would you not have understood that judgment, that rebellion and defiance are under the judgment and condemnation of God? Would you not have reached the conclusion that God chooses and appoints and ordains whomsoever he will, and whomsoever he pleases, and it is not in our right to question God? Would you not have grasped the truth that it is unwise and unhealthy to attack God's lawfully ordained authority?

After seeing the earth open up and swallow the men alive, and after seeing the fire fall from heaven and kill the 250 princes, would you not have concluded that it was God himself who destroyed the rebels? The question is, how could you not conclude these things? But let me show you the stubbornness, the hard-headedness of rebellion. Look in verse 41: "But on the morrow." But on the morrow. That means the next day. Twenty-four hours had not elapsed. "But on the morrow, all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, You've killed the people of the Lord." Who do you think you are, Moses? Who do you think you are, Aaron? You've just murdered God's people. You killed them. Well, let's read on: "And it came to pass when the congregation was gathered together against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation, and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared." Shekinah glory again. "And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation, and the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment."

"And they fell on their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them. For there is wrath gone out from the Lord, the plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation, and behold, the plague was begun among the people, and he put on incense and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed." "Now they that died of the plague were 14,700 men, besides them that died about the matter of Korah." Another nearly 15,000 people dead. Why? Because they were suffering.

And they once again attacked Moses and attacked Aaron and said, "You kill God's people. It was you that had done it." You see, folks, rebellion and defiance are so stubborn and so hard-headed that it will either be corrected in grace or in judgment. Are you listening? Rebellion is so difficult to overcome. It will either be overcome and remedied by the grace of God in repentance or by the judgment of God in destruction.

Third Sin Unto Death: Disobedience and Dishonor (Numbers 20)

The people again expressed a death wish, but it was Moses and Aaron who died. Moses disobeyed by striking the rock instead of speaking to it, dishonoring God publicly, and was barred from the Promised Land.

"All they that hate me love death." Unbelief and provocation results in a death wish. Rebellion and defiance result in a death wish. God killed. Thirdly, if you look in your Bibles to Numbers chapter 20, here's the third illustration of a death wish. Let's begin reading there with verse one:

Scripture Reading — Numbers 20:1-5

"Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation into the desert of Zin in the first month." "And the people abode in Kadesh, and Miriam died there and was buried there. And there was no water for the congregation, and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people chode with Moses and spake, saying, Would God that we had died with our brethren when our brethren died before the Lord."

Can you believe these people?

Scripture Reading — Numbers 20:1-5

"Would God we had been killed in the judgments? And why have you brought us up out of the congregation, Lord, into this wilderness that we and our cattle should die there?"

"And wherefore have you made us to come up out of Egypt to bring us into this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates, neither is there any water to drink." Now, let me just stop there and tell you. In verses 3 through 5, it is the people who are once again expressing a death wish. However, in this instance, it's not the people who die. But Moses and Aaron. Let me tell you something, folks. Sometimes you might wish you were dead. But you might not die. Someone very important to you may. Why? I'm going to show you because your attitude and your actions affect others.

The Bible says no man liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself. Now, it's the people who are expressing a wish to die, but it's Moses and Aaron who died. I am sure, in fact, I could say positively that neither Moses nor Aaron ever expressed an outward desire to die or to have God to kill them. I told you in my introduction that it is possible to have a death wish and never verbalize it and never even know it. Now you ask me, how is it possible to have a death wish and not even know it? Because while you may not be thinking that you want God to kill you or that you want to die, your actions are requesting it. Now, what did God do? God killed Aaron on Mount Hor.

I'm going to tell you why in just a moment. He killed Moses on Mount Nebo. Let me show you why. I'll go ahead. Look in Numbers 20, verse 6: "And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly into the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell on their faces, and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying," Now, Moses, the people are complaining. They want water.

"So here's what you do. Take the rod and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron, thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes. It shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock, so shalt thou give the congregation and their beasts drink." And Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he commanded him, and Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock?" And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, "Because you believed me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." What does it mean?

Well, it means they're going to die before they get there. So if you look in chapter 20, skipping down to verse 23, same chapter: "And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron in Mount Hor by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and ye shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto Mount Hor, and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there." Moses did as the Lord commanded him. They went up to the Mount Hor in the sight of the congregation. And of course, he stripped Aaron. And the Bible says, verse 28, "Aaron died there on the top of the Mount." God killed him. God took his life. Now, without me reading Numbers chapter 27, well, we're there. Let's go over Numbers 27.

Look in chapter 27, beginning there, verse 12. 27, verse 12: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Get thee up unto this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. And when thou hast seen it, thou shalt also be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. For you rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes, that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin." And of course God killed Moses there.

Now, you'll also find that in Deuteronomy 32 verses 49 and 50. Now Moses acknowledges, by the way, that it was this instance in Numbers chapter 20 that brought God's judgment upon him. Turn right over to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 1. Deuteronomy chapter 1. Look at verse 37. Deuteronomy 1 verse 37. Look what he says: "Also the Lord was angry with me for your sake, saying, Thou shalt not go in thither." Now look at chapter 3, beginning there with verse 25. Deuteronomy 3, verse 25. Moses is speaking to God. He says, "I pray thee, let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain and Lebanon." But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me. And the Lord said unto me, "Let it suffice thee, speak no more unto this matter. Get thee up to Pisgah," and you can look there, etc. And then, of course, God killed him. So Moses is acknowledging the reason he could not go over was because of this instance of the water of strife.

Now, when God gave Moses directions at the complaining of the people, he expected Moses to follow his directions. The people wanted water. So what happens in Numbers chapter 20? God tells Moses to take the rod, the rod of authority, and speak to the rock. Well, you know what happened. He was angry. He was upset. Instead of speaking to the rock, he smote it twice. Water still came out. The people were satisfied. God graciously gave the water even in the face of the disobedience of Moses and Aaron, but yet he judged them for their disobedience and dishonor.

I told you here are three particular sins that are sins unto death. Unbelief and provocation, rebellion and defiance, and now disobedience and dishonor.

The Offense of Moses and Aaron Explained

Weaver details Moses' sin: he struck the rock twice instead of speaking, acted in anger, and failed to sanctify God before the people. This disobedience and dishonor constituted a death wish.

Now what was the exact offense for which Moses and Aaron were excluded from the promised land? Well, it appears to have consisted in several particulars. First of all, number one, God commanded Moses to speak to the rock, to take the rod in his hand and speak to the rock, and that would produce the water. But it seems that Moses did not think that speaking to the rock would be sufficient. Therefore, he smote the rock without any command to do so. By the way, that was rebellion on the part of Moses, and that's what it is called in Numbers 27 verse 14 and in other passages as well. So God says, "Moses, you speak." But Moses didn't do that. Number two, he smote the rock twice.

Which evidenced a great agitation of spirit and certainly a want of attention to the presence of God. Now, without me developing this thought, and without you turning there, 1 Corinthians 10 verse 4 tells us this: "And the rock that followed them"—what? Can you finish that verse? "And the rock that followed them was Christ." The rock was a symbolical representation of Jesus Christ. Now, the rock had already been smitten. In Exodus 17 and verse 6 there, God told him to smite the rock. Well, if that rock was a type of Jesus Christ, certainly Isaiah 53 tells us that He was smitten for our transgressions. But Christ was only smitten once.

Now, Moses smites the rock a second time, and he does so at least twice, which is violative of the typology of Christ suffering once for the sins of his people. So Moses then was unattentive to the typology that that rock was Christ. Instead of speaking, he smote, unauthorized, in great anger and agitation. Thirdly, he permitted his spirit to be carried away by a sense of the people's disobedience. And being provoked, he was led to speak unadvisedly with his lips, the Bible says, because he looked at the people and said, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we fetch water out of this rock for you?" Not "Must God give you water," but "Must we, must Aaron and I do this for you?" He failed to acknowledge it was God who was working the miracle.

Unbelief was the great transgression. Look what God says in verse 12 of Numbers chapter 20: "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because what? You believed me not. To sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel. Therefore, you shall not bring this congregation to the land which I have given you." Unbelief was a great transgression. And in Numbers 27 verse 14, it's called a rebelling against God. Now, let me tell you what aggravated Moses and Aaron's sin. The sin was done publicly. All the congregation was there before them. This was not a private sin. It was a public sin. And in public, they disbelieved God, they dishonored God, they disobeyed God, and indicated to the people that God would grudgingly supply their needs and that they must fetch that water by smiting that rock. Our Lord said, "You failed to sanctify me. You failed to honor me." And therefore, says God, "You'll die. You won't go into this land." It was disobedience and dishonor that brought death to Moses and to Aaron.

Applications: Avoiding the Death Wish

Weaver applies the message by urging avoidance of these sins, warning that those who hate Christ love death in many forms—economic, familial, spiritual, physical, ecclesiastical, and eternal.

Now listen to me. When we are willfully disobedient, and when we willfully dishonor God, we have a death wish. We may not express it. We may not say it. We may not even think about it. But we have a death wish. Because our Lord says, "He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death."

Now, let me make just a couple of applications. The first one should be very obvious. There is a sin unto death. And today I've listed three of them. Unbelief and provocation. Rebellion and defiance. Disobedience and dishonor. These are sins to avoid at all costs. If you commit them, you have a death wish. The second application is this. Let me say it a little more plainly. Those who hate Christ have a death wish. Now, when we think of death, we normally think of physical death. But may I point out that death may come in many forms and many shapes. For instance, there is an economical death. There's a familial death. There's a spiritual death. There's a physical death. There's an ecclesiastical death. There's an eternal death. Now, what did our Lord say? "All they that hate me love death."

If you disobey and dishonor God in your finances, if you're rebellious and defiant, and will not submit to the truth of God, if you disbelieve him and provoke him, let me tell you what's going to happen. You will die financially. There is an economic death. Do you realize the same thing is true in our family? When the wives do not treat their husbands the way God tells them, when the husbands do not treat their wives the way God tells them, when children do not treat their parents the way God tells them, when parents do not treat their children the way God tells them, all they that hate me love death. You will die familiarly. What about a church? When a church disbelieves God and provokes Him and rebels and is defiant, and disobeys and dishonors, guess what? It dies. You remember what our Lord told the church in Revelation?

"Thou hast a name that thou livest, but thou art what? Dead." Oh yes. God can kill us physically. And God can kill those who are without Christ eternally. But all of those who refuse to bring their lives in conformity to the Word of God have a death wish. "He that sinneth against me," said Christ, "wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death." There is a sin unto death, and many people have a death wish, have never verbalized it, have never thought about it, yet their actions are requesting that God kill them, in one way or the other, because of their lives, their disobedience, their sins, their rebellion, their defiance. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ that you would help us.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Sin Unto Death

Summary: Certain sins provoke God to the point of bringing death, as illustrated by unbelief, rebellion, and disobedience in Numbers.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'There is a sin unto death' (1 John 5:16-17) and lists three examples from Numbers.

Unbelief Provokes God

Summary: Unbelief, especially in the face of great revelation, provokes God and leads to judgment.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'unbelief provokes God' and cites Numbers 14:11 and Hebrews 10:28-29.

Rebellion is Ultimately Against God

Summary: All rebellion against lawful authority is ultimately rebellion against God Himself.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'all rebellion is ultimately against God' using Numbers 16 and 26:9.

Disobedience and Dishonor as a Death Wish

Summary: Willful disobedience and dishonoring God, even without verbalizing a death wish, constitutes a desire for death.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'When we are willfully disobedient... we have a death wish' and cites Numbers 20:12.

Death in Many Forms

Summary: Death is not only physical but can be economic, familial, spiritual, ecclesiastical, or eternal, resulting from hating Christ.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'death may come in many forms and many shapes' and lists examples.

Key Arguments

Unbelief and provocation are sins unto death

Summary: The Israelites' unbelief after the spies' report provoked God, leading to their death in the wilderness as a direct fulfillment of their death wish.

Evidence: Numbers 14:2, 11, 28-30; Hebrews 3:19; Weaver says, 'unbelief and provocation usually go together.'

Greater revelation brings greater accountability

Summary: Those who reject the fuller revelation in Christ face sorer punishment than those under the Old Testament law.

Evidence: Hebrews 10:28-29; Weaver says, 'the greater the revelation, the greater the unbelief, and the greater the provocation.'

Rebellion against lawful authority is rebellion against God

Summary: Korah's gainsaying against Moses and Aaron was ultimately against God, and all rebellion against God-ordained authority is rebellion against God.

Evidence: Numbers 16:3, 26:9; Jude 11; Weaver says, 'all rebellion is ultimately against God.'

Rebellion is stubborn and persistent

Summary: Even after witnessing miraculous judgment, the Israelites murmured the next day, showing the hard-headedness of rebellion.

Evidence: Numbers 16:41; Weaver says, 'rebellion and defiance are so stubborn... it will either be corrected in grace or in judgment.'

Disobedience and dishonor bring death

Summary: Moses and Aaron's public disobedience in striking the rock instead of speaking to it dishonored God and resulted in their death before entering the Promised Land.

Evidence: Numbers 20:8-12, 27:12-14; Weaver says, 'it was disobedience and dishonor that brought death to Moses and to Aaron.'

Actions can express a death wish without words

Summary: One can have a death wish through sinful actions even without verbalizing it, as seen in Moses and Aaron's case.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'it is possible to have a death wish and not even know it... your actions are requesting it.'

Scripture References

Numbers 14:1-4

Context: The congregation weeps and murmurs, wishing they had died in Egypt or the wilderness.

1 John 5:16-17

Context: There is a sin unto death; not all sin is unto death.

Numbers 13:31-33

Context: The ten spies bring an evil report of giants in the land.

Numbers 14:6-9

Context: Joshua and Caleb encourage the people to trust the Lord and not rebel.

Numbers 14:10

Context: The congregation threatens to stone Joshua and Caleb; the glory of the Lord appears.

Numbers 14:11

Context: God asks how long the people will provoke Him and not believe despite the signs.

Numbers 14:22

Context: God says those who have seen His glory and miracles yet tempted Him ten times will not see the land.

Numbers 14:12

Context: God threatens to smite the people with pestilence and make a greater nation from Moses.

Numbers 14:26-30

Context: God declares that the murmuring generation will die in the wilderness as they wished.

Numbers 14:31-35

Context: The children will enter the land, but the adults' carcasses will fall in the wilderness over forty years.

Hebrews 3:19; 4:6

Context: They could not enter because of unbelief.

Hebrews 10:28-29

Context: Sorer punishment for those who trample the Son of God compared to those who despised Moses' law.

Proverbs 8:36

Context: He who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all who hate me love death.

Numbers 16:1-3

Context: Korah, Dathan, and Abiram with 250 princes rebel against Moses and Aaron.

Jude 11

Context: Woe to them who perished in the gainsaying of Korah.

Numbers 26:9-10

Context: Dathan and Abiram strove against Moses and Aaron when they strove against God; the earth swallowed them.

Numbers 16:20-35

Context: God threatens to consume the congregation; the earth swallows the rebels; fire consumes 250 men.

Numbers 16:41-50

Context: The next day the congregation murmurs; a plague kills 14,700; Aaron makes atonement.

Numbers 20:1-5

Context: The people chode with Moses, wishing they had died with their brethren, complaining of no water.

Numbers 20:6-12

Context: God tells Moses to speak to the rock; Moses strikes it twice; God says he will not enter the land because he did not believe and sanctify God.

Historical References

Charles Bronson's 'Death Wish' movies

Context: Weaver mentions Charles Bronson made money off movies entitled 'Death Wish' where he executed bad guys.

Important Quotes

He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death.

Significance: This quote from Proverbs 8:36 is the central theme of the sermon, repeated multiple times to emphasize that sin and hatred of God equate to a death wish.

There is a sin unto death.

Significance: This statement from 1 John 5:16 introduces the concept that some sins lead to death, forming the basis for the three examples from Numbers.

All rebellion is ultimately against God.

Significance: Weaver's key argument that rebellion against lawful authority is rebellion against God, illustrated by Korah's rebellion.

Rebellion and defiance are so stubborn and so hard-headed that it will either be corrected in grace or in judgment.

Significance: Highlights the persistent nature of rebellion and the only two possible outcomes.

When we are willfully disobedient, and when we willfully dishonor God, we have a death wish.

Significance: Directly connects disobedience and dishonor to a death wish, even if unspoken.

Those who hate Christ have a death wish.

Significance: Application of Proverbs 8:36, extending the death wish to all areas of life.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean that there is a 'sin unto death,' and how should this affect our view of sin?

Context: Weaver introduces the concept from 1 John 5:16-17 and gives three examples from Numbers.

How does unbelief provoke God, and why is greater revelation accompanied by greater accountability?

Context: Weaver explains that the Israelites' unbelief after seeing miracles provoked God, and Hebrews 10 warns of sorer punishment for rejecting Christ.

In what ways might we be guilty of 'gainsaying' like Korah, and how can we guard against rebellion in our hearts?

Context: Weaver defines gainsaying as speaking against, disputing, and contradicting God-ordained authority.

How can we discern between lawful authority and tyranny, and when is resistance righteous?

Context: Weaver argues that rebellion is only to lawful authority; resistance to tyranny is not rebellion.

What does Moses' sin of striking the rock teach us about the importance of obeying God's specific instructions?

Context: Weaver details how Moses disobeyed by striking instead of speaking, and how this dishonored God publicly.

How can our actions express a 'death wish' even if we never verbalize it?

Context: Weaver states that Moses and Aaron may not have expressed a death wish, but their disobedience requested it.

In what areas of life (economic, familial, spiritual, etc.) might we be experiencing 'death' because of disobedience?

Context: Weaver applies the concept of death to various spheres, urging conformity to God's Word.

Applications

Avoid sins unto death

Summary: Believers should avoid unbelief, rebellion, and disobedience because these sins provoke God and lead to death.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'These are sins to avoid at all costs. If you commit them, you have a death wish.'

Submit to lawful authority

Summary: Recognize that rebellion against God-ordained authority is rebellion against God, and submit to such authority in its proper sphere.

Evidence: Weaver explains that resisting parents, pastors, or civil rulers exercising biblical authority is resisting God.

Question unlawful authority

Summary: When authority is not lawful, it is not rebellion to resist; believers should question and resist tyrannical demands.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It is only resistance to tyranny.'

Obey God's specific instructions

Summary: Like Moses, we must follow God's commands precisely, not substituting our own methods, especially in public ministry.

Evidence: Weaver notes Moses struck the rock instead of speaking, which was rebellion and dishonored God.

Examine your life for a death wish

Summary: Evaluate whether your actions in finances, family, or church reflect a death wish by disobeying God's Word.

Evidence: Weaver applies Proverbs 8:36 to economic, familial, and ecclesiastical death.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:19:30Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:20:43Z

Clean Transcript

A Death Wish

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

Let's open our Bibles, if you would, please. First of all, to Numbers chapter 14. Numbers chapter 14. The message today I'm going to bring is entitled, "Death Wish." A death wish. Notice, if you would, Numbers chapter 14, beginning with verse 1: "And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt? Or would God that we had died in this wilderness? And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel." Many people have used the expression, "I wish I was dead."
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Some have used it more often and more frequently than others. The usual response to such an expression is this: be careful for that which you wish, for your wish may be granted. It is undoubtedly true that some people have a death wish of some kind or the other. All you've got to do is look at the way they drive and especially how they live and how they act. It was Charles Bronson, the movie star, who made a great deal of money off several movies entitled "Death Wish." Naturally, in his movies, he was the good guy and he was the one fulfilling the wishes of the bad guys by executing them and taking them out. But yet it's amazing to discover that there are indeed death wishes among, supposedly, the people of faith. Moreover, let me point out that it is possible to have a death wish and not even realize it. Do you realize and do you understand that there is in the Bible that which is known as a sin unto death?
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Hold Numbers chapter 14, but look in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 5, and let's look at verses 16 and 17. 1 John 5, and notice verses 16 and 17. 1 John 5, note verse 16. The Word of God says, "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death."
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"I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin unto death." So there are some sins that are not unto death, but our Lord tells us very plainly there are some that are a sin unto death. Now, what are some of those sins unto death? Well, I'm sure that I probably cannot list all of them. However, I can give you several of them because they're revealed in Scripture. And the very first one that is revealed in Scripture is Numbers chapter 14. What are the sins unto death in this chapter? I'm going to tell you it is first of all unbelief and provocation. By the way, unbelief and provocation usually go together.
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So look in verse 2: "And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would God that we had died in this wilderness."
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Now, what in the world is the context for such a death wish? Well, the spies had searched out the land. You remember there were twelve spies, and ten of them brought back an evil report against the land. Only two, Joshua and Caleb, brought back a true report. Now the other ten spies reminded the children of Israel of the giants that were in the land. For instance, look in Numbers 13, verse 31.
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"But the men that went up with them said, We be not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land through which we have gone to search it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants."
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"And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sights." Now when the ten spies gave this evil report, it caused the hearts of the people to sink into unbelief, and thus they provoked the sovereign God of heaven and earth. That is why they said in verse 2, "Would to God we had died in the land of Egypt, or would to God we had died in this wilderness." In other words, they considered it better to be slaves in Egypt than to be free and to face responsibilities.
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By the way, they also had rather be enslaved than fight for their liberty and their freedom. Consequently, in their unbelief, they charged Moses and Aaron with criminal negligence. Look what they said: "And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword, and that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?" Then one said to another, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt." In other words, "Moses and Aaron, you brought us out here to kill us."
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That's the only reason you led us out this direction. Now the right thing for us to do is for us to make a captain and let us return into Egypt and let us go back to being slaves. Well, Joshua and Caleb, the two who brought the accurate and true report, tried to give the people the truth, but they refused to listen. Look in verse 6: "And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes. And they spake in all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we pass through to search it is an exceeding good land. And if the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give us a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel ye not against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not."
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Now that was certainly good counsel. Now, it was actually what God had wanted and what God had desired. But what was the response of the people when they listened to the truth? Well, skip down if you would to verse 10: "But all the congregation bade stone them with stones." In other words, "We'll kill you. We'll destroy you. We don't like what you're saying, so we're going to destroy the messengers."
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Now, I suppose the only thing that stopped them from stoning Joshua and Caleb was what happened next. Look in verse 10: "But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel." In other words, when they saw that Shekinah glory, they backed off. They knew that God was present. Now, what does God do? God charges the people with unbelief and with provocation. Look in verse 11: "And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? And how long will it be ere they believe me for all the signs which I have showed them?" Note, God says they disbelieve. They are full of unbelief. Their unbelief has provoked me. Look in verse 22. He says, "Because all those men who have seen my glory and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice." God said, "I gave them signs."
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I gave them wonders. I gave them miracles. I delivered them. Yet in all this they have not believed me, yet they continue to provoke me.
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Now, they wanted to die? God said, "I'll tell you why. I'll help you fulfill your wish. In fact, God, what I'll do is I'll just kill everybody. And I'll make a greater nation out of Moses." Look in verse 12. God says, "I will smite them with pestilence and disinherit them and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they." Now, why did God not smite the entire group of people? And the answer is, because Moses interceded in verse 13, and Moses said to the Lord, "Then the Egyptian shall hear it for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land, for they have heard that thou art the Lord among this people, and thou art seen face to face, and that the cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them by day time in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire by night." Then he says, "God, if you kill these people, you know what the heathen are going to say?"
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They're going to say you brought them out. And the only reason you killed them was you were not able to bring them in. Lord, it'll be a reflection upon you. Well, God says, "All right, Moses, I'll tell you what. I will not disinherit the entire congregation. But the people that wish they were dead, I shall grant them their wish." Skip down to chapter 14 in verse 26. Look at it. Chapter 14, verse 26: "And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you."
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"Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which you have murmured against me, doubtless you shall not come into the land concerning which I swear to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which you said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of days in which you have searched the land, even forty days each day for a year, shall you bear your iniquities even forty years, and you shall know the breach of my promise."
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"I, the Lord, have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me, in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. And the men which Moses sent to search the land who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the land, even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land died by the plague before the Lord." So what did God do? God immediately killed the ten men who brought up the evil report, and He said to the others, "You wish you had died in the wilderness? I'm going to grant you your wish. You'll die in the wilderness. Every one of you. And all these little children that you said are going to be a prey? They will get into the land, but you shall not get into it."
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Now, I'm not going to ask that you turn there, but in Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 19, and in Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 6, the Bible tells us it was because of their unbelief that they could not enter into the land. I want you to understand a simple truth, and that is this, that unbelief provokes God.
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Now, let me elucidate upon that just a little more. Because I want you to see, the greater the signs, the greater the miracles, or I will add this, the greater the revelation, the greater the unbelief, and the greater the provocation. The more truth God gives you, when you refuse to believe the greater amount of truth, therefore you have a greater provocation, and you bring upon yourself a greater judgment.
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People naively say, when they read a passage like Numbers chapter 14, "I'll tell you one thing. Had I been alive back in that day, I would have believed." But the fact is, they won't believe today. What good does it do to say, "I would have believed back then, but I will not believe right now"? How much more is God provoked by a fuller and more complete revelation? Let me show you what I'm talking about.
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Look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10. And let's begin reading there with verse 28. Hebrews 10. Note, if you would please, verse 28. Hebrews 10, verse 28. The Bible says, watch closely now: "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses." So if you despise the limited revelation that God had given in the Old Testament, what does God say? You died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Ah, but look at verse 29: "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" Now, God says, in light of the full revelation that He's made in Jesus Christ, in light of the full revelation that we have in the Word of God, in light of the full revelation of truth, how much sorer or worse punishment shall a man be worthy of when he despises that full and
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final revelation that God has made in Jesus Christ? So if you died without mercy in the Old Testament under two or three witnesses, God said it should be even worse in the New Testament when you have all the truth and the full revelation of Jesus Christ, yet you refuse to believe. God says it's that unbelief that provokes me to anger. I've given you the sign. I've given you the miracle. I've given you the truth. And yet you refuse to believe.
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Now, I'm going to quote a verse at this point that you're going to hear me quote several times today. Proverbs 8:36. Our Lord said, "He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death." Did you hear that? "He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All that hate me love death." Anyone who hates Christ, anyone who hates God has a death wish. Unbelief and provocation are sins unto death. Well, what is the second sin unto death? Well, if you will turn to Numbers chapter 16, you will see that it is rebellion and defiance. Rebellion and defiance. Look at Numbers chapter 16, and let's begin reading there with verse one. Numbers chapter 16, verse one.
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"Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, the sons of Reuben, took men, and they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel." Now look, "250 princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown. And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them."
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"And the Lord is among them. Wherefore, then lift you up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord." And when Moses heard it, he fell on his face.
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Now, what you have is three ringleaders: Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. They're upset with Moses and they're telling Moses, "You're taking too much upon yourself." In other words, "Moses, you're acting with too much authority. Why don't you know all of God's people are holy? And God is amongst all of us. We can do whatever we want to do. We don't have to do what you tell us. And we don't believe that the priesthood is necessarily reserved for Aaron and his sons. And we don't necessarily believe that you have to be the leader of this people."
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"Why, any of us can do that. And moreover, I've got 250 princes. I mean, here are men that have power and money. And they're backing up Korah and Dathan and Abiram." I want you to hold Numbers 16. We're coming right back there. But look in your Bibles to Jude, verse 11. Right before the book of Revelation, you have the book of Jude. Jude, verse 11. And look what is said concerning Korah. Notice Jude and verse 11. In fact, I may come back in the next week or two and preach from this next verse or this next phrase in this verse. Notice if you would, Jude, verse 11: "Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah." Now, Korah there is Korah. They perished in the gainsaying of Korah. Now, what in the world is gainsaying?
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Well, the word gainsaying occurs several times in Scripture. Let me just show you very quickly. Look in your Bibles to the book of Luke, chapter 21, and verse 15. Luke 21, verse 15, I think you're going to get the idea. Luke 21, verse 15, our Lord says, "For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist." Now there's that word gainsay. If you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 10. Romans 10. And notice if you would please verse 21. Romans 10, verse 21, you'll see it again. The Bible says, "But to Israel he saith, All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."
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Now, you don't have to turn to Titus 1 and verse 9, but there Paul told Timothy that the gainsayers must be stopped. Well, what in the world is gainsaying? When the Bible says that they perished in the gainsaying of Korah, what does that mean? Well, the word gainsaying literally means to speak against. It means to dispute. It means to argue with. It means to contend with. It means to contradict. What in the world was Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and the 250 princes doing? They were contradicting. They were arguing. They were contending.
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They were disputing against God and against Moses and against Aaron. Now, if you look in Numbers chapter 26—hold Numbers chapter 16, we're coming back there—but look at Numbers chapter 26 at verses 9 and 10. This passage makes it exceedingly clear that the gainsaying was against God and also against Moses and Aaron. Look in verse 9: "And the sons of Eliab, Nemuel, and Dathan and Abiram, this is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they strove against God. And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah. When that company died, what time the fire devoured 250 men and they became a sign." Now the Bible says that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and those 250 men that perished became a sign. What were they a sign of? They were a sign of rebellion and defiance. What were they doing? They were striving against Moses and Aaron and striving against God. Now I want you to go back to Numbers chapter 16 and let me tell you why this chapter is exceedingly important.
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I'm going to give you three reasons why it is vitally important. First and foremost, this chapter teaches us that all rebellion is ultimately against God. Let me say that again: all rebellion is ultimately against God.
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Now, what were Dathan and Abiram and Korah doing? They were striving against Moses and Aaron. But what does the Bible say in Numbers 26 and verse 9? They strove against Moses and Aaron when they strove against God. In other words, they may have said they were striving against Moses and Aaron, but ultimately it was against God Himself. Let me spell this out very plainly. Whenever you attack God's lawfully ordained and constituted authority, exercising His authority, in the proper sphere and in the proper way that God has ordained, you are in essence attacking God Himself.
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Are you listening to me? When children dishonor and disobey their parents, they're disobeying and dishonoring God Himself. Why? Because God has constituted those parents as a lawfully ordained authority. And as long as those parents are exercising that authority in the sphere of biblical truth, to oppose the parent is to oppose God. To dishonor the parent is to dishonor God.
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Now, the same thing can be said ecclesiastically. In fact, if you look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 13, let me just show you. Hebrews chapter 13. And notice if you would please, first of all, verse 7. Hebrews 13, verse 7. Look what the Bible says, Hebrews 13, verse 7. And God is writing to these people and he tells them, "Remember them who have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God."
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Now, we're talking about pastors. We're talking about elders. "Remember them who have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation."
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Now skip down to verse 17: "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you."
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Now, the same truth is applied ecclesiastically. I cannot come to your house and say, "Well, you know, I think everybody in this house ought to wear blue shirts." I have no authority to tell you what color shirt to wear. But I do have authority to come to your house and say that you should dress modestly whatever color you're wearing. So whenever I exercise biblical authority in the sphere that God has ordained me to exercise that authority, to resist the one whom God has ordained is to resist God Himself.
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You remember what our Lord said in Matthew chapter 10. You don't have to turn there. But when he sent his disciples out, you remember, he said this: "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me."
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Now, the opposite is also true. He that rejects the disciples of Christ rejects Christ. He that rejects Christ rejects the Father who sent Christ. The same thing is true when it comes to civil authority. That's why Romans 13 verse 2, God says that the civil authority has been ordained of God and whosoever resisteth the ordinance shall receive to himself condemnation. Let me say this again, folks. I am not against government. I'm not against civil government. I believe civil government. God ordained civil government. I don't want to overthrow civil government. All I want to do is to throw wickedness out of civil government and have it work in the proper sphere and the proper function that God ordained it to work in. And if you have a biblical, godly, civil ruler exercising his authority in the sphere that God ordained, to resist him is to resist God. So the point I'm trying to make is this: all rebellion is ultimately against God. You might say that it's against Moses and Aaron. You might say it's against the preacher.
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You might say it's against the civil ruler who's exercising his power lawfully. But in reality, it's against God. Here's the second important truth. Please understand this. Number one, all rebellion is ultimately against God.
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Secondly, rebellion can only be to lawful authority. If there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It is only resistance to tyranny. If I have no lawful authority, folks, that means I have no right to order, to command, to direct, or demand. So if I have no right, I then may be lawfully and righteously resisted.
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Now let me tell you what one of the problems we have in this country is. One of the problems we encounter as bureaucratized Americans—and if that's not a word, I just made it up—one of the problems we encounter as bureaucratized Americans is that we're so used to being ordered around, we're so used to being told what to do, we never ever question authority. In other words, we never question whether or not the one who is giving the orders has any lawful authority so that he may rightly give those orders. We're just so used to being told what to do, we do it. Let me tell you something, folks. When it comes to bureaucracy, when it comes to unrighteous civil government, question authority. Question authority. If someone does not have a lawful authority, they do not have the right then to tell you what to do or what not to do. Many times one will discover that those who are demanding that you do something, not only do not have the lawful authority to demand it, usually the regulations they want you to comply with don't even apply to you to begin with.
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I've had it happen to me many times. I want to tell you something, folks. It will make a bureaucrat mad as a wet setting hen for you to question his authority and say, "Show me the law. Show me the law." The point I'm trying to make is this: if there is no lawful authority, it is not rebellion. It's just simply resistance to tyranny. I don't care who the person is. If there is no lawful authority, they have no right to interfere in my life. They have no right to demand anything of me. And if they have no lawful authority, I may resist them and do so righteously and without sinning against God. Here's the third truth. The third thing that we find about rebellion and defiance is this: not only are rebellion and defiance ultimately against God, secondly, rebellion and defiance are only to lawful authority, but thirdly, we find in this passage the strength and the persistence and the stubbornness of rebellion and defiance. And let me tell you something, people.
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It is absolutely amazing to discover how hard-headed rebellion really is, and how difficult it is to stamp it out.
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Now, I want you to look back in Numbers chapter 16. Dathan, Abiram, Korah, and the 250 princes have all rebelled against Moses and against Aaron. And when they did so, once again, it was God's determination to kill all of them. Look in verses 20 and 21 of Numbers chapter 16: "And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment," because I will kill every one of them. Once again, it was through the intercession of Moses that the congregation was spared. Look in verse 22: "And they fell upon their face and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?" So God said, "All right, I'm not going to kill all of them. I won't do that." But then God says, "I tell you what I am going to do. I'm going to kill the rebels." Look in verses 23 and 24: "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram."
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And Moses went up and went unto Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. And so he tells them, verse 26, "Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in their sins." Now, what does Moses do? And by the way, I wish I had time to really lay out the things in this chapter, but to show you how stubborn these men were. Moses tried to work things out, and he sent for the men to come and talk to him. And they said, "We're not going up to talk to him. If he wants to talk, let him come down here." I mean, you know, wicked. So what Moses does is this: Moses then asks for an uncommon death for these rebels. He wants the people to know it's not him that's doing this. It is God that's killing these rebels. Look in your Bibles to verse 26: "And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins."
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"So they gat them up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. And Moses said, Hereby you shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord make a new thing in the earth, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertained unto them, and they go down quick into the pit, then you shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord. And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained to Korah, and all their goods, they, and all that
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appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them, and they perished among the congregation." Now, wait a minute, folks. You're talking about an uncommon death. I mean, the earth just opened up and swallowed them. Moses said, "If these people die a common death, then God has not sent me. God has not spoken by me." Well, very obviously, since they did not die a common death, but an uncommon death, God had sent Moses and God had spoken by Moses.
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Now, what was the response of the children of Israel when they saw this? Look in verse 34: "And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them, for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also." Oh, they said, "Let's get away from there. I mean, God is angry with these men. They're rebellious and they're defiant. They're wicked. They're wrong."
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Now, God is taking care of Dathan and Abiram and all of his. But what about these 250 princes? Now, watch. Once God gets rid of the ringleaders, He now turns his attention to the supporters of the ringleaders. Verse 35: "And there came out a fire from the Lord and consumed the 250 men that offered incense." In other words, God miraculously sent fire from heaven and destroyed them.
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Now, I want you to stop with me before I go any further and think just for a moment. Let's suppose that you had been alive back during this incident. Or, since you're not alive back then, let me ask this: would you not think certain things from the people having witnessed this?
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Now remember, they've witnessed the rebellion firsthand. They've witnessed the earth opening up and swallowing them and closing back up. They have witnessed fire coming down from heaven and consuming 250 specific princes.
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Now, let me ask some questions. Would you not have been impressed with the fact that God is holy and must be obeyed? Would you not have understood that judgment, that rebellion and defiance are under the judgment and condemnation of God? Would you not have reached the conclusion that God chooses and appoints and ordains whomsoever he will, and whomsoever he pleases, and it is not in our right to question God? Would you not have grasped the truth that it is unwise and unhealthy to attack God's lawfully ordained authority?
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After seeing the earth open up and swallow the men alive, and after seeing the fire fall from heaven and kill the 250 princes, would you not have concluded that it was God himself who destroyed the rebels? The question is, how could you not conclude these things? But let me show you the stubbornness, the hard-headedness of rebellion. Look in verse 41: "But on the morrow." But on the morrow.
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That means the next day. Twenty-four hours had not elapsed. "But on the morrow, all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, You've killed the people of the Lord." Who do you think you are, Moses? Who do you think you are, Aaron? You've just murdered God's people. You killed them. Well, let's read on: "And it came to pass when the congregation was gathered together against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation, and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared." Shekinah glory again. "And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation, and the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment."
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"And they fell on their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them. For there is wrath gone out from the Lord, the plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation, and behold, the plague was begun among the people, and he put on incense and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed."
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"Now they that died of the plague were 14,700 men, besides them that died about the matter of Korah." Another nearly 15,000 people dead. Why? Because they were suffering.
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And they once again attacked Moses and attacked Aaron and said, "You kill God's people. It was you that had done it." You see, folks, rebellion and defiance are so stubborn and so hard-headed that it will either be corrected in grace or in judgment. Are you listening? Rebellion is so difficult to overcome. It will either be overcome and remedied by the grace of God in repentance or by the judgment of God in destruction.
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Is it not far better to repent than die? Two verses before I go to my next point. Proverbs 29 verse 1: "He that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be cut off, and that without remedy." God said, you hear and you hear and you hear, but you won't hear. You won't listen. God said, I'll cut you off quickly. And that without remedy. Proverbs 8:36, our Lord said, "He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul."
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"All they that hate me love death." Unbelief and provocation results in a death wish. Rebellion and defiance result in a death wish. God killed. Thirdly, if you look in your Bibles to Numbers chapter 20, here's the third illustration of a death wish. Let's begin reading there with verse one: "Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation into the desert of Zin in the first month."
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"And the people abode in Kadesh, and Miriam died there and was buried there. And there was no water for the congregation, and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people chode with Moses and spake, saying, Would God that we had died with our brethren when our brethren died before the Lord." Can you believe these people? "Would God we had been killed in the judgments? And why have you brought us up out of the congregation, Lord, into this wilderness that we and our cattle should die there?"
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"And wherefore have you made us to come up out of Egypt to bring us into this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates, neither is there any water to drink."
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Now, let me just stop there and tell you. In verses 3 through 5, it is the people who are once again expressing a death wish. However, in this instance, it's not the people who die. But Moses and Aaron. Let me tell you something, folks. Sometimes you might wish you were dead. But you might not die. Someone very important to you may. Why? I'm going to show you because your attitude and your actions affect others.
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The Bible says no man liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself. Now, it's the people who are expressing a wish to die, but it's Moses and Aaron who died. I am sure, in fact, I could say positively that neither Moses nor Aaron ever expressed an outward desire to die or to have God to kill them. I told you in my introduction that it is possible to have a death wish and never verbalize it and never even know it. Now you ask me, how is it possible to have a death wish and not even know it? Because while you may not be thinking that you want God to kill you or that you want to die, your actions are requesting it. Now, what did God do? God killed Aaron on Mount Hor.
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I'm going to tell you why in just a moment. He killed Moses on Mount Nebo. Let me show you why. I'll go ahead. Look in Numbers 20, verse 6: "And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly into the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell on their faces, and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying," Now, Moses, the people are complaining. They want water.
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"So here's what you do. Take the rod and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron, thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes. It shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock, so shalt thou give the congregation and their beasts drink." And Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he commanded him, and Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock?" And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, "Because you believed me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." What does it mean?
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Well, it means they're going to die before they get there. So if you look in chapter 20, skipping down to verse 23, same chapter: "And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron in Mount Hor by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and ye shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto Mount Hor, and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there." Moses did as the Lord commanded him. They went up to the Mount Hor in the sight of the congregation. And of course, he stripped Aaron. And the Bible says, verse 28, "Aaron died there on the top of the Mount." God killed him. God took his life. Now, without me reading Numbers chapter 27, well, we're there. Let's go over Numbers 27.
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Look in chapter 27, beginning there, verse 12. 27, verse 12: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Get thee up unto this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. And when thou hast seen it, thou shalt also be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. For you rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes, that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin." And of course God killed Moses there.
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Now, you'll also find that in Deuteronomy 32 verses 49 and 50. Now Moses acknowledges, by the way, that it was this instance in Numbers chapter 20 that brought God's judgment upon him. Turn right over to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 1. Deuteronomy chapter 1. Look at verse 37. Deuteronomy 1 verse 37. Look what he says: "Also the Lord was angry with me for your sake, saying, Thou shalt not go in thither." Now look at chapter 3, beginning there with verse 25. Deuteronomy 3, verse 25. Moses is speaking to God. He says, "I pray thee, let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain and Lebanon." But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me. And the Lord said unto me, "Let it suffice thee, speak no more unto this matter. Get thee up to Pisgah," and you can look there, etc. And then, of course, God killed him. So Moses is acknowledging the reason he could not go over was because of this instance of the water of strife.
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Now, when God gave Moses directions at the complaining of the people, he expected Moses to follow his directions. The people wanted water. So what happens in Numbers chapter 20? God tells Moses to take the rod, the rod of authority, and speak to the rock. Well, you know what happened. He was angry. He was upset. Instead of speaking to the rock, he smote it twice. Water still came out. The people were satisfied. God graciously gave the water even in the face of the disobedience of Moses and Aaron, but yet he judged them for their disobedience and dishonor.
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I told you here are three particular sins that are sins unto death. Unbelief and provocation, rebellion and defiance, and now disobedience and dishonor.
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Now what was the exact offense for which Moses and Aaron were excluded from the promised land? Well, it appears to have consisted in several particulars. First of all, number one, God commanded Moses to speak to the rock, to take the rod in his hand and speak to the rock, and that would produce the water. But it seems that Moses did not think that speaking to the rock would be sufficient. Therefore, he smote the rock without any command to do so. By the way, that was rebellion on the part of Moses, and that's what it is called in Numbers 27 verse 14 and in other passages as well. So God says, "Moses, you speak." But Moses didn't do that. Number two, he smote the rock twice.
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Which evidenced a great agitation of spirit and certainly a want of attention to the presence of God. Now, without me developing this thought, and without you turning there, 1 Corinthians 10 verse 4 tells us this: "And the rock that followed them"—what? Can you finish that verse? "And the rock that followed them was Christ." The rock was a symbolical representation of Jesus Christ. Now, the rock had already been smitten. In Exodus 17 and verse 6 there, God told him to smite the rock. Well, if that rock was a type of Jesus Christ, certainly Isaiah 53 tells us that He was smitten for our transgressions. But Christ was only smitten once.
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Now, Moses smites the rock a second time, and he does so at least twice, which is violative of the typology of Christ suffering once for the sins of his people. So Moses then was unattentive to the typology that that rock was Christ. Instead of speaking, he smote, unauthorized, in great anger and agitation.
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Thirdly, he permitted his spirit to be carried away by a sense of the people's disobedience. And being provoked, he was led to speak unadvisedly with his lips, the Bible says, because he looked at the people and said, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we fetch water out of this rock for you?" Not "Must God give you water," but "Must we, must Aaron and I do this for you?" He failed to acknowledge it was God who was working the miracle.
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Unbelief was the great transgression. Look what God says in verse 12 of Numbers chapter 20: "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because what? You believed me not. To sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel. Therefore, you shall not bring this congregation to the land which I have given you." Unbelief was a great transgression. And in Numbers 27 verse 14, it's called a rebelling against God. Now, let me tell you what aggravated Moses and Aaron's sin. The sin was done publicly. All the congregation was there before them. This was not a private sin. It was a public sin. And in public, they disbelieved God, they dishonored God, they disobeyed God, and indicated to the people that God would grudgingly supply their needs and that they must fetch that water by smiting that rock. Our Lord said, "You failed to sanctify me. You failed to honor me." And therefore, says God, "You'll die. You won't go into this land." It was disobedience and dishonor that brought death to Moses and to Aaron.
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Now listen to me. When we are willfully disobedient, and when we willfully dishonor God, we have a death wish. We may not express it. We may not say it. We may not even think about it. But we have a death wish. Because our Lord says, "He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death."
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Now, let me make just a couple of applications. The first one should be very obvious. There is a sin unto death. And today I've listed three of them. Unbelief and provocation. Rebellion and defiance. Disobedience and dishonor. These are sins to avoid at all costs. If you commit them, you have a death wish. The second application is this. Let me say it a little more plainly. Those who hate Christ have a death wish. Now, when we think of death, we normally think of physical death. But may I point out that death may come in many forms and many shapes. For instance, there is an economical death. There's a familial death. There's a spiritual death. There's a physical death. There's an ecclesiastical death. There's an eternal death. Now, what did our Lord say? "All they that hate me love death."
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If you disobey and dishonor God in your finances, if you're rebellious and defiant, and will not submit to the truth of God, if you disbelieve him and provoke him, let me tell you what's going to happen. You will die financially. There is an economic death. Do you realize the same thing is true in our family? When the wives do not treat their husbands the way God tells them, when the husbands do not treat their wives the way God tells them, when children do not treat their parents the way God tells them, when parents do not treat their children the way God tells them, all they that hate me love death. You will die familiarly. What about a church? When a church disbelieves God and provokes Him and rebels and is defiant, and disobeys and dishonors, guess what? It dies. You remember what our Lord told the church in Revelation?
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"Thou hast a name that thou livest, but thou art what? Dead." Oh yes. God can kill us physically. And God can kill those who are without Christ eternally. But all of those who refuse to bring their lives in conformity to the Word of God have a death wish. "He that sinneth against me," said Christ, "wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death." There is a sin unto death, and many people have a death wish, have never verbalized it, have never thought about it, yet their actions are requesting that God kill them, in one way or the other, because of their lives, their disobedience, their sins, their rebellion, their defiance. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ that you would help us.
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That you would teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. Lord, that you would enable us not to be full or filled with unbelief and provocation. That we would not be rebellious and defiant. And that we would not be disobedient and dishonoring to Thee. But Lord, may our lives be brought into conformity to Your Word. And Father, those who obey Thee have a life wish and a life desire. And may we love life and love Thee. For Thou hast said that Thou hast come to give us life and to give it more abundantly. So may we embrace Thee and embrace Thy truth and live as unto Thee.
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In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:19:30Z

A Death Wish

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver examines the concept of a 'death wish' from Numbers 14, 16, and 20, identifying three sins unto death: unbelief and provocation, rebellion and defiance, and disobedience and dishonor. He warns that these sins provoke God and lead to judgment, and that those who hate Christ love death in various forms—physical, spiritual, economic, familial, and ecclesiastical.

Introduction: The Reality of Death Wishes

Scripture Reading — Numbers 14:1-4

"And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt? Or would God that we had died in this wilderness? And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel." Many people have used the expression, "I wish I was dead."

Hold Numbers chapter 14, but look in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 5, and let's look at verses 16 and 17. 1 John 5, and notice verses 16 and 17. 1 John 5, note verse 16. The Word of God says,

Scripture Reading — 1 John 5:16-17

"If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death."

First Sin Unto Death: Unbelief and Provocation (Numbers 14)

I gave them wonders. I gave them miracles. I delivered them. Yet in all this they have not believed me, yet they continue to provoke me.

The Greater Revelation, the Greater Provocation (Hebrews 10)

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 10:28-29

"He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses."

So if you despise the limited revelation that God had given in the Old Testament, what does God say? You died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Ah, but look at verse 29:

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 10:28-29

"Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"

Now, I'm going to quote a verse at this point that you're going to hear me quote several times today. Proverbs 8:36. Our Lord said,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 8:36

"He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death."

Did you hear that?

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 8:36

"He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All that hate me love death."

Second Sin Unto Death: Rebellion and Defiance (Numbers 16)

Scripture Reading — Numbers 26:9-10

"And the sons of Eliab, Nemuel, and Dathan and Abiram, this is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they strove against God. And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah. When that company died, what time the fire devoured 250 men and they became a sign."

Scripture Reading — Numbers 16:20-35

"And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment,"

because I will kill every one of them. Once again, it was through the intercession of Moses that the congregation was spared. Look in verse 22:

Scripture Reading — Numbers 16:20-35

"And they fell upon their face and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?"

So God said, "All right, I'm not going to kill all of them. I won't do that." But then God says, "I tell you what I am going to do. I'm going to kill the rebels." Look in verses 23 and 24:

Scripture Reading — Numbers 16:20-35

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram."

The Stubbornness of Rebellion

Third Sin Unto Death: Disobedience and Dishonor (Numbers 20)

Scripture Reading — Numbers 20:1-5

"Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation into the desert of Zin in the first month." "And the people abode in Kadesh, and Miriam died there and was buried there. And there was no water for the congregation, and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people chode with Moses and spake, saying, Would God that we had died with our brethren when our brethren died before the Lord."

Can you believe these people?

Scripture Reading — Numbers 20:1-5

"Would God we had been killed in the judgments? And why have you brought us up out of the congregation, Lord, into this wilderness that we and our cattle should die there?"

I told you here are three particular sins that are sins unto death. Unbelief and provocation, rebellion and defiance, and now disobedience and dishonor.

The Offense of Moses and Aaron Explained

Weaver details Moses' sin: he struck the rock twice instead of speaking, acted in anger, and failed to sanctify God before the people. This disobedience and dishonor constituted a death wish.

Applications: Avoiding the Death Wish

Weaver applies the message by urging avoidance of these sins, warning that those who hate Christ love death in many forms—economic, familial, spiritual, physical, ecclesiastical, and eternal.

A Death Wish

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	670485934
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom
Genre	Sermon
Date	2004-05-16
Dictation Name
Book	Book 085: Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	82

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Reality of Death Wishes: Weaver introduces the concept of a death wish, noting that some people express a desire to die, and that it is possible to have a death wish without realizing it. He references the biblical concept of a 'sin unto death' from 1 John 5.
First Sin Unto Death: Unbelief and Provocation (Numbers 14): The Israelites' unbelief after the spies' evil report provoked God, leading them to wish they had died in Egypt or the wilderness. God granted their wish, condemning that generation to die in the wilderness.
The Greater Revelation, the Greater Provocation (Hebrews 10): Weaver contrasts the Old Testament judgment for despising Moses' law with the sorer punishment for those who reject the fuller revelation in Christ, emphasizing that unbelief provokes God more under greater light.
Second Sin Unto Death: Rebellion and Defiance (Numbers 16): Korah, Dathan, and Abiram's rebellion against Moses and Aaron is shown to be ultimately against God. Their defiance led to an uncommon death as the earth swallowed them, and fire consumed 250 supporters.
The Stubbornness of Rebellion: Despite witnessing God's judgment, the congregation murmured the next day, accusing Moses and Aaron of killing the Lord's people. A plague killed 14,700, illustrating that rebellion is corrected either by grace or judgment.
Third Sin Unto Death: Disobedience and Dishonor (Numbers 20): The people again expressed a death wish, but it was Moses and Aaron who died. Moses disobeyed by striking the rock instead of speaking to it, dishonoring God publicly, and was barred from the Promised Land.
The Offense of Moses and Aaron Explained: Weaver details Moses' sin: he struck the rock twice instead of speaking, acted in anger, and failed to sanctify God before the people. This disobedience and dishonor constituted a death wish.
Applications: Avoiding the Death Wish: Weaver applies the message by urging avoidance of these sins, warning that those who hate Christ love death in many forms—economic, familial, spiritual, physical, ecclesiastical, and eternal.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Unbelief and provocation are sins unto death

The Israelites' unbelief after the spies' report provoked God, leading to their death in the wilderness as a direct fulfillment of their death wish.

Numbers 14:2, 11, 28-30; Hebrews 3:19; Weaver says, 'unbelief and provocation usually go together.'

Greater revelation brings greater accountability

Those who reject the fuller revelation in Christ face sorer punishment than those under the Old Testament law.

Hebrews 10:28-29; Weaver says, 'the greater the revelation, the greater the unbelief, and the greater the provocation.'

Rebellion against lawful authority is rebellion against God

Korah's gainsaying against Moses and Aaron was ultimately against God, and all rebellion against God-ordained authority is rebellion against God.

Numbers 16:3, 26:9; Jude 11; Weaver says, 'all rebellion is ultimately against God.'

Rebellion is stubborn and persistent

Even after witnessing miraculous judgment, the Israelites murmured the next day, showing the hard-headedness of rebellion.

Numbers 16:41; Weaver says, 'rebellion and defiance are so stubborn... it will either be corrected in grace or in judgment.'

Disobedience and dishonor bring death

Moses and Aaron's public disobedience in striking the rock instead of speaking to it dishonored God and resulted in their death before entering the Promised Land.

Numbers 20:8-12, 27:12-14; Weaver says, 'it was disobedience and dishonor that brought death to Moses and to Aaron.'

Actions can express a death wish without words

One can have a death wish through sinful actions even without verbalizing it, as seen in Moses and Aaron's case.

Weaver says, 'it is possible to have a death wish and not even know it... your actions are requesting it.'

Scripture References

Numbers 14:1-4: The congregation weeps and murmurs, wishing they had died in Egypt or the wilderness.
1 John 5:16-17: There is a sin unto death; not all sin is unto death.
Numbers 13:31-33: The ten spies bring an evil report of giants in the land.
Numbers 14:6-9: Joshua and Caleb encourage the people to trust the Lord and not rebel.
Numbers 14:10: The congregation threatens to stone Joshua and Caleb; the glory of the Lord appears.
Numbers 14:11: God asks how long the people will provoke Him and not believe despite the signs.
Numbers 14:22: God says those who have seen His glory and miracles yet tempted Him ten times will not see the land.
Numbers 14:12: God threatens to smite the people with pestilence and make a greater nation from Moses.
Numbers 14:26-30: God declares that the murmuring generation will die in the wilderness as they wished.
Numbers 14:31-35: The children will enter the land, but the adults' carcasses will fall in the wilderness over forty years.
Hebrews 3:19; 4:6: They could not enter because of unbelief.
Hebrews 10:28-29: Sorer punishment for those who trample the Son of God compared to those who despised Moses' law.
Proverbs 8:36: He who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all who hate me love death.
Numbers 16:1-3: Korah, Dathan, and Abiram with 250 princes rebel against Moses and Aaron.
Jude 11: Woe to them who perished in the gainsaying of Korah.
Numbers 26:9-10: Dathan and Abiram strove against Moses and Aaron when they strove against God; the earth swallowed them.
Numbers 16:20-35: God threatens to consume the congregation; the earth swallows the rebels; fire consumes 250 men.
Numbers 16:41-50: The next day the congregation murmurs; a plague kills 14,700; Aaron makes atonement.
Numbers 20:1-5: The people chode with Moses, wishing they had died with their brethren, complaining of no water.
Numbers 20:6-12: God tells Moses to speak to the rock; Moses strikes it twice; God says he will not enter the land because he did not believe and sanctify God.

Historical References

Charles Bronson's 'Death Wish' movies: Weaver mentions Charles Bronson made money off movies entitled 'Death Wish' where he executed bad guys.

Important Quotes

He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death.

This quote from Proverbs 8:36 is the central theme of the sermon, repeated multiple times to emphasize that sin and hatred of God equate to a death wish.

There is a sin unto death.

This statement from 1 John 5:16 introduces the concept that some sins lead to death, forming the basis for the three examples from Numbers.

All rebellion is ultimately against God.

Weaver's key argument that rebellion against lawful authority is rebellion against God, illustrated by Korah's rebellion.

Rebellion and defiance are so stubborn and so hard-headed that it will either be corrected in grace or in judgment.

Highlights the persistent nature of rebellion and the only two possible outcomes.

When we are willfully disobedient, and when we willfully dishonor God, we have a death wish.

Directly connects disobedience and dishonor to a death wish, even if unspoken.

Those who hate Christ have a death wish.

Application of Proverbs 8:36, extending the death wish to all areas of life.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean that there is a 'sin unto death,' and how should this affect our view of sin?

[Context]

Weaver introduces the concept from 1 John 5:16-17 and gives three examples from Numbers.

[Question]

How does unbelief provoke God, and why is greater revelation accompanied by greater accountability?

[Context]

Weaver explains that the Israelites' unbelief after seeing miracles provoked God, and Hebrews 10 warns of sorer punishment for rejecting Christ.

[Question]

In what ways might we be guilty of 'gainsaying' like Korah, and how can we guard against rebellion in our hearts?

[Context]

Weaver defines gainsaying as speaking against, disputing, and contradicting God-ordained authority.

[Question]

How can we discern between lawful authority and tyranny, and when is resistance righteous?

[Context]

Weaver argues that rebellion is only to lawful authority; resistance to tyranny is not rebellion.

[Question]

What does Moses' sin of striking the rock teach us about the importance of obeying God's specific instructions?

[Context]

Weaver details how Moses disobeyed by striking instead of speaking, and how this dishonored God publicly.

[Question]

How can our actions express a 'death wish' even if we never verbalize it?

[Context]

Weaver states that Moses and Aaron may not have expressed a death wish, but their disobedience requested it.

[Question]

In what areas of life (economic, familial, spiritual, etc.) might we be experiencing 'death' because of disobedience?

[Context]

Weaver applies the concept of death to various spheres, urging conformity to God's Word.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:20:43Z