Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne

A Door of Hope

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2004-03-07

Synopsis: John Weaver preaches from Hosea 2:15, explaining that the valley of Achor—a place of judgment—is given as a door of hope. He argues that judgment and deliverance are inseparable, and that God's righteous judgment on sin is necessary for restoration and blessing. He applies this to the corruption of modern America, calling believers to faith, to pray for God's judgment, to repent of personal sin, and to see judgment as a friend that opens the door to hope and deliverance.

[John Weaver] Hosea 2, verse 15. God says, And I will give her her vineyards from fence, and their valley of acre for a door of hope. And she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, and as in the days when she came up out of the land of Egypt. Of course, here he's talking about Israel, and he says, I will give her her vineyards from fence, and the valley of acre for a door of hope. You know, the truth is, everyone needs hope. Hope is basically what keeps us going. There's an old adage that hope springs eternal in the breast. And it's very obvious, too, that you can always tell when people lose hope because it's usually shortly after they die. And it's amazing that God tells His people here that He shall give us the valley of Acre for a door of hope.

[John Weaver] I submit to you that one of the things that we need in our country today is a hope, that is, a biblical hope. Everyone who has any grasp of the corruption, depravity, wickedness, and vileness of our nation has asked repeatedly what in the world is going to happen to us. I mean, intuitively Each of us know that we cannot continue much longer down the road that we're traveling.

[John Weaver] We live in a day when 40 million babies have been murdered through aborticide. The divorce rate is 50%, and that is even among professing Christians. We live in a land where socialism, Marxism, and communism abounds. Where sodomy is approved, condoned, and legalized. We live in a country today where we have a judicial system that is out of control, a Congress that is corrupt and has absolutely no regard for the Constitution, and where the executive branch does exactly as it pleases. We live in a day when God is denied, His law is trampled under feet, justice and righteousness are mocked, Christians are despised and persecuted, and seemingly all citizens are powerless to stop the onslaught of the new world order.

[John Weaver] Now in light of these things, what is our hope? How do we escape? Let me point out the fact that God has called us to dominion, and we have failed to exercise dominion. If you look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 1, you'll find what is known as the dominion mandate, or the great charter, or the dominion charter. You'll see this in the book of Genesis chapter 1, and look if you would please, beginning there with verse 27. So God created man in his own image. and the image of God created he him, male and female created he them, and God blessed them and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, watch, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." You'll also find this dominion charter restated in Genesis chapter 9 after Noah comes off the ark. Notice, if you would please, in Genesis chapter 9 verse 1, And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.

[John Weaver] And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, and upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea, into your hand they are delivered. And if you look very quickly in Psalm 8, Psalm 8 is indeed a psalm of dominion, and notice if you would once again how plainly this is told. Psalm 8, notice if you would please beginning with verse 1.

[John Weaver] O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who sat by glory above the heavens, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon, and the stars which thou hast ordained, now watch, what is man that art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou busiest with him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and has crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him have dominion over the works of our hands. Thou hast put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth."

[John Weaver] Now, it is obvious that God has called us to dominion, but the problem is we're not exercising dominion. And some even deny the plain doctrine of dominion. Do you realize that the word dominion itself occurs 62 times in our Bible? You must believe something about the doctrine of dominion. That does not count the variations of the word. That's just simply the word dominion itself. We're told in Luke chapter 19 and verse 13 by our Lord that we're to occupy till He comes. Now the word occupy literally means to do business. It means to carry on the trade.

[John Weaver] It does not mean to sit idly by and do nothing. So let's ask the question, have we failed? And the answer is yes, we have failed to be obedient. We failed to carry out the commands that God has given us. Even our Lord himself told us that we're to be the salt of the earth. One of the qualities of salt is that it preserves. And the truth is, we've preserved nothing.

[John Weaver] You look around today and you find that most Christians are divisive, vindictive, uncooperative, and unwilling to be involved in anything except that which they can control. If they cannot run it, they don't want to have anything to do with it. Do you realize that most so-called patriots, or even worse, Because if one does not follow their plan, their thought, their ideas, he's then either considered an enemy or a double agent. And the community of patriots is just as fractured and divided as the church is.

[John Weaver] Now many will sit back and say, well pastor, you know our Lord told us that evil men would wax worse and worse. So there's nothing we can do about it. Let's just sit back and wait for the Lord's return." Well, that's a wonderful thought, but I have some questions. Shall we sit back and wait like the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25 and verse 8 who said, our lamps are going out? Or shall we sit back and wait like the unjust steward in Luke 12 and verse 45 who began to be drunk and disobedient? Or shall we sit back and wait as the rich and foolish farmer in Luke chapter 12 who simply laid up all the worldly goods that he could lay up and then died without ever enjoying them? If we are to wait, how are we to wait? And what is waiting upon the Lord? Now, it is not my intent today to teach the biblical truth of waiting upon the Lord, but very obviously and very clearly, when he says, wait upon the Lord, that does not mean to sit idly by and do absolutely nothing, nor is it a demand for disobedience.

[John Weaver] There's certainly a biblical truth to waiting on the Lord, but it has nothing to do with disobedience and sitting idly by. Now let me make a statement which I'm sure that I do not have to make in this congregation, but I'm going to make it anyhow. I certainly do not deny the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that our Lord is going to return literally, visibly, and biblically.

[John Weaver] But the question remains, must we wait until he returns for things to be straightened out. Now listen carefully. I understand and I know that things will not be righted perfectly until he returns. But does that mean that there can be no justice in time and in history that we have to wait until the Lord returns for a perfect justice and a perfect righteousness? I know the Bible teaches in 1 John 3 verses 2 and 3.

[John Weaver] where He said, Behold, beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be like, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is, and everyone that hath this hope in himself purify himself, even as he is pure. I know that the second coming of Christ is a hope. I know it is our ultimate and perfect and total and complete hope, but my question is this.

[John Weaver] Are there any other hopes revealed to us in the Bible? Is the second coming of Christ our only hope? And the answer is no. And I'm going to explain what I mean. Certainly, His return is the ultimate hope. It's the full and final hope. But there are other hopes talked about in the Scripture. For instance, look at Hebrews 2 and verse 15, Hosea 2 and verse 15. Here's our text. God said, and I will give her her vineyard some fence, and the valley of Acre for a door of hope.

[John Weaver] And she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. Now that's a very interesting verse. God said, I shall give her the Valley of Acre for a door of hope. And then note the latter part of this verse, and she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. Now, the Bible tells us that the Valley of Acre has been given to us as a door of hope. What is a door of hope? It's a door of restoration and blessing. It is an opportunity of entrance into the will and the blessings of God. Now, before I explain this verse, before I give you a detail of what the door of hope really is, in order to comprehend my answer, I want to show you two other passages where the Valley of Achor, or Achor, is referred to.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Isaiah, chapter 65. Isaiah 65, and let's begin reading there with verse 9. Isaiah 65, and notice if you would please, verse 9, and we'll point out several things concerning this passage. Isaiah 65, verse 9, note, God says, And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah, an inheritor of my mountains. And my elect shall inherit it, and my servant shall grow there.

[John Weaver] and Sharon shall be a fold of flocks in the valley of Achor, a place at the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that truth, and that furnish a drink offering unto that number. Therefore will I number you to the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter, because when I called you did not answer, when I spake you did not hear, but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not."

[John Weaver] Now, note if you would please, first of all, in verse 9, Gantz tells us there is indeed an elect. There is indeed a remnant. And by the way, that ought to really be an encouragement. God always has an elect. God always has a remnant. I don't care in what age, or what century, or what circumstances, or what situation, there is always an elect, there is always a remnant, who are going to stand true to Christ. So there is an elect, there is a remnant.

[John Weaver] Secondly, in verse 10, the Bible tells us that in this instance, the valley of Achor is a place for herds to lie down in. That is, it's a fat pasture. It has wonderful grazing, wonderful food, wonderful blessings. Thirdly, I want you to note in verse 10 that Sharon and Achor are promised blessings to whom? To my people that have sought me. So not only is there an elect, not only is there a fat pastor to lie down in, this fat pastor is for those who have sought him.

[John Weaver] And then look, if you would please, at the fourth thing in verses 11 and 12. He says, But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, or that number of idols, and that furnish the drink offerings under that number. God says, Therefore will I number you to the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter.

[John Weaver] Because when I called, you did not answer. When I spake, you did not hear. But did evil before my eyes, and did not choose that where I delighted. In other words, those who do not seek Christ, those who do not fear our Lord, shall be destroyed. So, verses 11 through 15 basically deal with judgment. I did not read verses 13 through 15, but once again, it is in the context of judgment.

[John Weaver] Now, do you remember the passage, and let me just quote it, in the Song of Solomon chapter 2 and verse 1, where Christ is called the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valleys. Have you ever considered or asked yourself, what in the world does Christ have to do with valleys? Well, the answer is He's the Lord of the valleys, just like He's the Lord of the mountains. In fact, He's Lord of all. He controls everything. But do you realize that valleys are often times associated with judgment. Let me show you.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to the book of Joel. Go back to Hosea. Daniel, Hosea, Joel. So right after the book of Hosea, you have the little book of Joel. Look in Joel chapter 3 it is. And verse 14.

[John Weaver] Now here's a verse that is usually taken out of context. Okay? Look at it, Joel chapter 3 verse 14. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

[John Weaver] Now I've heard that passage preached, well you're in the valley of decision, you must decide for Christ. Or you know, may I point out that verse 14 has nothing to do with deciding for Christ. You say, what are you talking about? Well, look in verse 13. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, get you down, for the press is full, the fats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley decision, for the day of the Lord is near in the valley decision.

[John Weaver] The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall be thrown from their shining. The valley decision is God's decision to judge and destroy. He says, put in the sickle, take care of it. Verse 16, the Lord also shall roll out of Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem and the heavens and the earth shall shake. But the Lord will be the hope of His people and the strength of the children of Israel. So the valley decision has to do with judgment. It does not have to do with making a decision for Christ. So in the Bible, valleys usually refer to judgment. Go back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 2 and verse 7.

[John Weaver] I told you there were several passages that dealt with the word achor. And you need to see this in 1 Chronicles chapter 2 and verse 7. God said, I've given you the value of achor for a door of hope. Well, what in the world is the value of achor? Well, look in 1 Chronicles chapter 2 and verse 7. Here it is. 1 Chronicles 2 verse 7, the Bible says, And the sons of Carmi, Achor, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed. I hope you're putting together the Valley of Achor and Achor, or what was the other name that he's known by in the Bible? Achin. Achin and Achor are the same individual. So the Valley of Achor is the Valley of Achan. Now if you don't know what the Valley of Achan is, I'm going to show you. You will find this found, you will find this in Joshua chapter 6 and 7. Let's go to Joshua chapter 6 and look first of all at verses 17 and 18. Joshua chapter 6, you see the children of Israel have come out of the wilderness.

[John Weaver] They are now to attack Jericho. But Jericho is a special city. It is a city that is cursed by God. It is under the ban. It is under the curse. Everything in Jericho is to be totally and completely destroyed. Notice if you would, Joshua chapter 6 verse 17. God says, And the city shall be accursed, even it and all that are therein, to the Lord. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she did the messengers that we sent. And you and any wife, keep yourselves from the accursed things. lest you make yourselves a curse when you take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it." Now God says, look, Jericho is set apart for sure and certain destruction. The only people that are to be spared are Rahab and her family that are with her in the house. Everything else is reserved totally for judgment. Well, now let's skip down to chapter 7 and begin reading at verse 1.

[John Weaver] But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing, for Achan the son of Carmi, same one mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2 and verse 7, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdiel, the son of Zerub, the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-Avon, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. and the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua and said unto him, Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai, and make not all the people wait with them, for they are but few. So there went up to the people about 3,000 men, and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about 36 men, for they chased them from before the gate even to Shadarim, and smote them in the going down.

[John Weaver] Wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. And Joshua ran his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord. Until even time, he and the elders of Israel had put dust upon their heads, and Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou brought all this people over Jordan to live us in the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would be God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of Jordan. O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies? For the Canaanites, and all the inhabitants of the land, shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth. And what wilt thou do unto thy great name? And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up, wherefore liest thou thus upon my face. Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant, which I commanded them. For they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and have put it even among their own stuff.

[John Weaver] Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed. Neither will I be with you any more, except you destroy the accursed from among you." Now watch what he says,"'Up, sanctify the people and say, Tomorrow, for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel. Thou canst not stand before thine enemies until you take away the accursed thing from you. In the morning, therefore, you shall be brought before according to your tribes, and it shall be that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof, and the families the Lord shall take shall come by household, and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man. And it shall be that he that is taken with the accursed things shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath, because he transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he had wrought folly in Israel.

[John Weaver] So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. He brought the family of Judah, and he took the family of the Zarhites. And he brought the family of the Zarhites, man by man, and Zabdi was taken. And he brought his household, man by man, and Achan, the son of Parmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerub, the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said, watch, he said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him.

[John Weaver] And tell me now what thou hast done. Hide it not from me.' And Achan answered Joshua and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done. When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonian garment of two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them and took them. Behold, they were hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran into the tent, and behold, it was hidden in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them out of the midst of the ten, and brought them unto Joshua, and all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan, the son of Zerub, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of the gold. Watch! And his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his ten, and all that he had, and they brought them into the valley of Achor, And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us?

[John Weaver] The Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned him with fire, after they had stoned him with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore, the name of that place was called the Valley of Acre unto this day." What was the Valley of Acre?

[John Weaver] It is where Achan was judged by God for his sin, his wickedness and his rebellion. The word Achor or Achan literally means trouble. Thus he was known as the troubler of Israel and indeed Israel was troubled. They lost 36 men in battle because of the sin of Achan. not counting the humiliation of their defeat before the hands of the people of Ai. But the greatest struggle that Achan brought upon Israel is found in chapter 7, verses 10 through 12. Look at it. Joshua chapter 7, verse 10. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Wherefore lies thou thus upon my face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and assembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel, watch, could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, here it is, because they were accursed, neither will I be with you any more. except you destroy the accursed from among you."

[John Weaver] Oh, they did not only lose 36 men, they were not only defeated and humiliated, God had withdrawn from them. God had stopped His blessing, His honor, His victory, and he told Joshua and the elders, if you don't deal with this, neither will I be with you anymore. In other words, you are doomed to certain and definite failure. Now listen carefully. The Valley of Acre was at the entrance of the Israelites into the enemies of Canaan or the Valley of Acre was at the entrance of the Israelites into the land of Canaan. And this was the promise of their conquering the entire land. All of a sudden now, that door of opportunity, that door of victory had been slammed in their faces.

[John Weaver] Now the question has to be asked, how could they continue? How could they proceed? How could they conquer? How could they exercise dominion? And the answer comes back, sin must be dealt with, and it must be dealt with openly, honestly, and biblically. You know what the Valley of Acres speaks of? The Valley of Acres speaks of God's way with dealing with sin. And that's through judgment. God said, I've given you the Valley of Acres for a door of hope. What is he saying? I've given you judgment for adore hope. This baglet Jericho and Ai was the beginning of the wars of Canaan and their putting away the accursed thing in that place gave them ground to hope that God would continue his presence with them and give them complete victory. Thus when sin was dealt with and judged, when it was put away, then of course they turned to God in obedience, God turned to them in mercy, and there was the beginning of a restoration.

[John Weaver] Aten is known as the troubler of Israel. Do you realize the sin that truly troubles us will not ruin us? Because if we're truly troubled by sin, inevitably, that sin is going to be exposed and dealt with. I've said this repeatedly, but it's hard to grasp, so I'll say it again. The greatest mercy that God could show to anyone is to expose their sin and bring them to repentance. You think when your sin is exposed, how humiliating, how embarrassing? Oh, yes. But it's mercy that humiliates and embarrasses and yet then brings us to deliverance. If sin is not exposed, it will never be confessed and never be repented of. So God tells us how we're to deal with sin. That is, sin must be judged. There is a judgment of sin. Now, stop.

[John Weaver] I hope you're putting this together. Because God says, I've given you the valley of Acre for a door of hope. What is God saying? I'm giving you judgment for a door of hope. God says if you judge your sin biblically, openly, Honestly, I'm going to be with you. If you don't deal with sin, God said, I'm not going to be with you anymore. So what is our door of hope? Judgment. Do you realize the average professing Christian is horrified at the thought of judgment?

[John Weaver] How we tremble when we think for one instant we might have to suffer. We cringe and we turn away from the very thought of judgment. Yet it's only in judgment that we find deliverance. Would you listen to me just for a moment please? It was judgment, God's righteous judgment upon Achan and his family that brought deliverance, blessing and victory to Israel. It was judgment, God's righteous judgment that destroyed the old world but saved Noah and his family alive. It was judgment, God's righteous judgment, that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah but delivered righteous lot. It was judgment, God's righteous judgment, that destroyed the enemies of Canaan and delivered his people from their grip over and over in the book of Judges. It was judgment, God's righteous judgment, that destroyed Babylon and Assyria and delivered his people.

[John Weaver] Do you realize we fail to grasp a simple truth? Here it is. Judgment and salvation go together. Let me say it another way. Destruction and deliverance go together. You cannot have one without the other. Whenever God judges His enemies, He always delivers His people. Judgment and deliverance are the two sides of one coin. Now, you say, Brother Weaver, I don't like judgment. Let me tell you something. I want you to turn in your Bibles, as I tell you this, to Romans chapter 3. Turn to Romans chapter 3. If you do not like judgment, then you do not like salvation. Do you realize that our salvation in Jesus Christ is based upon judgment? Look in Romans chapter 3, beginning there in verse 24. Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. We talk about God's grace. We talk about redemption in Christ. But look at verse 25.

[John Weaver] Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God. Note verse 25. Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation. You know what the word propitiation means? It means to placate, it means to appease, it means to satisfy. What happened to Christ was this, the judgment, the righteous judgment of a righteous God fell upon him as our substitute.

[John Weaver] He died in the place of his people. Now once again tell me you don't like judgment. See without judgment there is no salvation. Judgment and salvation go together. You cannot have one without the other.

[John Weaver] Now, some might get a little pietistic with me and say, now, Brother Weaver, I don't get involved in these kind of issues. I just pray for the Lord's return. Well, I can quote these verses, but I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1. And let me just show you that you cannot even pray for the Lord's return without praying for judgment. You say, what in the world are you talking about? Well, let me show you. Do you have any earthly idea what Christ is going to do when he does return? Watch. 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 7.

[John Weaver] The apostle Paul says, and you who are troubled, rest with us. when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He shall come to be glorified in His saints and be admired in all them that believe." What is Christ going to do when He returns? He's going to come back in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who know not God and obey not the gospel. You see, you cannot even pray for the return of Christ without praying for judgment. Judgment and deliverance go together. Destruction and salvation go together. God said, I'm going to give you a door of hope. That door of hope is judgment. Now let me ask, what is a door of hope?

[John Weaver] for God's people in these troubling times that we live in? The answer? It's judgment. God's righteous judgment. Did you know the Bible tells us in Psalm 9 in verse 16 that the Lord is known by the judgment which he executed? One of the things that God is known by and for is his righteous, holy, just judgment. The Bible tells us in Psalm 37 verse 28, For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaken not his saints, they are preserved forever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. What did he say? The Lord loveth judgment. Did you know that the phrase, and they shall know that I am the Lord, and or its equivalent, occurs 73 times in the book of Ezekiel alone, and in each instance, it is always in the context of judgment.

[John Weaver] You see, folks, it really boils down to this. We're either going to know the Lord is Lord in salvation, or we're going to know the Lord is Lord in judgment. One of the two. But we shall know that He is Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just tell you. You see, the wicked will not hear God's Word. The wicked despise His goodness. But His judgments will get their attention.

[John Weaver] Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that when God judges the wicked, they're going to be converted. No, no, no. Are you listening? Judgments alone are insufficient to convert. It is true that God in His grace and mercy may give converting grace when He judges, but if He does not give that converting grace, the only thing you have is destruction. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Revelation chapter 9, just to show you that judgments alone will not convert anyone. It will get their attention, but judgments alone are insufficient to convert. Notice Romans chapter 9. I'm sorry, Revelation chapter 9 verse 20. Revelation 9 verse 20.

[John Weaver] And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues That is, God had judged them, and the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils and idols of gold and silver, brass and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor talk, neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." Judgment alone is insufficient. But yet judgment is necessary, and you're going to find that when God judges His people, He will give them converting grace, which I will cover a little bit later. But when God judges His enemies, He does not necessarily convert them, He destroys them. And in destroying them, He delivers His people.

[John Weaver] Now God said, I've given to you the valley of Achor, foregoer of hope. Can you stop just a moment and think of the absolute total corruption, fraud, and tyrannical power that is involved in this country. If you could just think for a moment of the magnitude of the wickedness. Wickedness that you and I cannot even perceive of. It will take nothing less than the judgment of God to overthrow it.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you, so I may answer, what is our responsibility in light of this truth? How do we proceed? Well, I'm going to give you five answers. Note if you would the first answer. First, we must be children of faith. Here's the first answer. First, we must be children of faith. We know that God is totally, completely, and absolutely sovereign. Therefore, we can never give in, give up, or give out. We must never, ever, under any circumstances, give way to discouragement, despair or desperation. Why? We know God's on the throne. He's on the throne of His universe directing and controlling everything after the counsel of His own will. We must believe that God does all things well. We must believe that whatever God does is ultimately going to be for our good and His glory. So first of all, we must be a people of faith. Secondly, we must understand and believe that God does and will judge the wicked in time and in history. Let me say that again because I'm going to show you this scripture.

[John Weaver] We must understand and believe that God does and will judge the wicked in time and in history. We do not have to wait until the end of the world to see the judgment of God. We may have to wait until the end of the world to see the perfect, total, and complete judgment of God, but there are judgments that God executes in time and in history. Look at your Bibles, if you would, first of all, to Proverbs 11 and verse 31. Proverbs 11, verse 31. Proverbs 11, verse 31. Look what God says. Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth, much more the wicked in the center.

[John Weaver] Now let me just stop for a moment and explain this. Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth, much more the wicked in the Now, we who are righteous in Christ, will we not be rewarded in eternity? And the answer is yes. But here's my question. Do we have to wait to eternity to receive or experience any rewards? Well, of course not. God rewards us in time and in history with blessings, victory, in so many ways. Look what he said, Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed from the earth. God is not going to be any man's debtor. You obey him. You honor him. God will honor you in time and in your strength. Now look what he says. Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed from the earth. That is, if God rewards His people in time and history, how much more the wicked and the sinner. God said, do you think I'm going to let them escape all judgment until judgment day? God said, you're mistaken. If I reward my people in time and history, how much more will I reward those who hate me?

[John Weaver] I will give them their due in time and in history. That's why the Bible says, I believe it's Psalm 55 verse 23, the wicked and deceitful man shall not live out half his days like God will cut him off. Turn back just a few books to the book of Job. Look in chapter 19 verse 29. Here's another verse. Job 19 verse 29. Look what he says.

[John Weaver] Job 19 verse 29 God says, be ye afraid of the sword. Why? Why should we be afraid of the sword? Now watch. Be ye afraid of the sword for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword that you may know that there is a judgment. Do you realize what he is saying is this? All of God's judgments in time and history, our wars, our anarchy, our unrest, all of these things point to a final judgment. They are judgments in time and history. They're not the permanent judgment, they're not the full and final judgment, but they are judgments. And we must understand and we must know that God does and will judge in time and in history. We do not have to wait until the final day of history to see God's judgments. We may see them in time and history. We may not see them totally, completely, or perfectly, but we can see them. Now watch. Thirdly, We must learn to pray for God's righteous judgment now, in time, and in history. Not only must we be a people of faith, not only must we understand and believe that God does and will judge the wicked in time and history, but thirdly, we must learn to pray for God's righteous judgment now.

[John Weaver] That God will exercise that judgment in time and in history. I've got several verses I want to show you. Look in your Bible, first of all, to the book of Luke, chapter 18. If there was no other passage in the Bible, this one would be sufficient. But I want to point out there are a multitude of passages. I certainly cannot cover them all, but look at this one. Luke 18, verse 1. Luke 18, verse 1.

[John Weaver] And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray not to faint. There was in a city a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me, if I am an adversary, that is, give me justice, give me justice. And he would not for a while, but afterward he said unto himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note what he said. Here's an unjust judge. He doesn't fear God. He doesn't fear man. And here's a woman who's being thoroughly vexed. She's being dealt with unjustly and unrighteously. So she comes to this unconverted, wicked king and says, avenge me my adversary. Give me justice. And he just ignores her. He turns her away. He's not interested in doing one thing for this poor widow woman. And finally he says, look, I don't fear God. I have no regard for man. But I do have a little bit of regard for my own peace of mind. So I will avenge this widow woman lest by her continual coming she weary me. Now look at our Lord's own application. He said in verse 6, And the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge said, and shall not God, who is just, and shall not God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with him? I tell you, he will avenge them speedily. Ah, did you hear what he said?

[John Weaver] And shall not God, the just and righteous judge of all the earth, avenge his own elect, who do what? Cry unto Him night and day. What are they crying for? Judgment. Justice. And God said, if my people pray, I will give them justice. Do you know there are in the Bible numerous imprecatory prayers? You know what an imprecatory prayer is? It's when you pray against God's enemies. It's when you pray for their defeat and their downfall. Look in your Bible, Psalm 59. Psalm 59 is a wonderful imprecatory prayer. I just want to show you a sample. There are many of them in the book of Psalms, many of them throughout the Bible. Well, look at Psalm 59. And I'll skip down just to save time. But look at Psalm 59, verse 1. David begins, Pray, deliver me from mine enemies, O my God.

[John Weaver] Defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity and save me from bloody men. For lo, they lie in wait for my soul. The mire gathered against me, not for my transgression, not for my sin, O Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, what are they doing? They're trying to destroy David, not because he's done something wrong. They're just plotting for him. They're after the righteous. They're after the just. He says in verse 4, they run and prepare themselves without my fault. Awake to help me and behold. Thou, therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen, that is, rise up, open your eyes.

[John Weaver] Be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Oh, let's read all of them. They return at evening. They make a noise like a dog. Go round and go round about the city. Behold, they belch out with their mouths, forger in their lips. For who say they doth hear? But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them. Thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. Because of his strength, that is the enemy's strength, I will wait upon thee.

[John Weaver] For God is my defense. The God of mercy shall prevent me or precede me. God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.

[John Weaver] Now look what David prays. Slay them not. Lest my people forget, scatter them by thy power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips shall let them even be taken in their pride, and for cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in thy wrath, consume them that they may not be, and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth.

[John Weaver] at the evening, let them return, and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for me, and grudge if they be not satisfied. I will sing of thy mercy and thy power. I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning. For thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble." What a tremendous Imprecatory prayer. Look at Psalm 58. I'm not going to read that Psalm, but this is another imprecatory prayer.

[John Weaver] He says in verse 3, the wicked are estranged from the womb. They go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent. They're like the deaf added at the top of their ear. Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers charming ever so wisely, that is, they won't listen. Look what he asked God to do. Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth. Break up the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord.

[John Weaver] Let them melt away as waters which run continually. When he bended his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces as a snail which melted. Let everyone then pass away like the untimely birth of a woman. They may not see the sun. Behold, before your pups can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as a whirlwind, both living and in his wrath.

[John Weaver] Watch, the righteous shall rejoice when he seeeth vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, so that a man shall say, Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Verily, he is a God that judges in the earth.

[John Weaver] Now, does that sound like judgment against enemies? Yes, it does. In fact, Look in Psalm 68. I could spend all morning here. Look in Psalm 68. Just the first three verses. David prays, let God arise. Let His enemies be scattered. Let them also that hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melted before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

[John Weaver] But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Let them be exceedingly joyful. What in the world is David praying for in Psalm 68? I'll tell you. He's praying for destruction and deliverance. He's praying for the destruction of the enemies of God's people and deliverance for God's people. Judgment and deliverance go together. You need to read through the book of Psalms and just see how many times David says, Arise, O Lord, Make bare thine arm. And every time David is praying for vengeance, that God will intervene and exercise his righteous judgment.

[John Weaver] Fourthly, we must learn to repent of our sins and live holy, godly lives. Now, without me taking the time to go through Hebrews 12 and 1 Corinthians chapter 11, May I tell you that the Bible tells us, and teaches very plainly, that we who are the children of Christ by grace cannot sin and escape the chastisement of our Heavenly Father. What does Hebrews 12 say? Every son whom he receiveth, he scourgeth.

[John Weaver] He said if you endure chastening, God dealeth thee with sons. For what son is he who he chasteth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards, that is, illegitimate children, and not sons." What's he saying? If you and I are God's children and we sin, God will chastise us.

[John Weaver] Now, if we don't want to be chastised, what must we do? We must repent of our sins. We must, are you listening, judge ourselves. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 31, he said, if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged of God. But when we're judged of God, we're chastised that we might not be condemned with the world. And help me out with this one, I'm sure you can quote it. 1 Peter 4 In verse 17, the time has come that judgment must first begin where? At the house of God. We've got to learn to judge ourselves. We've got to learn to repent of our sins, our wickedness, any and everything that is contrary to God.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you, if you really start praying for God's judgment, it's going to do two things. Number one, It will make you more faithful in warning the wicked. And number two, it will make you more godly and more holy because you know that if you sin, God will mail you as well. So we must learn to pray for God's judgment. We must also learn to repent of our sins and live a holy, godly life. And fifthly, We must understand that judgment is a door of hope.

[John Weaver] Let me say it like this. Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend. No one likes to suffer. But I'm going to tell you, folks. One willingly undergoes the knife for the cancer to be cut out. Whatever suffering it takes to save our lives, that suffering is readily endured that our life might be continued. Likewise, it should be with the judgment of God. Whatever it takes to save our society, whatever it takes to save our nation, we ought to be willing to endure. Do you realize, listen to me carefully, when it comes to our nation, we're helpless and impotent in and of ourselves to change things. I realize, I'm not talking about prayer now, but I'm talking about what we can do. We're really helpless in and of ourselves. We cannot save ourselves. Government cannot and will not save us. The Constitution cannot and will not save us. Our arms cannot and will not save us. God must save us. He is our hope. What we must look for. That doesn't mean that he will not be willing to use some of the other things that I mentioned.

[John Weaver] But it doesn't mean this. Our hope is in him. We must look for him to exercise his righteous judgment. He's given us a door of hope. What is it? Judgment.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look at two passages and I'll draw it together for you. First of all, go to Exodus chapter five. And then we're going back to Hosea. Exodus chapter 5. You remember God sent Moses to Pharaoh and said, let my people go. Well, things did not work out exactly the way Moses wanted them to do. And to work out. The elders even went to Pharaoh and said, let us go. Well, that didn't work out too well either. Look in Exodus chapter 5, beginning there with verse 15. Moses is already gone now and said, let my people go.

[John Weaver] Now it's the elder's turn. Verse 15, Exodus 5. Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore didst thou with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say unto us, Make bread. Behold, thy servants are beaten, but the fault is in thine own people. But he said, You are idle, you are idle. Therefore you say, Let us go and do sacrifice for the Lord. Come therefore now and work. For there shall no straw be given you, yet you shall deliver the tale of bricks. And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in an evil case after it was said, You shall not nourish from your bricks of your daily task. Now watch, they are walking out from the presence of Pharaoh, Verse 20, And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh. And they, that is, the children of Israel, the elders there, said unto them, Moses and Aaron, The Lord look upon you and judge, because you have made our Saviour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand, to slay us.

[John Weaver] Watch. And Moses returned to the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil and treated this people? Why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in my name, he hath done evil this people, neither hast thou delivered my people at all."

[John Weaver] Now, are you looking at me? Look at me just a second. God has Moses and Aaron helpless. We've tried. We can't. He has the elders, the leaders of Israel, helpless. They tried. They can't. So Moses said, God, why did you even send me? It's gotten worse. It hasn't gotten better. So when God has Moses and Aaron and all the rulers hopeless and helpless, look in chapter 6 and verse 1. Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to favor For with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land." God said, you tried, you can't. Now you're going to see what I can do. When did God deliver Israel? When the people realized how helpless they were, and their only hope wasn't Him.

[John Weaver] Now it's true, he didn't put a sword in their hand later on, but the point I'm trying to make is this folks, it's not the multitude or the magnitude of our arms that's going to save us, it's God to be God. Now, go back in your Bibles to the book of Hosea chapter 2 and look at verse 15, the verse we started with. I want you to look at this verse. Look what God says. Hosea 2 verse 15, Thus it I will give her her vineyards from fence, and that is after this, after sin is dealt with, I'll bless her, I'll return the blessing, and the valley of Acre for a door of hope. Lord, I've given you judgment for a door of hope. Now watch.

[John Weaver] And she shall sing there as in the days of her youth. And as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

[John Weaver] Now, do you have any idea what the latter part of this verse is referring to? Do you remember Exodus chapter 12? God gave them the Passover. 13 and 14 of the book of Exodus. God brought them out of the land to the Red Sea. Pharaoh said they're hemmed in. They got the wilderness here. They got the wilderness here. They got the sea there. We're coming behind them. We're going to destroy them all.

[John Weaver] Moses held up that rod. The sea departed. The children of Israel went across on dry ground. But Pharaoh and his army are saying to do the same thing. God brought the water in on them and they drowned there. And when you get to Exodus 15, Miriam takes the timbrel, and all the people begin singing the song of Moses. And they sing, great is the Lord, a God of war He is. Pharaoh and his host we've seen upon the sand. What was this song they were singing? It was a song of redemption. It was a song of deliverance.

[John Weaver] But why was it sung? Because the enemy had been destroyed. When God delivers his people, he destroys his enemy. Tell you something, folks, if you will seriously begin to pray like our Lord taught us, our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Are you listening? Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And then you get there and you say, oh God, overthrow your enemies. break their power, break their arms, establish thy kingdom, establish thy law, establish thy righteousness, establish thy people, judge thine enemies. Our Lord said, and shall not The just God avenge his own elect who cry on him day and night. I tell you, he shall avenge them spearly. One of the greatest hopes we have is that God will judge the wickedness in this country. Are you listening?

[John Weaver] When the righteous are last, They and only they will have the character, the knowledge, and the motive to rebuild biblically, honoring the Lord and his word. The Valley of Acre is a door of hope. Judgment is not our enemy, but our friend, because God can do in judgment what we could never do. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word, for Your truth, and for the door of hope.

[John Weaver] Make us holy, make us godly, give us repentance, and give us faith. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray Amen.

A Door of Hope

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	31104141713
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne
Genre	Sermon
Date	2004-03-07
Dictation Name
Book	Book 140: Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	88

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Need for Hope

Everyone needs hope, and God promises the valley of Achor as a door of hope. Our nation desperately needs biblical hope amid widespread corruption.

Hosea 2, verse 15. God says,

Scripture Reading — Hosea 2:15

"And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope. And she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, and as in the days when she came up out of the land of Egypt."

Of course, here He's talking about Israel, and He says,

Scripture Reading — Hosea 2:15

"I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope."

You know, the truth is, everyone needs hope. Hope is basically what keeps us going. There's an old adage that hope springs eternal in the breast. And it's very obvious, too, that you can always tell when people lose hope because it's usually shortly after they die. And it's amazing that God tells His people here that He shall give us the valley of Achor for a door of hope.

I submit to you that one of the things that we need in our country today is a hope, that is, a biblical hope. Everyone who has any grasp of the corruption, depravity, wickedness, and vileness of our nation has asked repeatedly what in the world is going to happen to us. I mean, intuitively each of us know that we cannot continue much longer down the road that we're traveling.

The Dominion Mandate and Our Failure

God called humanity to exercise dominion, but we have failed. Christians are divided and uninvolved, and patriots are fractured.

Now in light of these things, what is our hope? How do we escape? Let me point out the fact that God has called us to dominion, and we have failed to exercise dominion. If you look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 1, you'll find what is known as the dominion mandate, or the great charter, or the dominion charter. You'll see this in the book of Genesis chapter 1, and look if you would please, beginning there with verse 27.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 1:27-28

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

You'll also find this dominion charter restated in Genesis chapter 9 after Noah comes off the ark. Notice, if you would please, in Genesis chapter 9 verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 1:27-28

"And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 8:1-9

"And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, and upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand they are delivered."

And if you look very quickly in Psalm 8, Psalm 8 is indeed a psalm of dominion, and notice if you would once again how plainly this is told. Psalm 8, notice if you would please beginning with verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 8:1-9

"O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon, and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!"

Now, it is obvious that God has called us to dominion, but the problem is we're not exercising dominion. And some even deny the plain doctrine of dominion. Do you realize that the word dominion itself occurs 62 times in our Bible? You must believe something about the doctrine of dominion. That does not count the variations of the word. That's just simply the word dominion itself. We're told in Luke chapter 19 and verse 13 by our Lord that we're to occupy till He comes. Now the word occupy literally means to do business. It means to carry on the trade.

It does not mean to sit idly by and do nothing. So let's ask the question, have we failed? And the answer is yes, we have failed to be obedient. We failed to carry out the commands that God has given us. Even our Lord himself told us that we're to be the salt of the earth. One of the qualities of salt is that it preserves. And the truth is, we've preserved nothing.

You look around today and you find that most Christians are divisive, vindictive, uncooperative, and unwilling to be involved in anything except that which they can control. If they cannot run it, they don't want to have anything to do with it. Do you realize that most so-called patriots are even worse? Because if one does not follow their plan, their thought, their ideas, he's then either considered an enemy or a double agent. And the community of patriots is just as fractured and divided as the church is.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 25:8

Now many will sit back and say, "Well pastor, you know our Lord told us that evil men would wax worse and worse. So there's nothing we can do about it. Let's just sit back and wait for the Lord's return." Well, that's a wonderful thought, but I have some questions. Shall we sit back and wait like the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25 and verse 8 who said, "Our lamps are going out"? Or shall we sit back and wait like the unjust steward in Luke 12 and verse 45 who began to be drunk and disobedient? Or shall we sit back and wait as the rich and foolish farmer in Luke chapter 12 who simply laid up all the worldly goods that he could lay up and then died without ever enjoying them? If we are to wait, how are we to wait? And what is waiting upon the Lord? Now, it is not my intent today to teach the biblical truth of waiting upon the Lord, but very obviously and very clearly, when He says, "Wait upon the Lord," that does not mean to sit idly by and do absolutely nothing, nor is it a demand for disobedience.

The Second Coming Is Not Our Only Hope

While Christ's return is the ultimate hope, Scripture reveals other hopes, such as the door of hope in Hosea 2:15.

There's certainly a biblical truth to waiting on the Lord, but it has nothing to do with disobedience and sitting idly by. Now let me make a statement which I'm sure that I do not have to make in this congregation, but I'm going to make it anyhow. I certainly do not deny the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that our Lord is going to return literally, visibly, and biblically.

But the question remains, must we wait until He returns for things to be straightened out? Now listen carefully. I understand and I know that things will not be righted perfectly until He returns. But does that mean that there can be no justice in time and in history, that we have to wait until the Lord returns for a perfect justice and a perfect righteousness? I know the Bible teaches in 1 John 3 verses 2 and 3. where He said, "Behold, beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." I know that the second coming of Christ is a hope. I know it is our ultimate and perfect and total and complete hope, but my question is this.

Are there any other hopes revealed to us in the Bible? Is the second coming of Christ our only hope? And the answer is no. And I'm going to explain what I mean. Certainly, His return is the ultimate hope. It's the full and final hope. But there are other hopes talked about in the Scripture. For instance, look at Hosea 2 and verse 15. Here's our text. God said, "And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope."

"And she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt." Now that's a very interesting verse. God said, "I shall give her the valley of Achor for a door of hope." And then note the latter part of this verse, "and she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt." Now, the Bible tells us that the valley of Achor has been given to us as a door of hope. What is a door of hope? It's a door of restoration and blessing. It is an opportunity of entrance into the will and the blessings of God. Now, before I explain this verse, before I give you a detail of what the door of hope really is, in order to comprehend my answer, I want to show you two other passages where the valley of Achor is referred to.

The Valley of Achor: Judgment as a Door of Hope

The valley of Achor is where Achan was judged. Dealing with sin through judgment opened the door for Israel's victory and restoration.

Look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Isaiah, chapter 65. Isaiah 65, and let's begin reading there with verse 9. Isaiah 65, and notice if you would please, verse 9, and we'll point out several things concerning this passage. Isaiah 65, verse 9, note, God says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 65:9-12

"And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there." "And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not."

Now, note if you would please, first of all, in verse 9, God tells us there is indeed an elect. There is indeed a remnant. And by the way, that ought to really be an encouragement. God always has an elect. God always has a remnant. I don't care in what age, or what century, or what circumstances, or what situation, there is always an elect, there is always a remnant, who are going to stand true to Christ. So there is an elect, there is a remnant.

Secondly, in verse 10, the Bible tells us that in this instance, the valley of Achor is a place for herds to lie down in. That is, it's a fat pasture. It has wonderful grazing, wonderful food, wonderful blessings. Thirdly, I want you to note in verse 10 that Sharon and Achor are promised blessings to whom? To "my people that have sought me." So not only is there an elect, not only is there a fat pasture to lie down in, this fat pasture is for those who have sought Him. And then look, if you would please, at the fourth thing in verses 11 and 12. He says, "But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number." God says, "Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter."

"Because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not." In other words, those who do not seek Christ, those who do not fear our Lord, shall be destroyed. So, verses 11 through 15 basically deal with judgment. I did not read verses 13 through 15, but once again, it is in the context of judgment. Now, do you remember the passage, and let me just quote it, in the Song of Solomon chapter 2 and verse 1, where Christ is called

Scripture Reading — Song of Solomon 2:1

the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valleys.

Have you ever considered or asked yourself, what in the world does Christ have to do with valleys? Well, the answer is He's the Lord of the valleys, just like He's the Lord of the mountains. In fact, He's Lord of all. He controls everything. But do you realize that valleys are often times associated with judgment? Let me show you.

Look in your Bibles to the book of Joel. Go back to Hosea. Daniel, Hosea, Joel. So right after the book of Hosea, you have the little book of Joel. Look in Joel chapter 3 it is. And verse 14.

Now here's a verse that is usually taken out of context. Okay? Look at it, Joel chapter 3 verse 14.

Scripture Reading — Joel 3:13-16

"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision."

Now I've heard that passage preached, "Well, you're in the valley of decision, you must decide for Christ." Or you know, may I point out that verse 14 has nothing to do with deciding for Christ. You say, "What are you talking about?" Well, look in verse 13. "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." "The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining." The valley of decision is God's decision to judge and destroy. He says, "Put in the sickle, take care of it." Verse 16, "The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." So the valley of decision has to do with judgment. It does not have to do with making a decision for Christ. So in the Bible, valleys usually refer to judgment. Go back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 2 and verse 7.

I told you there were several passages that dealt with the word Achor. And you need to see this in 1 Chronicles chapter 2 and verse 7. God said, "I've given you the valley of Achor for a door of hope." Well, what in the world is the valley of Achor? Well, look in 1 Chronicles chapter 2 and verse 7. Here it is. 1 Chronicles 2 verse 7, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 2:7

"And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed."

I hope you're putting together the valley of Achor and Achar, or what was the other name that he's known by in the Bible? Achan. Achan and Achor are the same individual. So the valley of Achor is the valley of Achan. Now if you don't know what the valley of Achan is, I'm going to show you. You will find this in Joshua chapter 6 and 7. Let's go to Joshua chapter 6 and look first of all at verses 17 and 18. Joshua chapter 6, you see the children of Israel have come out of the wilderness.

They are now to attack Jericho. But Jericho is a special city. It is a city that is cursed by God. It is under the ban. It is under the curse. Everything in Jericho is to be totally and completely destroyed. Notice if you would, Joshua chapter 6 verse 17. God says,

Scripture Reading — Joshua 6:17-18

"And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it."

Now God says, look, Jericho is set apart for sure and certain destruction. The only people that are to be spared are Rahab and her family that are with her in the house. Everything else is reserved totally for judgment. Well, now let's skip down to chapter 7 and begin reading at verse 1.

"But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down."

"Wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name? And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff."

"Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man. And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel."

"So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him." "And tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us?"

"The Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day." What was the valley of Achor? It is where Achan was judged by God for his sin, his wickedness and his rebellion. The word Achor or Achan literally means trouble. Thus he was known as the troubler of Israel and indeed Israel was troubled. They lost 36 men in battle because of the sin of Achan, not counting the humiliation of their defeat before the hands of the people of Ai. But the greatest struggle that Achan brought upon Israel is found in chapter 7, verses 10 through 12. Look at it. Joshua chapter 7, verse 10. "And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you."

Oh, they did not only lose 36 men, they were not only defeated and humiliated, God had withdrawn from them. God had stopped His blessing, His honor, His victory, and He told Joshua and the elders, if you don't deal with this, neither will I be with you anymore. In other words, you are doomed to certain and definite failure. Now listen carefully. The valley of Achor was at the entrance of the Israelites into the land of Canaan. And this was the promise of their conquering the entire land. All of a sudden now, that door of opportunity, that door of victory had been slammed in their faces.

Now the question has to be asked, how could they continue? How could they proceed? How could they conquer? How could they exercise dominion? And the answer comes back, sin must be dealt with, and it must be dealt with openly, honestly, and biblically. You know what the valley of Achor speaks of? The valley of Achor speaks of God's way of dealing with sin. And that's through judgment. God said, "I've given you the valley of Achor for a door of hope." What is He saying? I've given you judgment for a door of hope. This battle of Jericho and Ai was the beginning of the wars of Canaan and their putting away the accursed thing in that place gave them ground to hope that God would continue His presence with them and give them complete victory. Thus when sin was dealt with and judged, when it was put away, then of course they turned to God in obedience, God turned to them in mercy, and there was the beginning of a restoration.

Judgment and Salvation Are Inseparable

Judgment and deliverance always go together. Salvation through Christ is based on judgment, and praying for Christ's return is praying for judgment.

Achan is known as the troubler of Israel. Do you realize the sin that truly troubles us will not ruin us? Because if we're truly troubled by sin, inevitably, that sin is going to be exposed and dealt with. I've said this repeatedly, but it's hard to grasp, so I'll say it again. The greatest mercy that God could show to anyone is to expose their sin and bring them to repentance. You think when your sin is exposed, how humiliating, how embarrassing? Oh, yes. But it's mercy that humiliates and embarrasses and yet then brings us to deliverance. If sin is not exposed, it will never be confessed and never be repented of. So God tells us how we're to deal with sin. That is, sin must be judged. There is a judgment of sin. Now, stop.

I hope you're putting this together. Because God says, "I've given you the valley of Achor for a door of hope." What is God saying? I'm giving you judgment for a door of hope. God says if you judge your sin biblically, openly, honestly, I'm going to be with you. If you don't deal with sin, God said, I'm not going to be with you anymore. So what is our door of hope? Judgment. Do you realize the average professing Christian is horrified at the thought of judgment?

How we tremble when we think for one instant we might have to suffer. We cringe and we turn away from the very thought of judgment. Yet it's only in judgment that we find deliverance. Would you listen to me just for a moment please? It was judgment, God's righteous judgment upon Achan and his family that brought deliverance, blessing and victory to Israel. It was judgment, God's righteous judgment that destroyed the old world but saved Noah and his family alive. It was judgment, God's righteous judgment, that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah but delivered righteous Lot. It was judgment, God's righteous judgment, that destroyed the enemies of Canaan and delivered His people from their grip over and over in the book of Judges. It was judgment, God's righteous judgment, that destroyed Babylon and Assyria and delivered His people.

Do you realize we fail to grasp a simple truth? Here it is. Judgment and salvation go together. Let me say it another way. Destruction and deliverance go together. You cannot have one without the other. Whenever God judges His enemies, He always delivers His people. Judgment and deliverance are the two sides of one coin. Now, you say, "Brother Weaver, I don't like judgment." Let me tell you something. I want you to turn in your Bibles, as I tell you this, to Romans chapter 3. Turn to Romans chapter 3. If you do not like judgment, then you do not like salvation. Do you realize that our salvation in Jesus Christ is based upon judgment? Look in Romans chapter 3, beginning there in verse 24. "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." We talk about God's grace. We talk about redemption in Christ. But look at verse 25.

"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." Note verse 25. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation." You know what the word propitiation means? It means to placate, it means to appease, it means to satisfy. What happened to Christ was this, the judgment, the righteous judgment of a righteous God fell upon Him as our substitute. He died in the place of His people. Now once again tell me you don't like judgment. See without judgment there is no salvation. Judgment and salvation go together. You cannot have one without the other.

Now, some might get a little pietistic with me and say, "Now, Brother Weaver, I don't get involved in these kind of issues. I just pray for the Lord's return." Well, I can quote these verses, but I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. And let me just show you that you cannot even pray for the Lord's return without praying for judgment. You say, "What in the world are you talking about?" Well, let me show you. Do you have any earthly idea what Christ is going to do when He does return? Watch. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 7.

The apostle Paul says, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." What is Christ going to do when He returns? He's going to come back in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who know not God and obey not the gospel. You see, you cannot even pray for the return of Christ without praying for judgment. Judgment and deliverance go together. Destruction and salvation go together. God said, "I'm going to give you a door of hope." That door of hope is judgment. Now let me ask, what is a door of hope?

for God's people in these troubling times that we live in? The answer? It's judgment. God's righteous judgment. Did you know the Bible tells us in Psalm 9 in verse 16 that

Scripture Reading — Psalm 9:16

the Lord is known by the judgment which He executeth?

One of the things that God is known by and for is His righteous, holy, just judgment. The Bible tells us in Psalm 37 verse 28, "For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off." What did he say? The Lord loveth judgment. Did you know that the phrase, "and they shall know that I am the Lord," or its equivalent, occurs 73 times in the book of Ezekiel alone, and in each instance, it is always in the context of judgment.

Our Responsibility: Five Responses

Believers must be people of faith, believe God judges in history, pray for His judgment, repent of sin, and embrace judgment as a door of hope.

Now, let me ask you, so I may answer, what is our responsibility in light of this truth? How do we proceed? Well, I'm going to give you five answers. Note if you would the first answer. First, we must be children of faith. Here's the first answer. First, we must be children of faith. We know that God is totally, completely, and absolutely sovereign. Therefore, we can never give in, give up, or give out. We must never, ever, under any circumstances, give way to discouragement, despair or desperation. Why? We know God's on the throne. He's on the throne of His universe directing and controlling everything after the counsel of His own will. We must believe that God does all things well. We must believe that whatever God does is ultimately going to be for our good and His glory. So first of all, we must be a people of faith. Secondly, we must understand and believe that God does and will judge the wicked in time and in history. Let me say that again because I'm going to show you this scripture.

We must understand and believe that God does and will judge the wicked in time and in history. We do not have to wait until the end of the world to see the judgment of God. We may have to wait until the end of the world to see the perfect, total, and complete judgment of God, but there are judgments that God executes in time and in history. Look at your Bibles, if you would, first of all, to Proverbs 11 and verse 31. Proverbs 11, verse 31. Look what God says.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 11:31

"Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner."

Now let me just stop for a moment and explain this. "Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner." Now, we who are righteous in Christ, will we not be rewarded in eternity? And the answer is yes. But here's my question. Do we have to wait to eternity to receive or experience any rewards? Well, of course not. God rewards us in time and in history with blessings, victory, in so many ways. Look what he said, "Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth." God is not going to be any man's debtor. You obey Him. You honor Him. God will honor you in time and in history. Now look what he says. "Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth." That is, if God rewards His people in time and history, how much more the wicked and the sinner. God said, do you think I'm going to let them escape all judgment until judgment day? God said, you're mistaken. If I reward my people in time and history, how much more will I reward those who hate me?

I will give them their due in time and in history. That's why the Bible says, I believe it's Psalm 55 verse 23, the wicked and deceitful man shall not live out half his days; God will cut him off. Turn back just a few books to the book of Job. Look in chapter 19 verse 29. Here's another verse. Job 19 verse 29. Look what he says.

Job 19 verse 29 God says, "Be ye afraid of the sword." Why? Why should we be afraid of the sword? Now watch. "Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment." Do you realize what he is saying is this? All of God's judgments in time and history, our wars, our anarchy, our unrest, all of these things point to a final judgment. They are judgments in time and history. They're not the permanent judgment, they're not the full and final judgment, but they are judgments. And we must understand and we must know that God does and will judge in time and in history. We do not have to wait until the final day of history to see God's judgments. We may see them in time and history. We may not see them totally, completely, or perfectly, but we can see them. Now watch. Thirdly, we must learn to pray for God's righteous judgment now, in time, and in history. Not only must we be a people of faith, not only must we understand and believe that God does and will judge the wicked in time and history, but thirdly, we must learn to pray for God's righteous judgment now.

That God will exercise that judgment in time and in history. I've got several verses I want to show you. Look in your Bible, first of all, to the book of Luke, chapter 18. If there was no other passage in the Bible, this one would be sufficient. But I want to point out there are a multitude of passages. I certainly cannot cover them all, but look at this one. Luke 18, verse 1.

"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary." That is, give me justice, give me justice. "And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me." Now, I want you to note what he said. Here's an unjust judge. He doesn't fear God. He doesn't fear man. And here's a woman who's being thoroughly vexed. She's being dealt with unjustly and unrighteously. So she comes to this unconverted, wicked king and says, "Avenge me of mine adversary. Give me justice." And he just ignores her. He turns her away. He's not interested in doing one thing for this poor widow woman. And finally he says, "Look, I don't fear God. I have no regard for man. But I do have a little bit of regard for my own peace of mind. So I will avenge this widow woman lest by her continual coming she weary me." Now look at our Lord's own application. He said in verse 6, "And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily." Ah, did you hear what he said?

"And shall not God," the just and righteous judge of all the earth, "avenge his own elect," who do what? Cry unto Him night and day. What are they crying for? Judgment. Justice. And God said, if my people pray, I will give them justice. Do you know there are in the Bible numerous imprecatory prayers? You know what an imprecatory prayer is? It's when you pray against God's enemies. It's when you pray for their defeat and their downfall. Look in your Bible, Psalm 59. Psalm 59 is a wonderful imprecatory prayer. I just want to show you a sample. There are many of them in the book of Psalms, many of them throughout the Bible. Well, look at Psalm 59. And I'll skip down just to save time. But look at Psalm 59, verse 1. David begins, "Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God."

"Defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord." Now, what are they doing? They're trying to destroy David, not because he's done something wrong. They're just plotting for him. They're after the righteous. They're after the just. He says in verse 4, "They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold. Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen." That is, rise up, open your eyes.

"Be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah. They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear? But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. Because of his strength will I wait upon thee." That is the enemy's strength, I will wait upon thee. "For God is my defence. The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies."

Now look what David prays. "Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah." "And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied. But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble." What a tremendous imprecatory prayer. Look at Psalm 58. I'm not going to read that Psalm, but this is another imprecatory prayer.

He says in verse 3, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely." That is, they won't listen. Look what he asked God to do. "Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord." "Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath."

Watch, "The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." Now, does that sound like judgment against enemies? Yes, it does. In fact, look in Psalm 68. I could spend all morning here. Look in Psalm 68. Just the first three verses. David prays, "Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God."

"But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice." What in the world is David praying for in Psalm 68? I'll tell you. He's praying for destruction and deliverance. He's praying for the destruction of the enemies of God's people and deliverance for God's people. Judgment and deliverance go together. You need to read through the book of Psalms and just see how many times David says, "Arise, O Lord, make bare thine arm." And every time David is praying for vengeance, that God will intervene and exercise His righteous judgment. Fourthly, we must learn to repent of our sins and live holy, godly lives. Now, without me taking the time to go through Hebrews 12 and 1 Corinthians chapter 11, may I tell you that the Bible tells us, and teaches very plainly, that we who are the children of Christ by grace cannot sin and escape the chastisement of our Heavenly Father. What does Hebrews 12 say? "Every son whom he receiveth he scourgeth."

He said, "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." That is, illegitimate children, and not sons. What's he saying? If you and I are God's children and we sin, God will chastise us.

Now, if we don't want to be chastised, what must we do? We must repent of our sins. We must, are you listening, judge ourselves. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 31, he said, "If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." And help me out with this one, I'm sure you can quote it. 1 Peter 4 verse 17, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God." We've got to learn to judge ourselves. We've got to learn to repent of our sins, our wickedness, any and everything that is contrary to God.

Let me tell you, if you really start praying for God's judgment, it's going to do two things. Number one, it will make you more faithful in warning the wicked. And number two, it will make you more godly and more holy because you know that if you sin, God will nail you as well. So we must learn to pray for God's judgment. We must also learn to repent of our sins and live a holy, godly life. And fifthly, we must understand that judgment is a door of hope. Let me say it like this. Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend. No one likes to suffer. But I'm going to tell you, folks. One willingly undergoes the knife for the cancer to be cut out. Whatever suffering it takes to save our lives, that suffering is readily endured that our life might be continued. Likewise, it should be with the judgment of God. Whatever it takes to save our society, whatever it takes to save our nation, we ought to be willing to endure. Do you realize, listen to me carefully, when it comes to our nation, we're helpless and impotent in and of ourselves to change things. I realize, I'm not talking about prayer now, but I'm talking about what we can do. We're really helpless in and of ourselves. We cannot save ourselves. Government cannot and will not save us. The Constitution cannot and will not save us. Our arms cannot and will not save us. God must save us. He is our hope. What we must look for. That doesn't mean that He will not be willing to use some of the other things that I mentioned.

Conclusion: Hope in God's Deliverance

When we are helpless, God acts. Judgment leads to singing and restoration, as at the Red Sea. We must pray for God to overthrow His enemies and establish righteousness.

But it does mean this. Our hope is in Him. We must look for Him to exercise His righteous judgment. He's given us a door of hope. What is it? Judgment.

Now, I want you to look at two passages and I'll draw it together for you. First of all, go to Exodus chapter 5. And then we're going back to Hosea. Exodus chapter 5. You remember God sent Moses to Pharaoh and said, "Let my people go." Well, things did not work out exactly the way Moses wanted them to work out. The elders even went to Pharaoh and said, "Let us go." Well, that didn't work out too well either. Look in Exodus chapter 5, beginning there with verse 15. Moses is already gone now and said, "Let my people go."

Now it's the elders' turn. Verse 15, Exodus 5. "Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people. But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task." Now watch, they are walking out from the presence of Pharaoh. Verse 20, "And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: and they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us."

Watch. "And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all." Now, are you looking at me? Look at me just a second. God has Moses and Aaron helpless. We've tried. We can't. He has the elders, the leaders of Israel, helpless. They tried. They can't. So Moses said, "God, why did you even send me? It's gotten worse. It hasn't gotten better." So when God has Moses and Aaron and all the rulers hopeless and helpless, look in chapter 6 and verse 1. "Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land." God said, you tried, you can't. Now you're going to see what I can do. When did God deliver Israel? When the people realized how helpless they were, and their only hope was in Him.

Now it's true, He didn't put a sword in their hand later on, but the point I'm trying to make is this folks, it's not the multitude or the magnitude of our arms that's going to save us, it's God to be God. Now, go back in your Bibles to the book of Hosea chapter 2 and look at verse 15, the verse we started with. I want you to look at this verse. Look what God says. Hosea 2 verse 15, "And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope." That is after this, after sin is dealt with, I'll bless her, I'll return the blessing, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope. Lord, I've given you judgment for a door of hope. Now watch.

"And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt." Now, do you have any idea what the latter part of this verse is referring to? Do you remember Exodus chapter 12? God gave them the Passover. 13 and 14 of the book of Exodus. God brought them out of the land to the Red Sea. Pharaoh said, "They're hemmed in. They got the wilderness here. They got the wilderness here. They got the sea there. We're coming behind them. We're going to destroy them all."

Moses held up that rod. The sea departed. The children of Israel went across on dry ground. But Pharaoh and his army are saying to do the same thing. God brought the water in on them and they drowned there. And when you get to Exodus 15, Miriam takes the timbrel, and all the people begin singing the song of Moses. And they sing, "Great is the Lord, a God of war He is. Pharaoh and his host we've seen upon the sand." What was this song they were singing? It was a song of redemption. It was a song of deliverance.

But why was it sung? Because the enemy had been destroyed. When God delivers His people, He destroys His enemy. Tell you something, folks, if you will seriously begin to pray like our Lord taught us, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." And then you get there and you say, "Oh God, overthrow your enemies. Break their power, break their arms, establish thy kingdom, establish thy law, establish thy righteousness, establish thy people, judge thine enemies." Our Lord said, "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily." One of the greatest hopes we have is that God will judge the wickedness in this country. Are you listening?

When the righteous are last, they and only they will have the character, the knowledge, and the motive to rebuild biblically, honoring the Lord and His word. The valley of Achor is a door of hope. Judgment is not our enemy, but our friend, because God can do in judgment what we could never do. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word, for Your truth, and for the door of hope. Make us holy, make us godly, give us repentance, and give us faith. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Judgment as a Door of Hope

Summary: God's righteous judgment on sin is not something to fear but a necessary pathway to deliverance, blessing, and restoration.

Evidence: God says, 'I will give her... the valley of Achor for a door of hope' (Hosea 2:15). The valley of Achor was the place of Achan's judgment, and after sin was dealt with, Israel could proceed in victory.

The Inseparability of Judgment and Salvation

Summary: Judgment and deliverance are two sides of the same coin; you cannot have salvation without judgment, as seen in the cross and in God's historical acts.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Judgment and salvation go together... Destruction and deliverance go together.' He cites Romans 3:25 where Christ is a propitiation, meaning judgment fell on Him.

The Failure of God's People to Exercise Dominion

Summary: Christians have failed to obey the dominion mandate, leading to societal decay. Division and passivity have prevented them from being salt and light.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We have failed to exercise dominion... Most Christians are divisive, vindictive, uncooperative.' He references Genesis 1:27-28 and Luke 19:13.

Praying for God's Judgment

Summary: Believers are called to pray imprecatory prayers, asking God to judge the wicked and deliver His people, as modeled in Scripture.

Evidence: Weaver cites Luke 18:1-8, Psalm 59, Psalm 58, and Psalm 68, emphasizing that God will avenge His elect who cry out for justice.

Repentance and Self-Judgment

Summary: Before praying for national judgment, believers must judge themselves, repent of sin, and live holy lives to avoid God's chastisement.

Evidence: Weaver references 1 Corinthians 11:31, Hebrews 12, and 1 Peter 4:17, stating, 'If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.'

God's Sovereignty and Faith in Crisis

Summary: In times of national wickedness, believers must trust in God's sovereign control and not give in to despair, knowing He will act in history.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We must never, ever... give way to discouragement... We know God's on the throne.' He cites Proverbs 11:31 and Job 19:29.

Key Arguments

The valley of Achor represents judgment that opens the door to hope.

Summary: Achan's sin brought defeat, but after judgment, Israel could conquer. Similarly, God's judgment on sin today is the pathway to restoration.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'The valley of Achor speaks of God's way of dealing with sin. And that's through judgment... When sin was dealt with and judged... there was the beginning of a restoration.'

Judgment and deliverance are inseparable in God's redemptive work.

Summary: Every act of deliverance in Scripture involves judgment on enemies. Salvation through Christ required judgment on Him as our substitute.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Judgment and salvation go together... Whenever God judges His enemies, He always delivers His people.' He points to the flood, Sodom, and the cross.

Christians must actively pray for God's judgment on the wicked.

Summary: Jesus' parable of the unjust judge teaches persistent prayer for justice. The imprecatory Psalms model praying for the defeat of God's enemies.

Evidence: Weaver cites Luke 18:7, 'And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him?' and reads Psalm 59 and 58.

God judges the wicked in time and history, not only at the final judgment.

Summary: Proverbs 11:31 and Job 19:29 show that God recompenses the wicked on earth. Historical judgments point to the final judgment.

Evidence: Weaver reads Proverbs 11:31, 'Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner,' and explains Job 19:29.

Self-judgment and repentance are prerequisites for national deliverance.

Summary: Judgment begins at the house of God. Believers must examine themselves and turn from sin to avoid chastisement and to see God's intervention.

Evidence: Weaver quotes 1 Peter 4:17, 'For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God,' and 1 Corinthians 11:31.

Human efforts are insufficient; only God's judgment can save the nation.

Summary: Government, the Constitution, and arms cannot save us. Like Israel at the Red Sea, we must recognize our helplessness and look to God alone.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We cannot save ourselves. Government cannot and will not save us... God must save us.' He references Exodus 5-6.

Scripture References

Hosea 2:15

Context: The primary text: God promises to give the valley of Achor as a door of hope, leading to singing as in the days of youth.

Genesis 1:27-28

Context: The dominion mandate: God commands humanity to be fruitful, multiply, subdue the earth, and have dominion.

Genesis 9:1-2

Context: The dominion charter restated to Noah after the flood.

Psalm 8:1-9

Context: A psalm of dominion, declaring that God has crowned man with glory and honor and put all things under his feet.

Luke 19:13

Context: Jesus' parable where servants are told to 'occupy' till He comes, meaning to do business, not sit idly.

Matthew 25:8

Context: The five foolish virgins whose lamps went out, used as a warning against passive waiting.

Luke 12:45

Context: The unjust steward who became drunk and disobedient, another warning against unfaithful waiting.

1 John 3:2-3

Context: The hope of Christ's return purifies believers, but it is not the only hope.

Isaiah 65:9-12

Context: The valley of Achor is a place of blessing for God's elect who seek Him, but judgment for those who forsake Him.

Song of Solomon 2:1

Context: Christ is the Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valleys, showing He is Lord of valleys (often associated with judgment).

Joel 3:13-16

Context: The valley of decision is God's decision to judge, not a call for sinners to decide for Christ.

1 Chronicles 2:7

Context: Achar (Achan) is identified as the troubler of Israel who transgressed in the accursed thing.

Joshua 6:17-18

Context: God commands that Jericho be accursed and everything destroyed, warning against taking the accursed thing.

Joshua 7:1-26

Context: The story of Achan's sin, Israel's defeat at Ai, and the judgment of Achan in the valley of Achor.

Romans 3:24-25

Context: Christ is set forth as a propitiation, meaning God's righteous judgment fell on Him for our salvation.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10

Context: Christ returns in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God, showing judgment accompanies His coming.

Psalm 9:16

Context: The Lord is known by the judgment He executes.

Psalm 37:28

Context: The Lord loves judgment and forsakes not His saints.

Revelation 9:20-21

Context: Despite plagues, the wicked did not repent, showing judgment alone does not convert.

Proverbs 11:31

Context: The righteous are recompensed in the earth; much more the wicked and sinner, indicating temporal judgment.

Historical References

Achan's sin and judgment in the valley of Achor (Joshua 7)

Context: Achan took accursed items from Jericho, leading to Israel's defeat at Ai. After he was stoned, God's favor returned.

The destruction of Jericho (Joshua 6)

Context: Jericho was under God's ban; everything was to be destroyed except Rahab and her family.

The Exodus and crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14-15)

Context: God destroyed Pharaoh's army in the sea, delivering Israel and prompting the song of Moses.

The flood in Noah's day

Context: God's judgment destroyed the old world but saved Noah and his family.

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Context: God's judgment destroyed the cities but delivered righteous Lot.

The conquest of Canaan and deliverance in Judges

Context: God repeatedly judged Israel's enemies to deliver His people.

The destruction of Babylon and Assyria

Context: God judged these empires to deliver His people.

Modern American societal corruption

Context: Weaver lists 40 million abortions, 50% divorce rate, socialism, sodomy legalization, corrupt judiciary, and disregard for the Constitution.

Important Quotes

I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope.

Significance: The foundational text of the sermon, introducing the concept that judgment (the valley of Achor) is a door to hope and restoration.

Judgment and salvation go together. Let me say it another way. Destruction and deliverance go together. You cannot have one without the other.

Significance: A key thesis of the sermon, emphasizing the inseparable link between God's judgment on enemies and the deliverance of His people.

The greatest mercy that God could show to anyone is to expose their sin and bring them to repentance.

Significance: Highlights the positive purpose of judgment: to lead to repentance and restoration, not merely punishment.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.

Significance: Jesus' promise that persistent prayer for justice will be answered, encouraging believers to pray for God's judgment.

If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Significance: A call to self-examination and repentance as a prerequisite for avoiding God's chastisement and seeing national deliverance.

Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend.

Significance: A provocative statement reframing judgment as a necessary and beneficial act of God for the ultimate good of His people.

Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.

Significance: God's response when human efforts fail, demonstrating that deliverance comes when we are helpless and look to Him alone.

The valley of Achor is a door of hope. Judgment is not our enemy, but our friend, because God can do in judgment what we could never do.

Significance: The concluding summary of the sermon's main point, tying the text to the application that God's judgment accomplishes what human effort cannot.

Discussion Questions

How does the story of Achan illustrate the principle that unconfessed sin hinders God's blessing and victory in the life of His people?

Context: Weaver explains that Achan's sin caused Israel's defeat and God's withdrawal until the sin was judged.

In what ways have Christians failed to exercise the dominion mandate, and what are the consequences in our culture?

Context: Weaver argues that Christians are divisive and uninvolved, leading to societal decay.

Why is it difficult for many believers to accept that judgment and salvation are inseparable? How does the cross demonstrate this truth?

Context: Weaver states that judgment and deliverance go together, and that Christ's propitiation required judgment.

What is an imprecatory prayer, and how should we reconcile praying for God's judgment with Jesus' command to love our enemies?

Context: Weaver cites Psalms 58, 59, and 68 as examples of praying against God's enemies.

How does the parable of the unjust judge encourage persistent prayer for justice in a corrupt world?

Context: Weaver uses Luke 18 to show that God will avenge His elect who cry out for justice.

What does it mean to 'judge ourselves' according to 1 Corinthians 11:31, and how does this relate to praying for national judgment?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that judgment must begin at the house of God and that self-judgment prevents chastisement.

How can we cultivate a perspective that sees judgment as a friend rather than an enemy?

Context: Weaver argues that judgment is necessary for cutting out the cancer of sin and saving the nation.

In what ways does the Exodus story illustrate the principle that God acts when His people are helpless?

Context: Weaver references Exodus 5-6 and the Red Sea crossing to show that deliverance comes when human efforts fail.

Applications

Be a person of faith in God's sovereignty

Summary: Trust that God is on the throne and will work all things for good, refusing to give in to discouragement or despair.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We must never, ever... give way to discouragement, despair or desperation. Why? We know God's on the throne.'

Pray persistently for God's righteous judgment

Summary: Follow the biblical pattern of imprecatory prayer, asking God to judge the wicked and deliver His people in our time.

Evidence: Weaver urges, 'We must learn to pray for God's righteous judgment now, in time, and in history,' citing Luke 18 and the Psalms.

Repent of personal sin and live a holy life

Summary: Examine your life, confess sin, and pursue godliness to avoid God's chastisement and to be part of the solution.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'We must learn to repent of our sins and live holy, godly lives... If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.'

Embrace judgment as a door of hope

Summary: View God's judgment not as something to fear but as the necessary means by which He brings deliverance and restoration.

Evidence: Weaver concludes, 'Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend... God can do in judgment what we could never do.'

Recognize human helplessness and rely on God alone

Summary: Acknowledge that government, arms, and human effort cannot save us; only God's intervention can bring true deliverance.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We cannot save ourselves. Government cannot and will not save us... God must save us.'

Warn the wicked faithfully

Summary: Praying for judgment should increase our boldness in warning the lost about the consequences of sin.

Evidence: Weaver notes, 'If you really start praying for God's judgment, it's going to do two things. Number one, it will make you more faithful in warning the wicked.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T03:34:14Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T16:22:06Z

Clean Transcript

A Door of Hope

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

Hosea 2, verse 15. God says, "And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope. And she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, and as in the days when she came up out of the land of Egypt." Of course, here He's talking about Israel, and He says, "I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope." You know, the truth is, everyone needs hope. Hope is basically what keeps us going. There's an old adage that hope springs eternal in the breast. And it's very obvious, too, that you can always tell when people lose hope because it's usually shortly after they die. And it's amazing that God tells His people here that He shall give us the valley of Achor for a door of hope.
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I submit to you that one of the things that we need in our country today is a hope, that is, a biblical hope. Everyone who has any grasp of the corruption, depravity, wickedness, and vileness of our nation has asked repeatedly what in the world is going to happen to us. I mean, intuitively each of us know that we cannot continue much longer down the road that we're traveling.
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We live in a day when 40 million babies have been murdered through aborticide. The divorce rate is 50%, and that is even among professing Christians. We live in a land where socialism, Marxism, and communism abound, where sodomy is approved, condoned, and legalized. We live in a country today where we have a judicial system that is out of control, a Congress that is corrupt and has absolutely no regard for the Constitution, and where the executive branch does exactly as it pleases. We live in a day when God is denied, His law is trampled under feet, justice and righteousness are mocked, Christians are despised and persecuted, and seemingly all citizens are powerless to stop the onslaught of the new world order.
#3 | 1:31 to 2:27 | cleaned
Now in light of these things, what is our hope? How do we escape? Let me point out the fact that God has called us to dominion, and we have failed to exercise dominion. If you look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 1, you'll find what is known as the dominion mandate, or the great charter, or the dominion charter. You'll see this in the book of Genesis chapter 1, and look if you would please, beginning there with verse 27. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." You'll also find this dominion charter restated in Genesis chapter 9 after Noah comes off the ark. Notice, if you would please, in Genesis chapter 9 verse 1, "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."
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"And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, and upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand they are delivered." And if you look very quickly in Psalm 8, Psalm 8 is indeed a psalm of dominion, and notice if you would once again how plainly this is told. Psalm 8, notice if you would please beginning with verse 1.
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"O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon, and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!"
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Now, it is obvious that God has called us to dominion, but the problem is we're not exercising dominion. And some even deny the plain doctrine of dominion. Do you realize that the word dominion itself occurs 62 times in our Bible? You must believe something about the doctrine of dominion. That does not count the variations of the word. That's just simply the word dominion itself. We're told in Luke chapter 19 and verse 13 by our Lord that we're to occupy till He comes. Now the word occupy literally means to do business. It means to carry on the trade.
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It does not mean to sit idly by and do nothing. So let's ask the question, have we failed? And the answer is yes, we have failed to be obedient. We failed to carry out the commands that God has given us. Even our Lord himself told us that we're to be the salt of the earth. One of the qualities of salt is that it preserves. And the truth is, we've preserved nothing.
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You look around today and you find that most Christians are divisive, vindictive, uncooperative, and unwilling to be involved in anything except that which they can control. If they cannot run it, they don't want to have anything to do with it. Do you realize that most so-called patriots are even worse? Because if one does not follow their plan, their thought, their ideas, he's then either considered an enemy or a double agent. And the community of patriots is just as fractured and divided as the church is.
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Now many will sit back and say, "Well pastor, you know our Lord told us that evil men would wax worse and worse. So there's nothing we can do about it. Let's just sit back and wait for the Lord's return." Well, that's a wonderful thought, but I have some questions. Shall we sit back and wait like the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25 and verse 8 who said, "Our lamps are going out"? Or shall we sit back and wait like the unjust steward in Luke 12 and verse 45 who began to be drunk and disobedient? Or shall we sit back and wait as the rich and foolish farmer in Luke chapter 12 who simply laid up all the worldly goods that he could lay up and then died without ever enjoying them? If we are to wait, how are we to wait? And what is waiting upon the Lord? Now, it is not my intent today to teach the biblical truth of waiting upon the Lord, but very obviously and very clearly, when He says, "Wait upon the Lord," that does not mean to sit idly by and do absolutely nothing, nor is it a demand for disobedience.
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There's certainly a biblical truth to waiting on the Lord, but it has nothing to do with disobedience and sitting idly by. Now let me make a statement which I'm sure that I do not have to make in this congregation, but I'm going to make it anyhow. I certainly do not deny the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that our Lord is going to return literally, visibly, and biblically.
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But the question remains, must we wait until He returns for things to be straightened out? Now listen carefully. I understand and I know that things will not be righted perfectly until He returns. But does that mean that there can be no justice in time and in history, that we have to wait until the Lord returns for a perfect justice and a perfect righteousness? I know the Bible teaches in 1 John 3 verses 2 and 3.
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where He said, "Behold, beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." I know that the second coming of Christ is a hope. I know it is our ultimate and perfect and total and complete hope, but my question is this.
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Are there any other hopes revealed to us in the Bible? Is the second coming of Christ our only hope? And the answer is no. And I'm going to explain what I mean. Certainly, His return is the ultimate hope. It's the full and final hope. But there are other hopes talked about in the Scripture. For instance, look at Hosea 2 and verse 15. Here's our text. God said, "And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope."
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"And she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt." Now that's a very interesting verse. God said, "I shall give her the valley of Achor for a door of hope." And then note the latter part of this verse, "and she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt." Now, the Bible tells us that the valley of Achor has been given to us as a door of hope. What is a door of hope? It's a door of restoration and blessing. It is an opportunity of entrance into the will and the blessings of God. Now, before I explain this verse, before I give you a detail of what the door of hope really is, in order to comprehend my answer, I want to show you two other passages where the valley of Achor is referred to.
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Look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Isaiah, chapter 65. Isaiah 65, and let's begin reading there with verse 9. Isaiah 65, and notice if you would please, verse 9, and we'll point out several things concerning this passage. Isaiah 65, verse 9, note, God says, "And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there."
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"And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not."
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Now, note if you would please, first of all, in verse 9, God tells us there is indeed an elect. There is indeed a remnant. And by the way, that ought to really be an encouragement. God always has an elect. God always has a remnant. I don't care in what age, or what century, or what circumstances, or what situation, there is always an elect, there is always a remnant, who are going to stand true to Christ. So there is an elect, there is a remnant.
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Secondly, in verse 10, the Bible tells us that in this instance, the valley of Achor is a place for herds to lie down in. That is, it's a fat pasture. It has wonderful grazing, wonderful food, wonderful blessings. Thirdly, I want you to note in verse 10 that Sharon and Achor are promised blessings to whom? To "my people that have sought me." So not only is there an elect, not only is there a fat pasture to lie down in, this fat pasture is for those who have sought Him.
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And then look, if you would please, at the fourth thing in verses 11 and 12. He says, "But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number." God says, "Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter."
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"Because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not." In other words, those who do not seek Christ, those who do not fear our Lord, shall be destroyed. So, verses 11 through 15 basically deal with judgment. I did not read verses 13 through 15, but once again, it is in the context of judgment.
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Now, do you remember the passage, and let me just quote it, in the Song of Solomon chapter 2 and verse 1, where Christ is called the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valleys. Have you ever considered or asked yourself, what in the world does Christ have to do with valleys? Well, the answer is He's the Lord of the valleys, just like He's the Lord of the mountains. In fact, He's Lord of all. He controls everything. But do you realize that valleys are often times associated with judgment? Let me show you.
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Look in your Bibles to the book of Joel. Go back to Hosea. Daniel, Hosea, Joel. So right after the book of Hosea, you have the little book of Joel. Look in Joel chapter 3 it is. And verse 14.
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Now here's a verse that is usually taken out of context. Okay? Look at it, Joel chapter 3 verse 14. "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision."
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Now I've heard that passage preached, "Well, you're in the valley of decision, you must decide for Christ." Or you know, may I point out that verse 14 has nothing to do with deciding for Christ. You say, "What are you talking about?" Well, look in verse 13. "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision."
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"The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining." The valley of decision is God's decision to judge and destroy. He says, "Put in the sickle, take care of it." Verse 16, "The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." So the valley of decision has to do with judgment. It does not have to do with making a decision for Christ. So in the Bible, valleys usually refer to judgment. Go back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 2 and verse 7.
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I told you there were several passages that dealt with the word Achor. And you need to see this in 1 Chronicles chapter 2 and verse 7. God said, "I've given you the valley of Achor for a door of hope." Well, what in the world is the valley of Achor? Well, look in 1 Chronicles chapter 2 and verse 7. Here it is. 1 Chronicles 2 verse 7, the Bible says, "And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed." I hope you're putting together the valley of Achor and Achar, or what was the other name that he's known by in the Bible? Achan. Achan and Achor are the same individual. So the valley of Achor is the valley of Achan. Now if you don't know what the valley of Achan is, I'm going to show you. You will find this in Joshua chapter 6 and 7. Let's go to Joshua chapter 6 and look first of all at verses 17 and 18. Joshua chapter 6, you see the children of Israel have come out of the wilderness.
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They are now to attack Jericho. But Jericho is a special city. It is a city that is cursed by God. It is under the ban. It is under the curse. Everything in Jericho is to be totally and completely destroyed. Notice if you would, Joshua chapter 6 verse 17. God says, "And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it." Now God says, look, Jericho is set apart for sure and certain destruction. The only people that are to be spared are Rahab and her family that are with her in the house. Everything else is reserved totally for judgment. Well, now let's skip down to chapter 7 and begin reading at verse 1.
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"But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down."
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"Wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name? And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff."
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"Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man. And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel."
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"So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him."
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"And tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us?"
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"The Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day." What was the valley of Achor?
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It is where Achan was judged by God for his sin, his wickedness and his rebellion. The word Achor or Achan literally means trouble. Thus he was known as the troubler of Israel and indeed Israel was troubled. They lost 36 men in battle because of the sin of Achan, not counting the humiliation of their defeat before the hands of the people of Ai. But the greatest struggle that Achan brought upon Israel is found in chapter 7, verses 10 through 12. Look at it. Joshua chapter 7, verse 10. "And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you."
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Oh, they did not only lose 36 men, they were not only defeated and humiliated, God had withdrawn from them. God had stopped His blessing, His honor, His victory, and He told Joshua and the elders, if you don't deal with this, neither will I be with you anymore. In other words, you are doomed to certain and definite failure. Now listen carefully. The valley of Achor was at the entrance of the Israelites into the land of Canaan. And this was the promise of their conquering the entire land. All of a sudden now, that door of opportunity, that door of victory had been slammed in their faces.
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Now the question has to be asked, how could they continue? How could they proceed? How could they conquer? How could they exercise dominion? And the answer comes back, sin must be dealt with, and it must be dealt with openly, honestly, and biblically. You know what the valley of Achor speaks of? The valley of Achor speaks of God's way of dealing with sin. And that's through judgment. God said, "I've given you the valley of Achor for a door of hope." What is He saying? I've given you judgment for a door of hope. This battle of Jericho and Ai was the beginning of the wars of Canaan and their putting away the accursed thing in that place gave them ground to hope that God would continue His presence with them and give them complete victory. Thus when sin was dealt with and judged, when it was put away, then of course they turned to God in obedience, God turned to them in mercy, and there was the beginning of a restoration.
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Achan is known as the troubler of Israel. Do you realize the sin that truly troubles us will not ruin us? Because if we're truly troubled by sin, inevitably, that sin is going to be exposed and dealt with. I've said this repeatedly, but it's hard to grasp, so I'll say it again. The greatest mercy that God could show to anyone is to expose their sin and bring them to repentance. You think when your sin is exposed, how humiliating, how embarrassing? Oh, yes. But it's mercy that humiliates and embarrasses and yet then brings us to deliverance. If sin is not exposed, it will never be confessed and never be repented of. So God tells us how we're to deal with sin. That is, sin must be judged. There is a judgment of sin. Now, stop.
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I hope you're putting this together. Because God says, "I've given you the valley of Achor for a door of hope." What is God saying? I'm giving you judgment for a door of hope. God says if you judge your sin biblically, openly, honestly, I'm going to be with you. If you don't deal with sin, God said, I'm not going to be with you anymore. So what is our door of hope? Judgment. Do you realize the average professing Christian is horrified at the thought of judgment?
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How we tremble when we think for one instant we might have to suffer. We cringe and we turn away from the very thought of judgment. Yet it's only in judgment that we find deliverance. Would you listen to me just for a moment please? It was judgment, God's righteous judgment upon Achan and his family that brought deliverance, blessing and victory to Israel. It was judgment, God's righteous judgment that destroyed the old world but saved Noah and his family alive. It was judgment, God's righteous judgment, that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah but delivered righteous Lot. It was judgment, God's righteous judgment, that destroyed the enemies of Canaan and delivered His people from their grip over and over in the book of Judges. It was judgment, God's righteous judgment, that destroyed Babylon and Assyria and delivered His people.
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Do you realize we fail to grasp a simple truth? Here it is. Judgment and salvation go together. Let me say it another way. Destruction and deliverance go together. You cannot have one without the other. Whenever God judges His enemies, He always delivers His people. Judgment and deliverance are the two sides of one coin. Now, you say, "Brother Weaver, I don't like judgment." Let me tell you something. I want you to turn in your Bibles, as I tell you this, to Romans chapter 3. Turn to Romans chapter 3. If you do not like judgment, then you do not like salvation. Do you realize that our salvation in Jesus Christ is based upon judgment? Look in Romans chapter 3, beginning there in verse 24. "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." We talk about God's grace. We talk about redemption in Christ. But look at verse 25.
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"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." Note verse 25. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation." You know what the word propitiation means? It means to placate, it means to appease, it means to satisfy. What happened to Christ was this, the judgment, the righteous judgment of a righteous God fell upon Him as our substitute.
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He died in the place of His people. Now once again tell me you don't like judgment. See without judgment there is no salvation. Judgment and salvation go together. You cannot have one without the other.
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Now, some might get a little pietistic with me and say, "Now, Brother Weaver, I don't get involved in these kind of issues. I just pray for the Lord's return." Well, I can quote these verses, but I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. And let me just show you that you cannot even pray for the Lord's return without praying for judgment. You say, "What in the world are you talking about?" Well, let me show you. Do you have any earthly idea what Christ is going to do when He does return? Watch. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 7.
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The apostle Paul says, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." What is Christ going to do when He returns? He's going to come back in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who know not God and obey not the gospel. You see, you cannot even pray for the return of Christ without praying for judgment. Judgment and deliverance go together. Destruction and salvation go together. God said, "I'm going to give you a door of hope." That door of hope is judgment. Now let me ask, what is a door of hope?
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for God's people in these troubling times that we live in? The answer? It's judgment. God's righteous judgment. Did you know the Bible tells us in Psalm 9 in verse 16 that the Lord is known by the judgment which He executeth? One of the things that God is known by and for is His righteous, holy, just judgment. The Bible tells us in Psalm 37 verse 28, "For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off." What did he say? The Lord loveth judgment. Did you know that the phrase, "and they shall know that I am the Lord," or its equivalent, occurs 73 times in the book of Ezekiel alone, and in each instance, it is always in the context of judgment.
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You see, folks, it really boils down to this. We're either going to know the Lord is Lord in salvation, or we're going to know the Lord is Lord in judgment. One of the two. But we shall know that He is Lord.
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Now, let me just tell you. You see, the wicked will not hear God's Word. The wicked despise His goodness. But His judgments will get their attention.
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Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that when God judges the wicked, they're going to be converted. No, no, no. Are you listening? Judgments alone are insufficient to convert. It is true that God in His grace and mercy may give converting grace when He judges, but if He does not give that converting grace, the only thing you have is destruction. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Revelation chapter 9, just to show you that judgments alone will not convert anyone. It will get their attention, but judgments alone are insufficient to convert. Notice Revelation chapter 9 verse 20.
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"And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." Judgment alone is insufficient. But yet judgment is necessary, and you're going to find that when God judges His people, He will give them converting grace, which I will cover a little bit later. But when God judges His enemies, He does not necessarily convert them, He destroys them. And in destroying them, He delivers His people.
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Now God said, "I've given to you the valley of Achor for a door of hope." Can you stop just a moment and think of the absolute total corruption, fraud, and tyrannical power that is involved in this country? If you could just think for a moment of the magnitude of the wickedness—wickedness that you and I cannot even perceive of—it will take nothing less than the judgment of God to overthrow it.
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Now, let me ask you, so I may answer, what is our responsibility in light of this truth? How do we proceed? Well, I'm going to give you five answers. Note if you would the first answer. First, we must be children of faith. Here's the first answer. First, we must be children of faith. We know that God is totally, completely, and absolutely sovereign. Therefore, we can never give in, give up, or give out. We must never, ever, under any circumstances, give way to discouragement, despair or desperation. Why? We know God's on the throne. He's on the throne of His universe directing and controlling everything after the counsel of His own will. We must believe that God does all things well. We must believe that whatever God does is ultimately going to be for our good and His glory. So first of all, we must be a people of faith. Secondly, we must understand and believe that God does and will judge the wicked in time and in history. Let me say that again because I'm going to show you this scripture.
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We must understand and believe that God does and will judge the wicked in time and in history. We do not have to wait until the end of the world to see the judgment of God. We may have to wait until the end of the world to see the perfect, total, and complete judgment of God, but there are judgments that God executes in time and in history. Look at your Bibles, if you would, first of all, to Proverbs 11 and verse 31. Proverbs 11, verse 31. Look what God says. "Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner."
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Now let me just stop for a moment and explain this. "Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner." Now, we who are righteous in Christ, will we not be rewarded in eternity? And the answer is yes. But here's my question. Do we have to wait to eternity to receive or experience any rewards? Well, of course not. God rewards us in time and in history with blessings, victory, in so many ways. Look what he said, "Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth." God is not going to be any man's debtor. You obey Him. You honor Him. God will honor you in time and in history. Now look what he says. "Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth." That is, if God rewards His people in time and history, how much more the wicked and the sinner. God said, do you think I'm going to let them escape all judgment until judgment day? God said, you're mistaken. If I reward my people in time and history, how much more will I reward those who hate me?
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I will give them their due in time and in history. That's why the Bible says, I believe it's Psalm 55 verse 23, the wicked and deceitful man shall not live out half his days; God will cut him off. Turn back just a few books to the book of Job. Look in chapter 19 verse 29. Here's another verse. Job 19 verse 29. Look what he says.
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Job 19 verse 29 God says, "Be ye afraid of the sword." Why? Why should we be afraid of the sword? Now watch. "Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment." Do you realize what he is saying is this? All of God's judgments in time and history, our wars, our anarchy, our unrest, all of these things point to a final judgment. They are judgments in time and history. They're not the permanent judgment, they're not the full and final judgment, but they are judgments. And we must understand and we must know that God does and will judge in time and in history. We do not have to wait until the final day of history to see God's judgments. We may see them in time and history. We may not see them totally, completely, or perfectly, but we can see them. Now watch. Thirdly, we must learn to pray for God's righteous judgment now, in time, and in history. Not only must we be a people of faith, not only must we understand and believe that God does and will judge the wicked in time and history, but thirdly, we must learn to pray for God's righteous judgment now.
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That God will exercise that judgment in time and in history. I've got several verses I want to show you. Look in your Bible, first of all, to the book of Luke, chapter 18. If there was no other passage in the Bible, this one would be sufficient. But I want to point out there are a multitude of passages. I certainly cannot cover them all, but look at this one. Luke 18, verse 1.
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"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary." That is, give me justice, give me justice. "And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."
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Now, I want you to note what he said. Here's an unjust judge. He doesn't fear God. He doesn't fear man. And here's a woman who's being thoroughly vexed. She's being dealt with unjustly and unrighteously. So she comes to this unconverted, wicked king and says, "Avenge me of mine adversary. Give me justice." And he just ignores her. He turns her away. He's not interested in doing one thing for this poor widow woman. And finally he says, "Look, I don't fear God. I have no regard for man. But I do have a little bit of regard for my own peace of mind. So I will avenge this widow woman lest by her continual coming she weary me." Now look at our Lord's own application. He said in verse 6, "And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily." Ah, did you hear what he said?
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"And shall not God," the just and righteous judge of all the earth, "avenge his own elect," who do what? Cry unto Him night and day. What are they crying for? Judgment. Justice. And God said, if my people pray, I will give them justice. Do you know there are in the Bible numerous imprecatory prayers? You know what an imprecatory prayer is? It's when you pray against God's enemies. It's when you pray for their defeat and their downfall. Look in your Bible, Psalm 59. Psalm 59 is a wonderful imprecatory prayer. I just want to show you a sample. There are many of them in the book of Psalms, many of them throughout the Bible. Well, look at Psalm 59. And I'll skip down just to save time. But look at Psalm 59, verse 1. David begins, "Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God."
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"Defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord."
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Now, what are they doing? They're trying to destroy David, not because he's done something wrong. They're just plotting for him. They're after the righteous. They're after the just. He says in verse 4, "They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold. Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen." That is, rise up, open your eyes.
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"Be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah. They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear? But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. Because of his strength will I wait upon thee." That is the enemy's strength, I will wait upon thee.
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"For God is my defence. The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies."
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Now look what David prays. "Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah."
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"And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied. But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble." What a tremendous imprecatory prayer. Look at Psalm 58. I'm not going to read that Psalm, but this is another imprecatory prayer.
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He says in verse 3, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely." That is, they won't listen. Look what he asked God to do. "Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord."
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"Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath."
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Watch, "The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth."
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Now, does that sound like judgment against enemies? Yes, it does. In fact, look in Psalm 68. I could spend all morning here. Look in Psalm 68. Just the first three verses. David prays, "Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God."
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"But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice." What in the world is David praying for in Psalm 68? I'll tell you. He's praying for destruction and deliverance. He's praying for the destruction of the enemies of God's people and deliverance for God's people. Judgment and deliverance go together. You need to read through the book of Psalms and just see how many times David says, "Arise, O Lord, make bare thine arm." And every time David is praying for vengeance, that God will intervene and exercise His righteous judgment.
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Fourthly, we must learn to repent of our sins and live holy, godly lives. Now, without me taking the time to go through Hebrews 12 and 1 Corinthians chapter 11, may I tell you that the Bible tells us, and teaches very plainly, that we who are the children of Christ by grace cannot sin and escape the chastisement of our Heavenly Father. What does Hebrews 12 say? "Every son whom he receiveth he scourgeth."
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He said, "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." That is, illegitimate children, and not sons. What's he saying? If you and I are God's children and we sin, God will chastise us.
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Now, if we don't want to be chastised, what must we do? We must repent of our sins. We must, are you listening, judge ourselves. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 31, he said, "If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." And help me out with this one, I'm sure you can quote it. 1 Peter 4 verse 17, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God." We've got to learn to judge ourselves. We've got to learn to repent of our sins, our wickedness, any and everything that is contrary to God.
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Let me tell you, if you really start praying for God's judgment, it's going to do two things. Number one, it will make you more faithful in warning the wicked. And number two, it will make you more godly and more holy because you know that if you sin, God will nail you as well. So we must learn to pray for God's judgment. We must also learn to repent of our sins and live a holy, godly life. And fifthly, we must understand that judgment is a door of hope.
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Let me say it like this. Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend. No one likes to suffer. But I'm going to tell you, folks. One willingly undergoes the knife for the cancer to be cut out. Whatever suffering it takes to save our lives, that suffering is readily endured that our life might be continued. Likewise, it should be with the judgment of God. Whatever it takes to save our society, whatever it takes to save our nation, we ought to be willing to endure. Do you realize, listen to me carefully, when it comes to our nation, we're helpless and impotent in and of ourselves to change things. I realize, I'm not talking about prayer now, but I'm talking about what we can do. We're really helpless in and of ourselves. We cannot save ourselves. Government cannot and will not save us. The Constitution cannot and will not save us. Our arms cannot and will not save us. God must save us. He is our hope. What we must look for. That doesn't mean that He will not be willing to use some of the other things that I mentioned.
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But it does mean this. Our hope is in Him. We must look for Him to exercise His righteous judgment. He's given us a door of hope. What is it? Judgment.
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Now, I want you to look at two passages and I'll draw it together for you. First of all, go to Exodus chapter 5. And then we're going back to Hosea. Exodus chapter 5. You remember God sent Moses to Pharaoh and said, "Let my people go." Well, things did not work out exactly the way Moses wanted them to work out. The elders even went to Pharaoh and said, "Let us go." Well, that didn't work out too well either. Look in Exodus chapter 5, beginning there with verse 15. Moses is already gone now and said, "Let my people go."
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Now it's the elders' turn. Verse 15, Exodus 5. "Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people. But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task." Now watch, they are walking out from the presence of Pharaoh. Verse 20, "And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: and they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us."
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Watch. "And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all."
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Now, are you looking at me? Look at me just a second. God has Moses and Aaron helpless. We've tried. We can't. He has the elders, the leaders of Israel, helpless. They tried. They can't. So Moses said, "God, why did you even send me? It's gotten worse. It hasn't gotten better." So when God has Moses and Aaron and all the rulers hopeless and helpless, look in chapter 6 and verse 1. "Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land." God said, you tried, you can't. Now you're going to see what I can do. When did God deliver Israel? When the people realized how helpless they were, and their only hope was in Him.
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Now it's true, He didn't put a sword in their hand later on, but the point I'm trying to make is this folks, it's not the multitude or the magnitude of our arms that's going to save us, it's God to be God. Now, go back in your Bibles to the book of Hosea chapter 2 and look at verse 15, the verse we started with. I want you to look at this verse. Look what God says. Hosea 2 verse 15, "And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope." That is after this, after sin is dealt with, I'll bless her, I'll return the blessing, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope. Lord, I've given you judgment for a door of hope. Now watch.
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"And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt."
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Now, do you have any idea what the latter part of this verse is referring to? Do you remember Exodus chapter 12? God gave them the Passover. 13 and 14 of the book of Exodus. God brought them out of the land to the Red Sea. Pharaoh said, "They're hemmed in. They got the wilderness here. They got the wilderness here. They got the sea there. We're coming behind them. We're going to destroy them all."
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Moses held up that rod. The sea departed. The children of Israel went across on dry ground. But Pharaoh and his army are saying to do the same thing. God brought the water in on them and they drowned there. And when you get to Exodus 15, Miriam takes the timbrel, and all the people begin singing the song of Moses. And they sing, "Great is the Lord, a God of war He is. Pharaoh and his host we've seen upon the sand." What was this song they were singing? It was a song of redemption. It was a song of deliverance.
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But why was it sung? Because the enemy had been destroyed. When God delivers His people, He destroys His enemy. Tell you something, folks, if you will seriously begin to pray like our Lord taught us, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." And then you get there and you say, "Oh God, overthrow your enemies. Break their power, break their arms, establish thy kingdom, establish thy law, establish thy righteousness, establish thy people, judge thine enemies." Our Lord said, "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily." One of the greatest hopes we have is that God will judge the wickedness in this country. Are you listening?
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When the righteous are last, they and only they will have the character, the knowledge, and the motive to rebuild biblically, honoring the Lord and His word. The valley of Achor is a door of hope. Judgment is not our enemy, but our friend, because God can do in judgment what we could never do. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word, for Your truth, and for the door of hope.
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Make us holy, make us godly, give us repentance, and give us faith. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T03:34:14Z

A Door of Hope

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver preaches from Hosea 2:15, explaining that the valley of Achor—a place of judgment—is given as a door of hope. He argues that judgment and deliverance are inseparable, and that God's righteous judgment on sin is necessary for restoration and blessing. He applies this to the corruption of modern America, calling believers to faith, to pray for God's judgment, to repent of personal sin, and to see judgment as a friend that opens the door to hope and deliverance.

Introduction: The Need for Hope

Everyone needs hope, and God promises the valley of Achor as a door of hope. Our nation desperately needs biblical hope amid widespread corruption.

Hosea 2, verse 15. God says,

Scripture Reading — Hosea 2:15

"And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope. And she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, and as in the days when she came up out of the land of Egypt."

Of course, here He's talking about Israel, and He says,

Scripture Reading — Hosea 2:15

"I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope."

The Dominion Mandate and Our Failure

God called humanity to exercise dominion, but we have failed. Christians are divided and uninvolved, and patriots are fractured.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 1:27-28

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

You'll also find this dominion charter restated in Genesis chapter 9 after Noah comes off the ark. Notice, if you would please, in Genesis chapter 9 verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 1:27-28

"And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 8:1-9

"And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, and upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand they are delivered."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 8:1-9

"O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon, and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!"

Scripture Reading — Matthew 25:8

Now many will sit back and say, "Well pastor, you know our Lord told us that evil men would wax worse and worse. So there's nothing we can do about it. Let's just sit back and wait for the Lord's return." Well, that's a wonderful thought, but I have some questions. Shall we sit back and wait like the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25 and verse 8 who said, "Our lamps are going out"? Or shall we sit back and wait like the unjust steward in Luke 12 and verse 45 who began to be drunk and disobedient? Or shall we sit back and wait as the rich and foolish farmer in Luke chapter 12 who simply laid up all the worldly goods that he could lay up and then died without ever enjoying them? If we are to wait, how are we to wait? And what is waiting upon the Lord? Now, it is not my intent today to teach the biblical truth of waiting upon the Lord, but very obviously and very clearly, when He says, "Wait upon the Lord," that does not mean to sit idly by and do absolutely nothing, nor is it a demand for disobedience.

The Second Coming Is Not Our Only Hope

While Christ's return is the ultimate hope, Scripture reveals other hopes, such as the door of hope in Hosea 2:15.

The Valley of Achor: Judgment as a Door of Hope

The valley of Achor is where Achan was judged. Dealing with sin through judgment opened the door for Israel's victory and restoration.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 65:9-12

"And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there." "And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not."

Scripture Reading — Song of Solomon 2:1

the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valleys.

Look in your Bibles to the book of Joel. Go back to Hosea. Daniel, Hosea, Joel. So right after the book of Hosea, you have the little book of Joel. Look in Joel chapter 3 it is. And verse 14.

Now here's a verse that is usually taken out of context. Okay? Look at it, Joel chapter 3 verse 14.

Scripture Reading — Joel 3:13-16

"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision."

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 2:7

"And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed."

Scripture Reading — Joshua 6:17-18

"And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it."

Judgment and Salvation Are Inseparable

Judgment and deliverance always go together. Salvation through Christ is based on judgment, and praying for Christ's return is praying for judgment.

for God's people in these troubling times that we live in? The answer? It's judgment. God's righteous judgment. Did you know the Bible tells us in Psalm 9 in verse 16 that

Scripture Reading — Psalm 9:16

the Lord is known by the judgment which He executeth?

Our Responsibility: Five Responses

Believers must be people of faith, believe God judges in history, pray for His judgment, repent of sin, and embrace judgment as a door of hope.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 11:31

"Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner."

Conclusion: Hope in God's Deliverance

When we are helpless, God acts. Judgment leads to singing and restoration, as at the Red Sea. We must pray for God to overthrow His enemies and establish righteousness.

But it does mean this. Our hope is in Him. We must look for Him to exercise His righteous judgment. He's given us a door of hope. What is it? Judgment.

A Door of Hope

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	31104141713
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne
Genre	Sermon
Date	2004-03-07
Dictation Name
Book	Book 140: Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	88

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Need for Hope: Everyone needs hope, and God promises the valley of Achor as a door of hope. Our nation desperately needs biblical hope amid widespread corruption.
The Dominion Mandate and Our Failure: God called humanity to exercise dominion, but we have failed. Christians are divided and uninvolved, and patriots are fractured.
The Second Coming Is Not Our Only Hope: While Christ's return is the ultimate hope, Scripture reveals other hopes, such as the door of hope in Hosea 2:15.
The Valley of Achor: Judgment as a Door of Hope: The valley of Achor is where Achan was judged. Dealing with sin through judgment opened the door for Israel's victory and restoration.
Judgment and Salvation Are Inseparable: Judgment and deliverance always go together. Salvation through Christ is based on judgment, and praying for Christ's return is praying for judgment.
Our Responsibility: Five Responses: Believers must be people of faith, believe God judges in history, pray for His judgment, repent of sin, and embrace judgment as a door of hope.
Conclusion: Hope in God's Deliverance: When we are helpless, God acts. Judgment leads to singing and restoration, as at the Red Sea. We must pray for God to overthrow His enemies and establish righteousness.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

The valley of Achor represents judgment that opens the door to hope.

Achan's sin brought defeat, but after judgment, Israel could conquer. Similarly, God's judgment on sin today is the pathway to restoration.

Weaver explains, 'The valley of Achor speaks of God's way of dealing with sin. And that's through judgment... When sin was dealt with and judged... there was the beginning of a restoration.'

Judgment and deliverance are inseparable in God's redemptive work.

Every act of deliverance in Scripture involves judgment on enemies. Salvation through Christ required judgment on Him as our substitute.

Weaver says, 'Judgment and salvation go together... Whenever God judges His enemies, He always delivers His people.' He points to the flood, Sodom, and the cross.

Christians must actively pray for God's judgment on the wicked.

Jesus' parable of the unjust judge teaches persistent prayer for justice. The imprecatory Psalms model praying for the defeat of God's enemies.

Weaver cites Luke 18:7, 'And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him?' and reads Psalm 59 and 58.

God judges the wicked in time and history, not only at the final judgment.

Proverbs 11:31 and Job 19:29 show that God recompenses the wicked on earth. Historical judgments point to the final judgment.

Weaver reads Proverbs 11:31, 'Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner,' and explains Job 19:29.

Self-judgment and repentance are prerequisites for national deliverance.

Judgment begins at the house of God. Believers must examine themselves and turn from sin to avoid chastisement and to see God's intervention.

Weaver quotes 1 Peter 4:17, 'For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God,' and 1 Corinthians 11:31.

Human efforts are insufficient; only God's judgment can save the nation.

Government, the Constitution, and arms cannot save us. Like Israel at the Red Sea, we must recognize our helplessness and look to God alone.

Weaver says, 'We cannot save ourselves. Government cannot and will not save us... God must save us.' He references Exodus 5-6.

Scripture References

Hosea 2:15: The primary text: God promises to give the valley of Achor as a door of hope, leading to singing as in the days of youth.
Genesis 1:27-28: The dominion mandate: God commands humanity to be fruitful, multiply, subdue the earth, and have dominion.
Genesis 9:1-2: The dominion charter restated to Noah after the flood.
Psalm 8:1-9: A psalm of dominion, declaring that God has crowned man with glory and honor and put all things under his feet.
Luke 19:13: Jesus' parable where servants are told to 'occupy' till He comes, meaning to do business, not sit idly.
Matthew 25:8: The five foolish virgins whose lamps went out, used as a warning against passive waiting.
Luke 12:45: The unjust steward who became drunk and disobedient, another warning against unfaithful waiting.
1 John 3:2-3: The hope of Christ's return purifies believers, but it is not the only hope.
Isaiah 65:9-12: The valley of Achor is a place of blessing for God's elect who seek Him, but judgment for those who forsake Him.
Song of Solomon 2:1: Christ is the Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valleys, showing He is Lord of valleys (often associated with judgment).
Joel 3:13-16: The valley of decision is God's decision to judge, not a call for sinners to decide for Christ.
1 Chronicles 2:7: Achar (Achan) is identified as the troubler of Israel who transgressed in the accursed thing.
Joshua 6:17-18: God commands that Jericho be accursed and everything destroyed, warning against taking the accursed thing.
Joshua 7:1-26: The story of Achan's sin, Israel's defeat at Ai, and the judgment of Achan in the valley of Achor.
Romans 3:24-25: Christ is set forth as a propitiation, meaning God's righteous judgment fell on Him for our salvation.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10: Christ returns in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God, showing judgment accompanies His coming.
Psalm 9:16: The Lord is known by the judgment He executes.
Psalm 37:28: The Lord loves judgment and forsakes not His saints.
Revelation 9:20-21: Despite plagues, the wicked did not repent, showing judgment alone does not convert.
Proverbs 11:31: The righteous are recompensed in the earth; much more the wicked and sinner, indicating temporal judgment.

Historical References

Achan's sin and judgment in the valley of Achor (Joshua 7): Achan took accursed items from Jericho, leading to Israel's defeat at Ai. After he was stoned, God's favor returned.
The destruction of Jericho (Joshua 6): Jericho was under God's ban; everything was to be destroyed except Rahab and her family.
The Exodus and crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14-15): God destroyed Pharaoh's army in the sea, delivering Israel and prompting the song of Moses.
The flood in Noah's day: God's judgment destroyed the old world but saved Noah and his family.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: God's judgment destroyed the cities but delivered righteous Lot.
The conquest of Canaan and deliverance in Judges: God repeatedly judged Israel's enemies to deliver His people.
The destruction of Babylon and Assyria: God judged these empires to deliver His people.
Modern American societal corruption: Weaver lists 40 million abortions, 50% divorce rate, socialism, sodomy legalization, corrupt judiciary, and disregard for the Constitution.

Important Quotes

I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope.

The foundational text of the sermon, introducing the concept that judgment (the valley of Achor) is a door to hope and restoration.

Judgment and salvation go together. Let me say it another way. Destruction and deliverance go together. You cannot have one without the other.

A key thesis of the sermon, emphasizing the inseparable link between God's judgment on enemies and the deliverance of His people.

The greatest mercy that God could show to anyone is to expose their sin and bring them to repentance.

Highlights the positive purpose of judgment: to lead to repentance and restoration, not merely punishment.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.

Jesus' promise that persistent prayer for justice will be answered, encouraging believers to pray for God's judgment.

If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

A call to self-examination and repentance as a prerequisite for avoiding God's chastisement and seeing national deliverance.

Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend.

A provocative statement reframing judgment as a necessary and beneficial act of God for the ultimate good of His people.

Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.

God's response when human efforts fail, demonstrating that deliverance comes when we are helpless and look to Him alone.

The valley of Achor is a door of hope. Judgment is not our enemy, but our friend, because God can do in judgment what we could never do.

The concluding summary of the sermon's main point, tying the text to the application that God's judgment accomplishes what human effort cannot.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the story of Achan illustrate the principle that unconfessed sin hinders God's blessing and victory in the life of His people?

[Context]

Weaver explains that Achan's sin caused Israel's defeat and God's withdrawal until the sin was judged.

[Question]

In what ways have Christians failed to exercise the dominion mandate, and what are the consequences in our culture?

[Context]

Weaver argues that Christians are divisive and uninvolved, leading to societal decay.

[Question]

Why is it difficult for many believers to accept that judgment and salvation are inseparable? How does the cross demonstrate this truth?

[Context]

Weaver states that judgment and deliverance go together, and that Christ's propitiation required judgment.

[Question]

What is an imprecatory prayer, and how should we reconcile praying for God's judgment with Jesus' command to love our enemies?

[Context]

Weaver cites Psalms 58, 59, and 68 as examples of praying against God's enemies.

[Question]

How does the parable of the unjust judge encourage persistent prayer for justice in a corrupt world?

[Context]

Weaver uses Luke 18 to show that God will avenge His elect who cry out for justice.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'judge ourselves' according to 1 Corinthians 11:31, and how does this relate to praying for national judgment?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that judgment must begin at the house of God and that self-judgment prevents chastisement.

[Question]

How can we cultivate a perspective that sees judgment as a friend rather than an enemy?

[Context]

Weaver argues that judgment is necessary for cutting out the cancer of sin and saving the nation.

[Question]

In what ways does the Exodus story illustrate the principle that God acts when His people are helpless?

[Context]

Weaver references Exodus 5-6 and the Red Sea crossing to show that deliverance comes when human efforts fail.

Applications

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