Romans: Justification, Faith, and Imputed Righteousness: Sola Fide And Justification

Speaking Against God

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2021-01-21

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver examines Psalm 78:19 to show how God's covenant people spoke against Him by questioning His ability and provision. He explains that justification is a legal declaration, and when we justify ourselves, we condemn God. The sermon identifies unbelief, ungratefulness, and unthankfulness as root sins that lead to speaking against God, and urges believers to trust God, be thankful, and avoid the destruction that comes from demanding one's own desires.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 78. Psalm 78. We're going to look at verse 19. We will come back and look at many other verses, but at least verse 19 is going to be our text. The title of the message is Speaking against God, speaking against God. Note, if you would, Psalm 78 and verse 19. The Bible says, yea, they spake against God. They said, can God furnish a table in the wilderness? If I were to ask for a volunteer in this room to stand up and speak against God, I doubt that I would get a volunteer. So I could just ask you several questions. The first one would be, would you criticize God? Would you question God? Would you condemn God? Would you speak against God? And the truth is that many do indeed condemn and speak against God on a regular basis. Have you ever even considered the fact that there are various ways to condemn God and to speak against him without actually denying him or cursing him.

[John Weaver] In fact, Elihu was one of the men that was with Job. He was not one of Job's three friends that was condemned in the scripture. But Elihu asked Job a specific question in Job 34 and verse 17. Shall even he that hateth right govern? And wilt thou condemn him who is the most just?" So he's asking Job, do you think you're going to rule and reign and are you going to condemn God? Now it seems as if this perception by Elihu is that which worked him up so greatly in order to make him confront Job and his three friends. For in Job 32 and verse 2, the Bible says, Now let me just simply point something out. A failure to justify God means that you actually condemn God. And oftentimes, We condemn God by justifying ourselves. We justify our attitudes, we justify our actions, even when our actions and attitudes are contrary to Scripture, because we just simply declare ourselves right. We say that we are right in the sight of God, and we're right in the sight of God's law, even though our attitudes and our actions are completely contrary to God and His Word.

[John Weaver] So let me begin by saying like this. Justification is a legal term. It is a term of the law courts. It is a forensic term. And thus when we justify ourselves, what we're doing is legally saying that we are right and God is wrong. So let me put it to you like this. We are at the most stating that we're right and God is wrong, and at the least stating that we have a right to violate His law given our circumstances and given our situation. So, we're professing ourselves to be right and righteous in light of God and His law. Now, how do we know that justification is just simply a legal declaration?

[John Weaver] And the answer is because Scripture tells us. Let me just quote several verses, and then I want you to look at several as well. The first one is Deuteronomy chapter 25 and verse 1. The Bible says, If there be a controversy between men, and they come to the judgment, and the judges judge them, then they, the judges, shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked. Now, when the Bible says the judges shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, It is demonstrating that justification and condemnation are both legal forensic declarations, that is, they're declarations of law court. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that justification is an infusing of righteousness into someone, which is totally and completely unbiblical. When the Bible says that the judges shall justify the righteous, They're not making him righteous, they're simply declaring him righteous. When the Bible says they shall condemn the wicked, they're not infusing wickedness into him, they're just simply declaring him wicked. There's another passage in Proverbs 17, verse 15, and it says this, He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, if justification is an infusement of righteousness, into someone, why would God have a problem with that? Because the Bible said, he that justified the wicked. The wicked would need to be infused with righteousness if he was wicked. But no, it is a legal declaration when he says, he that justified the wicked and condemned the just, even they both are an abomination of the Lord. So when a judge or someone justifies the wicked, here is a man who is guilty And yet he's being legally declared right before God in the law. And here's a man who is totally righteous and innocent, and yet he's being condemned. He's just simply being declared guilty before the law.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you some passages. I want you to hold Psalm 78. We're coming back there. But I want you to look at Luke chapter 7 and verse 29. Luke 7 and verse 29. Here's a very interesting person. That is justified Notice if you would Luke 7 in verse 29 and all the people that heard him We're talking about John the Baptist and all the people that heard him and the publicans justified God being baptized with the baptism of John now The Bible says and all the people that heard him and the publicans justified God well now if justification is an infusing of righteousness and How do you infuse righteousness into God? Moreover, since God is already perfectly and absolutely righteous, He cannot be made more righteous. So the question has to be asked then, how did the people and how did the publicans justify God? And the answer is very simple. They declared that God was right and they were wrong. They believed the preaching and teaching of John the Baptist. And they said, God is holy, we're unholy.

[John Weaver] God is righteous. We're unrighteous. God's word is true. Our word is false. And so by justifying God, they were pronouncing God legally right. And at the same time, they were condemning themselves.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you something else. Look at Luke chapter 16 and verse 15, Luke 16. In fact, let's read verse 14 as well, because Here we're dealing with the Pharisees. And verse 14 says this, And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him. So Jesus Christ is teaching and preaching, and when the Pharisees hear what he says, they mock him, they deride him, they make fun of him. Verse 15, And he said unto them, You are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." So he says, you are they that justify yourselves before men. What does that mean? It certainly does not mean that they were infusing righteousness in themselves. What they were doing were saying to Jesus Christ, we're right and you're wrong.

[John Weaver] That's why they were mocking him. That's why they derided him. And so they were saying then that God is wrong and they and their traditions were right. So they were actually justifying themselves before God. And they were saying that before men, we are right, God is wrong. And so every time you justify yourself, basically you're condemning God unless you are perfectly righteous, which of course there is no perfection in us. Now, with that in mind, I want you to go back to Psalm 78 and look at verse 19, because you have in this verse actually a condemnation of God, a failure to justify God. So in verse 19, the Bible says, yea, they spake against God. They said, can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

[John Weaver] Now, the Hebrew word for spake is the word dabar, which means to speak. to declare, to pronounce, and to utter. So they were pronouncing, they were uttering, they were speaking and declaring a certain thing.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note, if you would, look closely at verse 19. Yea, they spake against God, they said. Can God furnish your table in the wilderness? In this instance, speaking against God is questioning It is questioning here His ability, His power, His love, His mercy, His grace. You see, one expects the wicked to speak against God. One expects the wicked to speak against God's servants and God's people.

[John Weaver] And I can give you a good illustration of that. In fact, you can find it in Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, in 2 Chronicles 32 and verse 16. The Bible says this, and his servants spake yet more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. So here you have the wicked speaking against God. We understand that. We expect the wicked to condemn God, to condemn God's preachers, to condemn God's people. We understand that. But the interesting thing about Psalm 78, it's not the wicked that's condemning God. It's not the wicked that's speaking against God. It is his own covenant people. So, go back to Psalm 78 and look at verse 1. He says, give ear, O my people, to my law.

[John Weaver] Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. So, at the very beginning of the Psalm, he talks about my people and he wants them to hear his law and the words of his mouth.

[John Weaver] Now, as you read down through this passage, look at verse 3, which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us. Look down in verse 5, where he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel. Skip down to verse 9, the children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bows. Now, not only is he speaking about Jacob and Israel, now he's naming Ephraim. Ephraim happened to be the leading tribe of the twelve tribes. And sometimes in Scripture, you will find the word Ephraim used to represent the whole of Israel. So as you read down through this psalm, you will find out that he's talking about his people.

[John Weaver] Now, the question that I want to pose to you is this. How do we speak against God by questioning Him? And have we ever noticed that the first question that was asked in Genesis chapter 3 was speaking against God? For instance, let me show you. Turn back to Genesis 3, holding Psalm 78, and look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 1. Genesis 3 and verse 1. Here it is. Genesis 3, verse 1.

[John Weaver] Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. Watch. And he said unto the woman, yea, hath God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Did God really say that? If God said that, there must be something wrong with him. So here isn't only a questioning of God, but here's an insinuation that God somehow is either evil or he is withholding something that is good from Adam and Eve, something he selfishly does not want them to have. So when you skip down to verse four, and the serpent said to the woman, you shall not surely die. For God doth know in the day that you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." In other words, here it is, God just don't want you to become a god, that's all there is to it. He wants this position all for Himself, and therefore, you know, God has to be somehow evil because He's withholding this fruit from you, and you need it, and you deserve it.

[John Weaver] It's certainly easy to see in this passage how the serpent speaks against God by using questions. There are several questions in the Bible where people have actually spoken against God. Maybe not intentionally, but they did so. For instance, if you would turn in your Bibles to the book of Mark chapter 9. Mark chapter 9. In this instance, here is a father who has a child that has been demon possessed, and of course the disciples try to cast him out, and they cannot. And our Lord comes, and look if you would in Mark 9 and verse 22, what the Father says. Mark 9, notice verse 22, I think it is.

[John Weaver] Oh, I mean Luke, that's why I couldn't get it. All right, look in Mark 9. and verse 22. Here it is. And oft times it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. But look what the Father asked our Lord. But if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us. Can you imagine someone asking the Lord Jesus Christ, if thou canst do anything? I'm just saying, this may not have been A question that was asked to insult our Lord, but the implications of it are very clear. That Christ may or may not have the power to do anything. He may or may not have the love or the compassion or the concern to do anything. So he's saying, if thou canst do anything. Probably the question is asked out of sheer desperation. because he said that oftentimes the Spirit take them and cast them in the fire, cast them in the water, and the disciples had tried to cast him out, and they could not, and he said, if falcons do anything, please help me.

[John Weaver] So certainly, from the standpoint of the deity of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ could do something. He could do anything that he wanted. So I'm just simply saying the question, although probably asked out of desperation, is very poorly framed and the implications of it are very clear.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look in the Bible in Matthew chapter 8, here's a better question posed to our Lord by a leper. Look if you would in Matthew chapter 8 and verse 1 and 2. When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. In other words, Lord, I know you have the power. I know you have the ability. I know you're God. If you will, if you're willing, you can make me clean. It's up to you. It's your will. I'm submitting to you. So that would certainly be, to me, a much better way of asking a question to our Lord rather than saying, if thou canst do anything. So at least the leper here is confessing our Lord's ability His power, His mercy and grace, and just simply saying, Lord, it's up to you.

[John Weaver] You could heal me if you will to do so. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 21, and then back to Psalm 78, because I want to show you the background for Psalm 78. So here you are in Numbers, chapter 21. And let's begin reading there with verse four, Numbers 21. and verse 4. The Bible says, And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to the compass land of Edom, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. Note this next verse, And the people spake against God and against Moses, Wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?

[John Weaver] For there is no bread, Neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread, the manna. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and much people of Israel died."

[John Weaver] Now, go back, if you would, to Psalm 78, and look again, if you would, please, at verse 19. Here's the question. Yea, they spake against God. They said, can God furnish a table the wilderness. First of all, the word can in this question refers to ability, power, strength, and might. So it is a questioning of God's omnipotence of his power. Secondly, look at it, they ask can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

[John Weaver] Now the word furnish is the Hebrew word arach which means to array, to order, to prepare, to furnish, to set in place, and to arrange. Now here's the interesting thing. Some of you may have a marginal reading and you have the word order there for the word furnish. Well, it's one and the same thing. But once you understand that the word furnish or order here means to arrange and set in order, it means even more than that. It means this. Now watch it. Can God furnish or order or ray a table for a feast in the wilderness? In other words, they wanted a feast. They wanted something provided for them that was not necessarily necessary. They wanted it for their lusts and for their desires. Let me give you one quote.

[John Weaver] Charles Haddon Spurgeon said this on this verse. To question the ability of one who is manifestly almighty is to speak against him. These people were basing up to say that although their God had given them bread and water, yet he could not properly order or furnish a table. He could give them coarse food, but could not prepare a feast properly arranged so that they were ungrateful enough to declare.

[John Weaver] As if the manna was a mere makeshift and the flowing rock stream a temporary expedient, they asked to have a regularly furnished table, such as they had been accustomed in Egypt. Alas, how have we also quarreled with our mercies and querulously pined for some imaginary good counting our actual enjoyments to be nothing because they did not happen to be exactly conformed to our foolish fancies. They who will not be content will speak against providence even when it daily loaded them with benefits."

[John Weaver] Stop and think about that. I'm going to make a point of that later. He says, they who will not be content will speak against providence even when it daily loaded them with benefits. So they ask in verse 19, can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Can God give us a plentiful table in this wilderness as well as drop manna about our tents? If He can, why does He not do it?

[John Weaver] And if He will not do it, why will He not do it? Is it because he does not have the ability? Is it because he does not have the power? Or is it because he just does not love us enough? So this is how they're speaking against God by asking this stupid question, can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

[John Weaver] Now what I want to do is this. I want to point out the sins of speaking against God. And they are very clearly revealed in this passage. First of all, there is the sin of unbelief in speaking against God. Obviously, these people, although they claim to be the covenant people, they did not believe in God, or at least they certainly did not believe in the God of Scripture. If you look at verse 22, the Bible says very clearly, because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation. Wow. Unbelief is always expressed in questioning God. Anytime anyone questions God's integrity, power, grace, ability, might, love, it is a sign of unbelief. There is a prerequisite for coming to God that is revealed in Hebrews 11 and verse 6. The Bible says in that passage, but without faith, it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh unto God must first believe that He is, and secondly, that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

[John Weaver] Now stop and think about this. But without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith is going to admit at least two things. Number one, that God is. And number two, that God does indeed bless those who seek Him. He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. So let me spell it out for you. Faith is belief. Doubt is unbelief. And usually questions stem from unbelief in that they express always some dimension of doubt or mistrust. One that does not believe always doubts. One that believes does not doubt. To question God is to doubt God. To believe God is to trust God. So the man who has faith believes, he trusts, he rests, and he waits. Now let me tell you something about faith. First of all, faith is not some blind hope.

[John Weaver] It is not some crazy idea. I want you to look in your Bibles to Hebrews 11 and verse 1 because there are two verses or two words there that I want to emphasize for you. Hebrews 11 verse 1. Many of you may be able to quote the verse, but here it is. Hebrews 11 verse 1.

[John Weaver] Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. So faith then is not some blind belief or hope. Faith is described as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

[John Weaver] Now the word for substance is the Greek word hypostasis which actually refers to that which is under. So it refers basically to a foundation, something that is real, something that has substance, something that engenders confidence, trust, and assurance. Actually, this word that deals with reality, substance, and existence is used in contradistinction to that which is unreal, imaginary, and deceptive. So he says faith is the substance. That is, it is something that is real. It is something that is genuine. It is foundational. And then he says, secondly, that it is the evidence of things not seen. Aglekos is the Greek word. And it refers to that which is a proof or that which is evidence.

[John Weaver] So if I visited Steve and I asked him, do you own this house? And he said, yes. And I would say, Prove it to me." And he would reach in a drawer and pull out a title deed and said, here's the deed. And here it is in my name. I own this house.

[John Weaver] Now, the reason I say that is that is exactly what the word evidence means. So you could read Hebrews 11 and verse 1 like this.

[John Weaver] Now, faith is the substance. It is the foundation. It is the very basis of things hoped for. and the tidal deed of things not seen." So faith then is not some blind belief. It always rests solidly upon a foundation and that foundation is the person and work of God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ as it is revealed in His Word. So unbelief speaks against God because it is a denial of God's person, His power, his position, and his perfections. So marker down, anytime anyone begins to speak against God, it is an expression of unbelief.

[John Weaver] Now, here's the second thing, and I want you to see out of Psalm 78. Not only is there the sin of unbelief expressed in questioning God, secondly, there are the sins of ungratefulness, and unthankfulness expressed in questioning God. I want you to look in Psalm 78 beginning there with verse 11. I want to show you some things that God had done for these people. Psalm 78 verse 11.

[John Weaver] And forgot his works and his wonders that he had showed them. Now he's going to name some of them. Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and He made the waters to stand as a heap. In the daytime also He led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

[John Weaver] He claimed the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers. And they sinned yet more against Him by provoking the Most High in the wilderness. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God. They said, can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed. Can he give bread also?

[John Weaver] Can he provide flesh for the people? Here were a people that were so completely ungrateful and unthankful, it is unimaginable. They did not rejoice in his deliverance from Egypt. They did not and were not thankful for his leadership and his direction in the wilderness. They were unappreciative of his provision of manna and water. They totally ignored, forgot, and failed to remember all that God had done for them.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something. When we think of someone being unthankful, ungrateful. It disturbs us, but we have not really seen the depth of the evilness and the wickedness of being ungrateful, unthankful. I want to show you something from Scripture. It may surprise you, but ungratefulness, unthankfulness is what you and I would call root sins. What is a root sin? Well, pride is a root sin as well. A root sin is something that is deep down in your being and when it blossoms and blooms and produces, it produces a lot of other sins as well. So pride always produces other sins. So does ungratefulness and unthankfulness. I want to show you that ungratefulness and unthankfulness Produce idolatry and immorality. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 1.

[John Weaver] You know this passage and you know what is involved in this passage. But let me show you a word or two that you may have missed. Look in Romans chapter 1 beginning there with verse 21. Romans 1 verse 21. Watch carefully. because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, here it is, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

[John Weaver] For this cause God gave them up in vile affections, For even their women did change the natural use of that which is against nature, and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lusts one toward another, men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves the recompense of their error, which was meat." Now here's my question. How did this start?

[John Weaver] Go back to verse 21. Because when they knew God, number one, They glorified Him not as God, and number two, neither were they thankful. So their unwillingness to glorify God and their unthankfulness for everything that God had done for them led to their idolatry and their immorality.

[John Weaver] Now, when you look at Psalm 78, and we've already read some of it, God had graciously and marvelously provided for his people. He fulfilled their needs in every way. He marvelously delivered them from Egypt. In fact, in Exodus chapter 19 and verse 4, here's what God said, You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bear you on eagles' wings and brought you unto Myself. He said, You saw how I destroyed the Egyptians, and I bear you on eagles' wings and brought you unto Myself.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you something else. Turn in your Bibles, hold Psalm 78, but go to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 8. You see, when you read Psalm 78, many times you think, well, all these people had was bread and water, and I'd get tired of that myself. Really? Well, I'm going to show you that they did not just simply have bread and water. But look at this passage, Deuteronomy 8, beginning there, verse 2.

[John Weaver] God says, And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know. Why? That he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, But by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Now look what else he says. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell these forty years. So God preserved them physically. He preserved their clothes and their feet did not swell from all of the walking.

[John Weaver] Let me just quote one, Nehemiah 9 and verse 21. The Bible says, Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing, their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swell not. The Bible said they lacked nothing.

[John Weaver] Now, go back if you would, please, to Psalm 78. And watch verses 23 through 25. Psalm 78 verse 23. Though he had commanded the clouds from above and opened the doors of heaven, and rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven, man did eat angels' food, he sent the meat to the full. Now notice if you would please, the manna is called the corn of heaven. It's also called angels' food. So the manna then was the most nutritious and the most delicious and very satisfying. And God rained it down upon them. However, they were not content with what God had provided.

[John Weaver] What they wanted was a rich and plentiful diet. than what God had given. I want to show you. I want you to turn back in your Bibles, hold Psalm 78, but turn back to Deuteronomy 32, and let's begin reading there with verse 9, and let me show you some of the things that they had. Deuteronomy 32, look if you would please at verse 9. The Bible says, for the Lord's portion is His people.

[John Weaver] Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. God, he God, found him in a desert land, in the waste howling wilderness. He led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth about her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings. So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange God with him." Now watch.

[John Weaver] He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields. He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock, butter of kind, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats with the fat of kidneys of wheat, that thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape. But what happened? But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked. Thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness. Then he forsook God, which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation."

[John Weaver] Now, God provided for them everything that they needed, that is for sure. Now, as you go back to Psalm 78, I want you to understand this. Instead of being grateful and appreciative and thankful for the Lord's bountiful provision, What they're doing is murmuring and complaining about their provision, and they're questioning God's ability and asking if God can do more for them than He's already doing. So look in Psalm 78, beginning there, verse 17.

[John Weaver] And they sinned yet more against Him by provoking the Most High in the wilderness. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lusts. Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish your table in the wilderness? Wow! He smoked the rock, and the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for the people?

[John Weaver] Now, let me explain something. You have to remember that these people came out of Egypt with their flocks and with their herds. Moreover, God was supernaturally providing for them. They had meat, but please listen to me. It's not now that they want meat, they want specialized meat. I want to show you. Suppose if Joshua was kind enough to invite me to his house for a meal. And he put a New York strip steak in front of me. And I looked at that New York strip and I looked at Joshua and I said, I don't eat anything but ribeyes. I don't want this junk.

[John Weaver] You know, He would probably say to me what my father used to say. Son, you've got two choices. Eat it or do without. Probably what Joshua would tell me. You can either eat that steak or you can do without. It doesn't bother me one bit. Well, you know, I want you to see these people had already had a taste of some special meat. If you'll go back in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 16, And let's begin reading there with verse 12. Exodus 16 and verse 12. Their specialized meat that they wanted happened to be one that I particularly like, but I eat very seldom. Quail. Quail. Notice, if you would, Exodus chapter 16, verse 12.

[John Weaver] God said, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, speaking to them, saying, At eve you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God. And it came to pass that at the even, the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay round about the host." So God sent quails.

[John Weaver] Now, when you go back to Psalm 78, it does not say quails, but it does say feathered fowls or fowls of wain. It could have been any bird, I suppose. But since they had already gotten the taste of quail, it could have been that. So, look in verse 27. The Bible says,"...he rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowls as the sand of the sea, and let it fall in the midst of their camp round about their habitations." So, it was feathered fowls. It was some type of bird. Probably, probably quail. I do not know. At least we know it was some type of bird.

[John Weaver] So, what he's done now, he's given them their desires. Now, let me point something out. I think it's important that you and I understand and note that ungratefulness and unthankfulness leads to fleshly lusts and desires. You're not content with what you have. You're not satisfied with the provision that God has given you. No, you always want more. Let me tell you something. If you never appreciate that which you are given, that which you receive, you will always want more, you will always demand more.

[John Weaver] There is nothing more disgusting than an unthankful, ungrateful, unappreciative ingrate. You know, look, we tend to think that the welfare society began with LBJ. That's not true. The welfare society has always existed and here it is right here in Psalm 78. Because these people could not be satisfied with everything that God had given them. They wanted more and such in such a way they provoke God, they tempted God, they questioned God, they criticized God, they condemned God. Can God do this?

[John Weaver] What if he can do it? Why doesn't he do it? And if he doesn't do it, it just means he doesn't love us like he ought to. And if he doesn't love us like he ought to, he can't be God. Do you realize that's where we are today? That's the welfare society. You look at all of the welfare, quote-unquote, that people get across this country. And they're never satisfied.

[John Weaver] They always want more and more and more. And the more you give, the more unappreciative they are. And the more you give, the more they demand that you give to them. And they call upon their God to give it to them, which happens to be the government. And we must understand that the government cannot give to some unless it takes from others. So, you have this welfare society right here.

[John Weaver] Notice, if you would please, they're saying, we've got to have this specialized meat. We got to have it. We're never satisfied until we get what we want. Ungratefulness, unthankfulness, unappreciativeness always leads to lusts, always. Look at the adultery. Fornication in our country. Why? Men don't appreciate their wives. Wives don't appreciate their husbands. They're not thankful. I'm just simply pointing out the fact these are root sins.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Proverbs 30. Proverbs 30. And look at verses 15 and 16. Proverbs 30, verses 15 and 16. Someone says, but you don't understand, my wife's not young. Well, she may not be young, but at least you have a wife. You may not even have a wife. Well, my wife's no longer attractive. Well, she's still your wife. And the truth of the matter is, you better be thankful because you could not have a wife.

[John Weaver] I'm just simply pointing out an ungrateful, unappreciative, unthankful heart always leads to lust. Now, look in Proverbs chapter 30, if you would please, at verses 15 and 16. The horse leech hath two daughters. Now you're going to ask me, what is a horse leech? Well, it's just simply a bloodsucker. It's a leech. A leech sucks blood like a tick. In fact, I'm sure that you've heard the definition of politics. Polly means many. Ticks, bloodsuckers. So politicians are a lot of bloodsuckers.

[John Weaver] I mean, that's basically true. But note, if you would, the horse leech hath two daughters. Who are the two daughters? Some say greed and avarice. Some say lust and desire. It doesn't matter. The truth is right here. The horse leech hath two daughters crying. What do they cry? Give! Give! There are three things that are never satisfied. Yea, four things say not it is enough. What does not say it is enough?

[John Weaver] The grave, the grave always wants more. The barren woman, she always wants more children. The earth that is not filled with water, drought. And fire that says it is not enough. Burns up everything, wants to burn up something else. I suppose we could add one more truth to this passage. We could also add someone who has an ungrateful, unthankful, and unappreciative heart because they always want more. It's never enough for them. Now I want you to understand something. Unbelief and ungratefulness always lead to ungodliness. Ungodliness is the ultimate speaking against God. Because now you are not just speaking against Him with your mouth, you're speaking against Him with your life, with your actions.

[John Weaver] You are deliberately dishonoring and disobeying Him. An ungodly man always dishonors and disobeys God and His law. And it all stems from a failure to glorify God and to be thankful. Let me try to make some applications. The first one is this. Don't misunderstand me when I say this. There is a huge difference between asking God questions for information, for learning, for direction and wisdom than there is in questioning His integrity, His morality, His power, His ability, His love, His grace and wisdom. And whenever we begin to question God, why have you done this?

[John Weaver] Why is this happening in my life? It's not that I'm asking for wisdom. It's not that I'm asking for direction. It's Lord, I'm complaining about why did you let this happen? Lord, if you were smart as I am, you would never have allowed this to happen. You see, it's an elevating of yourself above God and dethroning God is what it amounts to. There's a vast difference between asking God questions and questioning God. A vast difference.

[John Weaver] The second application is this. I would urge you to read through scripture and note how many times we are exhorted, admonished, and commanded to be grateful and thankful. It may really surprise you. If you understood one simple truth, it would change your life forever, I believe. What is that one truth? Here it is. God doesn't owe you anything. Anything you get from Him is grace and mercy. He doesn't owe you life, or health, or finances. He doesn't owe you anything. You've sinned against Him. You're a sinner. You owe Him. He doesn't owe you. And if you understood the fact that God doesn't really owe you anything, then you might come up with the same attitude that Jacob came up with in Genesis 32 and verse 20, when he said to God, I am not worthy of the least of Thy mercies, and of all the truth which I have shown in Thy service. I'm not worthy of the least of thy mercies." How many of you deserve to wake up this morning? How many of you deserve to have help?

[John Weaver] How many of you deserve to be breathing right now? The answer is none of us. And if we ever understood that God does not really owe us anything, He would tend to make us really thankful and grateful and appreciative for everything that He has done for us. I want you to turn in your Bibles. I want you to hold Psalm 78. We're coming back there one more time. But I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Philippians chapter 4 and look if you would please at verse 6. Here is a verse that will basically sum up everything that I've just told you today. So notice if you would, Philippians chapter 4. And look, if you would please, at verse 6. The Word of God says, Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. So there are three things in this verse. First of all, be careful for nothing. Secondly, be prayerful about everything. And thirdly, be thankful for anything.

[John Weaver] You say, should I be thankful that I stumbled and broke my toe? Yes. It could have been your foot. It could have been your leg. It could have been your back. It could have been your neck. Yes, you can be thankful for anything. So be careful for nothing, prayerful about everything, and thankful for anything. Now, I want you to go back to Psalm 78. Here's the last application, and I want you to see it. Listen to me.

[John Weaver] Do not allow your ungratefulness, your unthankfulness to lead to your own destruction. What am I talking about? Remember they craved feathered fowls. Well, they got it. Look if you would please, verse 27. He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea. He let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitation. So they did eat, and were filled. For He gave them their own desire.

[John Weaver] They were not estranged from their lusts, but while the meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them, and smoked down the chosen men of Israel." Sometimes, when you get your desire, it ends in death. Do not speak against God. Do not question God. Do not criticize God. Do not condemn God. Do not be in unbelief. And do not be ungrateful and unthankful, for that always leads to lust, to idolatry, to immorality, and to wickedness.

[John Weaver] Thank the Lord every morning, every night, and during the day. Thank Him. Do not speak against Him. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. Lord, we have to confess and acknowledge that there have been times that we've spoken against Thee. We've questioned Your providence. We've questioned what You have allowed to happen to us and our families. We've doubted Thee. We ask for repentance. We ask for faith. And we ask, Father, You would help us to be thankful and grateful and appreciative for everything that You've done, for anything that You've done for us, Lord. Without Thee, we are nothing. And without Thee, Lord, we cannot live one second. Help us, Father. to confess that we're not worthy of the least of Thy mercies, and especially, Lord, of Thy truth that You've showed unto us. Help us to praise Thy holy name. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] so so

Speaking Against God

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	i5hO_GxAs2o
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Justification, Faith, and Imputed Righteousness: Sola Fide And Justification
Genre	Sermon
Date	2021-01-21
Dictation Name
Book	Book 131: Romans: Justification, Faith, and Imputed Righteousness — Chapter 19
Source Timed Segments	76

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Reality of Speaking Against God

Weaver introduces Psalm 78:19 and poses the question of whether we would criticize, question, or condemn God, noting that many do so without denying or cursing Him.

I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 78. Psalm 78. We're going to look at verse 19. We will come back and look at many other verses, but at least verse 19 is going to be our text. The title of the message is "Speaking Against God," speaking against God. Note, if you would, Psalm 78 and verse 19. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 78:19

"Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?"

If I were to ask for a volunteer in this room to stand up and speak against God, I doubt that I would get a volunteer. So I could just ask you several questions. The first one would be, would you criticize God? Would you question God? Would you condemn God? Would you speak against God? And the truth is that many do indeed condemn and speak against God on a regular basis. Have you ever even considered the fact that there are various ways to condemn God and to speak against Him without actually denying Him or cursing Him.

Justification as a Legal Declaration

Weaver explains that justification is a forensic term meaning to declare righteous, not to infuse righteousness. He uses Deuteronomy 25:1 and Proverbs 17:15 to show that justifying the wicked or condemning the just is an abomination.

So let me begin by saying like this. Justification is a legal term. It is a term of the law courts. It is a forensic term. And thus when we justify ourselves, what we're doing is legally saying that we are right and God is wrong. So let me put it to you like this. We are at the most stating that we're right and God is wrong, and at the least stating that we have a right to violate His law given our circumstances and given our situation. So, we're professing ourselves to be right and righteous in light of God and His law. Now, how do we know that justification is just simply a legal declaration?

And the answer is because Scripture tells us. Let me just quote several verses, and then I want you to look at several as well. The first one is Deuteronomy chapter 25 and verse 1. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 25:1

"If there be a controversy between men, and they come to the judgment, and the judges judge them, then they, the judges, shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked."

Now, when the Bible says the judges shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, it is demonstrating that justification and condemnation are both legal forensic declarations, that is, they're declarations of law court. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that justification is an infusing of righteousness into someone, which is totally and completely unbiblical. When the Bible says that the judges shall justify the righteous, they're not making him righteous, they're simply declaring him righteous. When the Bible says they shall condemn the wicked, they're not infusing wickedness into him, they're just simply declaring him wicked. There's another passage in Proverbs 17, verse 15, and it says this, "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord."

Now, if justification is an infusement of righteousness into someone, why would God have a problem with that? Because the Bible said, he that justifieth the wicked. The wicked would need to be infused with righteousness if he was wicked. But no, it is a legal declaration when he says, he that justifieth the wicked and condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination of the Lord. So when a judge or someone justifies the wicked, here is a man who is guilty and yet he's being legally declared right before God in the law. And here's a man who is totally righteous and innocent, and yet he's being condemned. He's just simply being declared guilty before the law.

Justifying God vs. Justifying Self

Using Luke 7:29 and Luke 16:15, Weaver demonstrates that justifying God means declaring Him right, while justifying oneself means declaring oneself right and God wrong, which is a form of condemning God.

Now, let me show you some passages. I want you to hold Psalm 78. We're coming back there. But I want you to look at Luke chapter 7 and verse 29. Luke 7 and verse 29. Here's a very interesting person that is justified. Notice if you would Luke 7 in verse 29:

Scripture Reading — Luke 7:29

"And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John."

Now the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Luke 7:29

"And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God."

Well now, if justification is an infusing of righteousness, how do you infuse righteousness into God? Moreover, since God is already perfectly and absolutely righteous, He cannot be made more righteous. So the question has to be asked then, how did the people and how did the publicans justify God? And the answer is very simple. They declared that God was right and they were wrong. They believed the preaching and teaching of John the Baptist. And they said, God is holy, we're unholy.

God is righteous. We're unrighteous. God's word is true. Our word is false. And so by justifying God, they were pronouncing God legally right. And at the same time, they were condemning themselves.

Now, let me show you something else. Look at Luke chapter 16 and verse 15, Luke 16. In fact, let's read verse 14 as well, because here we're dealing with the Pharisees. And verse 14 says this,

Scripture Reading — Luke 16:14-15

"And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him."

So Jesus Christ is teaching and preaching, and when the Pharisees hear what he says, they mock him, they deride him, they make fun of him. Verse 15,

Scripture Reading — Luke 16:14-15

"And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God."

So he says, you are they that justify yourselves before men. What does that mean? It certainly does not mean that they were infusing righteousness in themselves. What they were doing were saying to Jesus Christ, we're right and you're wrong.

That's why they were mocking him. That's why they derided him. And so they were saying then that God is wrong and they and their traditions were right. So they were actually justifying themselves before God. And they were saying that before men, we are right, God is wrong. And so every time you justify yourself, basically you're condemning God unless you are perfectly righteous, which of course there is no perfection in us. Now, with that in mind, I want you to go back to Psalm 78 and look at verse 19, because you have in this verse actually a condemnation of God, a failure to justify God. So in verse 19, the Bible says, "Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?"

Speaking Against God Through Questioning

Weaver returns to Psalm 78:19, explaining that the Hebrew word for 'spake' means to declare or pronounce. He shows that questioning God's ability, power, love, or mercy is speaking against Him, and notes that it was God's own people who did this.

Now, the Hebrew word for "spake" is the word dabar, which means to speak, to declare, to pronounce, and to utter. So they were pronouncing, they were uttering, they were speaking and declaring a certain thing. Now, I want you to note, if you would, look closely at verse 19. "Yea, they spake against God, they said. Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" In this instance, speaking against God is questioning. It is questioning here His ability, His power, His love, His mercy, His grace. You see, one expects the wicked to speak against God. One expects the wicked to speak against God's servants and God's people.

And I can give you a good illustration of that. In fact, you can find it in Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, in 2 Chronicles 32 and verse 16. The Bible says this,

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 32:16

"And his servants spake yet more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah."

So here you have the wicked speaking against God. We understand that. We expect the wicked to condemn God, to condemn God's preachers, to condemn God's people. We understand that. But the interesting thing about Psalm 78, it's not the wicked that's condemning God. It's not the wicked that's speaking against God. It is his own covenant people. So, go back to Psalm 78 and look at verse 1. He says, "Give ear, O my people, to my law."

"Incline your ears to the words of my mouth." So, at the very beginning of the Psalm, he talks about my people and he wants them to hear his law and the words of his mouth. Now, as you read down through this passage, look at verse 3, "which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us." Look down in verse 5, where he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel. Skip down to verse 9, "the children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bows." Now, not only is he speaking about Jacob and Israel, now he's naming Ephraim. Ephraim happened to be the leading tribe of the twelve tribes. And sometimes in Scripture, you will find the word Ephraim used to represent the whole of Israel. So as you read down through this psalm, you will find out that he's talking about his people.

Now, the question that I want to pose to you is this. How do we speak against God by questioning Him? And have we ever noticed that the first question that was asked in Genesis chapter 3 was speaking against God? For instance, let me show you. Turn back to Genesis 3, holding Psalm 78, and look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 1. Genesis 3 and verse 1. Here it is. Genesis 3, verse 1.

Biblical Examples of Questioning God

Weaver cites Genesis 3:1 (the serpent's question), Mark 9:22 (the father's 'if thou canst'), and Matthew 8:2 (the leper's better question) to illustrate how questions can imply doubt or faith.

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made." Watch. "And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Did God really say that? If God said that, there must be something wrong with him. So here isn't only a questioning of God, but here's an insinuation that God somehow is either evil or he is withholding something that is good from Adam and Eve, something he selfishly does not want them to have. So when you skip down to verse four, "And the serpent said to the woman, Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know in the day that ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." In other words, here it is, God just don't want you to become a god, that's all there is to it. He wants this position all for Himself, and therefore, you know, God has to be somehow evil because He's withholding this fruit from you, and you need it, and you deserve it.

It's certainly easy to see in this passage how the serpent speaks against God by using questions. There are several questions in the Bible where people have actually spoken against God. Maybe not intentionally, but they did so. For instance, if you would turn in your Bibles to the book of Mark chapter 9. Mark chapter 9. In this instance, here is a father who has a child that has been demon possessed, and of course the disciples try to cast him out, and they cannot. And our Lord comes, and look if you would in Mark 9 and verse 22, what the Father says. Mark 9, notice verse 22, I think it is.

Oh, I mean Luke, that's why I couldn't get it. All right, look in Mark 9 and verse 22. Here it is.

Scripture Reading — Mark 9:22

"And oft times it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him."

But look what the Father asked our Lord.

Scripture Reading — Mark 9:22

"But if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us."

Can you imagine someone asking the Lord Jesus Christ,

Scripture Reading — Mark 9:22

"if thou canst do anything"

? I'm just saying, this may not have been a question that was asked to insult our Lord, but the implications of it are very clear. That Christ may or may not have the power to do anything. He may or may not have the love or the compassion or the concern to do anything. So he's saying,

Scripture Reading — Mark 9:22

"if thou canst do anything."

Probably the question is asked out of sheer desperation, because he said that oftentimes the Spirit take them and cast them in the fire, cast them in the water, and the disciples had tried to cast him out, and they could not, and he said,

Scripture Reading — Mark 9:22

"if thou canst do anything, please help me."

So certainly, from the standpoint of the deity of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ could do something. He could do anything that he wanted. So I'm just simply saying the question, although probably asked out of desperation, is very poorly framed and the implications of it are very clear. Now, if you look in the Bible in Matthew chapter 8, here's a better question posed to our Lord by a leper. Look if you would in Matthew chapter 8 and verse 1 and 2.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 8:1-2

"When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."

In other words, Lord, I know you have the power. I know you have the ability. I know you're God. If you will, if you're willing, you can make me clean. It's up to you. It's your will. I'm submitting to you. So that would certainly be, to me, a much better way of asking a question to our Lord rather than saying, "if thou canst do anything." So at least the leper here is confessing our Lord's ability, His power, His mercy and grace, and just simply saying, Lord, it's up to you.

You could heal me if you will to do so. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 21, and then back to Psalm 78, because I want to show you the background for Psalm 78. So here you are in Numbers, chapter 21. And let's begin reading there with verse four, Numbers 21 and verse 4. The Bible says, "And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to the compass land of Edom, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." Note this next verse, "And the people spake against God and against Moses, Wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?"

The Sin of Unbelief

Weaver identifies unbelief as the first sin in speaking against God, citing Psalm 78:22 and Hebrews 11:6. He explains that faith is substance and evidence, not blind hope, and that questioning God expresses doubt and mistrust.

Now what I want to do is this. I want to point out the sins of speaking against God. And they are very clearly revealed in this passage. First of all, there is the sin of unbelief in speaking against God. Obviously, these people, although they claim to be the covenant people, they did not believe in God, or at least they certainly did not believe in the God of Scripture. If you look at verse 22, the Bible says very clearly, "because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation." Wow. Unbelief is always expressed in questioning God. Anytime anyone questions God's integrity, power, grace, ability, might, love, it is a sign of unbelief. There is a prerequisite for coming to God that is revealed in Hebrews 11 and verse 6. The Bible says in that passage, "But without faith, it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh unto God must first believe that He is, and secondly, that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

Now stop and think about this. "But without faith, it is impossible to please God." Faith is going to admit at least two things. Number one, that God is. And number two, that God does indeed bless those who seek Him. He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. So let me spell it out for you. Faith is belief. Doubt is unbelief. And usually questions stem from unbelief in that they express always some dimension of doubt or mistrust. One that does not believe always doubts. One that believes does not doubt. To question God is to doubt God. To believe God is to trust God. So the man who has faith believes, he trusts, he rests, and he waits. Now let me tell you something about faith. First of all, faith is not some blind hope.

It is not some crazy idea. I want you to look in your Bibles to Hebrews 11 and verse 1 because there are two verses or two words there that I want to emphasize for you. Hebrews 11 verse 1. Many of you may be able to quote the verse, but here it is. Hebrews 11 verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 11:1

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

So faith then is not some blind belief or hope. Faith is described as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

Now the word for "substance" is the Greek word hypostasis which actually refers to that which is under. So it refers basically to a foundation, something that is real, something that has substance, something that engenders confidence, trust, and assurance. Actually, this word that deals with reality, substance, and existence is used in contradistinction to that which is unreal, imaginary, and deceptive. So he says faith is the substance. That is, it is something that is real. It is something that is genuine. It is foundational. And then he says, secondly, that it is the evidence of things not seen. Elegchos is the Greek word. And it refers to that which is a proof or that which is evidence.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 11:1

So if I visited Steve and I asked him, "Do you own this house?" And he said, "Yes." And I would say, "Prove it to me." And he would reach in a drawer and pull out a title deed and said, "Here's the deed. And here it is in my name. I own this house." Now, the reason I say that is that is exactly what the word "evidence" means. So you could read Hebrews 11 and verse 1 like this. "Now faith is the substance. It is the foundation. It is the very basis of things hoped for, and the title deed of things not seen." So faith then is not some blind belief. It always rests solidly upon a foundation and that foundation is the person and work of God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ as it is revealed in His Word. So unbelief speaks against God because it is a denial of God's person, His power, His position, and His perfections. So mark it down, anytime anyone begins to speak against God, it is an expression of unbelief.

Now, here's the second thing, and I want you to see out of Psalm 78. Not only is there the sin of unbelief expressed in questioning God, secondly, there are the sins of ungratefulness and unthankfulness expressed in questioning God. I want you to look in Psalm 78 beginning there with verse 11. I want to show you some things that God had done for these people. Psalm 78 verse 11.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 78:11-20

"And forgot his works and his wonders that he had showed them."

Now he's going to name some of them.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 78:11-20

"Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and He made the waters to stand as a heap. In the daytime also He led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire."

The Sins of Ungratefulness and Unthankfulness

Weaver shows from Psalm 78:11-20 that Israel forgot God's works and were ungrateful, which led to lust and questioning. He connects ungratefulness to idolatry and immorality using Romans 1:21-27.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 78:11-20

"And forgot his works and his wonders that he had showed them."

Now he's going to name some of them.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 78:11-20

"Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and He made the waters to stand as a heap. In the daytime also He led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire."

"He clave the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers. And they sinned yet more against Him by provoking the Most High in the wilderness. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed. Can he give bread also?"

"Can he provide flesh for the people?" Here were a people that were so completely ungrateful and unthankful, it is unimaginable. They did not rejoice in his deliverance from Egypt. They did not and were not thankful for his leadership and his direction in the wilderness. They were unappreciative of his provision of manna and water. They totally ignored, forgot, and failed to remember all that God had done for them.

Now, let me tell you something. When we think of someone being unthankful, ungrateful, it disturbs us, but we have not really seen the depth of the evilness and the wickedness of being ungrateful, unthankful. I want to show you something from Scripture. It may surprise you, but ungratefulness, unthankfulness is what you and I would call root sins. What is a root sin? Well, pride is a root sin as well. A root sin is something that is deep down in your being and when it blossoms and blooms and produces, it produces a lot of other sins as well. So pride always produces other sins. So does ungratefulness and unthankfulness. I want to show you that ungratefulness and unthankfulness produce idolatry and immorality. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 1.

You know this passage and you know what is involved in this passage. But let me show you a word or two that you may have missed. Look in Romans chapter 1 beginning there with verse 21. Romans 1 verse 21. Watch carefully.

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:21-27

"Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen."

"For this cause God gave them up in vile affections, for even their women did change the natural use of that which is against nature, and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lusts one toward another, men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves the recompense of their error, which was meet." Now here's my question. How did this start? Go back to verse 21. "Because when they knew God, number one, they glorified Him not as God, and number two, neither were they thankful." So their unwillingness to glorify God and their unthankfulness for everything that God had done for them led to their idolatry and their immorality.

Now, when you look at Psalm 78, and we've already read some of it, God had graciously and marvelously provided for his people. He fulfilled their needs in every way. He marvelously delivered them from Egypt. In fact, in Exodus chapter 19 and verse 4, here's what God said,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 19:4

"You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bear you on eagles' wings and brought you unto Myself."

He said,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 19:4

"You saw how I destroyed the Egyptians, and I bear you on eagles' wings and brought you unto Myself."

God's Provision and Israel's Discontent

Weaver details God's abundant provision in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2-4, Psalm 78:23-25) and contrasts it with Israel's demand for specialized meat, illustrating how ungratefulness leads to fleshly lusts.

Now, let me show you something else. Turn in your Bibles, hold Psalm 78, but go to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 8. You see, when you read Psalm 78, many times you think, well, all these people had was bread and water, and I'd get tired of that myself. Really? Well, I'm going to show you that they did not just simply have bread and water. But look at this passage, Deuteronomy 8, beginning there, verse 2. God says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 8:2-4

"And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know. Why? That he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live."

Now look what else he says.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 8:2-4

"Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell these forty years."

So God preserved them physically. He preserved their clothes and their feet did not swell from all of the walking.

Let me just quote one, Nehemiah 9 and verse 21. The Bible says, "Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing, their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swell not." The Bible said they lacked nothing. Now, go back if you would, please, to Psalm 78. And watch verses 23 through 25. Psalm 78 verse 23. "Though he had commanded the clouds from above and opened the doors of heaven, and rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven, man did eat angels' food, he sent the meat to the full." Now notice if you would please, the manna is called the corn of heaven. It's also called angels' food. So the manna then was the most nutritious and the most delicious and very satisfying. And God rained it down upon them. However, they were not content with what God had provided.

What they wanted was a rich and plentiful diet than what God had given. I want to show you. I want you to turn back in your Bibles, hold Psalm 78, but turn back to Deuteronomy 32, and let's begin reading there with verse 9, and let me show you some of the things that they had. Deuteronomy 32, look if you would please at verse 9. The Bible says, "For the Lord's portion is His people." "Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, in the waste howling wilderness. He led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth about her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings. So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange God with him." Now watch.

"He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields. He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock, butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats with the fat of kidneys of wheat, that thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape. But what happened? But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked. Thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness. Then he forsook God, which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation."

Now, God provided for them everything that they needed, that is for sure. Now, as you go back to Psalm 78, I want you to understand this. Instead of being grateful and appreciative and thankful for the Lord's bountiful provision, what they're doing is murmuring and complaining about their provision, and they're questioning God's ability and asking if God can do more for them than He's already doing. So look in Psalm 78, beginning there, verse 17. "And they sinned yet more against Him by provoking the Most High in the wilderness. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lusts. Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Wow! He smote the rock, and the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for the people?"

Now, let me explain something. You have to remember that these people came out of Egypt with their flocks and with their herds. Moreover, God was supernaturally providing for them. They had meat, but please listen to me. It's not now that they want meat, they want specialized meat. I want to show you. Suppose if Joshua was kind enough to invite me to his house for a meal. And he put a New York strip steak in front of me. And I looked at that New York strip and I looked at Joshua and I said, "I don't eat anything but ribeyes. I don't want this junk."

You know, He would probably say to me what my father used to say. "Son, you've got two choices. Eat it or do without." Probably what Joshua would tell me. "You can either eat that steak or you can do without. It doesn't bother me one bit." Well, you know, I want you to see these people had already had a taste of some special meat. If you'll go back in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 16, and let's begin reading there with verse 12. Exodus 16 and verse 12. Their specialized meat that they wanted happened to be one that I particularly like, but I eat very seldom. Quail. Quail. Notice, if you would, Exodus chapter 16, verse 12.

God said, "I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, speaking to them, saying, At eve you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God. And it came to pass that at the even, the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay round about the host." So God sent quails. Now, when you go back to Psalm 78, it does not say quails, but it does say feathered fowls or fowls of wing. It could have been any bird, I suppose. But since they had already gotten the taste of quail, it could have been that. So, look in verse 27. The Bible says, "...he rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowls as the sand of the sea, and let it fall in the midst of their camp round about their habitations." So, it was feathered fowls. It was some type of bird. Probably, probably quail. I do not know. At least we know it was some type of bird.

So, what he's done now, he's given them their desires. Now, let me point something out. I think it's important that you and I understand and note that ungratefulness and unthankfulness leads to fleshly lusts and desires. You're not content with what you have. You're not satisfied with the provision that God has given you. No, you always want more. Let me tell you something. If you never appreciate that which you are given, that which you receive, you will always want more, you will always demand more.

The Insatiable Nature of Lust

Using Proverbs 30:15-16, Weaver compares ungrateful hearts to the horse leech's daughters crying 'Give, give,' and warns that unthankfulness always leads to more lust and ultimately ungodliness.

There is nothing more disgusting than an unthankful, ungrateful, unappreciative ingrate. You know, look, we tend to think that the welfare society began with LBJ. That's not true. The welfare society has always existed and here it is right here in Psalm 78. Because these people could not be satisfied with everything that God had given them. They wanted more and such in such a way they provoke God, they tempted God, they questioned God, they criticized God, they condemned God. Can God do this?

What if he can do it? Why doesn't he do it? And if he doesn't do it, it just means he doesn't love us like he ought to. And if he doesn't love us like he ought to, he can't be God. Do you realize that's where we are today? That's the welfare society. You look at all of the welfare, quote-unquote, that people get across this country. And they're never satisfied.

They always want more and more and more. And the more you give, the more unappreciative they are. And the more you give, the more they demand that you give to them. And they call upon their God to give it to them, which happens to be the government. And we must understand that the government cannot give to some unless it takes from others. So, you have this welfare society right here. Notice, if you would please, they're saying, we've got to have this specialized meat. We got to have it. We're never satisfied until we get what we want. Ungratefulness, unthankfulness, unappreciativeness always leads to lusts, always. Look at the adultery, fornication in our country. Why? Men don't appreciate their wives. Wives don't appreciate their husbands. They're not thankful. I'm just simply pointing out the fact these are root sins.

Now let me show you. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Proverbs 30. Proverbs 30. And look at verses 15 and 16. Proverbs 30, verses 15 and 16. Someone says, "But you don't understand, my wife's not young." Well, she may not be young, but at least you have a wife. You may not even have a wife. Well, my wife's no longer attractive. Well, she's still your wife. And the truth of the matter is, you better be thankful because you could not have a wife.

I'm just simply pointing out an ungrateful, unappreciative, unthankful heart always leads to lust. Now, look in Proverbs chapter 30, if you would please, at verses 15 and 16. "The horse leech hath two daughters." Now you're going to ask me, what is a horse leech? Well, it's just simply a bloodsucker. It's a leech. A leech sucks blood like a tick. In fact, I'm sure that you've heard the definition of politics. "Polly" means many. "Ticks," bloodsuckers. So politicians are a lot of bloodsuckers.

I mean, that's basically true. But note, if you would, "the horse leech hath two daughters." Who are the two daughters? Some say greed and avarice. Some say lust and desire. It doesn't matter. The truth is right here. "The horse leech hath two daughters crying." What do they cry? "Give! Give! There are three things that are never satisfied. Yea, four things say not it is enough." What does not say it is enough?

"The grave," the grave always wants more. "The barren woman," she always wants more children. "The earth that is not filled with water," drought. "And fire that says it is not enough." Burns up everything, wants to burn up something else. I suppose we could add one more truth to this passage. We could also add someone who has an ungrateful, unthankful, and unappreciative heart because they always want more. It's never enough for them. Now I want you to understand something. Unbelief and ungratefulness always lead to ungodliness. Ungodliness is the ultimate speaking against God. Because now you are not just speaking against Him with your mouth, you're speaking against Him with your life, with your actions.

You are deliberately dishonoring and disobeying Him. An ungodly man always dishonors and disobeys God and His law. And it all stems from a failure to glorify God and to be thankful. Let me try to make some applications. The first one is this. Don't misunderstand me when I say this. There is a huge difference between asking God questions for information, for learning, for direction and wisdom than there is in questioning His integrity, His morality, His power, His ability, His love, His grace and wisdom. And whenever we begin to question God, "Why have you done this?"

Applications: Trust, Thankfulness, and Warning

Weaver applies the message by distinguishing between asking God questions and questioning God, urging gratitude because God owes us nothing, and warning that getting one's desires can lead to destruction, as seen in Psalm 78:27-31.

"Why is this happening in my life?" It's not that I'm asking for wisdom. It's not that I'm asking for direction. It's "Lord, I'm complaining about why did you let this happen? Lord, if you were smart as I am, you would never have allowed this to happen." You see, it's an elevating of yourself above God and dethroning God is what it amounts to. There's a vast difference between asking God questions and questioning God. A vast difference. The second application is this. I would urge you to read through scripture and note how many times we are exhorted, admonished, and commanded to be grateful and thankful. It may really surprise you. If you understood one simple truth, it would change your life forever, I believe. What is that one truth? Here it is. God doesn't owe you anything. Anything you get from Him is grace and mercy. He doesn't owe you life, or health, or finances. He doesn't owe you anything. You've sinned against Him. You're a sinner. You owe Him. He doesn't owe you. And if you understood the fact that God doesn't really owe you anything, then you might come up with the same attitude that Jacob came up with in Genesis 32 and verse 20, when he said to God, "I am not worthy of the least of Thy mercies, and of all the truth which I have shown in Thy service. I'm not worthy of the least of thy mercies." How many of you deserve to wake up this morning? How many of you deserve to have help?

How many of you deserve to be breathing right now? The answer is none of us. And if we ever understood that God does not really owe us anything, He would tend to make us really thankful and grateful and appreciative for everything that He has done for us. I want you to turn in your Bibles. I want you to hold Psalm 78. We're coming back there one more time. But I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Philippians chapter 4 and look if you would please at verse 6. Here is a verse that will basically sum up everything that I've just told you today. So notice if you would, Philippians chapter 4. And look, if you would please, at verse 6. The Word of God says, "Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." So there are three things in this verse. First of all, be careful for nothing. Secondly, be prayerful about everything. And thirdly, be thankful for anything.

You say, "Should I be thankful that I stumbled and broke my toe?" Yes. It could have been your foot. It could have been your leg. It could have been your back. It could have been your neck. Yes, you can be thankful for anything. So be careful for nothing, prayerful about everything, and thankful for anything. Now, I want you to go back to Psalm 78. Here's the last application, and I want you to see it. Listen to me.

Do not allow your ungratefulness, your unthankfulness to lead to your own destruction. What am I talking about? Remember they craved feathered fowls. Well, they got it. Look if you would please, verse 27. "He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea. He let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitation. So they did eat, and were filled. For He gave them their own desire."

"They were not estranged from their lusts, but while the meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel." Sometimes, when you get your desire, it ends in death. Do not speak against God. Do not question God. Do not criticize God. Do not condemn God. Do not be in unbelief. And do not be ungrateful and unthankful, for that always leads to lust, to idolatry, to immorality, and to wickedness.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Speaking Against God Through Questioning

Summary: Questioning God's ability, power, love, or provision is a form of speaking against Him, even among His own people.

Evidence: Psalm 78:19: 'Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?'

Justification as Legal Declaration

Summary: Justification is a forensic term meaning to declare righteous, not to infuse righteousness. Justifying oneself is condemning God.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 25:1 and Proverbs 17:15 show that judges justify or condemn by declaration. Luke 7:29 shows people justifying God by declaring Him right.

Unbelief as Root Sin

Summary: Unbelief is expressed in questioning God and is a denial of His person, power, and perfections.

Evidence: Psalm 78:22: 'Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation.' Hebrews 11:6: without faith it is impossible to please God.

Ungratefulness and Unthankfulness as Root Sins

Summary: Ungratefulness leads to idolatry, immorality, and lust, as seen in Israel's wilderness complaints and Romans 1.

Evidence: Romans 1:21: 'neither were thankful' leads to idolatry and immorality. Psalm 78:11-20 shows Israel forgot God's works and craved meat.

God's Abundant Provision and Human Discontent

Summary: God provided manna, water, and preservation, yet Israel demanded more, revealing an insatiable lust.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 8:4: clothes did not wear out, feet did not swell. Psalm 78:23-25: manna called angels' food. Yet they asked for meat.

The Danger of Getting One's Desires

Summary: God may give people their desires, but it can lead to destruction, as when He slew Israelites while meat was in their mouths.

Evidence: Psalm 78:27-31: 'He gave them their own desire... while the meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them.'

Key Arguments

Justifying oneself is condemning God

Summary: When we justify our actions contrary to Scripture, we legally declare ourselves right and God wrong, which is speaking against Him.

Evidence: Luke 16:15: Pharisees justified themselves before men. Weaver states, 'A failure to justify God means that you actually condemn God.'

Questioning God's ability is unbelief

Summary: The question 'Can God furnish a table?' questions God's omnipotence and expresses doubt, which is the essence of unbelief.

Evidence: Psalm 78:19, 22. Weaver: 'Unbelief is always expressed in questioning God.'

Ungratefulness leads to idolatry and immorality

Summary: Romans 1 shows that not glorifying God and being unthankful results in idolatry and sexual perversion.

Evidence: Romans 1:21-27. Weaver: 'Their unwillingness to glorify God and their unthankfulness... led to their idolatry and their immorality.'

God owes us nothing, so we should be thankful

Summary: Everything we receive is grace; recognizing this fosters gratitude and prevents speaking against God.

Evidence: Genesis 32:10: Jacob said, 'I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies.' Weaver: 'God doesn't owe you anything.'

Desires fulfilled can bring judgment

Summary: God gave Israel the meat they craved, but His wrath killed them while they ate, showing that getting what we want can be destructive.

Evidence: Psalm 78:27-31. Weaver: 'Sometimes, when you get your desire, it ends in death.'

Scripture References

Psalm 78:19

Context: The main text: 'Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?'

Job 34:17

Context: Elihu asks Job if he will condemn God who is most just.

Job 32:2

Context: Elihu's anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God.

Deuteronomy 25:1

Context: Judges justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, showing justification is a legal declaration.

Proverbs 17:15

Context: He that justifies the wicked and condemns the just is an abomination to the Lord.

Luke 7:29

Context: The people and publicans justified God by declaring Him right.

Luke 16:14-15

Context: Pharisees justified themselves before men, but God knows their hearts.

2 Chronicles 32:16

Context: Sennacherib's servants spoke against God and Hezekiah.

Psalm 78:1

Context: The psalm is addressed to God's people.

Genesis 3:1, 4-5

Context: The serpent questions God's word and insinuates God is withholding good.

Mark 9:22

Context: A father asks Jesus, 'If thou canst do anything,' implying doubt.

Matthew 8:1-2

Context: The leper says, 'Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean,' showing faith in Jesus' ability.

Numbers 21:4-6

Context: Israel spoke against God and Moses, loathing the manna, and God sent fiery serpents.

Hebrews 11:6

Context: Without faith it is impossible to please God; one must believe He is and rewards seekers.

Hebrews 11:1

Context: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Psalm 78:11-20

Context: Israel forgot God's works, tempted God, and spoke against Him.

Romans 1:21-27

Context: Unthankfulness leads to idolatry and immorality.

Exodus 19:4

Context: God bore Israel on eagles' wings.

Deuteronomy 8:2-4

Context: God humbled Israel, fed them manna, and preserved their clothes and feet.

Nehemiah 9:21

Context: Forty years God sustained Israel so they lacked nothing.

Historical References

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Context: Weaver quotes Spurgeon's commentary on Psalm 78:19 regarding questioning God's ability and ungratefulness.

Sennacherib, the Assyrian king

Context: Mentioned as an example of the wicked speaking against God and His servant Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:16).

LBJ (Lyndon B. Johnson)

Context: Weaver references LBJ to illustrate that the welfare society did not begin with him but has always existed, as seen in Israel's demands.

Important Quotes

A failure to justify God means that you actually condemn God.

Significance: Summarizes the core argument that self-justification is a form of condemning God.

They who will not be content will speak against providence even when it daily loaded them with benefits.

Significance: A quote from Spurgeon highlighting how discontent leads to speaking against God despite His blessings.

Unbelief is always expressed in questioning God.

Significance: Directly links questioning God to the sin of unbelief.

God doesn't owe you anything. Anything you get from Him is grace and mercy.

Significance: A key application point emphasizing that gratitude should stem from recognizing God's unmerited favor.

Sometimes, when you get your desire, it ends in death.

Significance: A sober warning that fulfilled lusts can bring God's judgment.

Discussion Questions

In what ways might we 'speak against God' without realizing it, similar to the Israelites in Psalm 78?

Context: Weaver explains that questioning God's provision or justifying ourselves can be forms of speaking against Him.

How does understanding justification as a legal declaration change the way we view self-justification?

Context: Weaver teaches that justifying ourselves is declaring ourselves right and God wrong.

What is the difference between asking God questions for wisdom and questioning God's character?

Context: Weaver distinguishes between seeking information and challenging God's integrity.

Why are ungratefulness and unthankfulness considered 'root sins'?

Context: Weaver shows from Romans 1 that unthankfulness leads to idolatry and immorality.

How can we cultivate a heart of gratitude when we feel discontent with our circumstances?

Context: Weaver urges thankfulness by remembering that God owes us nothing and everything is grace.

What does the account of God giving Israel quail and then striking them down teach us about the danger of demanding our desires?

Context: Weaver warns that getting what we lust after can lead to destruction.

Applications

Examine your heart for self-justification

Summary: Recognize that when you justify your actions contrary to Scripture, you are condemning God. Repent of self-justification and seek to justify God by declaring Him right.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'A failure to justify God means that you actually condemn God.'

Distinguish between asking questions and questioning God

Summary: When facing trials, ask God for wisdom and direction, but avoid questioning His character, love, or power.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'There is a huge difference between asking God questions for information... than there is in questioning His integrity.'

Cultivate gratitude by remembering God owes you nothing

Summary: Daily remind yourself that everything you have is grace. This mindset fosters thankfulness and prevents murmuring.

Evidence: Weaver: 'God doesn't owe you anything. Anything you get from Him is grace and mercy.'

Be content with God's provision

Summary: Avoid the trap of always wanting more. Thank God for what He has given, and trust that He knows what you need.

Evidence: Weaver warns against the insatiable 'Give, give' attitude from Proverbs 30.

Guard against the destructive power of lust

Summary: Recognize that ungratefulness leads to fleshly desires. Pray for a heart that is satisfied in God to avoid the judgment that can come from fulfilled lusts.

Evidence: Weaver: 'Sometimes, when you get your desire, it ends in death.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T15:16:15Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T04:27:16Z

Clean Transcript

Speaking Against God

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

I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 78. Psalm 78. We're going to look at verse 19. We will come back and look at many other verses, but at least verse 19 is going to be our text. The title of the message is "Speaking Against God," speaking against God. Note, if you would, Psalm 78 and verse 19. The Bible says, "Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" If I were to ask for a volunteer in this room to stand up and speak against God, I doubt that I would get a volunteer. So I could just ask you several questions. The first one would be, would you criticize God? Would you question God? Would you condemn God? Would you speak against God? And the truth is that many do indeed condemn and speak against God on a regular basis. Have you ever even considered the fact that there are various ways to condemn God and to speak against Him without actually denying Him or cursing Him.
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In fact, Elihu was one of the men that was with Job. He was not one of Job's three friends that was condemned in the scripture. But Elihu asked Job a specific question in Job 34 and verse 17. "Shall even he that hateth right govern? And wilt thou condemn him who is the most just?" So he's asking Job, do you think you're going to rule and reign and are you going to condemn God? Now it seems as if this perception by Elihu is that which worked him up so greatly in order to make him confront Job and his three friends. For in Job 32 and verse 2, the Bible says, "Now let me just simply point something out. A failure to justify God means that you actually condemn God. And oftentimes, we condemn God by justifying ourselves. We justify our attitudes, we justify our actions, even when our actions and attitudes are contrary to Scripture, because we just simply declare ourselves right. We say that we are right in the sight of God, and we're right in the sight of God's law, even though our attitudes and our actions are completely contrary to God and His Word.
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So let me begin by saying like this. Justification is a legal term. It is a term of the law courts. It is a forensic term. And thus when we justify ourselves, what we're doing is legally saying that we are right and God is wrong. So let me put it to you like this. We are at the most stating that we're right and God is wrong, and at the least stating that we have a right to violate His law given our circumstances and given our situation. So, we're professing ourselves to be right and righteous in light of God and His law. Now, how do we know that justification is just simply a legal declaration?
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And the answer is because Scripture tells us. Let me just quote several verses, and then I want you to look at several as well. The first one is Deuteronomy chapter 25 and verse 1. The Bible says, "If there be a controversy between men, and they come to the judgment, and the judges judge them, then they, the judges, shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked." Now, when the Bible says the judges shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, it is demonstrating that justification and condemnation are both legal forensic declarations, that is, they're declarations of law court. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that justification is an infusing of righteousness into someone, which is totally and completely unbiblical. When the Bible says that the judges shall justify the righteous, they're not making him righteous, they're simply declaring him righteous. When the Bible says they shall condemn the wicked, they're not infusing wickedness into him, they're just simply declaring him wicked. There's another passage in Proverbs 17, verse 15, and it says this, "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord."
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Now, if justification is an infusement of righteousness into someone, why would God have a problem with that? Because the Bible said, he that justifieth the wicked. The wicked would need to be infused with righteousness if he was wicked. But no, it is a legal declaration when he says, he that justifieth the wicked and condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination of the Lord. So when a judge or someone justifies the wicked, here is a man who is guilty and yet he's being legally declared right before God in the law. And here's a man who is totally righteous and innocent, and yet he's being condemned. He's just simply being declared guilty before the law.
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Now, let me show you some passages. I want you to hold Psalm 78. We're coming back there. But I want you to look at Luke chapter 7 and verse 29. Luke 7 and verse 29. Here's a very interesting person that is justified. Notice if you would Luke 7 in verse 29: "And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John." Now the Bible says, "And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God." Well now, if justification is an infusing of righteousness, how do you infuse righteousness into God? Moreover, since God is already perfectly and absolutely righteous, He cannot be made more righteous. So the question has to be asked then, how did the people and how did the publicans justify God? And the answer is very simple. They declared that God was right and they were wrong. They believed the preaching and teaching of John the Baptist. And they said, God is holy, we're unholy.
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God is righteous. We're unrighteous. God's word is true. Our word is false. And so by justifying God, they were pronouncing God legally right. And at the same time, they were condemning themselves.
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Now, let me show you something else. Look at Luke chapter 16 and verse 15, Luke 16. In fact, let's read verse 14 as well, because here we're dealing with the Pharisees. And verse 14 says this, "And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him." So Jesus Christ is teaching and preaching, and when the Pharisees hear what he says, they mock him, they deride him, they make fun of him. Verse 15, "And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." So he says, you are they that justify yourselves before men. What does that mean? It certainly does not mean that they were infusing righteousness in themselves. What they were doing were saying to Jesus Christ, we're right and you're wrong.
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That's why they were mocking him. That's why they derided him. And so they were saying then that God is wrong and they and their traditions were right. So they were actually justifying themselves before God. And they were saying that before men, we are right, God is wrong. And so every time you justify yourself, basically you're condemning God unless you are perfectly righteous, which of course there is no perfection in us. Now, with that in mind, I want you to go back to Psalm 78 and look at verse 19, because you have in this verse actually a condemnation of God, a failure to justify God. So in verse 19, the Bible says, "Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?"
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Now, the Hebrew word for "spake" is the word dabar, which means to speak, to declare, to pronounce, and to utter. So they were pronouncing, they were uttering, they were speaking and declaring a certain thing.
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Now, I want you to note, if you would, look closely at verse 19. "Yea, they spake against God, they said. Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" In this instance, speaking against God is questioning. It is questioning here His ability, His power, His love, His mercy, His grace. You see, one expects the wicked to speak against God. One expects the wicked to speak against God's servants and God's people.
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And I can give you a good illustration of that. In fact, you can find it in Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, in 2 Chronicles 32 and verse 16. The Bible says this, "And his servants spake yet more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah." So here you have the wicked speaking against God. We understand that. We expect the wicked to condemn God, to condemn God's preachers, to condemn God's people. We understand that. But the interesting thing about Psalm 78, it's not the wicked that's condemning God. It's not the wicked that's speaking against God. It is his own covenant people. So, go back to Psalm 78 and look at verse 1. He says, "Give ear, O my people, to my law."
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"Incline your ears to the words of my mouth." So, at the very beginning of the Psalm, he talks about my people and he wants them to hear his law and the words of his mouth.
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Now, as you read down through this passage, look at verse 3, "which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us." Look down in verse 5, where he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel. Skip down to verse 9, "the children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bows." Now, not only is he speaking about Jacob and Israel, now he's naming Ephraim. Ephraim happened to be the leading tribe of the twelve tribes. And sometimes in Scripture, you will find the word Ephraim used to represent the whole of Israel. So as you read down through this psalm, you will find out that he's talking about his people.
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Now, the question that I want to pose to you is this. How do we speak against God by questioning Him? And have we ever noticed that the first question that was asked in Genesis chapter 3 was speaking against God? For instance, let me show you. Turn back to Genesis 3, holding Psalm 78, and look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 1. Genesis 3 and verse 1. Here it is. Genesis 3, verse 1.
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"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made." Watch. "And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Did God really say that? If God said that, there must be something wrong with him. So here isn't only a questioning of God, but here's an insinuation that God somehow is either evil or he is withholding something that is good from Adam and Eve, something he selfishly does not want them to have. So when you skip down to verse four, "And the serpent said to the woman, Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know in the day that ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." In other words, here it is, God just don't want you to become a god, that's all there is to it. He wants this position all for Himself, and therefore, you know, God has to be somehow evil because He's withholding this fruit from you, and you need it, and you deserve it.
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It's certainly easy to see in this passage how the serpent speaks against God by using questions. There are several questions in the Bible where people have actually spoken against God. Maybe not intentionally, but they did so. For instance, if you would turn in your Bibles to the book of Mark chapter 9. Mark chapter 9. In this instance, here is a father who has a child that has been demon possessed, and of course the disciples try to cast him out, and they cannot. And our Lord comes, and look if you would in Mark 9 and verse 22, what the Father says. Mark 9, notice verse 22, I think it is.
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Oh, I mean Luke, that's why I couldn't get it. All right, look in Mark 9 and verse 22. Here it is. "And oft times it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him." But look what the Father asked our Lord. "But if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Can you imagine someone asking the Lord Jesus Christ, "if thou canst do anything"? I'm just saying, this may not have been a question that was asked to insult our Lord, but the implications of it are very clear. That Christ may or may not have the power to do anything. He may or may not have the love or the compassion or the concern to do anything. So he's saying, "if thou canst do anything." Probably the question is asked out of sheer desperation, because he said that oftentimes the Spirit take them and cast them in the fire, cast them in the water, and the disciples had tried to cast him out, and they could not, and he said, "if thou canst do anything, please help me."
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So certainly, from the standpoint of the deity of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ could do something. He could do anything that he wanted. So I'm just simply saying the question, although probably asked out of desperation, is very poorly framed and the implications of it are very clear.
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Now, if you look in the Bible in Matthew chapter 8, here's a better question posed to our Lord by a leper. Look if you would in Matthew chapter 8 and verse 1 and 2. "When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." In other words, Lord, I know you have the power. I know you have the ability. I know you're God. If you will, if you're willing, you can make me clean. It's up to you. It's your will. I'm submitting to you. So that would certainly be, to me, a much better way of asking a question to our Lord rather than saying, "if thou canst do anything." So at least the leper here is confessing our Lord's ability, His power, His mercy and grace, and just simply saying, Lord, it's up to you.
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You could heal me if you will to do so. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Numbers, chapter 21, and then back to Psalm 78, because I want to show you the background for Psalm 78. So here you are in Numbers, chapter 21. And let's begin reading there with verse four, Numbers 21 and verse 4. The Bible says, "And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to the compass land of Edom, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." Note this next verse, "And the people spake against God and against Moses, Wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?"
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"For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread, the manna. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and much people of Israel died."
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Now, go back, if you would, to Psalm 78, and look again, if you would, please, at verse 19. Here's the question. "Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" First of all, the word "can" in this question refers to ability, power, strength, and might. So it is a questioning of God's omnipotence, of his power. Secondly, look at it, they ask "can God furnish a table in the wilderness?"
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Now the word "furnish" is the Hebrew word arach which means to array, to order, to prepare, to furnish, to set in place, and to arrange. Now here's the interesting thing. Some of you may have a marginal reading and you have the word "order" there for the word "furnish." Well, it's one and the same thing. But once you understand that the word "furnish" or "order" here means to arrange and set in order, it means even more than that. It means this. Now watch it. Can God furnish or order or array a table for a feast in the wilderness? In other words, they wanted a feast. They wanted something provided for them that was not necessarily necessary. They wanted it for their lusts and for their desires. Let me give you one quote.
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Charles Haddon Spurgeon said this on this verse. "To question the ability of one who is manifestly almighty is to speak against him. These people were basing up to say that although their God had given them bread and water, yet he could not properly order or furnish a table. He could give them coarse food, but could not prepare a feast properly arranged so that they were ungrateful enough to declare."
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"As if the manna was a mere makeshift and the flowing rock stream a temporary expedient, they asked to have a regularly furnished table, such as they had been accustomed in Egypt. Alas, how have we also quarreled with our mercies and querulously pined for some imaginary good counting our actual enjoyments to be nothing because they did not happen to be exactly conformed to our foolish fancies. They who will not be content will speak against providence even when it daily loaded them with benefits."
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Stop and think about that. I'm going to make a point of that later. He says, "They who will not be content will speak against providence even when it daily loaded them with benefits." So they ask in verse 19, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" Can God give us a plentiful table in this wilderness as well as drop manna about our tents? If He can, why does He not do it?
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And if He will not do it, why will He not do it? Is it because he does not have the ability? Is it because he does not have the power? Or is it because he just does not love us enough? So this is how they're speaking against God by asking this stupid question, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?"
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Now what I want to do is this. I want to point out the sins of speaking against God. And they are very clearly revealed in this passage. First of all, there is the sin of unbelief in speaking against God. Obviously, these people, although they claim to be the covenant people, they did not believe in God, or at least they certainly did not believe in the God of Scripture. If you look at verse 22, the Bible says very clearly, "because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation." Wow. Unbelief is always expressed in questioning God. Anytime anyone questions God's integrity, power, grace, ability, might, love, it is a sign of unbelief. There is a prerequisite for coming to God that is revealed in Hebrews 11 and verse 6. The Bible says in that passage, "But without faith, it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh unto God must first believe that He is, and secondly, that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
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Now stop and think about this. "But without faith, it is impossible to please God." Faith is going to admit at least two things. Number one, that God is. And number two, that God does indeed bless those who seek Him. He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. So let me spell it out for you. Faith is belief. Doubt is unbelief. And usually questions stem from unbelief in that they express always some dimension of doubt or mistrust. One that does not believe always doubts. One that believes does not doubt. To question God is to doubt God. To believe God is to trust God. So the man who has faith believes, he trusts, he rests, and he waits. Now let me tell you something about faith. First of all, faith is not some blind hope.
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It is not some crazy idea. I want you to look in your Bibles to Hebrews 11 and verse 1 because there are two verses or two words there that I want to emphasize for you. Hebrews 11 verse 1. Many of you may be able to quote the verse, but here it is. Hebrews 11 verse 1.
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"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." So faith then is not some blind belief or hope. Faith is described as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
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Now the word for "substance" is the Greek word hypostasis which actually refers to that which is under. So it refers basically to a foundation, something that is real, something that has substance, something that engenders confidence, trust, and assurance. Actually, this word that deals with reality, substance, and existence is used in contradistinction to that which is unreal, imaginary, and deceptive. So he says faith is the substance. That is, it is something that is real. It is something that is genuine. It is foundational. And then he says, secondly, that it is the evidence of things not seen. Elegchos is the Greek word. And it refers to that which is a proof or that which is evidence.
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So if I visited Steve and I asked him, "Do you own this house?" And he said, "Yes." And I would say, "Prove it to me." And he would reach in a drawer and pull out a title deed and said, "Here's the deed. And here it is in my name. I own this house."
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Now, the reason I say that is that is exactly what the word "evidence" means. So you could read Hebrews 11 and verse 1 like this.
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"Now faith is the substance. It is the foundation. It is the very basis of things hoped for, and the title deed of things not seen." So faith then is not some blind belief. It always rests solidly upon a foundation and that foundation is the person and work of God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ as it is revealed in His Word. So unbelief speaks against God because it is a denial of God's person, His power, His position, and His perfections. So mark it down, anytime anyone begins to speak against God, it is an expression of unbelief.
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Now, here's the second thing, and I want you to see out of Psalm 78. Not only is there the sin of unbelief expressed in questioning God, secondly, there are the sins of ungratefulness and unthankfulness expressed in questioning God. I want you to look in Psalm 78 beginning there with verse 11. I want to show you some things that God had done for these people. Psalm 78 verse 11.
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"And forgot his works and his wonders that he had showed them." Now he's going to name some of them. "Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and He made the waters to stand as a heap. In the daytime also He led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire."
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"He clave the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers. And they sinned yet more against Him by provoking the Most High in the wilderness. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed. Can he give bread also?"
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"Can he provide flesh for the people?" Here were a people that were so completely ungrateful and unthankful, it is unimaginable. They did not rejoice in his deliverance from Egypt. They did not and were not thankful for his leadership and his direction in the wilderness. They were unappreciative of his provision of manna and water. They totally ignored, forgot, and failed to remember all that God had done for them.
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Now, let me tell you something. When we think of someone being unthankful, ungrateful, it disturbs us, but we have not really seen the depth of the evilness and the wickedness of being ungrateful, unthankful. I want to show you something from Scripture. It may surprise you, but ungratefulness, unthankfulness is what you and I would call root sins. What is a root sin? Well, pride is a root sin as well. A root sin is something that is deep down in your being and when it blossoms and blooms and produces, it produces a lot of other sins as well. So pride always produces other sins. So does ungratefulness and unthankfulness. I want to show you that ungratefulness and unthankfulness produce idolatry and immorality. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 1.
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You know this passage and you know what is involved in this passage. But let me show you a word or two that you may have missed. Look in Romans chapter 1 beginning there with verse 21. Romans 1 verse 21. Watch carefully. "Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen."
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"For this cause God gave them up in vile affections, for even their women did change the natural use of that which is against nature, and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lusts one toward another, men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves the recompense of their error, which was meet." Now here's my question. How did this start?
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Go back to verse 21. "Because when they knew God, number one, they glorified Him not as God, and number two, neither were they thankful." So their unwillingness to glorify God and their unthankfulness for everything that God had done for them led to their idolatry and their immorality.
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Now, when you look at Psalm 78, and we've already read some of it, God had graciously and marvelously provided for his people. He fulfilled their needs in every way. He marvelously delivered them from Egypt. In fact, in Exodus chapter 19 and verse 4, here's what God said, "You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bear you on eagles' wings and brought you unto Myself." He said, "You saw how I destroyed the Egyptians, and I bear you on eagles' wings and brought you unto Myself."
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Now, let me show you something else. Turn in your Bibles, hold Psalm 78, but go to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 8. You see, when you read Psalm 78, many times you think, well, all these people had was bread and water, and I'd get tired of that myself. Really? Well, I'm going to show you that they did not just simply have bread and water. But look at this passage, Deuteronomy 8, beginning there, verse 2.
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God says, "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know. Why? That he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." Now look what else he says. "Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell these forty years." So God preserved them physically. He preserved their clothes and their feet did not swell from all of the walking.
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Let me just quote one, Nehemiah 9 and verse 21. The Bible says, "Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing, their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swell not." The Bible said they lacked nothing.
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Now, go back if you would, please, to Psalm 78. And watch verses 23 through 25. Psalm 78 verse 23. "Though he had commanded the clouds from above and opened the doors of heaven, and rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven, man did eat angels' food, he sent the meat to the full." Now notice if you would please, the manna is called the corn of heaven. It's also called angels' food. So the manna then was the most nutritious and the most delicious and very satisfying. And God rained it down upon them. However, they were not content with what God had provided.
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What they wanted was a rich and plentiful diet than what God had given. I want to show you. I want you to turn back in your Bibles, hold Psalm 78, but turn back to Deuteronomy 32, and let's begin reading there with verse 9, and let me show you some of the things that they had. Deuteronomy 32, look if you would please at verse 9. The Bible says, "For the Lord's portion is His people."
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"Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, in the waste howling wilderness. He led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth about her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings. So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange God with him." Now watch.
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"He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields. He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock, butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats with the fat of kidneys of wheat, that thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape. But what happened? But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked. Thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness. Then he forsook God, which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation."
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Now, God provided for them everything that they needed, that is for sure. Now, as you go back to Psalm 78, I want you to understand this. Instead of being grateful and appreciative and thankful for the Lord's bountiful provision, what they're doing is murmuring and complaining about their provision, and they're questioning God's ability and asking if God can do more for them than He's already doing. So look in Psalm 78, beginning there, verse 17.
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"And they sinned yet more against Him by provoking the Most High in the wilderness. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lusts. Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Wow! He smote the rock, and the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for the people?"
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Now, let me explain something. You have to remember that these people came out of Egypt with their flocks and with their herds. Moreover, God was supernaturally providing for them. They had meat, but please listen to me. It's not now that they want meat, they want specialized meat. I want to show you. Suppose if Joshua was kind enough to invite me to his house for a meal. And he put a New York strip steak in front of me. And I looked at that New York strip and I looked at Joshua and I said, "I don't eat anything but ribeyes. I don't want this junk."
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You know, He would probably say to me what my father used to say. "Son, you've got two choices. Eat it or do without." Probably what Joshua would tell me. "You can either eat that steak or you can do without. It doesn't bother me one bit." Well, you know, I want you to see these people had already had a taste of some special meat. If you'll go back in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 16, and let's begin reading there with verse 12. Exodus 16 and verse 12. Their specialized meat that they wanted happened to be one that I particularly like, but I eat very seldom. Quail. Quail. Notice, if you would, Exodus chapter 16, verse 12.
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God said, "I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, speaking to them, saying, At eve you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God. And it came to pass that at the even, the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay round about the host." So God sent quails.
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Now, when you go back to Psalm 78, it does not say quails, but it does say feathered fowls or fowls of wing. It could have been any bird, I suppose. But since they had already gotten the taste of quail, it could have been that. So, look in verse 27. The Bible says, "...he rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowls as the sand of the sea, and let it fall in the midst of their camp round about their habitations." So, it was feathered fowls. It was some type of bird. Probably, probably quail. I do not know. At least we know it was some type of bird.
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So, what he's done now, he's given them their desires. Now, let me point something out. I think it's important that you and I understand and note that ungratefulness and unthankfulness leads to fleshly lusts and desires. You're not content with what you have. You're not satisfied with the provision that God has given you. No, you always want more. Let me tell you something. If you never appreciate that which you are given, that which you receive, you will always want more, you will always demand more.
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There is nothing more disgusting than an unthankful, ungrateful, unappreciative ingrate. You know, look, we tend to think that the welfare society began with LBJ. That's not true. The welfare society has always existed and here it is right here in Psalm 78. Because these people could not be satisfied with everything that God had given them. They wanted more and such in such a way they provoke God, they tempted God, they questioned God, they criticized God, they condemned God. Can God do this?
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What if he can do it? Why doesn't he do it? And if he doesn't do it, it just means he doesn't love us like he ought to. And if he doesn't love us like he ought to, he can't be God. Do you realize that's where we are today? That's the welfare society. You look at all of the welfare, quote-unquote, that people get across this country. And they're never satisfied.
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They always want more and more and more. And the more you give, the more unappreciative they are. And the more you give, the more they demand that you give to them. And they call upon their God to give it to them, which happens to be the government. And we must understand that the government cannot give to some unless it takes from others. So, you have this welfare society right here.
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Notice, if you would please, they're saying, we've got to have this specialized meat. We got to have it. We're never satisfied until we get what we want. Ungratefulness, unthankfulness, unappreciativeness always leads to lusts, always. Look at the adultery, fornication in our country. Why? Men don't appreciate their wives. Wives don't appreciate their husbands. They're not thankful. I'm just simply pointing out the fact these are root sins.
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Now let me show you. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Proverbs 30. Proverbs 30. And look at verses 15 and 16. Proverbs 30, verses 15 and 16. Someone says, "But you don't understand, my wife's not young." Well, she may not be young, but at least you have a wife. You may not even have a wife. Well, my wife's no longer attractive. Well, she's still your wife. And the truth of the matter is, you better be thankful because you could not have a wife.
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I'm just simply pointing out an ungrateful, unappreciative, unthankful heart always leads to lust. Now, look in Proverbs chapter 30, if you would please, at verses 15 and 16. "The horse leech hath two daughters." Now you're going to ask me, what is a horse leech? Well, it's just simply a bloodsucker. It's a leech. A leech sucks blood like a tick. In fact, I'm sure that you've heard the definition of politics. "Polly" means many. "Ticks," bloodsuckers. So politicians are a lot of bloodsuckers.
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I mean, that's basically true. But note, if you would, "the horse leech hath two daughters." Who are the two daughters? Some say greed and avarice. Some say lust and desire. It doesn't matter. The truth is right here. "The horse leech hath two daughters crying." What do they cry? "Give! Give! There are three things that are never satisfied. Yea, four things say not it is enough." What does not say it is enough?
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"The grave," the grave always wants more. "The barren woman," she always wants more children. "The earth that is not filled with water," drought. "And fire that says it is not enough." Burns up everything, wants to burn up something else. I suppose we could add one more truth to this passage. We could also add someone who has an ungrateful, unthankful, and unappreciative heart because they always want more. It's never enough for them. Now I want you to understand something. Unbelief and ungratefulness always lead to ungodliness. Ungodliness is the ultimate speaking against God. Because now you are not just speaking against Him with your mouth, you're speaking against Him with your life, with your actions.
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You are deliberately dishonoring and disobeying Him. An ungodly man always dishonors and disobeys God and His law. And it all stems from a failure to glorify God and to be thankful. Let me try to make some applications. The first one is this. Don't misunderstand me when I say this. There is a huge difference between asking God questions for information, for learning, for direction and wisdom than there is in questioning His integrity, His morality, His power, His ability, His love, His grace and wisdom. And whenever we begin to question God, "Why have you done this?"
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"Why is this happening in my life?" It's not that I'm asking for wisdom. It's not that I'm asking for direction. It's "Lord, I'm complaining about why did you let this happen? Lord, if you were smart as I am, you would never have allowed this to happen." You see, it's an elevating of yourself above God and dethroning God is what it amounts to. There's a vast difference between asking God questions and questioning God. A vast difference.
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The second application is this. I would urge you to read through scripture and note how many times we are exhorted, admonished, and commanded to be grateful and thankful. It may really surprise you. If you understood one simple truth, it would change your life forever, I believe. What is that one truth? Here it is. God doesn't owe you anything. Anything you get from Him is grace and mercy. He doesn't owe you life, or health, or finances. He doesn't owe you anything. You've sinned against Him. You're a sinner. You owe Him. He doesn't owe you. And if you understood the fact that God doesn't really owe you anything, then you might come up with the same attitude that Jacob came up with in Genesis 32 and verse 20, when he said to God, "I am not worthy of the least of Thy mercies, and of all the truth which I have shown in Thy service. I'm not worthy of the least of thy mercies." How many of you deserve to wake up this morning? How many of you deserve to have help?
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How many of you deserve to be breathing right now? The answer is none of us. And if we ever understood that God does not really owe us anything, He would tend to make us really thankful and grateful and appreciative for everything that He has done for us. I want you to turn in your Bibles. I want you to hold Psalm 78. We're coming back there one more time. But I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Philippians chapter 4 and look if you would please at verse 6. Here is a verse that will basically sum up everything that I've just told you today. So notice if you would, Philippians chapter 4. And look, if you would please, at verse 6. The Word of God says, "Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." So there are three things in this verse. First of all, be careful for nothing. Secondly, be prayerful about everything. And thirdly, be thankful for anything.
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You say, "Should I be thankful that I stumbled and broke my toe?" Yes. It could have been your foot. It could have been your leg. It could have been your back. It could have been your neck. Yes, you can be thankful for anything. So be careful for nothing, prayerful about everything, and thankful for anything. Now, I want you to go back to Psalm 78. Here's the last application, and I want you to see it. Listen to me.
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Do not allow your ungratefulness, your unthankfulness to lead to your own destruction. What am I talking about? Remember they craved feathered fowls. Well, they got it. Look if you would please, verse 27. "He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea. He let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitation. So they did eat, and were filled. For He gave them their own desire."
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"They were not estranged from their lusts, but while the meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel." Sometimes, when you get your desire, it ends in death. Do not speak against God. Do not question God. Do not criticize God. Do not condemn God. Do not be in unbelief. And do not be ungrateful and unthankful, for that always leads to lust, to idolatry, to immorality, and to wickedness.
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Thank the Lord every morning, every night, and during the day. Thank Him. Do not speak against Him. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. Lord, we have to confess and acknowledge that there have been times that we've spoken against Thee. We've questioned Your providence. We've questioned what You have allowed to happen to us and our families. We've doubted Thee. We ask for repentance. We ask for faith. And we ask, Father, You would help us to be thankful and grateful and appreciative for everything that You've done, for anything that You've done for us, Lord. Without Thee, we are nothing. And without Thee, Lord, we cannot live one second. Help us, Father, to confess that we're not worthy of the least of Thy mercies, and especially, Lord, of Thy truth that You've showed unto us. Help us to praise Thy holy name. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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so so
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T15:16:15Z

Speaking Against God

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver examines Psalm 78:19 to show how God's covenant people spoke against Him by questioning His ability and provision. He explains that justification is a legal declaration, and when we justify ourselves, we condemn God. The sermon identifies unbelief, ungratefulness, and unthankfulness as root sins that lead to speaking against God, and urges believers to trust God, be thankful, and avoid the destruction that comes from demanding one's own desires.

Introduction: The Reality of Speaking Against God

Weaver introduces Psalm 78:19 and poses the question of whether we would criticize, question, or condemn God, noting that many do so without denying or cursing Him.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 78:19

"Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?"

Justification as a Legal Declaration

And the answer is because Scripture tells us. Let me just quote several verses, and then I want you to look at several as well. The first one is Deuteronomy chapter 25 and verse 1. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 25:1

"If there be a controversy between men, and they come to the judgment, and the judges judge them, then they, the judges, shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked."

Justifying God vs. Justifying Self

Scripture Reading — Luke 7:29

"And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John."

Now the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Luke 7:29

"And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God."

God is righteous. We're unrighteous. God's word is true. Our word is false. And so by justifying God, they were pronouncing God legally right. And at the same time, they were condemning themselves.

Now, let me show you something else. Look at Luke chapter 16 and verse 15, Luke 16. In fact, let's read verse 14 as well, because here we're dealing with the Pharisees. And verse 14 says this,

Scripture Reading — Luke 16:14-15

"And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him."

So Jesus Christ is teaching and preaching, and when the Pharisees hear what he says, they mock him, they deride him, they make fun of him. Verse 15,

Scripture Reading — Luke 16:14-15

"And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God."

Speaking Against God Through Questioning

And I can give you a good illustration of that. In fact, you can find it in Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, in 2 Chronicles 32 and verse 16. The Bible says this,

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 32:16

"And his servants spake yet more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah."

Biblical Examples of Questioning God

Weaver cites Genesis 3:1 (the serpent's question), Mark 9:22 (the father's 'if thou canst'), and Matthew 8:2 (the leper's better question) to illustrate how questions can imply doubt or faith.

Oh, I mean Luke, that's why I couldn't get it. All right, look in Mark 9 and verse 22. Here it is.

Scripture Reading — Mark 9:22

"And oft times it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him."

But look what the Father asked our Lord.

Scripture Reading — Mark 9:22

"But if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us."

Can you imagine someone asking the Lord Jesus Christ,

Scripture Reading — Mark 9:22

"if thou canst do anything"

Scripture Reading — Mark 9:22

"if thou canst do anything."

Scripture Reading — Mark 9:22

"if thou canst do anything, please help me."

Scripture Reading — Matthew 8:1-2

"When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."

The Sin of Unbelief

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 11:1

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

So faith then is not some blind belief or hope. Faith is described as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 11:1

So if I visited Steve and I asked him, "Do you own this house?" And he said, "Yes." And I would say, "Prove it to me." And he would reach in a drawer and pull out a title deed and said, "Here's the deed. And here it is in my name. I own this house." Now, the reason I say that is that is exactly what the word "evidence" means. So you could read Hebrews 11 and verse 1 like this. "Now faith is the substance. It is the foundation. It is the very basis of things hoped for, and the title deed of things not seen." So faith then is not some blind belief. It always rests solidly upon a foundation and that foundation is the person and work of God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ as it is revealed in His Word. So unbelief speaks against God because it is a denial of God's person, His power, His position, and His perfections. So mark it down, anytime anyone begins to speak against God, it is an expression of unbelief.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 78:11-20

"And forgot his works and his wonders that he had showed them."

Now he's going to name some of them.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 78:11-20

"Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and He made the waters to stand as a heap. In the daytime also He led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire."

The Sins of Ungratefulness and Unthankfulness

Weaver shows from Psalm 78:11-20 that Israel forgot God's works and were ungrateful, which led to lust and questioning. He connects ungratefulness to idolatry and immorality using Romans 1:21-27.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 78:11-20

"And forgot his works and his wonders that he had showed them."

Now he's going to name some of them.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 78:11-20

"Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and He made the waters to stand as a heap. In the daytime also He led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire."

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:21-27

"Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen."

Scripture Reading — Exodus 19:4

"You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bear you on eagles' wings and brought you unto Myself."

He said,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 19:4

"You saw how I destroyed the Egyptians, and I bear you on eagles' wings and brought you unto Myself."

God's Provision and Israel's Discontent

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 8:2-4

"And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know. Why? That he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live."

Now look what else he says.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 8:2-4

"Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell these forty years."

So God preserved them physically. He preserved their clothes and their feet did not swell from all of the walking.

The Insatiable Nature of Lust

Using Proverbs 30:15-16, Weaver compares ungrateful hearts to the horse leech's daughters crying 'Give, give,' and warns that unthankfulness always leads to more lust and ultimately ungodliness.

Applications: Trust, Thankfulness, and Warning

Speaking Against God

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	i5hO_GxAs2o
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Justification, Faith, and Imputed Righteousness: Sola Fide And Justification
Genre	Sermon
Date	2021-01-21
Dictation Name
Book	Book 131: Romans: Justification, Faith, and Imputed Righteousness — Chapter 19
Source Timed Segments	76

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Reality of Speaking Against God: Weaver introduces Psalm 78:19 and poses the question of whether we would criticize, question, or condemn God, noting that many do so without denying or cursing Him.
Justification as a Legal Declaration: Weaver explains that justification is a forensic term meaning to declare righteous, not to infuse righteousness. He uses Deuteronomy 25:1 and Proverbs 17:15 to show that justifying the wicked or condemning the just is an abomination.
Justifying God vs. Justifying Self: Using Luke 7:29 and Luke 16:15, Weaver demonstrates that justifying God means declaring Him right, while justifying oneself means declaring oneself right and God wrong, which is a form of condemning God.
Speaking Against God Through Questioning: Weaver returns to Psalm 78:19, explaining that the Hebrew word for 'spake' means to declare or pronounce. He shows that questioning God's ability, power, love, or mercy is speaking against Him, and notes that it was God's own people who did this.
Biblical Examples of Questioning God: Weaver cites Genesis 3:1 (the serpent's question), Mark 9:22 (the father's 'if thou canst'), and Matthew 8:2 (the leper's better question) to illustrate how questions can imply doubt or faith.
The Sin of Unbelief: Weaver identifies unbelief as the first sin in speaking against God, citing Psalm 78:22 and Hebrews 11:6. He explains that faith is substance and evidence, not blind hope, and that questioning God expresses doubt and mistrust.
The Sins of Ungratefulness and Unthankfulness: Weaver shows from Psalm 78:11-20 that Israel forgot God's works and were ungrateful, which led to lust and questioning. He connects ungratefulness to idolatry and immorality using Romans 1:21-27.
God's Provision and Israel's Discontent: Weaver details God's abundant provision in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2-4, Psalm 78:23-25) and contrasts it with Israel's demand for specialized meat, illustrating how ungratefulness leads to fleshly lusts.
The Insatiable Nature of Lust: Using Proverbs 30:15-16, Weaver compares ungrateful hearts to the horse leech's daughters crying 'Give, give,' and warns that unthankfulness always leads to more lust and ultimately ungodliness.
Applications: Trust, Thankfulness, and Warning: Weaver applies the message by distinguishing between asking God questions and questioning God, urging gratitude because God owes us nothing, and warning that getting one's desires can lead to destruction, as seen in Psalm 78:27-31.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Justifying oneself is condemning God

When we justify our actions contrary to Scripture, we legally declare ourselves right and God wrong, which is speaking against Him.

Luke 16:15: Pharisees justified themselves before men. Weaver states, 'A failure to justify God means that you actually condemn God.'

Questioning God's ability is unbelief

The question 'Can God furnish a table?' questions God's omnipotence and expresses doubt, which is the essence of unbelief.

Psalm 78:19, 22. Weaver: 'Unbelief is always expressed in questioning God.'

Ungratefulness leads to idolatry and immorality

Romans 1 shows that not glorifying God and being unthankful results in idolatry and sexual perversion.

Romans 1:21-27. Weaver: 'Their unwillingness to glorify God and their unthankfulness... led to their idolatry and their immorality.'

God owes us nothing, so we should be thankful

Everything we receive is grace; recognizing this fosters gratitude and prevents speaking against God.

Genesis 32:10: Jacob said, 'I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies.' Weaver: 'God doesn't owe you anything.'

Desires fulfilled can bring judgment

God gave Israel the meat they craved, but His wrath killed them while they ate, showing that getting what we want can be destructive.

Psalm 78:27-31. Weaver: 'Sometimes, when you get your desire, it ends in death.'

Scripture References

Psalm 78:19: The main text: 'Yea, they spake against God. They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?'
Job 34:17: Elihu asks Job if he will condemn God who is most just.
Job 32:2: Elihu's anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God.
Deuteronomy 25:1: Judges justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, showing justification is a legal declaration.
Proverbs 17:15: He that justifies the wicked and condemns the just is an abomination to the Lord.
Luke 7:29: The people and publicans justified God by declaring Him right.
Luke 16:14-15: Pharisees justified themselves before men, but God knows their hearts.
2 Chronicles 32:16: Sennacherib's servants spoke against God and Hezekiah.
Psalm 78:1: The psalm is addressed to God's people.
Genesis 3:1, 4-5: The serpent questions God's word and insinuates God is withholding good.
Mark 9:22: A father asks Jesus, 'If thou canst do anything,' implying doubt.
Matthew 8:1-2: The leper says, 'Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean,' showing faith in Jesus' ability.
Numbers 21:4-6: Israel spoke against God and Moses, loathing the manna, and God sent fiery serpents.
Hebrews 11:6: Without faith it is impossible to please God; one must believe He is and rewards seekers.
Hebrews 11:1: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Psalm 78:11-20: Israel forgot God's works, tempted God, and spoke against Him.
Romans 1:21-27: Unthankfulness leads to idolatry and immorality.
Exodus 19:4: God bore Israel on eagles' wings.
Deuteronomy 8:2-4: God humbled Israel, fed them manna, and preserved their clothes and feet.
Nehemiah 9:21: Forty years God sustained Israel so they lacked nothing.

Historical References

Charles Haddon Spurgeon: Weaver quotes Spurgeon's commentary on Psalm 78:19 regarding questioning God's ability and ungratefulness.
Sennacherib, the Assyrian king: Mentioned as an example of the wicked speaking against God and His servant Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:16).
LBJ (Lyndon B. Johnson): Weaver references LBJ to illustrate that the welfare society did not begin with him but has always existed, as seen in Israel's demands.

Important Quotes

A failure to justify God means that you actually condemn God.

Summarizes the core argument that self-justification is a form of condemning God.

They who will not be content will speak against providence even when it daily loaded them with benefits.

A quote from Spurgeon highlighting how discontent leads to speaking against God despite His blessings.

Unbelief is always expressed in questioning God.

Directly links questioning God to the sin of unbelief.

God doesn't owe you anything. Anything you get from Him is grace and mercy.

A key application point emphasizing that gratitude should stem from recognizing God's unmerited favor.

Sometimes, when you get your desire, it ends in death.

A sober warning that fulfilled lusts can bring God's judgment.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways might we 'speak against God' without realizing it, similar to the Israelites in Psalm 78?

[Context]

Weaver explains that questioning God's provision or justifying ourselves can be forms of speaking against Him.

[Question]

How does understanding justification as a legal declaration change the way we view self-justification?

[Context]

Weaver teaches that justifying ourselves is declaring ourselves right and God wrong.

[Question]

What is the difference between asking God questions for wisdom and questioning God's character?

[Context]

Weaver distinguishes between seeking information and challenging God's integrity.

[Question]

Why are ungratefulness and unthankfulness considered 'root sins'?

[Context]

Weaver shows from Romans 1 that unthankfulness leads to idolatry and immorality.

[Question]

How can we cultivate a heart of gratitude when we feel discontent with our circumstances?

[Context]

Weaver urges thankfulness by remembering that God owes us nothing and everything is grace.

[Question]

What does the account of God giving Israel quail and then striking them down teach us about the danger of demanding our desires?

[Context]

Weaver warns that getting what we lust after can lead to destruction.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T04:27:16Z