Clean Transcript

Humility And Revival

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• He's taking us today to a passage everyone knows: 2 Chronicles chapter 7 and verse 14. 2 Chronicles 7:14. The title of the message is "Humility and Revival." This may surprise you as we look at this text. 2 Chronicles 7:14: God says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." I get amused sometimes when I see church marquees and church boards where they're saying, "Revival, July 7 through 10," or "Revival, March 8 through 15." You know, it's almost like we can just choose a date and automatically there's going to be a revival.

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• Interestingly enough, when you look at the word "revive" in the Bible, David prayed, "Revive me, O Lord." So that is a personal revival. He also prayed, "Revive us, O Lord." So that would be a corporate or an ecclesiastical revival. And then when you get to the book of Habakkuk, he prays, "Revive thy work, O Lord, in the midst of the years." So there's a personal revival, there's a corporate revival, and there is indeed a revival of God's work. And when you look at 2 Chronicles 7 and verse 14, it is a verse that practically every Christian can quote. And many non-Christians can quote it, and those who are not able to quote this verse, at least they are familiar with the passage.

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• I've preached on humility a number of times. I have a message which I have labeled "Biblical Humility." I preached another message on "Humility and Obedience." And then there was one on "The Humility of God" from Psalm 113, verses 4 through 6. And I want you to just listen to that passage. I'll read it just momentarily: "The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth?" So when you stop and think about the humility of God, how God condescends just to look at us and to look at his creation—humility on his part.

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• Now, the thing that I find fascinating about 2 Chronicles 7:14 is one word, and I'm going to share with you a little bit later on what brought my attention back to this verse. But if you'll look at it, he said, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land." I find it absolutely astonishing that when you look at this verse, humility precedes prayer. Humility precedes seeking God's face. Humility precedes turning from our wicked ways. In other words, humility, according to this verse, precedes each and every one of these aspects of spirituality and godliness, and therefore humility should be dominant in our lives. Now, there are a number of words in the Hebrew Old Testament and also in the Greek New Testament from which we get the word "humility" or "humble" or "humbleness." It just so happens in 2 Chronicles 7 and verse 14, the Hebrew word for humility here or humble is the word "kana," which literally means to be humbled, to be brought low, to be brought in subjection, to be subdued, and to be brought down.

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• Now, there are several Hebrew words that are used in the Old Testament that refer to humbleness or humility. But what I'd like to do right now is this: just show you several passages where this same Hebrew word is used, so that we can draw a biblical perspective on humility. So I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, first of all, to 2 Kings 22.

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• Since most of us can quote 2 Chronicles 7:14, I don't think we need to hold it. We can quote it, but look in your Bibles to 2 Kings 22, and let's read verses 18 and 19. And of course, this is referring to Josiah, who happened to be a very godly king. So the scripture says in 2 Kings 22 in verse 18, "But to the king of Judah, which sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you send him. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, as touching the words which thou hast heard," that is, the law of God had been read unto him. God says, "Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me, I have also heard thee, saith the Lord." So in this instance, it's interesting that humility, biblical humility, will lead to what you and I would call godly sorrow or a godly concern as well, and also a tenderness before the Lord and a demonstration of belief and faith in His Word.

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• God says, because you listened to me, I'm going to listen to you. And your heart was tender. There should be in each life what you and I would call a godly sorrow. It was the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 7:10 who said, "Godly sorrow worketh a repentance not to be repented of, but the sorrow of this world worketh death." And so in real biblical humility, there is indeed a godly sorrow.

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• And I believe this to be absolutely true, especially in any aged believer. Those of us who have been spared by the grace of God to live a good long life, when we think back on all the sins that we've committed and all the things that we've done stupidly and wickedly, we grieve over those things and we wish a thousand times that we had never done those things. And I've often said, I would not mind living my life over if I could know then what I know now, because certainly we would have saved ourselves, I think, from a lot of error and a lot of sin and a lot of heartache and trouble.

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• But in this passage, humility is dealing with a godly sorrow and a tenderness, a belief in God's Word. So if you will turn in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 12, and look, if you would please, there at verses 6 and 7. 2 Chronicles chapter 12, verses 6 and 7. Again, we're looking at the very same word that is found in 2 Chronicles 7 and verse 14. So in 2 Chronicles chapter 12, we're talking now about King Rehoboam. Notice, if you would please, verse 6. The Bible says, "Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous. And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak." Now, Shishak happened to be the king or the pharaoh of Egypt, and Rehoboam, of course, had sinned against God. He was basically a tyrant, and certainly the princes sinned with him as well.

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• And so when the word of God came that they were going to be destroyed, the Bible says they humbled themselves. That is, they were not stupid enough to fight against God. And they were willing to acknowledge. In fact, they said in verse 6, "The Lord is righteous." In other words, we're wrong. We're wicked. We're the sinners. We've done that which is wicked and wrong and deserving of judgment. But God is absolutely and totally righteous. So biblical humility then eagerly is willing to confess and acknowledge our sin. But moreover, it also leads to a declaration and a confession of the justice of God and the righteousness of God. So I want you to note also in this instance, humility also led to a reprieve in the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem as well as a reprieve in the destruction of Rehoboam and these princes. I want to also remind you that Ahab was the most wicked king in Israel.

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• And I think it's 1 Kings 21. I'm not sure exactly of the chapter right now, but when Elijah told him that, you know, God's going to clean your plow, God's going to kill you, he humbled himself. The Bible says before the Lord, and God came to Elijah and he said, "I'm not going to kill him right now because he's at least humbled himself before me." And so even for a wicked, ungodly reprobate like Ahab, God gave him a reprieve over his humility.

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• So if you look down in verse 12 of 2 Chronicles 12, we'll find this concerning Rehoboam: "And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether. And also in Judah things went well." Through biblical humility then, God gave Rehoboam a reprieve and certainly continued to bless and help that nation even though they had sinned against him. When you think about King Hezekiah, Hezekiah was a godly man and a godly king, and he is the one who tried to bring Israel back to the Lord through a biblical covenant. And also the hand of God was upon him as well as upon some of the folks in the Northern Kingdom.

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• So let me show you. Look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 30, and let's begin reading there with verses 11 and 12. 2 Chronicles chapter 30, verses 11 and 12. So what Hezekiah has done is he has sent posts, he has sent writers throughout Judah, Jerusalem, and also into the northern kingdom, encouraging them to come back to the Lord, to come back under a covenant, and to come and keep the Passover. But notice, if you would please, in verse 11, the Bible says, "Nevertheless, divers of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun"—these are all in the northern kingdom—"humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. Also, in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the word of the Lord."

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• Now, I want you to note something. Humility, according to this passage, prompted obedience to the point that these people in the northern kingdom were willing to endure mockery and ridicule to come down to Jerusalem and worship the Lord. Moreover, they were not only willing to endure mockery and ridicule, they were also willing to disobey the king of Israel. May I remind you that Jeroboam is the king who made the two golden calves. And he said, "You should not go down to Jerusalem. You're going to worship right here. These be thy God, O Israel, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." And so these people humbled themselves, the Bible said, and went down to Jerusalem anyhow. But the interesting thing is this: when you look in verse 12, "Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the word of the Lord." In other words, these people from the northern kingdom as well as the southern kingdom now are willing to work together to worship God and to honor Him.

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• It's very difficult today to find even preachers that are willing to work together. It's difficult to find Christians that are willing to work together. And the reason being is because there's no real genuine biblical humility. It seems as if nobody's willing to do anything unless they can receive all the pride and all the glory. No, but the Bible tells us very clearly that once again, if you have biblical humility, you will be willing to endure the mockery and the ridicule and do whatever is necessary to obey God.

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• Now I want you to look in 2 Chronicles 32, because again, here's Hezekiah when he lifted up himself and when God healed him, and yet he did not give God sufficient glory. So in 2 Chronicles 32, verse 25, the Bible says, "But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah."

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• So once again, we are seeing where biblical humility is one of the reasons why God gives a reprieve to a nation, instead of destroying that nation right away. Now, I hope you understand something just from this text, and that is that humility is the opposite of pride. You remember last week I brought this message on "The Cure for the Sin of Pride." And I find it interesting that the Lord led this week in me bringing this message on "Humility and Revival," because pride and humility are indeed direct opposites.

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• Now, let me show you. If you will hold 2 Chronicles, but turn over in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs 16—I'm sorry, Proverbs chapter 6. Proverbs chapter 6 and verse 16. Proverbs chapter 6 and verse 16. Look at it. The Bible says, "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination to him."

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• Now, may I remind you that the word "abomination" literally means a stench in God's nostrils. He can't stand it. So, seven are an abomination unto him. What are they? The first one is a proud look. Isn't that amazing? A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among the brethren.

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• But note, he said, "These six things doth the Lord hate." And the very first one mentioned is indeed a proud heart.

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• Now, since you're in the book of Proverbs, if you want to look at Proverbs 16 and verse 5, I think this passage has wonderful ramifications for today. So if you look at Proverbs 16 and verse 5, the Bible says this again: "Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord"—that is, he's a stench in God's nostrils—"everyone that's proud in heart." Now watch this latter part though: "Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished." I want you to just stop and think about this. Look at all the arrogant, proud, haughty billionaires, trillionaires who are trying to give us a great reset and destroy humanity and destroy the earth and everything else. And look what God says: "Though hand join in hand, they shall not go unpunished."

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• You remember, I hope you heard where this Yuval Noah Harari, I guess that's how you pronounce his last name, he has come out and said that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a myth, that the Bible is not the word of God, and he is the chief advisor to Klaus Schwab. So, I mean, "Though hand join in hand, they shall not be unpunished." So it doesn't matter how strong they are and how they try to strengthen themselves. God said they will indeed be punished. So everyone that's proud in heart is an abomination to God.

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• Now, look back in your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Chronicles chapter 33. And let's begin reading there with verse 21.

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• Now, here's something that we need to put down. We need to understand this. In 2 Chronicles 33 and verse 21, we read about Ammon, who was the son of Manasseh. Now, just like Ahab was the most wicked king in the northern kingdom, Manasseh was the most wicked king in the southern kingdom. And so the Bible says in verse 21 of 2 Chronicles 33, "Ammon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem." That's not very long. Watch, if you would, verse 22: "But he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his father: for Ammon sacrificed unto all the carved images, which Manasseh his father had made, and served them; and humbled not himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Ammon trespassed more and more." I want you to note something.

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• The absence of biblical humility not only leads to pride and arrogance and haughtiness, but it also leads to all kinds of sin and wickedness. The Bible tells us that the reason Ammon trespassed more and more, the reason he sinned more and more, was because he did not humble himself. You remember what the Apostle Paul said in the book of Romans chapter 3 and verse 18, when he's talking about the wicked, he said, "There is no fear of God before their eyes." And so since there is no fear of God, there is no humility in them. And consequently they sin more and more. So with a lack of biblical humility, there's nothing more than an abundance of sin.

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• Look, if you would, at what's going on in our nation. Someone has proclaimed June as Pride Month. How in the world can you have pride in that which is wicked, wrong, unbiblical, ungodly, and is hated by God, and even is truly unlawful according to our own laws? And yet, it's just absolutely—we are insane, and we do not understand that one of the reasons we are deteriorating and falling apart in this country is because of a lack of biblical humility, because that lack leads us into deeper sin and to more sin as well. So I want you to look now to 2 Chronicles chapter 36. 2 Chronicles chapter 36. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 11. This is King Zedekiah. And Zedekiah was the man that Nebuchadnezzar took down. So notice 2 Chronicles 36 and verse 11.

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• "Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord." Wow. Here is another truth. Here is a golden nugget concerning biblical humility. Biblical humility listens to those who are preaching the Word of God. Biblical humility will always listen to the Scripture. Jeremiah preached to King Zedekiah. Zedekiah believed that he was above Jeremiah, and he was above the Lord. He listened not to Jeremiah. He listened not to the Lord. Therefore, he was elevating himself above both of them. He was an idolater, and God destroyed him because of his pride and his arrogance.

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• Now, just thinking about these verses where the same Hebrew word is used as we find in 2 Chronicles 7:14, I want you to think about this. Let's try to put this together. According to all of these verses, biblical humility involves a tenderness, a godly sorrow, a concern for the Word of God, a confession that God is righteous, that God is just. Biblical humility is willing to endure mockery and ridicule. Biblical humility is ready to disobey man that it might obey God. And when you do not have biblical humility, how in the world can we expect to escape God's judgment? Because in each of these instances where God gave a reprieve to these kings and to these nations, it was because they humbled themselves before God. Now, I want you to think with me. 2 Chronicles 7:14.

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• He said, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and I'll forgive their sin and heal their land." So let me put this out again. If there is no humility, there is no prayer. If there is no humility, there's no seeking the face of God. If there is no humility, there's not going to be any repentance whatsoever.

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• So let me make this very plain. There cannot be any revival apart from biblical humility, because God said humility precedes everything.

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• Now, I want to show you the passage that got me started on 2 Chronicles 7:14 on the word "humble." I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Jeremiah chapter 44, Jeremiah 44 and verse 10. I was reading through the book of Jeremiah and this verse just really jumped out at me and it almost hit me like a sledgehammer. In Jeremiah 44:10, we're going to come back and get the context.

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• But look what God said about the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. Look what he said: "They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes that I set before you and before your fathers." Isn't that plain? Isn't that simple? God says they're not humbled because they have not been humbled. There is no fear of God before their eyes because they have not humbled themselves. They're not concerned about walking in God's commandments. They're not concerned about walking in God's statutes. God said, "I've given you my word, but you've not humbled yourself to obey that word."

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• Now, let me show you the context. Let's begin reading with verse 1, and we'll read through verse 12. And we're going to come back to verse 10. Here's verse 1: "The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all

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• the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein, because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers. Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing which I hate. But they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear unto me to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods." In fact, they were burning incense to the queen of heaven. Verse 6: "Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day. Therefore now thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain; in that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your

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• hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be going to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes that I set before you and before your fathers. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah. And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine.

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• And they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach." Wow. Judah and Jerusalem had been defeated by Nebuchadnezzar. People had been slain left and right. A number of them had already been taken into captivity into Babylon.

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• Now, what you find is this. Nebuchadnezzar has left the poorest of the land in the land to just till the land and keep it from being overgrown. And that was it. He also made Gedaliah the governor of the land. And Gedaliah was telling all the people what they should do is to fear not and serve the king of Nebuchadnezzar and all would be well. Well, there was a man by the name of Ishmael who came up and murdered Gedaliah. He not only murdered Gedaliah, he murdered the Babylonian soldiers that were left there. He murdered some other folks as well. And then Johanan, the son of Kareah, and some of the other proud men went after Ishmael and tried to capture him, but he escaped, the Bible tells us. And so now, basically what has happened, fear has set in, and they realize that Nebuchadnezzar is going to be extremely upset, and he's going to seek retribution upon them, although they did not do anything themselves. So they're in trouble and they realize they're in trouble.

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• So they go to Jeremiah the prophet, and they make a proposition to Jeremiah. They said, "What we want you to do is this. We want you to pray and to seek God for us. And we are willing to do whatever he says, whether it be good or whether it be evil." So look in your Bibles, Jeremiah chapter 42 in verses 5 and 6. In fact, let's read there in verse 3. Look at verse 3. They've come to Jeremiah. They said, "Ask him to pray that the Lord thy God may show us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do." Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the Lord your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the Lord shall answer you,

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• I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you." Then they said to Jeremiah, "The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the Lord our God." So now they've promised they're going to obey whatever God tells them. Oh, Jeremiah prayed for ten days. And after ten days God spoke to Jeremiah. So let's begin reading in verse 9 and read through verse 19. I want you to see how plain the will of God is made. Verse 9: "And said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;

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• If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the Lord: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. And I will show mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land. But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the Lord your God, saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: and now therefore hear the word of the Lord, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall

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• die. So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them. For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more. Watch carefully. Verse 19: "The Lord hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt."

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• No, certainly that I have admonished you this day. Now note, "Go not into the land of Egypt." In other words, God made it very plain. The answer was clear and concise. If you go down into Egypt, you will die. That's all there is to it. I want you to see how they responded to this message. If you look in Jeremiah 43, beginning there verse 1: "And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, even all these words, then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: but Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon. So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the Lord, to dwell in the land of Judah."

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• Wow. Now, if you have not read through the book of Jeremiah recently, I want you to know that Johanan and all of these proud men kidnapped Jeremiah and Baruch and what was left of the people and took them into Egypt. When they got there, God told Jeremiah, "You take you some stones and place them in a certain spot." And when Jeremiah placed those stones right where God told him to place them, God said, "I'm telling you now why I want you to place these stones. Because Nebuchadnezzar is going to put his throne right here." So they were running from Nebuchadnezzar and they ran right into Nebuchadnezzar. They were running from the sword and ran right into the sword. They were running from famine and pestilence and ran right into it. God told them, "If you stay in the land, I will have mercy upon you. I'll check Nebuchadnezzar. I'll build you and not tear you down. I'll plant you and not pluck you up. Just obey me." Now I want you to take note of several facts.

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• First of all, these people would not hear or heed the preacher of God, and consequently, they would not hear God himself because God was speaking through Jeremiah. Secondly, they continued to worship their false gods. You can read this for yourself in the book of Jeremiah. They were making cakes for the queen of heaven. And they told Jeremiah that when they got into Egypt, that they were going to continue making cakes and worshiping the queen of heaven, because they said, "When we made cakes and worshiped the queen of heaven,

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• we had plenty to eat and we didn't have any problem." Jeremiah said, "What's wrong with you? Are you folks stupid now?" I paraphrase that very obviously, but he said, "Do you understand that's what you were doing in Judah and Jerusalem? That is why God destroyed Judah and Jerusalem, and you're going to do it here. And now God's going to destroy you right here." So they did not cease in their idolatry at all.

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• Thirdly, their sins and their rebellion brought forth the righteous judgment of God, which is very clear. And fourthly, they did not even consider the sins of their own rulers, nor the sins of their princes, nor their own sins or the sins of their wives, because it was their wives who were making the cakes for the queen of heaven and the men were worshiping the queen of heaven with their wives.

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• So if you look back in Jeremiah 44 and verse 10, I hope you see now how this verse sums up everything that I've said so far. God said, "They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes that I set before you and before your fathers."

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• Now, the word "humbled" is from the Hebrew word "daka," Hebrew word "daka," and it literally means to be crushed, to be shattered, to be devastated. It means to be contrite, to be broken, to be humbled. So if you'd hold Jeremiah 44 and look back in your Bibles to Psalm 51, Psalm 51 is one of the penitential Psalms that David wrote. In this Psalm, he's certainly confessing and acknowledging his sin, but he goes farther.

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• He says in verse 16, talking to God, "For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." So, a humbled heart is one that is genuinely broken over sins, wickedness, and rebellion. It's only a humbled heart that prays. It's only a humbled heart that seeks after God. It's only a humble heart that turns and obeys God.

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• I want you to look in your Bible since you're close there to Psalm 69, Psalm 69. And look, if you would please, at verse 32. Psalm 69, verse 32, he says, "The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. For the Lord heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners." So it's interesting that when God is talking about biblical humility, it's always cast in 2 Chronicles 7:14 in reference to a revival.

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• Now, I want to show you how this is exactly the same in the New Testament. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, first of all, to Matthew chapter 18. And as you turn to Matthew chapter 18, the New Testament demands humility, just as the Old Testament demands humility. One of the Greek words that is very prominent in the New Testament is the word "tapeinoō."

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• And it literally means to be devoid of haughtiness, it means to abase, to be made low, to assume a lower place, and to be humble. So, you're going to see this word in these passages. Look, if you would, at verse 3, Matthew 18. Our Lord said, "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Note, if you would, "whosoever shall humble himself as this little child." Have you ever stopped and thought about and observed little children? I know most of you've had children, but the truth of the matter is this. A little child is so trusting and so believing. You can tell a little child the moon is made of blue cheese, you know, they'll smile and agree with you. I mean, they're just so humble. Not only that, they're so obedient. You look at a little four or five-year-old child that's been raised correctly, they are always obedient.

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• Usually when they hit the teenage years, that's when they start thinking, "Well, I'm an adult now. I don't need to obey. I can do this." No, no, no, no. But usually this is what we're talking about: a little child. He said, "If you don't humble yourself," He said, "You're not gonna even receive the kingdom of heaven." This is a little child. Look in Matthew 23 and verse 12. Matthew 23:12. You'll see it again. He said, "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." So if we exalt ourselves, God's going to bring us down. He said, if we humble ourselves, God will lift us up.

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• Now, let me show you another one that's very interesting. If you will turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 12, 2 Corinthians chapter 12. And look, if you would please, at verse 21. 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 21. The Apostle Paul, in talking of these Corinthians, says this, "And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed." But look what he said, "And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you."

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• Are you listening to me? It takes humility to reprove and rebuke and exhort. All of our rebuking, all of our reproving, all of our exhortation should not be out of pride, arrogance. It should be out of a biblical humility. You remember that passage in Galatians chapter 6? Well, you're right there at it. Just turn over to Galatians chapter 6. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 1. Galatians 6 and verse 1.

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• He says, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." So what did God say? God said we are to seek to restore someone who's fallen in a spirit of meekness. That is a spirit of humility, a spirit of brokenness, because we have to understand if it were not for the grace and mercy of God, it would be us who had fallen and we would need rebuking, reproving and exhorting as well.

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• So since you're close there, turn right over to James chapter 4. We looked at this passage last week, but I did not emphasize this word, but I will this week. So look in James 4, if you would, in verse 6. The Bible says, "But he"—that is God—"giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." So if we want more grace, God says he gives it only unto the humble. Wow. Skip down to verse 10. He says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Then if you'll look in 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 5, again, this is not on God fighting against the proud. He does that. The Bible says that, but look in verse 5 again. 1 Peter chapter 5. He says, "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.

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• Yea, all of you be subject one to another. Look at this: and be clothed with humility. Why? For God resisteth the proud. He fights against the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble.

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• Now watch verse 6 again: "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." There's not going to be any exaltation apart from humility. And God says our humility should be something that we wear. In other words, we're to be clothed with humility. That is, it is to pervade our minds, our bodies, our spirits, our attitudes, everything about us. And if we humble ourselves, he said he will exalt us in due time.

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• Now, if you will turn back in your Bibles to the book of Philippians chapter 2, I'm going to show you a passage that I'm sure that you're absolutely aware of. And yet this is the apex of humility. Look at it. Philippians chapter 2 and begin there with verse 5. Look what the Bible says. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,

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• and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Jesus Christ humbled himself to obey. He humbled himself to suffer, bleed and die. Wherefore God also highly exalted him. What have we been reading? He that exalteth himself shall be abased. He that abaseth himself shall be exalted.

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• What the New Testament is teaching us is this. Humility is the reception of truth as a little child. Humility is the avenue to receive more grace. Humility is the position in which one is to be lifted up. Humility is the place of subjection. And above all, humility is to have the mind of Jesus Christ. Because the mind of Christ was a mind of lowliness and a mind of obedience. It was a mind that was intent on obeying his heavenly Father. There will never, ever be a revival either personally, corporately, or of God's work without humility.

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• Now let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. We may host all the revival meetings that we wish to host. We may hold all the Bible conferences that we desire. But the truth of the matter is, there will never, ever be a revival or restoration apart from biblical humility. And, Lord, we have to learn to seek God with a humble mind and a contrite spirit. One that's willing to acknowledge our sins, our wickednesses, and to acknowledge God's justice and God's righteousness. It was Jeremiah who said in Lamentations 1:18,

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• "The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandments." In other words, all the judgment that God sent upon Judah and Jerusalem, Jeremiah is confessing, "The Lord is righteous, because I've rebelled. I've sinned, and so have all the other people." I want to show you a verse. I want you to look in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 57 and verse 15. Isaiah 57 and verse 15. And this passage goes right along with 2 Chronicles 7 and verse 14. It goes right along with everything that I've been teaching on biblical humility. So in Isaiah 57 and verse 15, look what the Bible says.

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• "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity"—so we're talking about the eternal God—"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Who is God going to revive? The humble and the contrite. God says, "I dwell in the high and holy place, but I also dwell in the hearts and in the lives of those who have a humble spirit and a contrite heart." You know, we're never ever going to have a revival without biblical humility. Here's the second application.

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• Pride sets us up for destruction. Everyone in this room can probably quote Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." And it does. I think of Nebuchadnezzar. He was a proud, arrogant, haughty monarch. And God sent Daniel to him to interpret his dream. And Daniel told him, "You're going to be driven insane for seven years. You're going to eat grass like an ox. The dew of heaven is going to fall over you. Your fingernails are going to grow like bird's claws. You'll be insane." After the seven years, when God restored him, he said in Daniel 4:37, "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase." He said, "I've learned that God can bring a man down. And all those that walk in pride, God will bring down, because pride is a stench in God's nostrils, and God hates it."

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• But if we want a genuine biblical revival in this land, it has to start with biblical humility. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves"—that's the first. Without that humility, we will not seek God, we will not turn from our wicked ways, we will not cry unto Him, and therefore He will not forgive our sins and heal our land. Humility. Peter says, "Be clothed with humility." Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your help and your grace and your mercy.

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• And Lord, we confess the sin of pride in our lives so many times. We also confess, Father, the lack of real biblical humility. And the lack of real sorrow and contriteness over our sins and the sins of our leaders and the sins of others. We're not broken. We're not crushed. We're not grieved. And we're in no state for a real, genuine revival. But we ask thee, O Lord, to prepare our hearts and give us, Lord, a broken and contrite heart, that we may walk humbly before thee, to fear thee, to keep thy law and thy statutes, and to honor thee in all of our lives.

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• In Christ's name we pray, amen.

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• so so

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T19:21:06Z