Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need

Is Your Back Against The Wall Yet - Part 2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Covenant Theology

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2023-02-02

Synopsis: In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver continues his exposition of Judges 6, emphasizing that God uses chastening and judgment to awaken His people and the nation. He contrasts judgment on enemies with chastening on sons, showing that Israel's suffering under Midian was due to their sin. The sermon warns that America is following a similar path of rebellion and will face severe consequences unless there is repentance. The key point is that people only cry out to God when their backs are against the wall, and God in His compassion sends a preacher to call them to repentance.

[John Weaver] Then to the book of Judges chapter 6 and we're going to read the first 10 verses Judges chapter 6 and this is the second part of the message is your back against the wall yet So look in Judges chapter 6 And we shall begin reading there with verse one. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. And because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them the dens, which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds. And so it was when Israel had sown that the Midianites came up and the Amalekites and the children of the east even they came up against them. And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude.

[John Weaver] For both they and their camels were without number, and they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, It came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, because of the Midianites, the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought

[John Weaver] you forth out of the house of bondage. And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and draved them out from before you, and gave you their land. And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God. Fear not the gods of the Amorites, and whose land you dwell, but you have not obeyed my voice."

[John Weaver] It was John Paul Jones of the United States Continental Navy, when facing almost certain defeat, and also with a demand to surrender to the enemy, who said, I have not yet begun to fight. Applying that same principle in a different sphere, I would say this, unless we submit to the one true and the living God, and His commands, and humble ourselves, and repent, and turn back unto Him in biblical obedience, we may be soon saying, We have not yet begun to suffer." Because obviously there is indeed in the Scripture the truth of judgment and the truth of chastening as well.

[John Weaver] So, just quickly by way of review, in the first message I pointed out two reasons why Israel sunk so quickly into paganism and into immorality. The very first reason was a soteriological reason, according to Judges chapter 2, because the Bible said, another generation arose who knew not the Lord. So it was a soteriological issue. They were not converted. They were not saved. They did not know who the one true of the living God really and truly was. And the second reason they sunk so quickly into paganism Because the Bible said and they did not remember all the works which he had done So they did not know their own history It was a historical problem or we could say a problem of concerning God's providence because they were totally ignorant of

[John Weaver] their past and The truth of the matter is this if we're ignorant of our past We cannot apply the principles of the truth of the past to the present or even to the future And I brought this out based upon Psalm 78 and Psalm 44. And so it's obvious those who do not know their past are doomed to fail in the future and in the presence as well.

[John Weaver] Now, I believe, of course, quite frankly, that we will soon as a nation, basically speaking, have our backs up against the wall. So remember, if you would, please, I told you the origin of this phrase. And I told you, first of all, some said that the origin, having your back up against the wall, came from execution. When they would shoot individuals to execute them, they placed them against the wall. And of course, that spoke of finality and certain death. And then the second origin actually was just simply being hard pressed and not knowing what to do and actually having to fight to the very last man.

[John Weaver] In fact, the one quote that I gave you said that this saying had been around since the 16th century, but it had been actually made popular by General Douglas Haig of Great Britain during World War I, and I'll give you that quote again. When he was ordering his troops, he said this, every position must be held to the last man. With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause, Each one of us must fight on to the end, having our backs against the wall. And of course, there's an advantage to having your backs against the wall. In one sense, the word is no one can slip up behind you.

[John Weaver] But the disadvantage is you cannot retreat. In other words, sometimes it can indicate helplessness. It can indicate hopelessness as well. So the truth of the matter is having our backs up against the wall basically has come to to mean in our day and time that All of a sudden we are in a position now to get some sense knocked into us.

[John Weaver] Now, God does indeed have a way and I'm going to say a unique way of awakening us. And one of those ways is through his judgment. Another is through chastening. When you read through the Bible, you're going to find that oftentimes God does indeed judge the heathen, but God also chastens his own people when they sin. So I want you to hold Judges chapter 6, but I want you to turn to two passages. The first one is Deuteronomy 32, and the second one is Hebrews chapter 12. So I want you to see then the difference between judgment and chastening.

[John Weaver] Certainly the recipients are different and the end is different as well. So if you look in Deuteronomy chapter 32, beginning there with verse 41, Deuteronomy 32 and verse 41, the Word of God says this, God is speaking. He said, if I went my glittering sword and mine hand take hold of judgment, I will render vengeance to mine enemies and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine errors drunk with blood and my sword shall devour flesh. And that with the blood of the slain and of the captives from the beginning of revenge is upon the enemy. So this is just judgment where God just simply destroys his enemies.

[John Weaver] Now, if you would turn over your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 12, and let's begin reading there with verse five, Hebrews chapter 12 and verse five. Here, the word of God says this beginning with verse five, and you have forgotten the exhortation, which speak of them to you as into children, my son, Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord when thou art rebuked of him now watch carefully for whom the Lord loveth he chastened and Scourgeth every son whom he receiveth if you endure chastening God deals with sons for what son is he whom the father chastened not but if you be without chastisement where of all our partakers Then are you bastards or illegitimate children? and not sons.

[John Weaver] Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection of the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure. But he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

[John Weaver] Now no chastening for the present seemed to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward it yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness, unto them that are exercised thereby."

[John Weaver] Now, I must point out that the scripture says that God chastens every son whom he receiveth, which means that we are each, one of us, a sinner. And we are going to do something wrong in our lives that's going to deserve chastening, that is for sure. Because he asks, for what son is he whom the father chasteth not?

[John Weaver] Now, when he says, but if you be without chastisement, where of all our partakers, There are you bastards and not sons. Now what he's talking about is very simple. Uh, I've known Steve for many years, but I've never whipped one of his children. I never whipped Heath. I'm simply pointing out the fact that I whip my own children. I don't whip anyone else's children. And that's exactly the way it is with God. And that's exactly what he's saying. God will judge his enemies and God will destroy his enemies, but God will chasten his own.

[John Weaver] And notice, if you would, the Bible talks about our earthly fathers or our fleshly fathers chasing us after their own pleasure, sometimes because we irritate them, sometimes because we make them angry. But, you know, sometimes it's for our good. But whenever our heavenly father chastens us, it is always for our good. And he said, that when he finishes with us, it will always yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

[John Weaver] And he does it for holiness. So let me put this another way. God's chastening does not fail. It always works. He knows exactly what it's going to take to awaken us and to make us change our attitude and our actions. And so he chastens us according to our needs now. If someone can continue in sin and rebellion and not be chastened, then it's obvious that he's not a child of God. I could put it like this. If my child did wrong today, I'm not going to wait six months later to discipline that child for what that child did wrong today. The child would have already forgotten about it.

[John Weaver] And probably so would I. So I'm simply saying, God does indeed discipline us. He chastens us. And by the way, the word is actually in the Greek, it means child training. So God does indeed train us clearly.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. Israel in the book of Judges had sinned many, many times, and God used different methods to correct them. But the usual method in the book of Judges was this, and you'll see it over and over. He sold them into the hands of their enemies. Now, when Israel got into the land, the first thing God did was to tell them to conquer those enemies, to exterminate them, to drive them out, and they refused to do so. They did not. They disobeyed God. And now these very enemies that they were supposed to have driven out are now subjugating and enslaving them. I want you to look back in your Bibles to the book of Judges, and I want to begin with verse 1 of chapter 6, and we're going to work our way through this passage, and I hope make some applications that will be apparent of what's going on in our land today. But in Judges 6 and verse 1, and the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Nidian, for seven years."

[John Weaver] Of course, seven is the number of perfection, which means during this particular affliction, the misery, the wretchedness, and destruction, all of these were exceedingly great in this affliction. Note, if you would, as we look at this passage, how the Midianites destroyed Israel. So, we'll begin that in verse 2. So, notice, if you would, the Bible said, prevailed against Israel, and because of the Ninniites, the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strongholds." In other words, Israel was driven from their homes, and they sought safety and security in the dens, and the caves, and the holes in the mountain.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to just stop for a moment and consider the distress And the discouragement that had to be in their minds and had to be in their hearts because all of a sudden they now had to leave their most prized possessions. They left their home. They left whatever they could not carry in their homes. And when you're in an emergency situation, you only carry what is absolutely needed and necessary. And so that means everything that they prized, everything that they had worked for is now left in the hands of the enemies, either to confiscate or to destroy.

[John Weaver] Now, when it says that these people fled to the mountains, to the caves, and to the dens, it means that they had rather flee than fight. They lost their valor. They lost their courage. They lost their determination. And an interesting thing is this. It seems often, as you read through the Scripture, that men had often rather flee than fight. And especially when these people are in rebellion against God.

[John Weaver] It's what happened in Judges 6 and many other passages. But if you will turn in your Bible, holding Judges 6 to 1 Samuel 13, you'll see basically the same thing again. just over a few pages, 1 Samuel chapter 13, and let's begin reading there with verse 5. 1 Samuel 13, verse 5, And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel.

[John Weaver] Now watch, 30,000 chariots, and 6,000 horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-Avon, And when the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, for the people were distressed, then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan, that is, they got out of the country, to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

[John Weaver] So clearly then, here another instance, they did not have the courage to fight, and thus they left. So when you have no courage, when you have no valor, usually it's because of the curse of God upon you. If you would take the time when you get home to read Deuteronomy 28 again in Leviticus chapter 26, you would also find that one of the curses that God placed upon people for their disobedience to Him was the fact that they would flee. So here it is, Leviticus 26 and verse 17, God said, if they disobeyed, and I'm quoting, and I will set my face against you, and you shall be slain before your enemies. They that hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when none pursue with you. So here these people were fleeing. They were leaving everything.

[John Weaver] So sin causes men to be fearful and fainthearted. Sin causes men to sneak into the mountains and hide in caves and in the dens of the earth. Unhappily, the average American, and I will go even farther, the average Christian will not fight even to protect their own home and their own family.

[John Weaver] Now, since we're talking about these people having to leave their homes, have you contemplated, have you thought about the fact that you may not have a home or belongings if the global elite have their way. As Klaus Schwab said, you will own nothing and you will be happy. Which means they will own everything that you previously owned and they will take it either by theft or confiscation or taxation or inflation or by war and famine.

[John Weaver] I think I told you last week, I'm going to tell you again, but the state of Massachusetts has already said that electricity in that state would be increased by 64% on November the 1st, 2022. I also read yesterday where overall our electric bills have increased 24% from August the 1st 2021 to August 1st, 2022. And I certainly can tell that in mind.

[John Weaver] Now, do you understand and have you thought about all of the homes, properties and plantations that were stolen from Southern people during Reconstruction times? Now, some of those places were stolen by force. That is a fact. The owners were murdered and they were just simply confiscated. But many of them were stolen legally. It was illegal, but it was still legally done. So what they would do, they would take the plantation that they wanted or the land that they wanted, and they would increase the taxes to the point that the Southerners could not pay. They could not afford it.

[John Weaver] And thus, they would then go in and confiscate that property, and then turn around and give it to a carpetbagger, And then all of a sudden, all the taxes would either be reduced or erased completely because now it's in the hand of a northern individual. Thus, the property was actually stolen, although it was done in a legal manner. So I want you to stop and think about this.

[John Weaver] We have our homes, or at least presently we do. But if inflation, if taxation and scarcity continue, and you really have to choose between food and a house. Do you think that if you cannot eat and if you have no place to sleep, that your back might be up against the wall? I'm just simply pointing out the fact, do you think that if you're forced to live in a van or live on the street or live in a tent, that your back might be up against the wall? In other words, there is the possibility, even through war, that we may not have homes as well.

[John Weaver] Now, God does indeed use everything that's going on in this country. You can look out west, and there's been a tremendous drought. You can look in some places, there's been floods. You can look in other places, and there have been plagues. Let me just show you. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Amos, chapter 4. So it's Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Right after Ezekiel, you have Daniel and Hosea, Joel, and Amos. So look in Amos chapter 4, beginning there with verse 6. Look what God did to get Israel to turn to Him, to pay attention, and they refused. So in Amos chapter 4, beginning with verse 6, God said, And I've also given you cleanness of teeth in your cities.

[John Weaver] And one of bread in all your places, yet you have not returned unto me, saith the Lord." In other words, drought didn't do it. Famine didn't do it. They did not return to Him, even though He chastened them with famine.

[John Weaver] Now look at verse 7. And also I have withholding the rain from you, when there was yet three months to the harvest. And I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city. One piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered into one city to drink water, but they were not satisfied. Here it is again.

[John Weaver] Yes, you've not returned to me, said the Lord. I tried to get your attention through drought. You wouldn't listen. Watch verse nine. I've smitten you with blasting and mildew. When your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the Palmer worm devoured them. Yes, you've not returned to me, said the Lord. Now, verse 10. I've sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt Your young men have I slain with a sword War and I've taken away your horses and I've made the stink of your camps to come up in your nostrils Yet have you not returned to me saith the Lord? Verse 11. I've overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah that is a miraculously divine intervention of God in destruction and You were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning Yet you have not returned unto me, saith the Lord. Now watch.

[John Weaver] Therefore, thus will I do unto thee, O Israel, and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. In other words, I've done all these things to get your attention and you would not pay attention. You would not listen. So Sometimes some people do indeed have their backs up against the wall. They do not realize their backs are up against the wall. And God says, you won't listen. So prepare to meet the God of Israel.

[John Weaver] And the scripture tells you in first John, that there is a sin unto death. So I want you to go back to judges chapter six, because not only were these people driven from their homes.

[John Weaver] Secondly, I want you to look at verses three and four. And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them. And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass." So let me ask you a question.

[John Weaver] What will you do when you cannot sow and plant and reap and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Let me ask this another way. What will you do when you are forced to subsidize millions of illegal aliens? What will you do when all the illegals in this country are given a free hand to do as they please and to take what they want without suffering any consequences.

[John Weaver] What will you do when whatever you have is violently taken from you? Now I ask those questions and probably I know what you're thinking. Some of you are probably thinking, ha ha ha, but that will never happen here. Really? Well, please explain to me and help me to understand how all of the homes, all the businesses, all the properties that have been looted, burned, and destroyed by Antifa and Black Lives Matters and a host of other organizations.

[John Weaver] That none of these people who lost everything have been remunerated, rebuilt, or restored by our government, either the local government, the state government, or the federal government. Help me to understand how all of these people who've been committing arson, looting, stealing, robbing, raping, have all escaped the consequences. Hardly any of them ever stood a trial. And the fact of the matter is there are plenty of witnesses and some of the crimes, many of the crimes were even videotaped. Look at what is happening in some of these fancy stores and even in some of the 7-Elevens where a whore just simply goes in They steal what they want and trash the store and nothing ever happens. Look back at verse 4. Watch this. I want you to think about this.

[John Weaver] And they encamped against them and destroyed the increase of the earth till thou come unto Gaza and left no sustenance for Israel. Think about this. They destroyed the increase of the earth and they left no Sustenance for Israel. Do you think that when you are stripped of everything that you have and the means of sustaining yourself and sustaining your family, that your back would be against the wall? Do you think you might consider it this time?

[John Weaver] Repentance, obedience, turning to God. Wow. Look, if you would, at verse five. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers from multitude. For both they and their camels were without number, and they entered into the land to destroy it." These people, God's enemies and the enemies of God's people, did not come for a friendly visit. They did not come to be entertained. They did not come to be invited for a friendly meal. They did not come to share their culture. They did not even come to work. They came to destroy the land.

[John Weaver] That was their purpose in coming. I want to show you, I want you to hold judges six. But turn right over to the book of Isaiah chapter 1. You're going to see basically the same truth happening in the days of Isaiah. And look, if you would, what is said specifically. Isaiah chapter 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 7. Isaiah chapter 1, verse 7. God says, Your country is desolate.

[John Weaver] Your cities are burned with fire. Your land, strangers devoured in your presence. And it is desolate as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion, that is the people of God, is left as a cottage in a vineyard, just one little group, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers As a besieged city. What did he say? Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Your land, strangers devour it. My goodness. Do you understand what happened in Judges and what happened in Isaiah chapter one? It's nothing less than the judgment of God. The country basically was destroyed. The city is desolate. The land was overthrown by strangers. It's happening here today.

[John Weaver] So my question is this. How many would like to visit Portland, Oregon? How would you like to visit Seattle, Washington? How would you like to drive through the Bronx? How would you like to visit Los Angeles, California? How would you like to go to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? Hmm. I've been to practically all of those cities. In fact, I have in times past, but today in those cities, you would not walk down the street and certainly you would not desire to live there.

[John Weaver] I will give you a challenge. When you get home, go to the internet and type in what's happening in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Show me. the streets of Portland, Oregon. Show me the streets of Seattle, Washington. You will be absolutely dumbfounded because all you can see is drunks and dopeheads and tents and sleeping bags and trash and filth. City after city. It's astounding. It's astounding.

[John Weaver] Now, cultural enrichment is not working. Not all cultures are equal, and certainly not all cultures are desirable. Christians have not understood the importance of culture. Let me tell you what culture is. Culture is religion externalized. That's what it is. It is religion externalized. Whenever you try to place cultures on an equal footing, when you say that all cultures are equal, that is the same as trying to say that all religions are equal. In other words, that voodooism is equal to Christianity. Taoism is equal to Jesus Christ. Mohammed is equal to Jesus Christ. No, no, not all cultures are equal. Not all religions are equal. Because we serve the one true and the living God who's revealed himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. And everything that the West has that is totally different from the rest of the world, we have because of Jesus Christ and his word. We have because of Christianity.

[John Weaver] If you go to some of these places like India and look at the hell hole and the trash that people live in. I'm simply pointing out the fact you cannot say that all cultures are equal. You cannot say that all religions are equal. They are not. Read the Bible. Look at history. See what happens to a society and to a nation who reject and forget God and refuse to worship Him.

[John Weaver] You remember that passage in Proverbs 8 and verse 36 where our Lord said in verse 35, He that findeth me findeth life and obtaineth favor of the Lord." But verse 36 he says this, all that hate me love death. So what is happening in this country economically? I want to read you just three short paragraphs from one economic writer. Here's what he said. The United States economy is on a collision course with economic disaster. Is it being done on purpose, or is it this just a symptom of having an idiocracy in charge of the economy?

[John Weaver] Is it perhaps a combination of both factors? Given my several years living and working in our nation's capital, and having seen the Washington bureaucracy up close, I generally lean heavily on the idiocracy explanation for our American economic death spiral. But recent events have made me reassess. The White House has effectively put a blockade on new contracts for cheap and efficient natural energy production, leading to skyrocketing energy prices across the nation.

[John Weaver] Under the guise of climate action and build-back-better statism, the government is doing its best to destroy a massive sector of the economy. Now here's another challenge for you. When you get home, go to the internet, go to your search engine, and type in this question. Is the government purposefully destroying the economy? You will be astounded at the sights that will arise before your eyes, and most of them will be with a positive answer. Yes, the government is trying to destroy the economy. It's astounding, absolutely astounding.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back to Judges 6, because I want you to look at verse 6. The Bible says in verse 5, they entered into the land to destroy it. Now look in verse 6. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Ninnites. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. I just read where there have been over 2 million illegal immigrants, aliens, who flooded in this country. I think that was just this past year, 2 million.

[John Weaver] So here's a good question. Who is paying for all the medical care, transportation, upkeep, food, housing, spending money, education for all of these illegals who's paying for it. And the answer is, you are. You are now. Someone says, but you don't understand the government's doing this because they're just printing the money. And whatever they want, they can just have that money printed. But what you don't consider is this, the more money they print, the less valuable is that money that you have in your bank account, in your wallet, in your IRA, in your retirement accounts. In other words, the more they print, the value of the Federal Reserve note continues to go down. In other words, you're being stolen from and you don't even realize it. You're being taken for a ride and you don't even understand what is going on. And right now, most of the American people really do not care because at least now they still have a house and now they're still able to eat. But just wait a little while.

[John Weaver] And when it really gets to where their back is up against the wall, it'll change. Now, As long as people have comfort and as long as people have a little something to eat, they don't care. But wait until it really affects them.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you the what I'm going to call the point of these two messages. I want you to look in Judges chapter six and verses seven through 10. Watch this. And it came to pass with the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites. that the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage.

[John Weaver] And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and draved them out before you, and gave you their land. And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God, fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell, but you have not obeyed my voice.

[John Weaver] Now, two things are obvious here. Number one, finally, these people got their backs against the wall and they did indeed cry unto the Lord. And the second thing is this. When they really got their backs against the wall and they really began to pray, God did something very unique. He sent them a preacher. He sent a prophet. And you know what the prophet said? You know what the prophet did? The prophet said, look, it's your sins. It's your wickedness. It's your fault. You are the ones that got yourself into this trouble. You have totally forsaken God. You've forgotten God. You've turned from him. Read Judges chapter two through chapter 13 and see how often the people sinned against God, rebelled against God and God graciously and God mercifully delivered them by sending them a prophet. or not a prophet, but sending them a judge. And how that judge ruled and finally delivered the people. But guess what happened? Every time God sent a judge and the judge delivered the people, when the judge died, the people turned right back again to their sins and to their rebellion.

[John Weaver] I want you to just listen. I'm going to begin in Judges chapter 2, And I'm going to read through Judges 13, not the whole Bible, just these phrases. Listen carefully. Judges 2, verse 11, And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served Balaam. Now Judges 3 and verse 7, And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and forgot the Lord their God and served Balaam in the groves.

[John Weaver] Now in between each one of these, there's been a judge, there's been a deliverance, but now they're falling back again. Here's judges three, 12, and the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord strengthened Eglon, the King of Moab against Israel because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. Now judges for one and the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. When Ehud was dead judges six, verse one, and the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord delivered them in the hand of the Midian for seven years. Judges 10, verse six. And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Balaam, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zion, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served him not." And Judges 13 in verse 1, and the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them in the hand of the Philistines for 40 years.

[John Weaver] Do you realize That each time the children of Israel cried unto the Lord for deliverance, they had their backs up against the wall. They were in great distress. They were in great desperation because of the fruit of their own wickedness. But it took every time having their backs up against the wall. So here's a good question. Why is it? Judges chapter 6 when they cried to the Lord in verse 7 for deliverance in verse 8 God sent my prophet He had been sending judges Now he sends a preacher Why The answer is this Because the Lord was showing them His compassion and His mercy. What did the man of God do? He warned the people.

[John Weaver] He told them, you're here where you are because of your sin, because of your rebellion, because you have forsaken the Lord, because you have worshiped false gods. You are here because of your sin and your rebellion. God delivered you from Egypt. He told you not to serve these false gods, but you would not listen.

[John Weaver] Now here's an important passage. If you want to look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 36, look in verse 15. 2 Chronicles 36 and verse 15. I told you the reason that God sent a prophet or sent a preacher was because of his compassion. Here it is. 2 Chronicles 36 verse 15. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. Anytime and every time in the Bible, when God is going to have compassion and mercy upon a people, he always sends them a preacher.

[John Weaver] Now, the opposite is also true. When God is not going to have mercy, when God is not going to show compassion, then God's going to either remove the preacher or he's going to shut his mouth. So what happened in Israel when Ahab and Jezebel were on the throne? Well, the Bible says that Elijah came and said to Ahab, as the Lord God liveth before whom I stand, there shall not be rain or dew these years, but law according to my word. And for three and a half years, there was no rain. There was no dew. What did God do? God moved Elijah out of the land and put him with the widow of Zarephath. So the point I'm trying to make is since Elijah was not in the land, there was no word from God. There was no compassion. There was no mercy. When you look at Jeremiah, God did not take Jeremiah out of the land. He left him in the land, but he shut his mouth. So he said in Jeremiah chapter seven, pray not for this people.

[John Weaver] Jeremiah 11, pray not for this people. When you get to Jeremiah 14, Jeremiah wanted to pray for them so badly.

[John Weaver] Finally, God said, okay, I'm going to let you pray for them. But here's what you pray. You pray that I'll destroy them because that's exactly what I'm going to do. So he took Elijah out of the land. He left Jeremiah in the land. He just shut his mouth and refused to allow him to pray for these wicked people. Hard times, chastening, desperation, famine, drought, plagues, sickness, defeat, subjection and enslavement are all result of sinning and rebelling against the Lord. Curses follow disobedience, just like blessings follow obedience. Now, here's a question.

[John Weaver] Do you remember the two sources that I gave you as to the origin of the phrase, having your back against the wall? The second one I told you had been in existence since the 16th century, and it just simply mean being hard pressed. It means you're in a desperate situation. That's like general Hague said, we've got to fight to the last man. In other words, we we're in a situation if we don't win, that's just all there is to it. So you can have, you can have a situation like that where your back is against the wall and you just determine you're going to fight it out. You may live, you may die, you may have victory, you may have defeat, but you're going to fight until the last man. So it refers in basically being hard pressed now, but the second one that I'm going to repeat was actually the first one. And that's when you're having your back against the wall and you're being shot, you're being executed. Someone is going to say, huh?

[John Weaver] Well, thank the Lord. We're not at that place that hasn't happened in America. I would allow you to say that if you added one word that hasn't happened in America yet. Yet. Let me show you, look in your Bibles to the book of judges, chapter 10 judges, chapter 10. Beginning there with verse 10 Judges 10 verse 10 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord saying We have sinned against thee both because we have forsaken our God and also serve Balaam and the Lord said unto the children of Israel Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines and Zidonians also and the Amalekites and the Mayanites did oppress you and you cried into me and I delivered you out of their hand watch Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods Wherefore I will deliver you no more Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen Let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation Let me tell you something folks When God says, I will deliver you no more.

[John Weaver] Your back is up against the wall this time with finality. And it will end in fatality as well.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to make some applications and I want you to go ahead and turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Hosea, the book of Hosea chapter two. Right after the book of Daniel, you have the book of Hosea. So, we're talking about having our backs up against the wall. We need to understand that God is indeed loving, kind, gracious, merciful. He is that. But the same God is also holy, righteous, and just. And there comes a time when God is tired of everything that he gives us, that we take and give to false gods. I want you to see what he said to Israel, Hosea chapter two.

[John Weaver] Let's begin reading in verse eight. In fact Look in verse 8 again Talking about Israel for she did not know that I gave her corn and wine and oil and Multiplied her silver and gold which they prepared for Baal. God said I gave it to them It came from me and they're preparing it for Baal and his worship Now look what God says Therefore will I return and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.

[John Weaver] And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand. I will also cause all of her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereupon she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me, that is, the false idols.

[John Weaver] And I will make them a farce, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. And I will visit upon her the days of Balaam, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers and forgot me," said the Lord. God said, I gave Israel everything that they had, and now I'm willing and ready to take it back. When God says, I will deliver you no more, Your back is really against the wall if you look in Hosea chapter 5 and verse 6 Look what God says Hosea 5 in verse 6 He said in fact we're talking about Israel look in verse 5 and the pride of Israel doth testify to his face Therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity Judah shall also fall with them They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord, but they shall not find him.

[John Weaver] He has withdrawn himself from them. They have dealt treacherously against the Lord and they have begotten strange children.

[John Weaver] Now shall a month devour them with their portions. Now notice, if you would, God said, they're going to seek me, but they're not going to find me. So God is not only loving, merciful, just and kind. He is also righteous, He is also holy. And there comes a time when He will say, I will deliver thee no more. Just face your consequences. That's like He said, because you would not hear, O Israel, prepare to meet thy God.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back to the book of Judges chapter six, because the second application should be viewed in light these verses. I want you to look at verse 1 and let me ask you a question. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years.

[John Weaver] Now we read everything that the Midianites, the Amalekites had done to the Israelites, how they suffered. So here's a good question. How long do you think Israel cried out to bail to deliver them?

[John Weaver] Maybe six years. They were worshiping bail. They were serving bail. But now finally look in verse six. And Israel was greatly impoverished. In other words, we had our backs up against the wall. We were about absolutely, totally destroyed because of the Midianites. And then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. Here are some questions. Why did not Israel cry to the Lord, when she was first defeated by the Midianites? Why did she not cry the first year, the second year, the third year, the fourth year, the fifth year, the sixth year? Why did they wait seven years?

[John Weaver] And here's the answer. Because their backs were not up against the wall. It took seven years of real, genuine suffering before they were willing to cry to the Lord for deliverance. Why are most Americans not upset with all the sin, all the wickedness, all the filth, all the sedition, all the insurrection, all the treason that's going on by our governments and by our politicians? Why are we not upset? And here's the answer. Our backs are not up against the wall yet. And when we really get our backs up against the wall, maybe we'll remember the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Maybe at that point, we'll ask for repentance. We'll ask for faith. We'll ask for obedience. We'll ask Him to restore us to His worship and that we might serve Him.

[John Weaver] I don't know about you, but I prefer to start crying now and asking God for deliverance before I have to go to a mountain and hide, and before I'm stripped of everything that I possess, and before I'm starving to death. Now would be the time to cry. What is it? Jeremiah 33 in verse 3, I quoted it. Call unto me and I'll answer thee, said the Lord, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. Now would be the time to call. Don't wait until our backs are against the wall. Don't be like Israel of old. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee.

[John Weaver] We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We thank you, Father. For all that you've shown us. Help us, Lord, to be wise as serpents, harmless as doves. But help us to know the truth. And help us, Lord, to worship thee and serve thee and not forsake thee. And begin to cry now for deliverance. Help us, O God of our fathers. We know that thou art God, and we know of thy wonders of old. And we ask you as psalmist, as a psalmist in Psalm 44, command deliverance from Jacob's. Do it again, O Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] ♪

Is Your Back Against The Wall Yet - Part 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	xmYBLqzXrQw
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-02-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 192: Is Your Back Against The Wall Yet — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	83

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the two reasons Israel fell into paganism: a soteriological issue (they did not know the Lord) and a historical issue (they did not remember God's works). He reiterates the origin of the phrase 'back against the wall' and introduces the difference between judgment and chastening.

Then to the book of Judges chapter 6, and we're going to read the first 10 verses. Judges chapter 6, and this is the second part of the message, "Is Your Back Against the Wall Yet?" So look in Judges chapter 6, and we shall begin reading there with verse one.

Scripture Reading — Judges 6:1-10

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. And because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them the dens, which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds. And so it was when Israel had sown that the Midianites came up and the Amalekites and the children of the east even they came up against them. And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude."

"For both they and their camels were without number, and they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. It came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, because of the Midianites, the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought" "you forth out of the house of bondage. And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and draved them out from before you, and gave you their land. And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God. Fear not the gods of the Amorites, and whose land you dwell, but you have not obeyed my voice."

It was John Paul Jones of the United States Continental Navy, when facing almost certain defeat, and also with a demand to surrender to the enemy, who said, "I have not yet begun to fight." Applying that same principle in a different sphere, I would say this: unless we submit to the one true and the living God, and His commands, and humble ourselves, and repent, and turn back unto Him in biblical obedience, we may be soon saying, "We have not yet begun to suffer." Because obviously there is indeed in the Scripture the truth of judgment and the truth of chastening as well. So, just quickly by way of review, in the first message I pointed out two reasons why Israel sunk so quickly into paganism and into immorality. The very first reason was a soteriological reason, according to Judges chapter 2, because the Bible said, "another generation arose who knew not the Lord." So it was a soteriological issue. They were not converted. They were not saved. They did not know who the one true and the living God really and truly was. And the second reason they sunk so quickly into paganism: because the Bible said, "and they did not remember all the works which He had done." So they did not know their own history. It was a historical problem, or we could say a problem concerning God's providence, because they were totally ignorant of

their past. And the truth of the matter is this: if we're ignorant of our past, we cannot apply the principles of the truth of the past to the present or even to the future. And I brought this out based upon Psalm 78 and Psalm 44. And so it's obvious those who do not know their past are doomed to fail in the future and in the present as well.

Now, I believe, of course, quite frankly, that we will soon as a nation, basically speaking, have our backs up against the wall. So remember, if you would, please, I told you the origin of this phrase. And I told you, first of all, some said that the origin, having your back up against the wall, came from execution. When they would shoot individuals to execute them, they placed them against the wall. And of course, that spoke of finality and certain death. And then the second origin actually was just simply being hard pressed and not knowing what to do and actually having to fight to the very last man. In fact, the one quote that I gave you said that this saying had been around since the 16th century, but it had been actually made popular by General Douglas Haig of Great Britain during World War I, and I'll give you that quote again. When he was ordering his troops, he said this: "Every position must be held to the last man. With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight on to the end, having our backs against the wall." And of course, there's an advantage to having your backs against the wall. In one sense, the word is no one can slip up behind you.

But the disadvantage is you cannot retreat. In other words, sometimes it can indicate helplessness. It can indicate hopelessness as well. So the truth of the matter is having our backs up against the wall basically has come to mean in our day and time that all of a sudden we are in a position now to get some sense knocked into us.

Now, God does indeed have a way, and I'm going to say a unique way, of awakening us. And one of those ways is through His judgment. Another is through chastening. When you read through the Bible, you're going to find that oftentimes God does indeed judge the heathen, but God also chastens His own people when they sin. So I want you to hold Judges chapter 6, but I want you to turn to two passages. The first one is Deuteronomy 32, and the second one is Hebrews chapter 12. So I want you to see then the difference between judgment and chastening.

Judgment vs. Chastening

Using Deuteronomy 32 and Hebrews 12, Weaver distinguishes God's judgment on enemies from His chastening on sons. Chastening is for training and yields righteousness, while judgment is destruction.

Certainly the recipients are different and the end is different as well. So if you look in Deuteronomy chapter 32, beginning there with verse 41, Deuteronomy 32 and verse 41, the Word of God says this, God is speaking. He said,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:41-42

"If I whet my glittering sword and mine hand take hold of judgment, I will render vengeance to mine enemies and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood and my sword shall devour flesh. And that with the blood of the slain and of the captives from the beginning of revenge is upon the enemy."

So this is just judgment where God just simply destroys His enemies.

Now, if you would turn over your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 12, and let's begin reading there with verse five. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse five. Here, the Word of God says this, beginning with verse five:

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:5-11

"And you have forgotten the exhortation, which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness."

"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Now, I must point out that the scripture says that God chastens every son whom He receiveth, which means that we are each, one of us, a sinner. And we are going to do something wrong in our lives that's going to deserve chastening, that is for sure. Because He asks, "For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?"

Now, when He says, "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." Now what He's talking about is very simple. I've known Steve for many years, but I've never whipped one of his children. I never whipped Heath. I'm simply pointing out the fact that I whip my own children. I don't whip anyone else's children. And that's exactly the way it is with God. And that's exactly what He's saying. God will judge His enemies and God will destroy His enemies, but God will chasten His own.

And notice, if you would, the Bible talks about our earthly fathers or our fleshly fathers chastening us after their own pleasure, sometimes because we irritate them, sometimes because we make them angry. But, you know, sometimes it's for our good. But whenever our heavenly Father chastens us, it is always for our good. And He said, that when He finishes with us, it will always yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. And He does it for holiness. So let me put this another way. God's chastening does not fail. It always works. He knows exactly what it's going to take to awaken us and to make us change our attitude and our actions. And so He chastens us according to our needs. Now, if someone can continue in sin and rebellion and not be chastened, then it's obvious that he's not a child of God. I could put it like this. If my child did wrong today, I'm not going to wait six months later to discipline that child for what that child did wrong today. The child would have already forgotten about it.

Israel's Distress in Judges 6

Weaver describes how the Midianites oppressed Israel, forcing them to flee to caves and destroying their sustenance. He draws parallels to modern economic and social crises, suggesting that similar judgment may come upon America.

Of course, seven is the number of perfection, which means during this particular affliction, the misery, the wretchedness, and destruction, all of these were exceedingly great in this affliction. Note, if you would, as we look at this passage, how the Midianites destroyed Israel. So, we'll begin that in verse 2. So, notice, if you would, the Bible said, "prevailed against Israel, and because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strongholds." In other words, Israel was driven from their homes, and they sought safety and security in the dens, and the caves, and the holes in the mountain.

Now, I want you to just stop for a moment and consider the distress and the discouragement that had to be in their minds and had to be in their hearts because all of a sudden they now had to leave their most prized possessions. They left their home. They left whatever they could not carry in their homes. And when you're in an emergency situation, you only carry what is absolutely needed and necessary. And so that means everything that they prized, everything that they had worked for is now left in the hands of the enemies, either to confiscate or to destroy.

Now, when it says that these people fled to the mountains, to the caves, and to the dens, it means that they had rather flee than fight. They lost their valor. They lost their courage. They lost their determination. And an interesting thing is this. It seems often, as you read through the Scripture, that men had often rather flee than fight. And especially when these people are in rebellion against God.

It's what happened in Judges 6 and many other passages. But if you will turn in your Bible, holding Judges 6 to 1 Samuel 13, you'll see basically the same thing again. Just over a few pages, 1 Samuel chapter 13, and let's begin reading there with verse 5. 1 Samuel 13, verse 5, "And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel."

Now watch, "30,000 chariots, and 6,000 horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-Avon. And when the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, for the people were distressed, then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan, that is, they got out of the country, to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling."

So clearly then, here another instance, they did not have the courage to fight, and thus they left. So when you have no courage, when you have no valor, usually it's because of the curse of God upon you. If you would take the time when you get home to read Deuteronomy 28 again and Leviticus chapter 26, you would also find that one of the curses that God placed upon people for their disobedience to Him was the fact that they would flee. So here it is, Leviticus 26 and verse 17, God said, if they disobeyed, and I'm quoting, "And I will set my face against you, and you shall be slain before your enemies. They that hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when none pursueth you." So here these people were fleeing. They were leaving everything.

So sin causes men to be fearful and fainthearted. Sin causes men to sneak into the mountains and hide in caves and in the dens of the earth. Unhappily, the average American, and I will go even farther, the average Christian will not fight even to protect their own home and their own family. Now, since we're talking about these people having to leave their homes, have you contemplated, have you thought about the fact that you may not have a home or belongings if the global elite have their way. As Klaus Schwab said, "You will own nothing and you will be happy." Which means they will own everything that you previously owned and they will take it either by theft or confiscation or taxation or inflation or by war and famine. I think I told you last week, I'm going to tell you again, but the state of Massachusetts has already said that electricity in that state would be increased by 64% on November the 1st, 2022. I also read yesterday where overall our electric bills have increased 24% from August the 1st 2021 to August 1st, 2022. And I certainly can tell that in mine.

Now, do you understand and have you thought about all of the homes, properties and plantations that were stolen from Southern people during Reconstruction times? Now, some of those places were stolen by force. That is a fact. The owners were murdered and they were just simply confiscated. But many of them were stolen legally. It was illegal, but it was still legally done. So what they would do, they would take the plantation that they wanted or the land that they wanted, and they would increase the taxes to the point that the Southerners could not pay. They could not afford it.

And thus, they would then go in and confiscate that property, and then turn around and give it to a carpetbagger. And then all of a sudden, all the taxes would either be reduced or erased completely because now it's in the hand of a northern individual. Thus, the property was actually stolen, although it was done in a legal manner. So I want you to stop and think about this. We have our homes, or at least presently we do. But if inflation, if taxation and scarcity continue, and you really have to choose between food and a house. Do you think that if you cannot eat and if you have no place to sleep, that your back might be up against the wall? I'm just simply pointing out the fact, do you think that if you're forced to live in a van or live on the street or live in a tent, that your back might be up against the wall? In other words, there is the possibility, even through war, that we may not have homes as well.

Now, God does indeed use everything that's going on in this country. You can look out west, and there's been a tremendous drought. You can look in some places, there's been floods. You can look in other places, and there have been plagues. Let me just show you. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Amos, chapter 4. So it's Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Right after Ezekiel, you have Daniel and Hosea, Joel, and Amos. So look in Amos chapter 4, beginning there with verse 6. Look what God did to get Israel to turn to Him, to pay attention, and they refused. So in Amos chapter 4, beginning with verse 6, God said, "And I've also given you cleanness of teeth in your cities."

"And want of bread in all your places, yet you have not returned unto me, saith the Lord." In other words, drought didn't do it. Famine didn't do it. They did not return to Him, even though He chastened them with famine. Now look at verse 7. "And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there was yet three months to the harvest. And I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city. One piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered into one city to drink water, but they were not satisfied. Here it is again."

"Yet you've not returned to me, saith the Lord. I tried to get your attention through drought. You wouldn't listen. Watch verse nine. I've smitten you with blasting and mildew. When your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them. Yet you've not returned to me, saith the Lord. Now, verse 10. I've sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt. Your young men have I slain with a sword. War. And I've taken away your horses and I've made the stink of your camps to come up in your nostrils. Yet have you not returned to me, saith the Lord? Verse 11. I've overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, that is a miraculously divine intervention of God in destruction. And you were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning. Yet you have not returned unto me, saith the Lord. Now watch."

"Therefore, thus will I do unto thee, O Israel, and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." In other words, I've done all these things to get your attention and you would not pay attention. You would not listen. So sometimes some people do indeed have their backs up against the wall. They do not realize their backs are up against the wall. And God says, you won't listen. So prepare to meet the God of Israel. And the scripture tells you in 1 John, that there is a sin unto death. So I want you to go back to Judges chapter 6, because not only were these people driven from their homes.

Secondly, I want you to look at verses three and four. "And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them. And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass." So let me ask you a question. What will you do when you cannot sow and plant and reap and enjoy the fruits of your labor? Let me ask this another way. What will you do when you are forced to subsidize millions of illegal aliens? What will you do when all the illegals in this country are given a free hand to do as they please and to take what they want without suffering any consequences?

What will you do when whatever you have is violently taken from you? Now I ask those questions and probably I know what you're thinking. Some of you are probably thinking, "Ha ha ha, but that will never happen here." Really? Well, please explain to me and help me to understand how all of the homes, all the businesses, all the properties that have been looted, burned, and destroyed by Antifa and Black Lives Matters and a host of other organizations. That none of these people who lost everything have been remunerated, rebuilt, or restored by our government, either the local government, the state government, or the federal government. Help me to understand how all of these people who've been committing arson, looting, stealing, robbing, raping, have all escaped the consequences. Hardly any of them ever stood a trial. And the fact of the matter is there are plenty of witnesses and some of the crimes, many of the crimes were even videotaped. Look at what is happening in some of these fancy stores and even in some of the 7-Elevens where a whore just simply goes in. They steal what they want and trash the store and nothing ever happens. Look back at verse 4. Watch this. I want you to think about this.

"And they encamped against them and destroyed the increase of the earth till thou come unto Gaza and left no sustenance for Israel." Think about this. They destroyed the increase of the earth and they left no sustenance for Israel. Do you think that when you are stripped of everything that you have and the means of sustaining yourself and sustaining your family, that your back would be against the wall? Do you think you might consider it this time?

The Purpose of the Enemy: Destruction

The Midianites came to destroy the land, not to coexist. Weaver compares this to modern cultural decay and the destruction of cities, arguing that not all cultures are equal and that rejection of God leads to societal collapse.

Repentance, obedience, turning to God. Wow. Look, if you would, at verse five. "For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude. For both they and their camels were without number, and they entered into the land to destroy it." These people, God's enemies and the enemies of God's people, did not come for a friendly visit. They did not come to be entertained. They did not come to be invited for a friendly meal. They did not come to share their culture. They did not even come to work. They came to destroy the land.

That was their purpose in coming. I want to show you, I want you to hold Judges 6. But turn right over to the book of Isaiah chapter 1. You're going to see basically the same truth happening in the days of Isaiah. And look, if you would, what is said specifically. Isaiah chapter 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 7. Isaiah chapter 1, verse 7. God says, "Your country is desolate."

"Your cities are burned with fire. Your land, strangers devour it in your presence. And it is desolate as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion, that is the people of God, is left as a cottage in a vineyard, just one little group, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city." What did he say? Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Your land, strangers devour it. My goodness. Do you understand what happened in Judges and what happened in Isaiah chapter one? It's nothing less than the judgment of God. The country basically was destroyed. The city is desolate. The land was overthrown by strangers. It's happening here today.

So my question is this. How many would like to visit Portland, Oregon? How would you like to visit Seattle, Washington? How would you like to drive through the Bronx? How would you like to visit Los Angeles, California? How would you like to go to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? Hmm. I've been to practically all of those cities. In fact, I have in times past, but today in those cities, you would not walk down the street and certainly you would not desire to live there.

I will give you a challenge. When you get home, go to the internet and type in what's happening in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Show me the streets of Portland, Oregon. Show me the streets of Seattle, Washington. You will be absolutely dumbfounded because all you can see is drunks and dopeheads and tents and sleeping bags and trash and filth. City after city. It's astounding. It's astounding.

Now, cultural enrichment is not working. Not all cultures are equal, and certainly not all cultures are desirable. Christians have not understood the importance of culture. Let me tell you what culture is. Culture is religion externalized. That's what it is. It is religion externalized. Whenever you try to place cultures on an equal footing, when you say that all cultures are equal, that is the same as trying to say that all religions are equal. In other words, that Voodooism is equal to Christianity. Taoism is equal to Jesus Christ. Mohammed is equal to Jesus Christ. No, no, not all cultures are equal. Not all religions are equal. Because we serve the one true and the living God who's revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. And everything that the West has that is totally different from the rest of the world, we have because of Jesus Christ and His word. We have because of Christianity.

If you go to some of these places like India and look at the hell hole and the trash that people live in. I'm simply pointing out the fact you cannot say that all cultures are equal. You cannot say that all religions are equal. They are not. Read the Bible. Look at history. See what happens to a society and to a nation who reject and forget God and refuse to worship Him.

Economic and Social Parallels

Weaver cites economic writers and current events to argue that the U.S. government is purposefully destroying the economy, leading to impoverishment. He warns that comfort prevents people from crying out to God.

You remember that passage in Proverbs 8 and verse 36 where our Lord said in verse 35,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 8:35-36

"He that findeth me findeth life and obtaineth favor of the Lord."

But verse 36 He says this,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 8:35-36

"All that hate me love death."

So what is happening in this country economically? I want to read you just three short paragraphs from one economic writer. Here's what he said. "The United States economy is on a collision course with economic disaster. Is it being done on purpose, or is it just a symptom of having an idiocracy in charge of the economy?" "Is it perhaps a combination of both factors? Given my several years living and working in our nation's capital, and having seen the Washington bureaucracy up close, I generally lean heavily on the idiocracy explanation for our American economic death spiral. But recent events have made me reassess. The White House has effectively put a blockade on new contracts for cheap and efficient natural energy production, leading to skyrocketing energy prices across the nation."

"Under the guise of climate action and build-back-better statism, the government is doing its best to destroy a massive sector of the economy." Now here's another challenge for you. When you get home, go to the internet, go to your search engine, and type in this question: "Is the government purposefully destroying the economy?" You will be astounded at the sites that will arise before your eyes, and most of them will be with a positive answer. Yes, the government is trying to destroy the economy. It's astounding, absolutely astounding.

Now, I want you to go back to Judges 6, because I want you to look at verse 6. The Bible says in verse 5, "they entered into the land to destroy it." Now look in verse 6. "And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord." I just read where there have been over 2 million illegal immigrants, aliens, who flooded in this country. I think that was just this past year, 2 million.

So here's a good question. Who is paying for all the medical care, transportation, upkeep, food, housing, spending money, education for all of these illegals? Who's paying for it? And the answer is, you are. You are now. Someone says, "But you don't understand, the government's doing this because they're just printing the money. And whatever they want, they can just have that money printed." But what you don't consider is this: the more money they print, the less valuable is that money that you have in your bank account, in your wallet, in your IRA, in your retirement accounts. In other words, the more they print, the value of the Federal Reserve note continues to go down. In other words, you're being stolen from and you don't even realize it. You're being taken for a ride and you don't even understand what is going on. And right now, most of the American people really do not care because at least now they still have a house and now they're still able to eat. But just wait a little while.

And when it really gets to where their back is up against the wall, it'll change. Now, as long as people have comfort and as long as people have a little something to eat, they don't care. But wait until it really affects them. Now, let me show you what I'm going to call the point of these two messages. I want you to look in Judges chapter 6 and verses 7 through 10. Watch this. "And it came to pass when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites, that the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage."

God's Response: A Prophet Sent

When Israel finally cried out, God sent a prophet to confront their sin. Weaver emphasizes that God sends preachers out of compassion, but when He withdraws His word, it signifies judgment.

"And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and draved them out before you, and gave you their land. And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God, fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell, but you have not obeyed my voice." Now, two things are obvious here. Number one, finally, these people got their backs against the wall and they did indeed cry unto the Lord. And the second thing is this. When they really got their backs against the wall and they really began to pray, God did something very unique. He sent them a preacher. He sent a prophet. And you know what the prophet said? You know what the prophet did? The prophet said, "Look, it's your sins. It's your wickedness. It's your fault. You are the ones that got yourself into this trouble. You have totally forsaken God. You've forgotten God. You've turned from Him." Read Judges chapter 2 through chapter 13 and see how often the people sinned against God, rebelled against God and God graciously and God mercifully delivered them by sending them a prophet, or not a prophet, but sending them a judge. And how that judge ruled and finally delivered the people. But guess what happened? Every time God sent a judge and the judge delivered the people, when the judge died, the people turned right back again to their sins and to their rebellion.

I want you to just listen. I'm going to begin in Judges chapter 2, and I'm going to read through Judges 13, not the whole Bible, just these phrases. Listen carefully. Judges 2, verse 11, "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served Baalim." Now Judges 3 and verse 7, "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and forgot the Lord their God and served Baalim and the groves."

Now in between each one of these, there's been a judge, there's been a deliverance, but now they're falling back again. Here's Judges 3:12,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord strengthened Eglon, the King of Moab against Israel because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord."

Now Judges 4:1,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead."

Judges 6, verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years."

Judges 10, verse 6,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served him not."

And Judges 13 in verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for 40 years."

Do you realize that each time the children of Israel cried unto the Lord for deliverance, they had their backs up against the wall. They were in great distress. They were in great desperation because of the fruit of their own wickedness. But it took every time having their backs up against the wall. So here's a good question. Why is it? Judges chapter 6 when they cried to the Lord in verse 7 for deliverance, in verse 8 God sent a prophet. He had been sending judges. Now He sends a preacher. Why? The answer is this: Because the Lord was showing them His compassion and His mercy. What did the man of God do? He warned the people.

He told them, "You're here where you are because of your sin, because of your rebellion, because you have forsaken the Lord, because you have worshiped false gods. You are here because of your sin and your rebellion. God delivered you from Egypt. He told you not to serve these false gods, but you would not listen."

Now here's an important passage. If you want to look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 36, look in verse 15. 2 Chronicles 36 and verse 15. I told you the reason that God sent a prophet or sent a preacher was because of His compassion. Here it is. 2 Chronicles 36 verse 15:

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 36:15

"And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place."

Anytime and every time in the Bible, when God is going to have compassion and mercy upon a people, He always sends them a preacher.

Now, the opposite is also true. When God is not going to have mercy, when God is not going to show compassion, then God's going to either remove the preacher or He's going to shut his mouth. So what happened in Israel when Ahab and Jezebel were on the throne? Well, the Bible says that Elijah came and said to Ahab, "As the Lord God liveth before whom I stand, there shall not be rain or dew these years, but according to my word." And for three and a half years, there was no rain. There was no dew. What did God do? God moved Elijah out of the land and put him with the widow of Zarephath. So the point I'm trying to make is since Elijah was not in the land, there was no word from God. There was no compassion. There was no mercy. When you look at Jeremiah, God did not take Jeremiah out of the land. He left him in the land, but He shut his mouth. So He said in Jeremiah chapter 7, "Pray not for this people."

Jeremiah 11, "Pray not for this people." When you get to Jeremiah 14, Jeremiah wanted to pray for them so badly. Finally, God said, "Okay, I'm going to let you pray for them. But here's what you pray. You pray that I'll destroy them because that's exactly what I'm going to do." So He took Elijah out of the land. He left Jeremiah in the land. He just shut his mouth and refused to allow him to pray for these wicked people. Hard times, chastening, desperation, famine, drought, plagues, sickness, defeat, subjection and enslavement are all result of sinning and rebelling against the Lord. Curses follow disobedience, just like blessings follow obedience. Now, here's a question.

The Cycle of Sin and Deliverance

Weaver traces the repeated cycle in Judges: Israel sins, is oppressed, cries out, and God sends a deliverer. He notes that each time they only cried out when their backs were against the wall.

Now in between each one of these, there's been a judge, there's been a deliverance, but now they're falling back again. Here's Judges 3:12,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord strengthened Eglon, the King of Moab against Israel because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord."

Now Judges 4:1,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead."

Judges 6, verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years."

Judges 10, verse 6,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served him not."

And Judges 13 in verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for 40 years."

When God Says 'No More'

Using Judges 10 and Hosea, Weaver warns that there comes a point when God refuses to deliver, telling Israel to cry to their false gods. This is the ultimate 'back against the wall' with finality.

"Well, thank the Lord. We're not at that place. That hasn't happened in America." I would allow you to say that if you added one word: "That hasn't happened in America yet." Yet. Let me show you, look in your Bibles to the book of Judges, chapter 10. Judges, chapter 10. Beginning there with verse 10. Judges 10 verse 10:

Scripture Reading — Judges 10:10-14

"And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God and also served Baalim. And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also and the Amalekites and the Midianites did oppress you and you cried unto me and I delivered you out of their hand. Watch. Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods. Wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen. Let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation."

Let me tell you something, folks. When God says,

Scripture Reading — Judges 10:10-14

"I will deliver you no more,"

Your back is up against the wall this time with finality. And it will end in fatality as well. Now, I want to make some applications and I want you to go ahead and turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Hosea, the book of Hosea chapter 2. Right after the book of Daniel, you have the book of Hosea. So, we're talking about having our backs up against the wall. We need to understand that God is indeed loving, kind, gracious, merciful. He is that. But the same God is also holy, righteous, and just. And there comes a time when God is tired of everything that He gives us, that we take and give to false gods. I want you to see what He said to Israel, Hosea chapter 2.

Let's begin reading in verse 8. In fact, look in verse 8 again, talking about Israel: "For she did not know that I gave her corn and wine and oil and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal." God said, "I gave it to them. It came from me and they're preparing it for Baal and his worship." Now look what God says: "Therefore will I return and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness." "And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand. I will also cause all of her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereupon she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me, that is, the false idols."

Scripture Reading — Hosea 2:8-13

"And I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers and forgot me,"

saith the Lord. God said, "I gave Israel everything that they had, and now I'm willing and ready to take it back." When God says, "I will deliver you no more," your back is really against the wall. If you look in Hosea chapter 5 and verse 6, look what God says. Hosea 5 in verse 6, He said, in fact we're talking about Israel, look in verse 5: "And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face. Therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity. Judah shall also fall with them. They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord, but they shall not find him."

"He has withdrawn himself from them. They have dealt treacherously against the Lord and they have begotten strange children." "Now shall a month devour them with their portions." Now notice, if you would, God said, "They're going to seek me, but they're not going to find me." So God is not only loving, merciful, just and kind. He is also righteous, He is also holy. And there comes a time when He will say, "I will deliver thee no more." Just face your consequences. That's like He said, "Because you would not hear, O Israel, prepare to meet thy God."

Application: Cry Out Now

Weaver urges the congregation not to wait until their backs are against the wall to repent. He calls for immediate prayer and turning to God, citing Jeremiah 33:3.

Now we read everything that the Midianites, the Amalekites had done to the Israelites, how they suffered. So here's a good question. How long do you think Israel cried out to Baal to deliver them?

Maybe six years. They were worshiping Baal. They were serving Baal. But now finally look in verse 6. "And Israel was greatly impoverished." In other words, we had our backs up against the wall. We were about absolutely, totally destroyed because of the Midianites. And then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. Here are some questions. Why did not Israel cry to the Lord when she was first defeated by the Midianites? Why did she not cry the first year, the second year, the third year, the fourth year, the fifth year, the sixth year? Why did they wait seven years?

And here's the answer. Because their backs were not up against the wall. It took seven years of real, genuine suffering before they were willing to cry to the Lord for deliverance. Why are most Americans not upset with all the sin, all the wickedness, all the filth, all the sedition, all the insurrection, all the treason that's going on by our governments and by our politicians? Why are we not upset? And here's the answer. Our backs are not up against the wall yet. And when we really get our backs up against the wall, maybe we'll remember the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Maybe at that point, we'll ask for repentance. We'll ask for faith. We'll ask for obedience. We'll ask Him to restore us to His worship and that we might serve Him.

I don't know about you, but I prefer to start crying now and asking God for deliverance before I have to go to a mountain and hide, and before I'm stripped of everything that I possess, and before I'm starving to death. Now would be the time to cry. What is it? Jeremiah 33 in verse 3, I quoted it.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 33:3

"Call unto me and I'll answer thee, saith the Lord, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not."

Now would be the time to call. Don't wait until our backs are against the wall. Don't be like Israel of old. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee.

We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We thank you, Father, for all that you've shown us. Help us, Lord, to be wise as serpents, harmless as doves. But help us to know the truth. And help us, Lord, to worship thee and serve thee and not forsake thee. And begin to cry now for deliverance. Help us, O God of our fathers. We know that thou art God, and we know of thy wonders of old. And we ask you as the psalmist in Psalm 44, "Command deliverances for Jacob." Do it again, O Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Chastening vs. Judgment

Summary: God chastens His children for their good, but judges His enemies with destruction. Chastening is a sign of sonship and leads to righteousness.

Evidence: Hebrews 12:5-11 is quoted to show that God chastens every son He receives, and Deuteronomy 32:41-42 shows judgment on enemies.

The Cycle of Sin and Suffering

Summary: Israel repeatedly sinned, suffered oppression, cried out, and was delivered, only to sin again. Suffering was necessary to bring them to repentance.

Evidence: The sermon reviews multiple instances in Judges where Israel did evil and was oppressed, crying out only when in distress.

God's Compassion in Sending Preachers

Summary: God sends prophets out of compassion to warn people and call them to repentance. The presence of preaching indicates God's mercy.

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 36:15 is cited: God sent messengers because He had compassion. The prophet in Judges 6:8-10 is an example.

The Danger of Comfort and Prosperity

Summary: People do not cry out to God while they are comfortable. It takes severe hardship to bring them to repentance.

Evidence: Weaver asks why Israel waited seven years to cry out, and why Americans are not upset despite national sins, concluding it is because their backs are not yet against the wall.

National Judgment for National Sin

Summary: God judges nations that reject Him, using economic collapse, invasion, and cultural decay. America is on a similar trajectory.

Evidence: Amos 4:6-12 shows God sending famine, drought, pestilence, and war to get Israel's attention. Weaver applies this to modern America.

The Finality of Rejected Grace

Summary: There is a point when God says 'I will deliver you no more,' leaving people to face the consequences of their sin without hope.

Evidence: Judges 10:10-14 is quoted where God tells Israel to cry to their false gods. Hosea 5:6 says they will seek the Lord but not find Him.

Key Arguments

Israel's suffering was a direct result of their sin.

Summary: The oppression by Midian was God's chastening for Israel's evil. Their flight to caves and loss of sustenance were consequences of disobedience.

Evidence: Judges 6:1 says they did evil and the Lord delivered them. Leviticus 26:17 is cited: 'you shall flee when none pursueth you.'

America is experiencing similar judgment.

Summary: Economic inflation, illegal immigration, cultural decay, and government corruption are modern parallels to the Midianite oppression.

Evidence: Weaver cites rising electricity costs, looting without consequences, and quotes an economic writer on purposeful destruction of the economy.

God uses hardship to bring repentance.

Summary: God sent famine, drought, and war in Amos 4 to get Israel's attention, but they did not return. Hardship is a tool to awaken people.

Evidence: Amos 4:6-12 is read, showing each calamity followed by 'yet you have not returned to me.'

Preaching is a sign of God's mercy.

Summary: When God sends a prophet, it is because He has compassion. When He removes or silences preachers, it indicates judgment.

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 36:15; examples of Elijah being removed and Jeremiah being told not to pray.

There is a limit to God's patience.

Summary: God eventually told Israel He would deliver them no more. This final rejection comes after persistent rebellion.

Evidence: Judges 10:10-14; Hosea 2:8-13 and 5:6.

Repentance should not be delayed.

Summary: Israel waited seven years to cry out. Believers should cry out now before facing severe judgment.

Evidence: The question 'Why did they wait seven years?' and the call to pray now based on Jeremiah 33:3.

Scripture References

Judges 6:1-10

Context: The main text of the sermon, describing Israel's oppression by Midian and God's message through a prophet.

Deuteronomy 32:41-42

Context: Used to illustrate God's judgment on His enemies, with vivid imagery of vengeance.

Hebrews 12:5-11

Context: Explains that God chastens His children for their profit, yielding the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

1 Samuel 13:5-7

Context: Another example of Israelites hiding in caves and fleeing due to fear, showing a pattern of cowardice under judgment.

Leviticus 26:17

Context: Cited to show that fleeing when none pursues is a curse for disobedience.

Amos 4:6-12

Context: God's repeated chastening through famine, drought, blight, pestilence, and war, yet Israel did not return; ends with 'prepare to meet thy God.'

Isaiah 1:7-8

Context: Describes a desolate country, burned cities, and land devoured by strangers, paralleling the judgment in Judges.

Proverbs 8:35-36

Context: Those who find wisdom find life; those who hate wisdom love death, applied to cultural rejection of God.

2 Chronicles 36:15

Context: God sent messengers because He had compassion on His people, showing that preaching is a sign of mercy.

Judges 10:10-14

Context: God refuses to deliver Israel anymore, telling them to cry to their false gods, illustrating the finality of judgment.

Hosea 2:8-13

Context: God threatens to take back His blessings because Israel used them for Baal worship.

Hosea 5:5-6

Context: Israel will seek the Lord but not find Him because He has withdrawn, indicating a point of no return.

Jeremiah 33:3

Context: Call unto me and I will answer, used as an encouragement to pray now for deliverance.

Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

Context: A series of verses showing the repeated cycle of Israel doing evil, being oppressed, and crying out.

Historical References

John Paul Jones, 'I have not yet begun to fight'

Context: Used as an analogy: unless we repent, we may soon say 'we have not yet begun to suffer.'

General Douglas Haig, World War I

Context: Origin of the phrase 'backs to the wall' in a military context, ordering troops to fight to the last man.

Klaus Schwab, 'You will own nothing and you will be happy'

Context: Cited as evidence of global elite plans to confiscate property, leading to loss of homes.

Reconstruction-era property confiscation in the South

Context: Example of property being stolen legally through taxation, paralleling modern economic oppression.

Antifa and Black Lives Matter riots

Context: Mentioned as modern examples of looting and destruction without consequences, similar to Midianite devastation.

Economic writer on U.S. economic disaster

Context: Quoted to argue that the government is purposefully destroying the economy through energy policies.

Important Quotes

I have not yet begun to fight.

Significance: Used to introduce the idea that without repentance, suffering may only be beginning.

Every position must be held to the last man. With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight on to the end, having our backs against the wall.

Significance: Historical origin of the sermon's central metaphor, emphasizing desperate resolve.

You will own nothing and you will be happy.

Significance: Attributed to Klaus Schwab, used to warn of coming economic dispossession.

Culture is religion externalized.

Significance: Key definition linking cultural decay to religious apostasy.

All that hate me love death.

Significance: Proverbs 8:36, applied to those who reject God's wisdom.

I will deliver you no more.

Significance: God's final word of judgment in Judges 10, marking the point of no return.

Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

Significance: Amos 4:12, the culmination of ignored chastening, calling for readiness to face God.

Discussion Questions

What is the difference between God's judgment and His chastening, and how should this affect our view of hardships?

Context: Based on the contrast between Deuteronomy 32 and Hebrews 12.

Why do you think Israel waited seven years to cry out to God, and what does that reveal about human nature?

Context: From the observation that Israel only cried out when greatly impoverished.

In what ways might God be using current events to get our attention as a nation?

Context: Application of Amos 4 and the economic/social parallels drawn in the sermon.

How should we respond when we see cultural decay and the rejection of God in society?

Context: From the discussion of culture as religion externalized and the destruction of cities.

What does it mean that God sends preachers out of compassion, and what is our responsibility when we hear such preaching?

Context: Based on 2 Chronicles 36:15 and the role of the prophet in Judges 6.

Is there a point where God says 'I will deliver you no more'? How should that warning affect our urgency in repentance?

Context: From Judges 10 and Hosea 5.

Applications

Cry out to God now, not later.

Summary: Don't wait until your back is against the wall to repent and seek God. Begin praying for deliverance and national repentance immediately.

Evidence: The question 'Why did they wait seven years?' and the call to pray based on Jeremiah 33:3.

Recognize chastening as God's training.

Summary: View hardships as God's loving discipline intended to produce righteousness, not as meaningless suffering.

Evidence: Hebrews 12:5-11 teaches that chastening yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

Examine your life for unconfessed sin.

Summary: The prophet in Judges 6 confronted Israel's sin. Believers should examine themselves and repent of any rebellion or idolatry.

Evidence: The prophet's message in Judges 6:8-10: 'you have not obeyed my voice.'

Value and heed biblical preaching.

Summary: God sends preachers as an act of compassion. Respond to faithful preaching with repentance and obedience.

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 36:15 and the example of God sending a prophet.

Do not trust in false gods or material comfort.

Summary: Israel trusted in Baal and their own resources until they were stripped bare. Trust in God alone, not in government, wealth, or false religions.

Evidence: Hosea 2:8-13 shows God taking back blessings used for Baal.

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Is Your Back Against The Wall Yet - Part 2

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Then to the book of Judges chapter 6, and we're going to read the first 10 verses. Judges chapter 6, and this is the second part of the message, "Is Your Back Against the Wall Yet?" So look in Judges chapter 6, and we shall begin reading there with verse one. "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. And because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them the dens, which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds. And so it was when Israel had sown that the Midianites came up and the Amalekites and the children of the east even they came up against them. And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude."
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"For both they and their camels were without number, and they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. It came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, because of the Midianites, the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought"
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"you forth out of the house of bondage. And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and draved them out from before you, and gave you their land. And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God. Fear not the gods of the Amorites, and whose land you dwell, but you have not obeyed my voice."
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It was John Paul Jones of the United States Continental Navy, when facing almost certain defeat, and also with a demand to surrender to the enemy, who said, "I have not yet begun to fight." Applying that same principle in a different sphere, I would say this: unless we submit to the one true and the living God, and His commands, and humble ourselves, and repent, and turn back unto Him in biblical obedience, we may be soon saying, "We have not yet begun to suffer." Because obviously there is indeed in the Scripture the truth of judgment and the truth of chastening as well.
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So, just quickly by way of review, in the first message I pointed out two reasons why Israel sunk so quickly into paganism and into immorality. The very first reason was a soteriological reason, according to Judges chapter 2, because the Bible said, "another generation arose who knew not the Lord." So it was a soteriological issue. They were not converted. They were not saved. They did not know who the one true and the living God really and truly was. And the second reason they sunk so quickly into paganism: because the Bible said, "and they did not remember all the works which He had done." So they did not know their own history. It was a historical problem, or we could say a problem concerning God's providence, because they were totally ignorant of
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their past. And the truth of the matter is this: if we're ignorant of our past, we cannot apply the principles of the truth of the past to the present or even to the future. And I brought this out based upon Psalm 78 and Psalm 44. And so it's obvious those who do not know their past are doomed to fail in the future and in the present as well.
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Now, I believe, of course, quite frankly, that we will soon as a nation, basically speaking, have our backs up against the wall. So remember, if you would, please, I told you the origin of this phrase. And I told you, first of all, some said that the origin, having your back up against the wall, came from execution. When they would shoot individuals to execute them, they placed them against the wall. And of course, that spoke of finality and certain death. And then the second origin actually was just simply being hard pressed and not knowing what to do and actually having to fight to the very last man.
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In fact, the one quote that I gave you said that this saying had been around since the 16th century, but it had been actually made popular by General Douglas Haig of Great Britain during World War I, and I'll give you that quote again. When he was ordering his troops, he said this: "Every position must be held to the last man. With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight on to the end, having our backs against the wall." And of course, there's an advantage to having your backs against the wall. In one sense, the word is no one can slip up behind you.
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But the disadvantage is you cannot retreat. In other words, sometimes it can indicate helplessness. It can indicate hopelessness as well. So the truth of the matter is having our backs up against the wall basically has come to mean in our day and time that all of a sudden we are in a position now to get some sense knocked into us.
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Now, God does indeed have a way, and I'm going to say a unique way, of awakening us. And one of those ways is through His judgment. Another is through chastening. When you read through the Bible, you're going to find that oftentimes God does indeed judge the heathen, but God also chastens His own people when they sin. So I want you to hold Judges chapter 6, but I want you to turn to two passages. The first one is Deuteronomy 32, and the second one is Hebrews chapter 12. So I want you to see then the difference between judgment and chastening.
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Certainly the recipients are different and the end is different as well. So if you look in Deuteronomy chapter 32, beginning there with verse 41, Deuteronomy 32 and verse 41, the Word of God says this, God is speaking. He said, "If I whet my glittering sword and mine hand take hold of judgment, I will render vengeance to mine enemies and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood and my sword shall devour flesh. And that with the blood of the slain and of the captives from the beginning of revenge is upon the enemy." So this is just judgment where God just simply destroys His enemies.
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Now, if you would turn over your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 12, and let's begin reading there with verse five. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse five. Here, the Word of God says this, beginning with verse five: "And you have forgotten the exhortation, which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."
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"Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness."
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"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."
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Now, I must point out that the scripture says that God chastens every son whom He receiveth, which means that we are each, one of us, a sinner. And we are going to do something wrong in our lives that's going to deserve chastening, that is for sure. Because He asks, "For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?"
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Now, when He says, "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." Now what He's talking about is very simple. I've known Steve for many years, but I've never whipped one of his children. I never whipped Heath. I'm simply pointing out the fact that I whip my own children. I don't whip anyone else's children. And that's exactly the way it is with God. And that's exactly what He's saying. God will judge His enemies and God will destroy His enemies, but God will chasten His own.
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And notice, if you would, the Bible talks about our earthly fathers or our fleshly fathers chastening us after their own pleasure, sometimes because we irritate them, sometimes because we make them angry. But, you know, sometimes it's for our good. But whenever our heavenly Father chastens us, it is always for our good. And He said, that when He finishes with us, it will always yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness.
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And He does it for holiness. So let me put this another way. God's chastening does not fail. It always works. He knows exactly what it's going to take to awaken us and to make us change our attitude and our actions. And so He chastens us according to our needs. Now, if someone can continue in sin and rebellion and not be chastened, then it's obvious that he's not a child of God. I could put it like this. If my child did wrong today, I'm not going to wait six months later to discipline that child for what that child did wrong today. The child would have already forgotten about it.
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And probably so would I. So I'm simply saying, God does indeed discipline us. He chastens us. And by the way, the word is actually in the Greek, it means child training. So God does indeed train us clearly.
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Now, the interesting thing is this. Israel in the book of Judges had sinned many, many times, and God used different methods to correct them. But the usual method in the book of Judges was this, and you'll see it over and over. He sold them into the hands of their enemies. Now, when Israel got into the land, the first thing God did was to tell them to conquer those enemies, to exterminate them, to drive them out, and they refused to do so. They did not. They disobeyed God. And now these very enemies that they were supposed to have driven out are now subjugating and enslaving them. I want you to look back in your Bibles to the book of Judges, and I want to begin with verse 1 of chapter 6, and we're going to work our way through this passage, and I hope make some applications that will be apparent of what's going on in our land today. But in Judges 6 and verse 1, "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian, for seven years."
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Of course, seven is the number of perfection, which means during this particular affliction, the misery, the wretchedness, and destruction, all of these were exceedingly great in this affliction. Note, if you would, as we look at this passage, how the Midianites destroyed Israel. So, we'll begin that in verse 2. So, notice, if you would, the Bible said, "prevailed against Israel, and because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strongholds." In other words, Israel was driven from their homes, and they sought safety and security in the dens, and the caves, and the holes in the mountain.
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Now, I want you to just stop for a moment and consider the distress and the discouragement that had to be in their minds and had to be in their hearts because all of a sudden they now had to leave their most prized possessions. They left their home. They left whatever they could not carry in their homes. And when you're in an emergency situation, you only carry what is absolutely needed and necessary. And so that means everything that they prized, everything that they had worked for is now left in the hands of the enemies, either to confiscate or to destroy.
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Now, when it says that these people fled to the mountains, to the caves, and to the dens, it means that they had rather flee than fight. They lost their valor. They lost their courage. They lost their determination. And an interesting thing is this. It seems often, as you read through the Scripture, that men had often rather flee than fight. And especially when these people are in rebellion against God.
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It's what happened in Judges 6 and many other passages. But if you will turn in your Bible, holding Judges 6 to 1 Samuel 13, you'll see basically the same thing again. Just over a few pages, 1 Samuel chapter 13, and let's begin reading there with verse 5. 1 Samuel 13, verse 5, "And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel."
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Now watch, "30,000 chariots, and 6,000 horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-Avon. And when the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, for the people were distressed, then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan, that is, they got out of the country, to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling."
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So clearly then, here another instance, they did not have the courage to fight, and thus they left. So when you have no courage, when you have no valor, usually it's because of the curse of God upon you. If you would take the time when you get home to read Deuteronomy 28 again and Leviticus chapter 26, you would also find that one of the curses that God placed upon people for their disobedience to Him was the fact that they would flee. So here it is, Leviticus 26 and verse 17, God said, if they disobeyed, and I'm quoting, "And I will set my face against you, and you shall be slain before your enemies. They that hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when none pursueth you." So here these people were fleeing. They were leaving everything.
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So sin causes men to be fearful and fainthearted. Sin causes men to sneak into the mountains and hide in caves and in the dens of the earth. Unhappily, the average American, and I will go even farther, the average Christian will not fight even to protect their own home and their own family.
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Now, since we're talking about these people having to leave their homes, have you contemplated, have you thought about the fact that you may not have a home or belongings if the global elite have their way. As Klaus Schwab said, "You will own nothing and you will be happy." Which means they will own everything that you previously owned and they will take it either by theft or confiscation or taxation or inflation or by war and famine.
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I think I told you last week, I'm going to tell you again, but the state of Massachusetts has already said that electricity in that state would be increased by 64% on November the 1st, 2022. I also read yesterday where overall our electric bills have increased 24% from August the 1st 2021 to August 1st, 2022. And I certainly can tell that in mine.
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Now, do you understand and have you thought about all of the homes, properties and plantations that were stolen from Southern people during Reconstruction times? Now, some of those places were stolen by force. That is a fact. The owners were murdered and they were just simply confiscated. But many of them were stolen legally. It was illegal, but it was still legally done. So what they would do, they would take the plantation that they wanted or the land that they wanted, and they would increase the taxes to the point that the Southerners could not pay. They could not afford it.
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And thus, they would then go in and confiscate that property, and then turn around and give it to a carpetbagger. And then all of a sudden, all the taxes would either be reduced or erased completely because now it's in the hand of a northern individual. Thus, the property was actually stolen, although it was done in a legal manner. So I want you to stop and think about this.
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We have our homes, or at least presently we do. But if inflation, if taxation and scarcity continue, and you really have to choose between food and a house. Do you think that if you cannot eat and if you have no place to sleep, that your back might be up against the wall? I'm just simply pointing out the fact, do you think that if you're forced to live in a van or live on the street or live in a tent, that your back might be up against the wall? In other words, there is the possibility, even through war, that we may not have homes as well.
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Now, God does indeed use everything that's going on in this country. You can look out west, and there's been a tremendous drought. You can look in some places, there's been floods. You can look in other places, and there have been plagues. Let me just show you. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Amos, chapter 4. So it's Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Right after Ezekiel, you have Daniel and Hosea, Joel, and Amos. So look in Amos chapter 4, beginning there with verse 6. Look what God did to get Israel to turn to Him, to pay attention, and they refused. So in Amos chapter 4, beginning with verse 6, God said, "And I've also given you cleanness of teeth in your cities."
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"And want of bread in all your places, yet you have not returned unto me, saith the Lord." In other words, drought didn't do it. Famine didn't do it. They did not return to Him, even though He chastened them with famine.
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Now look at verse 7. "And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there was yet three months to the harvest. And I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city. One piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered into one city to drink water, but they were not satisfied. Here it is again."
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"Yet you've not returned to me, saith the Lord. I tried to get your attention through drought. You wouldn't listen. Watch verse nine. I've smitten you with blasting and mildew. When your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them. Yet you've not returned to me, saith the Lord. Now, verse 10. I've sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt. Your young men have I slain with a sword. War. And I've taken away your horses and I've made the stink of your camps to come up in your nostrils. Yet have you not returned to me, saith the Lord? Verse 11. I've overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, that is a miraculously divine intervention of God in destruction. And you were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning. Yet you have not returned unto me, saith the Lord. Now watch."
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"Therefore, thus will I do unto thee, O Israel, and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." In other words, I've done all these things to get your attention and you would not pay attention. You would not listen. So sometimes some people do indeed have their backs up against the wall. They do not realize their backs are up against the wall. And God says, you won't listen. So prepare to meet the God of Israel.
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And the scripture tells you in 1 John, that there is a sin unto death. So I want you to go back to Judges chapter 6, because not only were these people driven from their homes.
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Secondly, I want you to look at verses three and four. "And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them. And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass." So let me ask you a question.
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What will you do when you cannot sow and plant and reap and enjoy the fruits of your labor? Let me ask this another way. What will you do when you are forced to subsidize millions of illegal aliens? What will you do when all the illegals in this country are given a free hand to do as they please and to take what they want without suffering any consequences?
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What will you do when whatever you have is violently taken from you? Now I ask those questions and probably I know what you're thinking. Some of you are probably thinking, "Ha ha ha, but that will never happen here." Really? Well, please explain to me and help me to understand how all of the homes, all the businesses, all the properties that have been looted, burned, and destroyed by Antifa and Black Lives Matters and a host of other organizations.
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That none of these people who lost everything have been remunerated, rebuilt, or restored by our government, either the local government, the state government, or the federal government. Help me to understand how all of these people who've been committing arson, looting, stealing, robbing, raping, have all escaped the consequences. Hardly any of them ever stood a trial. And the fact of the matter is there are plenty of witnesses and some of the crimes, many of the crimes were even videotaped. Look at what is happening in some of these fancy stores and even in some of the 7-Elevens where a whore just simply goes in. They steal what they want and trash the store and nothing ever happens. Look back at verse 4. Watch this. I want you to think about this.
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"And they encamped against them and destroyed the increase of the earth till thou come unto Gaza and left no sustenance for Israel." Think about this. They destroyed the increase of the earth and they left no sustenance for Israel. Do you think that when you are stripped of everything that you have and the means of sustaining yourself and sustaining your family, that your back would be against the wall? Do you think you might consider it this time?
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Repentance, obedience, turning to God. Wow. Look, if you would, at verse five. "For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude. For both they and their camels were without number, and they entered into the land to destroy it." These people, God's enemies and the enemies of God's people, did not come for a friendly visit. They did not come to be entertained. They did not come to be invited for a friendly meal. They did not come to share their culture. They did not even come to work. They came to destroy the land.
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That was their purpose in coming. I want to show you, I want you to hold Judges 6. But turn right over to the book of Isaiah chapter 1. You're going to see basically the same truth happening in the days of Isaiah. And look, if you would, what is said specifically. Isaiah chapter 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 7. Isaiah chapter 1, verse 7. God says, "Your country is desolate."
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"Your cities are burned with fire. Your land, strangers devour it in your presence. And it is desolate as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion, that is the people of God, is left as a cottage in a vineyard, just one little group, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city." What did he say? Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Your land, strangers devour it. My goodness. Do you understand what happened in Judges and what happened in Isaiah chapter one? It's nothing less than the judgment of God. The country basically was destroyed. The city is desolate. The land was overthrown by strangers. It's happening here today.
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So my question is this. How many would like to visit Portland, Oregon? How would you like to visit Seattle, Washington? How would you like to drive through the Bronx? How would you like to visit Los Angeles, California? How would you like to go to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? Hmm. I've been to practically all of those cities. In fact, I have in times past, but today in those cities, you would not walk down the street and certainly you would not desire to live there.
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I will give you a challenge. When you get home, go to the internet and type in what's happening in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Show me the streets of Portland, Oregon. Show me the streets of Seattle, Washington. You will be absolutely dumbfounded because all you can see is drunks and dopeheads and tents and sleeping bags and trash and filth. City after city. It's astounding. It's astounding.
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Now, cultural enrichment is not working. Not all cultures are equal, and certainly not all cultures are desirable. Christians have not understood the importance of culture. Let me tell you what culture is. Culture is religion externalized. That's what it is. It is religion externalized. Whenever you try to place cultures on an equal footing, when you say that all cultures are equal, that is the same as trying to say that all religions are equal. In other words, that Voodooism is equal to Christianity. Taoism is equal to Jesus Christ. Mohammed is equal to Jesus Christ. No, no, not all cultures are equal. Not all religions are equal. Because we serve the one true and the living God who's revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. And everything that the West has that is totally different from the rest of the world, we have because of Jesus Christ and His word. We have because of Christianity.
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If you go to some of these places like India and look at the hell hole and the trash that people live in. I'm simply pointing out the fact you cannot say that all cultures are equal. You cannot say that all religions are equal. They are not. Read the Bible. Look at history. See what happens to a society and to a nation who reject and forget God and refuse to worship Him.
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You remember that passage in Proverbs 8 and verse 36 where our Lord said in verse 35, "He that findeth me findeth life and obtaineth favor of the Lord." But verse 36 He says this, "All that hate me love death." So what is happening in this country economically? I want to read you just three short paragraphs from one economic writer. Here's what he said. "The United States economy is on a collision course with economic disaster. Is it being done on purpose, or is it just a symptom of having an idiocracy in charge of the economy?"
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"Is it perhaps a combination of both factors? Given my several years living and working in our nation's capital, and having seen the Washington bureaucracy up close, I generally lean heavily on the idiocracy explanation for our American economic death spiral. But recent events have made me reassess. The White House has effectively put a blockade on new contracts for cheap and efficient natural energy production, leading to skyrocketing energy prices across the nation."
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"Under the guise of climate action and build-back-better statism, the government is doing its best to destroy a massive sector of the economy." Now here's another challenge for you. When you get home, go to the internet, go to your search engine, and type in this question: "Is the government purposefully destroying the economy?" You will be astounded at the sites that will arise before your eyes, and most of them will be with a positive answer. Yes, the government is trying to destroy the economy. It's astounding, absolutely astounding.
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Now, I want you to go back to Judges 6, because I want you to look at verse 6. The Bible says in verse 5, "they entered into the land to destroy it." Now look in verse 6. "And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord." I just read where there have been over 2 million illegal immigrants, aliens, who flooded in this country. I think that was just this past year, 2 million.
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So here's a good question. Who is paying for all the medical care, transportation, upkeep, food, housing, spending money, education for all of these illegals? Who's paying for it? And the answer is, you are. You are now. Someone says, "But you don't understand, the government's doing this because they're just printing the money. And whatever they want, they can just have that money printed." But what you don't consider is this: the more money they print, the less valuable is that money that you have in your bank account, in your wallet, in your IRA, in your retirement accounts. In other words, the more they print, the value of the Federal Reserve note continues to go down. In other words, you're being stolen from and you don't even realize it. You're being taken for a ride and you don't even understand what is going on. And right now, most of the American people really do not care because at least now they still have a house and now they're still able to eat. But just wait a little while.
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And when it really gets to where their back is up against the wall, it'll change. Now, as long as people have comfort and as long as people have a little something to eat, they don't care. But wait until it really affects them.
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Now, let me show you what I'm going to call the point of these two messages. I want you to look in Judges chapter 6 and verses 7 through 10. Watch this. "And it came to pass when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites, that the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage."
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"And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and draved them out before you, and gave you their land. And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God, fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell, but you have not obeyed my voice."
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Now, two things are obvious here. Number one, finally, these people got their backs against the wall and they did indeed cry unto the Lord. And the second thing is this. When they really got their backs against the wall and they really began to pray, God did something very unique. He sent them a preacher. He sent a prophet. And you know what the prophet said? You know what the prophet did? The prophet said, "Look, it's your sins. It's your wickedness. It's your fault. You are the ones that got yourself into this trouble. You have totally forsaken God. You've forgotten God. You've turned from Him." Read Judges chapter 2 through chapter 13 and see how often the people sinned against God, rebelled against God and God graciously and God mercifully delivered them by sending them a prophet, or not a prophet, but sending them a judge. And how that judge ruled and finally delivered the people. But guess what happened? Every time God sent a judge and the judge delivered the people, when the judge died, the people turned right back again to their sins and to their rebellion.
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I want you to just listen. I'm going to begin in Judges chapter 2, and I'm going to read through Judges 13, not the whole Bible, just these phrases. Listen carefully. Judges 2, verse 11, "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served Baalim." Now Judges 3 and verse 7, "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and forgot the Lord their God and served Baalim and the groves."
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Now in between each one of these, there's been a judge, there's been a deliverance, but now they're falling back again. Here's Judges 3:12, "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord strengthened Eglon, the King of Moab against Israel because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord." Now Judges 4:1, "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead." Judges 6, verse 1, "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years." Judges 10, verse 6, "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served him not." And Judges 13 in verse 1, "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for 40 years."
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Do you realize that each time the children of Israel cried unto the Lord for deliverance, they had their backs up against the wall. They were in great distress. They were in great desperation because of the fruit of their own wickedness. But it took every time having their backs up against the wall. So here's a good question. Why is it? Judges chapter 6 when they cried to the Lord in verse 7 for deliverance, in verse 8 God sent a prophet. He had been sending judges. Now He sends a preacher. Why? The answer is this: Because the Lord was showing them His compassion and His mercy. What did the man of God do? He warned the people.
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He told them, "You're here where you are because of your sin, because of your rebellion, because you have forsaken the Lord, because you have worshiped false gods. You are here because of your sin and your rebellion. God delivered you from Egypt. He told you not to serve these false gods, but you would not listen."
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Now here's an important passage. If you want to look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 36, look in verse 15. 2 Chronicles 36 and verse 15. I told you the reason that God sent a prophet or sent a preacher was because of His compassion. Here it is. 2 Chronicles 36 verse 15: "And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place." Anytime and every time in the Bible, when God is going to have compassion and mercy upon a people, He always sends them a preacher.
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Now, the opposite is also true. When God is not going to have mercy, when God is not going to show compassion, then God's going to either remove the preacher or He's going to shut his mouth. So what happened in Israel when Ahab and Jezebel were on the throne? Well, the Bible says that Elijah came and said to Ahab, "As the Lord God liveth before whom I stand, there shall not be rain or dew these years, but according to my word." And for three and a half years, there was no rain. There was no dew. What did God do? God moved Elijah out of the land and put him with the widow of Zarephath. So the point I'm trying to make is since Elijah was not in the land, there was no word from God. There was no compassion. There was no mercy. When you look at Jeremiah, God did not take Jeremiah out of the land. He left him in the land, but He shut his mouth. So He said in Jeremiah chapter 7, "Pray not for this people."
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Jeremiah 11, "Pray not for this people." When you get to Jeremiah 14, Jeremiah wanted to pray for them so badly.
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Finally, God said, "Okay, I'm going to let you pray for them. But here's what you pray. You pray that I'll destroy them because that's exactly what I'm going to do." So He took Elijah out of the land. He left Jeremiah in the land. He just shut his mouth and refused to allow him to pray for these wicked people. Hard times, chastening, desperation, famine, drought, plagues, sickness, defeat, subjection and enslavement are all result of sinning and rebelling against the Lord. Curses follow disobedience, just like blessings follow obedience. Now, here's a question.
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Do you remember the two sources that I gave you as to the origin of the phrase, having your back against the wall? The second one I told you had been in existence since the 16th century, and it just simply means being hard pressed. It means you're in a desperate situation. That's like General Hague said, "We've got to fight to the last man." In other words, we're in a situation if we don't win, that's just all there is to it. So you can have a situation like that where your back is against the wall and you just determine you're going to fight it out. You may live, you may die, you may have victory, you may have defeat, but you're going to fight until the last man. So it refers basically to being hard pressed. Now, but the second one that I'm going to repeat was actually the first one. And that's when you're having your back against the wall and you're being shot, you're being executed. Someone is going to say, "Huh?"
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"Well, thank the Lord. We're not at that place. That hasn't happened in America." I would allow you to say that if you added one word: "That hasn't happened in America yet." Yet. Let me show you, look in your Bibles to the book of Judges, chapter 10. Judges, chapter 10. Beginning there with verse 10. Judges 10 verse 10: "And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God and also served Baalim. And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also and the Amalekites and the Midianites did oppress you and you cried unto me and I delivered you out of their hand. Watch. Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods. Wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen. Let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation." Let me tell you something, folks. When God says, "I will deliver you no more,"
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Your back is up against the wall this time with finality. And it will end in fatality as well.
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Now, I want to make some applications and I want you to go ahead and turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Hosea, the book of Hosea chapter 2. Right after the book of Daniel, you have the book of Hosea. So, we're talking about having our backs up against the wall. We need to understand that God is indeed loving, kind, gracious, merciful. He is that. But the same God is also holy, righteous, and just. And there comes a time when God is tired of everything that He gives us, that we take and give to false gods. I want you to see what He said to Israel, Hosea chapter 2.
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Let's begin reading in verse 8. In fact, look in verse 8 again, talking about Israel: "For she did not know that I gave her corn and wine and oil and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal." God said, "I gave it to them. It came from me and they're preparing it for Baal and his worship." Now look what God says: "Therefore will I return and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness."
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"And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand. I will also cause all of her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereupon she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me, that is, the false idols."
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"And I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers and forgot me," saith the Lord. God said, "I gave Israel everything that they had, and now I'm willing and ready to take it back." When God says, "I will deliver you no more," your back is really against the wall. If you look in Hosea chapter 5 and verse 6, look what God says. Hosea 5 in verse 6, He said, in fact we're talking about Israel, look in verse 5: "And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face. Therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity. Judah shall also fall with them. They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord, but they shall not find him."
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"He has withdrawn himself from them. They have dealt treacherously against the Lord and they have begotten strange children."
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"Now shall a month devour them with their portions." Now notice, if you would, God said, "They're going to seek me, but they're not going to find me." So God is not only loving, merciful, just and kind. He is also righteous, He is also holy. And there comes a time when He will say, "I will deliver thee no more." Just face your consequences. That's like He said, "Because you would not hear, O Israel, prepare to meet thy God."
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Now, I want you to go back to the book of Judges chapter 6, because the second application should be viewed in light of these verses. I want you to look at verse 1 and let me ask you a question. "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years."
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Now we read everything that the Midianites, the Amalekites had done to the Israelites, how they suffered. So here's a good question. How long do you think Israel cried out to Baal to deliver them?
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Maybe six years. They were worshiping Baal. They were serving Baal. But now finally look in verse 6. "And Israel was greatly impoverished." In other words, we had our backs up against the wall. We were about absolutely, totally destroyed because of the Midianites. And then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. Here are some questions. Why did not Israel cry to the Lord when she was first defeated by the Midianites? Why did she not cry the first year, the second year, the third year, the fourth year, the fifth year, the sixth year? Why did they wait seven years?
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And here's the answer. Because their backs were not up against the wall. It took seven years of real, genuine suffering before they were willing to cry to the Lord for deliverance. Why are most Americans not upset with all the sin, all the wickedness, all the filth, all the sedition, all the insurrection, all the treason that's going on by our governments and by our politicians? Why are we not upset? And here's the answer. Our backs are not up against the wall yet. And when we really get our backs up against the wall, maybe we'll remember the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Maybe at that point, we'll ask for repentance. We'll ask for faith. We'll ask for obedience. We'll ask Him to restore us to His worship and that we might serve Him.
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I don't know about you, but I prefer to start crying now and asking God for deliverance before I have to go to a mountain and hide, and before I'm stripped of everything that I possess, and before I'm starving to death. Now would be the time to cry. What is it? Jeremiah 33 in verse 3, I quoted it. "Call unto me and I'll answer thee, saith the Lord, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not." Now would be the time to call. Don't wait until our backs are against the wall. Don't be like Israel of old. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee.
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We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We thank you, Father, for all that you've shown us. Help us, Lord, to be wise as serpents, harmless as doves. But help us to know the truth. And help us, Lord, to worship thee and serve thee and not forsake thee. And begin to cry now for deliverance. Help us, O God of our fathers. We know that thou art God, and we know of thy wonders of old. And we ask you as the psalmist in Psalm 44, "Command deliverances for Jacob." Do it again, O Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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♪
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:16:44Z

Is Your Back Against The Wall Yet - Part 2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver continues his exposition of Judges 6, emphasizing that God uses chastening and judgment to awaken His people and the nation. He contrasts judgment on enemies with chastening on sons, showing that Israel's suffering under Midian was due to their sin. The sermon warns that America is following a similar path of rebellion and will face severe consequences unless there is repentance. The key point is that people only cry out to God when their backs are against the wall, and God in His compassion sends a preacher to call them to repentance.

Introduction and Review

Scripture Reading — Judges 6:1-10

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. And because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them the dens, which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds. And so it was when Israel had sown that the Midianites came up and the Amalekites and the children of the east even they came up against them. And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude."

Judgment vs. Chastening

Using Deuteronomy 32 and Hebrews 12, Weaver distinguishes God's judgment on enemies from His chastening on sons. Chastening is for training and yields righteousness, while judgment is destruction.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:41-42

"If I whet my glittering sword and mine hand take hold of judgment, I will render vengeance to mine enemies and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood and my sword shall devour flesh. And that with the blood of the slain and of the captives from the beginning of revenge is upon the enemy."

So this is just judgment where God just simply destroys His enemies.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:5-11

"And you have forgotten the exhortation, which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness."

Israel's Distress in Judges 6

The Purpose of the Enemy: Destruction

Economic and Social Parallels

You remember that passage in Proverbs 8 and verse 36 where our Lord said in verse 35,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 8:35-36

"He that findeth me findeth life and obtaineth favor of the Lord."

But verse 36 He says this,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 8:35-36

"All that hate me love death."

God's Response: A Prophet Sent

When Israel finally cried out, God sent a prophet to confront their sin. Weaver emphasizes that God sends preachers out of compassion, but when He withdraws His word, it signifies judgment.

Now in between each one of these, there's been a judge, there's been a deliverance, but now they're falling back again. Here's Judges 3:12,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord strengthened Eglon, the King of Moab against Israel because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord."

Now Judges 4:1,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead."

Judges 6, verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years."

Judges 10, verse 6,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served him not."

And Judges 13 in verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for 40 years."

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 36:15

"And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place."

Anytime and every time in the Bible, when God is going to have compassion and mercy upon a people, He always sends them a preacher.

The Cycle of Sin and Deliverance

Weaver traces the repeated cycle in Judges: Israel sins, is oppressed, cries out, and God sends a deliverer. He notes that each time they only cried out when their backs were against the wall.

Now in between each one of these, there's been a judge, there's been a deliverance, but now they're falling back again. Here's Judges 3:12,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord strengthened Eglon, the King of Moab against Israel because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord."

Now Judges 4:1,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead."

Judges 6, verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years."

Judges 10, verse 6,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served him not."

And Judges 13 in verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for 40 years."

When God Says 'No More'

Using Judges 10 and Hosea, Weaver warns that there comes a point when God refuses to deliver, telling Israel to cry to their false gods. This is the ultimate 'back against the wall' with finality.

Scripture Reading — Judges 10:10-14

"And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God and also served Baalim. And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also and the Amalekites and the Midianites did oppress you and you cried unto me and I delivered you out of their hand. Watch. Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods. Wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen. Let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation."

Let me tell you something, folks. When God says,

Scripture Reading — Judges 10:10-14

"I will deliver you no more,"

Scripture Reading — Hosea 2:8-13

"And I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers and forgot me,"

Application: Cry Out Now

Weaver urges the congregation not to wait until their backs are against the wall to repent. He calls for immediate prayer and turning to God, citing Jeremiah 33:3.

Now we read everything that the Midianites, the Amalekites had done to the Israelites, how they suffered. So here's a good question. How long do you think Israel cried out to Baal to deliver them?

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 33:3

"Call unto me and I'll answer thee, saith the Lord, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not."

Now would be the time to call. Don't wait until our backs are against the wall. Don't be like Israel of old. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee.

Is Your Back Against The Wall Yet - Part 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	xmYBLqzXrQw
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-02-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 192: Is Your Back Against The Wall Yet — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	83

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review: Weaver reviews the two reasons Israel fell into paganism: a soteriological issue (they did not know the Lord) and a historical issue (they did not remember God's works). He reiterates the origin of the phrase 'back against the wall' and introduces the difference between judgment and chastening.
Judgment vs. Chastening: Using Deuteronomy 32 and Hebrews 12, Weaver distinguishes God's judgment on enemies from His chastening on sons. Chastening is for training and yields righteousness, while judgment is destruction.
Israel's Distress in Judges 6: Weaver describes how the Midianites oppressed Israel, forcing them to flee to caves and destroying their sustenance. He draws parallels to modern economic and social crises, suggesting that similar judgment may come upon America.
The Purpose of the Enemy: Destruction: The Midianites came to destroy the land, not to coexist. Weaver compares this to modern cultural decay and the destruction of cities, arguing that not all cultures are equal and that rejection of God leads to societal collapse.
Economic and Social Parallels: Weaver cites economic writers and current events to argue that the U.S. government is purposefully destroying the economy, leading to impoverishment. He warns that comfort prevents people from crying out to God.
God's Response: A Prophet Sent: When Israel finally cried out, God sent a prophet to confront their sin. Weaver emphasizes that God sends preachers out of compassion, but when He withdraws His word, it signifies judgment.
The Cycle of Sin and Deliverance: Weaver traces the repeated cycle in Judges: Israel sins, is oppressed, cries out, and God sends a deliverer. He notes that each time they only cried out when their backs were against the wall.
When God Says 'No More': Using Judges 10 and Hosea, Weaver warns that there comes a point when God refuses to deliver, telling Israel to cry to their false gods. This is the ultimate 'back against the wall' with finality.
Application: Cry Out Now: Weaver urges the congregation not to wait until their backs are against the wall to repent. He calls for immediate prayer and turning to God, citing Jeremiah 33:3.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Israel's suffering was a direct result of their sin.

The oppression by Midian was God's chastening for Israel's evil. Their flight to caves and loss of sustenance were consequences of disobedience.

Judges 6:1 says they did evil and the Lord delivered them. Leviticus 26:17 is cited: 'you shall flee when none pursueth you.'

America is experiencing similar judgment.

Economic inflation, illegal immigration, cultural decay, and government corruption are modern parallels to the Midianite oppression.

Weaver cites rising electricity costs, looting without consequences, and quotes an economic writer on purposeful destruction of the economy.

God uses hardship to bring repentance.

God sent famine, drought, and war in Amos 4 to get Israel's attention, but they did not return. Hardship is a tool to awaken people.

Amos 4:6-12 is read, showing each calamity followed by 'yet you have not returned to me.'

Preaching is a sign of God's mercy.

When God sends a prophet, it is because He has compassion. When He removes or silences preachers, it indicates judgment.

2 Chronicles 36:15; examples of Elijah being removed and Jeremiah being told not to pray.

There is a limit to God's patience.

God eventually told Israel He would deliver them no more. This final rejection comes after persistent rebellion.

Judges 10:10-14; Hosea 2:8-13 and 5:6.

Repentance should not be delayed.

Israel waited seven years to cry out. Believers should cry out now before facing severe judgment.

The question 'Why did they wait seven years?' and the call to pray now based on Jeremiah 33:3.

Scripture References

Judges 6:1-10: The main text of the sermon, describing Israel's oppression by Midian and God's message through a prophet.
Deuteronomy 32:41-42: Used to illustrate God's judgment on His enemies, with vivid imagery of vengeance.
Hebrews 12:5-11: Explains that God chastens His children for their profit, yielding the peaceable fruit of righteousness.
1 Samuel 13:5-7: Another example of Israelites hiding in caves and fleeing due to fear, showing a pattern of cowardice under judgment.
Leviticus 26:17: Cited to show that fleeing when none pursues is a curse for disobedience.
Amos 4:6-12: God's repeated chastening through famine, drought, blight, pestilence, and war, yet Israel did not return; ends with 'prepare to meet thy God.'
Isaiah 1:7-8: Describes a desolate country, burned cities, and land devoured by strangers, paralleling the judgment in Judges.
Proverbs 8:35-36: Those who find wisdom find life; those who hate wisdom love death, applied to cultural rejection of God.
2 Chronicles 36:15: God sent messengers because He had compassion on His people, showing that preaching is a sign of mercy.
Judges 10:10-14: God refuses to deliver Israel anymore, telling them to cry to their false gods, illustrating the finality of judgment.
Hosea 2:8-13: God threatens to take back His blessings because Israel used them for Baal worship.
Hosea 5:5-6: Israel will seek the Lord but not find Him because He has withdrawn, indicating a point of no return.
Jeremiah 33:3: Call unto me and I will answer, used as an encouragement to pray now for deliverance.
Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1: A series of verses showing the repeated cycle of Israel doing evil, being oppressed, and crying out.

Historical References

John Paul Jones, 'I have not yet begun to fight': Used as an analogy: unless we repent, we may soon say 'we have not yet begun to suffer.'
General Douglas Haig, World War I: Origin of the phrase 'backs to the wall' in a military context, ordering troops to fight to the last man.
Klaus Schwab, 'You will own nothing and you will be happy': Cited as evidence of global elite plans to confiscate property, leading to loss of homes.
Reconstruction-era property confiscation in the South: Example of property being stolen legally through taxation, paralleling modern economic oppression.
Antifa and Black Lives Matter riots: Mentioned as modern examples of looting and destruction without consequences, similar to Midianite devastation.
Economic writer on U.S. economic disaster: Quoted to argue that the government is purposefully destroying the economy through energy policies.

Important Quotes

I have not yet begun to fight.

Used to introduce the idea that without repentance, suffering may only be beginning.

Every position must be held to the last man. With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight on to the end, having our backs against the wall.

Historical origin of the sermon's central metaphor, emphasizing desperate resolve.

You will own nothing and you will be happy.

Attributed to Klaus Schwab, used to warn of coming economic dispossession.

Culture is religion externalized.

Key definition linking cultural decay to religious apostasy.

All that hate me love death.

Proverbs 8:36, applied to those who reject God's wisdom.

I will deliver you no more.

God's final word of judgment in Judges 10, marking the point of no return.

Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

Amos 4:12, the culmination of ignored chastening, calling for readiness to face God.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What is the difference between God's judgment and His chastening, and how should this affect our view of hardships?

[Context]

Based on the contrast between Deuteronomy 32 and Hebrews 12.

[Question]

Why do you think Israel waited seven years to cry out to God, and what does that reveal about human nature?

[Context]

From the observation that Israel only cried out when greatly impoverished.

[Question]

In what ways might God be using current events to get our attention as a nation?

[Context]

Application of Amos 4 and the economic/social parallels drawn in the sermon.

[Question]

How should we respond when we see cultural decay and the rejection of God in society?

[Context]

From the discussion of culture as religion externalized and the destruction of cities.

[Question]

What does it mean that God sends preachers out of compassion, and what is our responsibility when we hear such preaching?

[Context]

Based on 2 Chronicles 36:15 and the role of the prophet in Judges 6.

[Question]

Is there a point where God says 'I will deliver you no more'? How should that warning affect our urgency in repentance?

[Context]

From Judges 10 and Hosea 5.

Applications

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