Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Walking With God

The Worst Judgement

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2024-01-03

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver examines Deuteronomy 28:28-32 to identify what he calls 'the worst judgment'—the judgment of powerlessness and helplessness. He argues that while God has many judgments (sword, famine, pestilence, etc.), the most devastating is the removal of human strength and ability, leaving people unable to rescue loved ones or change circumstances. Weaver traces this powerlessness to the Fall, showing that all people are spiritually impotent and cannot save themselves or others. He emphasizes that only by recognizing our helplessness will we cry out to God, who alone possesses all power. The sermon concludes with the hope that for believers, this judgment becomes a blessing as they rely on Christ's strength, enabling them to do all things through Him.

[John Weaver] Deuteronomy chapter 28 And I want to begin reading if you would please with verse 28 We'll read through verse 32 and we'll be looking at a number of verses the title of the message is the worst and Judgment, so notice Deuteronomy 28 verse 32 is where we were calling end up We're going to start with verse 28. He said the Lord shall smite thee with madness and blindness and astonishment of heart Thou shalt grope at noonday as the blind grope within darkness and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore and no man shall save thee and Now shalt thou troth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. Thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein. Thou shalt plant a vineyard, and thou shalt not gather the grapes thereof. Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof. Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face. and shall not be restored to thee. Thy sheep shall be given of thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.

[John Weaver] Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given to another people, and then I shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long, and there shall be no might in thy hand. There are indeed many judgments and there are also many different kinds of judgments. If you were to take the time to read Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus chapter 26, you would find that God does indeed use many different kinds of judgment in his divine retribution for disobedience, sin, and rebellion. God chooses his weapons of judgment from his armory. I may surprise you to learn that God does have an armory But if you would hold Deuteronomy chapter 28 and look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 50 and look if you would please at verse 25 Jeremiah 50 and verse 25 And there's an interesting truth to this word that we're going to be pointing out so in Jeremiah chapter 50 and verse 25 the Word of God says this and The Lord hath opened his armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation.

[John Weaver] For this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans. But note, if you would please, he hath opened his armory, and brought forth the weapons of his indignation.

[John Weaver] Now, the Hebrew word for armory is the word osta, and it actually refers to a treasure, a storehouse, a cellar, or an armory. So Israel then provoked God many times in history, and God judged them many times in different ways. He chose out of his armory the weapons that he needed to chastise and to discipline the people.

[John Weaver] Now here's a good example of that. I want you to look in Deuteronomy chapter 32 and let's begin reading there with verse 15 Deuteronomy 32 in verse 15 and we'll read through verse 32 So notice if you would Deuteronomy chapter 32 and verse 15, but just sure run or Jerusalem waxed fat and kicked dark wax and fat dark grown thick dark covered with fatness. Then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteem the rock of his salvation.

[John Weaver] They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods. With abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God. To gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. Of the rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons and of his daughters. Now look at verse 20 he begins and he said I will hide my face from them I will see what their end shall be for they are a very forward generation Children in whom is no faith They have moved me to jealousy with which is not God they have provoked me to anger

[John Weaver] with their vanities their idols And I will move them to jealousy with them which are not a people I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation for a fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn into the lowest hell and shall consume the earth and with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs upon them, I will spin mine arrows upon them, they shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with a bitter destruction.

[John Weaver] I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. The sword without and terror within shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs. I said I would scatter them into the corners. I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men. Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this.

[John Weaver] For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their letter in. How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? For their rock is not as our rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

[John Weaver] For their vine is the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter." I want you to note carefully in this passage, God delineates a lot of the sins of the people against Him. But then at the same time he also delineates a lot of his judgments against those people and against their sins They provoked him they shall be provoked. They will be consumed with fire and sword and hunger and he said it's going to be the sword without and terror within now since we're in Deuteronomy 32 and He's going to continue and I want you to note if you would in verse 34 what he said Look at it is not this

[John Weaver] laid up in store with me and sealed up among my treasures. I to me belong in vengeance and recompense their foot shall slide in due time for the day of their calamity is at hand and the things that shall come upon them make haste now after God is talking about all of these judgments he says in verse 34 here's this question is not this laid up in store with me and sealed up among my treasures now here's the interesting thing the word treasures verse 34 is exactly the same Hebrew word as armory and Jeremiah 50 and verse 25 So just then as men value their arms and their weaponry and consider them their treasure, God also values his weaponry, his armory, and he considers that his treasure as well. Now, I want you to know God does have some specific Judgments that he favors so if you would hold Deuteronomy, but look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 14 and verse 21 Ezekiel 14 in verse 21, you will see the four main judgments of God Look what he says Ezekiel

[John Weaver] chapter 14 verse 21 for thus saith the Lord God how much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem the sword and the famine and the noisome beast and the pestilence to call from it man and Beast now I have an armory May not be a vast one, but I do have one and I have calibers that I favor above others and I have weapons that I favor above other weapons and likewise God says I have my armory Have my favorite weapons. I have my favorite judgments and those are the ones that I'm going to use So if you would notice as you read through Deuteronomy 28 in Leviticus chapter 26, you will discover There is a curse upon all of those who disobey and rebel against God now I want you to go back to Deuteronomy chapter 28 Because I want to show you what I'm going to consider today is the worst judgment.

[John Weaver] I Now, you may disagree with this assessment, but when I get through, I think you will see the importance of this assessment. So if you look in Deuteronomy chapter 28, let me just point out specifically what God says, beginning there with verse 21. Then we're going to skip down. Notice Deuteronomy 28. Look in verse 21. He said, The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee until he consume thee from off the land, whether thou goest to possess it. That's pretty bad. The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption and with a fever note and with an inflammation and with an extreme burning and With the sword and with blasting and with mildew and they shall pursue thee until thou perish And by heaven that is above thy head shall be brass and the earth that is under thee shall be iron the Lord shall make the reign of that land powder and dust and From heaven shall it come down upon thee until thou be destroyed. The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies.

[John Weaver] Thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them, and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. And thy carcass shall be meat unto all the fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away. The LORD will smite thee with a botch of Egypt, with the Amorites, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. The Lord shall smite thee with madness and blindness and astonishment of heart.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note something. These are just some of God's judgments. In this short passage, He does mention pestilence, consumption, fever, inflammation, the sword, blasting, mildew, drought, destruction, captivity, the botch of Egypt, which would be blains and boils like Job experienced and they experienced as well. Then he talked about hemorrhoids, which would be tumors and hemorrhoids and piles. Then he talks about the scab and the itch and none of these are going to be healed. And he said, he's going to make you grope like a blind man during the middle of the day.

[John Weaver] Now, let me stop before I give you the verses I want to and give you a quote from Matthew Henry commenting on this. Listen to what he said. Many particular judgments are here enumerated, which would be the fruits of the curse and with which God would punish the people for their apostasy and disobedience. These judgments threatened are of different kinds, for God has many arrows in His quiver, yes, and foresore judgments, and many more.

[John Weaver] They are represented as very terrible, and the descriptions of them are exceedingly lively and affecting that men, knowing these terrors of the Lord, might, if possible, be persuaded. The threatenings of the same judgment are several times repeated, that they might make the more deep and lasting impressions, and to intimate. If men persisted in their disobedience, the judgment which they thought was over, and of which they said, surely the bitterness of it is past, will not be over."

[John Weaver] In other words, it's going to continue. Now, here's the interesting thing. Although there are numerous judgments mentioned here, God still uses these judgments even today. If you would turn in your Bibles, holding Deuteronomy 28, but if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Amos, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, and look in Amos chapter 4, very quickly, Amos chapter 4, and notice if you would, beginning there with verse 6, Amos 4 and verse 6, I think that you will be able to identify as some of these judgments even today so Amos chapter 4 and Notice if you would please they're beginning with verse 6. Look what God says He said I've also given you cleanness of teeth in your cities and one of bread in your places Yet have you not returned in me saith the Lord. So there's the judgment of famine which is a Obviously used often he said in verse 7 and also I've withholding the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest And I caused it to rain upon one city cause it not to rain upon another city One piece was rained

[John Weaver] upon in the piece were upon it rain not withered so two or three cities wandered into one city to drink water But they were not satisfied Yet have you not returned in me saith the Lord so there's drought then he said 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 Yet you've not returned into me said the Lord. So there's all kinds of pestilence from insects and diseases upon our food and Then he said in verse 10 I've sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt your young men have I slain with a sword and have taken away your horses and have made the stink of your camps to come up into your nostrils and Yet you've not returned into me said the Lord so there's war and destruction He said in verse 11 I've overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and you were as a brand firebrand plucked out of the burning Yet have you not returned into me

[John Weaver] said the Lord so supernatural judgments And then verse 12, he says, 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, God said, I sent all of these judgments to get your attention, and you never paid any attention. And because you would not return unto me, because you would not repent, therefore, he said, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. So we've been warned over and over in the Bible And you know that passage in Hebrews 10 in verse 31 where the Bible says it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God and Certainly, that is true.

[John Weaver] Do you realize that God knows exactly what kind of judgment to bring and Because not only is God infinitely wise, He is omniscient. And God knows exactly what it will take to bring a people to their knees. He knows exactly what it will take to bring us to ourselves and to our senses. And God chooses the weapon that's going to do the most good and bring Him the most glory. There are many weapons that God has. However, there is one weapon I think that you and I overlook It is one that is very discernible It is one that is very recognizable and I think consequently because it is with us all of our lives We just tend to overlook it.

[John Weaver] I Want to show it to you. I want you to skip down to verse 31. This is still part of God's curse now upon disobedience he said Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes and thou shalt not eat thereof Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face and shall not be restored to thee thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies and thou shalt have none to rescue them and Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and then I shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long, and there shall be no might in thine hand.

[John Weaver] So this judgment is a judgment of powerlessness and helplessness. I don't know if you've ever considered What would it be like to be entirely and completely helpless and powerless before your enemies? Or before what you and I would call circumstances. The truth of the matter is this. No one desires to have his property stolen or taken away from them. And especially no one desires to have that property taken away from them by force and by violence.

[John Weaver] It's strange, but yet it's true. Oftentimes, men and families count their animals as their own family. You remember the story that Nathan brought to David about the man who had the one little lamb who slept in his bosom? Yeah, I've got favorite animals. And I would not want anyone to come up and just mercilessly slaughter them and me being able to stop them or me be unable to do anything about it.

[John Weaver] But look what God says in verse 31. He said, Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof. In other words, it's stolen. It's taken away. Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face. And thou shalt and shall not be restored of thee. You're not going to get anything out of it. Thy sheep shall be given by the enemies. Now look at this. And thou shalt have none to rescue them. In other words, you're helpless. You're powerless. You have no strength. You have no might.

[John Weaver] There's nothing you can do to stop it. There's nothing you can do about it. There's nothing you can do to recover your property. It's gone. That's not the worst part. The worst part is not having your property stolen in you're helpless. The worst part is not having your animals stolen And you're helpless if you look in verse 32 thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people and Then I shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long and there shall be no might in thine hand Wow, you're helpless. You're powerless. Your children are kidnapped. Your children are killed. Your children are sold into slavery. Your children are given to other countries and other peoples. You can't stop it.

[John Weaver] It could be your wife. Could be your husband. I mean, we're talking about children. There were grown children as well. I just read recently this week of some men who broke into a family's home and there were no weapons in the home. And so the intruders incapacitated the husband, shot him, killed him, didn't kill him, but stabbed him, did something where he could not function, and then proceeded to rape his wife and daughters before his eyes.

[John Weaver] I don't know about you. I put to me that is that is so to be not be able to help and not be able to stop. Wickedness and sin is a terrible judgment. I can assure you when you understand that you're completely, totally helpless and powerless without strength and without might.

[John Weaver] Now, this is an aspect of God's judgment in one sense of the word. that we should be able to recognize. You remember the Bible teaches in first Corinthians chapter 15 that Adam was our federal head and representative. And since he was our federal head and representative, what he did, we did. And when he sinned, we sinned. When he fell, we fell. You have to remember, when God created Adam, God created him with original holiness, righteousness, and knowledge, and the ability to please God, because he walked with God in the garden in the cool of the day. But when Adam sinned against God, When Adam rebelled against God, he not only lost his holiness, he not only lost his righteousness, he not only became depraved, totally depraved, but he also lost his ability to please God.

[John Weaver] That's why the Bible says in Romans 5 in verse 12 where for us by one man Sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned and that Little phrase for that all have sinned is an heiress passive in the Greek which means it happened once and for all and it's over and done with Well, when did all men sin once and for all? And the answer is in Adam. So here we're talking about the judgment of God and he says there shall be no might in thy hand So that means we've lost our power We've lost everything.

[John Weaver] So I want you to picture this with me just momentarily. I Want you to think about this? Here is a loving and faithful husband and He's wrestling with the reality of an unfaithful wife and He loves her he wants her he desires her he pleads with her He begs her he beseeches her and yet she continues in her rebellion She will absolutely not listen. She will absolutely not repent. She will absolutely not come to a census now. Here's my question What can that husband do Here's the answer nothing You said, well, he can pray. I understand that.

[John Weaver] But the point I'm making right now is this. He is powerless to change his wife. He has no might. You can reverse the situation. Here's a wife, a loving wife and an unfaithful husband. What can she do? Nothing. Here's one of the hardest things that we have to learn. You cannot live for other people and you cannot make other people do that, which is right. It is absolutely, totally impossible. Now, I'm not making up these scenarios.

[John Weaver] After 59 years of preaching, let me tell you, I've seen this happen so many times over and over and over. I've even seen couples that have been married 50 years. And one of them starts straying. It's just unbelievable. Not just consider this, but consider children. Think about your children, if you would, just for a moment. And we're talking about children. We're talking about little children. We're talking about teenagers. We're talking about young adults. And let me tell you something, you can talk about grown adults as well. I tell you what, my mother died at age 90. I don't care if I was 50 years old. I'm still her baby. And that's what you tell people. This is my baby. I'm 50. But I'm her baby. You understand what I'm saying. You think about all of our children and think about how oftentimes children break the hearts of their parents. I mean, they just simply will not do what's right. They will not behave. They will not believe. They will not repent. And let me tell you something.

[John Weaver] I love children. I do. I really do. But I've seen so many young couples with young children. And yes, they're so happy. Their children are so obedient, so well trained. And they like to show how obedient their children are. And I always smile. And I sometimes say that loud and sometimes say it secretly, but I smile and say, wait until they're 16, 18. And there may be a difference. There may be a difference. Well, the hardest things you will ever learn as a parent is you can't make your child do what's right. You can't live for that child. You can teach that child. You can love that child. You can guide that child. But you cannot live for that child. You can't keep him from making mistakes. You can't keep him from doing the same stupid things that you did.

[John Weaver] And you're trying to hit him away from you. You just can't stop him. You're absolutely totally powerless Now you guys say wait a minute brother Weaver I know what the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 22 in verse 6 when the Bible says Train up a child the way that he should go and when he's old he will not depart from it Well, the interesting part of that word that verse is the word old Train up a child when he is young what and when he's old He will not depart from it Now, the word old in the Hebrew is the word Zachin. And actually, it is translated in our Bibles as old and as aged. It means to become old, to grow old, and to show age. It is actually the root word from the biblical word elder, Zachin, which actually means a bearded one. Wow!

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to think about this. Believe that Proverbs 22 in verse 6 is a general principle. I know I'm not denying the truth of the Bible I believe the Bible but listen to this train up a child in the way that he should go and when he's old He will not depart from it does not say that he would never depart from it It just said when he's old he will not depart from it. Now what I mean by general principle Well, let me give you a general principle in Proverbs chapter 18 in verse 22 where the scripture says whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favor of the Lord. I know some men that found a wife that didn't find a good thing. I know some women that found a husband that didn't find a good thing. So what does that mean? It means with the blessing of God and the grace of God whoso findeth a good godly wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favor of the Lord.

[John Weaver] Here's another one of general principle Proverbs chapter 23 verses 13 and 14 withhold not correction from the child if thou beatest the child with the rod He shall not die thou shalt beat him with a rod and thou shalt save his soul from hell Does that mean every child has ever been beaten is going to heaven? No If that is what it meant, one of the best means of evangelism would be to grab a rod and go out and start beating every child that you could find. No, what it means is with the blessings of God and the grace of God upon that individual's life, that correction would work. But without that, it's not going to work. It's just that simple.

[John Weaver] There have been plenty of people in the Bible that have been taught and departed. Solomon was taught, and Solomon departed from the Lord. Demas certainly departed from the Lord. So I'm just simply saying, I think that these proverbs, a lot of them could be understood more easily as a general Principle so the point I'm trying to make though is this we have no power. We have no might in ourselves We cannot make our spouses do that, which is right. We cannot make our children do that Which is right now Alice and I've been married soon to be 61 years if the Lord lets us live, but you know, I Can't make her do what's right I can't I mean if she wanted to leave tomorrow, I couldn't stop her. Well, I could I can shoot better than she could There's nothing I could do and if I wanted to do something wrong, but I wanted to run out on her she couldn't stop me Yeah, I'm just simply saying when you begin to think about this this is a devastating judgment Because you just

[John Weaver] can't make each other do what is right. You can't make your children do what is right. And we have to understand the grief and the heartache and the sadness in parents when they see their children go astray. And the only two things that you can do is number one, pray for them. And number two, live a life of godliness and holiness to give them an example so that they may see where they have erred and where they have sinned against God. That's about it, other than confronting them, talking to them, and sometimes confronting them doesn't do anything, or sometimes it even makes it worse.

[John Weaver] It's kind of like Esau. When he saw that the women of Canaan, please not father and mother, he went out and married two more, just for spite. I'm just simply saying, I want you to look, if you would, Psalm 49 just to show you this this simple truth. There's no way in the world That we can we can we cannot redeem our own. We cannot bring them back. We cannot save them so in Psalm 49 verse 7 The Word of God says none of them can by any means redeem his brother nor give God a ransom for him So there's no way I could save my wife. There's no way I could save my children It's it's not in my power. It's not in my might. I don't have that ability now I want you to listen to a quote by John Gill on this passage train of a child in the way that he should go here's what he said and when he is old he will not depart from it that is not easily nor ordinarily.

[John Weaver] Then he says there are exceptions to this observation, but generally, so he's talking about a general principle, but generally where there is a good education, the impressions of it do not easily wear off, nor do men ordinarily forsake a good way that they've been brought up in. And however, when being come to years of maturity and understanding, their hearts are seasoned with the grace of God. They are then enabled to put that into practice. Which before they had only in theory and so continuing the paths of truth and holiness And so generally speaking he said yes, that is a general principle, but he said there are exceptions to it In other words, you must always count in the grace and mercy of God. So mom and daddy.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you this right now. I Teach your children all you can teach them and teach them right but you better do more than teach them. You better be praying every day that God will make it effectual in their hearts and minds. Discipline them. Yes, but pray that God will make it effectual in their lives I'm just simply saying these are principles based upon the blessings of God and not only the grace of God and the mercy of God But you have to understand that yes men are sinners.

[John Weaver] Let me give you a good illustration Isaac case Was a pastor. I'm gonna read this to you because this was written by dr. AR crane Concerning this godly man. He says Isaac case began his ministry and read Phil Maine and until his death at age 91 On November 3, 1852, his life was spent in the preaching of the gospel. The Revolutionary War being over, the message of Christ expanded along the towns and settlements, so his work was the planning of many Baptist churches in those areas. He established the First Baptist Church of Thomaston and Readfield.

[John Weaver] They only counted converts who were actually baptized in those days, and he baptized scores wherever he went. In 1904, Dr. A.R. Crane presented a paper at the Maine Baptist Missionary Convention entitled, The Baptist Ministers in Maine from 1804 to 1904 and listed Isaac Case as one of the most important. He said, That he had heard case preached in his old age and considered him to have as much power with god as any man as he'd ever heard But he could not understand how isaac case's grown son never attended church services Asking case's son the question one day as to why he did not attend church and since his father was such a great preacher The Son replied, Grace is not hereditary, depravity is.

[John Weaver] And that, my dear friend, is truth. Because mankind does not have the power or the might to make anything right or do right. I want to tell you, I'm not a mechanic. I don't even want to be around machinery. You could spit in my face and I can hold my temper. I could. But you fix it where I cannot get to a nut that I know that needs to be gotten to or when I get to it, it won't turn like it's supposed to turn.

[John Weaver] That's when I holler, Steve, Steve. It blows my mind how my lawnmower can be working absolutely perfectly with no problem whatsoever. And I turn it off and go get some water and come back and it won't even start. I'm just simply, I'm pointing out, you know, I think, my goodness, We have no power over anything. We have no strength over anything. We have no mind I want to show you something look back in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 28 and look at verse 20 Deuteronomy 28 verse 20 Look at what God says the Lord shall smite thee with a consumption and with a fever and and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with a sword, and with blasting, and with mildew, and they shall pursue thee until thou perish." That was verse 22. I didn't want that. I wanted verse 20. He said, The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, and all that thou set as thine hand unto for to do, Look all those set aside and to do until thou be destroyed and until thou perish quickly because of the wickedness I doings whereby that has forsaken me.

[John Weaver] No, he said in all thy hand Whatever you set your hand to it's gonna fall apart. It's gonna fail You don't have any power. You don't have any strength. You don't have any ability not so ever whatsoever now If you want to argue with me Try to tell me well brother Weaver. I do have strength. I do have might I do have power Well, I tell you what If you will agree with me to demonstrate this in just one simple area I'll believe you.

[John Weaver] I really will You know what that area is whole Deuteronomy 28, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 8 right before the Song of Solomon and Look at Ecclesiastes chapter 8 and look if you would please at verse 8. Now, if you want to show me that you do have power, you do have strength, I want to see it exercised in this one simple area. Here it is. Ecclesiastes 8 and verse 8. Look what the Bible says. There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit. Neither hath he power in the day of death.

[John Weaver] And there's no discharge in that war. Neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit. Neither have the power in the day of death. If you can demonstrate that you have strength to stop death. I'll agree you have some power. I got news for you. You're not going to live one second longer than God has ordained for you. You can fight, you can fuss, you can cuss, you can do whatever you want to do, but you're going to die because you don't have any power to retain your spirit. You don't have any power to stop from dying. You're going to die. So am I.

[John Weaver] I'm just simply saying I'm trying to show you why we have no power. We are sinners. We are depraved. Now, hang on. Here's a good question. During the wilderness wanderings, God allowed the children of Israel to suffer hunger. Why? Well, let me answer that for you. So look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 8. Deuteronomy chapter 8. And let's begin reading there with verse 1. Look at what the Bible says. Deuteronomy 8 verse 1. God says all the commandments which I command thee this day shall you observe to do that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land which the Lord swear unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord by God led thee these forty years in the wilderness to humble thee To prove thee to know what was in thine heart whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no now here it is and he humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with manna which thou knowest not and Neither did thy father's know that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but by Every word that proceeded out of the mouth the Lord doth man live.

[John Weaver] Did you hear what he said? He said I suffered you to hunger for one reason why that I might feed you And the reason I fed you With manna which you nor your fathers knew not Was that you would learn this one principle and that is man does not live by physical bread alone But by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God in the words God said I suffered you to hunger that you might learn to depend upon me That you might see my power that you might see my strength. So God humbled them He said and caused them to The hunger that he might feed them that they might learn to depend solely upon him. Now.

[John Weaver] Now that I've showed you this truth. That we are powerless, we're helpless. There's not one thing that we can do. And the lives of our children and the lives of our spouses to make them do what is right. Well, that is the bad news in one sense of the word. I do have some good news for you. First of all, I can quote it, but I want you to turn there. I want you to look in Psalm 62, if you would, and verse 11. Here is a great truth. You need to underline this in your Bible, underline this in your mind, because in Psalm 62 and verse 11, the Word of God makes this declaration. Look at it. Psalm 62 and verse 11.

[John Weaver] God says, God has spoken once, twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God. Power belongs to God does not belong to man, but it belongs to God You remember what our Lord said in Matthew chapter 28 and verse 18? listen, and Jesus came unto them and spake saying All power in heaven and earth is given unto me All power in heaven earth is given unto me Remember what our Lord said in John chapter 15 in verse 5.

[John Weaver] He said I am the vine You are the branches he that abided in me the same bringing forth much fruit for without me you can do what? Without me you can do how much? nothing nothing Now wait a minute We already can do nothing. We're already powerless. We're already helpless But we know that all powers in God are All power has been given to Jesus Christ. Without Him, we can do nothing.

[John Weaver] But with Him, we can do all things. What did the Apostle Paul say in Philippians 4 and verse 13? I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. I can do all things.

[John Weaver] Now, Want to show you something. I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 5 Exodus chapter 5 You remember Moses and Aaron Have gone in Pharaoh and they said thus saith the Lord God of Israel. Let my people go That they may serve him and Pharaoh responds Know not the Lord Neither will I let Israel go who is the Lord that I should obey him Now the elders have gone in To get Pharaoh to let them go and What does he tell them your idol your idol?

[John Weaver] You make the same number of bricks, but you make them without straw you gather your own straw and if you don't Make the same number of bricks you're going to be beaten. So look at this. Let's begin reading in verse 15 of Exodus chapter 5. Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried into Pharaoh saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say unto us, Make brick. And behold, thy servants are beaten, but the fault is in thine own people.

[John Weaver] But he said, You are idle, you are idle. Therefore you say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord. Go therefore now and work, for there shall no straw be given you, yet you shall deliver the tale of bricks. Now look at this. And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in an evil state after it was said, You shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

[John Weaver] And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh. And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you and judge, because you have made our Savior to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. And Moses returned unto the Lord and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil and treated his people? Why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he's done evil to this people, neither hast thou delivered thy people at all."

[John Weaver] Now I want you to watch. Moses and Aaron are helpless. They have gone in, they've demanded like God told them to, to demand of Pharaoh to let them go. He did not. The elders went in, hey, He wouldn't listen to them. But he said, you're an idol. You're going to make the same number of bricks and you're going to do it without the straw. You won't get your own straw. So when they come out, they look at Moses and Aaron and say, the Lord judged between you and us. All you said you were going to deliver us.

[John Weaver] All you've done is made it worse. And then Moses said, Lord, why did you even send me?

[John Weaver] Now, look in chapter six and verse one. Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh, for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. So he said, Now, Moses, since you and Aaron realize you can't do it, since the elders of Israel realize they can't do it, now you'll see what I can do.

[John Weaver] I can handle this situation. You know what our problem is? Our problem is the same problem that the Pharisees had. They denied the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They denied the bodily resurrection, period. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. Pharisees did, but the Sadducees didn't. And you know what our Lord said to them? In Matthew chapter 22 and verse 29, Jesus said, you do err not knowing the scriptures or the power of God. And this is where we are today, because we err, because we don't know the scriptures. We don't know the power of God. We depend upon our might, our strength, our power, and we don't have any.

[John Weaver] So here's my first application. I want you to listen to this. If we do not realize and recognize our own helplessness, our own powerlessness. We will never cry to the Lord for his mercy, his grace, his strength and his power and his ability. Lord, I can't save my children, but you can. Can't save my wife, but you can I can't save my husband, but you can Try all you won't do everything you think you could possibly can but you will fail I Don't care who you are. I don't care where you are. I don't care what you're doing Unless God empowers you you're going to fail Even the mighty Apostles What did our Lord say to them in Acts chapter 1 in verse 8? He said, but you shall receive power.

[John Weaver] After that, the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world. But you're not going to do it until you receive power. You don't have the power in and of yourself. You can't do it. You have to receive my power. We have to understand, folks, until we realize how really, truly helpless we are, we're never going to cry to God for power.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back to Exodus chapter 28 just for a moment. I want you to see this. This to me is a very frightening verse in one sense of the word, and yet a very Praiseworthy verse or two Deuteronomy chapter 28 look if you would please at verse 58 He said if thou will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book that

[John Weaver] thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name the Lord thy God and Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues and of long continuance and sore sickness and of long continuance Notice if you would if you don't fear this glorious and fearful name the Lord thy God How do you fear him by depending upon him by trusting him by looking to him?

[John Weaver] Now I want to show you to other passages, and I want to make one last application. I want to show you two passages that I really like. Some of you here will be unable to really claim this one passage until later, but some here may do so. But I want you to look, first of all, to the book of Isaiah, chapter 40, which I'm sure you should already be Thinking about Isaiah chapter 40 here are two particular promises that I genuinely rely upon and love So if you look in Isaiah chapter 40 in verse 28 Look at this question hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard?

[John Weaver] that the everlasting God the Lord the creator of the ends of the earth fainted not neither is weary and He doesn't grow old. He doesn't give out. He doesn't yeah, he can't be weary. He's all-powerful He said there is no searching of his understanding now watch verse 29 He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increases strength Even the youth shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. God said, I'm the one who gives the power. I'm the one who gives the strength. I'm the one that gives the might.

[John Weaver] Now, if you'll turn back in your Bibles to Psalm 71. And this is why I said that there are some in this room that cannot yet claim this promise, but yet maybe In the Lord's time, you shall be able to do so. Look in Psalm 71, verse 18. I love this verse. The psalmist said, Now also when I am old and gray headed, oh God, forsake me not until I've showed by strength into this generation and by power to everyone that is to come. When I'm old and gray headed, Forsake me not now here is what I want you to learn a judgment May be turned into a blessing The worst judgment one of the easiest Proven As we have no power we have no strength we have no might But, when you're saved by the grace of

[John Weaver] God, you can say with the Apostle Paul, I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. He is our power, our strength, and our might. So the judgment is turned into a blessing to those who trust God. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we pray, Lord, that You would indeed help us to lean upon Thee, look to Thee, trust Thee, and believe in Thy power and Thy might and Thy strength, while confessing, Lord, that we have none. Give us Your grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray. Amen. so so you you

The Worst Judgement

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	q4b7lUfhH2A
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2024-01-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 132: Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit — Chapter 16
Source Timed Segments	71

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Worst Judgment

Weaver introduces Deuteronomy 28:28-32 and states that among God's many judgments, the worst is the judgment of powerlessness and helplessness.

Deuteronomy chapter 28. And I want to begin reading, if you would please, with verse 28. We'll read through verse 32, and we'll be looking at a number of verses. The title of the message is "The Worst Judgment." So notice Deuteronomy 28, verse 32 is where we will end up. We're going to start with verse 28. He said,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:28-32

"The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart. Thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee. And thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. Thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein. Thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof. Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof. Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee. Thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them."

God's Armory of Judgments

God has an armory of judgments (Jeremiah 50:25), and He chooses specific weapons like sword, famine, pestilence, and beasts to discipline His people.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:28-32

"Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand."

There are indeed many judgments, and there are also many different kinds of judgments. If you were to take the time to read Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus chapter 26, you would find that God does indeed use many different kinds of judgment in His divine retribution for disobedience, sin, and rebellion. God chooses His weapons of judgment from His armory. It may surprise you to learn that God does have an armory. But if you would hold Deuteronomy chapter 28 and look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 50, and look if you would please at verse 25. Jeremiah 50 and verse 25. And there's an interesting truth to this word that we're going to be pointing out. So in Jeremiah chapter 50 and verse 25, the Word of God says this: "The Lord hath opened his armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation."

"For this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans." But note, if you would please, "He hath opened his armory, and brought forth the weapons of his indignation." Now, the Hebrew word for "armory" is the word otsar, and it actually refers to a treasure, a storehouse, a cellar, or an armory. So Israel then provoked God many times in history, and God judged them many times in different ways. He chose out of His armory the weapons that He needed to chastise and to discipline the people.

Now here's a good example of that. I want you to look in Deuteronomy chapter 32, and let's begin reading there with verse 15. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 15, and we'll read through verse 32. So notice if you would Deuteronomy chapter 32 and verse 15: "But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation."

Examples of God's Judgments in Deuteronomy 32

Deuteronomy 32:15-35 lists sins and corresponding judgments, showing God's treasures (judgments) stored up for retribution.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:15-35

"They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters."

Now look at verse 20. He begins, and He said,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:15-35

"I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities, their idols." "And I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction." "I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs. I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men: were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this." "For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges." "For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter."

I want you to note carefully in this passage, God delineates a lot of the sins of the people against Him. But then at the same time He also delineates a lot of His judgments against those people and against their sins. They provoked Him; they shall be provoked. They will be consumed with fire and sword and hunger, and He said it's going to be the sword without and terror within. Now since we're in Deuteronomy 32, and He's going to continue, I want you to note if you would in verse 34 what He said. Look at it:

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:15-35

"Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?"

"To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." Now after God is talking about all of these judgments, He says in verse 34, here's this question:

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:34

"Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?"

Now here's the interesting thing: the word "treasures" in verse 34 is exactly the same Hebrew word as "armory" in Jeremiah 50 and verse 25. So just as men value their arms and their weaponry and consider them their treasure, God also values His weaponry, His armory, and He considers that His treasure as well. Now, I want you to know God does have some specific judgments that He favors. So if you would hold Deuteronomy, but look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 14 and verse 21. Ezekiel 14 and verse 21, you will see the four main judgments of God. Look what He says: Ezekiel chapter 14 verse 21, "For thus saith the Lord God; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?"

Now, I have an armory. It may not be a vast one, but I do have one, and I have calibers that I favor above others, and I have weapons that I favor above other weapons. And likewise God says, "I have my armory. I have my favorite weapons. I have my favorite judgments, and those are the ones that I'm going to use." So if you would notice as you read through Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus chapter 26, you will discover there is a curse upon all of those who disobey and rebel against God. Now I want you to go back to Deuteronomy chapter 28, because I want to show you what I'm going to consider today is the worst judgment.

God's Four Sore Judgments and His Favorites

Ezekiel 14:21 names four main judgments: sword, famine, noisome beast, and pestilence. God favors certain judgments to accomplish His purposes.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:34

"Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?"

Now, you may disagree with this assessment, but when I get through, I think you will see the importance of this assessment. So if you look in Deuteronomy chapter 28, let me just point out specifically what God says, beginning there with verse 21. Then we're going to skip down. Notice Deuteronomy 28. Look in verse 21. He said,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:21-28

"The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it."

That's pretty bad.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:21-28

"The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies."

The Judgment of Powerlessness in Deuteronomy 28:31-32

Verses 31-32 describe the helplessness of seeing property and children taken with no ability to rescue them—the worst judgment.

I want to show it to you. I want you to skip down to verse 31. This is still part of God's curse now upon disobedience. He said, "Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof. Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee. Thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them. And thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand."

So this judgment is a judgment of powerlessness and helplessness. I don't know if you've ever considered what would it be like to be entirely and completely helpless and powerless before your enemies? Or before what you and I would call circumstances. The truth of the matter is this: no one desires to have his property stolen or taken away from them. And especially no one desires to have that property taken away from them by force and by violence. It's strange, but yet it's true. Oftentimes, men and families count their animals as their own family. You remember the story that Nathan brought to David about the man who had the one little lamb who slept in his bosom? Yeah, I've got favorite animals. And I would not want anyone to come up and just mercilessly slaughter them and me not being able to stop them or me be unable to do anything about it.

But look what God says in verse 31. He said, "Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof." In other words, it's stolen. It's taken away. "Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee." You're not going to get anything out of it. "Thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies." Now look at this: "And thou shalt have none to rescue them." In other words, you're helpless. You're powerless. You have no strength. You have no might.

There's nothing you can do to stop it. There's nothing you can do about it. There's nothing you can do to recover your property. It's gone. That's not the worst part. The worst part is not having your property stolen and you're helpless. The worst part is not having your animals stolen and you're helpless. If you look in verse 32, "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand." Wow, you're helpless. You're powerless. Your children are kidnapped. Your children are killed. Your children are sold into slavery. Your children are given to other countries and other peoples. You can't stop it.

Human Powerlessness Rooted in the Fall

Adam's sin brought total depravity and loss of ability to please God; all people are powerless to change others or stop death.

Now, this is an aspect of God's judgment, in one sense of the word, that we should be able to recognize. You remember the Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 that Adam was our federal head and representative. And since he was our federal head and representative, what he did, we did. And when he sinned, we sinned. When he fell, we fell. You have to remember, when God created Adam, God created him with original holiness, righteousness, and knowledge, and the ability to please God, because he walked with God in the garden in the cool of the day. But when Adam sinned against God, when Adam rebelled against God, he not only lost his holiness, he not only lost his righteousness, he not only became depraved, totally depraved, but he also lost his ability to please God.

That's why the Bible says in Romans 5 and verse 12,

Scripture Reading — Romans 5:12

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

And that little phrase

Scripture Reading — Romans 5:12

"for that all have sinned"

is an aorist passive in the Greek, which means it happened once and for all and it's over and done with. Well, when did all men sin once and for all? And the answer is in Adam. So here we're talking about the judgment of God and He says, "There shall be no might in thy hand." So that means we've lost our power. We've lost everything.

So I want you to picture this with me just momentarily. I want you to think about this. Here is a loving and faithful husband, and he's wrestling with the reality of an unfaithful wife. And he loves her, he wants her, he desires her, he pleads with her, he begs her, he beseeches her, and yet she continues in her rebellion. She will absolutely not listen. She will absolutely not repent. She will absolutely not come to her senses. Now here's my question: What can that husband do? Here's the answer: nothing. You said, "Well, he can pray." I understand that.

Parental and Marital Helplessness

Parents cannot force children to do right, and spouses cannot change each other; only prayer and godly example remain.

But the point I'm making right now is this: He is powerless to change his wife. He has no might. You can reverse the situation. Here's a wife, a loving wife and an unfaithful husband. What can she do? Nothing. Here's one of the hardest things that we have to learn. You cannot live for other people and you cannot make other people do that which is right. It is absolutely, totally impossible. Now, I'm not making up these scenarios.

After 59 years of preaching, let me tell you, I've seen this happen so many times over and over and over. I've even seen couples that have been married 50 years, and one of them starts straying. It's just unbelievable. Not just consider this, but consider children. Think about your children, if you would, just for a moment. And we're talking about children. We're talking about little children. We're talking about teenagers. We're talking about young adults. And let me tell you something, you can talk about grown adults as well. I tell you what, my mother died at age 90. I don't care if I was 50 years old, I'm still her baby. And that's what you tell people. "This is my baby." I'm 50, but I'm her baby. You understand what I'm saying. You think about all of our children and think about how oftentimes children break the hearts of their parents. I mean, they just simply will not do what's right. They will not behave. They will not believe. They will not repent. And let me tell you something.

I love children. I do. I really do. But I've seen so many young couples with young children. And yes, they're so happy. Their children are so obedient, so well trained. And they like to show how obedient their children are. And I always smile. And I sometimes say it loud and sometimes say it secretly, but I smile and say, "Wait until they're 16, 18. And there may be a difference. There may be a difference." Well, the hardest things you will ever learn as a parent is you can't make your child do what's right. You can't live for that child. You can teach that child. You can love that child. You can guide that child. But you cannot live for that child. You can't keep him from making mistakes. You can't keep him from doing the same stupid things that you did.

And you're trying to head him away from you. You just can't stop him. You're absolutely totally powerless. Now you guys say,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 22:6

"Wait a minute, Brother Weaver. I know what the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 22 and verse 6 when the Bible says, 'Train up a child in the way that he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.'"

Well, the interesting part of that verse is the word "old."

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 22:6

"Train up a child when he is young, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Now, the word "old" in the Hebrew is the word zaqen. And actually, it is translated in our Bibles as "old" and as "aged." It means to become old, to grow old, and to show age. It is actually the root word from the biblical word "elder," zaqen, which actually means a bearded one. Wow! Now, I want you to think about this. I believe that Proverbs 22 and verse 6 is a general principle. I know, I'm not denying the truth of the Bible. I believe the Bible. But listen to this: "Train up a child in the way that he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 22:6

" does not say that he will never depart from it. It just said when he is old he will not depart from it. Now what I mean by general principle? Well, let me give you a general principle in Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 22 where the Scripture says, "

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord." I know some men that found a wife that didn't find a good thing. I know some women that found a husband that didn't find a good thing. So what does that mean? It means with the blessing of God and the grace of God, whoso findeth a good godly wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

Here's another one of general principle: Proverbs chapter 23 verses 13 and 14, "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." Does that mean every child that's ever been beaten is going to heaven? No. If that is what it meant, one of the best means of evangelism would be to grab a rod and go out and start beating every child that you could find. No, what it means is with the blessings of God and the grace of God upon that individual's life, that correction would work. But without that, it's not going to work. It's just that simple.

There have been plenty of people in the Bible that have been taught and departed. Solomon was taught, and Solomon departed from the Lord. Demas certainly departed from the Lord. So I'm just simply saying, I think that these proverbs, a lot of them could be understood more easily as a general principle. So the point I'm trying to make though is this: we have no power. We have no might in ourselves. We cannot make our spouses do that which is right. We cannot make our children do that which is right. Now Alice and I have been married soon to be 61 years if the Lord lets us live, but you know, I can't make her do what's right. I can't. I mean if she wanted to leave tomorrow, I couldn't stop her. Well, I could—I can shoot better than she could. There's nothing I could do. And if I wanted to do something wrong, if I wanted to run out on her, she couldn't stop me. Yeah, I'm just simply saying when you begin to think about this, this is a devastating judgment because you just can't make each other do what is right.

You can't make your children do what is right. And we have to understand the grief and the heartache and the sadness in parents when they see their children go astray. And the only two things that you can do is number one, pray for them. And number two, live a life of godliness and holiness to give them an example so that they may see where they have erred and where they have sinned against God. That's about it, other than confronting them, talking to them, and sometimes confronting them doesn't do anything, or sometimes it even makes it worse.

The Purpose of Helplessness: Dependence on God

God allowed Israel to hunger to teach dependence on Him (Deuteronomy 8:3). Recognizing our powerlessness drives us to seek God's power.

Did you hear what He said? He said, "I suffered you to hunger for one reason: that I might feed you. And the reason I fed you with manna, which thou nor thy fathers knew not, was that you would learn this one principle, and that is man does not live by physical bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." In other words, God said, "I suffered you to hunger that you might learn to depend upon Me, that you might see My power, that you might see My strength." So God humbled them, He said, and caused them to hunger that He might feed them, that they might learn to depend solely upon Him. Now.

God's Power as the Answer

Psalm 62:11 declares power belongs to God; Jesus has all power (Matthew 28:18). Without Him we can do nothing, but through Him we can do all things.

God says, "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God." Power belongs to God. It does not belong to man, but it belongs to God. You remember what our Lord said in Matthew chapter 28 and verse 18? Listen, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." All power in heaven and earth is given unto Me. Remember what our Lord said in John chapter 15 and verse 5. He said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do"—what? "Without me ye can do"—how much? Nothing. Nothing. Now wait a minute. We already can do nothing. We're already powerless. We're already helpless. But we know that all power is in God. All power has been given to Jesus Christ. Without Him, we can do nothing.

But with Him, we can do all things. What did the Apostle Paul say in Philippians 4 and verse 13? "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." I can do all things.

Application: Cry to God for Power

Until we realize our helplessness, we will not cry to God for His strength. The judgment of powerlessness becomes a blessing when we trust in Christ's power.

So here's my first application. I want you to listen to this. If we do not realize and recognize our own helplessness, our own powerlessness, we will never cry to the Lord for His mercy, His grace, His strength, and His power and His ability. "Lord, I can't save my children, but You can. I can't save my wife, but You can. I can't save my husband, but You can." Try all you want, do everything you think you possibly can, but you will fail. I don't care who you are. I don't care where you are. I don't care what you're doing. Unless God empowers you, you're going to fail. Even the mighty apostles. What did our Lord say to them in Acts chapter 1 and verse 8? He said, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." But you're not going to do it until you receive power. You don't have the power in and of yourself. You can't do it. You have to receive My power. We have to understand, folks, until we realize how really, truly helpless we are, we're never going to cry to God for power.

Now, I want you to go back to Deuteronomy chapter 28 just for a moment. I want you to see this. This to me is a very frightening verse in one sense of the word, and yet a very praiseworthy verse or two. Deuteronomy chapter 28, look if you would please at verse 58. He said, "If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy God; then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance." Notice if you would, if you don't fear this glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy God. How do you fear Him? By depending upon Him, by trusting Him, by looking to Him.

Conclusion: Judgment Turned to Blessing

For believers, the worst judgment is reversed: we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Weaver closes with prayer for reliance on God's power.

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we pray, Lord, that You would indeed help us to lean upon Thee, look to Thee, trust Thee, and believe in Thy power and Thy might and Thy strength, while confessing, Lord, that we have none. Give us Your grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray. Amen.

that the everlasting God the Lord the creator of the ends of the earth fainted not neither is weary and He doesn't grow old. He doesn't give out. He doesn't yeah, he can't be weary. He's all-powerful He said there is no searching of his understanding now watch verse 29 He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increases strength Even the youth shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. God said, I'm the one who gives the power. I'm the one who gives the strength. I'm the one that gives the might.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Worst Judgment is Powerlessness

Summary: Weaver argues that the most devastating divine judgment is not physical suffering but the removal of human strength and ability, leaving people helpless to rescue loved ones or change circumstances.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 28:31-32 describes the helplessness of seeing property and children taken with 'no might in thine hand.' Weaver calls this 'the worst judgment.'

God's Sovereign Use of Judgments

Summary: God has an armory of judgments and selects specific ones (sword, famine, pestilence, beasts) to discipline and bring people to repentance.

Evidence: Jeremiah 50:25 says 'The Lord hath opened his armory,' and Ezekiel 14:21 lists four sore judgments. Weaver notes God favors certain weapons.

Human Depravity and Inability

Summary: Since Adam's fall, all people are spiritually powerless, unable to please God, save themselves, or change others. This is a universal condition.

Evidence: Weaver cites Romans 5:12 and explains that Adam's sin brought total depravity, leaving mankind without power to do right.

The Necessity of Recognizing Helplessness

Summary: Only when we acknowledge our complete powerlessness will we cry out to God for His strength and grace, rather than relying on our own efforts.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If we do not realize and recognize our own helplessness... we will never cry to the Lord for His mercy, His grace, His strength.'

God's Power as the Believer's Resource

Summary: All power belongs to God (Psalm 62:11) and is given to Christ (Matthew 28:18). Believers can do all things through Christ who strengthens them (Philippians 4:13).

Evidence: Weaver quotes Psalm 62:11, Matthew 28:18, John 15:5, and Philippians 4:13 to show that divine power is available to those who trust God.

Judgment Turned to Blessing

Summary: For those who trust God, the judgment of powerlessness becomes a blessing because it drives them to rely on Christ's strength, enabling them to accomplish God's purposes.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'A judgment may be turned into a blessing... when you're saved by the grace of God, you can say... I can do all things through Christ.'

Key Arguments

God has an armory of judgments and uses them purposefully.

Summary: Weaver argues that God possesses a storehouse of judgments (Jeremiah 50:25) and selects specific ones like sword, famine, pestilence, and beasts to discipline His people and bring them to repentance.

Evidence: Jeremiah 50:25 says 'The Lord hath opened his armory,' and Ezekiel 14:21 lists four sore judgments. Weaver notes God favors certain weapons.

The worst judgment is the removal of human power and might.

Summary: Weaver contends that the most severe judgment is not physical affliction but the state of helplessness where one cannot rescue loved ones or change circumstances, as described in Deuteronomy 28:31-32.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 28:31-32 describes seeing property and children taken with 'no might in thine hand.' Weaver calls this 'the worst judgment.'

Human powerlessness is rooted in the Fall and total depravity.

Summary: Since Adam's sin, all people are spiritually impotent, unable to please God or save themselves. This universal inability is a direct consequence of original sin.

Evidence: Weaver cites Romans 5:12 and explains that Adam's sin brought total depravity, leaving mankind without power to do right.

Parents and spouses are powerless to change their loved ones.

Summary: Weaver argues that no amount of teaching, discipline, or love can force a child or spouse to do right; only prayer and godly example remain, and even those require God's effectual grace.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'You cannot live for other people and you cannot make other people do that which is right.' He cites the example of Isaac Case's son saying, 'Grace is not hereditary, depravity is.'

God allows helplessness to teach dependence on Him.

Summary: Weaver points to Deuteronomy 8:3, where God humbled Israel with hunger to teach them that man lives by every word from God, not by bread alone. Helplessness is designed to drive people to rely on God's power.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 8:3 says God suffered them to hunger to make them know that man does not live by bread only but by every word of God.

All power belongs to God and is available to believers through Christ.

Summary: Weaver asserts that power belongs to God alone (Psalm 62:11), and Jesus Christ possesses all authority (Matthew 28:18). Without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5), but through Him we can do all things (Philippians 4:13).

Evidence: Weaver quotes Psalm 62:11, Matthew 28:18, John 15:5, and Philippians 4:13 to show that divine power is available to those who trust God.

Recognizing our helplessness is essential to crying out for God's power.

Summary: Weaver argues that until we realize our complete inability, we will not earnestly seek God's strength. The example of Moses in Exodus 5-6 shows that God waits for us to acknowledge our powerlessness before He acts.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If we do not realize and recognize our own helplessness... we will never cry to the Lord for His mercy, His grace, His strength.' He cites Exodus 6:1 where God says, 'Now shalt thou see what I will do.'

The judgment of powerlessness becomes a blessing for believers.

Summary: Weaver concludes that for those who trust God, the worst judgment is reversed: they exchange their weakness for Christ's strength and can accomplish God's purposes, turning a curse into a blessing.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'A judgment may be turned into a blessing... when you're saved by the grace of God, you can say... I can do all things through Christ.'

Scripture References

Deuteronomy 28:28-32

Context: Weaver reads these verses to introduce the judgment of madness, blindness, and helplessness, focusing on the phrase 'no might in thine hand.'

Jeremiah 50:25

Context: Weaver cites this verse to show that God has an armory and brings forth weapons of indignation.

Deuteronomy 32:15-35

Context: Weaver reads this passage to illustrate God's judgments against Israel's sins, including fire, sword, hunger, and beasts.

Deuteronomy 32:34

Context: Weaver notes that the word 'treasures' here is the same Hebrew word as 'armory' in Jeremiah 50:25, indicating God values His judgments.

Ezekiel 14:21

Context: Weaver quotes this verse to list God's four sore judgments: sword, famine, noisome beast, and pestilence.

Deuteronomy 28:21-28

Context: Weaver reads these verses to enumerate various judgments: pestilence, consumption, fever, sword, blasting, mildew, drought, captivity, boils, hemorrhoids, madness, and blindness.

Amos 4:6-12

Context: Weaver reads this passage to show that God still uses judgments like famine, drought, blasting, mildew, pestilence, and war to call people to repentance.

Hebrews 10:31

Context: Weaver quotes this verse to emphasize the fearfulness of falling into God's hands.

Deuteronomy 28:31-32

Context: Weaver focuses on these verses to highlight the judgment of powerlessness: property and children taken with no ability to rescue.

Romans 5:12

Context: Weaver cites this verse to explain that sin and death entered through Adam, and all sinned in him, resulting in total depravity and powerlessness.

Proverbs 22:6

Context: Weaver discusses this verse as a general principle, noting that training a child does not guarantee they will never depart, but that when old they will not depart.

Proverbs 18:22

Context: Weaver uses this verse as an example of a general principle: finding a wife is a good thing, but not universally true without God's blessing.

Proverbs 23:13-14

Context: Weaver cites this as another general principle: corporal discipline can deliver a child from hell, but only with God's grace.

Psalm 49:7

Context: Weaver quotes this verse to show that no one can redeem another or give a ransom to God for them.

Deuteronomy 28:20

Context: Weaver reads this verse to show that God sends cursing and vexation in all that one sets their hand to, indicating total failure and powerlessness.

Ecclesiastes 8:8

Context: Weaver quotes this verse to prove that no one has power over the spirit to retain it or power in the day of death.

Deuteronomy 8:1-3

Context: Weaver reads this passage to show that God humbled Israel with hunger to teach them dependence on His word, not on bread alone.

Psalm 62:11

Context: Weaver quotes this verse to declare that power belongs to God.

Matthew 28:18

Context: Weaver cites Jesus' statement that all power in heaven and earth is given to Him.

John 15:5

Context: Weaver quotes Jesus' words that without Him we can do nothing.

Historical References

Matthew Henry's commentary on Deuteronomy 28

Context: Weaver quotes Matthew Henry's observation that God has many arrows in His quiver and four sore judgments, and that the threatenings are repeated to make deep impressions.

John Gill's commentary on Proverbs 22:6

Context: Weaver quotes John Gill's note that 'when he is old, he will not depart from it' means not easily or ordinarily, and that there are exceptions to this general principle.

Isaac Case, Baptist minister in Maine (1761-1852)

Context: Weaver tells the story of Isaac Case, a godly pastor whose grown son never attended church, illustrating that grace is not hereditary but depravity is.

Dr. A.R. Crane's paper on Maine Baptist ministers (1904)

Context: Weaver cites Dr. Crane's account of Isaac Case's ministry and the conversation with Case's son about why he did not attend church.

Important Quotes

The Lord hath opened his armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation.

Significance: Weaver uses this verse to establish that God has a storehouse of judgments and deliberately chooses specific ones to discipline His people.

Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?

Significance: Weaver highlights that the Hebrew word for 'treasures' is the same as 'armory,' showing that God values His judgments as His treasure.

Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof. Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee. Thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.

Significance: Weaver points to this passage as the core description of the judgment of powerlessness—seeing property taken with no ability to stop it.

Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand.

Significance: Weaver emphasizes this verse as the climax of the worst judgment: helplessness to rescue one's own children.

Grace is not hereditary, depravity is.

Significance: Weaver quotes Isaac Case's son to illustrate that spiritual life cannot be passed down by human effort; only sin nature is inherited.

There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death.

Significance: Weaver uses this verse to prove the ultimate human powerlessness—no one can prevent their own death.

God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

Significance: Weaver quotes this to declare that all power is God's alone, contrasting human weakness with divine omnipotence.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Significance: Weaver presents this as the believer's answer to powerlessness: through union with Christ, we receive His strength to accomplish God's will.

Discussion Questions

Why does Weaver consider powerlessness to be the worst judgment, even worse than physical suffering or death?

Context: Weaver argues that the judgment of having 'no might in thine hand' (Deuteronomy 28:32) is the most devastating because it leaves a person unable to rescue loved ones or change circumstances.

How does the concept of God's 'armory' in Jeremiah 50:25 shape our understanding of divine judgment?

Context: Weaver explains that God has a storehouse of judgments and selects specific ones to accomplish His purposes, showing His sovereignty and wisdom in discipline.

In what ways does the Fall of Adam contribute to our present experience of powerlessness?

Context: Weaver teaches that Adam's sin brought total depravity and loss of ability to please God, leaving all humanity spiritually impotent and unable to save themselves or others.

How should parents respond when their children go astray, given that they are powerless to change their hearts?

Context: Weaver advises that parents can only pray and live a godly example, recognizing that only God can effectually work in their children's hearts.

What does Deuteronomy 8:3 teach about the purpose of God allowing us to experience helplessness?

Context: Weaver explains that God humbled Israel with hunger to teach them dependence on His word, not on physical provision, so that they would learn to rely on His power.

How does the story of Moses in Exodus 5-6 illustrate the principle that God waits for us to acknowledge our helplessness before He acts?

Context: Weaver points out that after Moses and the elders realized they could not deliver Israel, God said, 'Now shalt thou see what I will do,' demonstrating that recognition of powerlessness precedes divine intervention.

What does it mean for a judgment to be turned into a blessing, and how does this apply to the judgment of powerlessness?

Context: Weaver concludes that for believers, the worst judgment becomes a blessing because it drives them to rely on Christ's strength, enabling them to do all things through Him.

How can we practically 'wait upon the Lord' to renew our strength according to Isaiah 40:31?

Context: Weaver quotes Isaiah 40:28-31 to show that God gives power to the faint, but the promise is for those who wait on Him, implying active trust and dependence.

Applications

Recognize and confess your own powerlessness.

Summary: Weaver urges believers to acknowledge that they have no inherent strength to change themselves, their spouses, or their children, and to stop relying on their own efforts.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If we do not realize and recognize our own helplessness, our own powerlessness, we will never cry to the Lord for His mercy, His grace, His strength.'

Cry out to God for His power and grace.

Summary: Since all power belongs to God, believers must earnestly pray for His strength to work in their lives and in the lives of their loved ones, rather than trying to force change.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Lord, I can't save my children, but You can. I can't save my wife, but You can. I can't save my husband, but You can.'

Depend on Christ's strength for all things.

Summary: Weaver applies Philippians 4:13 to teach that believers can do all things through Christ who strengthens them, exchanging their weakness for His power.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'When you're saved by the grace of God, you can say with the Apostle Paul, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.'

Pray for God to make your teaching and discipline effectual.

Summary: Weaver instructs parents to teach and discipline their children but to pray daily that God would make those efforts effectual in their hearts, since only God can change them.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Teach your children all you can teach them... but you better do more than teach them. You better be praying every day that God will make it effectual in their hearts.'

Live a godly example to point others to Christ.

Summary: Weaver advises that when unable to change loved ones, believers should live a life of godliness and holiness to provide an example that may lead them to see their error and repent.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The only two things that you can do is number one, pray for them. And number two, live a life of godliness and holiness to give them an example.'

Fear the Lord by depending on Him.

Summary: Weaver applies Deuteronomy 28:58 by urging believers to fear God's glorious and fearful name through dependence, trust, and looking to Him rather than self-reliance.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'How do you fear Him? By depending upon Him, by trusting Him, by looking to Him.'

Wait on the Lord for renewed strength.

Summary: Weaver applies Isaiah 40:31 by encouraging believers to wait on the Lord, promising that He will renew their strength so they can run and not be weary.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Isaiah 40:31 and says, 'God said, I'm the one who gives the power. I'm the one who gives the strength.'

Trust God to turn judgment into blessing.

Summary: Weaver concludes that the worst judgment of powerlessness can become a blessing when believers trust God, as He enables them to do all things through Christ.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'A judgment may be turned into a blessing... when you're saved by the grace of God, you can say... I can do all things through Christ.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:25:43Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T12:54:25Z

Clean Transcript

The Worst Judgement

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

Deuteronomy chapter 28. And I want to begin reading, if you would please, with verse 28. We'll read through verse 32, and we'll be looking at a number of verses. The title of the message is "The Worst Judgment." So notice Deuteronomy 28, verse 32 is where we will end up. We're going to start with verse 28. He said, "The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart. Thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee. And thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. Thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein. Thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof. Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof. Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee. Thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them."
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"Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand." There are indeed many judgments, and there are also many different kinds of judgments. If you were to take the time to read Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus chapter 26, you would find that God does indeed use many different kinds of judgment in His divine retribution for disobedience, sin, and rebellion. God chooses His weapons of judgment from His armory. It may surprise you to learn that God does have an armory. But if you would hold Deuteronomy chapter 28 and look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 50, and look if you would please at verse 25. Jeremiah 50 and verse 25. And there's an interesting truth to this word that we're going to be pointing out. So in Jeremiah chapter 50 and verse 25, the Word of God says this: "The Lord hath opened his armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation."
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"For this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans." But note, if you would please, "He hath opened his armory, and brought forth the weapons of his indignation."
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Now, the Hebrew word for "armory" is the word otsar, and it actually refers to a treasure, a storehouse, a cellar, or an armory. So Israel then provoked God many times in history, and God judged them many times in different ways. He chose out of His armory the weapons that He needed to chastise and to discipline the people.
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Now here's a good example of that. I want you to look in Deuteronomy chapter 32, and let's begin reading there with verse 15. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 15, and we'll read through verse 32. So notice if you would Deuteronomy chapter 32 and verse 15: "But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation."
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"They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters." Now look at verse 20. He begins, and He said, "I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities, their idols."
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"And I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction."
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"I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs. I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men: were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this."
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"For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges."
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"For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter." I want you to note carefully in this passage, God delineates a lot of the sins of the people against Him. But then at the same time He also delineates a lot of His judgments against those people and against their sins. They provoked Him; they shall be provoked. They will be consumed with fire and sword and hunger, and He said it's going to be the sword without and terror within. Now since we're in Deuteronomy 32, and He's going to continue, I want you to note if you would in verse 34 what He said. Look at it: "Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?"
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"To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." Now after God is talking about all of these judgments, He says in verse 34, here's this question: "Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?" Now here's the interesting thing: the word "treasures" in verse 34 is exactly the same Hebrew word as "armory" in Jeremiah 50 and verse 25. So just as men value their arms and their weaponry and consider them their treasure, God also values His weaponry, His armory, and He considers that His treasure as well. Now, I want you to know God does have some specific judgments that He favors. So if you would hold Deuteronomy, but look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 14 and verse 21. Ezekiel 14 and verse 21, you will see the four main judgments of God. Look what He says: Ezekiel chapter 14 verse 21, "For thus saith the Lord God; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?"
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Now, I have an armory. It may not be a vast one, but I do have one, and I have calibers that I favor above others, and I have weapons that I favor above other weapons. And likewise God says, "I have my armory. I have my favorite weapons. I have my favorite judgments, and those are the ones that I'm going to use." So if you would notice as you read through Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus chapter 26, you will discover there is a curse upon all of those who disobey and rebel against God. Now I want you to go back to Deuteronomy chapter 28, because I want to show you what I'm going to consider today is the worst judgment.
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Now, you may disagree with this assessment, but when I get through, I think you will see the importance of this assessment. So if you look in Deuteronomy chapter 28, let me just point out specifically what God says, beginning there with verse 21. Then we're going to skip down. Notice Deuteronomy 28. Look in verse 21. He said, "The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it." That's pretty bad. "The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies."
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"Thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away. The Lord will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart."
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Now, I want you to note something. These are just some of God's judgments. In this short passage, He does mention pestilence, consumption, fever, inflammation, the sword, blasting, mildew, drought, destruction, captivity, the botch of Egypt, which would be blains and boils like Job experienced and they experienced as well. Then He talked about hemorrhoids, which would be tumors and hemorrhoids and piles. Then He talks about the scab and the itch, and none of these are going to be healed. And He said, He's going to make you grope like a blind man during the middle of the day.
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Now, let me stop before I give you the verses I want to and give you a quote from Matthew Henry commenting on this. Listen to what he said: "Many particular judgments are here enumerated, which would be the fruits of the curse and with which God would punish the people for their apostasy and disobedience. These judgments threatened are of different kinds, for God has many arrows in His quiver, yes, and four sore judgments, and many more."
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"They are represented as very terrible, and the descriptions of them are exceedingly lively and affecting, that men, knowing these terrors of the Lord, might, if possible, be persuaded. The threatenings of the same judgment are several times repeated, that they might make the more deep and lasting impressions, and to intimate, if men persisted in their disobedience, the judgment which they thought was over, and of which they said, 'Surely the bitterness of it is past,' will not be over."
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In other words, it's going to continue. Now, here's the interesting thing. Although there are numerous judgments mentioned here, God still uses these judgments even today. If you would turn in your Bibles, holding Deuteronomy 28, but if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Amos—Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos—and look in Amos chapter 4, very quickly. Amos chapter 4, and notice if you would, beginning there with verse 6. Amos 4 and verse 6. I think that you will be able to identify some of these judgments even today. So Amos chapter 4, and notice if you would please, beginning with verse 6. Look what God says. He said, "And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord." So there's the judgment of famine, which is obviously used often. He said in verse 7, "And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were 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 unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord." So there's drought. Then He said, "I have 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 have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord." So there's all kinds of pestilence from insects and diseases upon our food. And then He said in verse 10, "I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord." So there's war and destruction. He said in verse 11, "I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord."
#18 | 12:50 to 14:06 | cleaned
So supernatural judgments. And then verse 12, He says, "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, God said, "I sent all of these judgments to get your attention, and you never paid any attention. And because you would not return unto me, because you would not repent, therefore," He said, "prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." So we've been warned over and over in the Bible. And you know that passage in Hebrews 10 and verse 31 where the Bible says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." And certainly, that is true.
#19 | 14:06 to 15:04 | cleaned
Do you realize that God knows exactly what kind of judgment to bring? And because not only is God infinitely wise, He is omniscient. And God knows exactly what it will take to bring a people to their knees. He knows exactly what it will take to bring us to ourselves and to our senses. And God chooses the weapon that's going to do the most good and bring Him the most glory. There are many weapons that God has. However, there is one weapon I think that you and I overlook. It is one that is very discernible. It is one that is very recognizable, and I think consequently because it is with us all of our lives, we just tend to overlook it.
#20 | 15:05 to 15:46 | cleaned
I want to show it to you. I want you to skip down to verse 31. This is still part of God's curse now upon disobedience. He said, "Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof. Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee. Thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them. And thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand."
#21 | 15:47 to 16:42 | cleaned
So this judgment is a judgment of powerlessness and helplessness. I don't know if you've ever considered what would it be like to be entirely and completely helpless and powerless before your enemies? Or before what you and I would call circumstances. The truth of the matter is this: no one desires to have his property stolen or taken away from them. And especially no one desires to have that property taken away from them by force and by violence.
#22 | 16:43 to 17:30 | cleaned
It's strange, but yet it's true. Oftentimes, men and families count their animals as their own family. You remember the story that Nathan brought to David about the man who had the one little lamb who slept in his bosom? Yeah, I've got favorite animals. And I would not want anyone to come up and just mercilessly slaughter them and me not being able to stop them or me be unable to do anything about it.
#23 | 17:31 to 18:12 | cleaned
But look what God says in verse 31. He said, "Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof." In other words, it's stolen. It's taken away. "Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee." You're not going to get anything out of it. "Thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies." Now look at this: "And thou shalt have none to rescue them." In other words, you're helpless. You're powerless. You have no strength. You have no might.
#24 | 18:14 to 18:46 | cleaned
There's nothing you can do to stop it. There's nothing you can do about it. There's nothing you can do to recover your property. It's gone. That's not the worst part. The worst part is not having your property stolen and you're helpless. The worst part is not having your animals stolen and you're helpless. If you look in verse 32, "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand." Wow, you're helpless. You're powerless. Your children are kidnapped. Your children are killed. Your children are sold into slavery. Your children are given to other countries and other peoples. You can't stop it.
#25 | 18:47 to 19:18 | cleaned
It could be your wife. Could be your husband. I mean, we're talking about children. There were grown children as well. I just read recently this week of some men who broke into a family's home and there were no weapons in the home. And so the intruders incapacitated the husband, shot him, killed him—didn't kill him, but stabbed him, did something where he could not function—and then proceeded to rape his wife and daughters before his eyes.
#26 | 19:18 to 20:19 | cleaned
I don't know about you. To me, that is so—to not be able to help and not be able to stop wickedness and sin is a terrible judgment. I can assure you, when you understand that you're completely, totally helpless and powerless, without strength and without might.
#27 | 20:20 to 20:56 | cleaned
Now, this is an aspect of God's judgment, in one sense of the word, that we should be able to recognize. You remember the Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 that Adam was our federal head and representative. And since he was our federal head and representative, what he did, we did. And when he sinned, we sinned. When he fell, we fell. You have to remember, when God created Adam, God created him with original holiness, righteousness, and knowledge, and the ability to please God, because he walked with God in the garden in the cool of the day. But when Adam sinned against God, when Adam rebelled against God, he not only lost his holiness, he not only lost his righteousness, he not only became depraved, totally depraved, but he also lost his ability to please God.
#28 | 20:58 to 21:21 | cleaned
That's why the Bible says in Romans 5 and verse 12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." And that little phrase "for that all have sinned" is an aorist passive in the Greek, which means it happened once and for all and it's over and done with. Well, when did all men sin once and for all? And the answer is in Adam. So here we're talking about the judgment of God and He says, "There shall be no might in thy hand." So that means we've lost our power. We've lost everything.
#29 | 21:22 to 22:19 | cleaned
So I want you to picture this with me just momentarily. I want you to think about this. Here is a loving and faithful husband, and he's wrestling with the reality of an unfaithful wife. And he loves her, he wants her, he desires her, he pleads with her, he begs her, he beseeches her, and yet she continues in her rebellion. She will absolutely not listen. She will absolutely not repent. She will absolutely not come to her senses. Now here's my question: What can that husband do? Here's the answer: nothing. You said, "Well, he can pray." I understand that.
#30 | 22:21 to 22:58 | cleaned
But the point I'm making right now is this: He is powerless to change his wife. He has no might. You can reverse the situation. Here's a wife, a loving wife and an unfaithful husband. What can she do? Nothing. Here's one of the hardest things that we have to learn. You cannot live for other people and you cannot make other people do that which is right. It is absolutely, totally impossible. Now, I'm not making up these scenarios.
#31 | 22:59 to 23:43 | cleaned
After 59 years of preaching, let me tell you, I've seen this happen so many times over and over and over. I've even seen couples that have been married 50 years, and one of them starts straying. It's just unbelievable. Not just consider this, but consider children. Think about your children, if you would, just for a moment. And we're talking about children. We're talking about little children. We're talking about teenagers. We're talking about young adults. And let me tell you something, you can talk about grown adults as well. I tell you what, my mother died at age 90. I don't care if I was 50 years old, I'm still her baby. And that's what you tell people. "This is my baby." I'm 50, but I'm her baby. You understand what I'm saying. You think about all of our children and think about how oftentimes children break the hearts of their parents. I mean, they just simply will not do what's right. They will not behave. They will not believe. They will not repent. And let me tell you something.
#32 | 23:44 to 24:21 | cleaned
I love children. I do. I really do. But I've seen so many young couples with young children. And yes, they're so happy. Their children are so obedient, so well trained. And they like to show how obedient their children are. And I always smile. And I sometimes say it loud and sometimes say it secretly, but I smile and say, "Wait until they're 16, 18. And there may be a difference. There may be a difference." Well, the hardest things you will ever learn as a parent is you can't make your child do what's right. You can't live for that child. You can teach that child. You can love that child. You can guide that child. But you cannot live for that child. You can't keep him from making mistakes. You can't keep him from doing the same stupid things that you did.
#33 | 24:22 to 25:35 | cleaned
And you're trying to head him away from you. You just can't stop him. You're absolutely totally powerless. Now you guys say, "Wait a minute, Brother Weaver. I know what the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 22 and verse 6 when the Bible says, 'Train up a child in the way that he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.'" Well, the interesting part of that verse is the word "old." "Train up a child when he is young, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Now, the word "old" in the Hebrew is the word zaqen. And actually, it is translated in our Bibles as "old" and as "aged." It means to become old, to grow old, and to show age. It is actually the root word from the biblical word "elder," zaqen, which actually means a bearded one. Wow!
#34 | 25:35 to 26:31 | cleaned
Now, I want you to think about this. I believe that Proverbs 22 and verse 6 is a general principle. I know, I'm not denying the truth of the Bible. I believe the Bible. But listen to this: "Train up a child in the way that he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" does not say that he will never depart from it. It just said when he is old he will not depart from it. Now what I mean by general principle? Well, let me give you a general principle in Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 22 where the Scripture says, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord." I know some men that found a wife that didn't find a good thing. I know some women that found a husband that didn't find a good thing. So what does that mean? It means with the blessing of God and the grace of God, whoso findeth a good godly wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour of the Lord.
#35 | 26:33 to 27:26 | cleaned
Here's another one of general principle: Proverbs chapter 23 verses 13 and 14, "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." Does that mean every child that's ever been beaten is going to heaven? No. If that is what it meant, one of the best means of evangelism would be to grab a rod and go out and start beating every child that you could find. No, what it means is with the blessings of God and the grace of God upon that individual's life, that correction would work. But without that, it's not going to work. It's just that simple.
#36 | 27:29 to 28:24 | cleaned
There have been plenty of people in the Bible that have been taught and departed. Solomon was taught, and Solomon departed from the Lord. Demas certainly departed from the Lord. So I'm just simply saying, I think that these proverbs, a lot of them could be understood more easily as a general principle. So the point I'm trying to make though is this: we have no power. We have no might in ourselves. We cannot make our spouses do that which is right. We cannot make our children do that which is right. Now Alice and I have been married soon to be 61 years if the Lord lets us live, but you know, I can't make her do what's right. I can't. I mean if she wanted to leave tomorrow, I couldn't stop her. Well, I could—I can shoot better than she could. There's nothing I could do. And if I wanted to do something wrong, if I wanted to run out on her, she couldn't stop me. Yeah, I'm just simply saying when you begin to think about this, this is a devastating judgment because you just can't make each other do what is right.
#37 | 28:25 to 29:09 | cleaned
You can't make your children do what is right. And we have to understand the grief and the heartache and the sadness in parents when they see their children go astray. And the only two things that you can do is number one, pray for them. And number two, live a life of godliness and holiness to give them an example so that they may see where they have erred and where they have sinned against God. That's about it, other than confronting them, talking to them, and sometimes confronting them doesn't do anything, or sometimes it even makes it worse.
#38 | 29:09 to 30:17 | cleaned
It's kind of like Esau. When he saw that the women of Canaan pleased not his father and mother, he went out and married two more, just for spite. I'm just simply saying, I want you to look, if you would, Psalm 49 just to show you this simple truth. There's no way in the world that we can—we cannot redeem our own. We cannot bring them back. We cannot save them. So in Psalm 49 verse 7, the Word of God says, "None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him." So there's no way I could save my wife. There's no way I could save my children. It's not in my power. It's not in my might. I don't have that ability. Now I want you to listen to a quote by John Gill on this passage, "Train up a child in the way that he should go." Here's what he said: "And when he is old, he will not depart from it, that is, not easily, nor ordinarily."
#39 | 30:17 to 30:50 | cleaned
Then he says, "There are exceptions to this observation, but generally"—so he's talking about a general principle—"but generally where there is a good education, the impressions of it do not easily wear off, nor do men ordinarily forsake a good way that they've been brought up in. And however, when being come to years of maturity and understanding, their hearts are seasoned with the grace of God, they are then enabled to put that into practice which before they had only in theory, and so continuing the paths of truth and holiness." And so generally speaking he said, yes, that is a general principle, but he said there are exceptions to it. In other words, you must always count in the grace and mercy of God. So mom and daddy, let me tell you this right now.
#40 | 30:51 to 31:56 | cleaned
Teach your children all you can teach them and teach them right, but you better do more than teach them. You better be praying every day that God will make it effectual in their hearts and minds. Discipline them. Yes, but pray that God will make it effectual in their lives. I'm just simply saying these are principles based upon the blessings of God and not only the grace of God and the mercy of God. But you have to understand that yes, men are sinners.
#41 | 31:58 to 32:44 | cleaned
Let me give you a good illustration. Isaac Case was a pastor. I'm going to read this to you because this was written by Dr. A.R. Crane concerning this godly man. He says, "Isaac Case began his ministry in Readfield, Maine, and until his death at age 91 on November 3, 1852, his life was spent in the preaching of the gospel. The Revolutionary War being over, the message of Christ expanded along the towns and settlements, so his work was the planting of many Baptist churches in those areas. He established the First Baptist Church of Thomaston and Readfield."
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"They only counted converts who were actually baptized in those days, and he baptized scores wherever he went. In 1904, Dr. A.R. Crane presented a paper at the Maine Baptist Missionary Convention entitled, 'The Baptist Ministers in Maine from 1804 to 1904' and listed Isaac Case as one of the most important. He said that he had heard Case preach in his old age and considered him to have as much power with God as any man he'd ever heard. But he could not understand how Isaac Case's grown son never attended church services. Asking Case's son the question one day as to why he did not attend church, and since his father was such a great preacher, the son replied, 'Grace is not hereditary, depravity is.'"
#43 | 33:18 to 34:02 | cleaned
And that, my dear friend, is truth. Because mankind does not have the power or the might to make anything right or do right. I want to tell you, I'm not a mechanic. I don't even want to be around machinery. You could spit in my face and I can hold my temper. I could. But you fix it where I cannot get to a nut that I know that needs to be gotten to, or when I get to it, it won't turn like it's supposed to turn.
#44 | 34:03 to 35:05 | cleaned
That's when I holler, "Steve! Steve!" It blows my mind how my lawnmower can be working absolutely perfectly with no problem whatsoever, and I turn it off and go get some water and come back and it won't even start. I'm just simply—I'm pointing out, you know, I think, my goodness, we have no power over anything. We have no strength over anything. We have no might. I want to show you something. Look back in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 28 and look at verse 20. Deuteronomy 28 verse 20. Look at what God says: "The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me."
#45 | 35:09 to 35:46 | cleaned
No, He said, "In all that thou settest thine hand unto." Whatever you set your hand to, it's going to fall apart. It's going to fail. You don't have any power. You don't have any strength. You don't have any ability whatsoever. Now, if you want to argue with me, try to tell me, "Well, Brother Weaver, I do have strength. I do have might. I do have power." Well, I tell you what, if you will agree with me to demonstrate this in just one simple area, I'll believe you.
#46 | 35:49 to 37:13 | cleaned
I really will. You know what that area is? Hold Deuteronomy 28, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 8, right before the Song of Solomon, and look at Ecclesiastes chapter 8 and look if you would please at verse 8. Now, if you want to show me that you do have power, you do have strength, I want to see it exercised in this one simple area. Here it is. Ecclesiastes 8 and verse 8. Look what the Bible says: "There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death."
#47 | 37:14 to 37:47 | cleaned
"And there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it." "There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death." If you can demonstrate that you have strength to stop death, I'll agree you have some power. I got news for you. You're not going to live one second longer than God has ordained for you. You can fight, you can fuss, you can cuss, you can do whatever you want to do, but you're going to die because you don't have any power to retain your spirit. You don't have any power to stop from dying. You're going to die. So am I.
#48 | 37:47 to 38:31 | cleaned
I'm just simply saying I'm trying to show you why we have no power. We are sinners. We are depraved. Now, hang on. Here's a good question. During the wilderness wanderings, God allowed the children of Israel to suffer hunger. Why? Well, let me answer that for you. So look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 8. Deuteronomy chapter 8. And let's begin reading there with verse 1. Look at what the Bible says. Deuteronomy 8 verse 1. God says, "All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no." Now here it is: "And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live."
#49 | 38:32 to 39:14 | cleaned
Did you hear what He said? He said, "I suffered you to hunger for one reason: that I might feed you. And the reason I fed you with manna, which thou nor thy fathers knew not, was that you would learn this one principle, and that is man does not live by physical bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." In other words, God said, "I suffered you to hunger that you might learn to depend upon Me, that you might see My power, that you might see My strength." So God humbled them, He said, and caused them to hunger that He might feed them, that they might learn to depend solely upon Him. Now.
#50 | 39:14 to 40:41 | cleaned
Now that I've showed you this truth, that we are powerless, we're helpless, there's not one thing that we can do in the lives of our children and the lives of our spouses to make them do what is right. Well, that is the bad news in one sense of the word. I do have some good news for you. First of all, I can quote it, but I want you to turn there. I want you to look in Psalm 62, if you would, and verse 11. Here is a great truth. You need to underline this in your Bible, underline this in your mind, because in Psalm 62 and verse 11, the Word of God makes this declaration. Look at it. Psalm 62 and verse 11.
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God says, "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God." Power belongs to God. It does not belong to man, but it belongs to God. You remember what our Lord said in Matthew chapter 28 and verse 18? Listen, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." All power in heaven and earth is given unto Me. Remember what our Lord said in John chapter 15 and verse 5.
#52 | 41:28 to 42:19 | cleaned
He said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do"—what? "Without me ye can do"—how much? Nothing. Nothing. Now wait a minute. We already can do nothing. We're already powerless. We're already helpless. But we know that all power is in God. All power has been given to Jesus Christ. Without Him, we can do nothing.
#53 | 42:19 to 43:00 | cleaned
But with Him, we can do all things. What did the Apostle Paul say in Philippians 4 and verse 13? "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." I can do all things.
#54 | 43:00 to 43:31 | cleaned
Now, I want to show you something. I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 5. Exodus chapter 5. You remember Moses and Aaron have gone in to Pharaoh and they said, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may serve me." And Pharaoh responds, "I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. Who is the Lord, that I should obey him?" Now the elders have gone in to get Pharaoh to let them go, and what does he tell them? "Ye are idle, ye are idle."
#55 | 43:32 to 43:50 | cleaned
"You make the same number of bricks, but you make them without straw. You gather your own straw, and if you don't make the same number of bricks, you're going to be beaten." So look at this. Let's begin reading in verse 15 of Exodus chapter 5. "Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people."
#56 | 43:51 to 44:46 | cleaned
"But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks." Now look at this. "And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task."
#57 | 44:47 to 45:20 | cleaned
"And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all."
#58 | 45:21 to 45:43 | cleaned
Now I want you to watch. Moses and Aaron are helpless. They have gone in, they've demanded like God told them to, to demand of Pharaoh to let them go. He did not. The elders went in, hey, He wouldn't listen to them. But he said, "You're idle. You're going to make the same number of bricks and you're going to do it without the straw. You'll get your own straw." So when they come out, they look at Moses and Aaron and say, "The Lord judge between you and us. All you said you were going to deliver us."
#59 | 45:44 to 46:18 | cleaned
"All you've done is made it worse." And then Moses said, "Lord, why did you even send me?"
#60 | 46:18 to 46:48 | cleaned
Now, look in chapter 6 and verse 1. "Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land." So He said, "Now, Moses, since you and Aaron realize you can't do it, since the elders of Israel realize they can't do it, now you'll see what I can do."
#61 | 46:48 to 46:56 | cleaned
"I can handle this situation." You know what our problem is? Our problem is the same problem that the Pharisees had. They denied the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They denied the bodily resurrection, period. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. Pharisees did, but the Sadducees didn't. And you know what our Lord said to them? In Matthew chapter 22 and verse 29, Jesus said, "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." And this is where we are today, because we err, because we don't know the scriptures. We don't know the power of God. We depend upon our might, our strength, our power, and we don't have any.
#62 | 46:59 to 47:26 | cleaned
So here's my first application. I want you to listen to this. If we do not realize and recognize our own helplessness, our own powerlessness, we will never cry to the Lord for His mercy, His grace, His strength, and His power and His ability. "Lord, I can't save my children, but You can. I can't save my wife, but You can. I can't save my husband, but You can." Try all you want, do everything you think you possibly can, but you will fail. I don't care who you are. I don't care where you are. I don't care what you're doing. Unless God empowers you, you're going to fail. Even the mighty apostles. What did our Lord say to them in Acts chapter 1 and verse 8? He said, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." But you're not going to do it until you receive power. You don't have the power in and of yourself. You can't do it. You have to receive My power. We have to understand, folks, until we realize how really, truly helpless we are, we're never going to cry to God for power.
#63 | 47:28 to 48:25 | cleaned
Now, I want you to go back to Deuteronomy chapter 28 just for a moment. I want you to see this. This to me is a very frightening verse in one sense of the word, and yet a very praiseworthy verse or two. Deuteronomy chapter 28, look if you would please at verse 58. He said, "If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy God; then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance." Notice if you would, if you don't fear this glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy God. How do you fear Him? By depending upon Him, by trusting Him, by looking to Him.
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Now I want to show you two other passages, and I want to make one last application. I want to show you two passages that I really like. Some of you here will be unable to really claim this one passage until later, but some here may do so. But I want you to look, first of all, to the book of Isaiah, chapter 40, which I'm sure you should already be thinking about. Isaiah chapter 40, here are two particular promises that I genuinely rely upon and love. So if you look in Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 28, look at this question: "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?"
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And He doesn't grow old. He doesn't give out. He doesn't—yeah, He can't be weary. He's all-powerful. He said, "There is no searching of his understanding." Now watch verse 29: "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." God said, "I'm the one who gives the power. I'm the one who gives the strength. I'm the one that gives the might."
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Now, if you'll turn back in your Bibles to Psalm 71. And this is why I said that there are some in this room that cannot yet claim this promise, but yet maybe in the Lord's time, you shall be able to do so. Look in Psalm 71, verse 18. I love this verse. The psalmist said, "Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come." When I'm old and grayheaded, forsake me not. Now here is what I want you to learn: a judgment may be turned into a blessing. The worst judgment, one of the easiest proven, is we have no power, we have no strength, we have no might. But, when you're saved by the grace of God, you can say with the Apostle Paul, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." He is our power, our strength, and our might. So the judgment is turned into a blessing to those who trust God.
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Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we pray, Lord, that You would indeed help us to lean upon Thee, look to Thee, trust Thee, and believe in Thy power and Thy might and Thy strength, while confessing, Lord, that we have none. Give us Your grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray. Amen.
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that the everlasting God the Lord the creator of the ends of the earth fainted not neither is weary and He doesn't grow old. He doesn't give out. He doesn't yeah, he can't be weary. He's all-powerful He said there is no searching of his understanding now watch verse 29 He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increases strength Even the youth shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. God said, I'm the one who gives the power. I'm the one who gives the strength. I'm the one that gives the might.
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Now, if you'll turn back in your Bibles to Psalm 71. And this is why I said that there are some in this room that cannot yet claim this promise, but yet maybe In the Lord's time, you shall be able to do so. Look in Psalm 71, verse 18. I love this verse. The psalmist said, Now also when I am old and gray headed, oh God, forsake me not until I've showed by strength into this generation and by power to everyone that is to come. When I'm old and gray headed, Forsake me not now here is what I want you to learn a judgment May be turned into a blessing The worst judgment one of the easiest Proven As we have no power we have no strength we have no might But, when you're saved by the grace of
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God, you can say with the Apostle Paul, I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. He is our power, our strength, and our might. So the judgment is turned into a blessing to those who trust God. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we pray, Lord, that You would indeed help us to lean upon Thee, look to Thee, trust Thee, and believe in Thy power and Thy might and Thy strength, while confessing, Lord, that we have none. Give us Your grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray. Amen. so so you you
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:25:43Z

The Worst Judgement

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver examines Deuteronomy 28:28-32 to identify what he calls 'the worst judgment'—the judgment of powerlessness and helplessness. He argues that while God has many judgments (sword, famine, pestilence, etc.), the most devastating is the removal of human strength and ability, leaving people unable to rescue loved ones or change circumstances. Weaver traces this powerlessness to the Fall, showing that all people are spiritually impotent and cannot save themselves or others. He emphasizes that only by recognizing our helplessness will we cry out to God, who alone possesses all power. The sermon concludes with the hope that for believers, this judgment becomes a blessing as they rely on Christ's strength, enabling them to do all things through Him.

Introduction: The Worst Judgment

Weaver introduces Deuteronomy 28:28-32 and states that among God's many judgments, the worst is the judgment of powerlessness and helplessness.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:28-32

"The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart. Thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee. And thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. Thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein. Thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof. Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof. Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee. Thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them."

God's Armory of Judgments

God has an armory of judgments (Jeremiah 50:25), and He chooses specific weapons like sword, famine, pestilence, and beasts to discipline His people.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:28-32

"Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand."

Examples of God's Judgments in Deuteronomy 32

Deuteronomy 32:15-35 lists sins and corresponding judgments, showing God's treasures (judgments) stored up for retribution.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:15-35

"They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters."

Now look at verse 20. He begins, and He said,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:15-35

"I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities, their idols." "And I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction." "I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs. I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men: were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this." "For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges." "For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter."

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:15-35

"Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?"

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:34

"Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?"

God's Four Sore Judgments and His Favorites

Ezekiel 14:21 names four main judgments: sword, famine, noisome beast, and pestilence. God favors certain judgments to accomplish His purposes.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 32:34

"Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?"

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:21-28

"The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it."

That's pretty bad.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 28:21-28

"The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies."

The Judgment of Powerlessness in Deuteronomy 28:31-32

Verses 31-32 describe the helplessness of seeing property and children taken with no ability to rescue them—the worst judgment.

Human Powerlessness Rooted in the Fall

Adam's sin brought total depravity and loss of ability to please God; all people are powerless to change others or stop death.

That's why the Bible says in Romans 5 and verse 12,

Scripture Reading — Romans 5:12

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

And that little phrase

Scripture Reading — Romans 5:12

"for that all have sinned"

Parental and Marital Helplessness

Parents cannot force children to do right, and spouses cannot change each other; only prayer and godly example remain.

And you're trying to head him away from you. You just can't stop him. You're absolutely totally powerless. Now you guys say,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 22:6

"Wait a minute, Brother Weaver. I know what the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 22 and verse 6 when the Bible says, 'Train up a child in the way that he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.'"

Well, the interesting part of that verse is the word "old."

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 22:6

"Train up a child when he is young, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 22:6

" does not say that he will never depart from it. It just said when he is old he will not depart from it. Now what I mean by general principle? Well, let me give you a general principle in Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 22 where the Scripture says, "

The Purpose of Helplessness: Dependence on God

God allowed Israel to hunger to teach dependence on Him (Deuteronomy 8:3). Recognizing our powerlessness drives us to seek God's power.

God's Power as the Answer

Psalm 62:11 declares power belongs to God; Jesus has all power (Matthew 28:18). Without Him we can do nothing, but through Him we can do all things.

But with Him, we can do all things. What did the Apostle Paul say in Philippians 4 and verse 13? "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." I can do all things.

Application: Cry to God for Power

Until we realize our helplessness, we will not cry to God for His strength. The judgment of powerlessness becomes a blessing when we trust in Christ's power.

Conclusion: Judgment Turned to Blessing

For believers, the worst judgment is reversed: we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Weaver closes with prayer for reliance on God's power.

The Worst Judgement

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	q4b7lUfhH2A
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2024-01-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 132: Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit — Chapter 16
Source Timed Segments	71

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Worst Judgment: Weaver introduces Deuteronomy 28:28-32 and states that among God's many judgments, the worst is the judgment of powerlessness and helplessness.
God's Armory of Judgments: God has an armory of judgments (Jeremiah 50:25), and He chooses specific weapons like sword, famine, pestilence, and beasts to discipline His people.
Examples of God's Judgments in Deuteronomy 32: Deuteronomy 32:15-35 lists sins and corresponding judgments, showing God's treasures (judgments) stored up for retribution.
God's Four Sore Judgments and His Favorites: Ezekiel 14:21 names four main judgments: sword, famine, noisome beast, and pestilence. God favors certain judgments to accomplish His purposes.
The Judgment of Powerlessness in Deuteronomy 28:31-32: Verses 31-32 describe the helplessness of seeing property and children taken with no ability to rescue them—the worst judgment.
Human Powerlessness Rooted in the Fall: Adam's sin brought total depravity and loss of ability to please God; all people are powerless to change others or stop death.
Parental and Marital Helplessness: Parents cannot force children to do right, and spouses cannot change each other; only prayer and godly example remain.
The Purpose of Helplessness: Dependence on God: God allowed Israel to hunger to teach dependence on Him (Deuteronomy 8:3). Recognizing our powerlessness drives us to seek God's power.
God's Power as the Answer: Psalm 62:11 declares power belongs to God; Jesus has all power (Matthew 28:18). Without Him we can do nothing, but through Him we can do all things.
Application: Cry to God for Power: Until we realize our helplessness, we will not cry to God for His strength. The judgment of powerlessness becomes a blessing when we trust in Christ's power.
Conclusion: Judgment Turned to Blessing: For believers, the worst judgment is reversed: we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Weaver closes with prayer for reliance on God's power.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

God has an armory of judgments and uses them purposefully.

Weaver argues that God possesses a storehouse of judgments (Jeremiah 50:25) and selects specific ones like sword, famine, pestilence, and beasts to discipline His people and bring them to repentance.

Jeremiah 50:25 says 'The Lord hath opened his armory,' and Ezekiel 14:21 lists four sore judgments. Weaver notes God favors certain weapons.

The worst judgment is the removal of human power and might.

Weaver contends that the most severe judgment is not physical affliction but the state of helplessness where one cannot rescue loved ones or change circumstances, as described in Deuteronomy 28:31-32.

Deuteronomy 28:31-32 describes seeing property and children taken with 'no might in thine hand.' Weaver calls this 'the worst judgment.'

Human powerlessness is rooted in the Fall and total depravity.

Since Adam's sin, all people are spiritually impotent, unable to please God or save themselves. This universal inability is a direct consequence of original sin.

Weaver cites Romans 5:12 and explains that Adam's sin brought total depravity, leaving mankind without power to do right.

Parents and spouses are powerless to change their loved ones.

Weaver argues that no amount of teaching, discipline, or love can force a child or spouse to do right; only prayer and godly example remain, and even those require God's effectual grace.

Weaver states, 'You cannot live for other people and you cannot make other people do that which is right.' He cites the example of Isaac Case's son saying, 'Grace is not hereditary, depravity is.'

God allows helplessness to teach dependence on Him.

Weaver points to Deuteronomy 8:3, where God humbled Israel with hunger to teach them that man lives by every word from God, not by bread alone. Helplessness is designed to drive people to rely on God's power.

Deuteronomy 8:3 says God suffered them to hunger to make them know that man does not live by bread only but by every word of God.

All power belongs to God and is available to believers through Christ.

Weaver asserts that power belongs to God alone (Psalm 62:11), and Jesus Christ possesses all authority (Matthew 28:18). Without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5), but through Him we can do all things (Philippians 4:13).

Weaver quotes Psalm 62:11, Matthew 28:18, John 15:5, and Philippians 4:13 to show that divine power is available to those who trust God.

Recognizing our helplessness is essential to crying out for God's power.

Weaver argues that until we realize our complete inability, we will not earnestly seek God's strength. The example of Moses in Exodus 5-6 shows that God waits for us to acknowledge our powerlessness before He acts.

Weaver says, 'If we do not realize and recognize our own helplessness... we will never cry to the Lord for His mercy, His grace, His strength.' He cites Exodus 6:1 where God says, 'Now shalt thou see what I will do.'

The judgment of powerlessness becomes a blessing for believers.

Weaver concludes that for those who trust God, the worst judgment is reversed: they exchange their weakness for Christ's strength and can accomplish God's purposes, turning a curse into a blessing.

Weaver says, 'A judgment may be turned into a blessing... when you're saved by the grace of God, you can say... I can do all things through Christ.'

Scripture References

Deuteronomy 28:28-32: Weaver reads these verses to introduce the judgment of madness, blindness, and helplessness, focusing on the phrase 'no might in thine hand.'
Jeremiah 50:25: Weaver cites this verse to show that God has an armory and brings forth weapons of indignation.
Deuteronomy 32:15-35: Weaver reads this passage to illustrate God's judgments against Israel's sins, including fire, sword, hunger, and beasts.
Deuteronomy 32:34: Weaver notes that the word 'treasures' here is the same Hebrew word as 'armory' in Jeremiah 50:25, indicating God values His judgments.
Ezekiel 14:21: Weaver quotes this verse to list God's four sore judgments: sword, famine, noisome beast, and pestilence.
Deuteronomy 28:21-28: Weaver reads these verses to enumerate various judgments: pestilence, consumption, fever, sword, blasting, mildew, drought, captivity, boils, hemorrhoids, madness, and blindness.
Amos 4:6-12: Weaver reads this passage to show that God still uses judgments like famine, drought, blasting, mildew, pestilence, and war to call people to repentance.
Hebrews 10:31: Weaver quotes this verse to emphasize the fearfulness of falling into God's hands.
Deuteronomy 28:31-32: Weaver focuses on these verses to highlight the judgment of powerlessness: property and children taken with no ability to rescue.
Romans 5:12: Weaver cites this verse to explain that sin and death entered through Adam, and all sinned in him, resulting in total depravity and powerlessness.
Proverbs 22:6: Weaver discusses this verse as a general principle, noting that training a child does not guarantee they will never depart, but that when old they will not depart.
Proverbs 18:22: Weaver uses this verse as an example of a general principle: finding a wife is a good thing, but not universally true without God's blessing.
Proverbs 23:13-14: Weaver cites this as another general principle: corporal discipline can deliver a child from hell, but only with God's grace.
Psalm 49:7: Weaver quotes this verse to show that no one can redeem another or give a ransom to God for them.
Deuteronomy 28:20: Weaver reads this verse to show that God sends cursing and vexation in all that one sets their hand to, indicating total failure and powerlessness.
Ecclesiastes 8:8: Weaver quotes this verse to prove that no one has power over the spirit to retain it or power in the day of death.
Deuteronomy 8:1-3: Weaver reads this passage to show that God humbled Israel with hunger to teach them dependence on His word, not on bread alone.
Psalm 62:11: Weaver quotes this verse to declare that power belongs to God.
Matthew 28:18: Weaver cites Jesus' statement that all power in heaven and earth is given to Him.
John 15:5: Weaver quotes Jesus' words that without Him we can do nothing.

Historical References

Matthew Henry's commentary on Deuteronomy 28: Weaver quotes Matthew Henry's observation that God has many arrows in His quiver and four sore judgments, and that the threatenings are repeated to make deep impressions.
John Gill's commentary on Proverbs 22:6: Weaver quotes John Gill's note that 'when he is old, he will not depart from it' means not easily or ordinarily, and that there are exceptions to this general principle.
Isaac Case, Baptist minister in Maine (1761-1852): Weaver tells the story of Isaac Case, a godly pastor whose grown son never attended church, illustrating that grace is not hereditary but depravity is.
Dr. A.R. Crane's paper on Maine Baptist ministers (1904): Weaver cites Dr. Crane's account of Isaac Case's ministry and the conversation with Case's son about why he did not attend church.

Important Quotes

The Lord hath opened his armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation.

Weaver uses this verse to establish that God has a storehouse of judgments and deliberately chooses specific ones to discipline His people.

Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?

Weaver highlights that the Hebrew word for 'treasures' is the same as 'armory,' showing that God values His judgments as His treasure.

Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof. Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee. Thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.

Weaver points to this passage as the core description of the judgment of powerlessness—seeing property taken with no ability to stop it.

Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand.

Weaver emphasizes this verse as the climax of the worst judgment: helplessness to rescue one's own children.

Grace is not hereditary, depravity is.

Weaver quotes Isaac Case's son to illustrate that spiritual life cannot be passed down by human effort; only sin nature is inherited.

There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death.

Weaver uses this verse to prove the ultimate human powerlessness—no one can prevent their own death.

God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

Weaver quotes this to declare that all power is God's alone, contrasting human weakness with divine omnipotence.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Weaver presents this as the believer's answer to powerlessness: through union with Christ, we receive His strength to accomplish God's will.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why does Weaver consider powerlessness to be the worst judgment, even worse than physical suffering or death?

[Context]

Weaver argues that the judgment of having 'no might in thine hand' (Deuteronomy 28:32) is the most devastating because it leaves a person unable to rescue loved ones or change circumstances.

[Question]

How does the concept of God's 'armory' in Jeremiah 50:25 shape our understanding of divine judgment?

[Context]

Weaver explains that God has a storehouse of judgments and selects specific ones to accomplish His purposes, showing His sovereignty and wisdom in discipline.

[Question]

In what ways does the Fall of Adam contribute to our present experience of powerlessness?

[Context]

Weaver teaches that Adam's sin brought total depravity and loss of ability to please God, leaving all humanity spiritually impotent and unable to save themselves or others.

[Question]

How should parents respond when their children go astray, given that they are powerless to change their hearts?

[Context]

Weaver advises that parents can only pray and live a godly example, recognizing that only God can effectually work in their children's hearts.

[Question]

What does Deuteronomy 8:3 teach about the purpose of God allowing us to experience helplessness?

[Context]

Weaver explains that God humbled Israel with hunger to teach them dependence on His word, not on physical provision, so that they would learn to rely on His power.

[Question]

How does the story of Moses in Exodus 5-6 illustrate the principle that God waits for us to acknowledge our helplessness before He acts?

[Context]

Weaver points out that after Moses and the elders realized they could not deliver Israel, God said, 'Now shalt thou see what I will do,' demonstrating that recognition of powerlessness precedes divine intervention.

[Question]

What does it mean for a judgment to be turned into a blessing, and how does this apply to the judgment of powerlessness?

[Context]

Weaver concludes that for believers, the worst judgment becomes a blessing because it drives them to rely on Christ's strength, enabling them to do all things through Him.

[Question]

How can we practically 'wait upon the Lord' to renew our strength according to Isaiah 40:31?

[Context]

Weaver quotes Isaiah 40:28-31 to show that God gives power to the faint, but the promise is for those who wait on Him, implying active trust and dependence.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T12:54:25Z