THE PLEASURE AND THE STING OF SIN
“And were brought low for their iniquity.” Psalm 106:43.
In this Psalm, David sets down the SINS of the people of God.
1. Their forgetfulness of God.
Verse 13, “They soon forgot His works.”
Or they made haste to forget his works.
The Lord wrought a famous miracle for them.
Verse 11. He drowned Israel’s enemies—unfortunately Israel drowned His mercies.
God’s kindnesses are apt to quickly slip out of our memory.
We throw them away and mind them no more. They made haste to forget His works.
2. Their inordinate lusting.
Verse 14, “They lusted exceedingly in the wilderness.”
They were weary of the provision which God sent them miraculously from heaven.
They wept for quails. They were not content that God should supply their needs— they want Him to satisfy their lusts.
God let them have their requests. They had quails—but in anger.
“He sent leanness to their souls.”
In other words, He sent a plague and they were consumed.
3. Their idolatry.
Verse 19, “They made a calf in Horeb.”
They framed for themselves a god of gold and worshipped it.
The Scripture calls idols “a shame,” Hosea 9:10.
For this, God disclaimed them from being His people.
Exodus 32:2, “Your people have corrupted themselves.”
Formerly God called them His people—but now He does not say to Moses “My people,” but “your people.”
4. Their infidelity.
Verse 24, “They did not believe His Word—but murmured.”
They did not think that God would subdue their enemies and bring them into that pleasant land which flowed with milk and honey.
And this unbelief broke forth into murmuring.
They wished they had made their graves in Egypt, Exodus 16:3.
When men begin to distrust God’s promise—then they will quarrel with His Providence.
When faith grows low—murmuring grows high.
For these things, God stretched out His hand against them, as it is in the text, “And they were brought low for iniquity.”
Here is a Doctrine: Sin Will Bring a man low .
Psalm 147:6, “The wicked, He casts down to the ground.”
Jeptha said to his daughter when she met them with timbrel and dancing in Judges 11:35, “Alas my daughter, you have brought me very low.”
So a man may say to his sin, “Alas, my sin—you have brought me very low!”
Sin is the great leveller.
It brought down the family of Eli .
1 Samuel 2:29, “Why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings?” Verse 31, “I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests.
All the members of your family will die before their time.
None will live to a ripe old age.”
Sin brought down the kingdom of King Saul.
1 Samuel 15:19, “Why did not you obey the voice of the Lord—but did evil in His sight?”
Verse 28, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day!”
Sin can quench and amputate the power and authority of a church.
Hosea 13:1, “When Ephraim spoke, men trembled; he was exalted in Israel. But he became guilty of Baal worship and died.”
The tribe of Ephraim carried a majesty and was superior to the ten tribes.
When Ephraim spoke , terror enter into others—but when he became guilty of Baal worship—he died.
His strength and glory came to nothing.
WAYS which sin brings a man low.
1. Sin brings a man low—in God’s esteem.
The Lord compares him to dross, Psalm 119:119;
to chaff, Psalm 1:4;
to a pot boiling with scum, Ezekiel 24:6;
to a dog, 2 Peter 2:22,
to a serpent, Matthew 23:33,
2. Sin brings a man low in his Reasons.
3. Sin brings a man low in affliction.
That is the meaning of Psalm 107:39, “They were brought low for their iniquity.”
Adam’s sin brought him low; it banished him out of paradise.
2 Chronicles 28:18, “In those days, God cut Israel short.” Sin makes God cut a people short in their spiritual and civil liberties.
Sin buries the name, Sin drowned the old world—and burnt Sodom.
Sin made Zion sit in Babylon. Lamentations 1:8, “Jerusalem hath grievously sinned, therefore she is removed.”
Sin shut up God’s affections. Lamentations 2:21, “You have killed and not pitied.”
Sin is the great humbler.
Did not David’s sin bring him low? Psalm 38:3, “There is no rest in my bones because of my sin.”
Did not Manasseh’s sin bring him low? It changed his royal crown into fetters,
2 Chronicles 33:11. For sin,.
God turned great King Nebuchadnezzar into an animal, “He ate grass like a cow— He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws!” Daniel 4:33.
sin does not only bring us low—but it embitters affliction.
Sin puts teeth into the affliction.
4. Sin brings a man low in spiritual plagues.
No sermon will stir them.
5. If there is no repentance, sin brings a man into the bottomless pit.
Psalm 9:7, “The wicked shall be turned into hell.”
1. The torments of hell shall be in every part of body and soul.
The BODY shall be tormented. body which was so tender and delicate, that it could not bear heat or cold—shall suffer in every part!
The eyes shall be tormented with sights of devils, the ears with the hideous screams of the lost souls .
The tongue that was fired with passion, shall now have fire enough! Luke 16:24: “Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue!”
All the powers of the SOUL shall be tormented.
The mind will comprehend divine displeasure.
The memory will remember mercies that have been abused.
what means of grace have been slighted—and what a heaven that is forfeited!
The conscience shall be tormented with self-accusations.
The wicked shall not only be forced to behold the devil—but shall be shut up in the den with this roaring lion—and he shall spit fire in their faces!
The wicked shall hear the language of hell.
2. The torments of hell have no end.
Revelation 9:6, “They shall seek death—and shall not find it.” Always dying—but never dead.
Here on earth, the sinners thought a prayer was long, a church service long, Amos 8:5—but how long will it be to lie in hell forever!
3. The pains of hell are without intermission.
If a man is in pain, if yet a while he is asleep he does not feel it. There is no sleep in hell.
Revelation 4:8. “They have no rest, day nor night.”
4. In hell, the sinners shall have none to sympathize with them.
It is some comfort to have friends to condole us in our sufferings—but the sinners shall have none to compassionate them.
God’s mercy will not pity them.
God’s mercy abused—turns to fury.
God the Father will not pity them; He will laugh at them.
Proverbs 1:26, “I will laugh at your calamity!”
Sin is walking contrary to God. And if men walk contrary to God, is it any wonder if God walks contrary to them? Leviticus 26:17, “If you will walk contrary to Me—then I will also walk contrary to you—and I even I will chastise you seven times more for your sins”
WHY SIN MUST BRING A MAN LOW .
- Sin must bring a man low, because the sinner enters into war with God.
Jeremiah 44:16, “We will not listen to your messages from the Lord! We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and sacrifice to her just as much as we like!”
- Sin must bring a man low because the sinner labors to do what he can to bring God low.
He has low thoughts of God. He slights His sovereignty, questions His truth, looks upon all God’s promises as a forged deed.
- Sin must bring a person low, because sin is the only thing God has an antipathy against.
- Sin must bring the sinner low, because it exposes him to God’s curse—and God’s curse blasts wherever it comes.
Deuteronomy 28:15-19
