Bochim, a place of weeping

Bochim – Weepers, (BOH kim) (A message to the professing Christian; revival, not salvation; Apalache 4/4/22) INTRODUCTION: A world, or let’s say a community cannot be revived until the local church is revived, and the local church cannot be revived until the individual is revived. Which brings us to YOU. Revival takes effort, it takes work, but not on the part of GOD for it is a small thing for God to revive a man. No, the effort is on your part. You must seek the face of God, you must show God a broken and contrite heart, even a broken spirit, for these HE will not despise. [from Psalm 51]. I want to remind you some foundational Scripture before we get started on the message. (Our roots are in the OT; M. Bridges, Isaiah / B. Adkins, Jonah, now me in Judges) As a point of fact! – 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (That just means I’ll be using some OT Scriptures) Next, turn to Leviticus 1 (READ 1:1-4, expound on details, emphasize acceptance). I want you to see and to understand the importance God places on detail, and the importance the people put on being accepted by GOD. The Burn offering (acceptance) was followed by a grain offering (offering myself), which was followed by a Peace Offering, an offering of thanks to God for accepting me. What are your sacrifices to God? Do you have any? We’ll possibly talk more about this later. Let me ask, have you ever disappointed one, or both of your parents? I mean to the point of it hurting you. The Word of God says, “I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts.” Isaiah 65:2. READ - Judges 2:1-5 – PRAY right here Judges 2:1-5 (then read the highlighted verses from 10 to 23). What do we see? Weeping! · Weeping over sin. · Weeping over disobedience · Weeping over disappointing God (think Leviticus and the peace offering) · Weeping over the loss of a close and personal relationship with God God redeemed Israel from Egypt and He required obedience in return. He said, “I made you to go out of Egypt, and brought you unto the land…” The Bible say we were created in the image of God for God’s glory. HE called you OUT OF an evil life and INTO an abundant life. Galatians 1:3-4 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: God delivered then, and HE still delivers today. BUT note verse 15! Judges 2:15 Whithersoever they went out, – the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, – as the LORD had said,– and as the LORD had sworn unto them: – and they were greatly distressed. How would you like to live under that sort of self-induced oppression, Knowing that the hand of the LORD was ever against you? There may well be some here today that feel as if the Hand of the Lord is against them. BUT THE HAND OF GOD IS NOT EVER AGINST US, IS IT? PRAISE GOD – HALELUJAH no it is not. The wrath of God has been satisfied through the sacrifice of HIS own Son on the cross at Calvary. Yes, the wrath of God has been satisfied through His Son Jesus Christ, 1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. God’s wrath has been satisfied. So Yes, praise God we live in the age of Grace. Paul wrote, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Romans 6:15. What of this Grace Paul is speaking about? A.W. Tozer once said, We [The Church] have come to our present low state as the result of an almost fanatical emphasis on grace to the total exclusion of obedience, self-discipline, patience, personal holiness, cross carrying, discipleship and other such precious doctrines of the New Testament. (Tozer, A. W. (2011). The Crucified Life). While I don’t feel that the Grace of GOD can necessarily be over emphasized, I do feel Tozer may be correct in saying there is a “total exclusion of obedience, self-discipline, patience, personal holiness, cross carrying, discipleship and other such precious doctrines of the New Testament” being taught in many churches today. I’m certain that I don’t have time to cover all of these, obedience, self-discipline, personal holiness, cross carrying, discipleship and so on. So let me address obedience and we’ll see how the others filter in through that. (Turning the page back – going back over the Scripture) THE SIMPLE MESSAGE: “Wherever HE is the presence of God is felt” (Handfuls on purpose, pg109). Well, the Spirit of God is in this house tonight – let’s make sure we avail ourselves to HIS touch. Judges 2:1-5 V.1 – The angel of the LORD = Jesus? If not Jesus, certainly GOD, OR ‘the angel of His Presence’, or as some Jews would suggest, Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron. The significance of it is greatest when we acknowledge that it is GOD that is speaking. · Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: · “I will never break my covenant with you” doesn’t mean you will always be blessed. There is a time when GOD chastens His own. o Paul wrote - But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 1 Corinthians 11:32. God is simply judging the children of Israel – He is not condemning them. o Hebrews chapter 12 speaks of the chastening of the Lord. V.2 – “but ye have not obeyed my voice” – Remember 2 Timothy 3:16? YOU and I have not obeyed… · “why have ye done this?” God is asking, not me, and HE is asking YOU – why have you not obeyed? · Self-love, that’s why we disobey V.3 – “their gods shall be a snare unto you” · God doesn’t need a snare, the snare belongs to the devil – 1 Timothy 3:7 & 2 timothy 2:26 if you want to verify that o … lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. o And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. V.4 – “the people lifted up their voice, and wept” – if it were not God speaking, they wouldn’t be weeping. · They weren’t crying because God was mad at them or even that they had lost favor with God. They were: · Weeping over sin. · Weeping over disobedience · Weeping over disappointing God (think Leviticus and the peace offering) V.5 – “they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.” · Bochim, a place of weeping. · They were Weeping over the loss of a close and personal relationship with God. · Is there a Bochim in your life; a place where you can go to weep before God? The local church altar is a good place to begin. · and they sacrificed there unto the LORD – let’s talk about those sacrifices. At minimum, a Burnt Offering, a Grain Offering, and a Peace Offering would have been offered. o Burnt Offering – seeking acceptance of GOD. (244x) o Grain Offering – a means of offering one-self to God o Peace Offering – thanking God for accepting them and restoring their joy. (84x) · Is there evidence of a sacrifice in your life? Paul makes his own suggestion in Romans 12:1 o Aaron and his son spent 7 days consecrating themselves unto God. Have you ever considered giving yourself wholly, fully, completely unto God for 7 days that you might be completely consecrated unto HIM? 7 Days of prayer. 7 days of deep Bible study. 7 days of worshipping God. 7 days of being alone with God, shut off from the world. All of which might best be done with 7 days of fasting included. § Imagine a group of men doing that, that would bring revival! That’s the simple message – where God is His presence is felt, and if it’s felt heart deep it may well stir up weeping. Therein lies the foundation for revival. Feeling the presence of God and weeping over what HE impresses upon you. What I want to talk about this evening is, has there ever been a time in your life when you wept over your sins? Think about this, When was the last time you wept over your relationship with God? That’s what’s going on here – they are weeping over their relationship with GOD – they desire to be accepted. Why do we need to be accepted by GOD? Because to be rejected is Eternal Damnation. THE MESSAGE FOR US - Revisit Grace Grace, that is to say salvation, came at a high price. God had to become man and then suffer and die a cruel death on the cross. That’s a pretty high cost. (Make sure you fully understand that a man didn’t become God but rather God became a man, or flesh as the Bible says – John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.). Revisit this: Should SALVATION not cost us something as well? That is not to say that our salvation can be purchased by our own hand, for we all know that is not the case. But, on more than one occasion Jesus said, “follow me” and that comes at a cost. It’s not just a free ticket to Heaven – He said, “follow me”. Jesus understood and taught there was a cost. Jesus [said] unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matt 16:24-26. Paul new there was a cost and said, Philippians 3:7-11 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Most, if not all of you have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ – declaring that you are a Follower of Christ. – BUT have you paid a price, have you truly become a follower? What must it have cost to become an Olympian (Winter Olympics 2022)? A lot I’d say. A lot of dedication, determination, and self-discipline. A lot of obedience to the sport, to a particular discipline. Well, it cost to live a sanctified holy life. God said, For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: Leviticus 11:44. If we could but for a moment comprehend the HOLINESS of God we too would weep over our sins before HIM. But we don’t! And I’m afraid the closest we can get, short of the Holy Spirit moving mightily upon us, is found in Isaiah 6 Christianity is not a religion it is a lifestyle, a lifestyle of holiness, and it comes with a cost. The Cost is OBEDIENCE. It begins with an act of REPENTANCE. True repentance, true heart felt, gut wrenching repentance will most likely come with weeping. Anguish of the heart brings weeping. (Consider the death of a loved one) Repent! Repent of what you might ask? – of your sins, all of which are acts of disobedience to GOD. Give up your wicked life! (Many of you just thought in your heart and mind – I don’t live a wicked life) Really? Let’s talk about sin for a moment, and I don’t mean the sins GOD has cast as far as the East is from the West. No, I mean the sin that doeth so easily beset you – the sin you commit day after day. · The Lust of the Flesh · The Lust of the Eye · The pride of life I’m talking about sin that consist of unforgiveness, bitterness of heart, anger, sins of impure thoughts and deeds, sins that would cause you to stand before GOD in shame. More to the point, I’m talking about the unconfessed sins that you hold in secret from the world. Paul said there is a day “when God shall judge the secrets of men…” (Romans 2:16). 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. That equals sin. I’m talking about the sin we choose to live with rather than live without. Can any man stand and say that God refuses to have a relationship with him? NO, he cannot for God desires to have a relationship with each of us, “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). It is WE that refuses the relationship. We refuse it through disobedience, through sin that makes us unclean in the eyes of a Holy God. When we refuse to obey the voice of God, we change the relationship. You see, We like our sin, (not like to sin), but we like our sin because of what it does for us, how it makes us feel initially. We fail to see it as wounding God. Lust of the Flesh – I do what I do because I like it and it brings me joy – random examples being… · I drink because of how it makes me feel, it relaxes me – besides, it’s not a sin – Devil’s lie! It leads to a loss of inhibitions and moral – it’s sinful! · I gamble because of the feeling of the rush I get, it’s exciting – besides, it’s not a sin – Devil’s lie! The casting of lots for personal gain is a SIN! You rob your family of blessings. · I fornicate because I like the feeling of the endorphins (feel-good hormones) it releases – besides, God gave us sex and sex is not a sin – Devil’s lie! Fornication is a sin. · I take drug because I like the instant high feeling I get, it makes me pleasant to be around – besides, it’s not a sin – Devil’s lie! Your body is the temple of the LORD! Galatians 5:16 says, This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Would you really do any of those things if you were truly walking in the Spirit? It’s difficult to sin when you are holding God’s hand. All these things come into play when we sin. The joy, the excitement, the peacefulness, the thrill. Whatever earthy pleasure you are seeking. – Paul wrote, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:2. Do you rely on your flesh for your joy or is your joy from the LORD? The Bible say, Joy comes in the morning, but what is it you feel in the mornings after a night of sin? Sorrow, regret, headache, stomachache? Is your joy in the vomiting, the puking, robbing, stealing, lusting and the hurting? Of course not. There is no true joy to be found in sinning. IT IS THE DEVILE LIE! Let me say this, if when tomorrow comes and you feel guilt over what you have been doing – it is sin. Some of you may be living in sin – living together instead of getting married making excuses for it: · I live with someone because I feel loved, I don’t need to be married for that – God is Love · I live with someone because it gives me a since of security to have a close companion – God is your security and your companion. · I’m afraid to live alone. We have not been given a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a strong mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) God provides and protects. · They’re just excuses. Again, our sin fulfills the lust of our flesh. What of The Lust of the Eye? Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. That’s the LAW preacher and we live under Grace. That’s the Lust of the Eye and Grace does not give you a license to sin. The Bible says, But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the Law. Galatians 5:17. Is that you? Do you qualify? In your life right now, the way you are living – are you being led by the Spirit of GOD? You want to be revived, start allowing the Spirit of God to lead and you follow. Pride of Life. Too proud to repent. Too proud to humble yourself before God. Too proud to confess your sins – too proud to admit you are a sinner, too proud to praise GOD openly and publicly. An act of repentance requires a laying aside our PRIDE and confessing our sins to a holy GOD. What should we do? Repent, and consecrate yourself unto God. (That’s the first act of OBEDIENCE) A Second act of OBEDIENCE is a loss of your life – Consecration unto GOD even, to live a life of obedience to GOD. We need to consecrate ourselves to God. To do that, we need to: · First, we need to remember God’s grace – Ephesians 2:8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: o Recognize that it is a gift you DO NOT want to live without. o Lay aside dead works and pride, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.” · Second, remove all idols – 1 Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. If ANYTHING, or ANYONE comes between you and GOD, it is idolatry! Whatever keeps you out of church on Sunday is idolatry – whatever keeps you from the word of God is idolatry – whatever keeps you from seeking God is idolatry. V.3 they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. · Thirdly, sanctify yourself – Leviticus 11:44 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: Not a conversion unto salvation (you’ve probably got that) but unto holiness. Saints need to repent of the way they view GOD. · Fourthly, recommit your heart to God – Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Are you there? · Fifthly, submit – Romans 10:1-3 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. o Paul backs that up with, Romans 12:1-2 beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. God said, “I will never break my covenant with you…” & “ye shall…” That’s a covenant. As Christians, we say, “I surrender all” That’s a covenant. But Have you? Because if you haven’t, that which you have not surrendered will become a snare in your life. A weapon for the devil to use against you in your walk with GOD. Have you torn down all the altars of sin in your life? Have you allowed yourself to be crucified with Christ? Is the life that you now live in the flesh lived by faith in the Son of God? “And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24. Furthermore, the question remains – “why have you done this?” The revelation of it should cause you to weep. Why have you chosen to disobey GOD? Why are you prone to leave the one you love? In Matthew 26:31 Jesus said, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.” Let me ask, Are you offended because of Christ? (Keeping in mind, your sin is an offence to God). · Do you stumble at His calling upon your life? · Have you ever abandoned Him, refusing to do what He has called you to do? (Perhaps He’s called you out of a life of sin.) · Have you ever denied Him? This is most often done through our silence, not denying the truth, just refusing to proclaim it; refusing to affirm it. · Have you ever lost hope in Him? · Did any of those cause you to weep bitterly like it did Peter? Matthew 26:75 What of the women in Luke 7 who washed the feet of Jesus with tears of repentance? We can’t cover it all in one night. READ - Isaiah 65:1-15 (Which one are you, the servant of the LORD or one that would not hear?) Close with Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. You want revival? Put aside your pride, Get on your knees, and ask God to break you, – you’ll know you’ve been broken when you come up weeping. Ask the Spirit of God to fall afresh on you. Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Joel 2:12-13. And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. AMEN and done. STAND, HEADS BOWED, EYES CLOSED, HEARTS OPEN Quick question to visit – What do we have to be weeping over? If not our sin, then the death of our Saviour. C

Notes:

Romans 10:21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

Leviticus 8:31-36 (from Leviticus 8 sermon).

My understanding of the consecration of Aaron and his sons is that the ceremony took 7 days, and that they performed these sacrifices each day for 7 days that they might be fully (completely) consecrated unto the LORD.

Have you ever considered giving yourself wholly, fully, completely unto God for 7 days that you might be completely consecrated unto HIM? 7 Days of prayer. 7 days of deep Bible study. 7 days of worshipping God. 7 days of being alone with God, shut off from the world. All of which might best be done with fasting included.

Wow, what would that be like and what might the fruit of it be like? Imagine if a group of men set out together to be set apart unto God, fasting, praying, and worshiping together alone with God.

How do we stop liking our sin? When we view it as an offence to God, and we are greatly disturbed by that offence. It is the truth that makes you free. The work of Christ sets you free; the work of the Holy Ghost makes you free.

How grateful is your heart, that you would trample on the work of Christ for your own self-pleasures? It is the grateful heart that will serve God willingly, joyfully, and obediently. Sadly, the grateful heart is often defeated by the lustful flesh. Romans 12:1-2.

“The reason some of us are such poor specimens of Christianity is because we have no Almighty Christ. We have Christian attributes and experiences, but there is no abandonment to Jesus Christ.” (Chambers, My utmost for his highest: 2/27). To abandon one’s life for a life with / in Christ may well be the secret to a victorious Christian life. Have you abandoned your old life? Have you died to self or is self still on the throne?

February 2022, many Ukrainians, with much sorrow and heartache, had to abandon their homes and everything they cherished in order to save their lives. Mark 8:34-38.

***What should hurt more; what should cause more shame, the reality of the sins you have committed or the hurt (pain, shame) you have caused to Christ? We see a picture of this in the burnt offerings of Leviticus where the people were more ashamed of the offence to God than the sin itself. It produced great shame within their heart. We see this also in Bochim. We should be like that. Verse 1 could be interpreted to mean, I created you for My glory and… but ye have not obeyed my voice. Therein lies our shame as well. (How about when you realize you are a pitiful excuse of a Preacher, and a godly man.)

Is there no shame found in our sin? Are we shameful or are we shameless?

What does it take to bring a man to tears over his sins? Holy Ghost conviction. But if HE leaves you there, you will die. Of all my sins, God chose to put one of the (seemingly) lesser one before me to cause me to feel my shame. No matter how I tried, I could not dismiss it. It is much to bear.

In Matthew 16:23 Jesus turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. What is it you say when Satan comes knocking? Do you find Satan, (his lies, his deceits, his temptation) offensive? You should.

We need to consecrate ourselves to God. To do that, we need to:

· First remember God grace – Ephesians 2:8

· Second, remove all idols – 1 Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

· Thirdly, repent – Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

· Fourthly, recommit your heart to God – Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

· Fifthly, submit – Romans 10:1-3

· Lastly, Romans 12:1-2

To self – generally speaking, is it true to say that conviction is of God; guilt and shame are of the devil?

1 Samuel 1:10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. V.15

Malachi 2:13?? False weeping

Psalm 119:136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.

Hebrews 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

What of Eli the Priest? God brought down his house because he did nothing of the sin he knew about. 1 Samuel 3:13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

If you have never wept over your sins, perhaps you have never been broken.

Psalms 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

You say you want to be revived, but revival will never come until you have wept over your sins.

Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Consider Spurgeon’s 3/11. It is sadly true, that even a Christian may grow by degrees so callous, that the sin which once startled him does not alarm him in the least. By degrees men get familiar with sin.

When you are found weeping over your sins you will be found surrendering to GOD – an illustration of surrender can be seen in 1 Kings 20:4. You will never weep over your sins until you come to realize that your sins are actually an offense against GOD. YES, you have offended the GOD of creation and it ought to scare you. Leviticus is an illustration of a people group that feared GOD and sought HIS acceptance through sacrifices. Our acceptance / YOUR acceptance has been purchased by a sacrifice…

Matthew 16:23 is an illustration unto us of just how much of an offence we can be to GOD.

I want to feel the loving arms of God embracing me that I might feel the depths of His forgiveness. Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Psalms 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.)

Hebrews 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. To which I would also point out that many have not wept over your sins against a Holy God.

I am reminded of Exodus 34:12+ wherein God said, “Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: 13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: 14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”

Later in Exodus 34:34 “when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out.” I wonder if that might be the reason there is a lack of weeping before GOD – meaning because we keep a vail between us and GOD, perhaps trying keep our heart from Him.