Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Tree of Life
Weekly Review
Dispensation of the Mosaic Law.
The Graves of Lust.
021917
In NUM 11:31 we read, Now there went forth a wind from the Lord, and it brought quail from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground.
All that day and night and into the next day the people were out gathering the quail huge amounts of quail; even the slowest person among them gathered at least sixty bushels.
Look at it in NUM 11:32, And the people spent all day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. (he who gathered least gathered ten homers – 60 bushels) and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp,
So, as you can see, they really went all out with the lust of their flesh while ignoring God’s gracious provision.
Now, in NUM 11:33-34, While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague. So the name of that place was called Kibroth hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had been greedy.
The people who had rejected God and His provision bore the dreadful consequences of their choice.
Now, in Num 11:34, notice that the name of the place is given as Kibroth hattaavah which literally means the graves of the lustful or the greedy. They buried a lot of people there.
Why? –
Because of lust!
Therefore we have the graves of lust! Now, lust seems to be word that is really misunderstood because most believers look at lust in a limited way. When they think of lust, they usually focus in on sexual immorality. However, we began by defining the word lust.
Point 1 was a Definition and Description. Lust is the overwhelming desire for something; a passionate desire; an illicit, uncontrolled, overwhelming desire which originates from the old sin nature. Now, the lust pattern of the sin nature includes the following types of lust: (notice that I have at least eleven, I’m sure there are more).
a. Power lust.
b. Approbation lust.
c. Social lust.
d. Sexual lust.
e. Chemical lust.
f. Monetary lust.
g. Inordinate ambition resulting in inordinate competition.
h. Crusader lust which is believer activism —trying to change the world.
i. Lust for revenge.
j. Criminal lust.
k. Pleasure lust.
Now, anyone of these types of lust destroys the motivation of the believer to execute the PPOG.
Point 2. dealt with the principle of Inferiority related to Lust.
One of the most tragic functions of the lust of the flesh is the inferiority syndrome. People with an inferiority complex go through life either trying to rationalize or to justify or to prove some sort of superiority. And it completely destroys their life.
It keeps them off balance and because of that, the old sin nature becomes very active in their lives. And we noted that in JOB 32:21-22, the Lord despises those who flatter and cater to the lust of the flesh.
Psa 5:8-9, tells us that the flatterer appeals to the lust of the flesh and cannot be trusted.
Psa 12:1-3, the flatterer speaks with a forked tongue and with double-mindedness to promote the lust of the flesh.
Psa 36:1-2, tells us that the flatterer has no respect toward God and promotes the lust of the flesh.
Pro 2:10-17, warns us about lust and the female flatterer.
Why the female? Because the male is arrogant enough to believe their compliments. Pro 26:24-28, tells us that the flatterer is filled with hatred and lies in spite of how sweet they may come across as the flatterer compliments the lust of the flesh.
Point 3 deals with the difference between the legitimate desires that God places with mankind and the illegitimate desires called the lust of the flesh. One of the most misunderstood principles of doctrine that many believers do not understand is the fact that God has placed certain desires and needs within the soul of man.
For example, you are familiar with a passage I have taught many times which says in ECC 3:11, He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity [the desires for a heavenly experience] in their heart,
I want you to notice that there are certain desires that God has placed in the heart of man that is not man’s fault. For example, and this does not apply to all of us, especially for those of us who have made wrong decisions usually because of emotions and not mentality, but the Bible says that in GEN 2:18, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
Now, in spite of all the complications that come our way, the point is that God said this and then He put a desire in man and woman to have each other. Therefore, there is a desire in man for him to find and experience that type of relationship.
Now, here’s the principle: when a relationship is from God then a godly desire within man is fulfilled, but when it is not from God, then the lust of the flesh takes over. And that is why in the word of God the word epithumia is sometimes translated desire being fulfilled and other times it is translated lust, which is the manifestation of the flesh.
For example in EPH 4:17-22, the apostle Paul says, This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind. Being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; And they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth or doctrine is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life [your old lifestyle before your commitment to truth], you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
Now, notice that phrase, the lusts of deceit. Paul is actually telling us about the influences that are impelling and driving and urging the old self in us toward destruction. And, he calls these influences “lusts”. What does lust mean?
Lust is the noun epithumia, the word itself actually means a strong or an overpowering desire. Now, you remember that our Lord said just before His death in Luk 22:15, “I have earnestly desired [epithumia] to eat this passover with you before I suffer” The word for “earnestly desired” is the same word that is used elsewhere for lust! It means a driving desire, whether good or bad!
Let me give you some passages to prove what I mean;
Mat 5:28, But I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust [epithumia] for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Mat 13:17, “For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired [epithumia] to see what you see, and did not see it; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
1Co 10:6, Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not lust [epithumia] for evil things, as they also lusted [epithumia].
1Ti 3:1, It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to [epithumia] the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
Jam 4:2, You lust [epithumia] and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.
Please notice that in these passages epithumia can mean lust or desire depending on “not what” it is directed towards but “how” it is directed toward those things! And I am going to prove to you how the kingdom of darkness with its tremendous organized plan appeals to the needs of people to get them away from the PPOG for their life by distorting the desires that are within man. Which are legitimate and are not wrong at all. What is wrong is not the fact that we have certain desires but how we fulfill those desires.
When we think of lust I don’t want you to think of it in a limited way. It is true that lust can mean lasciviousness or an illicit, uncontrolled, overwhelming desire which originates from the old sin nature. However, the dictionary defines lust also as a pleasure or delight. It can also mean an intense longing or craving for something!
Now, today when we think of lust we always seem to associate it with something evil! Lust by now has come to mean something almost entirely and exclusively bad, and there is a good reason for it. And that is that the overmastering and overpowering desires of most people are evil.
However, there is a difference between the legitimate desires and needs that a person has and the different lusts that are destroying many individuals inwardly!
In Col 3:5 we read of the worship of idols or demons. This verse is a reference to phallic reversionism which had hit Colossae! And one of the main reasons why Paul said that involvement in these different forms of sexual sins was a form of worship toward idols or demons is simply because Satan knows the human race better than we do. And, in our society today sex has become an idol!
The word idolatry actually has two meanings;
1. The worship of a physical object or objects as God.
2. Inordinate attachment or extreme devotion to something.
The second meaning of course would be more applicable in our day and age. An idol is actually defined as an object of extreme devotion, hence, it could be almost anything in a person’s life.
Now, back in the book of Genesis, one of the first goals that Satan had was to destroy true humanity on earth so that TLJC could not be born as a member of the human race. This ploy or strategy of Satan was based upon sexual activity.
Satan’s plan was based upon appealing to the needs and desires of the members of the human race. Therefore, he promoted the phallic cult as a part of his deception. The phallic cult was a very vital part of the worship of the “sons of the gods” because it was the basis for sexual activity and the perversion of true humanity.