It is such a wonderful privilege
to be with you again. I just am delighted to be here. It's like being home. And would
you pray for us out in the Dalles? The services there will begin
in about three and a half hours. So I'll be able to check in with
them. I cannot express how much I love your pastor. And I appreciate
whoever forces him to pay his bills, particularly his phone
bill. I'm glad you brought him every month to pay his phone
bill, because he's one of the few pastors that calls me periodically
once a week or so, and we just have a very good time over the
phone, and it's good to visit with him in person. And I've
already asked him to come out to Oregon next June and preach
our camp meeting that we have. And you make plans for the last
week of June too to come out with him. My brother Ken and
I had a dream for years to go to Gettysburg. We read a lot
about it. And we enjoyed our trip there
just more than we can imagine. We were awestruck at the size
of that battle. And the other night we were visiting
and said, why in the world? Would people from the same family
meet on that battlefield and fight such an atrocious war? And we just had to come to the
conclusion that it's because of the fall. Fall brings terrible
things into the family of man. Well, would you turn with me
in your Bibles to Psalm 22. I'd like to say a few words here
from Psalm 22. I like reading Robert Hawker,
his commentary, and he made this statement with regard to this
psalm, the whole psalm. It would be a loss of time to
continually remark how impossible it is to preserve any kind of
consistency in those scriptures by keeping up the recollection
of David, king of Israel, as being at all personally represented
in these and all accounts. David never was in the situation
here described, and therefore I do request the reader, once
for all, to forget David unless as a type of Christ, and holy
look to him whom David, as a prophet and under the spirit of prophecy,
is so accurately describing. In the 22nd Psalm we have so
much said with regard to the work and ministry of our Lord
Jesus Christ the day of his crucifixion. And there are some words here
that Jesus said, the Lord said in Psalm 22, that are not brought
out in the Gospels, but I am convinced that as He was fulfilling
all Scripture, those words went through His mind. Psalm 22, verses
1-6. And I'd like to spend my time
on verse 6. And it says, But I am a worm. and no man, a reproach of men
and despised of the people. Now would you join me with verse
1. My God, my God, why hast Thou
forsaken me? Why art Thou so far from helping
me and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime,
but Thou hearest not, and in the night season, and am not
silent. But thou art holy, O thou that
inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee,
they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto
thee, and were delivered. They trusted in thee, and were
not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man,
a reproach of men, and despised of the people." This verse of
Scripture comes from the lips of the Lord Jesus as He is on
the cross dying for his people. Now, as
I mentioned, it's not mentioned in the New Testament that he
actually said that, but he fulfilled every word of prophecy about
himself when he was in the New Testament, when he was under
the writings of the New Testament. He fulfilled all that was written
about him in the Old Testament. And this word, worm, is what
I'd like to speak on this morning. I am a worm. This word is translated
into our Bible some forty-one times. And it is translated in
various ways. Eight times it is translated
worm or worms. Thirty-three times, and this
is the interesting part, to me it was translated the word scarlet. And one time it is translated
the word crimson. This word was used throughout
the Old Testament, and particularly the times of the sacrifices found
in the Old Testament under the book of Exodus and Leviticus.
But it also is used quite a number of times with regard to the color
that was used in the cloth that was found in the tabernacle.
The word scarlet. Now this word comes to us from
a word which means a worm, and it was a very special worm that
was found. The product of this worm was
a very brilliant dye. That's why we get the word scarlet
translated from it. Would you turn with me to the
book of Exodus chapter 25 for just a moment? Exodus chapter
25, and I'd like to look at three passages of Scripture that use
this word, and it's not translated worm as it is here. But it gives
us a little insight as to what this word means. Why did the
Lord use this word about Himself? when he was speaking of his work
and ministry of the redemption of his people. Why would he say,
I am a worm and no man? When other places in the Scripture
this word is translated scarlet, and here in the book of Exodus
chapter 25 and verse 3 and 4, and I would be better off to
read the whole chapter, but you take care of that on your time,
but notice with me here in verse 3 and 4. And this is the offering
which ye shall take of them, gold, and silver and brass."
Now, this is what was going to be used for the building of the
tabernacle, and these are the things that Moses requested the
people to bring for the building of that tabernacle. Gold and
silver and brass and blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen
and goat's hair. Now, this word scarlet is the
same word that we found over there in Psalm 22 and verse 6,
the word worm. The worm that we find here was
a worm that was used for dyeing the cloth that became scarlet.
And in order for that worm to become the dye, it had to be
crushed. It had to be broken. It just
didn't give off that dye. It had to go through a process.
People had to collect that worm. They crushed that worm and collected
the dye from that worm and used it in the dyeing process of all
of this color that was scarlet. Would you turn with me to the
book of Leviticus chapter 14? And we find here another place
where this word scarlet is used. It is that worm. I am a worm
and no man. Here in the book of Leviticus
14, verse 4, the Scriptures share this. And once again, we run
into the word scarlet, but it is the same word that was translated
the word worm. I am a worm and no man. There's
a very special reason, we find, that that word was from the lips
of the Lord Jesus telling us about the events of his redemption
of his people. He is a redeemer that actually
redeems. And in order for him to actually
redeem his people from their sins, he must be broken. And the benefit of the breaking
of this worm found in the Old Testament was a color that we
would call blood red. And it was used for the dyeing
of the linen that was used in the tabernacle. Once again, it
is mentioned here in Leviticus chapter 14 and verse 4. Leviticus
chapter 14 verse 4, Then shall the priest command to take for
him that is to be cleansed two birds. Now this has to do with
leprosy. The cleansing of a leper. So the priest shall command to
take for him, that is to be cleansed, two birds alive, clean and cedarwood
and scarlet and hyssop. And the priest shall command
that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running
water. As for the living bird, he shall
take it and the cedarwood and the scarlet and the hyssop and
shall dip them in the living bird in the blood of the bird
that was killed over the running water. that there is so much that was
written about him in the Old Testament that has to do with
the dyeing of this linen cloth that was used in the tabernacle,
and this linen cloth was dyed from the blood of this worm that
was found there in that area. Now, it's going to take a lot
of worms to make the dye that was required there, but thanks
be unto God, and I'm thankful every time I read the Old Testament,
I'm not under that economy. I am thankful that I don't have
to go out and offer these sacrifices. I am thankful that the Lord Jesus
Christ offered Himself once for all time to take care of every
issue that was between me and God. And He, as a worm, it was
necessary if He was going to do His work of the covenant of
grace, He must be crushed like this worm. Love couldn't do it. Grace couldn't do it. Now, they
are what produces it, but what was required was the crushing
of the Son of God on the behalf of everyone that He would ever
save. He must suffer their death. Turn with me finally on this
light to the book of Numbers chapter 19, if you would. The
book of Numbers chapter 19. This word comes to us from a
word that applies to the brilliant dye that was obtained from a
bug. Now some say the dye was from
the blood and some say the dye was from the body. It really
doesn't make any difference. It was blood from this worm that
was used to dye all of this linen for the use of the sacrifices,
for the use in the tabernacle. And here, as we read about it
at this time in the Psalms, Numbers chapter 19 and verse 16, it says
this, And whosoever touches one that is slain with a sword, excuse
me, chapter 19 and verse 6, I'm at 16. Verse 6, And the praise
shall take cedarwood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast into the
midst of the burning of the heifer." Now, this sacrifice of the red
heifer had significance to this economy. And they collected those
ashes. But notice what had to go in
there. They collected those ashes after it was all over with, and
that was used for sanctifying purposes. I'm glad I'm not under
that economy. I'm glad we are where we are.
But there was scarlet that was put into this sacrifice as they
consumed the body of this red heifer. Now, this was a maggot
worm. It was a crimson grub. Its dye
was obtained by crushing the body. Christ used this word,
about himself. Now, he used this about himself
too. He became sin for us. Now, I don't pretend to understand
that, but I believe that. He became sin for us. For us, His value became apparent
as a crushed Savior. It was necessary, if the covenant
of grace was ever to be fulfilled, that this darling of heaven,
the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, was crushed on our behalf for
our sin. It is no mistake that Jesus Christ
went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Gethsemane means an olive press. And we read about him that day
being crushed and blood protruding from the pores of his body, as
it were, great drops of blood. He was under the pressure, under
the press of the justice of God. He was declaring what was written
of Him in Psalm 22, I am a worm. I am a scarlet worm. I must be
crushed in order for any benefit to be given to my people. In
Isaiah 53 and verse 10. Would you turn there with me?
Isaiah 53 and verse 10. This was so interesting. The
looking up word sometimes explains so much. And here in Isaiah chapter
53, this wonderful chapter about the redemptive work of the Lord
Jesus, so much has been said, so much
has been written, so many messages have been preached on this very
passage of Scripture. We'll never wear it out. There
will never be the end of preaching on Isaiah 53. If the earth should
last another thousand years, and we had messages preached
every day on it, we'd never wear this out, just like it is with
the rest of the Bible. But notice here, in Isaiah 53,
verse 10, Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. Now, I know what a bruise is,
but I didn't know what this kind of bruise was until I looked
that word up. I've been bruised before. My
dad had an old shotgun, Winchester Model 97, 12-gauge shotgun. He let us shoot. Well, after
shooting it two or three times, you didn't want to shoot it anymore.
It bruised you. You came home with a big black
and blue mark on your shoulder. I've been bruised in football.
But this bruising goes far beyond this very word that we use in
the English language. This bruise means to beat to
pieces. It means to break in pieces. Now, I'm not going to go out
and get a bug and put it in a rock and have a pedestal and beat
it to pieces just for an example. But you and I can envision what
it would take for those people to make that dye that they used
in these sacrifices and in the linen that was dyed scarlet in
the tabernacle. They went out and collected these
bugs, these worms, and they crushed them and collected the dye from
these bugs and used it in the dyeing of that linen. The Lord
Jesus, it is said, it pleased. It pleased the Lord. God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit were pleased
to bruise the Son in such a manner that He would and could redeem
His people from their sins. He became sin for us in such
totality that God beat Him to pieces over it. like they did
those worms to get that dye. There was a qualifying element
out of all of this. Christ became a worm to be crushed. His blood, His life-giving blood
on the behalf of His people. He shed His blood. He gave His
life. When you shed your blood, you're
giving your life. He gave His life a ransom for
many. He was a worm. He said this. I don't have to put words in
his mouth. That's what he said. I am a worm. I am the antitype
of a worm found in the Arabian Peninsula that was used for dyeing
this scarlet dye. This blood red color that was
used throughout the sacrifices and the tabernacle, and it is
this blood that is of so great a value to everyone that is redeemed. Turn with me, if you would, over
to 1 Peter 1. He became a worm to be crushed.
His blood, his life given on the behalf of his people. We
read with regard to his very name. Joseph was told, call his
name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. How? 1 Peter 1, verse 18. Would you turn there with me?
He's a very special worm. Not every worm will do. A lot
of people are trying to substitute all kinds of worms, but there's
only one that would perform what was necessary for this die. There's only one Savior. That's
the Lord Jesus Christ. There's none other name given
under heaven whereby we must be saved. There is only one.
There's only one Redeemer that ever said, I am a worm. Now I'm
convinced that David could have said that about himself, because
we are that before God. We're worms. But that's who God
saves. Worms. 1 Peter 1. Verse 18 and 19, we read these
precious words about our precious Redeemer, our precious Lord.
For as much as ye know, ye are not redeemed with corruptible
things as silver and gold. Now, to us, gold and silver is
not very corruptible. Tomorrow my brother and I are
planning on heading for the far corner of Virginia, right on
the ocean. We have a family member whose
last name was Carter. His nickname was King. He owned
300,000 acres of Virginia. He had 1,000 slaves. And when he died he had 10,000
English pounds cash money. Now he didn't pass it on to us. Very rich, very rich man. Governor of Virginia for a short
time. They called him King because
that's what he acted like. Now I'm sure that when he accumulated
all of those 10,000 British pounds, he did not think that was corruptible.
But as soon as he died, it was over. No more use for it. You're
not redeemed by corruptible things as silver and gold from your
vain manner of life received by tradition from your fathers. My mother, she was a Baptist. It doesn't work. My grandfather, it says here,
we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before
the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
days for you, who by him do believe in God that raised him up from
the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be
in God." The precious blood. Now, I'm not interested in being
the person that crushed those worms in the Old Testament, but
someone did it. God performed this act. He crushed His only Son to save His people from their sins. Would you turn with me to Revelation
chapter 7. Revelation chapter 7 verse 14. I am a worm and no man. It was that blood, that color
that those people were after to be used in those sacrifices
and to be used in that dye that would color the linen that was
used in the tabernacle. It was a constant reminder of
what was required. Blood. Revelation chapter 7 and
verse 14, And I said unto him, Sir, thou
knowest. And he said to me, These are
they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Now,
we can only look at that spiritually. Nobody washes their clothes in
the blood of Jesus Christ, literally. But spiritually, we are brought
to do that. He washes us and loosens us from
our sin in His own blood. It was required by the covenant
of grace that He be crushed to be bruised. And that bruising
is more than just a slap. They did that. The Roman soldiers
did that. The Jewish soldiers did that. They slapped Him. They beat Him.
They pulled out His beard. But God Almighty bruised Him,
broke Him to pieces for the redemption of His people. Revelation 12. Would you turn there with me?
Revelation 12 and verse 10. The Scriptures share this with
us with regard to the Lord Jesus. And I might say this about great
tribulation, the greatest tribulation I've ever gone through, and I
think this is great tribulation. It's not me suffering for some
right or wrong. The greatest tribulation I've
ever been through is when God showed me my religion was not
any good before God. I was in the depths of despair. I considered suicide. It wasn't a week. When I was
in that terrible depth of finding out my religion was of no value
to God, God sent a preacher to preach the gospel to me. It wasn't
a week. Talk about God's grace. And the
first thing I said about that preacher was, I hate that man.
Because he was just verifying what I already knew. My religion
was worthless. The Scriptures share this. And
I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now has come salvation
and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of His
Christ, where the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which
accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame
Him by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony,
and they loved not their lives unto death. They overcame Him
by the blood of the Lamb. All the value of the blood of
Christ. The value. We cannot even imagine
it. I saw a film the other day on
Fort Knox, and they were telling how much gold is in Fort Knox. You know what? It was bigger
than me. I couldn't wrap around how big it was. And that's the
way it is. The benefits of the blood of
Christ, we just can't get wrapped around it. It's bigger than us.
But Jesus Christ from His lips in Psalm 22 said, I am a worm
and no man. But I'm not just the average
worm. I'm that special worm. I'm special. I'm from heaven
without sin, born of a virgin without sin, came into this world
without sin, but I became sin for you. Now, there's one other
place this word is translated. I mentioned several that were
crimson and one that weren't, but would you turn with me to
Isaiah 1. This is where that word crimson
is used. is translated crimson in this
place. In Psalm 22, verse 6, it was
translated worm. In several other places, it's
translated scarlet. But here in Isaiah 1, verse 18,
this word worm is translated crimson. Verse 18, it says, Come
now, and let us reason together. Now, that doesn't mean we're
going to sit down and parley with God. Nobody sits down and
parlays with God. It's His way or no way. It's
His grace or no grace. It's His mercy or no mercy. It's
His salvation or no salvation. We're not parlaying with God.
We're not trading with God. We're not bartering with God.
God's not a marketplace in Mexico. God has said what He is, what
He will do, and He has done it, and now He said, you're going
to agree with Me on this, and that only comes by revelation,
or there will be no agreement. And that's where we are by nature.
We don't agree with God. We must be convinced by God's
Spirit that He is right. And that's what He does for His
people. He said, come now, let us reason together, saith the
Lord, though your sins be as scarlet. That's that same word. Though your sins be as scarlet.
Right! Outstanding! We try to cover
them. But they stand out to God. Though your sins be as scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson,
they shall be as wool." Now, that's the act of grace. That's
the act of God. That's the act of His blood.
The redemptive work of His blood. So, the Lord Jesus, Psalm 22,
As he is redeeming his people, going through that great work
of redemption, spoke from his lips, I am a worm and no man. It's not just any worm, a special
worm. That worm's body or blood was
a dye that was used in the sacrifices and used in coloring linen for
the tabernacle. And he said, I am that worm and
my blood is the only thing that will redeem my people from their
sins, my life. He became sin for us in so totally
of a capacity that it is true. He became sin for us. And in
so becoming sin for us, God said, I will take great pleasure in
bruising him. I'll take such great pleasure
in more than bruising him and slapping him. I'll beat him to
pieces. His blood will flow and I shall
be satisfied.