Let's turn to Genesis chapter
50. Last chapter of Genesis, I'd
actually like to read the last verse of chapter 49, verse 33
of chapter 49. And when Jacob had made an end
of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed and
yielded up the ghost and was gathered unto his people. And Joseph fell upon his father's
face and wept upon him and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his
servants, the physicians, to embalm his father. And the physicians
embalmed Israel. And forty days were fulfilled
for him, for they are so fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed. And the Egyptians mourned for
him, three score and 10 days. And when the days of his mourning
were passed, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying,
If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you,
in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, My father made me swear, saying,
Lo, I die. In my grave, which I have digged
for me in the land of Canaan, there thou shalt bury me. Now,
therefore, let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and
I will come again. And Pharaoh said, Go up and bury
thy father, as he made thee swear. And Joseph went up to bury his
father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh,
the elders of his house, and the elders of the land of Egypt.
And in all the house of Joseph and his brethren, in his father's
house, only their little ones and their flocks and their herds
they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both
chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great company. And
they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan. And there they mourned with a
great and very sore lamentation. And he made a mourning for his
father seven days. And when the inhabitants of the
land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad,
they said, this is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians. Wherefore,
they called the name of it Abel Mizraim, which is beyond Jordan. And his sons did unto him according
as he commanded, for his sons carried him into the land of
Canaan. buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which
Abraham bought with the field for possession of a burying place
of Ephraim the Hittite, before Mamre and Joseph returned into
Egypt. He and his brethren and all that went up with him to
bury his father after he had buried his father." Now, this
time of mourning lasted a couple of months. It was very long. I think that there's something
Very special about the way Jacob died. He put his feet up in the
bed and the scripture says he yielded up the ghost. That reminds
me of something else. The Lord yielded up the ghost. And I love the way it says he
was gathered unto his people. I'm one of his people. And this speaks of the mourning
of Joseph for his father and the mourning of all of Egypt.
Jacob has died. He'd already told them he wanted
to be buried in the cave where Abraham and Isaac were buried. And these verses give nine different
references to mourning. Mourning. Now most of us have
experienced mourning over the death of a loved one. It's quite natural. And it's right to mourn. You
can mourn excessively. Didn't David mourn excessively
with regard to Absalom? And he was rebuked for it. You
can mourn excessively. but it is right to mourn. And mourning over the death of
a loved one is quite natural. And I was thinking of this thing
of mourning over death. You mourn over the death of somebody
because you love them. You love them. And this mourning
is a mourning where you know you can't bring them back. And
there's nothing you can do to bring them back. And you had
some hope while they were alive that perhaps the Lord would spare
them. Perhaps the Lord would have mercy on them. Perhaps the
Lord would heal them. But now that they're dead, there
is now no hope. There's absolutely nothing you
can do to bring them back. Now, this is the morning of sorrow,
and everybody's going to experience it. Everybody in the world. And the wise man said in Ecclesiastes
7, verses 2 and 3, it's better, it's better to go to the house
of mourning than to the house of feasting, partying, having
a good time. For this is the end of all men,
and the living lay it to heart." You know, it's such a blessing,
really, just to look at somebody dead. And it reminds me, I'm
headed there real quick. Death. He went on to say, sorrow is better than laughter. You know, I feel quite sure he
did, but we never read in the scriptures where the Lord laughed.
Not once. He was called a man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief. But the wise man said, sorrow
is better than laughter for by the sadness of the countenance,
the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the
house of mourning. but the heart of fools and is
in the house of mirth. Now I read that second beatitude,
blessed. Blessed by God are they who mourn. They shall be comforted. Only those who mourn shall be
comforted. Now, what is this thing that
the Lord is talking about? What do I know of this thing
of mourning? And I know he's talking about
mourning over sin. In your heart, before God, mourning
over your personal sin, not somebody else's sin, your personal sin. I know this, I mourn that I won't
mourn any more than I do. And I would like to mourn more.
My mourning is inadequate. Your mourning is inadequate. I think of our attitude towards
sin, it's no wonder we mourn over it because sin is so easy
to us. So easy to us. My capacity for
sin, how easily I'm drawn in, my desire for sin, my appetite
for sin. It's a reason to mourn, isn't
it? It's something that I'm faced
with every day. David said, my sin is ever before
me. That was his experience of his
sin. And this thing of mourning over
sin is very similar to the mourning you experience in death. First,
you love the one you sinned against. And that's why you're so grieved.
You love the one you sinned against. And there's nothing you can do
about that sin. You're helpless before it, like
there's nothing you can do about death. There's nothing you can
do about that sin. You can't make it go away. You
can't make it to where it never happened. So it's very similar. This mourning over sin is very
similar to the mourning that you have when a loved one dies. The mourning in your heart and
the grief that sin causes you, the humiliation, the feeling
of separation, the feeling of shame that is involved in this
thing of sin, mourning over your sin. Now, somebody may say, well,
just don't sin. Okay, you first. You first. It's kind of like I heard somebody
say, the Lord says, pluck out your eye. He means literal. OK,
you first. You first. Give it a shot. But
the point is, when you say you cannot not sin, or somebody says,
are you coming dangerously close to giving an excuse for sin and
even a fatalistic attitude? I'm not worried a bit about that. Not for a believer. A goat might
take it that way, but I can't do anything about a goat anyway.
But a sheep mourns before God over their sin. And they're always
mourning over their sin. Now, somebody says, I cannot
commit a sin. Now when you say that, that's
the same thing as saying I can't keep the law. Sin is the transgression
of the law, and there is not one time anyone has ever kept
the commandment of the law. Whether you feel it or whether
you do not feel it, you have reason, I have reason, to nonstop,
continually be mourning over sin. John said in John 1.8, if
we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. And the truth is not
in us. He said in verse 10, if we say
we've not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in
us. Now, no natural man ever mourns
over sin because he doesn't love the God who has sinned against. He has no love for him. As a
matter of fact, he has enmity toward him. He might love the God he's
made up and feels comfortable with, but the God of the Bible,
He has no love for, and this man also thinks that he can do
something about his sin. That's in his heart, and he doesn't
really understand this thing of mourning over sin. Now, true
mourning for sin comes from the gospel. Turn with me to Zechariah
chapter 12 for a moment. Zechariah 12, next to the last
book in the Old Testament. Verse 10, God says, and I will
pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem
the spirit of grace and of supplication. And they shall look upon me whom
they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth
for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him as one
that's in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall
there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of
Hathorim in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn every
family apart, the family of the house of David apart, and their
wives apart, the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their
wives apart, the family of the house of Levi apart, and their
wives apart, the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart,
and the families that remain. every family apart and their
wives apart. And that day there should be
a fountain open to the house of David and to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." You see, it's the
gospel that produces this morning. It's only the gospel that produces
this morning. Now, a little grammar lesson. In this statement, by the Lord
blessed are they that mourn, that is in the present tense,
not you did mourn, you're mourning right now. And it is a participle. That means it acts both as an
adjective and a verb. This would accurately describe
me if I'm a mourner. I'm one who mourns over my sin.
This is what I do. I mourn over my sin. And it is so important for us
to understand this is right now I'm mourning over my sin. Right
now. And it's all the time. I'm mourning over my sin. You see, according to Paul, in
1 Timothy 1.15, he called himself present tense, the chief of sinners.
And that's the way every believer considers themselves. You don't know my heart the way
I know my heart. And I don't know your heart the way you know
your heart. And every believer, privately, sees himself to be
the chief of sinners. Paul said, O wretched man that
I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? Now, the
Lord says, blessed are they that mourn. Oh, how supremely blessed
you are by God if you mourn over your sin. Now, what does this
look like? Well, turn with me for a moment to Ezekiel 36. This
is actually a part of the covenant. It's a promise in the covenant
of grace. Ezekiel chapter 36, verse 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water
upon you, and you shall be clean from all your filthiness and
from all your idols. Will I cleanse you? A new heart
also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.
And I'll take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and
I'll give you a heart of flesh. I'll put my spirit within you
and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments
to do them. And you shall dwell in the land
that I gave to your fathers. And you shall be my people, and
I will be your God. I will also save you from all
your uncleanness, and I will call for the corn and will increase
it and lay no famine upon you, and I'll multiply the fruit of
the tree and the increase of the field, that you shall receive
no more reproach of famine among the heathen than..." And look,
this is part of the covenant. Then shall you remember your
own evil ways and your doings that were not good and shall
loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and
for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this
sayeth the Lord, be it known unto you, be ashamed and confounded
for your own ways, O house of Israel." This is part of the
blessing of grace. He said, you'll loathe yourself.
Now, do you loathe yourself? That's a blessing of his grace.
If you mourn over your sin. Now, what does that look like?
There's so many scriptural examples of this. I think of when Isaiah
said, then said I, woe is me. When did he say that? When he
saw the Lord. high and lifted up. Then said I, woe is me. Job said in Job 42 verses five
and six, I've heard of thee with the hearing of the ears, but
now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore, I hate myself, and
I repent in dust and ashes. If you see the Lord, you're gonna
see yourself in that light. You will be one who mourns. Listen
to Daniel's words. When Daniel saw Christ, he said
in Daniel chapter 10, verse eight, there remaineth no strength in
me, and my comeliness, that which I thought was beautiful, turned
to corruption. Isaiah said with regard to his
righteousnesses and our righteousnesses, there is filthy rags. When Peter finally saw who the
Lord was, what did he say? He said, depart from me, Lord. You don't want to have anything
to do with me. I'm a sinful, listen to the word, sinful man. Blessed are they that mourn. When Paul spoke of the mighty
way the Lord used him, he said, the signs of an apostle were
seen in all signs and mighty wonders through me. And then
he adds a disclaimer. Though I be nothing. Though I be nothing. John says, when I saw him, I
fell at his feet as dead. Now, without doubt, the one who
truly mourned over sin is the only one who had the true capacity
for it. The Lord Jesus Christ. Do you feel good about your mourning?
I always feel like I don't mourn enough. It's not sincere enough.
It's not sorry enough. There's nobody like, but the
Lord truly mourned over sin. Let me show you that in Psalm
38. Turn Psalm 38. I know these are the words of
David, a Psalm of David to bring to remembrance, but this is,
this is the Lord's experience when he was made sin. Verse one, oh Lord, rebuke me
not in thy wrath. Neither chasten me in thy hot
displeasure, for thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand
presseth me sore. There's no soundness in my flesh
because of thine anger, neither is there any rest in my bones
because of my sin, for mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavy
burden. They're too heavy for me." Now
notice that he didn't say Todd's iniquities that were imputed
to me. He said, my iniquities, he owned them as his own. My wounds stink and are corrupt
because of my foolishness. I'm troubled, I'm bowed down
greatly. I go mourning all the day long
for my loins are filled with a loathsome disease and there's
no soundness in my flesh. I'm feeble and sore broken. I've
roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. Lord, all my desires
before thee. and my groaning is not hid from
thee. My heart panteth, my strength
faileth. As for the light of mine eyes,
it also is gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand
aloof from my sore. My kinsmen stand afar off. They
also that seek after my life lay snares for me, and they that
seek my hurt speak mischievous things and imagine deceits all
the day long. But I as a deaf man heard not. I was as a dumb man that opened
not his mouth. Thus, I was as a man that heareth
not, and whose mouth are no reproofs. For in thee, O Lord, do I hope.
Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. For I said, hear me, lest otherwise
they should rejoice over me. When my foot slippeth, they magnify
themselves against me. For I'm ready to halt, and my
sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity. I will be sorry for my sin. You know, the only one who ever
truly confessed sin the way it ought to be confessed is the
Lord. The only one who expressed true sorrow over sin as it should
be is the Lord. He's the only one who has the
capacity to do that. Verse 19, but mine enemies are
lively and they're strong and they that hate me wrongfully
are multiplied They also that render evil for good are mine
adversaries, because I follow the thing that good is. Forsake
me not, O Lord, O my God. Be not far from me. Make haste
to help me, O Lord, my salvation." Now, mourning over my sin is
not wallowing in self-pity. I'm sure there People that do
that, just wallowing in self-pity, but that's not what true mourning
over sin is. It's a state of blessedness. You hear that? The Lord said, blessed. How blessed of God you are if
you mourn over sin. If you're not mourning over your
sin, you're not blessed of God. You may have some kind of sorrow
that is involved with the sorrow of the world that worketh death,
but true mourning over sin is indicative of God's blessing. And this is so important. Turn
with me to Luke 6. Luke 6. Verse 21. Blessed are you that hunger now. Present tense, right now. For you shall be filled. Blessed
are you that weep now. For you shall laugh. It has to be now. He says in verse 25, woe unto
you that are full, for you shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh
now, for you shall mourn and weep. Now, if I'm not right now,
present tense, while I'm talking to you, mourning over my sin,
I'm saying I don't have a reason to mourn over my sin. And I know
that's not the case. Now, think about the Beatitudes. That's what a believer is. It's
how the Lord defines a believer. I love the Beatitudes. As a matter
of fact, part of my prayer every day is, Lord, make me poor. Make
me to mourn over my sin. Make me to be meek before you. Make me to hunger and thirst
after thy righteousness. Make me pure in heart. Make me
to be merciful. I want to be full of mercy. Make
me to be a peacemaker. Allow me to be persecuted for
the righteousness of Christ's sake. Now, in every one of those
Beatitudes, when you're poor in spirit, how come? Because
you don't have any righteousness to commend you to God. You don't
have one thing to commend you to God. You have nothing. All you have is Christ. If you're
meek, you're meek before God because of your sin. If you hunger
and thirst after righteousness, it's because you know you don't
possess any personal righteousness of your own, and you hunger for
His righteousness. I mean, it's the pure in heart
that mourned over sin. It's the heart He gives that
causes you to mourn. It's the new man that owns the
sin. needing mercy so you want to
be merciful because you know you're so sinful and you can
only be saved by the mercy of God. Christ is your peace. You have no other peace and you
want to be a peacemaker. You believe that his righteousness
is the only righteousness so much that you'll be persecuted
for. People say, well, you're saying
good works don't count. I'm saying the only righteousness
there is is the righteousness and merits of Jesus Christ. And
that's the only way any sinner can be accepted. Remember, you mourn. because you love the one you
sinned against. And it's so frustrating. You're
so ashamed of yourself. You love that one that you sinned
against. If I love him, why would I sin
against him that way? That's part of mourning. You
love the one you sinned against. And you know that there's absolutely
nothing you can do to make your sin go away. You do not have the ability to
stop sinning, so you mourn over your sin. Now, here's the glorious
part of this verse. Blessed are they that mourn.
What's the rest of the verse? For they shall be comforted. Only those who mourn shall be
comforted, and they shall be comforted. You know, John Newton
wrote a hymn, I Would. but cannot mourn. I would, but
cannot pray, for Satan meets me when I try and frights my
soul away. I would, but can't repent, though
I endeavor oft, this stony heart will ne'er relent till Jesus
makes it soft." Now that's the attitude of every believer, even
with regard to their mourning. My mornings My mourning is not
up to snuff. It's not sincere enough. I'm
not broken enough. I don't have sufficient sorrow. But I know this, my mourning
makes me look to Christ only. I have nothing else. And that
is the person who's comforted by the gospel. Now turn with
me to Romans chapter five. Verse 20. Moreover, the law entered that the offense
might abound. Now, you take the Ten Commandments.
I love the Ten Commandments, don't you? I love the Ten Commandments. I love every word that comes
out of God's mouth, and I love the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt
have no other god before me. The commandment against false
gods and idolatry. The commandment concerning taking
his name in vain, always showing proper reference to him. The
commandment concerning the Sabbath, resting, not murdering, not committing
adultery, not stealing, not lying, not coveting. Every one of those
commandments, I look at that and I know I haven't kept one
of them one time. And all God's law says to me
is you're a place where sin abounds. It just abounds out of your heart.
You're a place where sin abounds. But let's go on reading. Moreover,
the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded. Grace did much more abound. You find me a place, you find
me a man, you find me a woman where in their heart they see
sin coming up like a fountain, sin abounding. Well, in that
very place, every time, grace does much more abound. that hath sin hath reigned unto
death." Now, you know what that means. What can you do to stop
death? Not a thing. Not a thing. That has sin hath reigned unto
death, even so in the same manner might grace reign. You can't stop it. Through righteousness. This is righteous grace. It honors
the gospel the righteousness of Christ. It's utterly righteous. There's nothing unclean about
this. That a sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace
reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ
our Lord. Now, who is comforted? The one
who mourns over their sins. It's a blessed thing to mourn
over sin. Oh, I want to be somebody that
mourns all the time, don't you? I don't want to be hard-hearted.
I don't want to be desensitized. I want to be somebody who's always
mourning. And if I ever mourn, I am someone
who is always mourning over my sin. Blessed are they that mourn. Blessed by God. This is a part
of the great blessing Paul spoke of in Ephesians 1, 3, when he
said, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings. This is
one of them. Mourning over sin. Oh, I want to be a mourner, don't
you? Because it's only the mourner that is comforted. One final
scripture, Isaiah chapter 40. Comfort ye, verse one, comfort
ye my people, sayeth your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem. Speak to her heart and cry unto
her. Make sure she hears this. That
her warfare is accomplished. The victory's already been won.
That her iniquity is pardoned. For she hath received of the
Lord's hand. double for all her sins. Not only are her sins forgiven,
she has perfect righteousness before God. Now, mourn, yes,
it's a good thing. But if it doesn't lead me to
rest in the Lord Jesus Christ as a complete, sufficient, glorious
Savior, it's not really mourning. It's wallowing in self-pity.
Oh, may all of us be true mourners before God. Let's pray. Lord, we would mourn over our
sin. Lord, we would not sin again
by your grace. We would desire to be delivered
from our sin and we do desire and we mourn over our sin and
we are sorry for our sin and we are broken over our sin. But how we thank you that wherever
sin abounds, grace does much more abound and how we thank
you that you sent your son into the world to save sinners. And Lord, we know that's exactly
what he did. May we always mourn and may we
always be comforted until we put these bodies of sin down
and we stand in your presence without even a spot of sin. Lord, we look forward to that
day. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.