Despised and Rejected of Men
A Sermon on Numbers 11:4-6
Originally preached May 26, 1957
Scripture
4¶ And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 5We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, …
Sermon Description
The world is home to much sin. Sin has a way of turning people from Christ and perverting their hearts and minds. In this sermon on Numbers 11:4–6 titled “Despised and Rejected of Men,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on the topic of the most tragic cause of sin: failing to realize the beauty of God’s salvation, and having contempt towards God and His love. He goes on to express several different ways that people express this kind of contempt. First is through attitudes and actions. Second is by showing preference to other things rather than to God. Both of these expressions can be traced throughout history. The sinful nature of humanity has always shown contempt towards God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones goes through parts of history from the time of the Israelites to that of Jesus and traces the contempt humanity has expressed. He concludes by asking the listener to view themselves, their attitudes, and their preferences to see if they have been guilty of showing contempt. The good news, however, is that it is never too late to turn from the sin of contempt and leave all behind to run to Jesus.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage under consideration is Numbers 11:4-6. The Israelites are complaining about the manna God has provided and longing for the food they ate in Egypt.
- This attitude shows the devastating effects of sin. Sin makes us creatures of lust and desire, distorts our minds, and makes us believe lies about ourselves.
- The worst effect of sin is failing to appreciate the salvation God has provided. The Israelites showed contempt for the manna, a miracle that demonstrated God's power, love, and provision.
- Likewise, mankind shows contempt for God's greatest miracles and acts of love. People show contempt for Christ's incarnation, death, resurrection, and offer of new life.
- People prefer sin and the world over God's offer of rest, peace, joy, and eternal life with Him. They treat with contempt the Christian life, fellowship with saints, and God's promises of heaven.
- We must examine our own attitude toward the gospel. Passively ignoring it or preferring other things is showing contempt, just like openly rejecting or blaspheming it. We must confess our contempt, ask forgiveness, and receive the eternal life Christ offers.
Sermon Q&A
Frequently Asked Questions from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Numbers 11:4-6
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the main sin of the Israelites in Numbers 11:4-6?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main sin of the Israelites was their contempt for God's miraculous provision. He explains: "The mixed multitude that was among them fell a-lusting... There is nothing at all beside this manna before our eyes." The Israelites showed utter contempt for the manna, which was actually a miracle from God. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that "they speak like this of the manna with unutterable contempt and derision and scorn indeed, with loathing." This contempt for God's provision represents the final and most devastating effect of sin.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones relate the Israelites' contempt for manna to modern attitudes toward Christianity?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws a direct parallel between the Israelites' contempt for manna and how people today treat Christianity. He states: "The biblical teaching is that that is the final effect of sin upon men—that it makes him regard with contempt God's most amazing action, God's perfect provision, God's final manifestation of his love and of his wisdom and of his power." Just as the Israelites despised the miraculous manna, modern people dismiss Christ, his death, resurrection, and the Christian life with similar contempt, preferring worldly pleasures instead.
What are the different ways people express contempt for God's provision according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three main ways people express contempt:
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Open, blatant contempt: "The jokes against religion... The way a man's made to feel uncomfortable in company if he becomes a Christian."
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Silent contempt: "Sometimes the most eloquent way of expressing contempt is just silence... You just turn away from it with supreme contempt... Just bitter, biting silence and sarcasm."
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Active preference for other things: Like the people invited to the king's feast who made excuses, "what they were really doing was to show their preference" for something else over God's invitation.
How did people show contempt for Jesus during His earthly ministry?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones details how Jesus was treated with contempt during His time on earth. People said things like "Who is this fellow?" and "How hath this man learning, having never learned?" They tried to trap Him with trick questions, threw stones at Him, accused Him of having a devil, and ultimately crucified Him. Even as He hung on the cross, "they walked past, wagging their heads and mocking and jeering him." Lloyd-Jones summarizes: "He was despised and rejected of men."
What aspects of Christianity do modern people particularly treat with contempt according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, modern people especially treat with contempt:
- The blood atonement: "But if you mention the blood of Christ to them, they'll show you their teeth... this gospel of blood, this theology of blood."
- The resurrection: "Men still say, if you've got scientific knowledge, you can't believe in the literal physical resurrection."
- The doctrine of rebirth: They ridicule it like Nicodemus did.
- The Christian life: "What do they say about it? Narrow, they say. Too narrow. Impossible."
- The promise of heaven: "What do they say about it? Isn't it this 'pie in the sky'? How funny."
What is the remedy for this contempt according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes by urging his listeners to recognize their contempt for God's provision and to turn to Christ. He says: "If you see tonight that it has been [your attitude] until this evening, I pray you see the enormity of it and here and now go to him and confess it and acknowledge it and ask him to receive you." The remedy is acknowledging this contempt as sin, seeing the true glory of what God has provided in Christ, and embracing Him as the "biggest thing in your life, the most wonderful thing of all."
Old Testament
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.