Your Bible Has Worms
March 11, 2007
A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon. Four worms were placed into four separate jars. The first worm was put into a container of alcohol. The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke. The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup. The fourth worm was put into a container of good, clean soil. At the conclusion of the sermon, the minister reported the following results: The first worm in alcohol: dead. The second worm in cigarette smoke: dead. Third worm in chocolate syrup: dead. Fourth worm in good, clean soil: ALIVE! So the minister asked the congregation, “What can you learn from this demonstration?” A little, old man in the back quickly raised his hand and said, “As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"
Often in both the Old and even in the New Testaments, the reader’s attention is directed to the creatures of God’s creation for the lessons they can teach. Solomon told us to look to the ants for wisdom. Jesus asked His audience to consider the lilies of the field or the foxes that have holes and the birds of the air. Today, I will ask you to consider the lesson that can be learned from worms. What possible lessons can be gleaned from these blind, gooey creatures of the dirt? Let us just see the role worms play in the Bible.
While Moses was leading the children of Israel through the wilderness, they complained. This was what they did best, even though God had done everything necessary to take care of them. This time they were complaining about the food. God blessed them with manna from heaven. We don’t know exactly what it was, but I bet it tasted a lot better then sweet potatoes. Furthermore, you did not have to dig it up out of the ground or even plant it. Manna appeared in the camp of the Israelites every morning. All they had to do was gather up enough for that day’s meals. The rest of the manna disappeared as the dew would evaporate with the rising sun. “ And the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one's need. And Moses said, ‘Let no one leave any of it till morning.'’ Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them” (Exodus 16:17-20). God gave a gift of good food for His children. All they had to do was gather it daily according to the rules.
Today, we must obey God’s commandments on a daily basis. God never goes on vacation. His laws do not become null and void while we are on vacation. Being a Christian means following Christ 24/7 for 365 days of the year. We are to take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). We are to give thanks for our daily bread. Therefore, we are to pray every day. When we neglect or disobey our daily duties we bring hardships upon ourselves. No, I am not saying that if you forget your daily prayers you are going to get worms, but why should you take a chance on something worse like losing your soul?
Then there is the worm that taught the prophet Jonah a well-deserved lesson on mercy. Jonah did not want to go preach to the Ninevites. So, he ran to Joppa and boarded a ship for what is modern-day Spain. God prepared a great sea creature to swallow him. After three days of prayer in its belly, he was vomited up on dry ground. After those three days, forty days of preaching in Nineveh was a cinch. He was a success! They all repented in sackcloth and ashes from the king on down. You would think Jonah would be on top of the world. Instead you find him on top of a hill complaining about the results. God blessed Jonah with a gourd vine to protect him from the sun. Then He sent a worm to kill the gourd. He topped this off by sending a hot, blistering east wind. Jonah was really mad now. “Then God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?’ And he said, ‘It is right for me to be angry, even to death!’ But the Lord said, ‘You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city’” (Jonah 4:9-11a). Yes, a worm helped teach a great lesson on mercy. And, it can help us remember Jesus’ words: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7).
We even find worms teaching lessons in the New Testament. King Agrippa was invited to feast in his honor by the people of Tyre and Sidon. He was the keynote speaker for the event. Herod was decked out in his royal bling, bling for the occasion. The people, try to gain favor with him, offered flattering words. “‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’...Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died” (Acts12:23).
What do we learn for these worms? Don’t steal God’s glory! Although it is not necessary to walk around all day repeating “Praise God” to everyone over everything, we need to realize that God is Great and deserves due recognition. Although it may be a little thing to some, I do not allow anyone to call me “Reverend.” Reverend is a term which indicates that one is worthy of worship. Only God is worthy to worship. Only He is Reverend (Ps. 111:9). In comparison, everyone else is a worm.
Over 300 years, ago the great hymn writer of another era, Isaac Watts, wrote: "Alas! And did my Savior bleed, And did my sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?" You will find that the hymn has been changed to read, "For sinners such as I." Perhaps, the word "worm" is just too revolting to man’s self-esteem. Yet, compared to the greatness of God, man is but a worm. Bildad told Job, "How can man be righteous before God? How can he who is born of woman be clean? Behold, even the moon is not bright and the stars not clean in his sight; how much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!" (Job 25:4_6). We, as men, are worms. God even said his chosen people are in the condition of a worm. "Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the Lord; your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 41:14). Israel needed not to be seized with terror but cherish the assurance found in God. He will always assist those who fear Him.
Being compared to a worm is not so bad when you consider that being a worm identifies you with the Son of God. “But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised of the people. All those who see Me laugh Me to scorn; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, ‘He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!’'' (Psalm 22:6-8). Jesus became a worm, the ultimate worm. All this He did for us (Phil 2:7_8). He didn’t pick it because He deserved it. They mocked, flogged, and crucified Him, but He was innocent of any crime or any sin. He died as the Worm for us worms. Seen any animal rights activists out screaming for the rights of a worm _ “Let the worms live! Stop the cruelty to worms! They don’t deserve to be put on those hooks. They don’t deserve to be fed to the fish!?” No; a worm is a grimy, grubby creature. A worm is wretched, weak and worthless. And because of sin, so are we wretched, weak and worthless. Yet, while we are helpless and sinful, Christ died for the ungodly worms (Rom. 5:6-8).
Three times in Mark 9:43-48 Jesus warned His disciples about the terror of going to Hell as a place “where `their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’” If you are not saved by One who became a worm to save you, and learn the lessons taught by the worms in your Bible you will be tormented by the worms of Hell forever. This final and most sobering lesson learned from worms is not meant to bring fear but encourage faithfulness to the Lord who says, “I will help you, says the Lord; your redeemer is the Holy of Israel” (Isaiah 41:14).– Daniel R. Vess