Spit in the Face - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

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Spit In the Face

Matthew 26:67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,

Matthew 27:30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

Introduction: Spitting in someone’s face is one of the most degrading and insulting actions a person can commit against another. Across history, cultures, and Scripture, it has carried the same general meaning: utter contempt, rejection, and humiliation.

In many Asian and African traditions, spitting was (and still is) considered the height of insult.

It marked a person as beneath notice, unworthy of respect.

Even in the Western world today, being spat upon is still considered one of the lowest insults.

In fact, it is often treated in law as assault because of its degrading nature.

Spitting in the face communicates:

• Utter rejection – You are beneath me.

• Disdain and contempt – I don’t just dislike you, I despise you.

·        Public humiliation – It strips away dignity and is meant to shame, especially when witnessed by others.

In the Bible, spitting in the face was a symbol of shame and dishonor.

In Numbers 12:14 – God used it as an illustration of disgrace.

• And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.

Spitting in a person’s face was so severe that they were literally unclean and had to be quarantined.

·        Leviticus 15:8 And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

In ancient Middle Eastern culture, spitting in the face was seen as worse than striking a person.

It wasn’t about causing physical pain, but about publicly humiliating someone.

In the case of the “shoe removal” ceremony, if a man refused to marry his brother’s widow, she was to loose his shoe and “spit in his face” as a public sign of scorn and reproach.

• Deuteronomy 25:9 Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house.

So, in Scripture, it was the ultimate way to strip someone of dignity in front of others.

Spit in the Face can be…

I. The Desecration of the Sinless

SEE TEXT: Matthew 26:67 and 27:30

See also:

·        Mark 10:34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

·        Mark 14:65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

·        Mark 15:19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.

Jesus was the pure, sinless Son of God.

He never committed one sin.

Pilate acknowledged “I find no fault in him.”

Pilate’s wife begged him to have nothing to do with “this just man.”

The thief on the cross confessed that Jesus had “done nothing amiss.”

Yet the crowd, in their zeal to have Jesus crucified, did what they could to try and desecrate the perfect Son of God.

They are still today trying to demean, desecrate and defile anything that is associated with Jesus Christ.

They have literally turned His precious name into a swear word.

It is the desire of the world – even today, to defile and desecrate the holy things of God.

The religion of EVOLUTION is spitting in the face of Jesus.

We were created in the image of God Almighty.

To tell children that they evolved from a monkey IS SPITTING IN THE FACE OF JESUS.

He made all things, and by him do all things consist.

All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

The sodomite crowd and the trans agenda is SPITTING IN THE FACE OF JESUS.

Same-sex marriage is SPITTING IN THE FACE OF JESUS.

The picture of Christ and the church has been perverted.

The abortion industry is SPITTING IN THE FACE OF JESUS.

Taking the word VIRGIN out of these modern translations is SPITTING IN THE FACE OF JESUS.

The most well-known place where this happens is Isaiah 7:14.

In the King James Bible the verse reads: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

However, in some modern translations (notably the Revised Standard Version, 1952), the word “virgin” was replaced with “young woman.”

RSV: “Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Also, in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), English Standard Version and New English Translation.

There is a big difference in a virgin and a young woman!!!

This is SPITTING IN THE FACE OF JESUS.

They can spit all they want to; they cannot defile and desecrate my precious Savior!!

• The next time He comes, they won’t be spitting in His face!

• The next time He comes, they won’t be putting a crown of thorns on His head!

• They won’t be hitting Him with a reed!

• They won’t be striking Him with their hands!

• They won’t be mocking Him, and scourging Him, and killing Him!

Spit in the Face can be…

II. The Derision of the Sinners

·        Job 30:10 They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.

Look at the context:

·        1 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.

Job said these young people that have me in derision are kids of men so bad that I wouldn’t have let them stay with the dogs that watched over my sheep.

·        8 They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.

·        9 And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.

The world will spit on you because they abhor you.

They can’t stand to be around you.

They will do everything they can to belittle you, mock you, make fun of you and hurt you.

That is to be expected.

NOTE: Job was perfect, one that feared God and eschewed evil.

So, what do evil men do? They spared not to spit in his face.

They will not hold back if they think they can get a chance to spit in your face.

The world was looking for a clean place to spit when Jesus was here.

They still are.

Spit in the Face can be…

III. The Dishonoring of Self

1 Samuel 21

·        11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

·        13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

·        1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: 

A. It was Unbecoming

·        11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

  B. It was Uncharacteristic

·        12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

·        13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands…

C. It was Unnatural

·        13c … and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

It’s not normal to let your spit run out of your mouth.

A person that does that has a problem!

David was doing things to himself that was unnatural!

Verse 13 says …and let his spittle fall down…  He ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN.

He did nothing to stop it!

Did you know…

·        Your own eyes can offend thee!

·        Your own hand can offend thee!

Looking at pornography is SPITTING IN YOUR OWN FACE.

Fornication is SPITTING IN YOUR OWN FACE.

1 Corinthians 6

·        18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

·        19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

·        20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Adultery is SPITTING IN YOUR OWN FACE.

Proverbs 6

• 32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

  33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

D. It was Unwelcomed

·        14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

·        15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

This is what happens to a lot of Christians.

They allow their surroundings to make them forget who they really are.

They allow their intimidation and fear of the world to cause them to dishonor and defile themselves.

NOTE: Daniel REFUSED to DEFILE HIMSELF.

It’s one thing when the world spits in your face.

It’s another thing when you spit in your own face!

You are a child of the king. Act like it!

Don’t let the unsaved world cause you to change your behavior and act like a fool!