Daniel Lyons' Notes

2025-11-30 Sermon Notes1

Speaker Archibald Allison
Date 2025-11-30
Location Emmaus Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Passage Psalm 106:13-15
Title God Sent Leanness Into The Soul

Takeaways [object Object]
Subjects [object Object]

💡Big Idea

Takeaways and Next Steps

📖Bible Passage

They soon forgot his works. They didn't wait for his counsel, but gave in to craving in the desert, and tested God in the wasteland. He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.

Points

  • a lean soul is a soul that is emaciated, dry, weak. It is a soul that can't seem to get itself to pray, or praise God, or worship or serve others.
  • God sent this leanness of soul onto the people of Jerusalem in judgment over them.
  • It is not a good thing to be lean in soul.
    • God should bring us joy[1]

What does it mean that he sent leanness of soul?

  • It does not mean being spiritually dead and unaware of their sins.
  • It does not mean those who have no profession of religion.
    • There are plenty of people who profess to be Christians and yet have starving souls.
    • When God gives life to our soul, our soul needs to be fed or it will be lean.
    • 3 John 1.2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers.
      • There is a link between our physical and spiritual health.
      • we do not want to be like these churches:
        • Revelation 3.1 "And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write: "He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things: "I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
        • Revelation 3.17 Because you say, 'I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;' and don't know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;
  • Leanness of soul means that we are very low spiritually
    • We think about earthly rather than spiritual things.
    • It is what David is talking about when he says in Psalm 51 restore to me the joy of your salvation
    • God's people in the desert lusted after worldly, fleshly things, not the glorious things of God.
  • The food that the soul needs is Christ.
    • A Christless sermon is a sermon that provides no nourishment.
    • It is easy to preach about many doctrines, and yet neglect to preach about Christ altogether.
    • A soul that is spiritually dead can hear a beautiful sermon all about Christ and yet find it dry and dead. They do not see the abundance of life in those words because they are spiritually dead and blind.
      • They skim over the words of God but do not profit.
      • Psalm 107:17-18 Fools are afflicted because of their disobedience, and because of their iniquities. Their soul abhors all kinds of food. They draw near to the gates of death.
      • When you try to speak to these people about the things of God, it is as if you are speaking a strange language. They are separated from God and His people.
        • Sometimes this can be you or I. Sometimes we are lean in the soul.

Some reasons God sends leanness into the soul

God chastens us to lead us back to Him

  • Not all leanness is chastening, but when we are chastened by God it is for our good.
  • It is so that we don't become apathetic, complacent
  • We foolishly think that there is no reason why we feel leanness in our soul. But there is a reason.
    • In our text we see that the people were lean because they forgot his works, didn't wait for his counsel, lusted after sin, and tested God.
    • Leanness of soul is not a mark that you are not a child of God.
      • Only a regenerated child of God would even realize that they are lean in their soul. A dead sinner wouldn't even feel it.
      • Nevertheless, do not hold this as a badge of honor. It is not a good thing if you feel leanness of soul.
  • the reason why they were lean was because God sent leanness.
    • God gave them what they asked for. They asked for foolish, unnourishing, worldly things, and so He simply gave them what they wanted and this sent them leanness.
    • Would you like your soul to be nourished, to have your leanness removed? Then ask Him. He will give you what you ask for.

They forget God's works

  • What were God's works?
    • The plagues, the parting of the sea, the manna, and so many other things.
    • How could God's people forget these things, especially when they were so fresh.
  • God gave them the Passover. His work passed over them and spared them from the penalty of sin which is death.
    • Not only that. he commanded them to remember his works every year in the feast of the passover.
    • Examine yourself. Have you forgotten his works?

They did not wait for his counsel

  • they did not wait for his counsel but they demanded that He give them flesh to eat.
  • When they entered the promised land, they made a foolish covenant with the Gibeonites without seeking God's counsel.
  • We not only do not wait for His counsel but we also take matters into our own hands.
    • We feel we want or need these things, and sometimes the Lord enables us to have these things, and then when we do get these things, the Lord sends leanness.

they lusted exceedingly

  • Our old nature remembers the sins we indulged in before and desire them. Worse yet it forgets the bondage of our sin and the grace of our Savior.
    • Numbers 11:4-6 The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly; and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, "Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; but now we have lost our appetite. There is nothing at all except this manna to look at."
    • Watch what you lust after and desire. Do not desire the things of this world?
      • Do you want to have heaven or hell? Do you want the things of God or the things of this world.

they tested God

Application


Further Study


💬Discussion Questions

Footnotes


  1. not always pleasure, but yes always joy. ↩︎

2025-11-30 Sermon Notes1
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On this page
💡Big Idea
Takeaways and Next Steps
📖Bible Passage
Points
What does it mean that he sent leanness of soul?
Some reasons God sends leanness into the soul
God chastens us to lead us back to Him
They forget God's works
They did not wait for his counsel
they lusted exceedingly
they tested God
Application
Further Study
💬Discussion Questions
Footnotes