Episode Transcript
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:06.240
Let's turn our attention now to a
second chronicles, the very last chapter.
2
00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:13.029
Second Chronicles thirty six. Brothers and
sisters, let's give our attention to the
3
00:00:13.150 --> 00:00:27.339
reading of God's Word and let us
hear it with faith. The people of
4
00:00:27.420 --> 00:00:31.219
the land took Jehoah has, the
son of Josiah, and made him king
5
00:00:31.820 --> 00:00:36.729
in his father's place in Jerusalem.
Jehoah has was twenty three years old when
6
00:00:36.729 --> 00:00:41.890
he began to reign and he reigned
three months in Jerusalem. Then the king
7
00:00:41.929 --> 00:00:46.250
of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and
laid on the tribute, laid on the
8
00:00:46.289 --> 00:00:51.399
land, a tribute of a hundred
talents of silver and a talent of gold.
9
00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:57.600
And the king of Egypt made Eliakim, his brother, King over Judah
10
00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:03.520
and Jerusalem and changed his name to
Jehoiakim. But NECO took Jehoah has,
11
00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:08.390
his brother, and carried him to
Egypt. Jehoiakim was twenty five years old
12
00:01:08.590 --> 00:01:14.349
when he began to reign and he
reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did
13
00:01:14.469 --> 00:01:18.230
what was evil in the side of
the Lord is God against him came up
14
00:01:18.269 --> 00:01:22.340
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and
bound him in chains to take him to
15
00:01:22.420 --> 00:01:26.980
Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also carried part of
the vessels out of the House of the
16
00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:32.819
Lord to Babylon and put them in
his palace in Babylon. Now the rest
17
00:01:32.819 --> 00:01:36.609
of the acts of Jehoiah, him
in the abominations that he did and what
18
00:01:36.769 --> 00:01:40.730
he and what was found against him. Behold. They are written in the
19
00:01:40.769 --> 00:01:46.049
book of the Kings of Israel and
Judah. Johoyachen, his son, reigned
20
00:01:46.090 --> 00:01:51.280
in his place. Johoichen was eighteen
years old when he became king and he
21
00:01:51.319 --> 00:01:55.799
reigned three months and ten days in
Jerusalem. He did what was evil in
22
00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:59.560
the side of the Lord in the
spring of the year. And now King
23
00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:05.069
Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon
with the precious vessels of the House of
24
00:02:05.150 --> 00:02:10.909
the Lord and made his brother Zedekiah, King over Judah and Jerusalem. Zadekaiah
25
00:02:10.990 --> 00:02:15.180
was twenty one years old when he
began to reign and he reigned eleven years
26
00:02:15.219 --> 00:02:19.500
in Jerusalem. He did what was
evil in the side of the Lord is
27
00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:23.900
God. He did not humble himself
before Jeremiah, the Prophet who spoke from
28
00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:28.020
the mouth of the Lord. He
also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had
29
00:02:28.099 --> 00:02:32.530
made him swear by God. He
stiffed his neck and hardened his heart against
30
00:02:32.569 --> 00:02:38.129
turning to the Lord, the God
of Israel. All the officers of the
31
00:02:38.169 --> 00:02:43.770
priests and the people likewise were exceedingly
unfaithful, following all the abominations of the
32
00:02:43.889 --> 00:02:47.400
nations, and they polluted the House
of the Lord that he had made holy
33
00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:53.639
in Jerusalem, the Lord, the
God of their fathers, sent persistently to
34
00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:58.120
them by his messengers because he had
compassion on his peace people and on his
35
00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:04.550
dwelling place. But they kept mocking
the messengers of God, despising his words
36
00:03:04.590 --> 00:03:07.389
and scoffing at his prophets, until
the wrath of the Lord rose against his
37
00:03:07.550 --> 00:03:14.979
people, until there was no remedy. Therefore, he brought up against them
38
00:03:15.060 --> 00:03:19.099
the king of the Chaldeans, who
killed their young men with the sword in
39
00:03:19.139 --> 00:03:23.180
the house of their soul, of
their sanctuary, and had no compassion on
40
00:03:23.300 --> 00:03:27.849
young man or virgin, old man
or aged. He gave them all into
41
00:03:27.889 --> 00:03:30.250
his hand and all the vessels of
the House of the Lord, Great and
42
00:03:30.449 --> 00:03:34.689
small, and the treasures of the
House of the Lord, the treasures of
43
00:03:34.770 --> 00:03:38.849
the king and of his princes.
All these he brought to Babylon, and
44
00:03:38.770 --> 00:03:43.879
they burned the House of God and
broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned
45
00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:50.400
all its palaces with fire and destroyed
all its precious vessels. He took into
46
00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:54.949
exile and Babylon those who would escape
from the sword and may became servants to
47
00:03:55.069 --> 00:04:01.469
him and to his sons until the
establishment of the Kingdom of Persia. To
48
00:04:01.550 --> 00:04:06.389
fulfill the were filled the word of
the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah,
49
00:04:06.430 --> 00:04:14.219
until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days that lay desolate,
50
00:04:14.860 --> 00:04:21.220
it kept Sabbath to fulfill seventy years
now, in the first year of Cyrus
51
00:04:21.259 --> 00:04:26.649
King of Persia, that the word
of the Lord might, by the mouth
52
00:04:26.689 --> 00:04:31.329
of Jeremiah, might be fulfilled.
The Lord Lord stirred up the spirit of
53
00:04:31.529 --> 00:04:36.050
Cyrus King of Persia so that he
made a proclamation throughout all this kingdom and
54
00:04:36.209 --> 00:04:43.680
also put it in writing. Thus
says Cyrus King of Persia, the Lord,
55
00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:46.439
the God of Heaven, has given
me all the kingdoms of the earth
56
00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:51.160
and has charged me to build him
a house at Jerusalem, which is in
57
00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:58.110
Judah. Whoever is among you,
of all his people may the Lord has
58
00:04:58.230 --> 00:05:04.189
God be with him. Let him
go up sends the reading of God's word.
59
00:05:04.910 --> 00:05:21.529
May he bless it to us.
Well, here at the end of
60
00:05:21.850 --> 00:05:30.250
this great history and the greatest histories
that have been ever recorded in the history
61
00:05:30.290 --> 00:05:40.759
of the world, we have a
very tragic ending, with a surprise bit
62
00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:46.399
of light right at the end this
history that we've been going through for some
63
00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:50.149
time now, over two years,
and chronicles, this is somewhat could be
64
00:05:50.310 --> 00:05:56.310
thought of in some ways as a
history of the world, least up until
65
00:05:56.389 --> 00:06:00.269
this point. Do you remember what
the very first word in chronicles is?
66
00:06:02.029 --> 00:06:09.980
Adam? That's how chronicles starts.
It starts with the Word Adam. Seth
67
00:06:10.300 --> 00:06:17.100
Enosh, Keenan, Mahalalel Jared Enoch, methuselah, laymick Noah Shem Ham jff.
68
00:06:19.490 --> 00:06:26.329
The chronicler has been chronicling everything in
a way, of course not every
69
00:06:26.449 --> 00:06:30.889
detail, but he's been telling a
story that helps us to understand what God
70
00:06:30.009 --> 00:06:36.439
has been doing from the very,
very beginning. And what have we learned?
71
00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:42.879
This is something I want you to
be thinking about, even if you've
72
00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:46.079
been with us for only part of
this time or even just today. I
73
00:06:46.230 --> 00:06:50.430
want you to think about over this
next week, maybe even after that.
74
00:06:51.470 --> 00:06:57.829
What have you learned? What have
you learned as you've thought through and heard
75
00:06:57.949 --> 00:07:06.579
God's word proclaimed from this history?
Some things that I think are highlighted and
76
00:07:06.819 --> 00:07:15.500
emphasized in chronicles include God's Great Authority
and Supreme Power over all the earth.
77
00:07:15.529 --> 00:07:20.170
The very fact that we have a
history here spoken by a prophets is a
78
00:07:20.290 --> 00:07:26.529
reminder here that God is in control
of it all from beginning to end.
79
00:07:26.649 --> 00:07:31.519
We see the Lord as Supreme,
as sovereign, over all things, over
80
00:07:31.639 --> 00:07:36.720
the greatest powers, over the weakest
people, in the most desperate situations,
81
00:07:36.759 --> 00:07:44.310
in the in the great joys of
strength, every moment, God is in
82
00:07:44.470 --> 00:07:50.029
control and reigning over it all.
And that leads to another extremely important theme
83
00:07:50.069 --> 00:07:56.709
in the book of Chronicles. First
and second and that is how are we
84
00:07:57.069 --> 00:08:03.300
to react and respond to God's Kingship, to God's authority in not just our
85
00:08:03.379 --> 00:08:09.019
individual lives but over everything? How
do we respond to that? Do we
86
00:08:09.420 --> 00:08:13.889
submit to him and trust him and
depend on him? Do we love him
87
00:08:13.930 --> 00:08:20.529
and worship him and join a together
under his authority, under his faithfulness,
88
00:08:22.769 --> 00:08:26.279
or do we go our own ways
and do our own things? We've seen
89
00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:31.680
a lot of insight into what that
means and what that looks like, as
90
00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:37.360
we've as we've seen various kings,
especially, having to make that decision for
91
00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:41.590
themselves. Will they recognize God's authority
over them and over his people, or
92
00:08:41.590 --> 00:08:46.549
will they not? We've seen the
great blessings that come when they do,
93
00:08:46.710 --> 00:08:54.750
the great curses and consequences that come
when they don't. We've seen the psychology
94
00:08:54.909 --> 00:08:58.419
of that or their own hearts,
as they are tempted by other powers,
95
00:08:58.899 --> 00:09:07.460
by false gods, by a desire
to control things, win battles or even
96
00:09:07.500 --> 00:09:15.169
even really silly things. We've also
come to see that in God's great sovereignty
97
00:09:15.330 --> 00:09:18.889
over his kingdom and over all the
kingdoms of the world, we've seen that
98
00:09:20.009 --> 00:09:24.960
he rules as a perfectly good king. He is holy and everything he does
99
00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:31.600
he acts in a way that is
always righteous. And on the flip side
100
00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:37.519
of that, he hates evil,
he despises it. He brings judgment on
101
00:09:37.629 --> 00:09:43.629
those who are unrepentant, but he
also receives those who repent of their sins,
102
00:09:45.309 --> 00:09:50.549
who turn away. Even in this
last chapter, one of these kings
103
00:09:50.710 --> 00:09:56.620
is mentioned and it's mentioned that he
didn't hear, he didn't listen. This
104
00:09:56.940 --> 00:10:00.580
was his his sinning against God was
a tragedy, but what it was made
105
00:10:00.580 --> 00:10:07.169
all the worse because he didn't turn
when he had a chance. Well,
106
00:10:07.289 --> 00:10:13.049
as we've heard these great themes,
we've seen ups and downs in the kingship
107
00:10:13.250 --> 00:10:20.490
of Israel and Judah in particular.
There have been good kings and bad kings,
108
00:10:20.570 --> 00:10:26.080
great kings and terrible kings. Right
before this last chapter, you may
109
00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:33.559
remember, as we thought through the
story of Josiah, we had a truly
110
00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:37.870
great king, a Wonderful King,
and Chapter Twenty six is this, as
111
00:10:37.909 --> 00:10:43.149
I think I said last time,
a race to the bottom. It's a
112
00:10:43.389 --> 00:10:48.309
tragic thing. One commentator compared it
to a bird of prey sort of hovering
113
00:10:48.350 --> 00:10:54.460
over it's it's prey and then very
quickly boom, attacked, taken away or
114
00:10:54.659 --> 00:11:01.139
taken out. This fast decline is
striking in many ways in this last chapter
115
00:11:03.220 --> 00:11:05.850
and I want you to think about
it as we think about the ways in
116
00:11:05.970 --> 00:11:11.169
which all of these themes have been
displayed throughout the book and come to this
117
00:11:11.769 --> 00:11:20.360
crashing conclusion in chapter thirty six.
Throughout the book we've seen these various formulas
118
00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:24.000
for the Kings, a way of
telling the history. He was so many
119
00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:28.639
years old when he came to power. Oftentimes there was mention of the King's
120
00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:35.470
mother, who she was. There
would be notes about the king's history and
121
00:11:35.590 --> 00:11:39.389
the d his deeds he did,
final notes about his death, when he
122
00:11:39.669 --> 00:11:45.309
died, where he was buried.
All of this is compressed to a great
123
00:11:45.389 --> 00:11:52.259
degree in these four kings that all
come in second chronicles thirty six. These
124
00:11:52.419 --> 00:11:58.100
formulas that we've had, these expositions
of the these kingships are, are compacted,
125
00:11:58.299 --> 00:12:05.850
they're shrunken together and I think for
this reason there's this kind of singular
126
00:12:05.889 --> 00:12:11.129
experience that these people have in the
at the end, and really it's just
127
00:12:11.370 --> 00:12:15.090
happening in a generation or two.
If you look at the if you pay
128
00:12:15.129 --> 00:12:20.480
attention to the details here, it
starts with Jehoah has, the son of
129
00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:24.799
Good King Josiah. He rules for
three months. I think I've waited for
130
00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:31.269
a check longer than three months.
There's a very short period of time to
131
00:12:31.389 --> 00:12:35.350
do anything, but yet that's all
he has, three months and then he's
132
00:12:35.429 --> 00:12:41.070
done. The King of Egypt swoops
in, deposes him and lays on the
133
00:12:41.149 --> 00:12:46.700
land a tribute. You remember what
this means? Right to had be to
134
00:12:46.940 --> 00:12:52.620
be required to give a tribute as
a way of essentially paying attacks, and
135
00:12:52.659 --> 00:12:58.139
if you're paying attacks, it means
that you are under someone's authority. They
136
00:12:58.220 --> 00:13:05.009
are coming under the authority of Egypt. God had brought them out of Egypt,
137
00:13:05.649 --> 00:13:13.879
but now NECO is demanding Israel to
pay at taxes to him. Worse
138
00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:18.840
than that, he deposes. When
he deposes JEHOAH has, he makes his
139
00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:22.919
brother King. We're not told why, but you could probably take a good
140
00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:28.470
guess. And then, his further
humiliation, he changes his name to Johoyah
141
00:13:28.470 --> 00:13:33.870
Kim. These are ways in which
Necho is establishing the fact that I'm in
142
00:13:33.070 --> 00:13:39.070
charge now. I pick the Kings, I decide who's in who's in charge
143
00:13:39.190 --> 00:13:43.539
all. Even decide what your name
is. You remember, Daniel and his
144
00:13:43.740 --> 00:13:48.779
friends experienced a similar thing when they
went in to Babylon. So JEHOAH has
145
00:13:48.779 --> 00:13:54.299
has three months, Johoya Kim comes
in. He's a young man, twenty
146
00:13:54.379 --> 00:14:00.570
five years old, and he reigns
eleven years in Jerusalem. But he does
147
00:14:00.690 --> 00:14:03.370
what is evil in the side of
the Lord and, as we should come
148
00:14:03.490 --> 00:14:09.970
to expect, what happens is what
is expected. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon,
149
00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:13.519
a greater king than the king of
Egypt comes in. He binds this
150
00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:18.759
king in chains, we read in
Verse Eight, and he takes him,
151
00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:22.919
and I'm sorry, in six,
and then he takes him, in verse
152
00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:28.269
seven, with vessels from the House
of the Lord to Babylon. This is
153
00:14:28.309 --> 00:14:31.549
yet a further humiliation and this is
a way in which Nebuchadnezzar is trying to
154
00:14:31.629 --> 00:14:37.029
show that he is stronger even than
Israel's God. I will go into your
155
00:14:37.149 --> 00:14:43.820
temple and I will take what is
mine, not yeah ways. And so
156
00:14:43.059 --> 00:14:48.980
he takes the king and he takes
the vessels to babyl on. Then we
157
00:14:48.100 --> 00:14:52.419
read in verse eight that the rest
of these acts and the abominations he did,
158
00:14:52.620 --> 00:14:56.730
these are are written down. Then
in the next two kings we have
159
00:14:58.009 --> 00:15:01.850
an interesting parallelel again, a three
month reign, three months and ten days,
160
00:15:03.210 --> 00:15:07.799
with another eleven year reign. The
parallels between these these times are another
161
00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:11.360
way in which they are sort of
all. They all come together in a
162
00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:18.480
way, as one Jehoiachim, the
son of his father, Jehoiachim, come
163
00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:24.350
Johoyah him, comes to power when
he's eighteen years old, and he did
164
00:15:24.429 --> 00:15:28.470
what was evil in the side of
the Lord. Verse Nine, and like
165
00:15:28.710 --> 00:15:31.909
his father, Nebuchadnezzar, comes and
takes him away to Babylon with more from
166
00:15:31.909 --> 00:15:37.659
the House of the Lord and Makes
Zee Kaiah his brother King over Judah and
167
00:15:37.779 --> 00:15:43.139
Jerusalem. Brother here likely means a
relative in a more general sense, just
168
00:15:43.299 --> 00:15:50.210
as a side note, because Zedekiah
is his uncle. Zedekiah comes to power,
169
00:15:50.250 --> 00:15:54.049
and that's why I say it's basically
in one generation. Still we have
170
00:15:54.850 --> 00:16:03.649
this sort of one little family group
and as various kings taking Israel, God's
171
00:16:03.730 --> 00:16:08.200
people, to the bottom. Finally, Zee Kiah. He also does what
172
00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:11.679
is evil in the side of the
Lord. He did not humble himself before
173
00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:18.080
Jeremiah the prophet. He rebelled even
against King Nebucha are. This guy cannot
174
00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:22.269
take authority. He is rebellious in
every way. He stiffens his neck,
175
00:16:22.309 --> 00:16:29.629
he hardens at heart. Strong,
strong words about Zeekiah. He doesn't listen.
176
00:16:30.789 --> 00:16:34.620
And it's not just the king.
We come to see that the problem
177
00:16:34.659 --> 00:16:40.539
is not just isolated in this one
person, but it's a kingdom wide problem.
178
00:16:40.580 --> 00:16:45.620
Verse Fourteen. All the officers of
all the priests and the people likewise
179
00:16:45.980 --> 00:16:55.129
were exceedingly unfaithful, it says,
following all the abominations and they polluted the
180
00:16:55.250 --> 00:17:02.159
House of the Lord and that he
had made holy in Jerusalem. They didn't
181
00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:04.880
need to wait for foreign kings to
come in and ransack the temple, they
182
00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:11.200
were doing it themselves. All the
abominations that God had forbidden, the very
183
00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:15.519
things that they were brought out of
Egypt so that they might worship the one
184
00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:19.910
true God. As Moses says,
let my people go that we may worship.
185
00:17:22.309 --> 00:17:25.670
They were brought into a land to
worship, to be a holy people.
186
00:17:26.069 --> 00:17:30.059
God expunge the people that we're in
Cainan, and all their abominations and
187
00:17:30.140 --> 00:17:36.700
all their practices, so that this
people could be his people, a kingdom
188
00:17:37.420 --> 00:17:42.299
to him, a holy people.
But he warned them. If you go
189
00:17:42.500 --> 00:17:45.690
back and you read at the law
as it was given, he tells them
190
00:17:45.769 --> 00:17:51.529
very clearly if you do the things
that the people did here before you,
191
00:17:52.089 --> 00:17:56.529
you will be spit out, vomited
out of the land, just as they
192
00:17:56.569 --> 00:18:00.599
were. If you or after other
gods, if you take bad if you
193
00:18:02.519 --> 00:18:08.640
take a bad leadership, if you
fall into the ways of of of idolatry
194
00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:15.470
and sin, you will face the
very same consequences, in a way,
195
00:18:15.509 --> 00:18:19.630
as Israel entered into the land and
put to death the people around them,
196
00:18:19.710 --> 00:18:25.589
the people of Canaan. They were
for telling their own judgment to come.
197
00:18:25.670 --> 00:18:36.019
And that's what happened when finally Babylon
it gained its complete power and came over
198
00:18:36.140 --> 00:18:42.049
Zedekiah and captured Jerusalem, burned it
to the ground and took away Daniel and
199
00:18:42.170 --> 00:18:51.490
kings and princes and many others into
exiles to make them not servants of Yahway
200
00:18:52.130 --> 00:18:56.119
but servants to him, to his
sons, to the establishment of the Kingdom
201
00:18:56.200 --> 00:19:03.440
of Persia. Until that point.
What a far cry this is from God's
202
00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:08.359
words earlier in the history when he
says to David, I will establish your
203
00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:15.509
house forever. What's is going on? He are the people of God are
204
00:19:15.549 --> 00:19:19.750
being enslaved, are being brought under
the rule of First Nebuchadnezzar and then other
205
00:19:19.829 --> 00:19:26.740
kings after him up until Cyrus caught. Is Very, very clear about what's
206
00:19:26.740 --> 00:19:30.900
going on. All of the details
in this chapter, all of the details
207
00:19:30.940 --> 00:19:36.059
in this whole book, in fact
most of everything that said in the whole
208
00:19:36.140 --> 00:19:41.210
Testole Old Testament, is making this
point that God was perfectly fair and just
209
00:19:41.769 --> 00:19:48.009
in exilings people out of the land. He told them to listen, he
210
00:19:48.210 --> 00:19:53.839
told them to obey and said if
you refuse, you will be cast out,
211
00:19:55.799 --> 00:19:57.920
you will face death and punishment.
You, who are my people,
212
00:19:57.960 --> 00:20:03.400
as he says in Joseah, will
be not be my people. But they
213
00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:10.230
didn't listen. Like in the days
of Noah, they didn't listen. We
214
00:20:10.549 --> 00:20:15.950
read here at the end of or
right Middle Issh of this chapter, Verse
215
00:20:15.029 --> 00:20:22.859
Fifteen. He persistently sent to them
his messengers. Why? Because he had
216
00:20:22.940 --> 00:20:26.900
compassion on his people and on his
dwelling place. This is what all the
217
00:20:26.940 --> 00:20:33.019
prophets are about. A prophet after
profit coming and testifying to Israel. Turn,
218
00:20:33.619 --> 00:20:38.849
turn, turn, repent, repent, repent. Disaster is coming here
219
00:20:40.009 --> 00:20:44.809
the word of the Lord and on
the heels of their calls to repentance and
220
00:20:44.930 --> 00:20:48.609
their prosecutions of the various ways in
which they've broken them law. These prophets
221
00:20:48.650 --> 00:20:52.920
also spoke to them about the glories
of the Kingdom of Heaven, Zion to
222
00:20:53.079 --> 00:21:00.079
come and God's Great Faithfulness and grace. You go and you read Isaiah and
223
00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:10.390
Jeremiah, it's hard not to cry, even at the expressions of beauty and
224
00:21:10.589 --> 00:21:15.269
glory, at the wonders of God's
love and his promises. Over and over
225
00:21:15.430 --> 00:21:18.460
and a go over again. God
says, I will take care of you,
226
00:21:19.380 --> 00:21:23.539
I will establish you as my people. Turn to me, hear me.
227
00:21:25.539 --> 00:21:34.210
Why these other gods? But Verse
Sixteen. They kept mocking the messengers
228
00:21:34.329 --> 00:21:40.730
of God, despising his words,
scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath
229
00:21:40.769 --> 00:21:48.079
of God rose against his people,
until there was no remedy. When you're
230
00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:55.519
caught up in sin, sometimes it
can be a pretty heavy time. Feels
231
00:21:55.640 --> 00:22:00.759
good, you're having a high,
you're enjoying your time, you've got new
232
00:22:00.839 --> 00:22:03.829
friends, New People. You're like
the prodigal son. You've got money in
233
00:22:03.990 --> 00:22:08.950
your pocket, things to spend it
on. It's good, it's nice,
234
00:22:14.109 --> 00:22:19.779
but it doesn't last. The kings
of this world, treasures that we have,
235
00:22:21.140 --> 00:22:26.900
they they don't last, even the
best ones, as we have seen,
236
00:22:26.259 --> 00:22:34.009
even the best kings and the best
errors are eras of God's of God's
237
00:22:34.009 --> 00:22:45.640
kings and Judah. They didn't last, they send they died. The God
238
00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:52.079
keeps sending his prophets again and again
and again, that they that we might
239
00:22:52.279 --> 00:23:00.190
hear these prophets, and the whole
history gives us these glimmers of hope,
240
00:23:00.430 --> 00:23:04.549
our reminder over and over again of
the great character of God, that he
241
00:23:04.670 --> 00:23:10.150
is Gracious, that he is merciful, that he is abounding in steadfast love,
242
00:23:10.950 --> 00:23:17.579
and that we need a king to
bring these things finally to us.
243
00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:26.660
We need a king, chronicles teaches
us, that's better than David, better
244
00:23:26.740 --> 00:23:33.970
than seven, Solomon, Josiah,
but like them as well. We need
245
00:23:33.170 --> 00:23:37.609
a king to do the work of
God, that heeds the prophets, that
246
00:23:37.809 --> 00:23:42.480
heeds his words, that builds the
foundation of the kingdom, as Josiah did,
247
00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:48.920
as David did, on the very
word of God. But we not
248
00:23:48.119 --> 00:23:52.880
only need a king who does these
things perfectly, but we need a king
249
00:23:52.039 --> 00:23:59.910
who's able to bring about the righteousness
and obedience of the people perfectly, a
250
00:24:00.390 --> 00:24:07.470
permanent heart change. God gave every
part of the law that could have been
251
00:24:07.630 --> 00:24:12.660
possible in order for them to do
this. This is a perfect set up,
252
00:24:12.700 --> 00:24:18.380
you might say, for righteousness and
obedience. Right God gives them great
253
00:24:18.420 --> 00:24:22.500
kings, God gives them a perfect, holy law. He cast the people
254
00:24:22.539 --> 00:24:26.369
out of the land, a fresh
start with vineyards and wells and flocks.
255
00:24:26.410 --> 00:24:33.450
It's all there. All you got
to do is obey. It's like the
256
00:24:33.490 --> 00:24:37.720
Garden of Eden. It's all they're
all you got to do is obey.
257
00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:48.279
But we can't obey, especially after
the fall. Adam and Eve chose not
258
00:24:48.400 --> 00:24:53.430
to obey, and in that they
permanently and forever change the condition of the
259
00:24:53.509 --> 00:25:00.509
human heart that we are all infected
by this poison, a poison which cannot
260
00:25:00.549 --> 00:25:06.269
be rooted out of God's people by
the power of the law. As good.
261
00:25:06.309 --> 00:25:10.019
As good as it is, as
one wonderful it is, it is
262
00:25:11.140 --> 00:25:17.099
something deeper needs to happen, something
that the law, as Paul says,
263
00:25:17.140 --> 00:25:22.690
is unable to change. But when
that changes, and as we've seen,
264
00:25:22.970 --> 00:25:32.970
when the heart is truly after God, wonderful things happen. Stability, order,
265
00:25:33.289 --> 00:25:38.880
structure, love, peace, strength, freedom from enemies, generosity,
266
00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:45.079
worship. At the high points of
the kingdom, these are this would be
267
00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:49.549
a place that you would want to
live, move to, long for.
268
00:25:52.710 --> 00:25:59.349
But it always disappeared and the king
never came, and at the end of
269
00:25:59.390 --> 00:26:06.099
chronicles we find, as the history
is told, the people not in the
270
00:26:06.259 --> 00:26:17.900
land anymore, but in the foreign
land under a foreign king. After all
271
00:26:17.980 --> 00:26:23.369
of these warnings, after all of
this clarity about who god is and who
272
00:26:23.410 --> 00:26:33.000
how we must obey him, the
time for judgment finally arrived. The prophets
273
00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:37.319
came and spoke again and again and
again, and finally the time for judgment
274
00:26:37.400 --> 00:26:44.720
arrived and, like Noah's flood,
there was no turning back, as the
275
00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:51.349
Lord says, there was no remedy
left. The hour had been appointed.
276
00:26:51.750 --> 00:26:57.029
Babylon swords were drawn and they were
in the hand of the Lord. The
277
00:26:57.269 --> 00:27:03.859
sacking of Jerusalem was not a random
act of violence by some random foreign power.
278
00:27:03.980 --> 00:27:11.619
They were God's scalpel in his hand. He allowed this to happen,
279
00:27:12.460 --> 00:27:23.130
he caused it to happen. Judgment
came. There is a perspective, though,
280
00:27:23.170 --> 00:27:27.650
that we have to bring in before
we conclude, and it's this.
281
00:27:30.440 --> 00:27:33.880
I've been placing you in the moment
of the histories as much as I can
282
00:27:34.759 --> 00:27:41.319
that we might understand and feel what
these people fell but we have to remember
283
00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:47.109
that the people who were reading this
book for the first time knew all this
284
00:27:47.349 --> 00:27:52.230
already. They weren't in the middle
of it. Many ways, they were
285
00:27:52.430 --> 00:27:56.430
on the other side of it,
and that itself is a remarkable thing.
286
00:27:59.539 --> 00:28:04.859
Why? Because, just as the
earthly king, or the earthly kingdom rather,
287
00:28:07.019 --> 00:28:11.660
in Judah, Israel was not the
final kingdom, neither was this the
288
00:28:11.890 --> 00:28:22.289
final judgment, the final judgment of
the world, and that's important because it
289
00:28:22.450 --> 00:28:29.759
means there was yet another opportunity to
get on the other side of judgment,
290
00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:34.759
and in fact these words and how
that happened is expressed right here at the
291
00:28:34.920 --> 00:28:41.869
very end. A lot of history
compacted into this one paragraph. Were Cyrus,
292
00:28:41.390 --> 00:28:45.190
not king of Judah or King of
Israel, but King of Persia,
293
00:28:48.670 --> 00:28:52.509
that the word of the Lord by
the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled.
294
00:28:53.630 --> 00:28:59.460
His heart was stirred up, his
spirit were stirred up, the inward change
295
00:28:59.779 --> 00:29:04.859
that has to happen in order for
people to truly follow after God, something
296
00:29:04.940 --> 00:29:10.690
like that at least, was happening
in Cyrus. And he speaks these words.
297
00:29:11.329 --> 00:29:18.210
The Lord Yahweh is the word he
uses. The God of Heaven has
298
00:29:18.329 --> 00:29:23.680
given me all the kingdoms of the
earth and has charged me to build him
299
00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:30.359
a house at Jerusalem. This is
an amazing thing, where, just previous
300
00:29:30.440 --> 00:29:33.319
to this we were reading of the
people, the kings of Judah, and
301
00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:40.950
being been caught up in the removal
of God's house by foreign powers, now
302
00:29:41.309 --> 00:29:48.069
at this foreign king, not of
Abraham, is deciding to build God's house.
303
00:29:49.029 --> 00:29:55.299
An amazing thing and a fulfillment not
of Cyrus's great sovereignty but of God's,
304
00:29:55.339 --> 00:29:59.099
because it's being fulfilled by the words
of the Prophet, or fulfilling the
305
00:29:59.140 --> 00:30:02.980
words of the Prophet. His heart
stirred up with the Lord. He's going
306
00:30:03.059 --> 00:30:06.740
to build a house. Why not? Because he has decided this great thing,
307
00:30:07.140 --> 00:30:12.890
because he's going to create this outpost
for his territory. Why? Because
308
00:30:14.049 --> 00:30:18.089
the Lord God, Yah Way,
the father of the God and of our
309
00:30:18.170 --> 00:30:23.920
fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that God commanded him to build,
310
00:30:25.880 --> 00:30:33.200
just as Solomon was commanded to build. And so Cyrus says to his people,
311
00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:41.029
this great mixed multitude of people,
Jew and gentile, whoever is among
312
00:30:41.109 --> 00:30:45.109
you, of all his people,
may the Lord has God be with him.
313
00:30:45.109 --> 00:30:53.819
Let him go up, go up, go home. An amazing,
314
00:30:53.859 --> 00:31:02.019
an amazing thing. On the other
side of this judgment of Jerusalem is God's
315
00:31:02.059 --> 00:31:08.450
Marvelous Grace and a decisionian that we
all have to make. Will we go
316
00:31:08.609 --> 00:31:15.289
up? Will we follow? Do
we belong to Yah way, to the
317
00:31:15.369 --> 00:31:29.200
God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
and David and Solomon and Josiah? This
318
00:31:29.480 --> 00:31:33.150
book has taught us that in each
and every moment of our lives, individually
319
00:31:33.390 --> 00:31:37.869
and corporately, as a people,
as a human race, we rise and
320
00:31:37.069 --> 00:31:44.789
fall as we follow the word of
the Lord and because of the sin in
321
00:31:44.869 --> 00:31:48.980
us. We fought all again and
again and again, and we rise only
322
00:31:48.140 --> 00:31:53.059
by one thing, when God's Word
is spoken into our lives in such a
323
00:31:53.140 --> 00:31:57.819
way that he causes us to rise
up, that by his strong arm and
324
00:31:57.980 --> 00:32:02.450
mighty works of Grace, he lifts
our souls and our spirits and he speaks
325
00:32:02.529 --> 00:32:09.049
to foreign kings and he moves people
on armies and establishes us on the rock
326
00:32:09.170 --> 00:32:17.359
of his grace. And this is
how we come to Jesus. When Jesus
327
00:32:17.480 --> 00:32:22.599
comes into the world as the son
of Abraham, is the fulfillment of the
328
00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:28.799
promises for an eternal kingdom, to
bring a people into a land that will
329
00:32:28.839 --> 00:32:37.509
forever Sabbath, that will forever rest
and no longer suffer persecutions and and and
330
00:32:37.789 --> 00:32:44.740
sin and idolatry and and false worship
and all other kinds of horrors, but
331
00:32:44.940 --> 00:32:52.380
will be perfect. God sends this
Jesus to us and he is not just
332
00:32:52.619 --> 00:32:58.259
like any other king. God comes, God comes to us in the flesh
333
00:32:58.849 --> 00:33:01.490
to rescue us out of all of
this sin and misery, out of our
334
00:33:01.849 --> 00:33:07.170
constant race to the bottom, to
the grave itself, and raises us us,
335
00:33:07.529 --> 00:33:16.000
raises us up, up, Paul
says, even into the heavenly places,
336
00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:24.160
as we saying earlier, of Zion
City, the new Jerusalem, heavenly
337
00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:31.269
places. And this is very,
very important, because there is no other
338
00:33:31.430 --> 00:33:37.430
king coming. With every king that
we've read about in chronicles, you might
339
00:33:37.549 --> 00:33:38.950
look at him and you look at
his life and go, yeah, I
340
00:33:38.990 --> 00:33:44.220
can pretty much guarantee you this isn't
the end. Is A man, he
341
00:33:44.339 --> 00:33:52.700
makes mistakes, things aren't going perfectly, but with Jesus they did go perfectly,
342
00:33:52.900 --> 00:33:58.609
perfectly according to God's plan. He
acted in perfect righteousness, perfect love.
343
00:33:59.009 --> 00:34:05.730
He came to establish the law own
and waited for kingdom, and he
344
00:34:05.930 --> 00:34:15.159
did, which means that, since
the final king is here, the final
345
00:34:15.280 --> 00:34:22.000
judgment will be the final one too. There's no other side after that.
346
00:34:23.039 --> 00:34:30.349
There's no yet one more offer of
grace and opportunity. That will be it,
347
00:34:30.550 --> 00:34:36.630
and we can know that for certain
because the Lord has already come,
348
00:34:37.389 --> 00:34:44.340
the kingdom has already been established.
We are his people and following him.
349
00:34:46.420 --> 00:34:52.099
So if you find yourself in a
position where you're living your life like one
350
00:34:52.139 --> 00:34:55.690
of the people in the generation of
Noah or in the generation of Zedekiah,
351
00:34:57.210 --> 00:35:00.809
that you're living your life, not
worrying about judgment, not worrying about the
352
00:35:00.889 --> 00:35:02.690
Kingdom of God, doing what you
want to do, when you want,
353
00:35:04.329 --> 00:35:08.280
not caring. If this is your
life, then you ought to be very,
354
00:35:08.400 --> 00:35:15.559
very afraid, as afraid as the
Israelites were when they heard the beat
355
00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:21.039
of hooves and the flow, saw
the flashing of Sword Coming Down upon them
356
00:35:21.119 --> 00:35:25.429
and judgment over them. As terrifying
as that was, and we have expressions
357
00:35:25.469 --> 00:35:30.269
of it in the Bible, you
can go and read them, much more
358
00:35:30.710 --> 00:35:35.110
parrifying will be God in his judgment
when he comes with a mighty host of
359
00:35:35.309 --> 00:35:44.139
angels to pluck up the people that
are his and to devote all the rest
360
00:35:44.380 --> 00:35:50.610
to destruction. If you live your
life in a way that doesn't care about
361
00:35:50.650 --> 00:35:54.329
the sovereignty of the Lord, that
doesn't recognize his kingship, that wants to
362
00:35:54.489 --> 00:35:59.929
live for your own ways, in
your own idols, then you have death
363
00:36:00.570 --> 00:36:04.840
facing you right now, and we
don't know when this day will come,
364
00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:15.199
but it is guaranteed and it will
be the last one. But there is
365
00:36:15.400 --> 00:36:22.789
yet time, while there is today, there is yet time. We are
366
00:36:22.949 --> 00:36:28.829
here right now. My job is
to declare to you, as a prophet
367
00:36:28.989 --> 00:36:34.099
of the Lord as one who is
called to proclaim the word of God,
368
00:36:35.059 --> 00:36:39.699
to tell you these things, to
call you to repentance, to speak to
369
00:36:39.739 --> 00:36:45.260
you God's words and say turn to
the Lord, the King, Jesus Christ,
370
00:36:46.449 --> 00:36:51.889
and you will be saved. And
all of the wonderful things that we
371
00:36:52.050 --> 00:36:57.489
see expressed and promised and hoped for
under the good kings of Israel, they
372
00:36:57.530 --> 00:37:04.039
are magnified to the great is degree
in Jesus the things of this world,
373
00:37:04.159 --> 00:37:09.199
the kings of this world, will
not last. We've just spent over two
374
00:37:09.239 --> 00:37:15.190
years pointing that out. You've been
experiencing this in your own lives. They
375
00:37:15.269 --> 00:37:22.869
don't last. Don't hang onto them, hang on cling to the only thing
376
00:37:22.110 --> 00:37:29.550
that will last, Jesus Christ and
the Kingdom of Heaven. How can you
377
00:37:29.710 --> 00:37:37.420
belong, how can you go up? But simply trusting and believing in him.
378
00:37:39.420 --> 00:37:45.409
Turn from your sins, embrace the
promises of forgiveness, and he is
379
00:37:45.570 --> 00:37:52.369
yours. We live in his name, we walk in his name, because
380
00:37:52.690 --> 00:37:58.210
he is who he is. As
you reflect on the lessons of chronicles,
381
00:37:59.519 --> 00:38:06.400
reflect on these things, remember what
God has done in the past, what
382
00:38:06.519 --> 00:38:10.000
he has done even after this moment, in the coming of the our Savior
383
00:38:10.159 --> 00:38:15.829
and the son of David, and
what is coming in the future. Rest
384
00:38:15.909 --> 00:38:22.110
your hope entirely on Jesus and you
will be saved, for God is sovereign
385
00:38:22.190 --> 00:38:25.829
and he is powerful to save.
Let us pray
