Today in God's Word—March 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
March 18, 2 Chronicles 36
The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy. - 2 Chronicles 36:15-16
It was a beautiful day at Mexico Beach, Florida. The sunshine was bright, and the afternoon sky was dark blue with only a few wispy clouds. There was almost no haze in the sky. The sunset out over the water should be spectacular on such a day. So we sat on the beach and watched as the sun sank lower in the sky, creeping toward the horizon where the sky met the water.
Slowly, slowly the orange ball fell, the sky all around it reflecting its color. Then the moment came when the sun touched the horizon. The sun seemed to sink into the water. (Since I was a little boy, I thought there should be a sizzling sound when that happened.) Then, as if the slow motion sunset movie we'd been watching suddenly returned to regular speed, the sun seemed to speed up as it sank quickly beneath the horizon and the surface of the water. It had taken a long time, a whole day to be exact, to get there. But once it happened, it happened rather quickly.
That quick sunset is a good image to think about the way Judah, the last vestige of Israel, came to an end. There had been some short- lived revivals. But the final fall of the state of Israel was a long time coming, mostly because God was so patient with his stubborn, rebellious people. But when the end came, it happened in a hurry.
After Josiah died, Jehoahaz his son became king and he reigned for three months. Then Neco, the king of Egypt came and took Jehoahaz away and put his brother Eliakim on
his brother's throne. To demonstrate his domination of the king and his people, Neco renamed Eliakim, who became known as Jehoiakim. King Jehoakim lasted eleven years before the Babylonians came and took the evil king away. His son Jehoiachin became king and lasted just three months and ten days before Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deposed him, took him captive and put Zedekiah on the throne. The clock ran out on Zedekiah's reign and the nation of Judah eleven years later, when Nebuchadnezzar returned, took all the valuables he left behind on his first visit and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.
It was a long time coming, like the sunset. And just like the sun when it touched the water on the horizon, Judah disappeared quickly when God's patience ran out. Judah had no interest in or intention of turning back to God. They proved it by their rejection and mistreatment of God's messengers who came to warn them. When at last there was "no remedy," God let them go under quickly.
It was the end of the line for the state of Israel. It was not the end of God’s promises about the coming Messiah. After the prophesied 70 years had gone by, God moved the Persian king to call for Jerusalem to be rebuilt. He released his captives from Judah to return to their homeland. God was in complete control of Judah's ruin and Judah's limited recovery and return. Nations were instruments in God’s hand. The Lord used them to bless or punish as his will required.
The story of Judah's demise is a tragic one. But the return from captivity was like the dawn of a new day, a different day, for Abraham’s descendants who returned from captivity to rebuild Jerusalem.
Let's take away these lessons from our study of 2 Chronicles. God blesses the people who hear and obey his word. God disciplines those who will not obey, and if they refuse to turn back to God, they will experience his wrath. He is gracious and patient. He does not want his
people to destroy themselves. But God means what he says. God is in complete control. His sovereign power will accomplish his purpose and bless those who are faithful to him. Our God is an awesome God, and worthy of all our praise, love and devotion.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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