“Without Remedy” – FBC Morning Light (8/28/2024)

A good Wednesday morning to you. Here we are in the middle of the week and the month of August is about history, isn't it? Well, today in our Bible reading we're reading a few verses in 2 Kings 25, a few verses in 2 Chronicles 36, a good passage in Jeremiah 52, and then Jeremiah 32.

The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Reason for Judgment

I want to focus just on this passage in 2 Chronicles 36 and verses 15 and 16. This is kind of like the end, if you will, and it's summarizing the destruction of Jerusalem, the Babylonian captivity, but what I really want to zero in on is the why behind it.

In verses 15 and 16, the Scripture says the Lord God of their fathers, the fathers of the Jewish people, sent warnings to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending them, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.

But, how did they respond? Okay, so God in his compassion, he sends prophets, he sends preachers to call God's people to repentance, to turn from their idolatry, and to return to the Lord. How did they respond?

They mocked the messengers of God, they despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, and there was no remedy. And then the passage goes on to talk about the Chaldeans coming and overcoming Jerusalem and Judah and taking people captive and so on.

But they mocked the messengers of God's word, they despised God's word, they scoffed at the preachers, the prophets, until there was no remedy. Now, this is dealing with the Old Testament people of God, and the people were so entwined with the nation, you know, it was a national people of God, if you will, Israel.

The Gospel of Christ and the Call to Believe

We don't have that today, but what we do have in the New Testament context is we still have a God of compassion upon people. God loved the world in this way, that he sent his only begotten Son into the world, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life, John 3, 16.

So God in his compassion upon sinners in this world sends Christ to save those who will believe in him, those who will trust in him. But the Apostle Paul asks the question in Romans chapter 10 verse 14, how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?

Now, that follows right on the heels of the promise that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. But he asks, how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And he takes the question a step further.

He says, how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? When he takes it a further, how shall they hear without a preacher, and how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, Paul says, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things.

Faithful Preaching in the Face of Rejection

So it's just like the prophets in the Old Testament, they came proclaiming a message of hope, a hope and restoration based upon repentance, repentant faith in God and his word. Turn back to God, turn to God, was the prophetic message.

And you will be spared, you will, you know, judgment will not fall. No, the New Testament message is the same. Turn to God, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, call upon him, and you will be saved. This is a wonderful message of good news.

But then Paul says this, they have not all obeyed the gospel. They have not all obeyed the gospel. And so it is today, in the New Testament context as it was in the Old Testament context, faithful preachers can stand up and preach the word, they can preach the gospel, but will people hear?

Will people hear? Will the majority of the people mock the messenger? Will they despise the word of the exclusive gospel, that is, that salvation is only through Jesus Christ and through Christ alone?

Will they despise such a gospel message? Will they scoff at the preachers who declare that, yes, you can be saved from the fires of hell, you can be saved for all eternity, by turning from sin, calling upon Jesus to save you, putting all of your trust and dependence upon him.

Will they hear? Well, some will, but as we know and experience in our day, most won't. Most turn from it. They mock the messengers of God, and they despise the word of God. Again, as we said the other day, we need to be faithful nonetheless.

We need to be Jeremiah faithful in still proclaiming the gospel message. God has given us that message to proclaim. Let's be faithful in doing so, and let's leave the response up to God and his working in the hearts of people.

Prayer for the Gospel to Bear Fruit

So our Father and our God, we thank you that your gospel is true, and it is good news, it's a gospel of peace for our day. Our hearts grieve at those who will not hear it, who will not receive it, and respond instead with mockery and despising of the word.

Lord, I pray that out of all the multitude of mockers, you would call forth those who would call upon Christ to save them. This we pray in Jesus' name and for his sake, amen. All right, well, listen, have a good rest of your Wednesday, trust the Lord to bless you in it.

Good day.