Rev. Don Campbell
2 Kings 24-25; 2 Chronicles 36
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, August 19, 2019
“A POINT OF NO RETURN”
Our readings today are the historical accounts of the same events we have seen in Jeremiah—the refusal of God’s people to repent, the weak and ineffective leaders, the siege of Jerusalem, and its fall. A passage from 2 Chronicles 36:11-16 shows the depth of the nation’s degradation.
“Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel. All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the LORD that he had made holy in Jerusalem. 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.”
Note four evils of which Zedekiah was guilty. One, as head of the nation he led by example the whole nation to do evil (v. 14). Two, he refused to humble himself before Jeremiah, who spoke God’s word (v. 12). Three he rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar of whom God had said that if they would not accept the wooden yoke of submission, he would put an iron yoke of subjugation on them (Jeremiah 27:1-11). Four, he stiffened his neck against God himself.
God had patiently endured the nation (Romans 9:22), but the rebellion outlined in our text, brought them to a point of no return. There was no longer any remedy.
Peter tells us that God is patient toward all humanity, but that his patience will someday run out:
“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:8-13).
The author of the epistle to the Hebrews says that there is a point of no return today:
“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:26-31).
If anyone fears they have committed this sin, they haven’t. It is not impossible for them to do so, but had they done so, they would have no fear. They would be like the stubborn Zedekiah.
CONNECTIONS
1. John cautioned, “Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward” (2 John 1:8). John does not define “a full reward,” so neither should we. However, does he not teach that although we may not have committed sin from which there is no return, we can suffer the loss of something of great value?
2. John also said, that there is sin unto death for which we should not pray (1 John 5:16-17). Would this not be a sin for which there is no remedy and if so would it not also be of the same nature as that of Zedekiah?
