Sun, 25 December, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

2 Chronicles 30:1-12

¹ Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel. ² For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month– ³ for they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem– ⁴ and the plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly. ⁵ So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed. ⁶ So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his princes, as the king had commanded, saying, “O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. ⁷ Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the LORD God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see. ⁸ Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. ⁹ For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.”

¹⁰ So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. ¹¹ However, some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. ¹² The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD.

In the previous chapter we saw king Hezekiah come to the throne to replace his wicked father, Ahaz. He cleansed the temple and has restored temple worship. It is just prior to Assyria destroying the northern kingdom, and Hezekiah invites people from the northern tribes to join Judah in celebrating the Passover. Yet despite the dire straits in which the northern tribes find themselves, they reject the call to come worship the true God, and instead mock those who bring the invitation to come worship.

What do we learn from this?

When unregenerate people are at the limits of their abilities, facing their own destruction, and they are presented with a clear call to come to God, they will reject it. They are dead in their trespasses and sins, and they cannot come to God in faith. The Gospel is foolishness to them, and no matter how reasonably the call is presented, they will not listen. Just as the people of Israel mocked the messengers from Judah, so too will these mock people who bring them the Gospel. The messangers come out of concern for the ones who desperately need to hear what they have to say. Yet those who need the message, reject that which is the only thing that will save them, and mock those who come only out of concern for them.

Yet in the midst of the rejection, there are some who, by God’s grace operating in their lives, will respond. It happens now just as it happened in Hezekiah’s day. We don’t know who will reject or who will respond to the Gospel message, and so we must bring the message to everyone. Yet we know that some will mock, and some will humble themselves and come to God in faith. God is at work, and He will save His people.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Hezekiah called the people of Israel to turn to God that His fierce anger may turn away from them. As they came to Jerusalem and offered the commanded sacrifices, trusting in God’s provision for their salvation, they were looking forward to Jesus Christ who would be their perfect substitute. It is important to understand that it is Jesus Christ who saved them from their sins, not the animal they sacrificed. Those who rejected the call to come bring their sacrifices to Jerusalem were rejecting God’s provision for their salvation. They were rejecting Jesus Christ.

And when people today reject the Gospel message, refusing to come to God through faith in Jesus Christ, they are rejecting the only way they can be right with God. They are rejecting Jesus Christ.