2 Kings 25

And it happened in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came. He and all his army came against Jerusalem and pitched against it, and built a siege-mound all around it. And the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah, on the ninth of the fourth month, when famine was severe in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. And the city was broken up, and by night all the men of war went by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden. And the Chaldeans were against the city all round. And the king went the way toward the plain. And the army of the Chaldees pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. And all his army were scattered from him. And they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon, to Riblah. And they gave judgment on him. And they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with bronze chains and carried him to Babylon.

(2Ki 25:1-7)

When I read these words it fills my heart with INTENSE SORROW. Jerusalem! God’s City, created to be a light to the nations, destroyed. Why!? Did it have to go this way? Was their no alternative? Wasn’t there anything that could have happened to change things? Listen to what Paul said in Galatians 6:7… “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he also will reap.” The Israelites had sown to the flesh, disregarding God’s laws, ignoring his warnings, even KILLING HIS PROPHETS. They said they were fine, they had the law, they were circumcised, they had the temple… but oh how wrong they were… they had forsaken the Lord, and they had turned to idols that could NEVER satisfy… and now they were reaping this bitter harvest as a result.

As Christians, we know that we are saved by grace and not works. We did nothing to deserve it; we got salvation as a GIFT… handed to us by the LORD. All that we had to do was believe. However, we are in real danger of mistaking GRACE for LICENSE TO SIN; and we end up hiding behind grace so we can keep on living for the flesh. Don’t be deceived, you will reap what you sow!

God’s grace is a wonderful thing. It is ALL of the resources of God made available to us through the finished work of Christ on the Cross. By God’s grace we are saved, and by that same grace we are BECOMING MORE LIKE JESUS. It is given to us, all that we need to live Godly lives… but just like anything else, it is up to us wither we use it or not. The people of Judah still had all the same grace available under Zedekiah that had been their’s under Josiah. The problem now wasn’t with the supply, it was with the demand. They were neglecting it!

God’s grace will never run out, but we have to USE IT! If we neglect it, and keep sowing to the flesh, we will reap the consequences. The tragedy can be avoided; you don’t have to starve… YOU JUST NEED TO FEED ON THE LORD!