The End is Come!

When we come to our end, God still sits on His Throne

Lamentations 5:19 Thou, O Lord, remaineth forever; even thy throne from generation to generation.

Introduction:

God chose Israel as a nation to manifest His goodness and His glory. He rescued them from slavery in Egypt, sending them Moses to lead them to the promised land. Before Moses’ death, in chapter 28 of Deuteronomy, Moses outlined the great blessings of obeying God and being a beacon to the nations, but also the disastrous destruction of the people should they choose to disobey and reject God’s leadership in their nation. The people abandoned God, and God sent them judges, military leaders but spiritual men to bring them back to God. Eventually, at the people’s request at the time of Samuel, He gave them kings, and although some kings were good and godly, the majority were not. He sent them many prophets, but they rejected them. God had set up a sanctuary and priestly system to demonstrate how to live pleasing to the Lord, but the priests were often corrupt. Finally, the country went too far beyond the limits of God’s commandment, and disaster occurred. First, Israel, after the country had split in two after Solomon’s death, was captured and basically destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 B.C. Nevertheless, the southern kingdom, Judah, persisted in rebellion with many ungodly kings, with the exception of Hezekiah and Josiah. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, captured the country in 606 B.C. and returned in 597 B.C. He carried off the king and established the ungodly Zedekiah as a puppet ruler, who swore allegiance in the name of Jehovah. He then secretly made a pact with Egypt. An enraged Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem for about 18 months, and then destroyed the city, blinded the king, and carried off all but the poorest people.

What the Babylonians did in Jerusalem - carrying out the wrath of God

Lamentations outlines what the Babylonians did to the city. In addition to burning the main buildings and desecrating the temple, they killed all the leaders and many others, including the elderly. The princes were tortured. Men, women, and children were dying of starvation. Those who survived were carried off as slaves. Their enemies the Edomites were gloating and urging the Babylonians on. They had to pay for even such necessities as water and wood. Their possessions and families were gone. They had nothing left – but God. But they came to realize that God was still on the throne.

The reproached

Israel had been a beacon of God to the surrounding lands. Everyone knew that Jehovah, the living God, was their God. When Israel was in slavery, He had plagued Egypt with 10 plagues, bringing the most powerful nation to its knees. When they pursued the escaping slaves, God opened the Red Sea to His people, and closed it upon the Egyptian army when they attempted to cross. He sustained His people in the wilderness, bringing water out of a rock, manna to feed them daily, and giving them victory after victory going into the promised land.

But now the Jews were in reproach. Their land was destroyed, and the people enslaved. Their women were raped; their men were killed or enslaved. Even the children were made slaves, carrying water and wood. Their enemies despised and laughed at them. None would have believed that someone could destroy Jerusalem because it was under the protection of Jehovah. The country which had water poured out of a rock in the wilderness now had to buy water from their conquerors. Israel was a byword, but also a message to all nations about what happens when you reject the living God. Indeed, Israel is a warning to us.

How about us?

The United States has been looked upon as a beacon to other nations as a Christian nation. God has blessed us and enabled us to be an economic powerhouse and the leader of the free world. But our spiritual life has been ebbing away. Thousands of churches are closing every year. Many churches which were bastions of righteousness thundering out the Word of God are either closed or have become places focusing on entertainment than places of revival. Our culture has become ungodly. Teenage bullying, drugs, and suicide are rampant. Nearly a million babies have been killed in the womb. Confusion, racism, rebellion, and destruction from within have become commonplace.?

What remains?

God remains. When everything else is lost, God is still present. God is still on His throne. It has been said that only when you have lost everything do you truly know that God is enough. The testimony of Jeremiah, after surveying all the destruction and grief around him, was as follows: Lamentations 5:19 Thou, O Lord, remaineth forever; even thy throne from generation to generation. He is still present. He still rules. And regardless of what surrounds us, regardless of the trials we face, He calls us to come to Himself. Jesus urges us to take His yoke upon us. And in the last chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22:17 states: And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst, Come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. #Godrules #repent #judgmentofsin