Great is the wrath of the Lord. Greater is His grace.

2 Kings 22:8-13  23:26-27 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it. ⁹ Shaphan the scribe came to the king and brought back word to the king and said, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” ¹⁰ Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.

¹¹ When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. ¹² Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant saying, ¹³ “Go, inquire of the Lord for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the Lord that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

 However, the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. ²⁷ The Lord said, “I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’”

In today’s text in 2 Kings the Book of the Law had been forgotten. There had been generations in Israel and Judah who had turned away and not lived according to God’s commandments. When the king recognized the situation he repented the text says: When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes… for great is the wrath of the Lord that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”   Ignorance, not knowing is no excuse. Romans 1:18-25 says:   the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,  because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools,  and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.  Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.  For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. 

Even though the king repented and led the nation to repent, there was still a consequence for the sin that had been in the land for generations. The text says:   However, the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. Those who repented and turned to the Lord were themselves restored to God, but the nation suffered the consequences of the decisions and the sin of the previous generation.  Psalm 1, today’s reading from Psalms also contrasts the righteous and the wicked. It says:

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
² But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

⁴ The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. ⁶ For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

These two are both Old Testament, Old Covenant accounts. What about now? What about those of us who live now under grace, under the promises of the New Covenant? We no longer live under the law, we are judged according to Christ’s righteousness. Yet Jesus Himself says in Matthew 5:17-20:      “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”      The law of righteousness and the consequences of sin were not done away with by the cross of Christ. Rather Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law. He paid the price, giving His life as a sacrifice so that those who believe, those who know Jesus as their Lord and Savior would be judged as righteous through Him.

There is still a consequence for unrighteousness, for choosing to live in sin rather than in Christ. Jesus says it will not change “until heaven and earth pass away.” Whether it is due to ignorance as it was in today’s account in 2 Kings, or if it is due simply to ignoring God and Jesus sacrifice, there is and always will be consequences for sin. There is a difference in the way we relate to God, whether we are under His blessing or under the curse of sin. Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.      The gift of God, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross does not end the consequence of living in sin, rather Jesus Christ and the finished work of the cross redeems sinners. Jesus said that until heaven and earth pass away these things would remain. In Revelation we are told of a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation 21 says:  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away…“Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them  and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”    So there is a promise of a time when the old things will pass away. Why then the delay? Why doesn’t Jesus return now and establish this new heaven and new earth? 2 Peter 3:9 says:   The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.      God desires that all would come to repentance that all would avoid the consequences of sin. You see even when Jesus returns, even when the old has passed away and all things are new, Revelation 21 continues:  “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”  Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.  He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.  But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”       There still will be a difference for those who are redeemed, those who have accepted the free gift of Jesus sacrifice and those who have ignored God.

Thank You Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; Holy Spirit, that although the wages of sin is death, You have given me the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, may I never relax or ignore Your commandments and never teach others to ignore them, but may I live as light in the darkness, as You said Jesus: "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Amen