I took the title for this message from verse 16 of 2 Chronicles 36, but they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against the people till there was no remedy. I've entitled this message, The Remedy. for no remedy. This time was prophesied by Jeremiah. Turn to Jeremiah 25. Verse nine.

Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord in Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land. and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and a perpetual desolations. Moreover, I'll take from them the voice of mirth, the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle, everything that's pleasurable. and this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment and these nations shall serve the King of Babylon 70 years. Now I want you to think if you were plucked up out of the United States, out of Lexington, Kentucky and taken to a foreign land and made to serve for 70 years.

Now there were young people who went, Daniel was a teenager, when he was brought into the land of Babylon. Many others, but there were some that were born in the land, and all they ever knew was Babylon. That's where they worked, that's where they were educated, that's where their homes were. They assimilated into that place.

As a matter of fact, what a conquering nation would do, they would try to bring you away from your land and destroy your culture and make you fit in within. That's what was going on at this time, and that was Nebuchadnezzar's Nebuchadnezzar, the man that God would use to accomplish his purpose.

Look in Jeremiah 29, you're already there. Verse 10. For thus saith the Lord, that after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you Well, I want him to visit me, don't you? After this 70-year period, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you.

You see, this remedy for not having, there not being a remedy, had already been purposed by God before it took place. That's the way His grace works. It's always grace before. Grace before, grace before. I will perform my good word toward you in causing you to return to this place, for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord. Thoughts of peace, not of evil. To give you an expected end. What an encouragement those words are.

How does God know what will take place? Well, because he willed what would take place. Every event without exception is the will of God taking place. I've heard people say, I just want to know God's will for my life. And I suppose I know that in some sense, but you're up to your neck in it. Whatever's going on is God's will for your life. That's why we're called upon to thank him for everything. Whatever it is, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Whatever you're going through right now, this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. And it's for your good and for his glory.

And the children of Israel were carried off into this land for 70 years. I love the scripture, the lot is cast into the lap. We think of that as pure luck, chance, happenstance. The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Cyrus.

Ezra 1.1, now the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing. God stirred this man up.

As a matter of fact, this was prophesied that it would take place 200 years before it took place. Turn to Isaiah 45. Isaiah is writing 200 years before this takes place. Isaiah 45. Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of king to open before him the two-leaved gates, and the gates shall not be shut.

And that's talking about a historical event that actually took place. He defeated Nebuchadnezzar's army because inexplicably the gates were left open. And they came in, this is true in literature that's non-biblical, this is actual history that took place, they came in and sacked the city. And they couldn't give an account for why the gates were left open.

Well, the Lord says right here, I'm going to be leaving the gates open for you. Verse two, I'll go before thee and make thee the crooked places straight. I'll break in pieces the gates of brass and cut and sunder the bars of iron. I'll give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob, my servant's sake, and for Israel, mine elect, have I even called thee by thy name? I've surnamed thee. Why was he called Cyrus? Because his mom and dad named him that? No, because God named him that.

Though thou hast not known me, I am the Lord, and there's none else. There's no God besides me. I girded thee, though thou hast not known me, that they may know from the rising of the sun from the west that there's none beside me. I am the Lord. There is none else. I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things. Cyrus, you're in my hand. I stir your heart. You perform my will. That's always true.

Now in Israel, the last of the good times were under the reign of Josiah. He was the last of the good kings. And it could be argued that he was the best king, including David. Let me read this scripture from 2 Corinthians 25, 25. Likened to him was there no king before him? that turned to the Lord with all his heart and all his soul, with all his might, according to all the law of Moses, neither after him arose there any other like him. That ought to make us interested in reading about Josiah when God gives him this commendation. But after that, there were five different kings who brought Israel into this horrible condition. that I just read of, to where there was no remedy, ending with Zedekiah. And the people followed suit. Nebuchadnezzar comes, just as God ordered for him to come.

He's the one Daniel wrote about. As a matter of fact, Daniel writes about Nebuchadnezzar. He writes about Cyrus. He writes about Ohasuerus. He writes about Dairus, he was under four different kings during that 70 year period. And yet the Lord blessed him so much at this time. But Daniel was reading Jeremiah when he read 70 years. He said, it's time for us to go. He knew that from reading Jeremiah and he wrote of it in Daniel chapter nine.

Ezra 1.1, after 70 years, And the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia. Look in verse five of the same chapter.

Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites and all them which whose spirit God had raised. Same word. Who went back to Jerusalem, where there's almost 50,000 people. And they were the ones who wanted to. And the reason they wanted to is because God stirred their spirits. Now understand this.

God is completely sovereign over the free and uncoerced actions of men. We do what we want to do. And God is completely sovereign, controlling every event, even the thoughts going through our mind. That's how glorious He is in His altogether indescribable, indisputable sovereignty. He's under complete sovereign control. He has complete sovereign control over all the free and uncoerced actions of men, He stirred these people up to go back, and we're gonna read in the coming weeks, over 50,000 of them went back.

And think about this, most of these people, all they had ever known. was Babylon. This is where they worked. This is where they educated. They were educated. This is where their kids lived. This is where their parents lived. This is all they'd ever known.

And yet the Lord stirred their hearts to make a four month trip by foot back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple that had been destroyed. And really that is the remedy when there is no remedy. the temple, the tabernacle, the gospel. That's Jesus Christ and him crucified. That is the remedy, what the temple represents, what the tabernacle represents. Now in the first year, verse one, now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing, saying, thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia.

And look what he understood. The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. I know why I'm in control. I know why I'm in power. God put me there. The Lord and I, Jehovah, that's the word, the self-existent one. He knew who the Lord was. Jehovah Elohim. God in the plural, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. He had a knowledge of the living God. Jehovah, the self-existent one, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. And he had charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Remember that Nebuchadnezzar burned it down, knocked the walls of Jerusalem down, planted the people somewhere else, and took some other people and put them there.

That's where the Samaritans come from. Who is there, verse three, among all his people? Now, notice, I love this. He's not giving anybody command. He's talking about people who are willing to do this. And the Lord made them willing. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.

Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him. What more could you want? If God be for us, who can be against us? If God be with us. I love the Lord's name, Emmanuel, God with us. Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel. He is the God.

When he says this, he's saying he is the only God. There is no other God. All the gods of the heathen are idols and nothing more. And if you ever come to know the living God, you're gonna know that all other, quote, gods are idols and nothing more. They're not real, they're non-existent, idols.

Verse four, and whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, Let the men of his place help him. You Jews who are staying here who don't feel led to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, help these people with silver and with gold and with goods and with beasts besides the free will offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

He's charged me to build this temple. Now, I love the way Cyrus, this powerful man, knew he didn't have any power. He knew he was in God's hand, under God's thumb, with God having all control. You know, a lot of these kings learned this during this time.

Turn with me for a moment to Daniel chapter 2. Remember, Daniel was prophesying during this time. Daniel is right after Ezekiel. Jeremiah is Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel. Daniel chapter two, verse 46. This is after Daniel interpreted the dreams for Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar, verse 46. Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and worshiped Daniel.

He was wrong there. And he commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him. The king answered unto Daniel and said of the truth, it is that your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings. and to reveal her own secrets, seeing thou couldst reveal this secret. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and the chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel sat in the gate of the king. Look in Daniel chapter three. This is after Nebuchadnezzar saw the Fourth man likened to the Son of God in the furnace with the three children. And here's his conclusion in chapter three, verse 28.

Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him and have changed the king's word and yielded their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any God except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that every people, nation, and language which speak anything amiss against the gods Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other god that can deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. I'm sure saved Nebuchadnezzar during this time because he actually writes scripture, this fourth chapter in the book of Daniel.

But you'll remember how the Lord turned him into a beast. Seven years, he lived out in the woods and never cut his hair, never cut his fingernails, look like bird claws that do of heaven cover him. And there's an actual disease where this happens. And he spent seven years like this. And then his understanding returned. to him. Here's the promise.

He made this boast, verse 31, Daniel chapter four, while the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken, the kingdom is departed from thee. They shall drive thee from men and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make thee to eat grass as an oxen and seven times shall pass. Seven years shall pass over thee until thou know that the most high ruleth in the kingdom and giveth it to whomsoever he will, the same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar. And he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagle's feathers, and his nails like bird's claws.

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned to me. And I blessed the most high, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand.

Or saying to him, what doest thou? At the same time, my reason returned unto me. If you're familiar with Daniel chapter 5, Nebuchadnezzar's son said, let's have a party and let's take the vessels of Jehovah and drink wine out of them. You know, he was okay that that took place.

The Lord just let him alone. But when he presumed to do that, do you remember him seeing the writing of the hand on the wall thou art weighed in the balances thou art found wanting the kingdom is taken from you and he was murdered that very night what about the iris you remember him when daniel was put in the lion's den let's see what this king learned look in daniel chapter 6 verse 25 this is after He has seen that the lion's mouths were closed. I mean, they're hungry lions. He's put down into this den and they didn't touch him.

And look what Darius concludes. Then King Darius wrote unto all people, nation and language that dwell in all the earth, peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree. every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for he is the living God and steadfast forever and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall be even unto the end he delivereth and rescueth he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth who had delivered Daniel from the power of the lions So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. So you can see Daniel being, during this 70 year period, and what these kings were made to learn.

And so, Cyrus, his heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water, he turns it wither, soever he will, he moves the people to go. Verse five. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah, and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, and all them whose spirit God had raised," or stirred, "'to go up to build the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem.'" And he's talking about the temple that was in Jerusalem. "'And all they that were about them strengthened their hands, with vessels of silver and with gold, with goods, with beasts, with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered. Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem and had put them in the house of his gods. Even those did Cyrus, king of Persia, bring forth by the hand of Mithridath, the treasurer, and numbered them with Sheshbazar, the princes of Judah.

And this is the number of them. He gives the number. He's going to make sure they all get back. They're all accounted for, these vessels of the house of the Lord. And this is the number of them, 30 chargers of gold, 1,000 chargers of silver, nine and 20 knives, 30 basins of gold, silver basins of a second sort, 410, and other vessels, 1,000, and all the vessels of gold and silver were 5,

400. And all these did Shesh Bazar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem. All these vessels were given an exact count, and they were all brought Now, the people that did not go did all of this for this one purpose, the rebuilding of the temple. Now, I want us to think of the significance of the temple. The temple was built by Solomon, and this is the remedy when there is no remedy, because you can just write this down. Here's the name of the temple, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's the purpose of the temple. Now, first you had the tabernacle. And I love to think about the tabernacle.

It had a fence so high that you couldn't see into it. And the only way you could see what was going on there is if you were inside the dwelling place, the fence. The only way you can really understand what's going on is if you're in Christ. You will not understand apart from that. But if you're in Christ, you're going to have some understanding of what is going on.

Now, in this tabernacle, the first thing you came upon was a brazen altar. And as a matter of fact, when they rebuilt the temple, that's the first thing they rebuilt. the altar. They didn't try to put up the walls or the buildings. The first thing they dealt with was the altar, the place of the sacrifice.

They understood the only way we can be saved is through the sacrifice of the coming Son of God. They believed what Abel believed. When Abel offered up that blood sacrifice, he knew that lamb didn't have any saving efficacy. It's who he pointed to, the coming Son of God who would come and give remedy for when there is no remedy. What, how would I describe no remedy?

Who then can be saved? That was the question of the apostles, the disciples, when they saw that rich young ruler leave. I mean, he had everything going for him and he left and they saw this man leaving. If this man can't be saved. Who then can be saved? And do you remember what the Lord said?

With men, this is impossible. That's no remedy. With men, this is impossible, but not with God. For with God, all things are possible. Here's the remedy. I can't save myself. Here's the remedy. He can save me. And you know, the prayer of my heart continually is, Lord, save me. Aren't you already saved? Well, I hope so, but that's the prayer of my heart. Lord, save me. Deliver me. Rescue me. Save me from myself. Save me from my sins. Save me. Here's the remedy for no remedy. what the tabernacle represents.

Like I said, it had a fence, a high, you couldn't see into it. The only way you could see what was going on is if you were inside it. The only way you can have any understanding of the gospel is if you're in Christ. It's a foreign language to you unless you're in the Lord Jesus Christ. Then you can see.

And the first thing is the altar for sacrifice, the blood sacrifice. And I love the way it was in the tabernacle. It wasn't outside the tabernacle. It was in the tabernacle. All things are in the Lord Jesus Christ. And then you had that labor, that big brazen labor to wash. And I know that preachers have said, well, that means you're justified by Christ and you get cleaned up and sanctified by your works. That's how you get washed. No, that's talking about the continual cleansing of the blood of Christ. I need continually cleanse the blood of Jesus Christ. His son cleanses us from all sin. Don't you need continual cleansing, continual washing?

That's the only way you could get into that building that had two rooms, a holy place. In the holy place, you had three pieces of furniture. You had a table of showbread, Christ our sustenance. I can't live off anything but Him. He must be all. You had the candlestick, Christ our light. He's the light of how there can be a remedy when there is no remedy. He is the remedy.

He is the light of how God could look at that woman caught in adultery and say, woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? No man, Lord, neither do I. He's the light as to how that can take place, how God can be just. She's guilty and not condemn her because she's not guilty because of what the tabernacle teaches us of, the altar, the cleansing of the blood. There's the incense, the altar of incense that represents the prayers of the Lord Jesus Christ. His intercession, wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

And then you go into the Holy of Holies. A thick veil, and only the high priest, once a year, could go into the Holy of Holies, and I love the way the writer to the Hebrews says, not without blood. First, he had to offer sacrifice for himself, for his own sins, before he could offer sacrifice for the sins of the people. And then he would come in and put blood on the Ark of the Covenant with the mercy seat overshadowing it and make atonement.

What's atonement mean? At-one-ment. A complete reconciliation. He makes me one with himself. reconciled. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. And I love to think of the Amorites and the Hittites and the Jebusites, maybe they're up on a hill looking down at the children of Israel around this tabernacle, the walls and the tent and the big cloud of God's presence over it, cloud by day, fire by night.

And you're always covering that building, badger skin. Nothing impressive. And I like to think of them thinking, what are they saying that? They had no idea that the very Shekinah glory of God dwelt in that place. Now, during Solomon's time, he built the temple. Such a magnificent structure. David wanted to build it. He collected the materials to build it. And God said, you're not going to build it because you're a bloody man. You've been a bloody man. He killed who knows how many people. And God said, you're not going to build the temple.

Solomon, the man of peace will. And he built this temple. It had the same furniture. It had the two holy, the one holy place and the other holy of holies where the Great high priests would come, but here's the point. What's the remedy for no remedy? What the temple represents. I don't care how sinful I am or you are. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, makes it to where you have no sin before God. He doesn't overlook your sin. There is no sin to overlook. Hebrews 1, 3 says, when he by himself purged our sins.

Just like the high priest went in by himself. You know, if anybody else would have tried to going to the Holy of Holies, what would happen? They'd be killed instantly. Only the high priest could come in. Christ by himself came into the very presence of God with his own precious blood.

And there is the remedy for no remedy. You know, you could call this the recovery of the gospel. They're going back to rebuild the temples. The remedy when there is no remedy is what the temple sets forth the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I'd like to close by reading Hebrews chapter nine. Would you turn with me there? I'm gonna read the whole chapter. Hebrews chapter nine.

Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service in a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made, the first wherein was the candlestick and the table and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all, which had the golden censer and the Ark of the Covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna and Aaron's rod that budded in the tables of the covenant. And over it, the cherubims of glory, shadowing the mercy seat of which we cannot now speak particularly. Now when these things were thus ordained, the priest went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God, but into the second went the high priest alone, once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the heirs of the people.

The Holy Ghost, this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was yet standing, which was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience. Now, just seeing an animal slain is not going to satisfy your conscience. which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ, being coming high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctify to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

And for this cause, he's the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is a force after men are dead. Otherwise, it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood, for when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water and scarlet, wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people, saying, this is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover, he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry, and almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission.

It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with a better sacrifice than these. For Christ has not entered into the holy place made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. One comment right now. He's appearing in the presence of God for us. Nor yet that he should offer himself often, verse 25, as the high priest enters into the holy place every year with the blood of others.

For then he must have often suffered since the foundation of the world, but now once in the end of the world, Hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself? And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this, the judgment, my death and your death has already been appointed. And it's appointment we must keep.

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and to them that look for him. That's faith in Christ, looking unto Jesus. To them that look for him. I'm gonna be looking for him on judgment day to answer for me. To them that look for him shall he appear the second time Without sin, that sin he bore is no more.

Undo salvation, the remedy when there is no remedy. Let's pray. Lord, we're in awe of thy great salvation and thy great remedy when there is no remedy. Lord, we confess in ourselves there is no remedy. that owe the power of the precious blood of thy son. Lord, I ask in Christ's name, I pray that you unite all of our hearts together in this prayer. We ask in Christ's name that everybody in this room might be divinely enabled to look to him and to know that he will appear for us that second time when he returns. without sin unto salvation. Thank you for your gospel. In Christ's name we pray, amen.