Okay, 2 Kings, the last book
of 2 Kings, last chapter, chapter 25, and we're going to look at
verses 27 through 30. We're going to look at the King's
allowance. That's what we're going to get to. But we're going
to look at a few verses, 27, 28, 29. Before we venture into verse
30, which will be our main text, let's back up and view very clearly
and boldly the Gospel of God's free and sovereign grace. Let's
read in verse 27. And it came to pass in the seventh
and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin, the king of Judah,
in the twelfth month, on the seventh and twentieth day of
the month, that Abel Merodot, king of Babylon, in the year
that he began to reign, did lift up the head of Jehoiachin, king
of Judah, out of prison. And he spake kindly to the king
of Judah and set his throne above the throne of the kings that
were with him in Babylon, and changed his prison garments,
and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his
life." And we'll stop there. We won't get to the last verse
until we get there. So there's the history behind
it. There's Jehoiachin He's in prison
a long time. Let's just say he's in prison.
Last time I looked at this, I went back a couple of chapters and
we saw when he began to reign. He didn't begin to reign, and
then he got captive. They just came and took him captive. So he's been in prison for quite
a while. Quite a while. Held captive a
long time. We're born in sin. We're born
in sin. We are held captive by our own
sin, our own corruptions, our own frailty. I ask you these
questions as I thought about this, and I ask myself, was Jehoiachin,
the king of Israel, was he able to exercise his supposed free
will and let himself free or loose? Did he loosen himself?
Not according to the text. He didn't loosen himself. He
just was in jail. Secondly, did Jehoiachin have
the ability or power or strength to set himself free? Nope. Nope. Thirdly, did Jehoiachin
have some sort of cooperation between him and this king of
Babylon to bargain his way out? No. No. He didn't walk an aisle. He didn't rededicate his life.
He wasn't sprinkled as a kid. None of these things, because
none of these are biblical. But what is biblical is we find
this man in captivity, just like every son and daughter of Adam's
race in captivity. Full of sin. We would not have
Christ, I don't care how religious we are, we would not have Him
to reign over us. So the second thought is how
did this Jehoiachin, this king of Judah, how did he get set
at liberty? Verse 27 and 28. Evil Merodot,
king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, did lift
up the head of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, out of prison. He began, and he spake kindly
to him, he set his throne above the thrones of the kings that
were with him in Babylon. Jehoiachin simply received this
grace given him by the sovereign of the realm, in this case his
evil Merodach. But I think, and I've left this
out, but I think what is interesting is look at, you talk about a
day of salvation, an appointed time, Look back up in verse 27. The King of Judah, the 12th month,
the 7th and 20th day of the month is when that evil Murdoch began
to reign. So it's written for our edification
and use. When is the time of your salvation?
The exact time, day and month appointed by our sovereign God. He'll cross your path and hear
the truth hear the gospel and you were captive and you'll be
set free. So this is how this King of Israel
or of Judah got set free. The free unmerited, unasked for
grace of this King of Babylon. He did it, this King of Babylon
did it without any works or worth or merit found in Jehoiachin.
He just simply set him at liberty. This is how God can be both just
and justify the ungodly. He must, he simply does it because
to show us and to tell us for our encouragement that he is
God and he alone. We are held captive in the bonds of sin and
iniquity and he through the act of sheer and supreme grace sets
the captive free. He uses, as I said, the truth
of His gospel proclaimed. The Spirit quickens. He, who
He will, and we are new creatures. And I looked that word, creatures,
up. I've used this a hundred times. I thought, well, let me
finally see what that means. We're new buildings. We're new
creatures in Christ. Buildings in Christ Jesus. Simplified with the name of this
church is Sovereign Grace. And if I ever have anybody ask
me, and I haven't in a while, I simplify it to the least common
denominator, you know me. What does that mean? Sovereign
is who God is, and grace is how He saves. And you can elaborate
on any of those, but just to keep it simple. A guy asked me,
he was very religious, Very, very God this and God that and
everything. And he says, I don't understand.
He says, I don't think we're saying the same thing. He says,
what's the name of your church? So I told him, he says, well, what
is that? And I said, simply, God is sovereign. Stop. Supreme. He governs all. He owns all. He's the creator of all. There's
none who are above Him. He does, in the armies of heaven
and the inhabitants on earth, and none can stay His hand. I
quoted scriptures. And then He said, OK, you're
saying He's the President or He's the King. Yes. In grace,
that's how He saves. It's not by your worth, it's
not by your work, it's not by your merits, it's not by anything
you do. And I share to them out of the
Old Testament You know, it's not because you were the greatest
in number or this, this and that, but because I loved you. And
then I went to everlasting love. And I said, salvation is completely
out of your hands. You can't walk it. And they walked
the aisle and they rededicated. I said, no, it has nothing to
do with the word of God. And that's when the conversation
ended. Dead man, or in this case, those in prison cannot do anything
to please this King of Kings. We have no rights or privileges
under the dominion of sin. Only in Christ do we realize
life, liberty, and peace that passes all understanding. So what does the grace of God
do? Verse 28. It speaks kindly to us. It speaks kindly to us. In the
margin it is He speaks good things to us. Well, good things. Isn't the Gospel called good
news? Of Christ fulfilling all righteousness
for us, pardoning us, pardon towards us, everlasting life
to us, justification, sanctification, glorification, election, mercy,
hope, contentment, on and on. These are kind things. The law
was against us. spoke against us, guilty, and
then the great Redeemer of His people stepped in. Henry made
a comment one time, you know, the guy's getting ready to shoot
and he emptied all six chambers in the heart of Christ. Christ
took it for us. He speaks kindly in the text.
He lifted up his head by the free and sovereign grace that
he was king. I can do this to this other person in jail. He sets him free. Then he speaks
kindly to him. And oh, when you hear the gospel,
it's such kind words. It's such glorious words. And
then look at what else he does. Look at what else grace does.
And he set his throne above the thrones of the kings that were
with him in Babylon. Aren't we now, according to Revelations
1 and 6 and 5 and 10, are we not now kings and priests unto
our God? Yes. Kings and priests unto our
God. Look at verse 29. This is also
what grace does. He changed His prison garments.
We are now fully and completely clothed in our sweet Redeemer's
robes of righteousness. We are shielded and sheltered
in Christ. Our life, says Colossians 3,
3, is now hidden with Christ in God. That's not all. Look at what else grace does.
And He did eat bread continually before Him or with Him all the
days of His life. Now who does this sound like?
Doesn't it sound like that old rascal Mephibosheth? I love that
story too. All the days at the king's table.
And one writer said, the way he's seated, you couldn't see
he was lame on both feet. Those were hid under the table. And that's how God sees us. He
sees us in Christ. We know we can't walk. We know
we still struggle. But oh, when our sight becomes
more like Christ's sight and God's sight, We look down and
all we see is food. And we're thankful for it. Thankful
for it. Basically what it tells me, all
the days of his life were fed sufficiently. Grace, he feeds
his dear sheep constantly and sufficiently. May we take this
time, five minutes till eleven, this Sunday the fifth, to bless
the Lord, all that is within us. Because we don't know We
don't know if we'll be here Wednesday or Melinda and I will be here
Wednesday. We're going to keep the doors
open. But I mean, physically, we don't know if we're going
to, I mean, we don't know if we have tomorrow is what my point is. We don't
know if we have tomorrow or the next day or the next day. So
right now, good times. Good time if it's five till,
five past, quarter past, it doesn't matter. It's always a good time
for the brethren to bless the Lord God, all that is within
us. Now, let's get to verse 30, because that's basically what
I wanted to get to, and then I started reading in front of
that, and I can't pass that up. Look at verse 30. If we're fretful,
if we're concerned, if we're worried, if we're fearful, if
we're all these different things, if we're God's children, this
is what the Word of God says to you. And Jehoiachin, His,
Ours. Jehoiachin is a picture of the
elect of God. And our allowance, is a continual
allowance given us of the King, our Lord Jesus Christ, a daily
rate for every day, all the days of our life. What about tomorrow? All the days of your life. Let's look a little closer at
this after salvation, this keeping grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
that he's promised to us. Now this word allowance, it simply
means ration or an appointing, an appointing, which ties in
with predestination and destiny and providence and all these
things. Our allowance from our great God, What we have, have we not freely,
has he not freely given us all things in Christ? Yes. All things
needful for our daily journey while here, while we wait his
return. Our allowance, our ration, our
appointment is a continual allowance given us of the King, a daily
rate, for every day, all the days of our lives. It's not necessarily
all our wants. I'll make that clear. We want
a lot of things. I've had my eye on a newer pickup
truck for a long time. It may happen, it may not. That's
a want. We have needs. And He supplied
our needs here to get here. Oh, it doesn't matter. If it
still runs, it's God's grace. Well, let's look at this. We
have a sure portion, a portion given us, a gracious portion, and lastly,
a perpetual portion. So first thing, he says this
allowance is a continual allowance. It's a sure portion, it's continual.
That word continual means constant or regular, or regular. This grace is like Jehovah Himself. It's uninterrupted, it's constant,
and it's sure to all the seed. Isn't it nice in a world full
of uncertainty and broken promises, but not our Kinsman Redeemer?
If He has given us the Son, He just doesn't ignore us. He doesn't
let us go. Okay, now you're on your own. No, that's not Him. we have a continual allowance. Secondly, this is a portion given
or bestowed, which is grace, by the King. Grace upon grace
unto us, his servants, his children, like a father caring for and
over his little ones, like a shepherd protecting his fold, like the
sovereign making all things work together for us. It's a continual
allowance. It's constant. It's given. bestowed
or graced of the king. And if he, he's not like man,
he says he doesn't repent. So he doesn't say, oh, this guy
has disobeyed me, he doesn't, you know, I'm gonna pull it.
No, he doesn't, the gifts and calling of God, what's it says,
without repentance. It's thirdly, this allowance
is a gracious portion, a daily rate, a daily rate. This is all we really need is
today. We can't spend tomorrow's money.
We can't wear tomorrow's clothes, shoes, ties. I just wear one tie. You ought to see how many ties
I got. That's life in this country. Nathan and I talked about this
all the time or used to talk about it a lot. is spoiled. This country is fast
food everything. Our allowance is a daily rate.
Sufficient, says the scripture, is the evil for tomorrow. Is
that not correct? Today is all that is promised.
Rest in His promise. That's why we say, Lord willing,
I'll do this and trade into James. He says, if the Lord wills, I'll
do this and get and buy and sell and get gain. That's why we also
say, give us this day our daily bread. Because if it lasts too
long, it's going to spoil. It's like the manna. They picked
up what they needed. If they tried to gather more,
it rotted. That's how we are by nature. That's how we are by nature. I remember talking to Jean-Claude
and I said to him, and I know I've said this to some of you,
that I said, boy, it would be nice if some of these, the brethren,
African brethren would come over here. And he said, I wouldn't
do it. I will not do it. He said, it'll
ruin them because they're living in what we would say is poverty,
but they're content. And he said to bring them over
here. And even the smallest houses are what we'd said are little
bitty old thing. He said, they would just, they don't, they
don't, wouldn't understand it. And I know Melinda and I have talked
often, if Spurgeon were to drop in on my generation at my house,
boy, I'm sure he's like, what is this? It's each generation. But I'm
telling you, grace never changes. It's a daily rate. That's all
we need. That's all we need. frail and so weak, we need daily
portions. Thank God for His daily sustaining
grace and mercy to us who are so undeserving. When we get down
and we're sick or whatever, we're down on our back, you're not
looking about tomorrow. You're thinking, Lord, get me
through this, this day. We are to redeem the times. That's
how we are to live. And lastly, this daily rate was
for every day, all the days of our lives all the days. If Brandon
could say something to Cole right now and say, as long as I'm alive,
whether you work or not or anything, I'm going to be able to take
care of you every day. Wouldn't that be great? That
would be wonderful. But we can't. And we don't. And
the kids grow up and they get married and they move off and
they do these things. But our Heavenly Father will never, like
we read in Isaiah 44, He will never abandon His sheep. Never. Never. This last one, we have a perpetual
portion. All the days of our life. Let me go back. All the days of His life. All. What does that mean? It means
all. Adjectives, it means all. Since our days are numbered from
old eternity, so is our portion. Let's look at Deuteronomy 33.
I wish I could follow this advice. Deuteronomy 33, 25. The last
part of verse 25. As thy days, so shall thy strength
be." As thy days. Well, do I have 68 years? Do I have... I don't know. I'm
not going to go there. Just like I'm not going to go
into why this is happening. Everybody's got their opinions,
even grace preachers. But there's a disagreement on
grace preachers I've read the last two weeks. Bulletins, everybody's
saying it's kind of the same thing, but they're not. But I
thought, okay, go back to the main thing. What do we believe? The gospel. Stick to the gospel,
because that never changes. You say this is that, you say
that, that. Well, I could go to a scripture and say, well,
I don't think so. It's okay, though. We're human. We have
the ability and the right, I guess, as Tim says, sanctified ramblings.
But boy, I wish I could live this. As my days are, so shall
my strength be. Well, what happens when I get
old? Am I going to be in a wheelchair? Am I going to be in a nursing
home? I don't know. I just know He'll be with you. He'll never leave nor forsake
you. There's the promise. Lay hold of it. Take it. Store
it up. And when you need it, spend it. Every day a new challenge. Every
day there's a new trial in this world. Every day a new hardship.
A new mercy though. And so, to the exact portion
or strength We have to glorify God in exactly the strength we
need. It doesn't take much volume,
it doesn't take much wind, it doesn't take much lung power
to praise God. But isn't it hard? No, leave
me alone. We're like Jonah. I'm like Jonah.
Leave me alone. I don't want to be here. Leave
me alone. I wanted to be over here and
you took me and you got me. And then he brought destruction
or somewhat destruction, fear upon all this whole unbelieving
crew. And they're like, well, here's the problem. That's right. The grace of God in us makes
us different. And then people would say, there's
the problem. Cast him out. No, we ought to know better. And to close with this, in our
wonderful savor is all our needs met to the fullest. A daily portion. Continually. Every day. May we
enjoy our daily feastings with Christ the Lord. And I guarantee you'll never
go hungry while our King reigns and rules over all." David said,
I've been young and now I'm old, and I've never seen the righteous
baking bread. Is it going to be smooth sailing?
No, we're just sojourning. It's never smooth sailing. Woe
to the believer who finds his comfort and ease in the ways
of the things of the world. No, we are called to suffer,
we're called to be persecuted, we're called to reign with Him.
I could mention all the negatives and get everybody all discouraged
and bummed out, but no, I'm not going to do that. He has promised
every one of His children a daily rate, continually, all
the days of our life. Do we really need more? Do we
really need more? No. I can tell you what happens when the children of Israel were
wandering and they hid that gold. They kind of hid it. They took
more than they were supposed to. Like the manna, they hid
it. And then the Lord, there was something going on. Sin was
in the camp. And then the Lord narrowed it right down to the
tent, the family. No. God knows. He sees everything. And I remember an old sister
told me one time, she said, just be honest before God. Yes. Just
simply be honest before Him. And let us be honest one with
another. We're weak, we're frail, we're nothing. But we've been
with Christ. And Christ has been with us.
And right now, He's preparing a place. He's preparing us for
the place. And He's got the place already
prepared. And how are we going to get there? day by day. Oh, incidentally, relying on
the king's provision. To God be the glory. Brandon,
would you close this?