1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,840 In the Saviour's blood. Now we're turning tonight to a 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,600 very short Bible reading. Second Kings chapter 25. 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:14,920 Second Kings chapter 25. If you find First and Second 4 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:19,840 Samuel 1st and 2nd Kings, come to 2nd Kings chapter 25. 5 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:28,640 I'm going to read from verse 27 to verse 30. 6 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,800 Let's hear the Word of God. Second Kings, chapter 25. 7 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:48,310 Reading from verse 27 you find the place and it came to pass in 8 00:00:48,310 --> 00:00:54,390 the 7th and 30th year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of 9 00:00:54,390 --> 00:00:58,790 Judah. In the 12th month, on the 7th 10 00:00:58,790 --> 00:01:04,080 and 20th day of the month, that evil Merodek, king of Babylon, 11 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:09,280 in the year that he began to reign, did lift up the head of 12 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:12,840 Jehoiachin king of Judah, out of prison. 13 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:20,160 And he speak kindly to him, and set his throne above the Thrones 14 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:24,760 of the kings that were with him in Babylon, and changed his 15 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:29,120 prison garments. And he did eat bread continually 16 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,040 before him all the days of his life. 17 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:37,920 And his alliance was a continual alliance given him of the king a 18 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:43,360 daily rate for every day, all the days of his life. 19 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,120 Amen to the Lord's stamp, with his own approval and blessing, 20 00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:50,960 this reading of his own precious and infallible word. 21 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:57,560 Amen. My text tonight is found in 22 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:05,920 Second Kings chapter 25 verses 27 and 30, and my subject this 23 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:11,240 evening I've entitled The Redemption of Rebellious 24 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:16,200 Jehoiachin. Now this portion of Holy 25 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:21,600 Scripture records part of the life story of one of the latter 26 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:26,280 kings of Judah, a man by the name of King Jehoiachin. 27 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,360 He was the grandson of the godly King Jessiah. 28 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,400 He was the son of King Jehoiachin. 29 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:45,160 Now King Jehoiachin was a very wicked king and sadly his son 30 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:49,400 Jehoiachin followed in his steps. 31 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:55,600 You see, at the age of eight he was appointed a Co Regent by his 32 00:02:55,600 --> 00:03:02,880 father and he reigned beside his father for about 10 years. 33 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:08,440 And after the death of his father at the age of 18, he 34 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:14,280 ascended the throne of Judah in his own right and began to rule. 35 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,960 Now it's important that you understand this, because if you 36 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:22,480 look back at Second Kings chapter 24, verse 8, that says 37 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:28,920 Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 38 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:33,080 in Jerusalem three months. He had a very short reign. 39 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,720 But then if you compare Scripture with Scripture, in 40 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:45,040 Second Chronicles 36 and 9, we read the same man, Jehoiachin 41 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:50,640 was 8 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 3 months 42 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,120 and 10 days in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil 43 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,080 in the sight of the Lord. And you see there's those that 44 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:00,320 say, ah, there's a discrepancy in the Bible. 45 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,080 We told you there was errors in the Scriptures. 46 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,520 There's a a copyist error. That's a mistake. 47 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,200 I want to make it clear there's no such thing. 48 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:20,800 Eight years of age, this boy was appointed a Co Regent to reign 49 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:26,160 alongside his father. He spent ten years in training 50 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:32,240 and at the age of 18 he ascended the throne in his own right. 51 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:38,800 His reign was indeed very short, about 3 months and 10 days. 52 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:45,360 Remember, he too, like his father, was a vassal king. 53 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,600 The ultimate authority for governance of the land of Judah 54 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:55,960 lay with another king, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. 55 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:01,160 Now we're told this about Jehoiachin in second Kings 56 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:05,840 chapter 24 verse 9. And he did that which was evil 57 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:10,640 in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father 58 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:17,000 had done. Now one of his particular sins 59 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:22,520 was, along with his father, to rebel against King 60 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,520 Nebuchadnezzar. And King Nebuchadnezzar was 61 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,840 furious. He was absolutely mad. 62 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:35,480 So he sent his army. They besieged Jerusalem, and 63 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:39,960 after three months, when he took the throne, Jehoiachin 64 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,960 surrendered to the Babylonians. And listen to me carefully. 65 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:51,360 Are you listening? For the next 37 years he lay 66 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,960 languishing in a prison cell at Babylon. 67 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:59,960 Now that's a very long time. That's a very long life 68 00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:02,280 sentence. How do we know that? 69 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:08,400 In Second Kings chapter 25 verse 27 it says and it came to pass 70 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:14,560 in the 7th and 30th year of the captivity of Jehoiachin, king of 71 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:24,920 Judah. 37 years in gaol is a long time, a kind of double life 72 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:31,320 sentence. No modern cons, no TV, no 73 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:37,960 iPhone, no games room, no gymnasium, no recreational 74 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:46,080 activities, no rights for 37 years of his life he spent in 75 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:51,280 the prison house. And if you take the sum 18 and 76 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:58,840 add 37, that means he was 55. Whatever he was released from 77 00:06:58,840 --> 00:07:05,240 prison, you see, he was to discover sin had ruined his 78 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:09,800 life, because not only did he rebel against God in that he did 79 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:14,120 evil in the sight of the Lord. He also upset Nebuchadnezzar. 80 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:19,160 He was guilty of treason. How do we know that? 81 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:27,560 Because we read that in the Word of God and it tells us there in 82 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:31,880 Second Kings 24 and one in his days, Nebuchadnezzar, king of 83 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:36,480 Babylon, come up and Jehoiakim, that's this boy's father, became 84 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:39,960 his servant 3 years. Then he turned and rebelled 85 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:45,920 against him. And Jehoiachin was part of that 86 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:50,200 rebellion. He helped his father rebel 87 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:55,800 against King Nebuchadnezzar. And whatever was involved, 88 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:01,760 whatever he was guilty of, he spent 37 years in gaol. 89 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,320 And after all of that time, listen to me carefully, a new 90 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:10,080 king came to the throne in Babylon, a king called Evil 91 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:15,080 Meridoc. And this king, amazingly speak 92 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:21,560 kindly to him, set him free, gave him a new position of power 93 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:26,120 over other vassal kings, changed his prison garments for royal 94 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:30,280 robes, made him sit at the King's table for food, and gave 95 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,720 him a continual daily alliance for the rest of his life. 96 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:39,400 We read that in Second Kings chapter 25, verses 27 to 30. 97 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:43,679 And that's what we're thinking about tonight, the redemption of 98 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:50,200 rebellious King Jehoiachin. Now very quickly think of the 99 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:54,800 particulars of his depravity. If you go back to verse 27, it 100 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:58,640 says it came to pass in the 7th and 30th year of the captivity 101 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:02,360 of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, in the 12th month, on the 7th and 102 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:05,160 20th day of the month, and evil Meredith, king of Babylon, the 103 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:08,080 year that he began to reign, that lift up the head of 104 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,280 Jehoiachin, king of Judah, out of prison. 105 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:17,120 So think of this man now 37 years in captivity, 37 years in 106 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:18,400 the prison house. Why? 107 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,960 Well, here's the answer. He did evil in the sight of the 108 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:25,280 Lord. He followed in the footsteps of 109 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:29,320 his father. You see, Jehoiah Kim had a big 110 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:33,000 influence on the life of Jehoiah Chin. 111 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:39,960 In Jeremiah 3622, we read about Jehoiah Kim sitting in his 112 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,920 winter house. It's the 9th month, the fires on 113 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:47,560 the hearth. A prophet by the name of Jehudai 114 00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:52,600 came and read the law of God to King Jehoiah Kim, and the king 115 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,880 was mad. The king was angry, so he 116 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:03,120 snatched the parchment from Jehuda's hand, cut it with a pen 117 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:07,720 knife, and cast it into the fire until the whole role was 118 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:10,040 consumed. And you can read that there in 119 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:14,080 Jeremiah chapter 36, verse 24. He was not afraid. 120 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:19,080 He didn't rend as garments neither the king nor any of the 121 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:21,560 King's servants. There was no trembling or fear 122 00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:24,960 of God. You see Jehoiah Kim, this boy's 123 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:28,840 father, he didn't despise the word of God and I believe his 124 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:32,040 son was no better we could say about Jehoiah Chen. 125 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,120 There was No Fear of God before his eyes. 126 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,520 He forsook the Lord. He forgot him. 127 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:40,560 He was a rebel. I'll tell you something else 128 00:10:40,560 --> 00:10:43,160 about Jehoiah Kim. If you look at verse four of 129 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:48,960 Second Kings chapter 24, it says and also for the innocent blood 130 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,640 that what he said for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood 131 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:59,320 which the Lord would not pardon. Was Jehoiah Chin as a young boy 132 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:05,040 as a a vassal king party to these murderous deeds in 133 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:08,720 Jerusalem? Did the boy learn a life of sin 134 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:13,600 from his father? He was learning now that a life 135 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:17,360 of sin does lead to bondage, leads to slavery. 136 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:21,200 Sin ruled him, sin a dominion over him. 137 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:27,080 Sin ruined him and stole the best part of his life, 37 years 138 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,480 in prison. Did you know that this boy had 139 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:32,000 different names? He's called one scripture, 140 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,440 Jehoiad Jin mentioned four times. 141 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:41,680 He's also called Jeconiah. He's also called Kaniah 3 142 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:45,760 different names and yet one in the same person. 143 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:51,920 He's the son of Jehoiakim and he did evil in the sight of the 144 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:55,560 Lord. The Bible says be sure your sin 145 00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:57,760 will find you right? So I ask this question, What is 146 00:11:57,760 --> 00:11:59,400 your attitude to the word of God? 147 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:02,480 What's your attitude to the shedding of blood? 148 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,520 Do you agree with it? Do you light it? 149 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,200 What is your attitude to treason? 150 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:17,280 Because these were part of the sins of Jehoiachin. 151 00:12:18,560 --> 00:12:22,400 I have no doubt he was full of self will and pride as even as 152 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:28,240 you young man at 18, whatever his chief sin was, he spent 37 153 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:32,720 years in prison. And remember the Bible says this 154 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:36,360 Romans 3 and 23 for all of sinned and come short of the 155 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:38,520 glory of God. What is sin? 156 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:41,360 Sin is any want of conformity unto your transgression of the 157 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:44,480 law of God. When did all sin? 158 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,800 We send in Adam Romans 5 and 12 where for us by one man sin 159 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:51,360 entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death 160 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:54,440 passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. 161 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:59,040 You see, when Adam fell into a state of sin and misery, we fell 162 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:02,000 in him. When Adam inherited the guilt of 163 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,800 his first transgression, we inherited the guilt of that 164 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:07,600 first transgression with him. We were in the loins of Adam. 165 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:12,200 That's why the Bible says as an Adam all die, we inherit an 166 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,680 Adam, a guilty record, a bad record. 167 00:13:15,680 --> 00:13:20,440 And not only was the guilt of his first transgression put to 168 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,640 our account, but every additional sin of thought and 169 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:25,600 word and deed incurs additional guilt. 170 00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:29,720 And we have a mountain of guilt stored up against us. 171 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:34,800 And not only did we inherit a bad record, but we inherited a 172 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:38,080 bad heart, a heart that loves sin and darkness. 173 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:41,120 That's why Jeremiah said the heart is deceitful and above all 174 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:44,200 things, desperately wicked. And sin pays wages. 175 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:48,400 And sin brings consequences. The life of an individual, the 176 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,720 life of a family, the life of a congregation, the life of a 177 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:53,800 country. And I fear for our United 178 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:57,360 Kingdom tonight. I trust that you tremble for our 179 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:01,120 land because righteousness exalteth a nation. 180 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:05,320 But sin is a reproach to any people, and what we sow we reap. 181 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:12,760 Sin pays wages, and sin will take you further than you want 182 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:17,280 to go, and sin will keep you longer than you want to stay, 183 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:21,560 and sin will cost you more than you want to pay. 184 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:26,080 What about your sin, your individual sin, your chief sin? 185 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:31,200 Have you faced up to it? Do you fear sin and its 186 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:34,600 consequences? Are you willing to forsake sin? 187 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,440 Will you come to God and say, I repent of my sin? 188 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:44,960 Remember the psalmist, Psalm 51 verse four and five tells us 189 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:48,160 something amazing against thee. This is what the psalmist said, 190 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,720 Thee only have I sinned and done this evil, and thy sight that 191 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,560 thou mightest be justified when thou speakest be clear, when 192 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:56,200 thou judges. Behold, I was sheep, and then 193 00:14:56,200 --> 00:15:00,600 iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 194 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,320 Remember the prodigal, he came to his father, and he said, 195 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:07,480 Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and I'm 196 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,920 no more worthy to be called thy son. 197 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:17,160 You see what moves and motivate men to do the wrong thing. 198 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:23,200 What brings men into bondage and into the prison House of sin? 199 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:30,040 Is it not that he has a bad record and a bad heart, a heart 200 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:34,440 that loves sin? There's the particulars of his 201 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,400 depravity. I want you to see secondly and 202 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:41,080 quickly the proclamation about his deliverance. 203 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:45,680 Look at verse 28, the first Second Kings chapter 25. 204 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:48,360 It says that he speak kindly to him. 205 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:54,440 The word kindly means he speak good things to him. 206 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:58,840 You see, the king went to him in the prison house. 207 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,160 Jehoiachin didn't earn his freedom. 208 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:06,600 He didn't work for it. He didn't deserve it. 209 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:12,800 He didn't pay for it. The king came and spoke good 210 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:16,960 things to him. His release from prison was 211 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:21,800 freely granted by a new king. He was really granted a a royal 212 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,600 pardon. And does King Jesus not come 213 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:28,240 into the world to set captives free? 214 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:32,760 Remember what we read in the Gospel of Luke in Luke chapter 4 215 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:38,200 and in the verse 18 it says the Spirit of the Lord is upon me 216 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:42,240 because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. 217 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:45,040 He have sent me to heal the broken hearted to preach 218 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:49,440 deliverance to the captives in recovering of sight to the blind 219 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:53,760 to set at liberty them that are bruised as a quotation from 220 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:59,440 Isaiah 61 verse one and part of the ministry of the Lord Jesus 221 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:04,720 and coming into the world is not just to save sinners, but to set 222 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:10,359 those captives to sin free or not in a little literal sense of 223 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:14,680 going into the jailhouse and opening up the jailhouse door 224 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:18,800 and saying to the murderer and the thief and and the rapist go 225 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:23,040 out free. No in a spiritual sense. 226 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:27,079 Those captives to sin captive to Satan. 227 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:31,120 Those that are under his dominion and power, those that 228 00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:34,520 are locked up in the prison House of sin, remember what we 229 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:40,120 read in John's Gospel. The Lord Jesus said this, and ye 230 00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:43,480 shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 231 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:47,560 John 8 and 32. He went on to say in verse 36 to 232 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:51,120 the Jews in his day, If the Son therefore shall make you free, 233 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,440 ye shall be free indeed. We have sang there tonight long 234 00:17:55,440 --> 00:18:01,360 I imprison spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night. 235 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:04,520 Thine eye defused A quickening way. 236 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:07,560 I woke. The dungeon flamed with light. 237 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:10,520 My chains fell off, My heart was free. 238 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:13,160 I rose, went forth and followed he. 239 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:15,040 That's the story of true conversion. 240 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:21,520 This king came to where he was. This king speak kindly to him. 241 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:25,240 He had a word of grie as he speak good things, and one of 242 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:29,360 the good things that he speak was a word of royal pardon. 243 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:31,360 And as I've said, he didn't deserve it. 244 00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:33,240 He didn't earn it. He didn't work for it, he didn't 245 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:35,600 pay for it. The ground and basis of what the 246 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:39,120 King said was in the basis of the King's free grace. 247 00:18:39,120 --> 00:18:42,360 Could you picture this man 37 years in prison? 248 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:47,160 I'm sure he'd given up all hope. He was under the 4th decade. 249 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,560 Maybe despair had filled his heart and mind. 250 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:54,000 Maybe he felt resigned and shut up the prison life. 251 00:18:55,040 --> 00:19:00,080 And one day in the drudgery of that prison life, the door opens 252 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:04,560 and who is it? It's not the gaoler, it's the 253 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:12,440 king, the king of Babylon, a king called evil Meradec, and he 254 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:17,560 speak kindly to him. A word of grace, a word about 255 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,160 life in mercy. Let me ask tonight this 256 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:25,200 question. Do you feel your load of sin? 257 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:29,960 Do you feel that you're shut up the sin and a slave to it. 258 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:34,640 You see, men today argue, women argue, young people argue. 259 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:38,200 But I'm not in bondage. That's what the Jews were 260 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,600 saying. We're not in bondage to any man. 261 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:44,960 I don't have a load of sin. I'm not a slave to the devil. 262 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:48,280 I don't have a guilty and rebellious heart. 263 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:52,440 I don't feel it. But let me ask this question. 264 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,920 What does a dead man feel? He feels nothing. 265 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,840 And you who are dead in trespasses and sin need the 266 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:03,800 quickening power of the Holy Spirit. 267 00:20:04,360 --> 00:20:07,320 And if the Holy Spirit comes upon you and regenerates you, 268 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,960 you'll feel the weight of your depravity, You'll be conscious 269 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,880 of it and and you'll despair. In that day. 270 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:20,040 You see, King Jesus comes to where you are and he brings a 271 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,920 word of life. He's got a word of liberty. 272 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:30,360 He's the key to liberty and freedom to whom the sun sets 273 00:20:30,360 --> 00:20:34,240 free is free. Indeed in Romans 8 and one we 274 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:36,600 read now, there's no condemnation to them who are in 275 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:40,240 Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 276 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:44,120 In Romans 5 and one that says, therefore being justified by 277 00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:48,240 faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 278 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,880 Does the Lord Jesus not come and say, come unto me, all ye that 279 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:57,640 labour and are heavy laden, and I would give you a rest? 280 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:00,000 I asked tonight, do you hear his voice? 281 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:05,200 Are you listening to King Jesus, the one who was his enemy? 282 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:14,320 Evil Meradec was his enemy, and yet it was evil Meradec who came 283 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:17,000 and speak good things to this prisoner. 284 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:21,080 And King Jesus does exactly the same. 285 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:25,640 The proclamation about his deliverance, it was a word of 286 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:29,960 free grace and you need to listen to the Lord Jesus. 287 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:35,640 His words of life and truth are in free grace very quickly. 288 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:39,720 And lastly, think of the portrait of his delight. 289 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:45,720 What did he receive from evil Meradec that day? 290 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:53,160 He received a royal pardon. Do you know what the psalmist 291 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:58,080 said it says in Psalm 130 and was sharing this with an 292 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:02,360 individual through the week. If thou, Lord, should us mark 293 00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:05,760 iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 294 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:09,080 But there's forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be 295 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:13,800 feared. Remember Isaiah 4325, says I 296 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:17,320 even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own 297 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:20,320 sake, and will not remember thy sins. 298 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:26,760 One of the Guinness clan members believe he belong to the Gospel 299 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,520 Hall or one of the assemblies of a former day. 300 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:33,840 And in that very text of Scripture, he talked about sins 301 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:38,520 been blotted out of God's book and sins been blotted out of 302 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:44,000 God's mind, and sins been blotted out by God's hand. 303 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:48,200 You see, forgiveness of sins, God makes a promise, and the 304 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:50,560 promise is this, and thy sins and iniquities. 305 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:55,040 I'll remember no more. Ephesians one and seven says, in 306 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:57,720 whom we have redemption through his blood. 307 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:01,640 Even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of 308 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:03,440 Greece. And what is forgiveness of sins? 309 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:08,080 The sins been carried away. The sin has been covered over 310 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:10,800 out of sight. The sin has been cancelled. 311 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:13,160 The old account was settled long ago. 312 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,680 Carried away, covered and cancelled. 313 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:19,560 Is that true of you? Have you got this royal pardon? 314 00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:23,840 The portrait of his delight was he went out of that prison cell 315 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:28,040 with a royal pardon because the King spoke kindly to him. 316 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:34,600 He was given a royal possession, it says here in the text, and 317 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:37,520 set his throne above the Thrones of the kings that were with him 318 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,200 in Babylon. Possession of power and 319 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:44,360 authority under the new king of Babylon. 320 00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:47,240 The king of Babylon set his throne above the throne of the 321 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:51,160 kings with him. Think of this, dwell upon it for 322 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:52,880 a moment. From the present sail to the 323 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:56,840 palace. A royal pardon was one thing, 324 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:02,800 but a royal position? What a privilege to be set free. 325 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:08,880 But not just a royal pardon, a royal position. 326 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:16,240 You see, the Bible teaches as an Adam all die, Even so in Christ 327 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:20,920 shall all be made alive. In Christ, spiritually we are 328 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:22,680 lifted out of the prison House of sin. 329 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:28,000 In Christ we are elevated to the throne in Him. 330 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,240 Remember what we read there in the book of Romans? 331 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:36,720 In Romans chapter 8 and verse 17 it says if children then heirs, 332 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:41,120 heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. 333 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:46,080 He has made us kings and priests unto God. 334 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:52,720 You see, all of the Father give to Christ is ours were brought 335 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:57,280 into Christ were made alive in Christ. 336 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:03,000 We're raised up in Christ. We have died in Christ. 337 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:07,720 We're seated in him. We we reign with him. 338 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:12,040 That's why Paul could say in the book of Ephesians, in Ephesians 339 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:17,360 chapter 2 and in the verse 6, he made this tremendous statement 340 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:20,880 and have raised us up together and made us sit together and 341 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,160 heavenly please us in Christ. But there's more. 342 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,800 There's a royal provision. Notice the change of garments. 343 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:33,840 It says in verse 29 of second Kings 25 and changed his prison 344 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:36,200 garments. See the prison garments 345 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:40,640 identified you as a criminal, as a law breaker, as a prisoner. 346 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:46,200 But when you come into Christ, the old filthy garments are 347 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:50,680 taken away, and you're given royal garments. 348 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:54,720 Over there in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 61 and verse 10, 349 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:57,880 we read, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. 350 00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:00,000 My soul shall be joyful in my God. 351 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:03,560 Why? For He hath clothed me with the 352 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:07,200 garments of salvation. He hath covered me with the robe 353 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:11,080 of righteousness as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments 354 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:15,000 and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 355 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:19,040 In other words, a robe of righteousness has been provided 356 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:23,280 in the gospel. The Lord comes with this robe of 357 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:27,000 righteousness and he takes off the filthy garments and he puts 358 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:30,680 on this robe of righteousness upon us. 359 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:34,400 So we're we're dressed like a bride or or dressed like a 360 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:37,200 bridegroom. And this robe of righteousness 361 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,440 that was provided in the gospel was earned by the Lord Jesus 362 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:43,800 Christ and ascenders life. Remember, He kept the law of God 363 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:48,880 perfectly for us. He earned it by his atoning 364 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:51,240 death. He paid the down penalty of sin 365 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:55,800 on the cross and shed his blood. And when the Lord Jesus looks 366 00:26:55,800 --> 00:27:00,640 upon us, he doesn't see us in the filthy garments of self 367 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:03,720 righteousness. He doesn't see us in the garb of 368 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:07,120 a law breaker. But he sees us now dressed in 369 00:27:07,120 --> 00:27:11,360 Him in royal robes. It's the best robe. 370 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,040 It's the righteousness of the Saints. 371 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:20,880 There's more, not just a royal pardon and a royal position and 372 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:23,160 a royal profession, but there's a royal portion. 373 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:27,160 It says here. And he did eat bread continually 374 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:28,960 before him all the days of his life. 375 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:35,480 The Lord has a portion for us. Think of the King's mate at the 376 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:38,840 King's table, eating of the King's deities. 377 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:41,680 No more prison food, no more rations. 378 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:44,720 I don't know what they got in the prison, but let me tell you 379 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:50,160 something that years ago, not that long ago, they found a clay 380 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:53,200 tablet. And the clay tablet was in and 381 00:27:53,200 --> 00:28:00,520 around the ancient city of Babylon in modern day Iraq. 382 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:06,920 And one of those clay tablets, whenever it was translated and 383 00:28:07,360 --> 00:28:12,040 understood, it was talking about this prisoner called Jehoiah 384 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:14,600 Chin. And it actually mentioned the 385 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,880 portion of meat that he got in the prison house. 386 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:21,280 And it was known as the prison house rations. 387 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:23,640 And that's what the clay tablet was about. 388 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:26,320 And Jehoiah Chin's name was on it. 389 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:30,400 Isn't that amazing? Does not back up the testimony 390 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,880 of the Bible. And yet the day he got out of 391 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:39,760 gaol, the king had a portion for him, a daily portion with the 392 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:42,200 privilege of sitting at the King's table. 393 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:46,840 As I said this morning, Matthew four and four says man shall not 394 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,960 live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of 395 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:53,360 the mouth of God. The Lord Jesus comes to us and 396 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:59,360 says I'm the bread of life. The Bible's the bread of life by 397 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,440 faith. We lay hold in Christ by faith. 398 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:06,720 When we read our Bible, God is speaking to us and that word 399 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,560 that he gives us is meant to to feed and satisfy us. 400 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:14,800 That's why we we must turn again to the scriptures and read the 401 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:19,400 scriptures daily and and and apply what we read into our 402 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:22,720 hearts and into our lives as a royal pardon. 403 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:29,080 One final thing, there's a royal peace. 404 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:33,240 It says in his alliance was a continual alliance given him of 405 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:38,000 the king a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life. 406 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:44,800 He had nothing to worry about. He had nothing to fear. 407 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:50,200 He didn't have to fret and worry about anything for the future. 408 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:52,920 Why? Because the king provided not 409 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:57,520 only a royal portion, but there was a royal peace filled his 410 00:29:57,520 --> 00:30:01,560 heart and mind because the king had a daily continual alliance 411 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:05,800 for every day for him. Maybe you're here tonight and 412 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:09,120 you're worrying. Maybe you're fearful family 413 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:13,800 member, a friend, the psalmist could say this. 414 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:19,520 The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want the psalmist 415 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:21,960 could say this surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all 416 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,640 the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord 417 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:27,600 forever. Again, Paul could say, but my 418 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,960 God shall supply all your need according to his riches and 419 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:34,520 glory by Christ Jesus. And whatever your need is, if 420 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:37,520 you're full of fear and worry, if you're full of doubt and 421 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:40,560 disbelief, then bring that to the feet of the Lord. 422 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:45,360 Cast thy burden in the Lord, call upon him, help me, and he 423 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:47,520 will. And he come without word of 424 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,000 encouragement. That will strengthen your heart. 425 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:54,120 How many of God's people are struggling today with illness? 426 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:58,120 Physically, mentally, they're worn down, they're despairing, 427 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:02,160 and they need a word from the king. 428 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:06,000 And the king has a continual daily alliance for them. 429 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:10,760 It'll give them a royal peace, for He says that will keep them 430 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:13,280 in perfect peace. Whose mind is daily, because He 431 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,920 trusteth in he trust in the Lord. 432 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:19,800 Keep your mind in him, and call unto him to help. 433 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:28,760 What a picture the particulars of his depravity, the 434 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:38,700 proclamation of his deliverance, the portion of his delight. 435 00:31:41,500 --> 00:31:44,300 A royal pardon. You can have that royal pardon 436 00:31:44,300 --> 00:31:46,260 tonight. A royal position. 437 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:49,600 You can be raised up and seated in Christ. 438 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:54,360 A royal provision. You can have a royal robe of 439 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:56,520 righteousness given to you as a gift. 440 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:01,840 You can have the King's portion. You can have the King's peace. 441 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:09,440 I say to you tonight as I finish, come to King Jesus, come 442 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:13,840 and crown him Lord of all. Come and acknowledge your need 443 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:16,120 of him. Come and seek him, come and 444 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:20,280 confess your sin to him. Come and cast yourself upon him. 445 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,560 Come to own him. Think of the hymn King of my 446 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:28,880 life, I crown thee now thine shall the glory be say. 447 00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:33,960 I want to say this in finishing. It's not just enough to talk 448 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:37,400 about Jesus. Who is he? 449 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:41,320 Read the New Testament. It's called the Lord Jesus 450 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:43,600 Christ. You've got to think of it as 451 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:47,960 Devi got to think of as true humanity, got to think of as 452 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:51,920 ministry. And you can't divide of Christ. 453 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:54,920 It's the whole Christ or nothing. 454 00:32:56,160 --> 00:33:01,520 And for those that are coming to Christ to confess their sin and 455 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:06,520 cry out Lord of mercy, they're coming to receive 1 Who's King 456 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:10,720 of kings and Lord of all, one to whom they're crowning as my 457 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:15,320 King, my prophet, my priest, my King. 458 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:19,840 And if you come to him, then I assure you, no matter the 459 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:24,280 particulars of your depravity, I tell you, this proclamation of 460 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:27,840 deliverance can be yours. King Jesus can speak in grace to 461 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:32,120 your heart, and King Jesus can give you all the delights that 462 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:36,520 this man experienced and much more beside. 463 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:41,880 Will you enjoy a royal pardon? Will you know this royal 464 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:45,760 possession and provision? Will you know this royal 465 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,760 portion? Will you experience this royal 466 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:52,080 peace tonight? The Lord bless you. 467 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:56,200 Here's the redemption for rebellious King Jehoiachin. 468 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:00,600 I pray the Lord will apply it in the Gospel to all who are 469 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:01,040 listening.