Remembering the Fall

Intro

Sometimes I wonder if Bibles should come with scissors. Wouldn’t it be easier to skip over the passages we don’t want to read—those verses that make us uncomfortable, that confront our sin, or that challenge how we live?

I imagine that when Ezra and the Israelites returned to Israel after seventy years of Babylonian captivity, they might have felt the same way. There were parts of their story they probably wished they could cut out—because they were painful, because they were embarrassing, because they forced Israel to face how they had failed God.

And yet, as painful as it was, they remembered Israel’s fall. They remembered how they had taken God’s mercy for granted, resisted His call to faithfulness, and how their unrepentant hearts led to God’s judgment.

It wasn’t an easy story for them to face—and it’s not an easy topic for us either. But here’s the question: What happens when we don’t come to the Bible with scissors? What happens when we face the hard truths—like God’s judgment on sin?

When we do, I believe we begin to see something far greater: We see God’s holiness and mercy more clearly. We can avoid past mistakes, and we can receive the amazing good news God has in store for each of us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great love and mercy.

As we remember the painful impact of sin and the Fall, help us to hear and heed Your words today.

Lord, open our ears to listen, open our eyes to see, and open our hearts to receive all that You would say.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1. God’s Merciful Plea to Sinners (2 Chronicles 36:15)

Transition: I invite you to open your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 36:15, where we will see God’s merciful plea to sinners.

Throughout the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles, the author—possibly Ezra—has traced Israel’s history from the death King Saul all the way to this moment where the story comes to a painful conclusion.

2 Chronicles 36:15 HCSB

15 But Yahweh, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of His messengers, sending them time and time again, for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.

Illustration – Parents’ Discipline

I don’t know about you, but my brothers, sister, and I got into our fair share of trouble growing up. I didn’t care for spankings, being grounded, or even being scolded. But do you know what hurt the most? It wasn’t when my parents were angry—it was when they loved me deeply, patiently, and wanted what was best for me.

We can laugh now about some of those spankings—I could tell you plenty of stories about my brothers getting in trouble! But we don’t joke about my mother’s or father’s tears—those moments when they were grieved because they loved us, but we wouldn’t listen.

That’s the heart of what we see here in this verse—a Father who loves His children deeply, even as they are running from Him straight into destruction.

a. How: God Sent His Word

Here in verse 15, we see that God “sent word to them by the hand of His messengers.” This word was a gracious call to remember their covenant—to live as the people God had redeemed from slavery to be.

They had been set apart as a holy people, but they continually turned away. So God sent His word again and again—through prophets and priests, through warnings and promises.

If you read through 1 & 2 Chronicles or the prophets, you can hear the echoes of this same message: “Return to Me. Remember who you are. Stop walking down the path of destruction.”

b. When: Time and Time Again

God didn’t stop with one warning. We are told that He sent warnings “time and time again.” Over multiple generations, God continued to urge Israel to trust in Him and turn from destruction. Again, and again, and again.

c. Why: He Had Compassion

Sometimes we struggle with God’s judgment and ask, “How can a good God bring judgment?” But maybe the better question is this: “How can a holy and perfect God be so patient with His sinful people?”

The answer is right here: “Because He had compassion on His people.” The reason God hadn’t stopped pursuing them was because His heart was moved with compassion.

The God of love and mercy was like a good Father, calling His wandering children home. And notice—it wasn’t just His people He had compassion on. The verse also says God had compassion “on His dwelling place.”

Why would God have compassion on the temple—His dwelling place? In part, because it represented His presence and His character—and that character is compassionate. The place where God’s presence dwelled was also where His mercy was most clearly displayed.

But I also believe this points forward—to the time when God would dwell not in a building, but in the hearts of believers through His Holy Spirit. Paul would later say that our bodies are the temple of God.

Sometimes we struggle to believe that God really has forgiven us or really cares for us. But remember this: through faith in Jesus we become both God’s people and God’s dwelling place. God has compassion on His people—and on His dwelling place.

And so God, because of His compassion, time and time again pleads with sinners to repent and turn to Him.

2. Sinful rejection of God (2 Chron 36:16 a.)

Transition:

But how did Israel respond to God’s merciful plea to repent? By sinfully rejecting God. Look with me at verse 16.

2 Chronicles 36:16 HCSB

16 But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers, despising His words, and scoffing at His prophets,

Ignoring Problems

Have you ever had a problem you didn’t want to face, so you tried to ignore it? Maybe the car was making a funny sound, but you couldn’t afford to take it to the shop—so you just turned up the radio.

Or maybe something more personal: someone confronted you about a mistake you made or a character flaw that rubbed people the wrong way—and you lashed out in anger.

It’s hard to repent. It’s hard to admit we’re wrong and change direction.

And when Israel was unfaithful and God called them back, they lashed out. Look what they did:

Ridiculed God’s messengers

Despised God’ words

Scoffed at God’s prophets

As we remember the judgment Israel faced, we see that all they had to do was believe and trust in God and turn to Him. He was so patient, and yet they rejected His offer of forgiveness.

< Illustration: Hosea and Gomer- Hosea 1-3 >

If you’re wondering what this looks like, God gives us an illustration through the prophet Hosea. God called Hosea to preach repentance to Israel and to warn of coming judgment. But more than just preaching with words, God called Hosea to show it.

God told Hosea to marry Gomer, a promiscuous woman. We don’t know all her circumstances- but we know it was a life filled with sin and being terribly mistreated. Someone in her situation couldn’t even dream of being loved, respected, cared for given a home.

No respectable man would have taken her in—but Hosea did.

He brought her out of bondage, gave her a home, gave her a family, loved and cared for her—just as God had done for Israel.

You would think Gomer would have been grateful. She had a loving husband and a safe home, purpose, meaning, and a family to care for.

But what did she do? She rejected it all and went back to her old life.

And that’s exactly what Israel did. They rejected God’s love and returned to sin.

3. God’s Just Punishment of Sinners (2 Chron 36:16-21)

Transition:

It was slow in coming because of God’s compassion, but His just punishment did come.

Let’s read verses 16 through 21.

2 Chronicles 36:16–21 HCSB

16 But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers, despising His words, and scoffing at His prophets, until the Lord’s wrath was so stirred up against His people that there was no remedy. 17 So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their choice young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He had no pity on young men or young women, elderly or aged; He handed them all over to him. 18 He took everything to Babylon—all the articles of God’s temple, large and small, the treasures of the Lord’s temple, and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 Then the Chaldeans burned God’s temple. They tore down Jerusalem’s wall, burned down all its palaces, and destroyed all its valuable articles. 20 He deported those who escaped from the sword to Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the rise of the Persian kingdom. 21 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Jeremiah and the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation until 70 years were fulfilled.

Israel ignored God’s messengers—and ignored God’s judgment. We may be tempted to do the same.

God’s judgment of Israel through the Babylonian empire was not pretty. It was painful and bitter. It hurts our hearts to even hear these words.

Yet the very reason Israel found themselves in this place of judgment was because they had not listened to the loving warnings of their God.

A day was coming when they would face the judgment of a righteous God—and because they chose rebellion, that judgment was His just punishment for their sin.

4. God’s Good News for Sinners (Romans 3:23-24, 11:22-23)

For Israel, God’s punishment seemed like dark news. And yet, it reminds us of the gospel—the good news that God still had for His people.

Their story wasn’t over. Hosea’s story wasn’t over either.

By all rights it should have been. Gomer had abandoned her home, but Hosea went out after her, paid her debt, and brought her home.

We’ll see next week how God brought Israel home as well, but today I want you to know the good news God has for you, how He has gone out after you, paid your debt, and offers you eternal life.

Just as Paul urged the church in Rome, I want to encourage you to balance two truths about God—His kindness and His severity.

Romans 11:22–23 HCSB

22 Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again.

By God’s severity, we mean that He is a perfect and righteous Judge. And the bad news is that on our own we are not righteous. Each one of us will stand before this holy God in judgment.

We may think that doing more good than bad will balance things out—but that’s not the standard.

The question is, have we followed God or rejected Him?

Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

But it doesn’t stop there. God is full of kindness as well.

Romans 3:24 “24 They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

You see, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Through faith in Jesus, the Judge becomes our Savior—the One who pursued us, paid our debt, and now calls us to come home.

Conclusion

Today we’ve seen how God, in His mercy, pleaded with Israel to turn from their sin and return to their loving God. Is God pleading with you today?

We saw how Israel rejected that offer. How will you respond?

We saw Israel come face to face with the reality of God’s judgment. Will you take that reality to heart?

But ultimately, we saw the good news—salvation freely offered to sinners through Jesus Christ. That’s the heart of God: just and holy, yet rich in mercy and love.

God’s mercy is still calling. His grace is still available. And His love is still bringing sinners home.

Invitation

Notes

1. Commentary Recommendations

Introductory

Holman Old Testament Commentary, Winfriedd Corduan. This approachable introductory commentary offers a nice balance of easy to digest scholarship and sermonic application.

Enduring Word Commentary, David Guzik. This free online commentary by David Guzik provides a wealth of helpful information. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-chronicles-36/

Mid-Level

Mentor Commentary, Richard L. Pratt Jr.

New American Commentary, J.A. Thompson.

2. Scriptures References

Hosea and Gomer

The illustration of Hosea marrying Gomer is found in Hosea 1-3. Hosea prophesied in the northern kingdom of Israel about the coming fall at the hands of Assyria. At the time thee events in 2 Chronicles these events have already happened and should have been a reminder to the southern kingdom of Judah and served as one of the warnings of God.

Passages from John that describe God’s judgment

John 3:17–21 — Rejecting the light brings judgment

John 5:22–29 — Jesus is both Judge and Savior

John 8:15–16 — Jesus’ judgment is true because it aligns with the Father

John 9:39 — Jesus’ coming exposes hearts, bringing sight to the humble and blindness to the proud

John 12:31 — The cross marks the judgment of the world and the defeat of Satan

John 12:47–48 — The one who rejects Jesus will be judged by His word on the last day

Passages from Romans that describe God’s judgment

Romans 1:18–20 — God’s wrath is revealed against all ungodliness; His truth is clearly seen in creation

Romans 2:1–5 — God’s judgment is righteous and impartial; His kindness is meant to lead to repentance

Romans 2:6–11 — God will render to each according to his deeds—eternal life for the faithful, wrath for the disobedient

Romans 2:16 — God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ

Romans 3:5–6 — God’s judgment of the world is just and right

Romans 3:23–24 — All have sinned, but justification comes freely by God’s grace in Christ (referenced in the sermon)

Romans 5:9 — Believers are saved from wrath through the blood of Christ

Romans 6:23 — The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus

Romans 8:1 — There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus

Romans 11:22 — Consider both the goodness and severity of God—kindness to those who continue in His mercy, severity to those who fall (referenced in the sermon)