LAUGHED, MOCKED - Louis Gervais

LAUGHED, MOCKED

Hello and greetings in the Name of the Son of Him Whose Messengers were Mocked, Jesus Christ! In 2 Chronicles 30:1 KJV we read, “And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel.” While some of the tribes of Israel had been taken into captivity, the Kingdom of Judah still remained as well as some of those who had belonged to the Kingdom of Israel. Hezekiah, being one who served the LORD wholeheartedly, wanted to celebrate the Passover on a large scale (as was prescribed but not actualized in Jerusalem in such a way since the days of King Solomon (2 Chr. 30:5, 26). The messengers (literally: “runners”) delivered the king’s letters (recorded in 2 Chr. 6-9) throughout Israel and Judah.

The message was basically a rebuke of their idolatry, an exhortation for them to return to the LORD and it encouraged them to respond to the invitation to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. “So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.” –2 Chronicles 30:10 . What did they get for their toil and travels? For their faithful service to implore the unfaithful to return to the God of their fathers? That’s right. Mockery. Scorn. Laughter. Ridicule. At least they weren’t killed like other servants of the LORD had been. Oh the wicked shall perish for the sins that they cherish. But it wasn’t a useless endeavor. “Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.” –2 Chronicles 30:12 . Who came? Those who humbled themselves. Where they a majority? No. Those who came from the former Northern Kingdom went against their society’s cultural norm.

They chose the LORD. I wonder if those runners had felt like failures because so few from the Northern Tribes had come. But they had done their duty—like Paul—facing scorn and ridicule for following the One True God and refusing to worship any lesser being. But at least Judah came: “The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD.” –2 Chronicles 30:12 Allow me to point out the obvious by noting that if those runners had gotten discouraged by the taunts of the immoral majority and had given up their efforts before their mission was completed, then there may well have been some of those in other cities who would have gone on in their sinful ways because the good news from the king would never have reached them. And because those messengers pressed on, religious change came about in the following way after the Passover celebrations: “Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all.” –2 Chronicles 31:1-2b The following comparison came to mind. Daniël and I are among the few who plead with the Afrikaners to return to the God of their fathers. Where it was once honored among the Afrikaners to serve the Lord wholeheartedly it has now become increasingly unpopular.

But we are to be faithful runners for Jesus Christ. “Duty is ours; results are God’s.” –Billy Sunday The persecuted family has now been threatened with legal action to leave their home for the third time, and they ask for your prayers in this. My grandmother is still one of those who laugh at the Good News, and Mr. Van Niekerk and Mr. Kussman have still not yet hearkened to the call. The drought in South Africa is so bad they’re saying that the country has had the least amount of rainfall since 1904. They expect things to get worse and food prices to rise dramatically in April (which will lead to difficult a Southern Hemisphere winter). Daniël and I lost an opportunity to return with the Good News to a school later this year because their theology on what it means to be “born-again” differs irreconcilably with John chapter 3. But the Lord did provide new opportunities this week and we preached the Gospel at another school and the rest of the schools look forward to our return in a few months, Lord-willing. We drove over 800 miles this week (over 1,300 km) from Bloemfontein to KwaSizabantu to Wakkerstroom to Piet Retief to Amsterdam to Ermelo. Thus we near the end of our 2nd Voorbrand Toer/Firebreak Tour and I’m thankful that the Lord granted us safe travels. Praise the Lord! Lord-willing, we have a few days off before helping at a conference this coming weekend. After that there’s the student outreach in the East Rand for which we can pray. May the Good News be proclaimed! And heeded. –Louis Gervais “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” –2 Corinthians 5:20