A Revival Digresses to Disobedience
Book of 2 Chronicles Chapter 22
Throughout society today, there is a desperate need for people to commit.
We will never serve the Lord as we should unless we commit to Him.
Without committing to the Lord, nothing of lasting value can be achieved.
If we want rewards when we get to Heaven, we must commit to the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we want blessings from the Lord while we are still here upon this earth, we must make a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus said it like this: Jhn_15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: "for without me ye can do nothing".
Unless we are committed to the Lord Jesus, we will never have a personal relationship with Him!
Without commitment, the Lord is not with us, and we are left to ourselves as we walk through this life, and we may not have His help at all.
We saw in our lesson last week that King Ahaziah of Judah had been killed by King Jehu of Israel.
He was the youngest son of King Jehoram, but all his brothers had been killed by Arabian marauders.
He reigned for only one year, as he was killed by King Jehu.
He was the son of Athaliah, who was King Ahab's daughter and King Omri's granddaughter, who were kings of the Northern Tribes of Israel.
She was the daughter of Jezebel, wife to King Ahab.
Ahaziah lived an evil life before the Lord.
He went to the kings of Israel for advice on ruling the people of Judah and Benjamin, and not to Jehovah.
He was killed during the time he went to visit King Joram by Jehu, as we learned from last week's lesson, as God commanded.
2Ch 22:7 And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.
It was at this time that his mother, Athaliah, decided that she would rule Judah, and she went on a killing spree, murdering all her grandchildren.
*****2Ch 22:10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.
2Ch 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.
2Ch 22:12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.
We do not have to be rocket scientists to realize that the Devil was trying to break the promise to King David and stop the miracle birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If Satan could cause just one of the promises of God to be wrong, no one would trust the promises of God to be a fact, and none would trust the Word of God to be true.
Ahaziah had a wicked father and a wicked mother, and he followed in their footsteps.
He, like Ahab, his father-in-law, was just a puppet that his mother controlled the strings.
Today, many people, including many so-called Christians, follow the example and the advice of people who are focused on the world and not on the Word of God.
When we start following the world in the passions and the pleasures, which are short-lived, we will influence our family and friends to do the same.
If we seek the advice of the world for our lives, we will likely follow the world in our decisions.
The Lord Jesus teaches us to do this instead: Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
By the providence of God, a one-year-old child was in the right place at the right time in the hands of someone who loved the Lord.
2Ki 11:2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
2Ki 11:3 And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.
The miracle of God's "Grace" at this time was Joash, who was a baby one year old.
This Jehoshabeath was the wife of Jehoiada, who was one of God's priests and the Chief Priest of the Temple. Her name means "the Lord is her oath".
Jehoshabeath was for salvation, Athaliah was out for destruction.
Jehoshabeath served God's people; Athaliah served herself and the world.
We can also see that this nurse of the baby Joash helped save the life of this baby, and we do not even know her name.
At the age of seven years, Joash became King of Judah.
*****2Ch 23:1 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.
2Ch 23:2 And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
2Ch 23:3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David.
The history of King Joash is actually the history of Jehoiada the priest of God.
In fact, the nation of Judah appreciated him so much that he was buried amongst the good kings of Judah, which we will cover in the next chapter.
We could ask ourselves; how will the other members of the Church remember us once we are in Heaven.
Can it be said that we have done good.
Our first obligation is to the Lord Jesus Christ.
God sees everything we do, and He knows us better than all others can.
Doing good to His House means we behave in His House according to the standards He has given to us.
1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest "know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God", which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Jehoiada secured the support of the military.
Jehoiada gets the Levites to return to the Temple.
If we know what the Lord has told us in the Word of God, then we can place our faith in what He said because God does not ever change.
Because the Temple is the location of this gathering, we know it is done before God.
Anytime we are doing business in the House of God we are inviting God to be a part of it!
In this seven-year-old boy lies the hope of the future of Israel and the future of the Church.
Did this priest realize what the Scriptures said?
He knew the promises he made to King David and this is where he placed his faith.
Today we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because He is the only hope of our living in the glory world!
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
What had the Prophet Isaiah prophesied? Isa 3:4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
Joash became the next King of Judah.
Later, we will see Manasseh made king at twelve years old and Josiah, who was king at eight years old, and Jehoiachin, who was king at eight years old.
What did King Solomon write in: Ecc 10:16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
*****2Ch 23:11 Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, "and gave him the testimony", and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.
They followed the Law of God in making Joash King of Judah.
Deu 17:18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
Deu 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
Deu 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
King Joash would rule for forty years, and he would do what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days that Jehoiada lived.
2Ch 24:2 And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
He repaired the Temple that had been abused by wicked kings and priests.
2Ch 24:7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.
This work was financed by tithes called a Temple Tax and offerings that were freely given by the people.
Then Jehoiada reached the end of his days.
*****2Ch 24:15 But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.
2Ch 24:16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.
Priest Jehoiada had lived for one hundred and thirty years and this would be since the time of King Solomon and lived thru six other kings before he died.
Jehoiada does not die from disease or accident, but he dies of old age.
He had served God and his nation all those years.
No one since Joshua had lived these many years.
The influence of this great priest is shown when he is buried among the kings of Judah.
People ask all the time, "How much can one man do to help a nation"?
This priest, this one man, held back sin and helped his nation return to the Lord all the days of his life.
In many ways, this priest was in type like the Holy Spirit.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
Once Jehoiada was gone, the evil that was in Judah began to influence Joash and turned him away from the Word of God.
When there should have been revival, the people of influence sway the king to go against the Word of God.
*****2Ch 24:17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.
This same thing has happened in America. The Church is allowed some freedom because our nation mostly honors the freedom of religion.
The Devil looks upon this thing and insists upon having those same freedoms.
This was not the intent of the founders of our nation, and our whimsy governments allow the worship of the Devil or any other false religion.
I do not consider Christianity to be a religion.
Christianity is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!
Without this personal relationship, there is no Church!
Those people in the Church who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ serve religion, and religion cannot save you!
This King turned against the teaching of Jehoiada and allowed these people in leadership positions to serve idols.
*****2Ch 24:18 And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.
2Ch 24:19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
2Ch 24:20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.
2Ch 24:21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.
What did the Lord Jesus say to these leaders of Israel?
Mat 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
Mat 23:32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Mat 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
There is a great many who believe that Zechariah the son of Jehoiada is the same man that the Lord Jesus is referring to as written in the Book of Matthew and the Book of Luke, where there is no name given for his father.
Luk 11:47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
Luk 11:48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
Luk 11:49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, and he pronounced judgment upon these wicked men and the King that had been saved by Jehoiada turned upon God and the Son of Jehoiada and murdered him in the court of the house of the Lord.
The Lord Jesus said between the altar and the Temple.
Judah could not prosper during the reign of Joash.
Jehovah promised justice to Judah.
Zep 1:4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;
Zep 1:5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;
Zep 1:6 And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.
Before we do anything in this life, we need to seek the face of God to see what He says about it!
2Co_6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
Amen
