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2 Kings 11 Bible Study (Athaliah & Jehoash Reigns/Joash King in Judah) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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Please open God's Word and join me in Second Kings Chapter 11.
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I am eager to study this chapter together because I'm confident
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it will highlight an observation that I I'm sure has not crossed
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any of our minds the past few weeks.
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Why would I say that? Because you know that we've been
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so focused on studying the rise of Jehu to the throne of Israel.
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And while we were doing that, we most likely overlooked the fact
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that while he was trying to occupy a vacant throne, there
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was another vacant throne the entire time, the Kingdom of
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Judah. Remember, early in Jehu's
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campaign he not only eliminated King Jairam who was the king of
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Israel, but he also killed King Ahaziah who was in charge of the
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southern Kingdom of Judah. Obviously, such an event would
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have massive ripple effects in that Kingdom and it makes you
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wonder, how did the people? Respond to this tragedy.
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How will they recover from it? Who's going to take his his
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place? Who's going to even do it?
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Who's going to be chosen for such a task?
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Though we will not receive an answer for every question, what
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the Holy Spirit will do in Second Kings 11 is unveiled to
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us the. Most important transition that
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took place shortly after the death of Isaiah.
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And I'll tell you this from the start, what we are going to
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study in this chapter is perhaps one of the most suspenseful,
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dramatic, and significant chapters in all of Judah's
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history. And I'm sure that as we read
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these verses and as we study this text, you'll realize very
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quickly why that is. So I invite you to come to the
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second Kings 11. Look at verse one with me.
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Let's read the first 3 verses together, please.
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Now when Athalia the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was
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dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family.
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But Jehoshiba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Isaiah,
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took Joash the son of Isaiah, and stole him away from among
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the King's sons, who are being put to death.
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And she put him and his nurse in a bedroom.
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Thus they hid him from Athalia, so that he was not put to death.
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And he remained with her six years, hidden in the House of
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the Lord, while Athalia reigned over the land.
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Let's pray, Lord, we admit our weakness and we know that this
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Bible study will be futile unless You supply the grace in
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our minds to understand the Scriptures and in our hearts so
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that they would burn in our bosoms.
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We pray, Lord, that You would help us understand Your will,
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Your character, Your promises, the principles that You want us
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to abide by as followers of Your Son, the Lord Jesus.
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We trust that even this portion of Your Word is breathed out by
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You and is profitable for our transformation and maturity and
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godliness. So, Lord, guide us step by step.
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Lord, shield us from all distraction, any kind of thing
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that would sabotage the transmission of this glorious
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truth. We rely on You and we commit
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this time together as a family, as students, as disciples of
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Your Word. In Jesus name we pray.
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Amen. To our great shock, we quickly
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discover that Jezebel is not the only wicked woman who made an
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impact in this grand narrative of the kings of Israel and
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Judah. This.
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Chapter introduces us to another vile woman who was.
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Greatly ambitious to rule over the people of God and do
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whatever it took necessary in order to arrive at that place of
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power and authority. Who is she?
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How is this possible? Why is this happening?
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And every major question concerning this individual is
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answered if you just do a simple investigation.
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Because, if you recall, this is not the first time that Athalia
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by name appears in our study of Second Kings.
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So rewind with me and go to chapter 8 of Second Kings and
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look at verse 26 briefly. Isaiah was 22.
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Years old when he began to reign and he reigned one year in
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Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athalia.
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She was a granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel.
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Now if Athalia is the daughter of Omri, king of Israel, and
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from a study in First Kings chapter 16, it's confirmed that
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Omri is the father of who, Ahab, then that makes Athalia the
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daughter of who Ahab and who's her mother?
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Jezebel. We have Jezebel on the throne in
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the Kingdom of Judah. Fascinating and terrifying at
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the same time. And you might be wondering, how
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did this happen? Good question.
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Hopefully you recall King Jehoshaphat.
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He was the. Focus of our studying the last
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chapters of First Kings and though generally a faithful man,
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righteous man according to the testimony of the word of God, he
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made one massive mistake in his human wisdom.
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He thought that he can make a marriage alliance with the House
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of Ahab by giving over his son Jeho Ram to the daughter of Ahab
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and Jezebel. And expectedly, you have Jeho
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Ram and you have this woman here, Athalia, coming together,
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having babies, and one of their children was named.
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Ahaziah, who would be the successor to the king of Judah.
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Is that only ruled and reigned for one year?
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And because of that striking amount of time for somebody to
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rule a Kingdom, we left the question, why was it so short?
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And we're told based on our previous studies, that it was
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because he walked in the ways of the House of Ahab and God
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brought his rule to an early end.
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He was greatly influenced by his mother, surely.
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And so it's no surprise then that after Isaiah is removed
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from the throne of the king of Judah that Athalia thirsts for
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this position and seeks to seize it with such aggression and evil
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to gain the control that she saw her mother chase.
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I'm sure in her early years, Athalia is mirroring Jezebel.
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She's walking in her footsteps. In addition to this, not only
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does she have this innate passion for illegitimate
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authority, but I'm sure she's reacting to the news that Jehu
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slaughtered the House of Ahab. And so now this triggered a
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vengeance and she's now trying to maintain the legacy of her
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mother in particular, and she is doing so by attacking the House
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of David. And trying to make a comeback
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for the House of Ahab in the southern Kingdom.
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I'm confident that Jehoshaphat had no idea that that one
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decision to be unequally yoked would lead to a bail worshipping
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woman sitting on the very throne that David once sat on.
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And not just sitting on David's throne, but bringing the royal
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line to near extinction. Surely this is yet another
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sobering reminder of the gravity of being unequally yoked.
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The decisions that we make with our relationships can have
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potential generational effect. This is just stay with you.
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And so this is yet another nudge from the Holy Spirit, I'm sure,
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to remind us to be very wise and who we choose to partner with,
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especially in your choice of a spouse.
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It can either bring generational blessing or generational harm.
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And we're seeing the negative in this case.
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But there are so many other aspects that we can explore in
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these verses. I want to focus on one
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particularly important one. Whether Athalia knew it or not,
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her war against the House of David, This is.
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This is why this is so significant.
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Do you realize that the royal line has now been diminished to
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one single descendant of David? Everything now hangs in the
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balance. Everything now is depended upon
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whether or not this little boy survives.
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It hasn't clicked yet. Perhaps.
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Just give me a moment. Whether Athalia knew it or not,
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her war against the House of David was not just a war with
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flesh and blood. She was ultimately at war with
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God himself. Why?
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Because God made a covenant with the House of David.
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You remember what he said to David in Second Samuel 716 that
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your house and your Kingdom will endure before me forever.
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And now you have Athalia, who is operating and energized by the
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same spirit that her mother had, believing that she can thwart
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that eternal promise. And this is one of the beauties
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of reading the Bible from cover to cover, exploring the path
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that has been preserved for us in terms of redemptive history.
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What we see. Here is just another indication
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that beneath the history of unjust politics, decrees of
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tyrants, bloody wars, and the vendettas of powerful figures is
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an ancient spiritual war that intersects with it all.
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See Athalia. Yes, she has personal ambition
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here, but she is fulfilling Satan's agenda.
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Ever since the beginning of time, Satan was aware that there
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would be a promised Savior who'd come and redeem the sons of
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Adam. And he did everything that he
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could, at the right opportunity, try to sabotage that promise.
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And we see that indication even here.
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And here's what's so shocking about this.
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What we have before us at the surface seems to be like a
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successful attempt on the surface.
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It seems as though Satan accomplished the impossible
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because the general public did not know that there was a son of
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David hidden from the public eye.
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And so I want you to put yourself in the shoes of a God
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fearing Jew who lived. At this time, under Athalia's
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reign, you know God's Word. You believe every promise that
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He has ever given, including the promise that He made to David.
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Just imagine what kind of threat it would be to your faith to
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learn that Athalia successfully exterminated the entire royal
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family. What kind of fear would visit
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your heart? What kind of doubt would choke
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you? What kind of questions would
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race in your mind? The promise that God made to
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David. Was God unable to keep that
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promise? What would you?
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What would you think? What would you do?
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Who would you run to? That's what we have to
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understand. It would be soul crushing to
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most people, especially since it wasn't public knowledge that
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Isaiah had one of his sons rescued and spared from this
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vile woman. So here you have these Jews,
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though yes, there is general apostasy.
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You always have a remnant who are now trying to make sense of
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living in a Kingdom that has been promised by God to be
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preserved for eternity. And yet it seems to have been
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extinguished. And Athalia rules and reigns for
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six years. It's six years before.
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This little baby is going to be revealed, so just imagine what
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it felt like week after week, month after month, year after
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year. And in your mind, David's
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dynasty is deleted. And yet the House of Ahab seems
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to be gaining more and more traction and strength.
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And just to get a glimpse of what it was like to live under
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Athalia's reign, look at Second Kings 11 verse 18 quickly.
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Then all the people of the land went to the House of bail and
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tore it down. Pause.
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This is not a description of what was taking place in the
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northern tribes. What do I mean?
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There is a House of bail in Judah.
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Then all the people, the land, went to the House of bail and
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tore it down. That's the good part.
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That's going to come later on. But I just want you to see that
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because of a Thalia, there was this erection, there was this
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resurrection of bail worship. Things are bleak.
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So again, put yourself in the shoes of a God fearing Jew at
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this time, witnessing all of this.
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What would be required of your faith?
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Here's what would be required of your faith.
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Simple childlike trust in the Word of God, even though all the
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evidence around you urges you to abandon that faith and to
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believe otherwise. If you truly believe in the word
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of the Lord, all you had to work with was the word of the Lord.
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And it's no different for us. Satan is always ready to present
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supposed evidence, proof through culture, politics, pseudo
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scientific claims that would challenge you to doubt what God
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has said or to make it seem as though God's word is unreliable.
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And in those moments. With current events, with new
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claims, with discoveries, with fancy ideas and philosophies,
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you have to choose. Will I trust God's word and just
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simply take him at what He said? That's the choice that a remnant
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had to make many, many years ago, and when I was studying
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this the other day, I was reminded of the warning that
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Peter gave concerning scoffers in the last days.
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You don't have to turn the bell. Let me quote second Peter 3-4
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Peter says they will say, where is the promise of his coming?
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For ever since the Father's fell asleep, all things are
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continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.
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So one of the signs of the last days is that you're going to
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have people mock the idea of the return of Christ.
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And here's the argument. Look, if you just review
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history. With an honest lens.
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It's just the same cycle over and over again.
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We've always had wars, we've always had earthquakes, we've
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always had all these things that you claim Jesus said would be
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prevalent before his return. And is that really the case?
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That seems very general. And you can just imagine how the
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case could be made to make the believer doubt where.
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Where is the definite sign that he's going to come back?
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Where are the marks of his return?
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That That's not to say that we have a blind faith.
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That's not to say that we don't have evidence to work with.
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But it does challenge us with the skepticism and the events
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that unfold before us that are difficult to reconcile with how
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God predicted things or told us how things would be.
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And in those moments, you have to trust God's Word.
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I can imagine that people, the idolaters in the Kingdom of
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Judah at this time, said similar things.
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Where's the promise of God to David?
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All it took? Oh, you believe in this Yahweh?
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All it took was one crazy lady to destroy David's dynasty.
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Just. Feel it, Think about it.
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What kind of pressure would that put on the chest of your faith,
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so to speak? And a similar, though much
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longer, waiting took place between Malachi and Matthew, did
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it not, for the first arrival of the Messiah?
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And now we find ourselves in another waiting period for a
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second and final coming. And I'm just so encouraged to
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have this testimony in our hands to provide us the fuel to cling
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to the Word of God. Whether you perceive things that
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support what we see here or might challenge it, He's
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trustworthy. He's trustworthy.
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Now, can I give another point that's not so specific?
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Don't you love here that we have been granted yet another example
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of a principle that can be applied across the spectrum?
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For six years, it seems like not only David's dynasty was
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removed, but that God wasn't working at all.
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And yet he was working. He was raising up a little boy.
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Yes, they're human means, but he preserved this child and this
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was just another. Gust of wind in my sails That
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even though I can't see what he's doing, I can trust he's
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doing something and it will be revealed at the right time.
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At the time that will give him maximum glory and honor.
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So what do I do? Trust.
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That's what you do. Believe.
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Wait. Worship while you wait.
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That's it. It's as simple as that.
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Oh, I just love to think about it.
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My sanctified imagination. All these people, you have this
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little group of people that meet that are trying to figure out
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how, how did these prophecies reconcile with what we're seeing
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here and all the wild God is nurturing and raising up a
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descendant of. David and he will be exposed at
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the right time. Now, before we move on, because
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we're still in the first 3 verses here, I have to
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acknowledge another important detail in our introduction.
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Here we have the Lord yet again showing us that He uses
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ordinary. Not just ordinary, but unlikely
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means, more specifically, unlikely people to do glorious
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things. What do we have here?
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How is this little boy delivered from the jaws of death?
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Did the Lord make baby Joash invisible, that he
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supernaturally teleport him into a safe haven?
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No, He used the love and courage of a woman who intervened,
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intercepted and risked her life to honor God and preserving one
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of the sons of David. What's your name?
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We're told here Jehoshiba. Jehoshiba.
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She's the sister of Isaiah. That doesn't necessarily mean
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that she is the daughter of Athalia.
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She could have shared the same father but had a different
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mother. It's not explicitly stated, but
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understand that for six years she secretly managed and helped
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raise this little boy. Not 6 days.
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Not six weeks, not six months. Think about it, Six years.
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She kept this boy a secret and concealed him from the venom of
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this queen. It's incredible.
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And I've made the conclusion myself.
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You don't have to share this, but I've decided that Jehoshiba
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is one of the greatest Saints in all the Old Testament.
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I know she she's not. We don't have much of her
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information. We don't much of her history,
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But do you realize what role she played in preserving the
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Messianic line? Let me put it this way.
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Where would you and I be without Jehoshiba's efforts?
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We have one descendant of David left, and we have this woman who
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steps out to save this child, ultimately preserving the
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messianic line, one of the greatest heroes.
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And it encourages me that this obscure individual teaches us
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that God is able to raise up anyone from anywhere to do
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awesome things. And what does he look for then?
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He looks for a woman like this, Men like this who love the glory
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of God more than their own lives, That's what he looks for,
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not anything else, not anything more.
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And I was curious because this is only the reference that we
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have concerning her there. There is a parallel account of
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her, but with a different name. So I just want to know what does
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her name mean? And when I discovered it, when I
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learned it, it put a giant smile on this face.
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You know what the name means. Jehovah has sworn.
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Jehovah has sworn. So think about it.
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I mean, the Lord makes me smile with His ways and His
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sovereignty. God uses a woman whose name is
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essentially God makes a promise. God keeps His promise to do
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what? Demonstrate and show that He
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keeps His promise. It's wonderful.
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So you have this woman who does something so grand, so
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spectacular, but required so much of her.
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And if you're curious to know how this worked logistically,
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how was she able to take this child and tuck him away in the
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House of the Lord of all places? You learn as you continue your
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study of God's Word that she didn't work alone.
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She had a relationship with someone else who played a
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crucial role in this whole endeavor.
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And it's not until you go to Second Chronicles to see it.
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So I invite you to Second Chronicles 22.
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And look at verse 10. This is the parallel account of
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the story in Second Kings 11. But let's see the added detail
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that helps shed light on how she was able to do this.
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Second Chronicles 22, verse 10 reads Now when Thalia, the
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mother of Isaiah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and
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destroyed all the royal family on the House of the House of
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Judah. But Jehovah Shabbath?
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That's the same woman and an alternate writing of her name.
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The daughter of the king took Joash, the son of Asiah, and
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stole him away from among the King's sons who were about to be
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put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom.
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Thus Joe Shabbath, the daughter of King Joram.
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The wife of Jehoiada, the priest, because she was sister
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of Asiah, hid him from a Thalia so that she did not put him to
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death. You don't have that detail in
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verse 11 and 2nd Kings 11. What detail?
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That she was the wife of a priest and most believe he was
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the high priest. So you have a duo working here,
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husband and wife duo. And I present to you yet another
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godly couple that you can add to the roster of Scripture,
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promoting the beauty and the possibilities of what two people
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who love each other but love God more than each other can do.
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If they have that shared vision and goal of advancing His
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purposes, and the more I study the Bible, the more that is
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confirmed in my understanding that so much can be done when
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you have a husband and a wife who again, love the glory of God
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more than their personal interests.
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Miracles can happen both old and new.
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You see it I think about it. This woman, Josh Sheba, she was
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a Princess. Technically, she was the
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daughter of royalty, and because of her status, she was able to
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have access to this baby and remove him from the palace.
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But her husband, because he was a priest, he had access to what
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the House of God, and he was able to spare and shield this
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baby. And so we have this picture of
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two people coming together who have unique accesses, unique
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abilities, glorifying God together.
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We need each other, we need one another to do wonderful things
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for his name and to overcome the obstacles of the evil 10 This
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couple encourages me. You know, while we're in Second
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Chronicles, allow me to make another observation because here
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you see the the human involvement and application, but
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it it doesn't mean that God wasn't at work.
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And I want to give you one example of how God honored the
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efforts of this couple by supplying the supernatural
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element to the success. So it's not in chapter 22, but
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go to chapter 24, Second Chronicles, and notice this
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commentary for the sons of Athalia, that wicked woman.
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That's pretty straightforward, isn't it?
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Had broken into the House of God and had also used all the
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dedicated things of the House of the Lord for the bales.
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So before I I stumble upon this verse, I thought to myself, hey,
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that that's pretty intelligent. Take the child and put him in
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one of the side chambers of the temple because Athalia had no
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access there. She wasn't a priest.
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She had she had no right. But then I remember we're
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dealing with the daughter of Jezebel here.
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I don't think she had any concern about the precepts of
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the Lord and the ordinances of the temple.
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So we we see here that she had her sons waltz into the temple
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whenever they liked to remove the dedicated things, to
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consecrate them unto Bale worship.
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And if we can assume that this confiscation took place after
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the baby was hidden in the temple, then God is obviously at
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work, is he not? So you have these servants of
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Athalia, scanning the house, going through the temple, and
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yet baby Joash has been kept from their vision, has been
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hidden from their sight. Has been overlooked.
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This has got supernatural work and we've seen this pattern over
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and over that when we do our part, God will do his part.
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When we do what we can in the natural, God will do what he can
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in the supernatural. Let's come back to 2nd Kings 11
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in verse 4. But in the 7th year.
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Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of the Carites and of
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the guards and had them come to him in the House of the Lord,
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and he made a covenant with them and put them underoath in the
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House of the Lord, and he showed them the King's son.
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We're not giving any explanation to.
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Why the priest waited until the 7th year?
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We're not really told who the Carites are.
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That we can make a case if we trace her in references in
28:04
scripture. We can be confident that the
28:07
priest here took his time to think and plan the most
28:11
effective way to make this happen and sought the mind of
28:14
the Lord and prayed. And just imagine waiting seven
28:19
years to reveal to the public, hey, don't lose hope, God has
28:26
kept His word. He was patient and he was smart.
28:32
He knew the risk of just. Removing the veil and saying
28:35
here he is. And so he worked strategically.
28:39
He called some of the military guards, the, the leaders of the
28:43
guards rather. And he, he makes a covenant with
28:45
them and he, he asked for their oath and he receives it.
28:48
And then finally he leads him into the temple.
28:50
And he goes to one of the side chambers, and he gently opens
28:54
the door. And Can you imagine the awe of
28:59
these leaders in the military when they realized he's the
29:05
descend of the David? This is one of the the sons of
29:10
Isaiah. What did that room feel like?
29:17
Maybe this boy was just playing with some toys in there.
29:20
And you have these men looking at he he, he kept his word.
29:26
He's faithful. You know, there's a day coming
29:31
where a lot of people are going to be surprised, namely when
29:35
Christ makes himself known again.
29:37
And whether people want to admit it or not, they're going to have
29:40
to confess. He kept his word.
29:42
He kept his word. So what happens?
29:46
There's this moment of relief. I'm sure rejoicing, especially
29:52
for these people who suffered terribly under the reign of
29:53
Athalia. But now I want us to read verse
29:57
5 down to verse 9 in one reading, but focus on verse 10.
30:04
So let's do this just to get a complete picture.
30:06
And he commanded them. This is the thing that you shall
30:08
do 1/3 of you, those who come off duty on the Sabbath and
30:12
guard the King's house, another third being at the gate sewer,
30:15
and a third of the gate behind the guards shall guard the
30:18
palace. And the two divisions of you
30:21
which come on duty and force on the Sabbath, and guard.
30:25
The House of the Lord on behalf of the King, shall surround the
30:27
king, each with his weapons in his hand, and whoever approaches
30:32
the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the King when he goes
30:36
out, and when he comes in. The captains that according to
30:39
all that joy that the priest commanded and they each brought
30:42
his men who were to go off duty on the Sabbath with those who
30:45
are to come on duty on the Sabbath and came to Joya, the
30:49
priest. So what do you have here?
30:50
Just an elaborate plan, very specific protocol of how they
30:53
were going to do this. And he was very smart.
30:55
He, he chose to make these movements and adding these
30:58
soldiers and surrounding the, the areas on the Sabbath because
31:01
that's when transitions would happen.
31:03
You would have the, the next set of soldiers taking the place of
31:07
those who are on duty earlier. So this would seem seamless.
31:11
It wouldn't seem suspicious. Joya is very, very intelligent
31:14
as a priest. But notice what happens in verse
31:17
10. And the priest gave to the
31:20
captains the Spears and Shields that had been King David's,
31:27
which were in the House of the Lord.
31:30
What a striking twist of fate. We're going to see at the end of
31:37
this chapter that Athalia is going to be killed.
31:42
And here you have this woman who believed that she could
31:45
annihilate the royal family, that she could exterminate every
31:50
descendant of David, and yet she is going to be killed with one
31:54
of the weapons that David had while he was alive.
31:57
Isn't that awesome? God is amazing in his
32:02
sovereignty, but there's a practical inspiration behind
32:07
this. There's a verse that I
32:10
frequently quote from the New Testament that brings comfort to
32:12
my soul and I pray brings comfort to those who are anxious
32:16
about this life, particularly about dangers that surround them
32:20
or diagnosis, anything that deals with the length of their
32:23
life, the health of their life, the vibrancy of their life.
32:26
And I want you to see it. It's an Acts 13 that deals with
32:29
David, and it's a wonderful insight about not just how God
32:33
worked in his life, but how he works in every single one of us
32:36
who serve him. Acts 1336.
32:47
For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own
32:50
generation, fell asleep and was laid with his father's and saw
32:55
corruption. When did David fall asleep?
32:58
When did David die? Only after he served the
33:02
purposes of God and his generation.
33:05
Where's the comfort in that? I'm not going home until I do
33:07
the same. Neither are you.
33:10
If you're walking with the Lord, if you don't have an early
33:12
departure due to unrepentant sin, where the Lord says I love
33:14
you son, I love you daughter, but.
33:16
Because you're not honoring me. It's time to come home early.
33:19
That's possible. I'm talking about those who are
33:21
perpetually set on living this brief life for His name's sake.
33:26
You will not transition, you will not graduate until you
33:31
fulfill His purpose in your life.
33:33
That's the comfort that's comforted me on many flights
33:36
with intense, you know, shaking and turbulence.
33:41
Another scary moment to my life. Lord, I'm not going anywhere
33:45
until I And if I do, if it ends here, it means I'm done in your
33:48
perfect wisdom. But when studying Second Kings
33:53
11, particularly verse 10, there's yet another layer to
33:55
that verse in the New Testament. And it is this, that although
33:59
David served the purpose of God in his own generation, it
34:03
brought blessing to more generations.
34:09
What do I mean by that? You have these men who are
34:13
fighting for their survival, and they're utilizing the weapons
34:17
that David had when he lived and served God's purposes.
34:23
David made great investments. To the House of God, did he not?
34:27
I mean, that's all he thought about, Psalms tells us.
34:29
He lost sleep. He couldn't even imagine going
34:33
on in his life or passing off from his life until he brought
34:38
every contribution he can make. To the House of God being what
34:41
God intended it to be, and that includes the weapons that he had
34:45
in the House of God. And so here's what you have
34:48
here. You have David who made these
34:50
contributions in his life, simply honoring God in his life
34:55
and years past, generations past and what he did in his life
35:00
brought aid and brought so much help in a generation to come.
35:06
Don't underestimate your contribution, your life set
35:11
apart for the Lord, the investments that you make in the
35:14
House of the Lord today because it has the potential not just to
35:18
bless those in your life, but beyond your life.
35:22
That's what I see here, that what David did in his life would
35:25
end up actually preserving the legacy, even the spiritual
35:31
legacy of his family. I wish more people would get
35:36
this, that your walk with the Lord today can make an impact on
35:40
future walks with the Lord now that that's our goal.
35:43
But it's a wonderful byproduct and it's a wonderful thing to
35:48
motivate yourself with in times where you feel like maybe this
35:51
isn't really making the impact that I thought it would.
35:55
Like Jehoshaphat in the positive, at least with David,
35:59
I'm sure he didn't think that what he gave to the House of the
36:02
Lord would come in handy when a Bale worshipper was ready to
36:07
eradicate his descendants. There's nothing that you do for
36:12
the Lord that is in vain. There is not one ministry that
36:17
you're participating in that is wasteful.
36:20
Your holiness today can inspire others to be holy tomorrow.
36:27
So yes, he served the purpose of God in his own generation, but
36:30
it blessed another one. Believe the same for your own
36:33
life, should the Lord tarry. Let's come back to 2nd Kings 11.
36:41
In verse 11. In the guard stood every man
36:45
with his weapons in his hand, from the South side of the house
36:49
to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house
36:51
on behalf of the king. Then he brought out the King's
36:54
son, and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony, And
36:58
they proclaimed him king, and anointed him, and they clapped
37:01
their hands and said long. Live the king.
37:06
There's an interesting detail in those verses that I just read
37:09
that should stand out to us. I'll give you a hint.
37:13
It's an object. If you know it, say it out loud.
37:17
That's right. Not only was a crown place on
37:20
that small little head, but the testimony was placed in his
37:27
hand. What?
37:30
Can that testimony be any idea the Word of God?
37:37
So you have Jehoiada the priest seeking to recapture God's
37:40
original purposes for the kings of Israel.
37:44
Let me quote it to you, unless you want to turn there.
37:46
Meet me there in Deuteronomy 17 and notice what God's original
37:49
instructions were for the kings. Deuteronomy 1718.
37:54
Even before 1 king occupied any throne, God intended the
37:58
following. Deuteronomy 1718 and when he
38:02
sits on the throne of His Kingdom.
38:04
He shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law approved
38:08
by the Levitical priest, and it shall be with him, and he shall
38:16
read it in all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear
38:19
the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these
38:23
statutes and doing them. You know what I learned from
38:26
this? If I am reading my Bible
38:27
regularly faithfully and I'm not growing in my fear of the of the
38:30
Lord, I'm not reading my Bible right.
38:33
That's another point, another sermon for another time.
38:36
But notice this non negotiable. Any king was not just to receive
38:42
a copy the law. They were to write down their
38:44
own version by hand and I had to go through the Levitical priests
38:50
and say, all right, everything looks like it honors the
38:52
original text. This is yours, and you were to
38:55
keep it, and you were to have a daily interaction with it.
38:59
Now, though we are not told, Let's just assume
39:02
hypothetically, that Jehoiada approached the new king in this
39:09
manner. Then we can safely say that he
39:13
helped this little boy even write his own copy.
39:17
I'd like to think so, that he was there over his shoulder
39:20
while the seven-year old was putting together his own
39:24
version. Of the law.
39:28
And if that's the case, what a model it is for us concerning
39:32
our offspring and our children and the ministries to these
39:36
little ones that we have in this church, that we should not delay
39:40
giving them God's Word and letting them familiarize
39:44
themselves with God's Word and to digest God's Word and to
39:48
become familiar with the terrain of Scripture from old to new,
39:51
all that God has to offer us. Let me remind.
39:54
You that this king is not 17. He's 7, he's 7, and this very
40:02
intelligent man did not underestimate the ability of the
40:05
seven-year old to receive God's word and for it to form and
40:09
shape his thinking and develop him as a young man.
40:13
So why do we assume that those under our care can't get it?
40:18
They can, and God reveals that in many ways, including in this
40:22
instance. So the testimony is in His hand
40:26
that moves me more than this crown on his brow.
40:30
I wonder when the last time a king of Judah did this.
40:33
So this is remarkable. This is significant.
40:37
Let's come back to our main text.
40:40
Somebody is not happy about it. We are.
40:44
But there's a lady that's not in verse 13, when Athalia heard the
40:50
noise of the guard and other people, she went into the House
40:53
of the Lord to the people. And when she looked, there was
40:56
the king standing by the pillar according to the custom, and the
40:59
captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the
41:02
people of the land rejoicing. And blowing trumpets.
41:07
And Athalia tore her clothes and cried treason.
41:12
Treason. This lady's crazy.
41:18
Who's a treasonous 1 here? Her or the rightful heir of the
41:24
throne, A descendant of David? No, no, it's not treasonous for
41:28
her to murder David's house and to assume that she has the right
41:33
to sit on a throne that belonged to one person in his family.
41:41
And she's totally convinced of this, by the way.
41:43
This is just a reactionary thing.
41:44
Down deep inside, she believes that this is treason.
41:48
And it's a reminder to us of how sin can warp our thinking.
41:54
See, the fact that this boy Joash would now occupy that
41:58
throne is in complete agreement with God's will.
42:02
And here you have this woman who thought what she did was right
42:06
and God's will being performed was actually evil, such as the
42:13
ways of those who are overtaken by wickedness.
42:16
It literally rewires the way you make judgments, the way you
42:20
understand everything. And here you have a woman who is
42:23
so corrupt that she can actually justify her actions while
42:28
condemning what God desired all along.
42:31
And I say that to remind you and your interactions with those who
42:36
are living in sin. Do not be surprised at their
42:38
convictions, what they believe, what they think about what you
42:42
believe. And if anything, that should
42:45
give us more reason to rejoice at the miracle of salvation.
42:48
It is indeed a miracle. It is.
42:53
And so the Bible is never, never, never shy of showing us
42:57
the depravity of men and what it is capable of doing and
43:00
understanding and our thinking and our actions and our
43:03
interactions. So she says treason, treason.
43:07
Woe to those who call good evil and evil good.
43:10
Verse 15 And then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains
43:13
who were set over the army, bring her out between the ranks,
43:16
and put to death with the sword anyone who follows her.
43:21
For the priest that let her not be put to death in the House of
43:22
the Lord, so they laid hands on her, and she went through the
43:26
horses entrance to the King's house, and there she was put to
43:29
death. And Jehoiada made a covenant
43:31
between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be
43:34
the Lord's people, and also between the king and the people.
43:38
Then all the people, the land went to the House of Bail and
43:41
tore it down his altars and his images.
43:43
They broke in pieces, and they killed Matan, the priest of
43:46
Bail, before the altars, and the priest posted Watchmen over the
43:50
House of the Lord, and he took the captains, the carrots, the
43:53
guards, and all the people of the land.
43:55
And they brought the king down from the House of the Lord,
43:57
marching through the gate of the guards to the King's.
44:00
House And he took his seat on the throne of the kings saw all
44:06
the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet after
44:10
Athalia had been put to death with the sword at the King's
44:14
house. Joash was seven years old when
44:17
he began to rain. I read that all in one shot to
44:20
hopefully give you a full picture of what happened in this
44:25
Kingdom. Simply put, revival breaks out.
44:30
A much needed national spiritual renewal was unleashed.
44:36
And here's what moves me about this.
44:39
It began with a couple. It began with a husband and wife
44:45
who are willing to lose their lives for the glory of God.
44:48
And what did it lead to Accommodate in verse 18.
44:51
Look at verse 18. Then all the people of the land
44:55
went to the House of Baal and tore it down.
44:58
All the people. But where did it start from?
45:03
A godly husband and the godly wife.
45:06
They were the catalyst for a move of God in this land.
45:14
And that brings me joy to know how God can start something, how
45:20
God can move something in a direction that we never thought
45:22
or fathom if we are but faithful with whatever opportunities he
45:26
presents us. Moreover, there's also
45:29
encouragement here about the infectious influence of a
45:32
minister. Now, that might sound awkward
45:34
coming from the pulpit, but I'm not making any other claim other
45:40
than an objective observation from this Bible study.
45:44
Yes, Jehoiad, that was not a famous person per SE, but he did
45:49
have a platform. He did have spiritual authority,
45:53
and he leveraged that. He used it at a time where there
45:57
was a great need for a reversal in his culture.
46:01
God honored this man's efforts as a leader to speak out to
46:07
work. To see things happen, and it
46:11
did. And this isn't just reserved for
46:14
pastors. I mean, I would use this point
46:16
if I was speaking to a room of pastors to remain faithful and
46:19
to believe that God can actually change the course of a nation if
46:23
you but just be faithful to what he's told you.
46:25
If you're willing to stand your ground and speak out against the
46:28
atrocities and the compromise around you, God can use you,
46:32
yes, you, to inspire millions. That's not promised, but it's
46:40
possible. But it's not just limited that
46:43
it's for any of us who have any kind of platform, any kind of
46:47
influence do not. Hesitate to speak out in honor
46:53
of Jesus Christ. Do not hold back.
46:56
Do not be intimidated. What would this story be if
46:59
Jehoiada made the choice, you know?
47:01
Well, I know Thalia is on a rampage here, but I'm a priest.
47:04
I mean, I'm just in charge of the temple.
47:05
I don't want to step outside of my lane.
47:06
So let her do what she has. I'm just going to trust in God's
47:08
sovereignty. We wouldn't have the story if he
47:12
caved on a cowardice. We wouldn't.
47:18
One decision from one man who was willing to risk everything
47:22
because he saw that it was worth it.
47:24
He could not fathom both him and his wife that the Divinic
47:29
dynasty. Which ultimately pointed to
47:32
God's faithfulness would be tainted and so he made a stance.
47:38
Make a stance. When the opportunity arises,
47:43
make a stance. You have no idea how that can
47:46
inspire others unto righteousness in your workplace
47:50
and your family. Online.
47:52
Though I am not a fan of the platforms that have made made
47:55
available to anybody as much as the world that we're living in
47:59
is a great cost for the gospel that there's also negative side.
48:02
Anybody can say anything that they want and usually it's the
48:05
junkie stuff that gets popular. That being said, joy that also
48:11
has something to teach us about the wisdom of standing for the
48:14
truth in an age of moral decay. Because he didn't just.
48:19
Run out of the temple and raise his first.
48:22
Against Athalia and show everybody that the baby was
48:25
still preserved. He didn't do that.
48:27
He was calculated. He was, I'm sure, prayerful.
48:31
He knew how to wait on the Lord. Because there are people with
48:34
good intentions that want to make a case, that want to see
48:39
God's glory shine in a time of darkness.
48:42
But because of their immaturity, or probably the wrong place, the
48:46
wrong time, the wrong word, they do more damage than good.
48:50
And So what this man shows us is that you and I need to depend on
48:53
the Holy Spirit and ask when it is the right time to say
48:56
something, and when is the best thing and the best time to
48:59
remain silent. Let me make this final comment,
49:06
verse 20. So all the people of the land
49:09
rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athalia had been put to
49:15
death with the sword at the King's house.
49:19
Earlier I made reference to how this is just a brief episode of
49:26
a bigger picture, Satan trying to thwart the purposes of God,
49:34
and that picture still continues.
49:35
Here you have God prevailing, and the last time I make the
49:39
case, the last time that the king of Judah knew true
49:42
quietness and peace, must have been in days of Solomon when he
49:45
was ruling in His righteousness. But it points to a time of
49:50
quietness that will be realized when the true Son of David
49:54
comes, where Satan's total Kingdom, his complete rule, will
50:01
be ransacked, will be destroyed, and Jesus Christ will sit upon
50:06
that throne as a declaration for the ages that He has kept His
50:11
word. And you and I will know.
50:13
Not temporary quietness because unfortunately, Joash, he's not
50:18
going to last. I know that might be striking,
50:21
but that's the case. You've been studying kings with
50:24
us for many months now. The whole point of kings really
50:27
is, yes, we're getting practical lessons, but to be reminded that
50:30
there's no king like King Jesus. This is a temporary quietness.
50:37
But because we serve King Jesus, there is a permanent peace that
50:40
will be our inheritance, and we will enjoy it with him forever
50:43
and ever. Let's worship
51:04
him, though. We thank you.
51:06
We thank you from the bottom of our hearts that every word in
51:14
this book is authored by you. Every story, every account,
51:20
every narrative, every maxim, every proverb, every epistle,
51:27
every prophecy, it's all from you.
51:30
And Lord, if it has not made an impact on our hearts, on our
51:33
worship this past hour, whatever may stand as an obstacle, we
51:39
pray that you remove it. And even in these final, final
51:41
moments of this study, rush our souls with the revelation of
51:45
your brilliance, your beauty, your power, your might.
51:50
Lord, we, we have not come just to meet with words.
51:53
We've come to meet with you and we pray that we would all leave
51:57
this place with a greater perception of your person, a
52:02
greater sense of your nearness. Thank you for building our faith
52:08
that we can draw life altering truths from any part of this
52:13
word. You've been faithful to show us
52:16
that week after week after week. And Lord, we as your church
52:20
afresh crown you as our King with joy.
52:23
We say you are All in all. There is none like you.
52:27
We will not turn back. By your grace, we want to serve
52:30
you. So Lord, give us the wisdom to
52:31
know when to speak out and when to stay silent.
52:35
Give us the motivation when we feel as though what we're doing
52:40
now may not have lasting impact. In your wisdom, if you want us
52:45
to see the impact, you will show us, but you may never, and we
52:50
should trust that our efforts are never in vain.
52:55
Lord, we give you glory tonight and we just ask that in these
52:58
final moments you would you would minister to our hearts in
53:03
Jesus name, Amen. You join me as we stand and
53:07
worship the living King. What a mighty God we serve
53:11
tonight. Only a Christian can sing about
53:55
his God being sovereign, the supreme ruler of all things, and
53:59
in the same song say that he is my sweetest friend.
54:03
Only a Christian. There is no God like our God,
54:09
and in a Bible study like this, it's possible for there to be a
54:13
curious Inquirer. But somebody who has not made
54:16
Jesus King, I wonder if you know him.
54:20
And if you don't, my question to you is, why not?
54:27
This king stooped down and came into this world.
54:32
He took on flesh. He lived the perfect life.
54:36
There is no sin. There is not even a thought that
54:39
dishonored the will of God and he lived this perfect life.
54:44
Not so that he can impress historians or have people follow
54:50
his example. Merely He lived the perfect life
54:55
and then died to death. He didn't deserve so that your
54:58
imperfect life and you who deserve to die because of your
55:02
sin can receive his righteousness and you can expel
55:07
by faith the condemnation that looms over your head.
55:11
Let me let me speak as plainly as possible.
55:15
Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins even when you
55:20
didn't ask for, even when you were an enemy, He still pursued
55:24
you in that way. And he makes this move in order
55:29
to show you his great love for you and that now there has been
55:32
a way made for you to be redeemed for eternity.
55:37
And I want to end this way in case.
55:40
That somebody who walked in here and might have been
55:43
intellectually stimulated, but would walk out without a chance
55:47
of knowing how they can come to the knowledge of the Savior.
55:51
So let me end it in this way. You must repent and believe what
55:55
Christ has done for you. That is what He asks of you.
55:59
So you must realize what your sin has done to place the
56:01
sinless Son of God on a cross, but you must also realize that
56:08
His great love, he is willing to receive you if you turn from
56:11
that sin and embrace the gift of God in Christ Jesus.
56:18
So have you done that? If you've never consciously made
56:21
the choice to say, I hate my sin, I see what my sin has done.
56:24
I see the great treason that it is, and now I renounce it and I
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realize that I have someone who paid for my sin and paid for my
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debt. Yes, only in Jesus.
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If you haven't done that, why not make that decision today?
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Why not make the conscious choice tonight and you can mark
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it on your calendar that this was the moment that I was
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transferred from the domain of darkness and was brought to the
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Kingdom of His beloved Son. You can know Jesus Christ, not
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just hear Bible studies about Him, not just hear your
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Christian relatives or friends discuss it to you, but you
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yourself can have your heart filled with the knowledge of God
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as His Holy Spirit invades your heart.
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Once you recognize that you confess your sin, He will
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justify you. You will be deemed the child of
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God, and you will. Walk this life with the shepherd
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of your soul. You have to make that choice,
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and I pray that you would. Lord, we ask that every person
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in this place tonight would be someone who walks with you.
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Every person, Lord, if there's even one person who doesn't know
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you, may you in your goodness convict them.
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Do what no preacher can do, no matter what kind of eloquence or
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insight they might have. Only you can convict the human
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heart. And we pray that that would be
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the portion of the one who doesn't know you tonight, and
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that you would receive maximum glory in their repentance.
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Lord, for us who know you, help us fall deeper in love with you.
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Rescue us from dangerous familiarity.
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Bring us to the place of fresh infatuation with who you are,
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and we pray that you use these Friday nights and the Sunday
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afternoons and everything in between, Lord, to continue to
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stir our affections for Jesus Christ.
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Lord, we commit this night to you, thanking you for allowing
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us to meet in this way. In Jesus name we pray, Amen and
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Amen and Amen.