Burunche’s Blog

2 Kings 14:1 – 14 “In the second year of the reign of Jehoash a son of Jehoahaz over Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. He did everything as his father Joash had done. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.

As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king. Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.” 

Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this very day.

Then Amaziah sent messengers to the king of Israel Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. “Come, let us meet face to face,” he said.

But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle. You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has become proud. Glory in that and stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”

But Amaziah would not listen, and Jehoash king of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah. And Judah was routed before Israel, and every man fled to his home.

There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah.

Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits. (600 feet) He took all the gold and silver and all the articles

found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, along with his accomplishments, his might, and how he waged war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

And Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And his son Jeroboam reigned in his place.”

Remember King Joash of Judah, the man who became king at age seven? As long as Jehoiada, the old high priest, was alive, he was able to guide Joash. But once Jehoiada died, Joash refused to listen to Zechariah, Jehoiada’s son, and murdered him instead. This act of treachery paved the way for a return to full – bore idolatry in Judah. Eventually, Joash was killed by his own servants who were sick of his evil ways. Now Amaziah, the son of Joash and great – great – grandson of Ahab and Jezebel, rules in Judah. Amaziah performs fairly well, but is not nearly as righteous as King David. People are still worshiping and burning incense at the high places. Why does Amaziah leave the high places alone? Perhaps Amaziah fears that removing the high places will result in civil war. Perhaps Amaziah is so spiritually dead that he fails to realize the significance of the high places. Perhaps Amaziah tells himself that religion is a personal thing, and if people want to burn incense on the tops of the hills, let them.

One of the first things Amaziah does is to execute those who killed his father. Tradition demands that Amaziah do this, even though his father became a wicked man. In the Middle East at that time, other kings might have wiped out the entire family; however, Amaziah does follow the Law of Moses and left the rest of the families of these two men alone. Significantly, this is the only recorded time when Amaziah follows the Law of Moses.

After defeating ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, Amaziah is so full of himself that he decides to take on the nation of Israel, even though Israel has far more people and a far larger army than Judah does. Jehoash tries to warn Amaziah by using a vivid proverb. “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle. You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has become proud. Glory in that and stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”

Jehoash’s warning falls on deaf ears because Amaziah is hell – bent on fighting. The results are disastrous. Not only is Judah soundly defeated, but Amaziah is captured, 600 feet of the wall around Jerusalem is destroyed, and Jehoash sacks the temple and the palace, carrying off all the treasures. Jehoash takes some other hostages and then returns to Samaria, where he subsequently pursues an undistinguished career and dies. Jehoash fails to realize that his gross act of disrespect to the God of Israel will have grave consequences.

APPLICATION: One of the saddest parts of this story is that the original nation of Israel, that nation that God has intended to be a praise and glory in the earth, is self – destructing. After King Solomon’s death, the nation split into the nations of Judah and Israel. Amaziah, king of Judah, and Jehoash, king of Israel, are cousins making war on each other. At this point, there’s little difference between Israel and Judah morally or spiritually. In the beginning, the nation of Judah continued to worship at the temple in Jerusalem; however, people rapidly re – established pagan shrines on every hill and mountain in Judah. When Israel split off from Judah, Jeroboam deliberately undermined the worship of the One True Living God, establishing altars and golden calves at Bethel and Dan to keep people from being tempted to worship in Jerusalem.

Judah has a much smaller population; however, when Amaziah gains a quick victory over ten thousand Edomites, he gets the bright idea to attack Israel. The result is a complete rout, with Jehoash scattering the army of Judah and conquering Jerusalem. Why does Jehoash raid the temple? At this point, Jehoash is an idolater who has no respect for the God of Israel or His temple. The idolatry that was fostered by Jeroboam son of Nebat has reached its ultimate conclusion: Israelites have no regard for the God who has delivered them so many times.    

Sadly, it has only taken a few generations for Israelites to completely abandon the One True Living God. What can we learn from this scripture? Either we teach our children to worship God or the world will teach them to worship Satan. And if we fail to continue to pray for our families and those around us, our nation can quickly descend into a moral cesspool.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to be faithful and persistent in prayer and to teach all those around us about You, especially our children and grand children. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.   

2 Kings 13:14 – 25 “When Elisha had fallen sick with the illness from which he would die, Jehoash king of Israel came down to him and wept over him, saying, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows.”

So Jehoash took a bow and some arrows.

Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.”

So the king put his hand on the bow, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

“Open the east window,” said Elisha.

So he opened it and Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot.

And Elisha declared:

“This is the LORD’s arrow of victory,

the arrow of victory over Aram,

for you shall strike the Arameans in Aphek

until you have put an end to them.”

Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!”

So he took them, and Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!”

So he struck the ground three times and stopped.

But the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have struck down Aram until you had put an end to it. But now you will strike down Aram only three times.”

And Elisha died and was buried.

Now the Moabite raiders used to come into the land every spring. Once, as the Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders, so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. And as soon as his body touched the bones of Elisha, the man was revived and stood up on his feet.

And Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. But the LORD was gracious to Israel and had compassion on them, and He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day, the LORD has been unwilling to destroy them or cast them from His presence. When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad reigned in his place. Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times, and so recovered the cities of Israel.”

Elisha is nearing the end of his prophetic career, and Jehoash, the grandson of Jehu, is ruling Israel. Remember that by the time Jehoash’s father dies, the armies of Israel have been decimated. Things are in a mess. Jehoash is described as being an evil king who rules for sixteen years and copies the sins of Jeroboam. Elisha is old and slowly dying. Meanwhile, Jehoash has learned about Elisha’s sickness. Jehoash is not coming to comfort Elisha or bring him fruit or other food to aid his recovery; no, all Jehoash can think of is what the loss of Elisha will do to his kingdom. It’s amazing that even though Jehoash has steadfastly refused to follow the God of Israel, he still gravitates toward Elisha and his holiness and righteousness.

Jehoash has very little moral fiber himself, spiritually weakened as he is by idol worship. In the final prophetic act of his life, Elisha orders Jehoash to shoot an arrow to the east in the direction of Syria. Elisha puts his hands on those of Jehoash as he is shooting to impart God’s power to Jehoash, indicating that Jehoash will defeat Syria. Then Elisha orders Jehoash to take some arrows and to strike the ground. It is a mark of Jehoash’s lassitude that he only strikes the ground three times. Jehoash! Really? You know Elisha is dying and he has ordered you to do something, but yet you wimp out! Elisha is disgusted with Jehoash; were Jehoash to strike the ground five or six times, he would be able to wipe out the Syrians. But only striking the ground three times means Jehoash will only defeat the Syrians three times. Jehoash does go on to defeat Syria three times, just as Elisha has prophesied; however, he does not make a complete end of them.  

Unlike Elijah, who is taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot, Elisha dies and is buried, presumably in a cave. But something amazing happens. Not long after Elisha has been buried, a group of men are burying one of their friends when they see a band of Moabite raiders on the horizon. In a panic to escape the Moabites, these men toss their friend’s corpse into Elisha’s tomb; however, to their astonishment, their friend revives and comes back to life as soon as his body touches Elisha’s bones. Once a prophet, always a prophet! God’s anointing has persisted even after Elisha’s death, proving that Elisha’s power was from God and not from himself.  

APPLICATION: When Jehoash has made the effort to visit the dying Elisha, why doesn’t he strike the ground more than three times? Jehoash may strut around portraying himself as a macho military leader; however, this failure is a clear indication of his lack of spiritual resolve. It seems that Jehoash expects that Elisha is going to do all the grunt work needed for a miracle and he will just sit back and watch. Elisha makes the same mistake that Naaman the Syrian leper nearly made. In Naaman’s case, it was his servants who persuaded him to keep dipping in the Jordan; Naaman himself was ready to quit after only a few times.

If Jehoash is so evil, why does God work through him? “But the LORD was gracious to Israel and had compassion on them, and He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day, the LORD has been unwilling to destroy them or cast them from His presence.” There are no perfect people, only a perfect, holy, and righteous God. Even when people fail to keep their side of a covenant with God, God continues to keep His side. Even when both Judah and Israel eventually become so sinful that God allows the Babylonians and Assyrians to carry them off, God continues to bless those in exile. The prophet Daniel was in exile in Babylon when God did miracles of deliverance.

What can we learn from Jehoash and his failure? If God asks you to do something, do it whole – heartedly and don’t stop until He tells you to do so! Recently, two different sets of missionary friends have found themselves under attack. Those opposing the Gospel are doing everything they can to discredit these people and destroy the good work that they have been doing. I wrote one friend, quoting the story from Nehemiah, when Tobias and Sanballat were trying to lure him away from Jerusalem and into an ambush. “So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3) When those who opposed Nehemiah were advising him to hide in the temple, Nehemiah answered them, “Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!” (Nehemiah 6:11) Proverbs 28:1 tells us, “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

Darkness will always oppose light; evil will always oppose righteousness. But John 1:5 asserts, “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Are you going through persecution for the sake of righteousness? Hold on! Keep working steadily! God is still on the throne and He never slumbers or sleeps. Even when things look dark, don’t quit. Keep beating those arrows into the ground, and you may wipe out your opposition completely.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to hold on, even when things look bleak. Thank You for being a God of infinite resourcefulness. Thank You that You never deliver the same way twice, but that You are always doing new things. Please help us to trust You when we cannot see. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Kings 13:1 – 13 “In the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash son of Ahaziah over Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria seventeen years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-hadad.

Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the LORD, and the LORD listened to him because He saw the oppression that the king of Aram had inflicted on Israel. So the LORD gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel lived in their own homes as they had before.  Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, but they continued to walk in them.  The Asherah pole even remained standing in Samaria.

Jehoahaz had no army left, except fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.

As for the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, along with all his accomplishments and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

And Jehoahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And his son Jehoash reigned in his place.

In the thirty-seventh year of the reign of Joash over Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, but he walked in them.

As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, along with all his accomplishments and his might, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

And Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.”

SOME PEOPLE NEVER LEARN ANYTHING!!! Jehu’s son Jehoahaz has become king of Israel; however, he has failed to consider the problems the country is facing at the time of his accession. Even though the prophet Elisha is available for counsel, Jehoahaz copies Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Who was Jeroboam?

Remember that when King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king. Things might have been great for Solomon; however, the common people were suffering terribly. When the general populace sent a delegation to Rehoboam begging for relief, Rehoboam could have endeared himself by granting some small concessions. Instead, Rehoboam sent an arrogant message, asserting that he was far greater than his father and that he was going to punish the people far more than his father ever had done.

This ridiculous statement so enraged the Israelites that ten of the tribes split off under the leadership of Jeroboam to form the northern kingdom. God promised Jeroboam that if he would just follow God whole – heartedly, God would establish his family as a dynasty. Fearing that the Israelites would persist in worshiping at Jerusalem and refusing to trust God, Jeroboam set up his own religion, creating two huge altars complete with golden calves at Dan and Bethel. Rather than leading people closer to God, Jeroboam did everything he could to turn them away from God and back to idolatry. Jeroboam’s schemes succeeded in the short run; however, the spiritual standard Jeroboam set was lower than a ditch digger’s boots. Forever after, when a king was evil, he would be compared to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

Jehoahaz reigns in Israel for seventeen years, following in Jeroboam’s spiritual steps. As a result, God allows the Syrians to repeatedly attack Israel. Jehoahaz suddenly wakes up and begs God for relief and God sends a deliverer so that the Israelites can at least live in their own homes. But the Asherah poles are still there, the Israelites are still worshiping idols, and Israel’s army is in tatters. “Jehoahaz had no army left, except fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.”

 Jehoahaz dies and his son Jehoash succeeds him. Nothing changes in Israel. Jehoash reigns for sixteen years and even makes war with the king of Judah. But the writer summarizes Jehoash this way: “And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, but he walked in them.”

APPLICATION: We read these accounts and wonder why anybody would be so stupid and short – sighted. Why wouldn’t the Israelites stop and think about the promises God made in His Law? Why wouldn’t the Israelites turn and worship the One True Living God? Even if a wicked king wanted to pursue idols, the rest of the populace was still free to worship God. But consider the nature of the demons that were being worshiped. The Asherah poles were centers for cult prostitution – free sex!!!

There is an old saying, “You lie down with dogs; you get up with fleas.” Generations of idol worship had weakened the Israelites morally to the point where they were addicted to the rituals of Asherah. The concept of the golden calf originated in Egypt where it was a representation of the god Apis. Apis was a god of fertility of grain and herds and also became associated with sun worship, hence the golden disc between the horns in the painting. (Remember that God had strictly forbidden the Israelites to worship the sun, moon, or stars.) When the Israelites reached Canaan, they learned about the Canaanite fertility god Baal, who was sometimes represented as standing on a golden calf also. The term “ba’al” also meant “owner” or “lord.”

Idolatry was very appealing because it had so few restrictions. By contrast, the Law of Moses laid out a number of requirements and warned of the consequences if these rules were not followed. Jeroboam’s appeal to the Israelites when he was establishing his fake religion still rings down the centuries. 1 Kings 12:28 “After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

The argument that keeping God’s Law is too difficult continues to seduce people; meanwhile, here is what Psalms 19:7 – 10 says:

“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.

They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.”

What about us? What idols are we worshiping? What pet sins are we covering up by piling up excuses? Israel exchanged the worship of the One True Living God for demonic idols that would only drag them down. We can do the very same thing. Today, while there is still time, worship the Lord in the beauty of His Holiness!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to give up ALL our pet sins and to worship only You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Kings 12:17 – 21 “At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem. So King Joash of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his fathers—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah—along with his own consecrated items and all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram. So Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.

As for the rest of the acts of Joash, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

And the servants of Joash rose up and formed a conspiracy and killed him at Beth-millo, on the road down to Silla.  His servants Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer struck him down, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the City of David, and his son Amaziah reigned in his place.”

SAY WHAT??? King Joash made such a good beginning under the tutelage of Jehoiada, the high priest. What went wrong? The full story is told in 2 Chronicles 24. As long as Jehoiada, the righteous high priest was alive, King Joash behaved well; however, eventually Jehoiada died at the age of 130 years. When Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, became high priest, he tried to advise Joash just as his father had done, but the officials of Judah came to King Joash and fawned all over him, praising him and gaining his favor. Left to himself, Joash was a weak man who could easily be swayed. King Joash and all the leaders of Judah abandoned the temple to serve the Asherah poles and idols. When Zechariah attempted to rebuke Joash, Joash had him stoned to death in the temple courtyard.

The account in 2 Chronicles 24 makes it clear that Hazael’s army was much smaller than that of Judah; nevertheless, God gave the Syrians victory because of the apostasy of Judah and its leaders. Joash was severely wounded in the battle against the Syrians. Eventually, two of Joash’s servants killed him in his bed because he had Zechariah the high priest put to death. Reading between the lines, it appears that nobody grieved for King Joash; his failure to remain faithful to God had brought only problems to Judah. The effort to buy off the Syrians by stripping the temple of its precious items also did not go unnoticed. The leaders of Judah might have been worshiping idols, but they certainly weren’t happy to see all that wealth heading out of the country.

APPLICATION: Nothing we do is ever hidden from God! When those leaders of Judah went to Joash to influence him, they were probably the same ones who had been making lots of profit out of selling little idols and other trinkets to be used at the shrines. Frankly speaking, old Jehoiada was bad for business and now that he was out of the way, the future looked golden. But God saw everything those men were doing and heard every word they spoke; God even knew their hearts before they did.

Without the Godly influence of Jehoiada, Joash’s personality changed and he became tyrannical. By all accounts, Zechariah spoke prophetic words against the spiritual degradation that was overtaking Judah. In addition, God sent other prophets as well; however, Joash and the other leaders refused to heed these warnings. There is an old proverb that says, “No man is a hero to his valet.” Servants always know more about their master or mistress than anyone else. Joash’s servants knew him well; perhaps they were also concerned about the remaining righteous leaders of Judah. These servants of Joash had been listening to the prophets and were grieving the unjust murder of Zechariah the priest. Who knows whom Joash might have put to death next?

How much do we depend on the influence of a mentor or faithful friend? What will we do if that person is suddenly taken away from us? A few days ago, we received a phone call from a Ghanaian doctor friend in America. Our friend was devastated because only two days earlier, a physician whom he had considered a mentor had collapsed suddenly and died. By all accounts, the doctor who died was an outstanding man who served his community as well as his patients. Here in Ghana, they would say, “A mighty tree has fallen!” That was exactly how our friend felt.

No matter how much regard we have for someone, ultimately, we must rely on God and not on people. People may fall sick and become incapacitated or die. God is the only One who never changes or fails. Let us put all our trust in Him!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust in You, realizing that friends and mentors may fail us or be taken away. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

2 Kings 12:1 -16 “In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash a became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days he was instructed by Jehoiada the priest.

Nevertheless, the high places were not removed; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.

Then Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money brought as sacred gifts into the house of the LORD—the census money, the money from vows, and the money brought voluntarily into the house of the LORD. Let every priest receive it from his constituency, and let it be used to repair any damage found in the temple.” By the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash, however, the priests had not yet repaired the damage to the temple. So King Joash called Jehoiada and the other priests and said, “Why have you not repaired the damage to the temple? Now, therefore, take no more money from your constituency, but hand it over for the repair of the temple.”

So the priests agreed that they would not receive money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.

Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one enters the house of the LORD. There the priests who guarded the threshold put all the money brought into the house of the LORD.

Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal scribe and the high priest would go up, count the money brought into the house of the LORD, and tie it up in bags. Then they would put the counted money into the hands of those who supervised the work on the house of the LORD, who in turn would pay those doing the work—the carpenters, builders, masons, and stonecutters. They also purchased timber and dressed stone to repair the damage to the house of the LORD, and they paid the other expenses of the temple repairs.

However, the money brought into the house of the LORD was not used for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silver for the house of the LORD. Instead, it was paid to those doing the work, and with it they repaired the house of the LORD.

No accounting was required from the men who received the money to pay the workmen, because they acted with integrity. The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the house of the LORD; it belonged to the priests.”

Joash was only seven years old when he ascended the throne, but he performed well as long as Jehoiada, the righteous high priest, was there to guide him. At some point, Joash ordered that monies collected from all the temples in Judah be sent to repair the temple in Jerusalem. The exception to this command was the money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings that still belonged to the priests.

Anybody who has ever headed a building program can predict what happened next! The priests in the hinterlands were collecting money all right; however, they were conveniently keeping it for themselves. Even in Jerusalem, there were questions about having money to do the repairs. Finally, when Joash was 30 and had been ruling 23 years, he called all the priests to account. It’s likely that all this time, Jehoiada had been trying to get his fellow priests to do the right thing; however, those priests weren’t listening. Now that Joash has issued a royal edict, Jehoiada can relax a little. Jehoiada sets up a locked chest with a hole in it into which the monies will go. Problem solved.

The building program story rings true. We have friends who have built or who are building homes for themselves in their home villages in northern Ghana. Without exception, our friends have advised that anyone erecting a building will have to watch the workmen carefully; otherwise, cement bags will take legs and walk off somewhere else. Generally, one’s relatives are those most likely to cheat, using the excuse that there must be plenty of money in the situation anyway and they are poor villagers! It is a telling comment on the moral depravity of the priests of that time that the workmen were more honest than the priests. “No accounting was required from the men who received the money to pay the workmen, because they acted with integrity.” OK. Righteousness is where you find it.

APPLICATION: There are two phrases in this account that bear closer attention: And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days he was instructed by Jehoiada the priest. Nevertheless, the high places were not removed; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.” Poor Joash! He spent most of his early childhood being shifted from one room in the palace or temple to another. It’s likely that until the coronation, Joash had rarely seen the light of day. Then Joash became king at age seven. While Jehoiada was there to instruct him, there were probably also others flattering him in an attempt to gain power or riches. Joash really didn’t have a chance to mature very well, despite Jehoiada’s best efforts. How strong are we when those who have mentored us are no longer around? Will we continue to do the right thing, or will we compromise?

“The high places were not taken away.” Those high places were shrines on the top of every hill and mountain where the Israelites were making sacrifices to pagan gods. Even though the major temple of Baal was destroyed, people were still cherishing their pet sins and indulging in them rather than whole – heartedly following the One True Living God. Later on, the prophet Jeremiah would describe such people as those foolish enough to abandon clear flowing springs of living water, only to dig empty cisterns for themselves in an effort to be their own amateur providences by making such sacrifices. Whether or not these people chose to believe it, they were serving demons and would reap the results.

Where are the “high places” in our lives? Are we devoting large amounts of time to Netflix or TV programs rather than worshiping God? God wanted the Israelites to pursue lives of worship and to always have His commandments with them. Deuteronomy 6:4 – 9 tells us, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” God knew that people have short memories; those things to which we give our hearts are the objects of our worship.

 WHAT IS WRITTEN ON THE DOOR FRAME OF YOUR HEART? In America these days, many people put banners outside their homes celebrating the season of the year or some holiday. But what do people see when they see us? The way we live and the way we conduct ourselves around others will speak more loudly than any banner. Even though the Israelites may have outwardly followed the commands in Deuteronomy 6, they were still making the rounds of the high places. After all, what if God wasn’t really God at all? Never mind the miracles God had done! Perhaps these other deities could give wealth or success if propitiated. Those worshiping at the shrines certainly seemed to be doing all right. May God help us to follow Him whole – heartedly!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to utterly reject anything that will draw us further away from You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Kings 11:13 – 21 “When Athaliah heard the noise from the guards and the people, she went out to the people in the house of the LORD. And she looked out and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets.

Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”

And Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of the LORD.” So they seized Athaliah as she reached the horses’ entrance to the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.

Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.

So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of the LORD. He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD and entered the royal palace by way of the Gate of the Guards.

Then Joash took his seat on the royal throne, and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword at the royal palace. Joash was seven years old when he became king.”

Righteous Jehoiada, the high priest, has arranged a hasty coronation for Joash. Traditionally, kings of Judah were crowned by having them stand next to the king’s pillar in the temple. The high priest would then anoint the king, confirming his ascension to the throne, and trumpets would sound a fanfare. There might also be priests blowing shofars.

Athaliah, the pretender to the throne, is relaxing in the palace when she suddenly hears all kinds of noise in the temple next door. Trumpets and shofars are blowing, and people are shouting so loudly that the earth is shaking. Athaliah hops up off her luxurious couch and stalks out of the palace, entering the temple by the royal entrance.  The sight that meets Athaliah’s eyes is the stuff of her worst nightmares. Jehoiada, the high priest, is standing at the king’s pillar with little Joash next to him. To make matters worse, Joash is wearing a simple crown, and all the people are screaming, “Long live King Joash! Long live the King! Hosannah!” Athaliah refuses to believe this is happening; tearing her clothes, she cries, “Treason! Treason!” But things soon get far worse for Athaliah.

As soon as Jehoiada sees Athaliah, he orders commanders of hundreds in charge of the army to drag Athaliah out of the temple and to kill anyone who tries to help her. Athaliah, meanwhile, has turned and is running back to the palace. The soldiers catch Athaliah just as she reaches the horses’ entrance to the palace grounds and kill her there, spilling her blood on the ground so that horses will trample it and dogs will lick it up. This daughter of wicked King Ahab who has schemed, murdered, manipulated, and terrorized the people of Judah has met a fitting end, one that was predicted by the prophet Elijah.

Jehoiada then proceeds to make a covenant between the people and the Lord, that they will be the Lord’s people. Fueled by a passion to see justice done, the people swarm to the temple of Baal and tear it down. The mob smashes the altars and idols to pieces and kills Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of his own altars. Joash ascends the throne, and all the people of Judah rejoice. There is peace in Jerusalem because Athaliah is no longer alive to practice her witchcraft and to terrorize people. King Joash is only seven years old, but Jehoiada is there to advise him. The nation draws a collective breath and sighs a sigh of relief.   

APPLICATION: The Book of Proverbs Chapter 29 has many things to say about just and unjust rulers. V. 2 “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” V.4. “By justice a king gives a country stability, but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down.” V.12 “If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.” V. 14 “If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will be established forever.” V. 16 “When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall.”

Queen Athaliah seized power; however, she was never anointed of the Lord to rule. As a usurper, Athaliah felt that she did not need the blessing of God; after all, she was serving Baal and all kinds of other demons. In the end, Athaliah died a shameful death and people celebrated when she died. The only people who might have felt sorry about Athaliah’s death were her chosen assassins and other agents who had made become rich serving Athaliah. But even these people were probably relieved. Athaliah was a woman with a whim of iron, and nobody could predict her next target. Today you might be Athaliah’s favorite, but tomorrow, you might find yourself with a garrot wire around your neck or a knife between your shoulder blades, quietly dying in a corner.

What happened to bring Athaliah down? People prayed! As the high priest, Jehoiada had a calling to intercede for his nation. Rest assured that as a righteous man, Jehoiada would have prayed long and hard to counteract the floodtide of evil that Athaliah brought to Judah. There were probably others in Judah who were just as grieved by Athaliah’s wickedness and who were also interceding.

Jehoiada was undoubtedly a brilliant man and an excellent tactician, but without Jehosheba hiding Joash and his nurse in the first place, there would have been no legitimate heir to be crowned as king. It was prayer that gave Jehosheba the courage to keep moving Joash and his nurse around the palace one step ahead of Athaliah. It was prayer that gave Jehoiada the inspiration for the timing of Joash’s coronation. And it was prayer that caused the nation of Judah to accept a seven – year – old as king in the face of stern opposition from wicked Athaliah.

Nations may have changed and dynasties have crumbled, but God is still on the throne. Are you upset about recent events around the world? God is still answering prayer. The same God who protected Joash and Jehoiada and Jehosheba is still on the throne. Want things to change? PRAY!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to pray and not lose heart! Help us to remember that You work through answering our prayers. Encourage all who read these words. Thank you for sending Jesus to die as the blood offering for our sins so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Kings 11:1 – 12 “1 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs. But Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not killed.

And Joash remained hidden with his nurse in the house of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards, and had them brought into the house of the LORD. There he made a covenant with them and put them under oath.

He showed them the king’s son and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall guard the royal palace, a third shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns guarding the temple— the two divisions that would go off duty on the Sabbath are to guard the house of the LORD for the king. You must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who approaches the ranks must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

So the commanders of hundreds did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest. Then the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and shields of King David from the house of the LORD.  And the guards stood with weapons in hand surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and declared, “Long live the king!”

It’s time to talk about Athaliah, the sometime Queen of Judah. Athaliah is Ahab’s daughter and Omri’s granddaughter. Athaliah is also King Ahaziah’s mother. A true descendant of Jezebel, Athaliah is a vile woman whose controlling passion is a lust for power. It’s likely that Athaliah may also be a priestess for Baal or Asherah. Jehu has slaughtered both King Ahaziah and King Joram, as well as the seventy sons of Ahab and forty – two relatives of Ahaziah. With Ahaziah out of the way, Athaliah has a clear path to the throne and she seizes power. To ensure her position, Athaliah herself annihilates all the remaining royal heirs. Now Athaliah believes that she will reign for the rest of her life.

Stop for a moment and consider: Athaliah is murdering her own grandsons! Imagine having Athaliah for a grandmother – “Here, have a nice poisoned cookie! Now go over there in the corner and die quietly!”

But hidden away is little Joash, the remaining son of King Ahaziah. Joash and his nurse owe their lives to Jehosheba, King Ahaziah’s sister. The name Jehosheba means “fullness” or “oath of the Lord.” The name “Joash” means “God has given.” Somehow, even amongst all the idolatry and wickedness that has pervaded the palace, God still has a faithful servant who is willing to risk her life to save her nephew’s. This passage mentions two different locations in which Joash and his nurse have been hidden – a bedroom in the palace and a room in the temple. Perhaps both are correct, and Jehosheba has had to move Joash and his nurse around to dodge Athaliah and her minions.   

Jehoiada, the high priest, is a righteous man who fears God and refuses to bow to Athaliah. The name Jehoiada means “Yaweh knows.” Jehoiada has been working behind the scenes with Jehosheba, and when Joash is seven years old, Jehoiada decides that the time has come to bring out Joash and crown him as king. Joash needs to be old enough that he can speak sensibly; in addition, Jehoiada may fear that they can’t hide Joash very much longer. In addition, the depravities of Queen Athaliah are getting worse every day. No, it’s time to bring out Joash!

It’s significant that when Jehoiada calls a meeting with the commanders of hundreds and with the temple guards, everyone agrees with him and nobody sneaks off to inform Queen Athaliah. Obviously, Athaliah has followed in her mother Jezebel’s footsteps and is thoroughly hated. Swiftly, Jehoiada organizes a system of guards for little Joash and then brings Joash into the temple, blows trumpets, and proclaims him as king. The people break out into celebration. Nobody regrets that Athaliah will no longer be the ruler over Judah!

APPLICATION: Many of us have been in situations in which someone has worked to undermine us. Some of us may even have seen times when there were those who tried to get us out of a situation permanently. The lesson for us is this: God’s got your back!

If Queen Athaliah had had her way, little Joash would have been merely one more body in a nameless grave. To remain in power, Athaliah might have been willing to strangle Joash herself. But Jehosheba and Jehoiada both feared God, and they refused to allow Athaliah to get at Joash. (Jehoiada may have hidden Joash in one of the temple rooms allotted to the priests, a place from which Athaliah was forbidden.)

No matter how evil Athaliah was, God was stronger than the demons she was serving. God preserved Joash and Jehosheba and Jehoiada. If God has called you to a work, then rest assured that God will protect you until you complete what He has called you to do. Does this mean that things will be easy? Far from it! We have endured many times where individuals interested only in their own gain have attempted to remove us from the places to which God has called us. In every case, God has intervened and strengthened us, protecting us until our work in that location has been completed. God does not save us FROM affliction; He saves us in the midst of affliction.

Are you going through rough times right now? Make sure that you are doing what God wants. If you have the assurance that you are in the center of God’s will for your life, then hang on! The same God who protected Joash and who brought him to the throne of Judah will work for you as well.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You, even in the middle of problems. Give all those who are reading these words Your assurance that You will never leave them or forsake them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

 Kings 10:28 – 36 “Thus Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel, but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

Nevertheless, the LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in My sight and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.”

Yet Jehu was not careful to follow the instruction of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory from the Jordan eastward through all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh), and from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan.

As for the rest of the acts of Jehu, along with all his accomplishments and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? And Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoahaz reigned in his place. So the duration of Jehu’s reign over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

Remember Jehu, the successful army commander, the man who wiped out Baal worship in Israel, fulfilling God’s word? Even though Jehu made all kinds of references to the God of Israel, he did not follow God whole – heartedly. For reasons known only to himself, Jehu combined worship of God with worship of the golden calf idols established by Jeroboam at Dan and Bethel.

Why would anyone make such a foolish choice? The problem was that although Jehu spoke a lot about God, his knowledge was all second – hand. Jehu was relying on things he had heard Elisha and other say; however, Jehu himself was not a true God – worshiper. In addition, Jehu never really had an experience of God’s presence. Perhaps Jehu viewed himself as a rough tough military commander who had no use for anything that he could not see or touch. Perhaps Jehu had been raised as a worshiper of the golden calf from his youth. The golden calf was an Egyptian idol that represented several things including fertility, but those altars had been there for a long time. Perhaps Jehu was afraid to worship God for fear that people would then want to travel to Jerusalem in the kingdom of Judah. At any rate, Jehu did not worship the God of Israel, even though he claimed to have carried out God’s will.

Jehu’s apostasy had terrible results. It was that during Jehu’s reign that God began to reduce Israel’s territory as Hazael of Syria took back all the land east of the Jordan. In other ways, Israel continued to slide downhill spiritually.

APPLICATION: One of the first things we learned when we came to Ghana a long time ago was to ask a pertinent question. When people would tell us that they loved God, we learned to ask “which god are we talking about?” This question was not an idle one. We soon learned that there were those who were masquerading as Christians; however, once we got through the thin veneer of Christianity, we soon learned that they were following other gods. One denominational leader was actually practicing an Eastern religion and had set up an altar with fruit and flowers in a room with black walls that he kept locked. It was only when this man stepped down and others entered the headquarters that they discovered this place. There were those church members whose families worshiped fetishes and who made regular trips to the shrine and sacrificed animals and white cocks.

Jehu is really a tragic figure because he had so much potential and he wound up wasting it. In the beginning, Jehu was doing the work of God. But when Jehu assumed the throne, suddenly the God of Israel wasn’t enough for him. When the pressure was on, Jehu reverted to the same mistakes Jeroboam had made, even though God’s prophets repeatedly criticized Jeroboam and warned rulers not to follow the same course that he did.

Perhaps part of Jehu’s problem was a desire to maintain power. As a military commander, Jehu had a great deal of control. But as a king, Jehu needed a means of rallying people to himself. Perhaps Jehu turned to the worship of the golden calves much as Jeroboam had, to keep people in Israel rather than encouraging them to go to Judah.

Because Jehu did the work of the Lord at one point, God allowed him to have four generations who would rule after him. But what might have happened had Jehu truly worshiped God? At that point, God might have established Jehu’s throne for centuries, rather than for generations.

What do we really worship? In what do we trust? Do we rely on our jobs to give us significance? Do we rely on leadership positions in the community? If those things that make us feel important were to suddenly disappear, what would we trust in then?

God is the only One in whom we can safely trust. Psalm 46:1 – 3 tells us, “God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

Don’t make the mistake that Jehu made! Jehu did God’s work for awhile but then wandered off into idolatry. Trust God and follow Him whole – heartedly! You will never regret that decision.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to continue to follow You, even when we are tempted to do something else to maintain control. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Kings 10:18 – 27 “Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot. Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. See that no one is missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.”

But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.

And Jehu commanded, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they announced it.

Then Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; there was not a man who failed to show. They entered the temple of Baal, and it was filled from end to end.

And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out garments for them.

Next, Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal, and Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around to see that there are no servants of the LORD here among you—only servants of Baal.” And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and warned them, “If anyone allows one of the men I am delivering into your hands to escape, he will forfeit his life for theirs.”

When he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out.”

So the guards and officers put them to the sword, threw the bodies out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal.

They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it. They also demolished the sacred pillar of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine, which it is to this day.

FROM TEMPLE TO LATRINE! Jehu is still carrying out God’s commands, and God wants Baal worship to be eliminated. To that end, Jehu pretends to become a fervent Baal worshiper. Jehu calls for all the men who are Baal worshipers to enter the temple and to wear the ritualistic garments. Jehu also warns the priests to make sure there are no servants of the Lord in the crowd. So the Baal worshipers crowd into the temple. Meanwhile, Jehu has stationed eighty soldiers outside the temple; as soon as the sacrifices are complete and worshipers are concentrating on the priests, these soldiers enter the temple and slaughter everyone. The soldiers throw the bodies of the Baal worshipers out and collect all the sacred items, including the pillar of Baal and burn them. Then Jehu’s men demolish the temple and make it into a latrine! Once the temple grounds have been desecrated by people defecating there, the temple can never be rebuilt on that site.

APPLICATION: God really has a sense of humor. For years, God’s chosen people have prostituted themselves before the demon god Baal. Baal was believed to control rain as well as crop fertility. Baal worshipers indulged in all kinds of perverted worship practices. Finally, God has had enough. God moves Jehu to slaughter the Baal worshipers and priests and to burn all the sacred items so that nobody can keep something privately in their home. The pillar of Baal is destroyed and the temple put to the torch. Then the site of the temple is used for a latrine, clearly demonstrating what God thinks about Baal.

Here Jehu does well, carrying out God’s will. If only Jehu would continue to serve God whole – heartedly, all would be well. Later on, Jehu himself falls into idolatry, but for today, Jehu does the right thing. Avenger #2 is fulfilling God’s assignment.

“But,” you ask, “what if some of those people in that temple were actually innocent?” Good question. That’s why Jehu ordered the priests of Baal to weed out any servants of the Lord who might have wandered in to satisfy their idle curiosity. We must conclude that God knew the hearts of all those left in that temple and that those men refused to repent.

Curiosity in the operations of the occult can be very dangerous. Many years ago, a local chief invited a fetish priestess to come do sooth – saying after several young people had died mysteriously. Our little village was swarming with demons. One of our hospital workers who was on her way to the chief’s palace to witness this event was nearly raped by one of the young men. A watchman at a local school committed suicide, allegedly at the urging of the traditional bush spirits. Church members who were foolish enough to insist on watching the fetish priestess suffered for their lack of judgement.

These days, there are many programs on television, videos, and YouTube channels promoting the occult. We watch these things at the peril of our immortal souls. Playing with darkness is always dangerous. Although we may delude ourselves into thinking that we are strong and can resist any influence, we have no idea what will actually happen to us. Darkness and light cannot exist at the same time in the same place. At any moment we are choosing to walk in the light or to turn away from it. But returning to the light may prove difficult or nearly impossible.

The Apostle John warns us in 1 John 1:5 – 10, “And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.”

John had about as much practical experience as any of the disciples. After leaving his career as a fisherman, John became the disciple closest to Jesus, the one to whom Jesus entrusted his mother Mary at the time of His death. John traveled throughout the known world at that time and was later exiled as a prisoner to the island of Patmos. John lived to be more than ninety years and was one of the most respected elders of the early church for good reason.

God clearly demonstrated His feelings about Baal and the other demons when He moved Jehu to turn the temple of Baal into a latrine. Why should we exchange light for darkness?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, there are those who are reading these words who may be tempted to involve themselves in the occult for the sake of secret knowledge and power. Open their eyes to see that such games are deadly and that they can lose not only their own souls but those of their family members as well. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Kings 10:1 – 17 “1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying: “When this letter arrives, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weaponry, select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

 But they were terrified and reasoned, “If two kings could not stand against him, how can we?”

So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your sight.”

Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”

Now the sons of the king, seventy in all, were being brought up by the leading men of the city. And when the letter arrived, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the sons of the king.”

And Jehu ordered, “Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” The next morning, Jehu went out and stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these? Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah.”

So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his great men and close friends and priests, leaving him without a single survivor.

Then Jehu set out toward Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds, Jehu met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”

“We are relatives of Ahaziah,” they answered, “and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and of the queen mother.”

Then Jehu ordered, “Take them alive.” So his men took them alive, then slaughtered them at the well of Beth-eked—forty-two men. He spared none of them.

When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, “Is your heart as true to mine as my heart is to yours?”

“It is!” Jehonadab replied.

“If it is,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.”

So he gave him his hand, and Jehu helped him into his chariot, saying, “Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD!” So he had him ride in his chariot.

When Jehu came to Samaria, he struck down everyone belonging to Ahab who remained there, until he had destroyed them, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to Elijah.”

EVIL BRINGS ITS OWN PUNISHMENT! Although Ahab did all kinds of evil deeds, the act that finally brought God’s curses down was the murder of Naboth, a completely innocent man, on trumped up charges with the subsequent seizure of his vineyard. In 1 Kings 21:21 – 22, Elijah told Ahab, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.’” Although Ahab repented sufficiently that his body didn’t suffer indignities after his death, God promised that Ahab’s descendants would be wiped out. Now that day of retribution has come.

Jehu sends a challenge to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab’s seventy sons. Jehu suggests these men select the best of Ahab’s sons to act as king and to fight on behalf of his family. But the elders are worried that they all will die as a result. After all, Jehu has been the commander of the forces of Israel for years; he has already killed two kings. There is little hope that any of Ahab’s sons will be able to defend the citizens of Jezreel. The elders then send a message of surrender to Jehu, asking for his orders. Jehu then commands the elders of Jezreel to slaughter all seventy of Ahab’s sons, sending the heads to Jehu as proof.

But Jehu is not finished. Remember that King Ahaziah of Judah was Ahab’s grandson. For all the males of Ahab’s family to be eliminated, relatives of Ahaziah must also die. Jehu meets forty – two of Ahaziah’s relatives and immediately kills them. Proceeding on to Samaria, Jehu makes a complete end of the males of Ahab’s family and slaves. God’s vengeance against Ahab is now complete.

APPLICATION: Ahab ruled during the ministry of Elijah, one of the greatest prophets who ever lived. Despite the witness of Elijah, Ahab persisted in idolatry and all kinds of other sins. God gave Ahab innumerable chances to repent, but there was only one instance in which Ahab repented at all. Eventually, God eliminated all the males in Ahab’s family, thereby making it impossible for that family to ever rule again.

Why is this story important for us? God has not changed. God still warns nations and individuals when they are going astray. These days, climate change is getting lots of publicity. New and deadly insect pests are appearing in places they have never been before. Economies are in trouble. God is trying to get our attention, but we are refusing to listen.

The promises of God remain valid for nations and individuals. The Sentinel Organization has documented many instances around the world in which environments that have been ravaged by years of abuse have suddenly rebounded when the people of those lands have truly repented and have sought God’s favor.

When Balak, the king of Moab, summoned Balaam, the seer, to curse the Israelites, God had the final say in the matter. Numbers 23:19 tells us, “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”

Deuteronomy 29:19 – 20 says, “When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,” they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The Lord will never be willing to forgive them; his wrath and zeal will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot out their names from under heaven.”

It’s time for us to pray for our nations, confessing our national sins and begging God for forgiveness. Daniel prayed on behalf of Israel, even while he was a captive in exile in Babylon, and God heard his prayers. Our problem is that we fail to intercede.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we have gone our own way and that we have ignored Your commandments. We confess that we have slaughtered the innocent and that we have tried to justify our sins. Lord, forgive us! Hear our prayers! Heal our lands! You are our only hope; without You, we perish. Guide our leaders into the ways of peace, of righteousness, of justice, and of truth. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.