2 Kings 11 Bible Study (Athaliah & Jehoash Reign/Joash King in Judah) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Please open God's word and join me in second Kings chapter 11. I am eager to study this chapter together because I'm confident it will highlight an observation that I am sure has not crossed any of our minds the past few weeks. Why would I say that? Because you know that we have been so focused on studying the rise of Jehu to the throne of Israel. And while we were doing that, we most likely overlooked the fact that while he was trying to occupy a vacant throne, there was another vacant throne the entire time.

The Kingdom Of Judah. Remember early in Jehu's campaign, he not only eliminated King Jehoram, who was the king of Israel, but he also killed King Ahaziah, who was in charge of the Southern Kingdom Of Judah. Obviously, such an event would have massive ripple effects in that kingdom. And it makes you wonder, how did the people respond to this tragedy? How will they recover from it?

Who's gonna take Isaiah's place? Who's gonna even do it? Who's gonna be chosen for such a task? Though we will not receive an answer for every question, what the holy spirit will do in second Kings 11 is unveil to us the most important transition that took place shortly after the death of Ahaziah. And I'll tell you this from the start.

What we are going to study in this chapter is perhaps one of the most suspenseful, dramatic, and significant chapters in all of Judah's history. And I'm sure that as we read these verses and as we study this text, you'll realize very quickly why that that is. So I invite you to come to second Kings 11. Look at verse one with me. Let's read the first three verses together, please.

Now when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being put to death. And she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus, they hid him from Athalia so that he was not put to death. And he remained with her six years hidden in the house of the Lord, while Ithalia reigned over the land.

Let's pray. Lord, we admit our weakness, and we know that this bible study will be futile unless you supply the grace in our minds to understand the scriptures and in our hearts so that they would burn in our bosoms. We pray, Lord, that you would help us understand your will, your character, your promises, the principles that you want us to abide by as followers of your son, the Lord Jesus. We trust that even this portion of your word is breathed out by you and is profitable for our transformation and maturity in godliness. So Lord, guide us step by step.

Lord, shield us from all distraction, any kind of thing that would sabotage the transmission of this glorious truth. We rely on you and we commit this time together as a family, as students, as disciples of your word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. To our great shock, we quickly discover that Jezebel is not the only wicked woman who made an impact in this grand narrative of the kings of Israel and Judah.

This chapter introduces us to another vile woman who was greatly ambitious to rule over the people of God and do whatever it took necessary in order to arrive at that place of power and authority. Who is she? How is this possible? Why is this happening? And every major question concerning this individual is answered if you just do a simple investigation because if you recall, this is not the first time that Athalia, by name, appears in our study of second Kings.

So rewind with me and go to chapter eight of second Kings and look at verse 26 briefly. Ahaziah was 22 years old when he began to reign and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athalia. She was a granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel. Now, if Athalia is the daughter of Omri, king of Israel, and from our study in first Kings chapter 16, it's confirmed that Omri is the father of who?

Ahab, then that makes Athalia the daughter of who? Ahab. And who's her mother? Jezebel. We have Jezebel on the throne in the Kingdom Of Judah.

Fascinating and terrifying at the same time. And you might be wondering how did this happen? Good question. Hopefully, you recall King Jehoshaphat. He was the focus of our study in the last chapters of first Kings, and though generally a faithful man, righteous man, according to the testimony of the word of God, he made one massive mistake.

In his human wisdom, he thought that he could make a marriage alliance with the house of Ahab by giving over his son, Jehoram, to the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. And expectedly, you have Jehoram and you have this woman here, Athalia, coming together, having babies, and one of their children was named Ahaziah, who would be the successor to the king of Judah. Ahaziah only ruled and reigned for one year, and because, of that striking, amount of time for somebody to rule a kingdom, we're left to question why was it so short. And we're told, based on our previous studies, that it was because he walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, and God brought his rule to an early end. He was greatly influenced by his mother surely.

And so it's no surprise then that after Ahaziah is removed from the throne of the kingdom of Judah, that Ithalia thirsts for this position and seeks to seize it with such aggression and evil to gain the control that she saw her mother chase, I'm sure, in her early years. Thalia is mirroring Jezebel. She's walking in her footsteps. In addition to this, not only does she have this innate passion for illegitimate authority, but I'm sure she's reacting to the news that Jehu slaughtered the house of Ahab. And so now this triggered a vengeance and she's now trying to maintain the legacy of her mother, in particular, and she is doing so by attacking the house of David and trying to make a comeback for the house of Ahab in the Southern Kingdom.

I'm confident that Jehoshaphat had no idea that that one decision to be unequally yoked would lead to a Baal worshiping woman sitting on the very throne that David once sat on. And not just sitting on David's throne, but bringing the royal line to near extinction. Surely, this is yet another sobering reminder of the gravity of being unequally yoked. The decisions that we make with our relationships can have potential generational effect. Doesn't just stay with you.

And so this is yet another nudge from the Holy Spirit, I'm sure, to remind us to be very wise in who we choose to partner with, especially in your choice of a spouse. It can either bring generational blessing or generational harm, and we're seeing the negative in this case. But there are so many other aspects that we can explore in these verses. I wanna focus on one particularly important one. Whether Athalia knew it or not, her war against the house of David This is this is why this is so significant.

Do you realize that the royal line has now been diminished to one single descendant of David? Everything now hangs in the balance. Everything now is dependent upon whether or not this little boy survives. It hasn't clicked yet, perhaps. Just give me a moment.

Whether Athalia knew it or not, her war against the house of David was not just a war with flesh and blood. She was ultimately at war with God himself. Why? Because God made a covenant with the house of David. You remember what he said to David in second Samuel seven sixteen?

That your house and your kingdom will endure before me forever. And now you have Athalia who is operating and energized by the same spirit that her mother had, believing that she can thwart that eternal promise. And this is one of the beauties of reading the Bible from cover to cover, exploring the path that has been preserved for us in terms of redemptive history. What we see here is just another indication that beneath the history of unjust politics, decrees of tyrants, bloody wars, and the vendettas of powerful figures is an ancient spiritual war that intersects with it all. See, Thalia, yes, she has personal ambition here, but she is fulfilling Satan's agenda.

Ever since the beginning of time, Satan was aware that there would be a promised savior who would come and redeem the sons of Adam. And he did everything that he could at the right opportunity to try to sabotage that promise. And we see that indication even here. And here's what's so shocking about this. What we have before us at the surface seems to be like a successful attempt.

On the surface, it seems as though Satan accomplished the impossible. Because the general public did not know that there was a son of David hidden from the public eye. And so I want you to put yourself in the shoes of a God fearing Jew who lived at this time under Athalia's reign. You you know God's word. You believe every promise that he has ever given including the promise that he made to David.

Just imagine what kind of threat it would be to your faith to learn that a Thalia successfully exterminated the entire royal family. What kind of fear would visit your heart? What what kind of doubt would choke you? What kind of questions would race in your mind? The promise that God made to David Was God unable to keep that promise?

What would you what would you think? What would you do? Who would you run to? That's what we have to understand. It would be soul crushing to most people especially since it wasn't public knowledge that Isaiah had one of his sons rescued and spared from this vile woman.

So, here you have these Jews. Though, yes, there is general apostasy, you always have a remnant who are now trying to make sense of living in a kingdom that has been promised by God to be preserved for eternity and yet it seems to have been extinguished. And Thalia rules and reigns for six years. It's six years before this little baby is gonna be revealed. So just imagine what it felt like week after week, month after month, year after year.

And in your mind, David's dynasty is deleted and yet, the house of Ahab seems to be gaining more and more traction and strength. And just to get a glimpse of what it was like to live under Thalia's reign, look at second Kings 11 verse 18 quickly. Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down. Pause. This is not a description of what was taking place in the northern tribes.

What do I mean? There is a house of Baal in Judah. Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down. That's the good part. That's gonna come later on.

But I just want you to see that because of a Thalia, there was this erection, there was this resurrection of Baal worship. Things are bleak. So again, put yourself in the shoes of a God fearing Jew at this time witnessing all of this. What would be required of your faith? Here's what would be required of your faith.

Simple, childlike trust in the word of God. Even though all the evidence around you urges you to abandon that faith and to believe otherwise, if you truly believe in the word of the Lord, all you had to work with was the word of the Lord. And it's no different for us. Satan is always ready to present supposed evidence, proof through culture, politics, pseudo scientific claims that would challenge you to doubt what God has said or to make it seem as though God's word is unreliable. And in those moments, with current events, with new claims, with discoveries, with fancy ideas and philosophies, You have to choose, will I trust God's word and just simply take him at what he said?

That's the choice that a remnant had to make many, many years ago. And when I was studying this the other day, I was reminded of the warning that Peter gave concerning scoffers in the last days. You don't have to turn there, but let me quote second Peter three four. Peter says, they will say, where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.

So one of the signs of the last days is that you're gonna have people mock the idea of the return of Christ. And here's the argument. Look, if you just review history with an honest lens, it's just the same cycle over and over again. We've always had wars, we've always had earthquakes, we've always had all these things that you claim Jesus said would be prevalent before his return. And Is that really the case?

That seems very general and you can just imagine how the case could be made. To make the believer doubt where where is the definite sign that he's gonna come back? Where are the marks of his return? That that's not to say that we have a blind faith. That's not to say that we don't have evidence to work with.

But it does challenge us with the skepticism and the events that are fall before us that are difficult to reconcile with how God predicted things or told us how things would be. And in those moments, you have to trust God's word. I can imagine that people, the idolaters in the kingdom of Judah at this time said similar things. Where's the promise of God to David? All it took Oh, you believe in this Yahweh.

All it took was one crazy lady to destroy David's dynasty. Just feel it. Think about it. What kind of pressure would that put on the chest of your faith, so to speak? And a similar though much longer waiting took place between Malachi and Matthew, did it not?

For the first arrival of the Messiah and now we find ourselves in another waiting period for a second and final coming. And I'm just so encouraged to have this testimony in our hands to provide us the fuel to cling to the word of God, whether you perceive things that support what we see here or might challenge it. He's trustworthy. He's trustworthy. Now, can I give another point that's not, so specific?

Don't you love here that we have been granted yet another example, of a principle that can be applied across the spectrum. For six years, it seems like not only David's dynasty was removed, but that God wasn't working at all, and yet he was working. He was raising up a little boy. Yes, through human means, but he preserved this child. And this was just another gust of wind in my sails that even though I can't see what he's doing, I can trust he's doing something.

And it will be revealed at the right time, at the time that will give him maximum glory and honor. So what do I do? Trust. That's what you do. Believe.

Wait. Worship while you wait. That's it. It's as simple as that. Oh, I just love to think about it.

My sanctified imagination, all these people. You You have this little group of people that meet that are trying to figure out how how did these prophecies reconcile with what we're seeing here and all the while, God is nurturing and raising up a descendant of David And he will be exposed at the right time. Now before we move on, because we're still in the first three verses here, I have to acknowledge another important detail in our introduction. Here we have the Lord yet again showing us that he uses ordinary, not just ordinary, but unlikely means. More specifically, unlikely people to do glorious things.

What do we have here? How is this little boy delivered from the jaws of death? Did the Lord make baby Joash invisible? Did he supernaturally teleport him into a safe haven? No.

He used the love and courage of a woman who intervened, intercepted, and risked her life to honor God in preserving one of the sons of David. What's her name? We're told here. Jehosheba. Jehosheba.

She's the sister of Ahaziah. That doesn't necessarily mean that she is the daughter of Athalia. She could have shared the same father but had a different mother. It's not explicitly stated. But understand that for six years, she secretly managed and helped raise this little boy.

Not six days. Not six weeks. Not six months. Think about it. Six years.

She kept this boy a secret and concealed him from the venom of this queen. It it's incredible. And I've made the conclusion myself, you don't have to share this, but I've decided that Jehosheba is one of the greatest saints in all the Old Testament. I know she she's not, we don't have much of her information. We don't have much of her history.

But do you realize what role she played in preserving the messianic line? Let Let me put it this way. Where would you and I be without Jehosheba's efforts? We have one descendant of David left and we have this woman who steps out to save this child ultimately preserving the messianic line. One of the greatest heroes.

And it encourages me that this, obscure individual teaches us that God is able to raise up anyone from anywhere to do awesome things. And what does he look for then? He looks for a woman like this, men like this who love the glory of God more than their own lives. That's what he looks for. Not anything else.

Not anything more. And I was curious because this is only the reference that we have concerning her. There there is a parallel account of her but with a different name. So I I just wanna know, what does her name mean? And when I discovered it, when I learned it, it put a giant smile on this face.

Do you know what the name means? Jehovah has sworn. Jehovah has sworn. So think about it. I mean, the Lord makes me smile with His ways and His sovereignty.

God uses a woman whose name is essentially, God makes a promise. God keeps His promise to do what? Demonstrate and show that He keeps His promise. It's wonderful. So you have this woman who does something so grand, so spectacular, but required so much of her.

And if you're curious to know how this worked logistically, how was she able to take this child and tuck him away in the house of the Lord of all places? You learn as you continue your study of God's word that she didn't work alone. She had a relationship with someone else who played a crucial role in this whole endeavor. And it's not until you go to second Chronicles to see it. So I invite you to second Chronicles 22 and look at verse 10.

This is the parallel account of the story in second Kings 11, but let's see the added detail that helps shed light on how she was able to do this. Second Chronicles 22 verse 10 reads, now when Thalia, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family on the house of the house of Judah. But Jeho Shabeth, that's the same woman, an an alternate writing of her name. The daughter of the king took Joash, the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were about to be put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus, Jehoshaphat, the daughter of King Joram, the wife of Joadah, the priest, because she was sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Ethalia so that she did not put him to death.

You don't have that detail in verse 11 in second Kings 11. What detail? That she was the wife of a priest. And most believe he was the high priest. So you have a duo working here, a husband and wife duo.

And I present to you yet another godly couple that you can add to the roster of scripture promoting the beauty and the possibilities of what two people who love each other but love God more than each other can do. If they have that shared vision and goal of advancing his purposes. And the more I study the bible, the more that is confirmed in my understanding that so much can be done when you have a husband and a wife who again love the glory of God more than their personal interest. Miracles can happen both old and new. You see it.

Now think about it. This woman, Jehosheba, she was a princess technically. She was the daughter of royalty and because of her status, she was able to have access to this baby and remove him from the palace. But her husband, because he was a priest, he had access to what? The house of God.

And he was able to spare and shield this baby. And so we have this picture of two people coming together who have unique accesses, unique abilities, glorifying God together. We need each other. We need one another to do wonderful things for his name and to overcome the obstacles of the evil one. All this couple encourages me.

You know, while we're in second Chronicles, allow me to make another observation. Because here you see the the human involvement and application, but it it doesn't mean that God wasn't at work. And I wanna give you one example of how God honored the efforts of this couple by supplying the supernatural element to the success. So it's not in chapter 22, but go to chapter 24 of second chronicles. And notice this, commentary.

For the sons of Athilio, that wicked woman, that's pretty straightforward, isn't it? Had broken into the house of God and had also used all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord for the Baals. So before I I stumble upon this verse, I thought to myself, hey, that that's pretty intelligent. Take the child and put him in one of the side chambers of the temple because Athalia had no access there. She wasn't a priest.

She she had no right. But then I remember we're dealing with the daughter of Jezebel here. I don't think she had any concern about the precepts of the Lord and the ordinances of the temple. So we we see here that she had her sons waltz into the temple whenever they liked to remove the dedicated things to consecrate them unto Baal worship. And if we can assume that this confiscation took place after the baby was hidden in the temple, then God is obviously at work.

Is he not? So you you have these servants of Ithalia scanning the house, going through the temple and yet baby Joash has been kept from their vision, has been hidden from their sight, has been overlooked. This is God's supernatural work. And we've seen this pattern over and over that when we do our part, God will do his part. When we do what we can in the natural, God will do what he can in the supernatural.

Let's come back to second Kings 11 in verse four. But in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of the Karaites and of the guards and had them come to him in the house of the Lord, and he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the Lord, and he showed them the king's son. We're not given any explanation to why the priest waited until the seventh year. We're not really told who the Karaites are, though we can make a case if we trace certain references in scripture. We can be confident that the priest here took his time to think and plan the most effective way to make this happen and sought the mind of the Lord and prayed and just imagine waiting seven years to reveal to the public, hey, don't lose hope.

God has kept his word. He was patient and he was smart. He knew the risk of just removing the veil and saying, here he is. And so, he worked, strategically. He called some of the military guards, the the leaders of the guards rather, and he he makes a covenant with them and he he asks for their oath and he receives it.

And then finally, he leads them into the temple and he goes to one of the side chambers and he gently opens the door. And can you imagine the awe of these leaders in the military when they realized, is it the center of David? This is one of the the sons of Ahaziah. What did that room feel like? Maybe this boy was just playing with some toys in there and you have these men looking at he he he kept his word.

He's faithful. You know, there's a day coming where a lot of people are gonna be surprised. Namely, when Christ makes himself known again. And whether people wanna admit it or not, they're gonna have to confess, he kept his word. He kept his word.

So what happens? There's this moment of relief, I'm sure rejoicing, especially for these people who suffered terribly under the reign of Athalia. But now I I want us to read verse five down to verse nine in one reading, but focus on verse 10. So let's do this just to get a complete picture. And he commanded them, this is the thing that you shall do.

One third of you, those who come off duty on the Sabbath and guard the king's house, another third being at the Gate Sur, and a third at the gate behind the guards shall guard the palace. And the two divisions of you, which come on duty and force on the Sabbath and guard the house of the Lord on behalf of the king shall surround the king each with his weapons in his hand, and whoever approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in. The captains did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men who were to go off duty on the Sabbath with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath and came to Jehoiada the priest. So what do you have here?

Just an elaborate plan, very specific protocol of how they were gonna do this, and he was very smart. He he chose to, make these movements and adding these soldiers and surrounding the the areas on the Sabbath because that's when transitions would happen. You would have, the the next set of soldiers, taking the place of those who are on duty earlier, so this would seem, seamless. It wouldn't seem suspicious. Joyita is very very intelligent as a priest.

But notice what happens in verse 10. And the priest gave to the captains the spears and shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of the Lord. What a striking twist of fate. We're gonna see at the end of this chapter that Thalia is going to be killed. And here you have this woman who believed that she could annihilate the royal family, that she could exterminate every descendant of David, and yet she is going to be killed with one of the weapons that David had while he was alive.

Isn't that awesome? God is amazing in his sovereignty. But there's a practical inspiration behind this. There's a verse that I frequently quote from the New Testament that brings comfort to my soul and I pray brings comfort to those who are anxious about this life. Particularly about dangers that surround them or diagnosis.

Anything that deals with the length of their life, the health of their life, the vibrancy of their life. And I want you to see it. It's in Acts 13. It deals with David, and it's a wonderful insight about not just how God worked in his life, but how he works in every single one of us who serve him. Acts thirteen thirty six.

For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption. When did David fall asleep? When did David die? Only after he served the purposes of God and his generation. Where's the comfort in that?

I'm not going home until I do the same. Neither are you. If you're walking with the Lord, if you don't have an early departure due to unrepentant sin where the Lord says, I love you, son. I love you, daughter. But because you're not honoring me, it's time to come home early.

That's possible. I'm talking about those who are perpetually set on living this brief life for his name's sake. You will not transition. You will not graduate until you fulfill his purpose in your life. That's the comfort.

That's comforted me on many flights with intense, you know, shaking and turbulence. And other scary moments in my life, Lord, I'm not going anywhere until I and if I do, if it ends here, it means I'm done in your perfect wisdom. But when studying second Kings 11, particularly verse 10, there's yet another layer to that verse in the New Testament. And it is this, that although David served the purpose of God in his own generation, it brought blessing to more generations. What do I mean by that?

You have these men who are fighting for their survival and they're utilizing the weapons that David had when he lived and served God's purposes. David made great investments to the house of God. Did he not? I mean, that's all he thought about. Psalms tells us he lost sleep.

He couldn't even imagine going on in his life or passing off from his life until he brought every contribution he can make to the house of God being what God intended it to be. And that includes the weapons that he had in the house of God. And so here's what you have here. You have David who made these contributions in his life, simply honoring God in his life. And years passed, generations passed, and what he did in his life brought aid and brought so much help in a generation to come.

Don't underestimate your contribution, your life set apart for the Lord, the investments that you make in the house of the Lord today. Because it has the potential not just to bless those in your life, but beyond your life. That's what I see here. That what David did in his life would end up actually preserving the legacy, even the spiritual legacy of his family. I wish more people would get this, that your walk with the Lord today can make an impact on future walks with the Lord.

Not that that's our goal, but it's a wonderful byproduct. And it's a wonderful thing to motivate yourself with in times where you feel like maybe this isn't really making the impact that I thought it would. Like Jehoshaphat, in the positive at least with David, I'm sure he didn't think that what he gave to the house of the Lord would come in handy when a Baal worshiper was ready to eradicate his descendants. There's nothing that you do for the Lord that is in vain. There's not one ministry that you're participating in that is wasteful.

Your holiness today can inspire others to be holy tomorrow. So yes, he served the purpose of God in his own generation, but it blessed another one. Believe the same for your own life, should the Lord tarry. Let's come back to second Kings 11 in verse 11. And the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house on behalf of the king.

Then he brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony, and they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, long live the king. There's an interesting detail in those verses that I just read that should stand out to us. I'll give you a hint, it's an object. If you know it, say it out loud. That's right.

Not only was a crown placed on that small little head, but the testimony was placed in his hand. What can that testimony be? Any idea? The word of God. See, you have Jehoiada, the priest, seeking to recapture God's original purposes for the kings of Israel.

Let me quote it to you unless you wanna turn there and meet me there in Deuteronomy 17 And notice what God's original instructions were for the kings. Deuteronomy seventeen eighteen. Even before one king occupied any throne, God intended the following. Deuteronomy seventeen eighteen. And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book, a copy of this law approved by the Levitical priest and it shall be with him.

And he shall read it in all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes and doing them. You know what I learned from this? If I am reading my bible regularly, faithfully, and I'm not growing in my fear of the of the Lord, I'm not reading my bible. Right? That's another point.

Another sermon for another time. But notice this. Non negotiable. Any king was not just to receive a copy of the law, they were to write down their own version by hand. And I had to go through the Levitical priest and say, alright, everything looks like it, honors the original text, this is yours, and you were to keep it and you are to have a daily interaction with it.

Now, though we are not told, let's just assume, hypothetically, that Jehoiada approached the new king in this manner, then we can safely say that he helped this little boy even write his own copy. I'd like to think so. That he was there over his shoulder while this seven year old was putting together his own version of the law. And if that's the case, what a model is for us concerning our offspring and our children and the ministries to these little ones that we have in this church that we should not delay giving them God's word. And letting them familiarize themselves with God's word, and to digest God's word, and to become familiar with the terrain of scripture from old to new, all that God has to offer us.

Let me remind you that this king is not 17. He's seven. He's seven. And this very intelligent man did not underestimate the ability of this seven year old to receive God's word and for it to form and shape his thinking and develop him as a young man. So why do we assume that those under our care can't get it?

They can. And God reveals that in many ways including in this instance. So the testimony is in his hand. That moves me more than this crown on his brow. I wonder when the last time a king of Judah did this.

So this is remarkable. This is significant. Let's come back to our main text. Somebody is not happy about it. We are.

But there's a lady that's not. In verse 13, when Nathalia heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of the Lord, to the people. And when she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. And Nathalia tore her clothes and cried, treason. Treason.

This lady is crazy. Who's a treasonous one here? Her or the rightful heir of the throne? A descendant of David. No, no, no.

It's not treasonous for her to murder David's house and to assume that she has the right to sit on a throne that belonged to one person in his family. And she's totally convinced of this by the way. This isn't just a reactionary thing. Down deep inside, she believes that this is treason. And it's a reminder to us of how sin can warp our thinking.

See, the fact that this boy Joash would now occupy that throne is in complete agreement with God's will. And yet here you have this woman who thought what she did was right and God's will being performed was actually evil. Such as the ways of those who are overtaken by wickedness. It literally rewires the way you make judgments, the way you understand everything. And here you have a woman who is so corrupt that she can actually justify her actions while condemning what God desired all along.

And I say that to remind you in your interactions with those who are living in sin, do not be surprised at their convictions, what they believe, what they think about what you believe. And if anything, this should give us more reason to rejoice at the miracle of salvation. It is indeed a miracle. It is. And so the Bible is never, never, never shy showing us the depravity of man and what it is capable of doing in our understanding, in our thinking, in our actions, in our interactions.

So she says treason, treason. Woe to those who call good evil and evil good. Verse 15. Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains who were set over the army, bring her out between the ranks and put to death with the sword anyone who follows her. For the priest said, let her not be put to death in the house of the Lord.

So they laid hands on her and she went through the horse's entrance to the king's house and there she was put to death. And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they should be the Lord's people and also between the king and the people. Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down. His altars and his images, they broke in pieces and they killed Matan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest posted watchmen over the house of the Lord and he took the captains, the carets, the guards, and all the people of the land.

And they brought the king down from the house of the Lord marching through the gate of the guards to the king's house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings. So all the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet after Ithalia had been put to death with the sword at the king's house. Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. I read that all in one shot to hopefully give you a full picture of what happened in this kingdom.

Simply put, revival breaks out. A much needed national spiritual renewal was unleashed. And here's what moves me about this. It began with a couple. It began with a husband and wife who are willing to lose their lives for the glory of God.

And what did it lead to? It culminated in verse 18. Look at verse 18. Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down. All the people.

But where did it start from? A godly husband and a godly wife. They were the catalyst for a move of God in this land. And that brings me joy to know how God can start something, how God can move something in a direction that we never thought or fathom if we are but faithful with whatever opportunities he presents us. Moreover, there's also encouragement here about the infectious influence of a minister.

Now that might sound awkward coming from the pulpit, but I'm not making any other claim other than an objective observation from this bible study. Yes, Jehoiada was not a famous person per se, but he did have a platform. He did have spiritual authority, and he leveraged it. He used it at a time where there was a great need for a reversal in his culture. God honored this man's efforts as a leader to speak out, to work, to see things happen and it did.

And this isn't just reserved for pastors. I mean, I would use this point if I was speaking to a room of pastors to remain faithful and to believe that God can actually change the course of a nation if you but just be faithful to what he's told you. If you're willing to stand your ground and speak out against the atrocities and the compromise around you, God can use you, yes you, to inspire millions. That's not promised, but it's possible. But it's not just limited to that.

It's for any of us who have any kind of platform, any kind of influence. Do not hesitate to speak out in honor of Jesus Christ. Do not hold back. Do not be intimidated. What would this story be if Jehoiada made the choice?

You know, well, I know Thalia is on a rampage here but I'm a priest. I mean, I'm just in charge of the temple. I don't wanna step out of my lane. So let her do what she has. I'm just gonna trust in God's sovereignty.

We wouldn't have this story. If he caved on a cowardice, we wouldn't. One decision from one man who was willing to risk everything because he saw that it was worth it. He could not fathom both him and his wife that the Davidic dynasty which ultimately pointed to God's faithfulness would be tainted. And so he made a stance.

Make a stance. When the opportunity arises, make a stance. You have no idea how that can inspire others unto righteousness. In your workplace, in your family, online, though I am not a fan of the platforms that have made it been made available to anybody, as much as the world that we're living in is a great cause for the gospel, there's also negative side. Anybody can say anything that they want.

And usually, it's the junky stuff that gets popular. That being said, Jehoiada also has something to teach us about the wisdom of standing for the truth in an age of moral decay. Because he didn't just run out of the temple and raise his fist against Thalia and show everybody that the baby was still preserved. He didn't do that. He was calculated.

He was, I'm sure, prayerful. He knew how to wait on the Lord. Because there are people with good intentions that want to make a case, that want to see God's glory shine in a time of darkness, but because of their immaturity or or probably the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong word, they do more damage than good. And so what this man shows us is that you and I need to depend on the Holy Spirit, and ask when is the right time to say something, and when is the best thing and the best time to remain silent. Let me make this final comment.

Verse 20. So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. After Thalia had been put to death with the sword at the king's house. Earlier, I made reference to how this is just a brief episode of a bigger picture. Satan trying to thwart the purposes of God.

And that picture still continues here. You have God prevailing. And the last time I make the case, the last time that the king of Judah knew true quietness and peace must have been in days of Solomon when he was ruling in his righteousness. But it points to a time of quietness that will be realized when the true son of David comes. Where Satan's total kingdom, his complete rule will be ransacked, will be destroyed, and Jesus Christ will sit upon that throne as a declaration for the ages that he has kept his word.

And you and I will know, not temporary quietness, because unfortunately, Joash, he's not going to last. Case. You've been studying kings with us for many months now. The whole point of kings really is, yes, we're getting practical lessons, but to be reminded that there's no king like king Jesus. This is a temporary quietness.

But because we serve King Jesus, there's a permanent peace that will be our inheritance, and we will enjoy it with him forever and ever. Let's worship him. Lord, we thank you. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts That every word in this book is authored by you. Every story, every account, every narrative, every maxim, every proverb, every epistle, every prophecy, it's all from you.

And Lord, if it has not made an impact on our hearts, on our worship this past hour, whatever may stand as an obstacle, we pray that you remove it. And even in these final final moments of the study, rush our souls with the revelation of your brilliance, your beauty, your power, your might. Lord, we we have not come just to meet with words, we've come to meet with you. And we pray that we would all leave this place with a greater perception of your person, a greater sense of your nearness. Thank you for building our faith that we can draw life altering truths from any part of this word.

You've been faithful to show us that week after week after week. And, Lord, we as your church afresh crown you as our king. With joy, we say you are our all in all. There is none like you. We will not turn back.

By your grace, we want to serve you. So, Lord, give us the wisdom to know when to speak out and when to stay silent. Give us the motivation when we feel as though what we're doing now may not have lasting impact. In your wisdom, if you want us to see the impact, you will show us, but you may never. And we should trust that our efforts are never in vain.

Lord, we give you glory tonight, and we just ask that in these final moments, you would you would minister to our hearts. In Jesus' name, amen. You join me as we stand and worship the living king. What a mighty God we serve tonight. Only a Christian can sing about his god being sovereign, the supreme ruler of all things, and in the same song, say that he is my sweetest friend.

Only a Christian can do that. There is no god like our god. And in a bible study like this, it's possible for there to be a curious inquire by somebody who has not made Jesus king. I wonder if you know him. And if you don't, my question to you is, why not?

This king stooped down and came into this world. He took on flesh. He lived a perfect life. There is no sin. There is not even a thought that dishonored the will of God.

And he lived this perfect life not so that he can impress historians or have people follow his example merely. He lived a perfect life and then died a death he didn't deserve so that your imperfect life and you who deserve to die because of your sin can receive his righteousness, and you can expel by faith the condemnation that looms over your head. Let me let me speak as plainly as possible. Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins. Even when you didn't ask for it, even when you were an enemy, he still pursued you in that way.

And he makes this move in order to show you his great love for you and that now there has been a way made for you to be redeemed for eternity. And I want to end this way, in case that somebody who walked in here and might have been intellectually stimulated, but would walk out without a chance of knowing how they can come to the knowledge of this savior. So let me end it in this way, You must repent and believe what Christ has done for you. Yes, sir. That is what he asks of you.

So you must realize what your sin has done to place the sinless son of God on a cross. We must also realize that his great love, he's willing to receive you if you turn from that sin and embrace the gift of God in Christ Jesus. So have you done that? If you've never consciously made the choice to say, I hate my sin. I see what my sin has done.

I see the great treason that it is, and now I renounce it and I realize that I have someone who paid for my sin and paid for my debt. Yes, only in Jesus. If you haven't done that, why not make that decision today? Why not make the conscious choice tonight? And you can mark it on your calendar that this was the moment that I was transferred from the domain of darkness and was brought to the kingdom of his beloved son.

You can know Jesus Christ, not just hear bible studies about him, not just hear your Christian relatives or friends discuss it to you, but you yourself can have your heart filled with the knowledge of God as his holy spirit invades your heart Once you recognize that you confess your sin, he will justify you. You will be deemed a child of God, and you will walk this life with the shepherd of your soul. You have to make that choice, And I pray that you would. Lord, we ask that every person in this place tonight, would be someone who walks with you. Every person, lord, if there's even one person who doesn't know you, may you in your goodness convict them.

Do what no preacher can do, no matter what kind of eloquence or insight they might have, only you can convict the human heart. And we pray that that would be the portion of the one who doesn't know you tonight and that you would receive maximum glory in their repentance. Lord, for us who know you, help us fall deeper in love with you. Rescue us from dangerous familiarity. Bring us to the place of fresh infatuation with who you are.

And we pray that you use these Friday nights and the Sunday afternoons and everything in between, Lord, to continue to stir our affections for Jesus Christ. Lord, we commit this night to you thanking you for allowing us to meet in this way. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen and amen and amen.