SETTING THINGS STRAIGHT

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, king in his place, since the raiders, who came with the Arabs into the camp, had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.

He too followed the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him to act wickedly. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing. He also followed their counsel when he went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram; so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramoth in his battle with Hazael king of Aram.

Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab because he had been wounded.

Through Ahaziah’s visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. While Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives, who had been attending Ahaziah, and he killed them. He then went in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He was a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart.” So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom.

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him. He remained hidden with them at the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God.

Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David. Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors, a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the others are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the Lord. No one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe the Lord’s command not to enter. The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each with weapon in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions. Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God. He stationed all the men, each with his weapon in his hand, around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!”

When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the Lord. She looked, and there was the king, standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and musicians with their instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: “Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not put her to death at the temple of the Lord.” So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.

Jehoiada then made a covenant that he, the people and the king would be the Lord’s people. All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests, to whom David had made assignments in the temple, to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered. He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.

He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the temple of the Lord. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne. All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.

2 Chronicles 22 and 23

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we saw in Chapter 21, Judah had taken a spiritual turn for the worse under the leadership of King Jehoram. His father and grandfather had both led in ways that were good and pleasing to God for the most part but things changed and changed drastically. Not only did Jehoram have all his brothers executed but he led the people of Jerusalem to compromise their faith in the Lord to follow false gods. What could explain Jehoram’s turning from God and the ways of his forefathers? Perhaps the answer comes in that he chose to marry a daughter of Ahab, the king of Israel who did evil in the Lord’s sight.

Whatever the reason, the bottom line was that Jehoram turned from God and paid the price for it as he died from a dreadful disease. Scripture tells us that his youngest son Ahaziah assumed the throne because all of the older siblings had been killed by raiders who had come into the camp.

So would a change of rule get Judah back in good standing with the Lord?

Not in this case. For we read where Ahaziah followed the wicked ways of Ahab and was encouraged to do so by his mother Athaliah who had her own malevolent agenda as we’ll see in a moment. Ahaziah sided with Ahab’s son Joram in battle against the Arameans at Ramoth Gilead, a battle that left Joram wounded. And when Ahaziah went to pay Joram a visit, they went to meet Jehu who scripture tells us had been anointed by the Lord to destroy the house of Ahab. You can see where this is not going to end well for Ahaziah.

God’s word tells us that while Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives who had been attending Ahaziah and he killed them. They were in party with the house of Ahab and thus faced the penalty for their association. Ditto for the young king of Judah because Jehu’s men searched for him and, after finding him hiding in Samaria, brought him to Jehu who had him executed.

Two evil leaders in a row within Judah. Both found their end in God’s judgment for their disobedience and sinfulness.

Would there now be a change? Would a new king arise to set things straight?

Not exactly.

Remember Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah and how I mentioned she had an evil agenda? Well, when she saw that her Ahaziah was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah. Can you see where this was heading? If she killed off all successors to the throne then she could reign as queen of Judah.

Thank goodness that Jehoram had a daughter, Jehosheba, who was not like her father but rather faithful to God. She didn’t marry into evil but rather into the priesthood of Judah, the wife of Jehoiada. We read where she took Ahaziah’s son Joash and hid him away in a bedroom with his nurse so he would not be murdered. Both Jehosheba and Jehoaida kept Joash safe within the temple of God for six years, six years in which Athaliah got her wish and ruled the land as queen.

Well, in the seventh year, God chose to set things straight and he did so through Jehoaida who scripture tells us showed his strength by making a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred. These commanders went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God. And it was during that assembly that Jehoaida set the coronation plan in place to include protection for Joash. Look again at his words:

“The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David. Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors, a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the others are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the Lord. No one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe the Lord’s command not to enter. The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each with weapon in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

Note that Jehoaida was only setting in place the will and way of the Lord. It wasn’t by his choice or the choice of the people. No, Joash was being placed on the throne to fulfill God’s promise concerning the descendants of David.

This is key for us as we sometimes find ourselves spiritually off course and going in the wrong direction. The first step to getting back on track is setting things straight with God. Repenting of our wrongs and returning to His word with a renewed willingness to be obedient to His will and way. Then and only then can we begin to receive and experience the blessing of God in our lives as we come to Him hungering and thirsting for His righteousness while rejecting sin and its evil ways.

Back to the scriptures where we find the people assembled in Judah carrying out Jehoaida’s plan to perfection. They secured the area and then Jehoiada and his sons brought out Joash and put the crown on him, presenting him with a copy of the covenant, proclaiming and anointing him king while shouting, “Long live the king!”

Well, Queen Athaliah heard the clamor of the coronation ceremony and went to the temple of the Lord to see what was going on. Once there, she looked and saw Joash, the newly crowned seven-year old king of Judah standing by his pillar at the entrance with the officers and the trumpeters beside him. The people were rejoicing and blowing trumpets while the musicians with their instruments were leading the praises. It was a great time of worship and celebration for everyone, that is except for Athaliah who scripture tells us tore her robes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!” She probably would have been better off not bringing attention to herself because Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: “Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” And so Athaliah was seized and executed at the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds.

God was beginning to set things straight and it started from the top down. Just as Jehoram had influenced the people of Judah for the bad, a good and righteous leader could turn the people back toward God.  

Jehoiada, who God used along with Jehosheba as a part of His master plan, then made a covenant that he, the people and the king would be the Lord’s people. And all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

This was a good second step in getting straight with God, recommitting to being people of the Lord. This means getting rid of anything that would damage our relationship with Him. We have to be willing to turn from our sin before we can have be company with the Lord who hates and despises it.  

Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests, to whom David had made assignments in the temple, to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered. He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.

Finally, getting straight with God means coming back to a full sense of worship and sacrifice unto Him. For He and He alone is worthy of our worship, honor, glory, and praise.

Friends, I don’t know where you stand today when it comes to your relationship with God but of you have allowed yourself to stray away from Him and His word, today can be the day for you to turn back to Him, repent of your sins, and begin to set things straight. My prayer is that you will recommit yourself to His service and return to a place of praise and worship unto Him in your life.

Know and trust that He’s waiting to receive you.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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