2 Kings 11-12

Jonathan Ledbetter

Kingdom, Come • Sermon • Submitted 5 months ago • Presented 5 months ago

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Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 11:12

Introduction

What if Jesus had Never Been Born?

Can You Imagine the Ramifications of that?

I Don’t Think Any of Us can

Jesus has So Fundamentally Changed the World…

That it’s Impossible for Us to Imagine…

What it would Be Like had He Never Been Born

But, Without Doubt, the World would Be in Much Worse Shape

And There would Be No Hope at All

The Reason I Ask this Question is Because…

When You Study Jesus’ Lineage…

You’ll Find that There were Times When His Family Tree…

Was Almost Cut Down Completely

There were Times When the Royal Lineage of David…

Was in Desperate Trouble

After King Jehoshaphat Died…

His Son Jehoram Became King

And We Read this in 2 Chronicles 21:4

2 Chronicles 21:4 (NASB95)

4 Now when Jehoram had taken over the kingdom of his father and made himself secure, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulers of Israel also.

Jehoram Killed His Brothers…

To Rid Himself of Any Threats to His Throne

2 Verses Down, We Read:

2 Chronicles 21:6 (NASB95)

6 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did (for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

We’ll Be Meeting this Daughter of Ahab in Our Text

She’s Going to Try to Completely Destroy David’s Royal Lineage

We’ll See that in a Minute

After King Jehoram’s Death…

His Son Ahaziah Became King of Judah

2 Chronicles 22:1 Tells Us that Ahaziah Became King…

Because All of His Older Brothers had Been Killed By a Band of Arabs

And Last Week, We Saw Jehu Kill Ahaziah…

As Well as 42 Members of His Family

2 Chronicles 22:8 (NASB95)

8 It came about when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers ministering to Ahaziah, and slew them.

Among Those 42 People Jehu Killed Were:

Some of King Ahaziah’s Sons & Nephews

So, Think about What David’s Royal Lineage Looks Like Right Now:

Ahaziah, King of Judah, is Dead

All His Uncles were Killed By His Father

All His Brothers were Killed By Arabs

All His Nephews & Some of His Own Sons were Killed By Jehu

All that’s Left of David’s Royal Lineage…

Is Whatever is Left of Ahaziah’s Sons

And There can’t Be Many, Because He was Only 23 When He Died

And Whatever Few Sons of Ahaziah are Left…

Are Going to Face the Wrath of Granny Athaliah…

Ahaziah’s Mother…

The Queen Mother of Judah…

The Daughter of the Deceased King Ahab

You’ll See What I Mean in Just a Minute

David’s Royal Lineage…

The Lineage that would Eventually Produce the Messiah & Savior of the World…

Gets Very Close to Being Completely Cut Off

But, God Keeps His Promises…

And Always Provides a Way for His Will to Be Done…

And for His Son to Be Born

2 Kings 11-12

2 Kings 11:1–3 (NIV)

1 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. 3 He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

After King Ahaziah’s Death at the Hands of Jehu…

Ahaziah’s Mother Decides to Execute All of Her Grandsons

But, Ahaziah’s Sister, Jehosheba…

Rescues Joash, Her Little 1 Year Old Nephew

2 Chronicles 22:11 Tells Us that Jehosheba is Married to Jehoiada…

The Chief Priest of the Temple of God

And They Decide Hide Their Nephew & His Nurse…

In the Temple for 6 Years

In the 7th Year, Jehoiada (Chief Priest)…

Decides it’s Time to Make Joash King of Judah

He Called for All the Heads of the Families in Judah…

And the Commanders of Hundreds of Royal Body Guards…

To Come to the Temple

He Made a Covenant with Them…

And Then Revealed to Them that the King’s Son, Joash, was Alive

Then He Stationed the Guards in Different Locations…

To Surround the Temple & Protect Joash at All Costs

He Armed Them with Shields & Spears that David had Placed in the Temple…

And Told Them to Kill Anyone that Tries to Get into the Temple

2 Kings 11:12 (NLT)

12 Then Jehoiada brought out Joash, the king’s son, placed the crown on his head, and presented him with a copy of God’s laws. They anointed him and proclaimed him king, and everyone clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”

When Athaliah Heard All the Commotion at the Temple…

She Came Out & Saw Her 7 Year Old Grandson, Joash…

Standing By the Pillar of the Temple

She Cried Out, “Treason! Treason!”…

As if What She had Done to Her Grandsons wasn’t the Real Treason

Then Jehoiada had Them Seize & Execute Her

2 Kings 11:17–21 (NLT)

17 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. 18 And all the people of the land went over to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They demolished the altars and smashed the idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Jehoiada the priest stationed guards at the Temple of the Lord. 19 Then the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, the palace guards, and all the people of the land escorted the king from the Temple of the Lord. They went through the gate of the guards and into the palace, and the king took his seat on the royal throne. 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed at the king’s palace. 21 Joash was seven years old when he became king.

The Davidic Lineage is Saved & Protected…

All Thanks to the Chief Priest & His Wife…

King Joash’s Aunt & Uncle

Not Only that, But Judah as a Whole has Been Turned Back to God

Baal Worship has Been Removed from Judah…

Just as it was from Israel By King Jehu

Things are Starting to Look Much Better in Judah

But, Just Keep Reading

We Get a Little Hint as to Where Things are Going in 2 Kings 12:1-3

2 Kings 12:1–3 (CSB)

1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beer-sheba. 2 Throughout the time the priest Jehoiada instructed him, Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight. 3 Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.

Joash was a Good & Righteous King…

But Only During the Lifetime of Uncle Jehoiada, the Chief Priest

Things will Take a Much Darker Turn After His Death

But Before We Get There…

Verse 4 Begins Telling Us about Joash’s Plan…

To have the Damages in the Temple Repaired

Joash Wanted the Priests to Collect Money from the People of Judah…

And Make the Necessary Repairs

For a While, No Repairs were Made

The Priests weren’t Getting the Work Done

So Joash Takes Over & Hires Outside Laborers to Do it…

And Made Sure the Repairs were Finally Made

Then We Read this in:

2 Chronicles 24:14b–16 (NIV)

As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord. 15 Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. 16 He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.

2 Kings 12 Goes on to Tell Us that Hazael, King of Aram…

Came to Attack Jerusalem…

But Joash Took All the Treasures & Sacred Things…

From the Temple & His Own House to Pay Off Hazael…

And Keep Him from Attacking Jerusalem

Instead of Trusting in God’s Protection…

He Trusted in Wealth to Protect Him

Then the Chapter Ends with Joash Being Assassinated By 2 of His Servants

Joash’s Story Began Like the Story of a Righteous Leader (Moses & Jesus):

An Evil Ruler Over God’s People Trying to Kill…

A Young Child Who is Destined to Rule God’s People

But His Story Ends Like the Story of Wicked Ruler

What Happened?

2 Kings Doesn’t Tell Us…

But 2 Chronicles Does:

2 Chronicles 24:17–25 (NIV)

17 After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem.

19 Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen. 20 Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’ ”

21 But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 22 King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.”

23 At the turn of the year, the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. 24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash. 25 When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Application

Overall, this is a Sad Story

We See a King that has All the Identifying Markers of a Righteous King…

Turn from His Faithfulness & Live Like All the Other Wicked Kings

But I Don’t Want to Focus on Joash

I Want to Focus on Jehoiada

Jehoiada was a Righteous Priest…

Who was Able to Turn Judah Back to God in His Lifetime

He & His Wife Did the Righteous Thing…

By Secretly Adopting Their Nephew

By Doing this They Protected Joash…

As Well as the Davidic Dynasty

He Raised, Taught, & Counseled Joash to Be a Great & Righteous Ruler

This Led to Judah Being Faithful to God

Just Look at the Good One Righteous Man (Family) can Do

An Entire Kingdom was Turned Back to God…

Because They Chose to Do the Right Thing

God can Do Great Things Through Those Who Choose to Do His Will

When I was in High School…

I Used to Do Janitorial Work for a Factory Here in Town

There was a Worker There Who had a Sign in His Office Window that Said:

“No One Notices the Work I Do Until I Don’t Do it”

That’s Often the Case, isn’t it?

We can See Just How Important Jehoiada’s Faithful Influence was…

On the Kingdom of Judah…

By Looking at the Shape that Judah is in Once He’s Gone:

Judah Turns Right Back to Idol Worship & Sin

While He was Alive, Judah was Faithful

Once He Died, Judah Fell Back into Sin

I Believe that’s Why He Lived to Be 130 Years Old

God Gave Him a Long Life…

So that He could Influence Judah Toward Faithfulness for a Long Time

If God can Do All that Through One Man Who Chooses to Live for God…

Then What can He Do Through Us?