2nd Evangelical Free Church

The Chronicles of the Kings: Taking it to the Lord in Prayer.

2 Kings 19

Initially Hezekiah was not calm or composed when threatened by the Assyrians. He flipped out and was frightened for he knew he could not fight back. He did know, however, where to go with his fears: directly to the Lord in prayer. He asked the Lord to address the blasphemy that has been uttered against His Name by the Assyrians. Thus the prophet Isaiah responded to the taunts of the Assyrians with a prophetic boast. Although the opposing armies appeared formidable, they were no match for the Lord. It is the Lord who sets up kingdoms and kings and puts limits on them all. Though they all proudly boast of their strength, the Lord opposes the proud but lifts up the downtrodden.

The Assyrians should remind us of all the mocking boastful taunts that those in our media and our culture launch against the Christian church. Often we are tempted to fight back with boasts and taunts of our own to make the enemy feel small and weak, but it does not work. All we can do is fight back with the proclamation of the gospel, of God’s word, the truth. Those who hear it may continue to mock and blaspheme, and that should make us pity them. They do not realize that they are offending God, primarily because they don’t believe in Him and reject His truth as just one among many. Yet their offenses against the Lord will be punished, much to their sorrow.  We must help them get right with God before it is too late.

 

The Chronicles of the Kings: Do not give way to vengeance.

2 Kings 18

In stark contrast to the faithlessness of Samaria, we find the faithfulness of Hezekiah. He was a godly king on a par with David. He destroyed the systems of idolatry in Judah while restoring true worship of Yahweh centralized at the Temple in Jerusalem. He refocused Judah’s attention on being faithful to God’s covenant. Because of his godly behavior the Lord looked kindly on Judah and saved her from sharing the same fate as Samaria at the hands of Assyria. Yet though he was godly and righteous he did not possess the military prowess of his forefather David.  He was forced into a defensive war when Assyria attacked and pillaged Judah and laid siege to Jerusalem.

The mocking boastfulness of the Assyrian general before the walls of the city was designed to intimidate and frighten both King and people. Yet as we look at this speech we realize that the general committed a grievous error. He attributed Judah’s military failures as a sign that Yahweh was displeased with Hezekiah for destroying His altars. He did not know that Hezekiah’s actions were in accordance with God’s covenant. So what he said was an insult to the Lord God Almighty. Yahweh would now take up arms against the arrogant warriors as a warrior Himself and so exalt His Name while delivering His people.

Christians should learn from this that we need not strike back in kind or in anger against the atheists, idolaters, materialists or syncretists who insult our Lord Jesus and malign our beliefs. That may be our first reaction. to avenge God’s dignity but is that really what He wants? Does He want us to tell the offenders that they are going to hell? If so, we must be sure that we do it in sorrow not anger and without mocking of boasting. Ultimately it is our desire that they accept the mercy of Jesus and repent. Anger and threats will not achieve this. Compassion and kindness will. 

 

The Chronicles of the Kings: Worldliness.

2 Kings 17

As the author of Kings describes the fall of Samaria to the Assyrians he also mentions the sins which caused her downfall. The Kings of Samaria and the people as well consistently and repeatedly rejected the Lord and His covenant. They worshipped idols and engaged in immorality connected with these pagan cults. They worshipped Yahweh in the form of a golden calf. This was blasphemy. They also neglected to dispense mercy and justice to the poor and oppressed. Instead of being the envy of all the nations by showing them the glory of God by living according to His covenant, they behaved in a manner that was no different than the peoples around them. They failed to be a light to the Gentiles.

Unfortunately, the Church throughout the centuries has failed to live according to the new covenant instituted by Jesus. This covenant is not of written rules and regulations but a covenant of love that is written on the heart. The covenant is wrought in Jesus blood, not our deeds. It enables us to live in purity apart from the world, to love our enemies, to extend mercy to those who are hurting and dispense justice to those who are oppressed. The church throughout the ages has often engaged in violence against its enemies, neglected the poor and exploited the oppressed. Even today the church neglects God’s covenant.  The church today seeks to be a light to the world, not by being pure, loving, merciful and just, but by becoming like the world and adopting its ways and values. The modern church idolizes money, fame and flashy music and conservative politics. Music and singing as worship is not so much the privilege and joy of the saved but a tool to draw people in. And God’s word is used to foster political agendas rather than encourage holiness. 

 

 

The Chronicles of the Kings: Misguided trust.

2 Kings 16

Although Ahaz benefited from the wisdom of Uzziah and Jotham, he apparently learned nothing from them about how to run the kingdom according to the Lord’s standard. Under his rule, Judah began to shrink in size and influence. He practiced the abominations of the Canaanites and corrupted the true worship of the Lord at the Temple in Jerusalem. As bad as these sins were, he did much worse: he sought military aid from Assyria. This showed a lack of faith in Yahweh. The Lord offered Him help and even a sign as we see from Isaiah 7 and Matthew 1, the sign that God would be with him and Judah if he only stood fast. Ahaz rejected God’s love and His sign so he paid for placing his trust in the might of Assyria: this “ally” stripped the Temple of its treasures, another affront against the Lord.

Ahaz is a symbol of compromise. He tried to worship Yahweh and other gods and sinned. No one can serve 2 masters. We cannot really worship Yahweh even if we strictly adhere to the correct form and liturgy if we are at the same time worshipping other gods. Many Christians are trying to do exactly that. Many Christians pursue the gods of materialism, fame and pleasure but still think they are really honoring God because they go to church regularly and tithe. Many even work for companies that pursue goals and agendas that dishonor God. These would include those who show no regard for the poor and needy. Such compromise will always invite the Lord’s discipline.  

 

Forsaking God brings chaos.

2 Kings 15

The name Uzziah is familiar to us from Isaiah 6. The year he died was the year of Isaiah’s call when he had the magnificent vision of the Lord’s throne! Uzziah is King Azariah. Because of a skin condition referred to as leprosy, he had to share his reign with his son Jotham. Together they were known for their godly behavior even though they failed to centralize worship at the Jerusalem temple. They left the high places intact. These were altars where the Lord was worshipped and sacrifices were offered. They would cause trouble because those who worshipped there did not worship God as He commanded. Nevertheless, Judah prospered under their reign.

At the same time, the Kingdom of Samaria was falling apart. During Azariah’s rule, there were several kings in the north. Each of them did evil in the eyes of the Lord, which of course is no surprise. Almost all of these kings reigned for only a short period of time and almost all were assassinated. The state of the kingdom was chaotic and the suffering of the common folk increased. This is all a result of the failure of both King and people to honor God’s covenant. God’s mercy was coming to an end for Israel. 

The lesson we learn as we contemplate the fate of Israel is to always trust God. Many in America no longer put their trust in God. They may claim to as it is supposed to be the motto of our nation and is printed on our currency and coins. Yet most Americans look first to money or science or government to get them through problems and crises. Many will trust in false religions and celebrities to give them guidance and contentment. Because of this America is falling apart. It is up to the Church to stand boldly because the Kingdom of God is a key witness to the truth.

 

The Chronicles of the Kings: Who deserves grace?

2 Kings 14 

When the author of Kings mentioned the various Kings of Israel he did so with harsh words, judgment and disdain. All the kings of Samaria from Jeroboam ignored the covenant of the Lord and behaved like the pagans. The Kings of Judah were portrayed in a more favorable manner even though many of them had serious spiritual flaws. This is because they sat on the throne of David, not because of their deeds. As we look at what they did and faiedl to do we can see that, at least so far, most of them behaved despicably and failed to serve the Lord wholeheartedly.

Nevertheless the kings of both kingdoms were recipients of God’s grace even though they failed to deserve it. But isn’t that exactly the way the Lord operates? No one ever deserves God’s blessing, favor or mercy. Such things are bestowed by His love rather than earned because of our deeds or ethnicity or national origin. This idea contradicts the sense of entitlement most Americans possess. We feel that we deserve health, wealth and prosperity. We feel we deserve the right to live and speak as we please. But as Christians we have no rights. We cannot demand anything from God. We can pray with humility for what we need, but the Lord is not obligated to provide. That He does so is a sign of His faithfulness and worth, not ours. And yet since God still blesses those who have not earned the right to be blessed shouldn’t we do the same? 

 

The Chronicles of the Kings: False repentance.

2 Kings 13 

Two of 2 kings of Samaria (Israel) are presented here: Jehoahaz and his son Jehoash. Both started out their reigns doing the same displeasing things that their predecessors did for which the Lord disciplined them. They failed to keep God’s covenant, and failed to destroy all the pagan idols. In the case of these 2, the Lord’s discipline brought them to repentance. We see the last mention of the prophet Elisha in connection here with Jehoash. All the prophets who come after him powerfully preach the word of the Lord to apostate Israel or Judah, but are not given miraculous powers as both Elijah and Elisha demonstrated. They could boldly proclaim God’s word to the King and the Lord protected them from all harm. From this point on many prophets preach but serve mainly to warn the nation of the impending judgment of God as well as witness the inevitable destruction of Israel.

Adversity, illness and troubles often force people to seek out the Lord. Many times their repentance is genuine and they seek to live godly lives. Unfortunately many times such repentance is false and short-lived. Once most people get through the bad times with God’s help and mercy, they forget about Him and resume their self-centered lives. Unfortunately it is not easy to discern false from true repentance. Only the test of time as the person perseveres and grows in faith can we tell the false from the true. Yet those whose repentance and profession of faith is not genuine will wind up worse off than before because they have trampled upon God’s mercy and lied to Him. Unless they accept the judgment of the cross, they will be judged for their sins. 

 

The Chronicles of the Kings: Counterfeit religion.

2 Kings 12 

Like most of his predecessors, Joash had a mixed career. He did not remove the high places, the altars to foreign gods nor the counterfeit altars to Yahweh. Yet, at least initially, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord but only as he worked with the High Priest Jehoiada. They teamed up to restore order and righteousness in Judah as well as to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. Yet eventually animosity developed between the 2 as Joash sought to curtail the authority and work of the priests. His disobedience was the cause for the loss of the Temple treasures which he gave up without a fight and without asking the Lord. In addition, the animosity was the probable cause of his assassination.

Historically, the relationship between church and state has always been strained, especially here in contemporary America. Both sides have often used each other for political and financial gain. More often politicians have sought to silence the prophetic voice of the church or channel it for their own ends. Although the founding fathers of this nation sought the advice and counsel of the church, the relationship has changed to exactly the opposite. The church ought to advise the government as to issues of morality, justice and ethics. She ought to always stand up for righteousness and truth no matter what the obstacles or the cost. Government without the voice of the church descends into the chaos of individualism just as we see in America today.

 

 

The Chronicles of the Kings: Compromise with evil spells trouble.

2 Kings 11 

The story of Athaliah is one of rebellion. She attempted to grasp hold of the throne of Judah and David while eliminating the rightful heirs. She trampled upon God’s covenant and placed the survival of the entire kingdom in jeopardy. The only thing that stopped her was the godly men of Judah who boldly risked their lives to keep the Kingdom intact. They anointed a new legitimate King who was able to restore order and administer justice and continue the line of David.

At various times throughout history, the existence of the Church of Jesus Christ has been threatened by politicians, rulers, kings, and despots who sought to take away her authority  in order to rule over others with impunity. Of course the church has also been threatened by compromise with the world as misguided church ministers and clerics sought to make the church a political and military power or worse, a religious empire with them at the head.

The Church today is still under attack from politicians and groups of people who seek to silence the truth so the individual can do whatever he or she pleases. Apparently the rights of the individual to do as he pleases surpass the responsibility to obey God and His Word and to love our fellow man. In addition, the church is under attack from within as many ministers make friends with the world to advance their own kingdoms rather than the kingdom of God. As in the past, however, the true church will always triumph as God will use humble believers to boldly oppose the wicked. The seed of the church is truly the blood of the martyrs.

 

The Chronicles of the Kings: Doing good for bad reasons.

2 Kings 10 

Jehu completed his regime change by ridding Israel of all the prophets of Baal. His actions seem to demonstrate a rather pious zeal for the glory of the Lord. Because he carried out the commands of the Lord regarding Ahab and Baal worship, the Lord commended him. This is very peculiar in the light of Hosea 1:4, where his actions are condemned as the basis for God’s judgment on Israel. The two passages seem to be contradictory for God commends him here but condemns him in Hosea for the same actions. As we look closer at the passage before us today we see that all was not well. Jehu did not destroy the golden calves at Bethel or Dan and continued in the sin of Jeroboam.

Jehu was a religious hypocrite. He performed God’s will and followed the Lord’s commands only so far as they fit in with his own objectives. He did all the right things but for the wrong reasons. God’s plan was carried out but Jehu still did wrong. This should serve as a warning to us, one which is constantly reiterated in the pages of Scripture. The Lord demands total loyalty. Such loyalty means we serve Him with our entire being, with all of our resources. We build His kingdom not ours. Without such total devotion, we can do all the right things for all the wrong reasons and it will not benefit us at all nor will it give glory to God. In fact making a show of doing God’s work to earn material benefits or the praise of men is especially heinous and invites God’s wrath. Thus when we do good deeds we must always examine our motives.