A Holy Uprising (2 Chronicles 23)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:06.559 Let's turn our attention to second chronicles, Chapter Twenty three. Second Chronicles Twenty 2 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:13.349 three, let's give our attention to God's word. But in the seventh year, 3 00:00:13.470 --> 00:00:18.469 Jehoida took courage and entered into a covenant with the commanders of hundreds, 4 00:00:19.070 --> 00:00:23.620 Azariah, the son of Jehoran, Ishmael, the son of Jehanhanah, Jehoanan, 5 00:00:24.260 --> 00:00:29.339 Azariah, the son of Obed Massaeya, the son of Addhia, and 6 00:00:29.539 --> 00:00:34.020 Elishapat, the son of Zikri, and they went about through Judah and gathered 7 00:00:34.060 --> 00:00:38.450 the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the heads of father's houses of 8 00:00:38.570 --> 00:00:43.530 Israel, and they came to Jerusalem and all the assembly made a covenant with 9 00:00:43.689 --> 00:00:47.689 the King in the House of God, and Jehoiada said to them, behold 10 00:00:48.409 --> 00:00:53.320 the king's son, let him reign. As the Lord spoke concerning the Sons 11 00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:57.880 of David, this is the thing that you shall do. Of you priests 12 00:00:57.960 --> 00:01:02.479 and Levites who come off duty on the Sabbath, one third shall be gatekeepers 13 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:06.510 and one third shall be at the king's house and one third at the gate 14 00:01:06.549 --> 00:01:10.310 of the foundation, and all the people shall be in the courts of the 15 00:01:10.390 --> 00:01:15.109 House of the Lord. Let no one enter the House of the Lord except 16 00:01:15.230 --> 00:01:19.579 the priests and ministering Levites. They may enter, for they are holy, 17 00:01:19.099 --> 00:01:23.780 but all the people shall keep the charge of the Lord. The Levites shall 18 00:01:23.780 --> 00:01:30.260 surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand, and whoever enters 19 00:01:30.299 --> 00:01:34.609 the house shall be put to death. Be With the king when he comes 20 00:01:34.650 --> 00:01:40.890 in and when he goes out. The Levites and all Judah did according to 21 00:01:41.049 --> 00:01:45.609 all the johoyed the priest commanded, and he each brought his men who were 22 00:01:45.689 --> 00:01:49.519 to go off duty on the Sabbath with those who were to come on duty 23 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:53.439 on the Sabbath. For Jooyah to the priest did not dismiss the divisions and 24 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:59.280 joy to the priest gave to the captains the spears and the large and small 25 00:01:59.400 --> 00:02:01.510 shields that had been King David's, which were in the House of God, 26 00:02:01.670 --> 00:02:07.189 and he set all the people as a guard for the king, every man 27 00:02:07.349 --> 00:02:09.669 with his weapon in his hand, from the South side of the House to 28 00:02:09.710 --> 00:02:15.069 the north side of the house, around the altar and the around the altar 29 00:02:15.189 --> 00:02:19.740 and the house. Then they brought out the king's son and put the crown 30 00:02:19.819 --> 00:02:25.580 on him and gave him the testimony and they proclaimed him as king and Jehoyda 31 00:02:25.659 --> 00:02:35.370 and his son's anointed him and they said Long live the king. When atholiah 32 00:02:35.530 --> 00:02:39.330 heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into 33 00:02:39.370 --> 00:02:45.800 the House of the Lord to the people and when she looked there was the 34 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:51.280 king standing by his pillar at the entrance and the captains and the trumpeters beside 35 00:02:51.319 --> 00:02:54.919 the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets and 36 00:02:55.039 --> 00:03:00.669 the singers with their musical instruments leading in the celebration, and off Aliah tore 37 00:03:00.789 --> 00:03:07.069 her clothes and cried treason, treason. Then, joyed to the priest, 38 00:03:07.349 --> 00:03:10.229 brought out the captains who were set over the army, saying to them bring 39 00:03:10.389 --> 00:03:15.020 her out between the ranks and anyone who follows hers to be put to death 40 00:03:15.139 --> 00:03:19.020 with the sword, for the priest said, do not put her to death 41 00:03:19.180 --> 00:03:22.979 in the House of the Lord. So they laid hands on her and she 42 00:03:23.139 --> 00:03:27.139 went into the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king's house and they put 43 00:03:27.169 --> 00:03:31.689 her to death there. And Johoyda made a covenant between himself and all the 44 00:03:31.810 --> 00:03:38.490 people and the king that they should be the Lord's people. Then all the 45 00:03:38.610 --> 00:03:42.479 people went to the House of bail and tore it down, his altars and 46 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:46.639 his images. They broken pieces and they killed Maton, the priests of bail 47 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:51.479 before the altars and johoyed a posted watchmen for the House of the Lord, 48 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:55.550 under the direction of the levitical priests and the Levites, whom David had organized 49 00:03:55.590 --> 00:03:59.990 to be in charge of the House of the Lord, to offer burnt offerings 50 00:04:00.030 --> 00:04:02.349 to the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with 51 00:04:02.509 --> 00:04:08.669 rejoicing and with singing. According to the order of David, he stationed the 52 00:04:08.710 --> 00:04:12.460 gatekeepers the gates of the House of the Lord so that no one should enter 53 00:04:12.539 --> 00:04:15.899 who was in any way unclean. You took the captains, the nobles, 54 00:04:15.939 --> 00:04:19.740 the governors of the People's and all the people of the land and they brought 55 00:04:19.819 --> 00:04:24.649 the king down from the House of the Lord, marching through the upper gate 56 00:04:24.730 --> 00:04:28.170 to the king's house, and they set the king on the Royal Throne. 57 00:04:28.689 --> 00:04:33.089 So all the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet after Autholiah 58 00:04:33.490 --> 00:04:40.360 had been put to death with the sword. God bless his word to us. 59 00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:50.680 If you are jumping into the midical, middle of or Middleish and dish 60 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:55.709 of second chronicles here on. The story has a lot of drama all in 61 00:04:55.829 --> 00:04:59.829 its own, but it has even more when you remember who ath a lia 62 00:05:00.310 --> 00:05:05.029 is. She's not just some person who got overthrown. She was the wicked 63 00:05:05.110 --> 00:05:12.500 daughter of Jezebel from the north in Israel who, through a variety of circumstances, 64 00:05:12.540 --> 00:05:16.339 had come down to Judah, had integrated into the household of the king's 65 00:05:16.779 --> 00:05:27.769 and had put everyone she thought to death. You basically have this evil Israelite 66 00:05:27.930 --> 00:05:32.569 proxy Queen Ruling in Judah where the sons of David should have been. And 67 00:05:32.769 --> 00:05:42.519 she was no merely power hungry person. She was she was someone who is 68 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:48.560 committed to undoing not just the relationship of David and his dynasty in this kingdom, 69 00:05:49.509 --> 00:05:55.430 but she wanted to undo the relationship between God and his people, which 70 00:05:55.430 --> 00:06:00.790 is why she, like her mother, had established this House of Bale idolatrous 71 00:06:00.829 --> 00:06:08.819 worship and many other things. This is an extremely low point in Judah's history, 72 00:06:09.540 --> 00:06:15.139 in the in the children of Abraham's history. It would seem at this 73 00:06:15.339 --> 00:06:19.449 point, before we read Chapter Twenty three, that all is over, that 74 00:06:19.610 --> 00:06:24.089 the promise that had been given to David that he, the God, would 75 00:06:24.129 --> 00:06:28.930 place one of his sons on the throne to rule, and a majestic and 76 00:06:29.089 --> 00:06:33.720 wonderful rule for all eternity. At this promise had come undone, that Satan 77 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:38.600 had had his way in the world, had undone the covenance between God and 78 00:06:38.680 --> 00:06:46.199 his people, and now it was all darkness in idolatry. But at the 79 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:54.430 end of chapter twenty two we read that a son was hidden. We read 80 00:06:54.709 --> 00:06:59.069 that one of the sons, one of the sons of these grandsons of David, 81 00:06:59.790 --> 00:07:02.379 was hidden in the House of God for six years. This is the 82 00:07:02.420 --> 00:07:05.860 last verse of Chapter Twenty Two. Six years hidden in the House of God 83 00:07:06.019 --> 00:07:14.339 while Athaliah reigned over the land. Six years. That'saw longer than one presidential 84 00:07:14.420 --> 00:07:17.490 term. It's not the longest thing in the world, but I don't think 85 00:07:17.529 --> 00:07:25.170 it was pleasant. Can you imagine being being a Johoyoda, a faithful priest, 86 00:07:25.610 --> 00:07:28.529 or perhaps one of the Levites serving in the House of a Lord, 87 00:07:28.810 --> 00:07:32.839 walking along the street next to one of the priests of bail, perhaps riding 88 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:36.519 the bus on the way, on the way up to the temple, next 89 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:41.519 to other people that were going to their jobs in your country, in Judah, 90 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:46.709 to worship and to sacrifice to this false god. We don't have lots 91 00:07:46.750 --> 00:07:51.589 of details, but gooven what we know about her, her murderous tendencies, 92 00:07:51.629 --> 00:07:57.470 her disloyalty, her only looking out for number one, her great sins, 93 00:07:57.589 --> 00:08:01.819 her hatred of Yahweh. We can imagine that any faithful person would have been 94 00:08:01.860 --> 00:08:07.500 at great risk. There would have been danger. The temple, of course, 95 00:08:07.579 --> 00:08:11.379 still remained. I suppose that would have been difficult to destroy and also 96 00:08:13.410 --> 00:08:18.649 probably a difficult political move. You'd also lose a lot of wealth. So 97 00:08:18.810 --> 00:08:22.370 we have the the priests, Jehoioda and a certain amount of structure continuing on 98 00:08:24.410 --> 00:08:28.839 and Johoida, in the middle of this terrible rain by this queen, makes 99 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:35.480 some very difficult decisions. Decides to hide this Sun. It's a long time 100 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:41.120 to hide a person right under the queen's nose. Remember that the temple was 101 00:08:41.429 --> 00:08:43.710 next to the palace. I mean it's all sort of in the same complex, 102 00:08:43.750 --> 00:08:48.669 large build things, lots of people. But still he hides for six 103 00:08:48.710 --> 00:08:54.070 years. Somehow the word doesn't get out to the most powerful person in Judah, 104 00:08:54.590 --> 00:09:00.659 the one person who threatens her the most. He hides her. But 105 00:09:00.779 --> 00:09:07.500 the day comes when Jehoiadah, we read in verse one takes courage. For 106 00:09:07.620 --> 00:09:16.450 whatever reason, he decides it's time. ATHELIA's reign is over and with amazing 107 00:09:16.570 --> 00:09:26.360 leadership, Johoia encourage goes public in a way. He calls commanders, families, 108 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:30.960 governors, priests and he tells them the plan, at least many of 109 00:09:31.039 --> 00:09:35.679 them the plan, and he musters up a great number of people to establish 110 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:39.029 what is going to be happen. All the assembly reread in verse three. 111 00:09:39.309 --> 00:09:43.629 All the assembly made a covenant with the King and the House of God. 112 00:09:43.789 --> 00:09:48.549 They make a covenant there. They're they're committed to what is going to happen, 113 00:09:48.669 --> 00:09:54.940 and Johoida says to them, behold the king's son. Can you imagine 114 00:09:54.980 --> 00:09:58.620 if, perhaps you didn't know that the king yet had a son? You 115 00:10:00.539 --> 00:10:03.539 thought everything was over, you thought Atheliah was reigning and it would just be 116 00:10:03.740 --> 00:10:07.889 one of her daughters or sons after another until who knows when. And now 117 00:10:09.009 --> 00:10:13.409 all of a sudden you find out there is a promised child that we didn't 118 00:10:13.409 --> 00:10:22.399 know about, a king ready to take control. Amazing. He says behold 119 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:26.480 the king's son, let him reign, as the Lord spoke concerning the Sons 120 00:10:26.519 --> 00:10:31.879 of David. I think this is a really remarkable thing. Jehoy had obviously 121 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:37.269 had US nick significant amount of power here. He doesn't take it to himself, 122 00:10:37.389 --> 00:10:41.990 though. This is not Johoya as coup in order to obtain power. 123 00:10:41.950 --> 00:10:48.070 Instead, he takes this this perhaps child it would seem, and and and 124 00:10:48.309 --> 00:10:54.019 and exalt him to the place on the he should be. And he does 125 00:10:54.179 --> 00:10:58.779 this for one reason and one reason only. And he says it in verse 126 00:10:58.899 --> 00:11:05.929 three, as the Lord spoke concerning the Sons of David. Throughout this difficult 127 00:11:05.929 --> 00:11:11.009 time, Jehoiada keeps his priorities trait, he keeps his perspective right. His 128 00:11:11.409 --> 00:11:16.529 eye is on the Lord God. He trusts him. Despite the way that 129 00:11:16.690 --> 00:11:20.679 everything is looking in the Kingdom of Judah, Jehoy had a trust that God 130 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:24.679 will do as he is promised, as the Lord spoke, and as you 131 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:28.200 go through I won't go through it all now, but as you go through 132 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:33.149 the chapter and you notice David's name coming up again and again and you notice 133 00:11:33.190 --> 00:11:37.230 the names of Moses and instructions and all of these things, you see what 134 00:11:37.309 --> 00:11:43.549 Joyad is doing. Judoy Jehoyah is not inaugurating his own reign, he is 135 00:11:43.669 --> 00:11:48.980 reforming and re establishing God's reign in Judah, the things that God had commanded 136 00:11:50.059 --> 00:11:54.019 according to his covenants, his instructions. This is what Johoy does after and 137 00:11:54.100 --> 00:12:05.970 it is a very holy task. God gives it great success. He does 138 00:12:05.009 --> 00:12:11.570 this clever move where he tells the Levites that are going off duty to sort 139 00:12:11.570 --> 00:12:15.879 of stick around as the Levites that are coming on duty to also stick around. 140 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:20.759 He hands out weapons. I say it's clever because he has a large 141 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:24.919 number of people there without really calling anyone to himself all at the same time. 142 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:31.909 But there they are. They stationed themselves everywhere. They prepare for the 143 00:12:31.029 --> 00:12:37.190 battle. And then Atholie in verse twelve, here is the word. She 144 00:12:37.309 --> 00:12:41.470 heard the noise of the people running and praising the king. She could hear 145 00:12:41.590 --> 00:12:46.820 it, perhaps from her palace. What's that sound? What are those thousands 146 00:12:46.860 --> 00:12:52.700 of people doing down there? And she comes out and when she looked verse 147 00:12:52.820 --> 00:12:56.299 thirteen, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance and the 148 00:12:56.379 --> 00:13:01.970 captains and the trumpeters beside the king and all the people of the land rejoicing 149 00:13:01.049 --> 00:13:09.049 and blowing trumpeters and the singers with their musical instruments leading the celebration. She 150 00:13:09.129 --> 00:13:16.039 accuses them treason. She says treason. But the accusation, like all of 151 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:22.840 Satan's accusations, is a false one. They're not treasons, she is. 152 00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:28.629 She is the one who is run, who's wrongly taken a throne that never 153 00:13:28.750 --> 00:13:33.710 belonged to her, who is ruled over God's people in a way that was 154 00:13:33.789 --> 00:13:37.830 not according to his will. Satan likes to accuse us with things that sound 155 00:13:37.990 --> 00:13:43.580 plausible. It sounds plausible that the people taking over the government reaped kicking out 156 00:13:43.620 --> 00:13:48.659 Atheliah, are the ones who are committing treason. Isn't that the definition? 157 00:13:48.980 --> 00:13:54.700 But yet, despite the plausibility, we know it's not true and she's in 158 00:13:54.740 --> 00:13:58.929 the wrong. And JOD JEHOIADA has nothing. World will not hear it. 159 00:13:58.610 --> 00:14:03.169 Bring her out between the ranks, and anyone who follows her, he says, 160 00:14:03.330 --> 00:14:07.730 is to be put to death with the sword. When the king comes 161 00:14:07.769 --> 00:14:13.120 to power, it is a time of division. It is important that this 162 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:18.840 son of David be established, that he be established as the one truly in 163 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:24.120 control. There's no messing around here. Those of who belong to Ath Aliah 164 00:14:24.429 --> 00:14:28.470 will be destroyed, and that is why, when they get to Matton, 165 00:14:28.669 --> 00:14:31.830 the priest before the bales of altar, they don't wait around to hear his 166 00:14:31.990 --> 00:14:37.429 side of the story. He's told his side of the story. He's demonstrated 167 00:14:37.549 --> 00:14:43.059 his faithfulness already, or rather his faithlessness to Yahway, and they rightly put 168 00:14:43.100 --> 00:14:50.500 him to death. And then, after all that is established, they take 169 00:14:50.659 --> 00:14:54.090 the king, they march him up through the upper gate to the king's house, 170 00:14:54.690 --> 00:14:58.250 they set him on his throne and the people rejoice and the city was 171 00:14:58.370 --> 00:15:03.129 quiet. After all, a lie had been put to death with the sword. 172 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:13.559 Why is this story important to us? Why should it be important to 173 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:20.120 us? There are lots of reasons. One reason is Johoyd is a great 174 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:26.509 example of faithfulness, something to and leadership. He's an exemplary model of of 175 00:15:28.549 --> 00:15:33.350 what it means to be a man of God. You see in him cleverness, 176 00:15:33.470 --> 00:15:39.419 wisdom, patience, a prudence, courage, all kinds of wonderful things. 177 00:15:39.580 --> 00:15:43.100 But it's much more than that, though Jehoy had is certainly central to 178 00:15:43.139 --> 00:15:48.460 the to this story, to this counting or this chronicle of Israel's or Judas 179 00:15:48.500 --> 00:15:56.730 history. Really the center person in the story is God himself. It is 180 00:15:58.090 --> 00:16:03.320 God. God here, through through the script sure, through his spirit, 181 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:11.080 is giving us a specific example of his faithfulness, and not just in a 182 00:16:11.240 --> 00:16:15.559 general way, but particularly his faithfulness to the promise he made to David. 183 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:21.789 There was a specific promise that God made with David, as I said earlier, 184 00:16:22.070 --> 00:16:26.389 a covenant that he made with him that said, I will establish a 185 00:16:26.590 --> 00:16:30.830 king on the throne, one of your sons, who will rule over my 186 00:16:30.029 --> 00:16:40.779 kingdom forever. The End of chapter twenty two puts God's promises in a position 187 00:16:40.860 --> 00:16:45.340 of questioning. It makes us wonder, at least it would, I think, 188 00:16:45.379 --> 00:16:48.289 if we were in the moment. It would make us wonder, is 189 00:16:48.610 --> 00:16:53.809 God true? How can he be true? But Chapter Twenty three is all 190 00:16:53.850 --> 00:17:00.009 about saying of course he is. He always is, and that's why. 191 00:17:00.250 --> 00:17:04.279 That's one among many reasons why chapter twenty three, this story about Joe Ash 192 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:10.039 being made king and Jehoiah's reforms and all the rest, is so important to 193 00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:18.509 us because it's specifically testifying to us, with this historical example for the record, 194 00:17:18.150 --> 00:17:22.750 that God is faithful, even in the darkest of times, to his 195 00:17:22.869 --> 00:17:27.789 promise to David. And if God was faithful here at this moment, will 196 00:17:27.869 --> 00:17:33.740 he not be faithful in every moment? Of course he will. We think 197 00:17:33.819 --> 00:17:38.539 of perhaps, about the darkness that surrounded the Times immediately before Jesus is birth, 198 00:17:40.500 --> 00:17:42.579 people would return from the land, but the leaders were corrupt, the 199 00:17:42.660 --> 00:17:48.569 Pharisees were corrupt, they were occupied by Rome. It was not a good 200 00:17:48.650 --> 00:17:52.730 time for the people and the land of Israel. Where is the Messiah? 201 00:17:52.769 --> 00:17:56.890 Where is the Messiah? Where is the Messiah? Where is the son of 202 00:17:56.930 --> 00:18:03.680 David? He's gone, there is no more. There was no rightful king, 203 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:08.440 not really ruling over Israel. Before Jesus was born. It was a 204 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:15.069 very similar circumstance for generation after generation, ever since the the fall in the 205 00:18:15.150 --> 00:18:19.190 garden, if even, people had been wondering where is the Promised Child? 206 00:18:21.910 --> 00:18:27.700 For many, many more than six years. People wondered, waited. At 207 00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:33.259 least the faithful waited, trusted in the Lord, heard his promises, experienced 208 00:18:33.380 --> 00:18:37.940 things like second chronicles twenty three and said, yes, the Lord is good, 209 00:18:37.259 --> 00:18:41.450 yes, his promises are steadfast, yes, he will keep his word. 210 00:18:42.690 --> 00:18:49.250 And Chronic second chronicles twenty three says that he does, and of course 211 00:18:49.289 --> 00:18:57.079 he did. Jesus was born, the sun was revealed and the whole creation 212 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:04.920 testified to the fact that here is your king, The star leading the wise 213 00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:10.910 men, the angels descending down and speaking to the shepherd's prophecies to people, 214 00:19:10.950 --> 00:19:15.710 all kinds of things surrounding Jesus. Is Birth, where the trumpets and the 215 00:19:15.869 --> 00:19:21.750 instruments and everything declaring the king has come. And then there he is in 216 00:19:21.829 --> 00:19:26.019 the waters of Jordan, the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove, 217 00:19:27.339 --> 00:19:33.299 the Father God speaking to Heaven and saying this is my son, with whom 218 00:19:33.299 --> 00:19:40.369 I am well pleased. Right here, here he is and in his anointing, 219 00:19:40.490 --> 00:19:44.730 and much like we see happening here is the sun is brought forth in 220 00:19:44.809 --> 00:19:49.009 a covenant is made. There in the temple, God sets forth his son 221 00:19:49.049 --> 00:19:56.240 and says the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. And then, just as 222 00:19:56.279 --> 00:20:02.039 Joe ash made the transition from the temple to his actual throne, Jesus made 223 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:08.150 a transition to his throne, which was, first and for foremost, the 224 00:20:08.309 --> 00:20:18.710 cross itself. Some people think of the resurrection as a kind of fix to 225 00:20:18.869 --> 00:20:22.220 the problem of the Cross. Jesus died and so that of course, had 226 00:20:22.220 --> 00:20:26.099 to be repaired, and so he was resurrected. But that's not the case. 227 00:20:26.140 --> 00:20:33.460 Jesus's death isn't fixed by the resurrection. It proves that he was king. 228 00:20:34.769 --> 00:20:38.650 We read in various places in scripture, including Colossians and other places, 229 00:20:38.849 --> 00:20:45.569 that on the Cross, the evil one, the Athaliah's Satan, and all 230 00:20:45.690 --> 00:20:51.880 of his minions were put to open shame in the death of Jesus. When 231 00:20:51.960 --> 00:20:55.640 Jesus ascended to the cross, when Jesus died, he says in John Nineteen, 232 00:20:56.160 --> 00:21:06.269 it is finished. I'm in charged now death itself, and Satan is 233 00:21:06.349 --> 00:21:11.990 defeated. And when he rose from the dead inaugurating that Kingship, he proved 234 00:21:11.109 --> 00:21:17.509 that to be the case. And so we live in this remarkable time in 235 00:21:17.589 --> 00:21:26.220 which the king has come, the king has been revealed, Satan has fallen. 236 00:21:29.619 --> 00:21:33.890 And yet at the same time we know that though our Lord is ruling 237 00:21:33.009 --> 00:21:37.369 and reigning, even now, he is absent from us in some ways, 238 00:21:38.410 --> 00:21:45.410 and Satan, though defeated and crushed, still works in some ways, like 239 00:21:45.569 --> 00:21:48.559 Atholiah, still calling out treason, treason, though the game is up, 240 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:56.039 though it's all over, still fighting, still striving. Satan does the same 241 00:21:56.279 --> 00:22:02.430 today. He strives, he tempts, he he pushes against us and the 242 00:22:02.470 --> 00:22:06.910 Kingdom of God. He tries to re establish his reign. But if we 243 00:22:07.029 --> 00:22:11.069 are true to God's word, if we recognize what he's done in history, 244 00:22:11.150 --> 00:22:17.019 we will do what joy do has said and ignore him. Will Not listen 245 00:22:17.059 --> 00:22:19.940 to the lies of Satan, who says the Lord is not coming. Where 246 00:22:19.980 --> 00:22:23.700 is he? It's not time. You're all over. I'm in charge. 247 00:22:25.819 --> 00:22:30.210 We just move on. We move past his flattery, we move past his 248 00:22:30.329 --> 00:22:36.250 accusations, because we trust in the Lord. That's why this story is for 249 00:22:36.289 --> 00:22:41.250 us. It tells us how God it's one example among hundreds and scripture. 250 00:22:42.170 --> 00:22:45.799 It's one example of how God has been prompt, as God has fulfilled his 251 00:22:45.960 --> 00:22:55.599 promises regarding regarding David and regarding this great son of David. So when we 252 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:59.390 think about the rule of Jesus and as we in some ways are waiting for 253 00:22:59.470 --> 00:23:04.789 him to bring that rule into consummation, what shall we do? Shall we 254 00:23:04.950 --> 00:23:10.390 fear the evil one? Shall we given to temptation? Shall we act as 255 00:23:10.470 --> 00:23:14.259 though God is not truly in charge, as though he has not a ruling 256 00:23:14.380 --> 00:23:19.140 and reigning in our world? Of course not. We must do as joy 257 00:23:19.220 --> 00:23:26.740 Ada does, remain faithful to the Lord and to his word. Psalm to 258 00:23:26.099 --> 00:23:32.210 is one of the Great Psalms that reminds us of Jesus as Kingship, and 259 00:23:32.369 --> 00:23:38.529 it says that the the scoffers and evil ones. They they plan against the 260 00:23:38.650 --> 00:23:45.599 Lord, they connive and meet and back rooms, they sneak, they murmur 261 00:23:45.799 --> 00:23:48.960 against the Lord and his anointed one. They make their plans, they try 262 00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:52.160 to crush him, they try to make him fall, they try to separate 263 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:57.190 us from US and God. But you know what? It says that the 264 00:23:57.269 --> 00:24:04.589 Lord sits in heaven and he laughs. He holds them in derision and promises 265 00:24:04.670 --> 00:24:10.299 to break them apart like a Potter's vessel. He is is not a big 266 00:24:10.380 --> 00:24:18.220 deal for him, just as it was not a big deal with the establishment 267 00:24:18.259 --> 00:24:22.140 of the this king, the son of David Joash, in second chronicles twenty 268 00:24:22.220 --> 00:24:30.130 three. How could we ever think to be unfaithful to the king, no 269 00:24:30.289 --> 00:24:34.410 matter how dark times no matter how dark times seem to be, no matter 270 00:24:34.490 --> 00:24:38.960 how much it seems that God has not been faithful, no matter how much 271 00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:44.480 we are waiting for the fulfillment and ultimate fulfillment of his promises, we must 272 00:24:44.519 --> 00:24:51.279 never drop or ignore our duties. We must never, like these false priests, 273 00:24:51.400 --> 00:24:56.150 turned to the other side, because what will happen is we will end 274 00:24:56.190 --> 00:25:06.990 up destroyed, just like them. Right before Jesus's reserve or Jesus Crucifixion. 275 00:25:07.180 --> 00:25:11.539 He talks about the time in which he is going to be going away, 276 00:25:11.619 --> 00:25:15.220 he talks about the time in which he will, in a way, be 277 00:25:15.619 --> 00:25:19.140 hidden, and he gives us these warnings and parables and examples and tells us 278 00:25:19.579 --> 00:25:25.609 to be faithful, to hold on, not for no reason, but because 279 00:25:25.650 --> 00:25:29.930 he is who he is, he is God and he is and he is 280 00:25:30.009 --> 00:25:36.400 giving to us this great kingdom by his power and His grace. And so, 281 00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:41.799 for example, in Matthew Twenty four he says Verse Thirty Six, but 282 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:45.559 concerning the day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels in 283 00:25:45.640 --> 00:25:49.349 heaven nor the Sun, but the father only. For as were the days 284 00:25:49.390 --> 00:25:52.829 of Noah, so will be the coming of the son of man. For 285 00:25:53.150 --> 00:25:56.710 as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying 286 00:25:56.750 --> 00:26:02.869 and giving in marriage, until the next day when Noah entered the Ark and 287 00:26:02.990 --> 00:26:07.019 they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will 288 00:26:07.059 --> 00:26:12.579 be the coming of the son of man. JOHOYDA got that point. There 289 00:26:12.819 --> 00:26:18.339 was all kinds of partying, all kinds of things going on. But JADEHOYAH, 290 00:26:18.730 --> 00:26:22.329 like Noah, and I hope, like you, are holding on to 291 00:26:22.450 --> 00:26:26.690 the truth of God's word, holding on to his promises, holding on to 292 00:26:26.849 --> 00:26:33.400 who he is, despite what everyone is doing around us. Jesus promises us 293 00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:38.079 that, like Noah, when he returns, people will be unaware and he 294 00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:48.710 will sweep them away. I'll read to you one more I meant from Matthew, 295 00:26:48.710 --> 00:27:00.619 Chapter Twenty Five. He says concerning the final judgment, which is is 296 00:27:00.779 --> 00:27:07.339 the which is in many ways what the death of Autheliah and the death of 297 00:27:07.420 --> 00:27:15.460 Matn or are pointing forward to, the kind of judgment that comes on those 298 00:27:15.539 --> 00:27:23.130 who those who have plot and plan against God and his people. Jesus says 299 00:27:23.170 --> 00:27:26.730 that when the son of man, this is Verse Thirty One of Chapter Twenty 300 00:27:26.769 --> 00:27:30.240 Five Matthew, when the son of man comes in his glory and all the 301 00:27:30.359 --> 00:27:36.839 angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him 302 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:41.559 will be gathered all the nations and he will separate people one from another, 303 00:27:41.599 --> 00:27:45.990 as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the 304 00:27:45.069 --> 00:27:48.589 sheep on his rights, but the goat on his left, goats on his 305 00:27:48.670 --> 00:27:52.269 left. Then the king will say to those on his right, come you 306 00:27:52.430 --> 00:27:56.869 who are blessed by my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation 307 00:27:57.390 --> 00:28:02.339 of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I 308 00:28:02.460 --> 00:28:06.740 was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed 309 00:28:06.819 --> 00:28:08.779 me. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you 310 00:28:08.859 --> 00:28:12.650 visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Then the 311 00:28:12.730 --> 00:28:15.970 righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry 312 00:28:17.009 --> 00:28:19.690 and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And and when did 313 00:28:19.769 --> 00:28:22.970 we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 314 00:28:23.529 --> 00:28:27.160 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the 315 00:28:27.240 --> 00:28:32.440 king will answer them. Truly, I say to you, as you did 316 00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:34.079 it to the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me. 317 00:28:36.759 --> 00:28:40.880 Here he welcomes those in, he welcomes those who have done by right, 318 00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:44.470 by his word, those who have been acting in accord with the grace 319 00:28:44.589 --> 00:28:48.829 that had been given to them. But to those on his left, to 320 00:28:48.869 --> 00:28:53.349 the Matons, to the Authul lies, to all who all who had fought 321 00:28:53.349 --> 00:28:56.859 against him, he says in Verse Forty One, he will say to those 322 00:28:56.940 --> 00:29:02.859 on his left, depart from me, you cursed into the eternal fire prepared 323 00:29:03.019 --> 00:29:06.740 for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me 324 00:29:06.900 --> 00:29:08.819 no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I was 325 00:29:08.859 --> 00:29:12.369 a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe 326 00:29:12.490 --> 00:29:17.410 me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. Then they 327 00:29:17.450 --> 00:29:19.609 will also answer saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty 328 00:29:19.970 --> 00:29:23.640 or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister 329 00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:27.039 to you? Then he will answer them saying, truly, I say to 330 00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:30.480 you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, 331 00:29:30.599 --> 00:29:33.839 you did not do it to me, and these will go away into 332 00:29:33.880 --> 00:29:41.869 eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. This great division that Jesus 333 00:29:41.990 --> 00:29:45.390 talks about is what you see going on in second chronicles twenty three. He's 334 00:29:45.430 --> 00:29:49.990 saying to both alioh and, not only indirectly, didn't serve him, but 335 00:29:51.069 --> 00:29:56.980 actually directly, a persecuted this sun tried to put him to death, just 336 00:29:56.140 --> 00:30:02.819 as Herod did with Jesus and many others. He separates them and there's is 337 00:30:03.579 --> 00:30:11.210 judgment, eternal judgment. Second chronicles is a way of telling US history is 338 00:30:11.329 --> 00:30:15.130 as as in order to get us thinking about which side we ought to be 339 00:30:15.329 --> 00:30:21.210 on, to thinking about who God is, his king, the nature of 340 00:30:21.289 --> 00:30:26.680 his kingdom and how he establish it, establishes it. The good news and 341 00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:30.119 all of this is not just the strength of God, though. It's not 342 00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:33.680 just the power of God and overcoming evil, but it's the grace of God 343 00:30:34.200 --> 00:30:40.750 in overcoming these things, because before Jesus ums in his final judgment, which 344 00:30:40.789 --> 00:30:45.869 is yet still ahead of us, he came to judge our sins on the 345 00:30:45.990 --> 00:30:52.940 cross. He came to bring us into this kingdom, mercifully and wonderfully, 346 00:30:53.900 --> 00:31:00.819 while we were still sinners and persecutors and haters of God. With that kind 347 00:31:00.900 --> 00:31:07.809 of invitation, if you're an awful Liah, if you're a Maton, and 348 00:31:07.970 --> 00:31:11.609 you're given an opportunity to repent, you're given an opportunity to come in, 349 00:31:12.289 --> 00:31:18.880 you're given an opportunity for grace, will you not respond? Will you not 350 00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:25.960 hear and believe, knowing what the end will be, having seen it played 351 00:31:26.039 --> 00:31:33.190 out in history, having heard it prophesied by the king himself? We must 352 00:31:33.230 --> 00:31:41.029 believe what Jesus says. Believe what Jesus says, trust him, because he 353 00:31:41.309 --> 00:31:47.740 is powerful, because he is God, because he's coming in judgment and because 354 00:31:47.779 --> 00:31:53.660 right now he's offering you grace and forgiveness of your sins. Come to Jesus 355 00:31:55.059 --> 00:31:57.579 and know that you will be as secure in his kingdom as anyone could ever 356 00:31:57.660 --> 00:32:01.890 be, because that's what he grants to all who believe and trust in him. 357 00:32:01.890 --> 00:32:05.049 Let us pray.