2Ki 11:1 And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.

 

Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, the notorious couple who brought Baal worship into northern kingdom Israel. She married Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram, king of Judah. She bore a hideous likeness to Jezebel her mother – bloodthirstiness, lust for power, and would kill anyone who stood in the way of her ambition. Athaliah was a bad influence on both her husband (King Jehoram of Judah) and her son (King Ahaziah of Judah). By her influence Jehoram was led to walk in the way of the kings of Israel (2Chronicles 21:6). She introduced Baal worship into Judah; just as her mother introduced it to Israel. Under God’s instruction, Jehu killed both the king of Judah and Israel in one day. Athaliah used the occasion of her son’s death to seize power for herself and reign over the land for six years. That power hungry woman wanted the throne for herself and would do anything to have it, even killing her grandchildren (v.1). What can we learn from Athaliah’s life? 1. Parenting. Athaliah was the product of her parents, Ahab and Jezebel. She was a murderer like her mother. She saw how her father was weak while her mother was strong and decisive. She saw the same weakness in her husband and son and decided no male was fit to rule the kingdom except her. Hence, she killed all of them. She grew up seeing her parents worshipping Baal; she worshipped Baal too and even brought Baal into Judah. Parents and even grandparents, our children are going to grow up doing or not doing things just as their parents and grandparents before them. Consider the following: (i) If a child grows up in a home lacking in family prayer and Bible study, how do you suppose that child, when he grows up, will act as a mom or dad with his family? Will he pray and read the Bible? (ii) If a child grows up in a home lacking spiritual commitment. He never sees his parents serving God and attending church faithfully. When he grows up, how much faith in God do you suppose that child will have?  Will he even remain in the faith? Athaliah stands as a sobering reminder for us today regarding parental influence: “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Are we bringing our children closer to God? 2. Choosing a Spouse Athaliah’s husband (Jehoram) was raised in a godly home. His father Jehoshaphat and grandfather Asa were godly kings. What happened to their son, Jehoram? Why didn’t he too follow in the ways of his father and grandfather? I think the answer is simple—he married the wrong woman! When looking for a spouse, what do most people put on their “checklist”? They look for these: - Physical attributes (handsome or pretty) - Employment position (Professional or others) - Education level - Compatibility (what do we have in common) Where is God in the checklist? Do you remember Abraham’s criteria when searching a wife for his son Isaac? Was it beauty? Was it wealth? He said: “Thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell” (Genesis 24:3). He looked for a godly woman. Parents, what kind of sons and daughters do you want your children to be when they grow up? A child grows up in a home when God is honoured will honour God while a child grows up in a home where money is god will worship the same god. Proverbs 22:6 states: “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Which way are we bringing our children? How can we train our children to grow up being committed to God? BY OUR ACTIONS! By the way we live everyday of our lives! May we be the kind of parents that God wants us to be.

2Ki 12:2 And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

When the wicked Athaliah killed all the males who could ascend to the throne, one escaped her massacre. Joash was an infant when he was saved by her aunt Jehosheba (2 Kings 11:1, 2). Together with her husband Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 22:11), Jehosheba raised up Joash in the temple. Jehoiada was the high priest at that time. We see that Joash had a good mentor in Jehoiada. From that pious man, Joash received a pious education. Jehoiada would instil into the mind of this young king the principles of true godliness. Under the watchful eyes of Jehoiada, Joash maintained a life of uprightness in the sight of God. He was remembered for repairing the temple of God (v.4-12). Indeed, to have an early training of this kind is an enormous advantage: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Unfortunately, though he had an early training in godliness, he kept it only when Jehoiada was with him to guide him. Something was lacking in that training for we learn that upon the death of Jehoiada, Joash listened to the counsel of the wicked princes and began to serve idols (2 Chronicles 24:17-18). What caused the change in Joash? Why did he forget his early training? I believe the problems are two. First, there is a problem with the training method. Joash was only seven years old when he became king. Probably in the eyes of Jehoiada, Joash was always that cute little boy and so he must take good care of him. Well, he did not bring up a man; he raised up a boy. It is a lesson for all of us who are mentoring a younger generation – DON’T DO EVERYTHING FOR THEM! The way to train a younger generation is to let them DO. Give them opportunities to lead, organise, and teach. We learned by doing and so must they. Let them make mistakes while we are around to correct them. Let them teach and preach while we are around to listen to see they are teaching the truth. When we are no longer around, who is there to correct them? Churches died when only the old preachers occupy the throne of the pulpit. They did all the preaching, teaching and organising. They did not let the men do anything. The men grow up not able to handle rightly the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Churches died when the old preachers died. The second problem is with Joash’s character. Joash was weak. His strength came from Jehoiada. Jehoiada did everything for him! He was totally in reliance of Jehoiada. He lacked independence and firmness of will. While Jehoiada lived, he allowed himself to be led by him; and when this good priest and counsellor died, he began to lean to the noble princes and allow himself as readily to be turned into evil courses by the wicked nobles. He could not differentiate truth and error. The saddest part in growing up is to fail to grow up. I’m referring to maturity. Some people never mature in their lives. The apostle Paul told the Christians at Corinth: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). “Quit you like men” means “show yourself a man”. Be not like children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). Be not like babes that can only drink milk (Hebrews 5:12-14). Young men and women, I pray you are not acting faithful because “Jehoiada” is around you. I pray you have matured under the tutorship of “Jehoiada” and have a faith which is your own to stand up against the wiles of the devil. May your faith abound more and more each day.

2Ki 13:14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.

Elisha lived long; for it was now about sixty years since he was first called to be a prophet. This faithful prophet of God is now old and very sick. It just shows us that life is fragile. We are not here to live forever. James says: “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). Thank God if you are now a senior citizen. Many folks didn’t get to this age. The Psalmist says: “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10, ESV). That Bible verse above says we get to 80 by reason of strength. Still, when compared to eternity, even the longest life is too short. James likens it to a vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. The Psalmist says “they are soon gone and we fly away.” Life is fragile and fleeting. The Psalmist says life is “but toil and trouble.” Job concurs and utters: "Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). We can’t but agree with them: Life is not a leisurely stroll, but a gruelling race. I recall the words of Jacob when Pharaoh saw him and was amazed at the sight of this old man who appeared in front of him. Pharaoh asked Jacob: “How old are you?” Jacob replied: “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life,” (Genesis 47:8, 9, ESV). Jacob called his life a sojourning (pilgrimage in KJV). He looked upon himself as traveller in this world toward another. And he described his journey here as few and evil. When we look into the life of Jacob, indeed, he did not have it easy. Yes, life is short and full of trouble. Time only goes forward, never back. As we grow older, our days seem to race by, each seeming to go faster than the one before. It seems like only two years ago that I finished college but today I am actually a grandfather. The leisurely days of youth have become a distant memory. Elisha was sick and dying. This great prophet of God became sick like others whom he had healed. Surprisingly, Joash, king of Israel, came to visit the prophet and lamented that this great man would soon die (v.14). Now, Joash was a wicked king in the sight of God and probably Elisha had rebuked him before of his wickedness (v.10, 11). Yet, Joash came and lamented that Elisha would be leaving this world. How interesting! Solomon says: “When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7). Barnes wrote: “Goodness has power to charm and win even enemies to itself” (Barnes’ Notes, e-sword). Joash might hate Elisha but he still had respect for this prophet. In Elisha, he saw a man who was upright and one who feared God. Secretly, I think he admired Elisha and probably wished they were not enemies. He realized the world would be losing one good man. He wished Elisha lived. Will we be missed by friends and enemies when we die? Will our enemies rejoice that we will be gone forever? Or, will they be praying that we live? The answer would depend on what kind of life we are living. Are we the kind of person that even our enemies would have to but respect us? Though they may not like us, they have to admit our death is a loss to the world. Think about it.

2Ki 14:10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

In 2 Kings 14, Amaziah was the king of Judah. He began to rule when he was 25 and ruled for 29 years. Like his father, he was a good king that worshipped Jehovah God. He had the conspirators who murdered his father killed, but he mercifully did not kill their children (v.1-7). Amaziah made war with the Edomites and won. His next target was Israel. He sent messengers to Jehoash and challenged him to meet him face to face. But, Jehoash didn’t want to fight with him. He said Amaziah was proud because he had defeated Edom. He warned Amaziah he would be meddling to his hurt by going to war with him. He warned Amaziah not to look for trouble (v.8-10). But Amaziah would not listen. So, they met in battle at Bethshemesh. Israel crushed Judah, just like Jehoash said would happen. Jehoash captured Amaziah, marched to Jerusalem and broke down the city wall from Ephraim Gate to Corner Gate, a section about six hundred feet long, and took the gold and silver, as well as everything of value from the Temple and the king's treasury. He also took hostages, and then returned to Samaria (v.12-14). Why did Amaziah fail? The answer is in verse 10 just as Jehoash had said: “Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?” Thy heart hath lifted thee up — Here lies the root of all sins: Pride. Solomon says: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). glory of this, and tarry at home – Jehoash asked Amaziah to be contented with this glory he had in defeating the Edomites and to stay at home and enjoy his success. for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt - He warned him not to let his ambition ruin him. that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee - He warned him of the consequence; that it would be fatal, not to himself only, but to his kingdom, which he ought to protect. It was a piece of sound advice to Amaziah. Unfortunately, Amaziah would not listen. And, just as Jehoash had said, he did meddle to his hurt; he fell, and Judah fell with him. Amaziah looked for trouble and got himself hurt. Pride was his downfall. Just because he could defeat Edom, he thought he could defeat anyone. Proud people have full of ambitions. Their ambitions are the cause of their troubles.                                                                                                               Some folks enjoy going round looking for troubles. They make troubles everywhere they go. Troubles will turn around and trouble them: “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7b). Peter says if we want peace, we must seek it and pursue after it (1 Peter 3:11). Amaziah played with fire and got himself burnt. As children of God, let us live peaceably with all men (Romans 12:18). Let us desire peace and pursue it. Our Lord says: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Hebrews 12:14 exhorts us to “follow peace with all men.” Don’t be troublemakers; be at peace with all men. Peacemakers will be blessed.

2Ki 15:3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.

This statement should get all fathers to sit up and think about how they are influencing their children in their faith: “And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.” Azariah did right in the sight of God because of the godly influence of his father Amaziah. Parents, it should be obvious that both of you exert different kinds of influence to your children. Mothers exert the softer side of human nature on them. Fathers exert the specifically masculine influence upon them, especially on the sons. Fathers, you are the male role models for our sons. Fathers, it is by your leadership in the homes that your sons learn about leadership. By being strong, you teach your sons how to be strong. By being honest and just, you teach them to be upright in this wicked world. By loving your wife, you teach them how to love and respect women. By your diligence in providing for the family, you teach them responsibilities. What about spirituality? As fathers, you are also uniquely positioned to shape your son’s faith. God make fathers responsible for the spiritual training of their children: “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Fathers, paste Deuteronomy 6:7 on the door of your house: “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Let it be a reminder of your responsibility in teaching your children godliness. Don’t live to regret later in life when your children depart from the Lord. It will be too late to ask yourself: “I don’t understand what went wrong!” Well, did you show your children how to be faithful by your active participation in the church? Solomon wrote: “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways” (Proverbs 23:26). Solomon knew long ago that children are watching and following what’s going on in the family. Your children are observing your ways. Unfortunately, the evil ways they see stay with them. When sons see their fathers abusing their mothers, they will treat women the same way. When they see their fathers not attending church, they will follow. When they see their fathers not serving God, they will grow up the same. When they do not see their fathers praying and studying the Bible, they grow up not praying and studying the Bible. What happens next? They fall away! I’m addressing to all fathers: Fatherhood is your greatest responsibility in this life. It’s going to be hard, but it’s your responsibility. And being a father means doing your duty. You should not just be concerned about your children’s baptism; you should be concerned if they remain faithful to God. It is easy to persuade them to get baptised; the difficult part is ensuring they keep their faith to the end. And, fathers have to walk with them and show them how to remain faithful until death (Revelations 2:10). Are you leading your sons and daughters spiritually? While almost any man can father a child, but not every man knows how to be a father. Sadly, the average father spends less than 10 minutes a day one-on-one with his child. Family times should not be centred just around the dining table or in front of the TV. Family times should include spending time together with God. King Azariah followed what his father Amaziah had done. Your children will follow what you are doing. Are you leading them to God?

2Ki 16:14 And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.

In 2 Kings 16, we read the ungodly reign of King Ahaz.  Ahaz did not follow the ways of Jehovah God. He did much evil and followed the worship of the pagans (v.1-4). Under his reign, the Syrians successfully revoked. Ahaz, instead of seeking help from God, he paid a bribe to TiglathPileser king of Assyria, to help him fight Syria. TiglathPileser complied and attacked Damascus, capturing the city and killing the king of Syria (v.5-9). When Ahaz met the victorious king of Assyria in Damascus, he saw a pagan altar and fell in love with it. He commanded Urijah the priest to make a copy of it. Urijah finished the altar before Ahaz came back from Damascus. Upon his return, Ahaz made sacrifices on the altar to the gods of Damascus. He even desecrated the Temple of God by removing the brazen altar and replaced it with the new altar he had made. Ahaz offered all the sacrifices on the new altar (v.10-17). 2Chronicles 28:23 explains why King Ahaz was attracted to the worship he saw in Damascus: “For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me.” “Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me.” Ahaz, the king of Israel abandoned the true God of Israel to follow the gods of the Syrians because he felt their gods were better at helping them. He wanted the same god too. Before we condemn him, let us ask ourselves first: Do we serve God for benefits too? Many in this world serve God for personal benefits. Many are attracted to the gods of this world because they believe they offer better results financially and emotionally than the Lord we serve. For example, they serve the god of prosperity because they believe he could give them wealth. Do we serve God for personal gain? Is it a right reason to serve God? Is God pleased if His worshippers come to Him because they only want to receive blessings from Him? I think you know the answer. Have you ever had a “friend” who only wanted friendship with you because he could reap benefits from you, like you would pay for meals every time he dined with you? Do you want such kind of friend? Do you think he is a true friend? I’m sure you do not want such kind of friends. As soon as you no longer have the very thing that they want from you, they disappear. Unfortunately, some people behave the same way towards God. They seek God for what He can do for them and not for who He is. They don’t really want God; they only want what God can give them. They don’t seek to have a genuine and obedient relationship with God. In short, they don’t have faith. They are really seeking the gift and not the Giver of the gift. After Jesus had fed the 5000, many followed Him because they wanted bread (John 6:26). Like the 5000 who followed Jesus for food, some today follow God because they want “bread”. They want the physical “bread” but not the Giver of the “bread”. We must not be like Ahaz or some of the 5000 who followed Jesus because they were only interested in satisfying their fleshly and temporary desires. At the Judgment Day, the Lord will say: “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23b). Only true faith saves: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is” (Hebrews 11:6). Do you have true faith?

2Ki 17:41 So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

2 Kings 17 sees the end of the kingdom of northern Israel. Verse 7 to 23 records the reasons for her fall. The main reason was the entire nation forsook the commandments of God and serve Baal. God raised up the king of Assyria to conquer and deport the entire nation to foreign lands. The king of Assyria brought people from other provinces in his kingdom and placed them in the cities of Samaria. Then, a strange thing happened to the people: The new settlers were visited by lions. The settlers regarded this as a punishment from the deity of the land whom they did not worship. Therefore, they asked the king of Assyria for a priest to teach them the right and proper manner of worship to this God of the land so as not to offend Him (v.24-27). The king of Assyria complied and sent an Israelite priest out of exile to teach them about the God of the land. Unbeknown to him, the priesthood of the kingdom of Israel was corrupt. Therefore this nameless, corrupt priest taught the new inhabitants of the land a corrupt religion. He was not interested in worshipping the one and only true Jehovah God. Hence, the priest-for-hire did not tell the new inhabitants of the land that they must only worship the LORD God of Israel. The result is, the inhabitants continued to make gods of its own (v.28-41) The author seems to contradict himself in verse 33 and 34. “They feared the LORD and served their own gods” (v.33).  “They feared not the LORD” (v.34). The question is: Did they fear Jehovah God or not? The answer is this: They were afraid of Jehovah who had sent lions among them and therefore they offered him a sort of worship that he might not thus afflict them, but they continued to serve their own gods and devoted themselves affectionately to them. But in another sense, “they feared not the LORD” in the sense they did not follow His commandments and ordinances (v.34b). To acknowledge Jehovah together with other gods is in reality, not acknowledging Him at all. Our Lord says: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23, 24). True worshippers worship the Father in spirit and in truth. “In spirit” refers to the attitude when one comes to worship God; he must be sincere, in faith, and with reverence. “In truth” refers to the manner the worship is conducted. The worship must be according to God’s commandments. Men cannot worship God in any ways they deem fit. The new inhabitants of Samaria worshipped God not according to His statutes and ordinances (v.34). God was displeased. Our Lord says all worshippers must worship God in spirit and in truth. It is not up to man to decide how to worship God. God has specific instructions on the manner to worship Him. He did not let the Hebrews worship Him in whichever ways they deemed fit; He specified the method to worship Him in the Old Testament. Do you think that God did not give us a pattern in the New Testament? When He said we MUST worship Him in truth, obviously, He has specified the method. Today, many have the audacity to change the manner of worship because they fear not the LORD. They care little about offending God because they fear not Him. What about you? Do you fear God? Are you worshipping Him only in the ways He has specified? Think about it.