1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:02,600 Let's turn to 2nd Kings Chapter 12. 2 00:00:03,280 --> 00:00:06,560 We were not together last week. Because of that, I believe it's 3 00:00:06,560 --> 00:00:10,000 helpful to refresh our memories and remind ourselves where we 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,040 are in the suspenseful study of the Book of Second Kings. 5 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:20,120 In summary, the royal line of David was on the verge of 6 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:25,800 extinction because of the efforts of a wicked woman by the 7 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:30,840 name of Athalia. Athalia was the daughter of 8 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:35,800 Jezebel and she was married into the Divinic dynasty. 9 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:41,520 And when the opportunity was right, this woman usurped the 10 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:47,400 throne of Judah and she sought to exterminate all her rivals. 11 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:49,360 And it seemed like she succeeded. 12 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,720 But her desire to eliminate the family that God promised would 13 00:00:54,720 --> 00:01:02,040 receive and keep the Kingdom was short lived, primarily because 14 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:07,040 of a man who was a priest. Jehoiada was his name and in 15 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:11,560 partnership with his wife Jehoshiba, they went into the 16 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,600 palace, namely his wife, and rescued one of the little 17 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,080 children who belonged to that Davidic dynasty. 18 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:23,240 They hid him in the temple, and from his infancy until the age 19 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:30,080 of 7, Jehoiada supervised and shielded this boy, and when it 20 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:37,600 came to the point of him being exposed, he was made king at the 21 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:42,560 ripe age of seven. That may seem startling to us, 22 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:49,800 but this was done in order to cut short of Thalia's evil reign 23 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,760 and to announce and give hope to the people that the Davidic. 24 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,920 Line has been preserved. It was not lost. 25 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,600 And what we have here in Second Kings Chapter 12 is a brief 26 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:06,960 account of this boy's reign. His name was Joash, and the Holy 27 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,039 Spirit has preserved for us here what he was able to accomplish 28 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,520 as the king of the Southern Kingdom. 29 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,320 And as always, we have much to learn in every part of our 30 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,240 study, including this one. So if you're there with me, 31 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:26,000 let's read the first 2 verses of Second Kings chapter 12 in the 32 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,520 seventh year of Jehu. Pause. 33 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,360 Jehu was the king of the northern tribes. 34 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:33,920 Remember, Israel was divided. You have the northern Kingdom, 35 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,320 the southern Kingdom. Jehu was the king of the 36 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:40,200 Northern Kingdom. In the seventh year of Jehu, 37 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:45,320 Jehoash began to reign and he reigned 40 years in Jerusalem. 38 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:50,280 His mother's name was Zibya Beersheba, and Jehoash did what 39 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,480 was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days because 40 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,680 Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 41 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,000 If you're wondering who Joash is, it's the same person of 42 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:02,720 Joash. This is just an alternate 43 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,480 spelling of that original name. More importantly, did you notice 44 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:08,400 something so striking about the 1st 2 verses? 45 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,360 The spiritual success which is refreshing to us in our study of 46 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,040 Second kings, right? We're used to seeing kings 47 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,920 coming to power and being corrupt. 48 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:20,640 But what do we read in verse two? 49 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:26,240 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days. 50 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:34,560 And this man's spiritual success is attributed to the God fearing 51 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:39,640 mentorship of Jehoiada the priest is not what we see here 52 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:45,760 because Jehoiada the priest instructed him so. 53 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:52,480 Joiada, this man of God not only protected Joash, I'm going to 54 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,760 use his name different ways throughout the study. 55 00:03:56,240 --> 00:04:00,000 Joash was just easier to say. He not only rescued Joash and 56 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,120 protected Joash from physical death, we also learned that he 57 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:08,800 kept this young boy from drifting into spiritual peril. 58 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:15,760 He instructed him, he counseled him, he taught him ever since he 59 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:17,959 was a young boy, all the way to the point where he became king. 60 00:04:17,959 --> 00:04:21,120 That wasn't much time. He became king at 7:00 but. 61 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,120 As. Long as Jojada was alive, this 62 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:30,480 man Joash was kept in line and it stirred me reading this. 63 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:33,000 It stirred me to the point to encourage many of you in this 64 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,760 place. They have a story where you grew 65 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:44,040 up with a godly father, mother, maybe older sibling, family 66 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,200 friend who is a follower of Christ, maybe a mentor outside 67 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:52,000 of your bloodline. Regardless, there are many who 68 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,680 are in this place. That can attribute where you are 69 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:57,680 today in your fave because of how you grew up. 70 00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,280 And if that is your story, it's a wonderful one. 71 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:06,400 It's a glorious testimony. I want you to pretend for a 72 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,080 moment that you share some similar background to this young 73 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:14,320 king in this imagine you were. Maybe there are some people here 74 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:18,440 who at some earlier point in your life was rescued from a 75 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,360 deadly situation. By somebody who cared for you. 76 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,640 Maybe it was drowning. I know somebody who was rescued 77 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,920 from drowning at a young age. Maybe it was a car accident. 78 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,520 Maybe it was a disease. Whatever the case may be, 79 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,720 imagine being able to think back and know that there was 80 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,920 somebody, because of their intervention, was able to. 81 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:40,680 Pull you out of something that might have cut your life short? 82 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,400 Would you fail giving God glory whenever you share that story 83 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:46,920 with others? I doubt it. 84 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:53,600 So then why do you hesitate to give God glory and to declare 85 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:57,800 with Glee how you have been spared from spiritual danger and 86 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,840 deception? I don't think most Christians 87 00:06:01,840 --> 00:06:03,960 who grew up in. A Christ glorifying home. 88 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:05,960 Think about it that way. Do you know how I know? 89 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,720 Because when you ask people who grew up in the faith, they tend 90 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,560 to give their testimony the following way. 91 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:14,720 Well, my story is nothing special, you know, I was pretty 92 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:19,160 much born into the faith. Is that how you respond and 93 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:24,280 react to Joash's testimony here? Is there any part of you that 94 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:28,120 rejoices and knowing that there is a man, an older man who walk 95 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:32,080 with God that hovered over this young boy with great wisdom and 96 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:36,560 love, Doesn't that stir you? I want to challenge you to 97 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:39,760 change your perspective about your upper and speaking to those 98 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:41,680 who grew up in a Christian home primarily. 99 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,640 The next time anybody asks you what is your story, I hope you 100 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:50,560 say something like this with absolute gravity, weightiness, 101 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:57,040 sincerity. By the grace of God, He has been 102 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:01,040 merciful to me to the degree. That I have received guidance 103 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:07,520 from my mother, my father, both that kept me from drifting, that 104 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:12,400 kept me in the sweetness of the faith, that kept me in the Word, 105 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:16,720 that kept me in holiness. And I give God maximum glory for 106 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,040 that kind of a story. That's my journey with Christ. 107 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,920 Don't be ashamed that you grew up. 108 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,880 Don't. Don't minimize how wonderful 109 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:29,080 that is. Unfortunately, many do. 110 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:31,640 And you don't want to rob God of that glory. 111 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:35,800 There is no doubt in my mind that Jehoiada was a gift to this 112 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,680 young king. And you should see your parents. 113 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:44,640 You should see those who who brought you to the light in the 114 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,040 same way. You know, the influence of this 115 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:50,440 priest was so great that Second Chronicles actually tells us 116 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,360 that he chose the wives for this king. 117 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:56,760 I want you to turn there. We're going to flip back and 118 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:00,280 forth between this chapter and Second Chronicles 24. 119 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,280 It's a parallel account that fills many gaps of what we find 120 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:05,600 here in Second Kings 12. But look quickly at Second 121 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:09,600 Chronicles chapter 24. If you don't know where 122 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:11,560 Chronicles is, it's it's directly to the right of Second 123 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:12,840 Kings. There's First Chronicles and 124 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:16,000 Second Chronicles. Look at chapter 24 and verse 3. 125 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:25,440 Jehoiada got for him two wives, and he had. 126 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:30,400 Sons and daughters, I don't think you need anybody choosing 127 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,559 a spouse for you, but I think that it is wise to seek and 128 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,000 submit to godly oversight when it comes to that crucial 129 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,240 decision in your life. And I believe Jehoiada was 130 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:45,120 familiar enough with recent and distant history to know just how 131 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:48,520 significant such a decision is, especially for a king. 132 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:55,800 And so he took the initiative to select the right person for this 133 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,960 king. But it wasn't just one person 2 134 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:07,360 that got me scratching my head. I'll tell you why, because we 135 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,000 know from the Bible, we know from the Genesis account what 136 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,320 God's ideal and designed for marriage is. 137 00:09:12,560 --> 00:09:18,440 One man, one woman coming together in covenant for life. 138 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,920 And there is not one instance in all of the Bible where you see 139 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:28,080 polygamy working out in a good way, producing good fruit. 140 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:33,200 There's issues there. And what we see here makes us 141 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,800 think why is Jehoiada adding another wife? 142 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,960 Isn't 1 enough? And I think the most reasonable 143 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:44,840 explanation is that he is doing this in order to strengthen the 144 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,840 Davidic line after such devastating loss. 145 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:52,080 Go back to Chapter 11 of Second Kings and look at verse one. 146 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:56,360 We read here that she, Athalia, went after the entire royal 147 00:09:56,360 --> 00:10:02,760 family. And we see that Joy does, 148 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:05,040 thinking to himself in order for us to recover from this. 149 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:08,960 To accelerate this recovery process, we're not going to go 150 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:10,720 overboard here like David or Solomon. 151 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,240 We're just going to add one more so that we can speed this up. 152 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:16,480 And some would even add that there isn't any direct 153 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:19,600 condemnation in the text concerning Jehoiada. 154 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:26,640 But if you do feel uncomfortable with this strategy, that is 155 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:30,520 justified because again, we know what God's design was and we 156 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,280 should trust in God's design no matter what the circumstances 157 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,240 may be. And I believe we are being 158 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:43,440 prepared with this concern to encounter more concerns relating 159 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:50,320 to the strength of Jehoiada's faith, Josh's faith, and their 160 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:54,440 piety. Let me show you what I mean. 161 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:57,800 Go back to chapter 12 of Second Kings and look at verse 3. 162 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:00,360 So we learned here that they did what was right. 163 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:04,000 In the eyes of the Lord all his days because joy had that the 164 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:05,720 priest instructed him. But look at verse three now. 165 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:10,840 Nevertheless the high places were not taken away. 166 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:15,680 The people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on 167 00:11:15,680 --> 00:11:17,840 the high places. Nevertheless suggests that 168 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:23,120 there's a concerning stain with this. 169 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:25,000 Duo and how they ran the Kingdom. 170 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,080 And the alarming thing was that the high places were not 171 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,120 removed. Though they had the ability and 172 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:33,920 the authority to remove them, they didn't. 173 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,400 Here's a question. What are the high places? 174 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:38,880 I believe they can be two things. 175 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,520 The first thing is found in Deuteronomy 12 verse 2. 176 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:45,320 This is before Israel even entered into the Promised land. 177 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:47,840 God gave many instructions, including this one. 178 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:49,680 Listen to Deuteronomy 12 verse 2. 179 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:54,760 He says here you shall surely destroy all the places where the 180 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:59,120 nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on 181 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:03,600 the high mountains and on the hills and under every green 182 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,560 tree. So these Pagan worshippers that 183 00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:13,480 occupied the very land that now Israel is occupying had stations 184 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:15,800 in these high hills and mountains where they would 185 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:17,840 sacrifice and worship false gods. 186 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,880 When, when the Lord told the people as they prepare to go in 187 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:24,280 about this, he says, I'm asking you to remove these high places. 188 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,760 They, they would become a source of temptation to my own people. 189 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,800 And I am, I'm calling you to worship me in a particular way. 190 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:32,520 And it's not going to be on the high places. 191 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,840 So #1 these are these are places where idols were loved and 192 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,000 adored and worshipped. But something interesting 193 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,840 happens throughout redemptive history from Deuteronomy on, 194 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:49,280 especially when the people come in the high places also were 195 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:54,720 comprised of areas where the people of the true God would 196 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:59,200 worship, especially before there was a centralized area to 197 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:03,600 worship in Israel. So if you remember what we read 198 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,320 in First Kings, when Solomon became king, this became 199 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:08,480 prevalent. So I want maybe you can turn 200 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,080 there First Kings 3 and look at verse 2. 201 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:18,520 It says the people were sacrificing at the high places. 202 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:23,360 However, because no house had yet been built for the name of 203 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:26,160 the Lord. So the people here are actually 204 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:30,000 the people of Israel. So now that people would go to 205 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:34,000 these high places, but their hearts are to sacrifice to the 206 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,160 true God. And we get commentary that they 207 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:41,560 did this because there wasn't a concrete place, the centralized 208 00:13:41,560 --> 00:13:44,000 area, where God would determine for them to be able to 209 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:48,560 appropriately worship. Here's what's interesting Even 210 00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:53,400 after the temple was built, worship in the high places 211 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:58,760 continued not by pagans, but by even the people of God. 212 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:02,400 And here's why I think that happened. 213 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:09,760 I think that the convenience of these stations convinced the 214 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:13,320 people not to go to the temple, though God required that 215 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,360 sacrifices would be made in that one location. 216 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:18,840 It's just something that they got used to. 217 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,560 It was just something that they couldn't shake off. 218 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,560 It was something that made things easier for them, even 219 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:28,960 though it wasn't God's will. And I want to tell you too that 220 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:33,720 alternative and supplemental ways of worship today can 221 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,400 infringe upon how we should truly worship God as the people 222 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,560 of God. See. 223 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:43,160 What do you mean by that? What I mean is with a recent 224 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:46,520 example, there are some people who have not yet recovered from 225 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:50,760 the COVID area, the COVID era. Think about it. 226 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:55,280 Church doors were shut, everything was online, and so 227 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,680 many people were convinced that the church is not about a place, 228 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:02,440 but about the Spirit and our hearts and being united with 229 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:06,520 Christ by faith. And ever since the doors open 230 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,920 again, you have many. Statistically, we have many 231 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:11,640 people who have never come back to meeting in person and 232 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,480 worshipping God the way He asked us to worship Him as a church. 233 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:18,680 Here's what I think. I think what the high places 234 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:22,720 were in Second Kings are the online places in our day. 235 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:28,440 Now you can't use the supplemental Convenient Ways to 236 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:33,200 Worship God eclipse what the Lord asks of US priority. 237 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:37,160 And whether the high place is considered of one type, the 238 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:40,960 other, or both, God was clear that there was supposed to be 239 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:43,480 one designated place according to Deuteronomy 12. 240 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:45,720 It was in. Jerusalem later on that would be 241 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:49,720 revealed but it would be 1 space one place and the leadership in 242 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:54,000 Second Kings 12 not addressing that was a dishonorable thing on 243 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:59,360 their part. And it's sad to see that not a 244 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:01,640 full reformation was made by this duo. 245 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,680 They had the opportunity. Jehoiada and Joash had the 246 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:10,200 opportunity to clean up everything, but for whatever. 247 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:14,560 Reason they didn't address this and so let this be a challenge 248 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:17,120 to you and I that if we're going to have a passion for the things 249 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,120 of God, let it be an all consuming 1. 250 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:22,760 If you're going to be. If you're going to serve the 251 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:25,040 Lord, if you're going to be zealous about the things of God, 252 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,520 let it be for all that He has to say, not just for some some of 253 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:32,640 the things he said, unfortunately, they didn't go 254 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:37,880 all the way, be that as it may. There is something about this 255 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,960 king that is highly admirable. It's what we read in verse four 256 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:45,720 and five. Let's look at it, Joash said to 257 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:49,200 the priest. All the money of the holy things 258 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:52,680 that is brought into the House of the Lord, the money for which 259 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:56,680 each man is assessed, the money from the assessment of persons, 260 00:16:56,920 --> 00:17:00,560 and the money that a man's heart prompts him to bring into the 261 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:04,040 House of the Lord. Let the priest take each from 262 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:08,160 his donor and let them repair the house wherever any need of 263 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:12,760 repairs is discovered. We're not told how old Joash was 264 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:16,680 at this point, but he was mature enough to be able to look at the 265 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:22,440 temple and identify the need for restoration, for renovation. 266 00:17:23,319 --> 00:17:28,520 And this concerned him. And so he begins a project for 267 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:33,120 the renewal of the House of God. And this moves me for many 268 00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:37,000 reasons, and we'll get to those reasons in a moment. 269 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,480 But I want to ask you the question, why is it that the 270 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:42,520 temple was in such a destitute condition? 271 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:46,160 Any idea? I mentioned it last or two weeks 272 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,360 ago rather. I'm curious to know if anybody 273 00:17:48,360 --> 00:17:59,120 remembers say that again. That's right, a Thalia. 274 00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:00,880 We're told in Second Chronicles 24. 275 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,680 You don't have to turn there. Her sons regularly went into the 276 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:12,800 House of God, stripped it of its functional glory and funded the 277 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:16,640 House of bail instead. So you have to understand, this 278 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,320 is serious. I'm sure walls were breached, 279 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:22,560 the roof was leaking, the floors were cracked. 280 00:18:23,120 --> 00:18:25,880 It wasn't a suitable place anymore to come and worship. 281 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:28,200 It didn't reflect the majesty of God. 282 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:32,240 And this man was stirred and he and he wanted to do something 283 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:34,800 about it. And I want to make a point here, 284 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,200 but it's going to require us to do some basic math, very simple 285 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,400 math. How old was Josh when he became 286 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:42,040 king? Good. 287 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:44,400 Now Scroll down to verse 6 real quickly, and I want you to 288 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:49,400 notice something. But by the 23rd year of King 289 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:54,760 Joash, the priest had made no repairs on the House. 290 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,440 So if he was seven when he began to reign, how old would he have 291 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:02,040 been at this point? The 23rd year of his reign, Very 292 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:03,840 good mathematicians in the house. 293 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:11,280 He was 30, but he was 30 when he inquired again of the progress 294 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,440 of the project that he originally initiated back in 295 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:20,320 verse 4, which tells me that, and based on how verse 6 reads, 296 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:23,920 it must have been a few years that span between his original 297 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:27,040 request and his investigation of the matter. 298 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:34,960 So you had this king in his 20s? That had this burden on his 299 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:39,800 heart for the House of God. That's relatively young and that 300 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:45,400 should move you and me because it shows that this young king, 301 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:49,760 who was occupying the most powerful seat in the nation, was 302 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,840 preoccupied with the purity of worship in his land. 303 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,120 You don't meet many 20 something year olds with that kind of 304 00:19:57,120 --> 00:20:02,520 burden, but it's here and I find it so wonderful that it's 305 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:06,080 possible for the honor of the Lord to be carried in such a 306 00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:10,880 young strong. Vibrant heart. 307 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,480 Being enthusiastic and zealous for the things of God does not 308 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:19,800 have to be reserved for the later part of your life when 309 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,240 you've tried everything else and have been disappointed. 310 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:29,320 Give God your best years. Give Him the peak of your life, 311 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:33,360 the prime of your life. Because time is short and as you 312 00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:36,880 get older, things become more difficult, even with this body 313 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:40,760 of yours. And so I see a young man here 314 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:46,440 who is devoted to doing something early on and not 315 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:48,960 getting distracted by other things, even maybe good things. 316 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:53,920 He is so wrapped up in wanting to restore the House of God. 317 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,400 You and I should be fully dedicated to our Father's work 318 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:03,200 while you still have that time and that energy and that focus 319 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:06,480 and the grace that comes with youth. 320 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:10,640 Time is precious. Your days are limited. 321 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:17,120 And this King also teaches me how it's possible for younger 322 00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:22,080 servants of God to have greater spiritual perception than their 323 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:23,480 older. Peers. 324 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:30,320 It's generally true that those who are younger in the faith are 325 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:34,320 characterized by zeal, while those who are more seasoned in 326 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:38,560 years and in the faith are recognized for their wisdom and 327 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:40,880 insight. But it doesn't mean that both of 328 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,440 those categories can't share in each other's strengths. 329 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:48,120 And it also doesn't mean that somebody who might be younger is 330 00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:50,880 not more sensitive to the things of God and those who might be 331 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:58,280 more quote UN quote experienced. Joyada is much older than the 332 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,800 king. I'm sure some of the other 333 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:05,480 priests were as well, but doesn't it intrigue you that it 334 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,000 wasn't the priest who came to the king and said hey we need to 335 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:09,280 do something about the House of God. 336 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:12,080 It was the king who went to the priest. 337 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,120 That's not the King's lane. The King's lane is the Kingdom. 338 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:21,760 The priest had their own lane. Why aren't the priest stirred by 339 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,000 the weak condition of the House of God? 340 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:30,480 Because you don't even have to be in full time ministry. 341 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:35,360 In order to have a heart that shares the burden of the Lord. 342 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:37,600 This king is not a full time ministry. 343 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:39,640 He's not mediating between the people and God. 344 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:42,800 He's administrating justice he's dealing with. 345 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:46,240 Yes, he has some obvious overlap with the things of God, but not 346 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:49,080 to this degree. Listen very careful carefully. 347 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:53,120 Being older and age and fully immersed in Christian service 348 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:57,440 does not promise you a burden from the Lord. 349 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:03,000 I've seen it in my own life. What? 350 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:07,600 Constitutes a heart being connected to the heart of God, 351 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:12,840 your relationship with Him, you meeting with Him, you coming to 352 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:16,960 His Word, you developing your own personal intimate walk. 353 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:20,240 You don't need degrees on your wall. 354 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:25,560 You don't need anything else. You just need a heart like this. 355 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:29,320 And I wonder if this king, at least one of the reasons why he 356 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,760 had this kind of a heart for the temple was because he grew up in 357 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:34,960 the temple. Remember, he was hidden in the 358 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:39,560 temple and so he associated the House of God with his 359 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,760 upbringing, with his care, his nurture, his safety. 360 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:48,760 And so as he grows older and age, now he has a desire to 361 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:54,280 contribute to the House of God. Don't you dare believe the lie 362 00:23:55,680 --> 00:24:00,440 that your children growing up in the House of God destines them 363 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:02,880 to despise the House of God down the road. 364 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:06,720 Many parents are plagued by that. 365 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:09,960 What's going to happen now, once my child's able to think for 366 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,520 themselves and they're exposed to the other elements and 367 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:14,160 philosophies and lies of the world? 368 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:17,480 You don't have to give in to the lie. 369 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:21,400 That if they came and they grew up in a house that truly 370 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:25,200 preached the word and had people who loved the word, that will 371 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,240 anchor them more than anything. Believe that. 372 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:32,640 Hold firm to that truth. You have this young man who 373 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:36,480 since his infancy grew up in the House of God, and when he had 374 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:40,480 the world at his disposal, his main thing on his mind was the 375 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:41,360 House of. God. 376 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:46,680 Believe that for your children. Let's come back to verse 6, 377 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:51,680 shall we? But by the 23rd year of King 378 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:55,280 Joash, the priest had made no repairs on the House. 379 00:24:55,280 --> 00:25:01,800 Why the priests are bothering me, at least what I was reading 380 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,880 about myself. Why? 381 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,840 Why? So, OK, the king initiates this, 382 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:10,320 right? You didn't even have the concern 383 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:12,520 to begin with. And now he brings us to your 384 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:14,560 attention. And he says, let's get this 385 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:18,360 going now. And they made no repairs on the 386 00:25:18,360 --> 00:25:22,440 House. It's a good reminder that 387 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:26,800 priests, pastors, ministers, evangelists, teachers, they're 388 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:30,640 human. But I want answers. 389 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,800 What's going on here? Many have speculated. 390 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:38,800 I don't want to speculate, I want concrete conclusions. 391 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:40,880 And if I don't get. It I'm going to try to do what I 392 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:45,000 can to come as close to it. And I think there's something in 393 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,320 his initial instructions at verse four that gives us some 394 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,360 clues. Look back again to verse 4. 395 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,000 Joash said to the priest. All the money of the holy things 396 00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:55,920 that is brought into the House of the Lord, the money for which 397 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:59,280 each man is assessed, the money from the assessment of persons, 398 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:01,800 and the money that a man's heart prompts him to bring into the 399 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:04,880 House of the Lord. Let the priest take each from 400 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:08,440 his donor and let them repair the house wherever any need or 401 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:10,840 repairs is discovered. We don't have time to get into 402 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:14,560 it, but if you study the law, there are different streams of 403 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:17,640 revenue that would go into the House of God. 404 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:19,760 And here's what the king is saying. 405 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:23,960 All these streams, all the means by which income comes to the 406 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:28,240 House of God. I wanted to be preserved and and 407 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:30,480 reserved for this renovation project. 408 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:34,520 It wasn't absolutely everything. You're going to learn later on 409 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:37,160 that he still kept the income for the priest. 410 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:39,320 He didn't forsake the need of the priest. 411 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:43,000 But everything else, this was emergency protocol. 412 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,160 We need all funds to go to this and it kind of makes sense. 413 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:48,880 Why fund the activity of the temple? 414 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:54,600 The temple is falling apart. I don't think the priest. 415 00:26:54,800 --> 00:27:00,440 Saw it that way though, and you say, how do you know that? 416 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:06,240 Look at verse 7. Therefore, King Joash summoned 417 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:09,120 Jehoiada, the priest and the other priest and said to them, 418 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:13,240 Why are you not repairing the house now? 419 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:19,000 Therefore, take no more money from your donors, but hand it 420 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:23,200 over for the repair of the house. 421 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,720 So the reason? Why the project was stalled was 422 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:28,040 not because there wasn't enough funds. 423 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:32,800 The money was coming in. So let's do some simple math. 424 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:36,760 Again, not actual numbers, just logical thinking if the money 425 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:40,200 was coming in. And the priests had access to 426 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:42,880 it, but they were not implementing the money where it 427 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,240 should have gone. What's the conclusion? 428 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:50,120 Mismanagement of funds, That's what's happening. 429 00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:54,560 Here, irresponsibility and that mismanagement that miss handling 430 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:57,560 could have looked like pocketing some of that money to their own 431 00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:01,640 profit. Or simple incompetence. 432 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:06,840 We're not given an exact reason, but the rebuke is warranted. 433 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:13,280 The priest were in the wrong. So what's going to happen next? 434 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:18,200 Well, we got to read verse 8. So the priest agreed that they 435 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:21,360 should take no more money from the people and that they should 436 00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:26,400 not repair the house. So the priest agreed that they 437 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:30,280 should stop the donations until everything goes back under 438 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:33,240 review. And they even submitted to 439 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:36,560 stepping down from oversight of this campaign. 440 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:42,760 More accurately, the king would take this responsibility from 441 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,880 them and would now take charge himself. 442 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:49,960 And I think there are some lessons here for our own lives. 443 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:56,960 One cannot have an irresponsible or dishonorable relationship 444 00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:01,400 with money and expect to build God's house. 445 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,360 And that's true for leaders who are called to supervise and 446 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:10,120 steward the funds of a local assembly or an organization, a 447 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,840 gospel ministry. And it's equally true for those 448 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,440 who accumulate wealth in their personal lives. 449 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:18,800 To the degree that it distracts you from your duty as a 450 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,320 Christian. You cannot serve God and money. 451 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:28,760 You can't love both. You either love God and serve 452 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:32,160 God, or you love money and serve money. 453 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:39,360 And those who don't have a God fearing view of this particular 454 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:44,360 resource will run into problems and being recruited for God's 455 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:48,200 service. But listen, fleshly handling of 456 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:51,000 the finances here is not the only problem. 457 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:55,520 There's another problem. It's a heart issue in that there 458 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:58,560 was carelessness for the cause itself. 459 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:01,640 You won't, you won't see that here. 460 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:05,240 What you see in Second Kings 12 is primarily the issue of the 461 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:07,280 money coming in and them not doing what they were supposed to 462 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:09,040 do with it. But when you go to Second 463 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:13,200 Chronicles 24, what's being highlighted there is this 464 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:18,280 laziness. Can priests get lazy? 465 00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:26,440 Yes, I heard one minister asked a seasoned minister as he was 466 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:30,320 lamenting the lack of Bible preaching and teaching in so 467 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:33,080 many churches. And when he inquired of this 468 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:37,280 older minister, why is it that there's so little in depth, rich 469 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,560 study and proclamation of God's word? 470 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,280 That older minister answered it very simply because they're. 471 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,520 Lazy. They're lazy. 472 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:50,000 Go to Second Chronicles 24 with me. 473 00:30:50,800 --> 00:31:03,160 Let's look at verse 4. After this, Joash decided to 474 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,160 restore the House of the Lord, same thing that we read in 475 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:07,040 Second Kings 12 up to this point. 476 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:11,200 And he gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, go 477 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:15,680 out to the cities of Judah and gather from all Israel money to 478 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:18,880 repair the House of your God from year to year and see that 479 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:22,760 you act quickly. But the Levites did not act 480 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:25,760 quickly. You see what's being underscored 481 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:30,200 here to see the angle that's being addressed in Second Kings 482 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:32,120 12, it was the money coming in and they didn't do what they 483 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:34,840 were supposed to do. In Second Chronicles 24, part of 484 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,520 the instruction was you need to go door to door. 485 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:41,000 Now you would think, oh, they're reluctant because who wants to 486 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:42,560 go door to door and ask people for money? 487 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:46,640 But we, we, we won't read it. But in the same text she says 488 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,000 you have the right to, according to the law of Moses, there was a 489 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:52,280 tax that the people would say was to give for the funding of 490 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:54,600 the House of God. Evidently that tax wasn't being 491 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:56,640 honored. So he tells the Levites go and 492 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:58,720 get the money that is rightly due. 493 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:04,360 And I feel like. The king had a hunch that they 494 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:06,920 were kind of lethargic. They weren't really active. 495 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:10,080 So he says at the end, make sure you do so quickly. 496 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:14,680 I know you guys, I've studied you enough, and what do we read? 497 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:17,040 But the Levites did not act quickly. 498 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:22,360 You and I should feel disheartened. 499 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:26,160 To read of those who have been invited to play an honorable 500 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:31,440 role in advancing the purposes of God in the House of God and 501 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:33,680 to treat it with such indifference. 502 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:38,680 And if this was a room filled with leaders, and maybe there 503 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:42,960 are some leaders in all levels of ministry here, so this would 504 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:46,560 apply to you. But if this was a room filled 505 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:49,760 with leaders, I would emphasize more on this point that as you 506 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:53,920 seek to serve God with vision and desire and expansion and 507 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,240 greater, greater fruitfulness, be ready. 508 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:04,960 To face half hearted commitment in the ministry shouldn't be 509 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,840 that way, but don't be surprised if you encounter it. 510 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:12,960 It was true in the days of Solomon, his temple, and it's 511 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,560 something that we unfortunately see in many local assemblies. 512 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:18,640 Praise God, we can't see it in NBCI. 513 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:22,360 Pray that it stays that way. But all the things that can be 514 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:27,960 accomplished even if one person is captivated for the cause of 515 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:29,640 Christ. And that's what we see with this 516 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:31,680 king. So let's go back to chapter 12 517 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:38,800 and let's look at verse 9. Then Jehoiada the priest took a 518 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:42,200 chest. And bored a hole in the lid of 519 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:46,040 it and set it beside the altar on the right side, as one 520 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:49,640 entered the House of the Lord. And the priest who guarded the 521 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:53,240 threshold put it in it, all the money that was brought into the 522 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:56,080 House of the Lord. And whenever they saw that there 523 00:33:56,080 --> 00:34:00,360 was much money in the chest, the King's secretary in the high 524 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:04,240 priest came up and they bagged and counted the money that was 525 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:07,200 found in the House of the Lord. Then they would give the money 526 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:09,760 that was weighed out into the hands of the workmen who had the 527 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:12,120 oversight of the House of the Lord, and they paid it out to 528 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:15,440 the carpenters and the builders who worked on the House. 529 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:17,719 Of the Lord. And to the Masons and the stone 530 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:20,800 cutters, as well as to buy timber and quarried stone for 531 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:24,880 making repairs on the House of the Lord, and for any outlay for 532 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:31,000 the repairs. Of the house the impression that 533 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:35,199 you're supposed to get from this detailed description of the 534 00:34:35,199 --> 00:34:43,719 efficiency of this leadership is to realize what's possible if 535 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:45,800 your heart is in the right place and your mind is in the right 536 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:51,440 place and it's so obvious here that this was made possible not 537 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:54,440 only because. The king removed the wrong 538 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:56,639 people, but because he replaced them with the right people, 539 00:34:57,680 --> 00:34:59,400 right that that's what you're supposed to see, this kind of 540 00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:02,320 dance of partnership and people who are. 541 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,640 Honoring their own role and how that it's synchronized and it's 542 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:10,680 bringing about results. And this description of this new 543 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:15,720 administration teaches us, again, maybe you're not a leader 544 00:35:15,720 --> 00:35:17,280 here, but this is worth listening to anyway. 545 00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:20,960 It teaches us that overseers cannot afford to delegate 546 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:26,760 ministries to people in the name of niceness, in the name of 547 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:29,440 tolerance, in the name of nepotism. 548 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:33,240 You know what nepotism is? Giving favor to family members, 549 00:35:33,240 --> 00:35:36,320 friends, giving them jobs just because they're related to you. 550 00:35:37,240 --> 00:35:42,040 You can't do ministry like that or any other silly political 551 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:45,920 reason. The Bible informs us that there 552 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:50,240 are sets and traits for both skill and character that have to 553 00:35:50,240 --> 00:35:54,040 be taken into account if ministries are going to 554 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:57,640 flourish. And some leaders would rather 555 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:02,960 let the ministry suffer before risk hurting anyone's feelings 556 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,040 by removing or replacing them when necessary. 557 00:36:08,240 --> 00:36:13,400 King Josh was no such leader. He understood that the work of 558 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:18,680 God was serious work. And I hope every ministry that's 559 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:20,240 represented here sees it that way. 560 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,640 Church, or any kind of ministry is not just a free for all. 561 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:27,160 It's not. It's for people who are filled 562 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:30,360 with the Spirit. Who are skilled, who understand 563 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:32,640 their giftedness? Yes, there's a place for 564 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:35,760 patience and trial and error. How do we know that this man 565 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:38,080 waited years for the house to be repaired? 566 00:36:38,240 --> 00:36:41,480 We're not talking about days. We're talking about months upon 567 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:43,080 months and nothing was getting done. 568 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:47,440 And so a true leader will understand that things cannot be 569 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:50,840 operated on on his own, and he needs the right kind of people 570 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:53,320 to partner with that. Paul was that kind of man. 571 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:57,360 He didn't recruit anybody. He recruited people Who who? 572 00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:00,440 Really had a heart for the things of God who really put 573 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:04,600 their hands to the pot, who really sought God's power for 574 00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:07,880 their work. And we see that in this man. 575 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:10,600 And listen, this is where it's going to apply to all of us. 576 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:15,200 The productivity of this leader and his effectiveness is going 577 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:16,360 to. Continue to be revealed in the 578 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:21,240 next few verses and the way he goes about things is so helpful 579 00:37:21,240 --> 00:37:24,440 for us. If we want to know a fragrant, 580 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:28,080 fruitful life for the Kingdom of God, let's start with verse 13. 581 00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:32,880 But we're there were not made for the House of the Lord basins 582 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:37,320 of silver, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, or any vessels of gold 583 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:40,480 or of silver from the money that was brought into the House of 584 00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:43,560 the Lord, for that was given to the workmen who were repairing 585 00:37:43,720 --> 00:37:47,360 the House of the Lord with it. You want answers from the Bible? 586 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:49,240 Ask the Bible questions. Have a conversation with the 587 00:37:49,240 --> 00:37:50,360 Bible. You know what my question was 588 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:54,920 when I read that verse? Why do I need to know that the 589 00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:58,960 money coming in didn't go to utensils but went to the actual 590 00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:01,480 structure of the temple? Any idea? 591 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:09,360 Here's the light bulb. We want to see that King Joash 592 00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:13,960 properly brought in the money and applied it to where it 593 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:16,320 needed to go primarily. So what you? 594 00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:19,720 Have here in verse 13 is the principle of priority. 595 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:24,920 It's not that those other vessels were not important, but 596 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:28,800 they were not as important. And so everything that was 597 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:35,640 coming in had to 1st go to the actual edifice and everything 598 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:39,400 else would come later. And what we have here is an 599 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:43,560 important truth for us as well, if you do not develop a value 600 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:47,000 system in life. Then you risk spending your 601 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:50,800 time, your energy, your efforts into things that don't matter as 602 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:54,520 much as other things. And you can rejoice because the 603 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:59,320 Bible has been granted to you as a blueprint to know where to 604 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:02,320 make the greatest investments with this little thing called 605 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:05,000 life. It's everywhere. 606 00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:12,440 Can I tell you one example? First Timothy 4IN verse 8 you 607 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:16,640 know this verse very well, for while bodily training is of some 608 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:22,080 value, godliness is a value in every way as it holds promise 609 00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:24,560 for the present life and also for the life to come. 610 00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:28,800 Question Is exercise bad? No. 611 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:30,920 Is it good? Yes. 612 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:36,200 I highly recommend it actually. But is it as important as 613 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:41,120 training your spirit man Answer. No, it's not. 614 00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:46,960 Do you know people who make bodily exercise more important 615 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:49,800 than anything else? I do. 616 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:57,520 They're buff, they're tough, but they're spiritual skeletons, not 617 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:01,560 interested in that kind of life. Their value system is out of 618 00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:03,320 order. This is just one example. 619 00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:04,960 I'm not picking on guys to go to the gym, all right? 620 00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:08,600 I try to go a few times a week. You can. 621 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:10,760 You can. Pin this on anything, any 622 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:14,040 pursuit in life. And So what we see here is this 623 00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:16,720 principle of priority. Where are your priorities 624 00:40:16,720 --> 00:40:20,840 tonight? If a minister is truly a 625 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:25,000 minister, I know those nights where I would love to maybe do 626 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,560 something else, not nothing sinful, but where's my priority? 627 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:32,160 My priority is this. And so I have to others may, but 628 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:35,840 I can't because this is my priority. 629 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:39,880 But there's also the principle of integrity. 630 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:45,120 Look at verse 15. And they did not ask for an 631 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:48,160 accounting from the men into whose hand they deliver the 632 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:52,560 money to pay out to the workmen, for they dealt honestly. 633 00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:57,360 Again, here's my question. Why do I need to know this? 634 00:40:57,520 --> 00:40:59,120 What does that have to do with my life? 635 00:40:59,840 --> 00:41:03,400 Again, if you look at the wider picture, you have a king who 636 00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:06,040 took charge and things are getting done. 637 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:12,240 God's glory is intensifying, His house is being strengthened, and 638 00:41:12,240 --> 00:41:14,320 we're seeing some of the things that he did do in order for that 639 00:41:14,320 --> 00:41:16,160 to happen. So if I want God to be further 640 00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:19,480 glorified in my life, if I want to contribute to the House of 641 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:22,680 God, to the glory of God, the cause of Christ, then I got to 642 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:25,160 look deeper beneath this and see some principles. 643 00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:27,080 I see a principle of integrity here. 644 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:31,400 He had a policy for his finances with the donations coming in 645 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:33,960 full transparency. You want to see the books? 646 00:41:35,240 --> 00:41:36,960 Yeah, We have a box. We actually have a box back 647 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:37,840 there. I don't know if you noticed 648 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:38,960 that. If you want to know what came 649 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:41,560 from this, there's a box. There's a box. 650 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:43,400 And there's those guarding it. And whenever it was filled, they 651 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:45,200 would go and it would go to another place and they would 652 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:45,840 count it. And. 653 00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:48,400 But everybody knew where every penny went. 654 00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:53,880 And I'm sure that created a trust in the nation for them to 655 00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:57,520 give even more. And here's the lesson for us. 656 00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:03,000 If you want to be fruitful in God's house and beyond, then you 657 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:06,960 must strive to live in a way that gives no one a reason to 658 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:09,840 cast doubt or question your character. 659 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:15,960 One of the first verses I've ever ever memorized when I first 660 00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:19,120 became a believer, especially when I believed that I was going 661 00:42:19,120 --> 00:42:22,200 to serve the Lord in full time ministry, was Titus 278. 662 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:27,360 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works. 663 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:34,160 And in your teaching, show integrity, dignity, and sound 664 00:42:34,160 --> 00:42:40,920 speech that cannot be condemned so that an opponent may be put 665 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:45,160 to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 666 00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:51,040 I took that, I memorized that, and I said, Lord, let it be real 667 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:54,520 for me. Let there be nothing with my 668 00:42:54,520 --> 00:42:57,560 life. Even the way I talk that 669 00:42:57,560 --> 00:42:59,800 somebody could say there's something off about that guy, 670 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:05,000 something I don't know. He sounds all spiritual when he 671 00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:06,480 gets up there and he shares the Bible study. 672 00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:09,440 But off of the pulpit, I don't know. 673 00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:12,720 It's like a different. Person, I'm not saying you have 674 00:43:12,720 --> 00:43:15,000 to stay in preaching mode. That would be very concerning, 675 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:15,800 wasn't it? Wouldn't it? 676 00:43:16,680 --> 00:43:23,280 But the purity of your speech, the things you laugh at, the way 677 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:27,400 you react to things. Paul tells Pastor Titus, be 678 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:30,720 careful. Give no one a reason to look at. 679 00:43:30,720 --> 00:43:34,720 You have a question mark in their thinking, staining your 680 00:43:34,720 --> 00:43:37,760 ministry altogether. There's a principle of integrity 681 00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:40,600 here. And lastly, there's a principle 682 00:43:40,600 --> 00:43:44,120 of true ministry. Look here at verse 16. 683 00:43:46,240 --> 00:43:51,080 The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the 684 00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:55,080 sin offerings was not brought into the House of the Lord. 685 00:43:55,280 --> 00:44:02,360 It belonged to the priest. So remember back in verse 4, the 686 00:44:02,360 --> 00:44:06,880 king asked that all the streams at least temporarily would go to 687 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:08,040 the building fund. But. 688 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:11,200 We're comforted here to know that he did not disobey the Lord 689 00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:15,280 in cutting off the source of income for the ministers. 690 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:21,320 And so this was something. That he kept intact. 691 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:25,440 That he honored and this too is for instruction, especially for 692 00:44:25,440 --> 00:44:29,280 our local church as we are also saving and looking for a new 693 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:36,440 place as we seek to develop the physical walls and the new land 694 00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:38,440 and the new ground that we will gain. 695 00:44:39,240 --> 00:44:42,960 You must and I must especially the leaders lose sight of the 696 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:46,960 fact that the ultimate aim even for the funds that come in. 697 00:44:47,600 --> 00:44:52,160 If the Lord decides to keep this ministry for years and years to 698 00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:54,360 come, decades to come should he tarry. 699 00:44:54,920 --> 00:44:58,680 We cannot lose sight that everything that comes in, not 700 00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:03,840 just the people, especially the funds is for the people. 701 00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:10,520 It's to serve people. And so that looks like supplying 702 00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:13,040 the needs for ministers so that they can provide spiritual 703 00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:16,440 nourishment and that also look like. 704 00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:20,240 What we do here on a weekly basis, bringing food not just to 705 00:45:20,240 --> 00:45:22,400 provide physical sustenance for people who come here, but to 706 00:45:22,400 --> 00:45:28,120 also foster spirit LED fellowship that that point may 707 00:45:28,120 --> 00:45:30,720 not mean much to you, but you'd be amazed to. 708 00:45:30,720 --> 00:45:35,760 Know how much misapplication happens in ministries when it 709 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:42,960 comes to money? No, even the money that comes in 710 00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:50,760 is saturated in prayer. It has a gospel goal always, and 711 00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:56,120 we see that here. I wish this is where the chapter 712 00:45:56,120 --> 00:46:00,280 ended. A very strange thing is about to 713 00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:02,640 happen in verse 17. It's going to catch you off 714 00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:04,680 guard. Here's how we're ending. 715 00:46:05,600 --> 00:46:10,080 At that time, has a Al king of Syria, went up and fought 716 00:46:10,080 --> 00:46:13,360 against Gath and took it. But when has a Al set his face 717 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:17,320 to go up against Jerusalem? Johash, king of Judah, took all 718 00:46:17,320 --> 00:46:21,400 the sacred gifts that Jehoshaphat and Joram and 719 00:46:21,480 --> 00:46:25,360 Ayaziah his father's, the kings of Judah had dedicated, and his 720 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:28,680 own sacred gifts, and all the gold that was found in the 721 00:46:28,680 --> 00:46:31,320 treasuries of the House of the Lord and of the King's house, 722 00:46:31,680 --> 00:46:34,720 and sent these to Hazel, king of Syria. 723 00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:38,560 Then Hazel went away from Jerusalem. 724 00:46:40,200 --> 00:46:42,120 Here's how I felt when I studied this the other day. 725 00:46:42,600 --> 00:46:47,000 I feel like there's a verse or two missing between 16 and 17. 726 00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:51,880 Don't you feel that way? There are some missing pieces to 727 00:46:51,880 --> 00:46:56,640 this picture. You went from investing 728 00:46:56,640 --> 00:46:59,120 everything all your time, you rallying the nation really to 729 00:46:59,120 --> 00:47:02,960 resurrect this temple. And just because there was a 730 00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:08,400 threat, you gave it all up in a couple of verses. 731 00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:13,400 What's going on here? It gets even more interesting. 732 00:47:14,040 --> 00:47:17,720 Look at verse 19. Now the rest of the acts of Josh 733 00:47:17,720 --> 00:47:20,440 and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the 734 00:47:20,440 --> 00:47:22,000 Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 735 00:47:22,440 --> 00:47:25,600 His servants arose and made a conspiracy and struck down Josh 736 00:47:25,600 --> 00:47:28,880 in the House of Milo on the way that goes down to Sela. 737 00:47:29,480 --> 00:47:33,320 It was Joseph Car, the son of Shimiath and Joshabad, the son 738 00:47:33,320 --> 00:47:36,360 of Shomer, his servants, who struck him down so that he died 739 00:47:36,840 --> 00:47:39,080 and they buried him with his father's in the city of David 740 00:47:39,440 --> 00:47:41,720 and Amaziah, his son, reign in his place. 741 00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:46,960 What? So not only did he give 742 00:47:46,960 --> 00:47:51,000 everything up to the king of Syria, who hated the people of 743 00:47:51,000 --> 00:47:55,760 God and hated the God of his people, but within his own 744 00:47:55,760 --> 00:47:58,600 Kingdom, two of his servants assassinated him. 745 00:47:59,840 --> 00:48:03,000 I have a lot of questions. One of my initial questions was, 746 00:48:03,240 --> 00:48:05,000 OK, let's deal with Hazel, King of Syria. 747 00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:08,840 Why is there no instance? Why is there no indication that 748 00:48:09,120 --> 00:48:11,920 the king prayed and sought the Lord to intervene? 749 00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:15,640 Why did the Lord not intervene at all? 750 00:48:17,320 --> 00:48:21,680 Why did the Lord allow such a wonderful man of God to be 751 00:48:21,680 --> 00:48:26,160 murdered in such a way? Whatever your question may be, 752 00:48:26,600 --> 00:48:29,640 all your answers are found in Second Chronicles 24. 753 00:48:30,880 --> 00:48:39,360 Let's turn there. Let's begin in verse 15. 754 00:48:40,200 --> 00:48:43,920 The verses preceding verse 15 give us an even more elaborate 755 00:48:43,920 --> 00:48:47,040 description of the success of the building of the temple. 756 00:48:47,720 --> 00:48:51,480 So we don't have time to read it, but essentially we have 757 00:48:51,480 --> 00:48:53,240 sacrifices in the House of God again. 758 00:48:53,680 --> 00:48:57,080 Everything is reinstated, everything is back on schedule, 759 00:48:57,720 --> 00:48:59,960 and this is what we read in verse 15 in Second Chronicles 760 00:48:59,960 --> 00:49:03,480 24. But Jehoiada grew old and full 761 00:49:03,480 --> 00:49:07,920 of days and died. He was 130 years old at his 762 00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:10,120 death. And they buried him in the city 763 00:49:10,120 --> 00:49:12,040 of David among the kings. Pause there. 764 00:49:13,200 --> 00:49:16,720 You imagine that he was not a king, he was a priest. 765 00:49:16,720 --> 00:49:19,200 But he was so loved by the people because of his influence 766 00:49:19,200 --> 00:49:22,560 in the land that they chose to honor him by burying him with 767 00:49:22,560 --> 00:49:25,480 the kings. What a man this was. 768 00:49:26,400 --> 00:49:27,920 And they buried. Him in the city of David among 769 00:49:27,920 --> 00:49:31,520 the kings, because he had done good in Israel and toward God 770 00:49:31,520 --> 00:49:34,960 and his house. Pause. 771 00:49:35,440 --> 00:49:39,640 Jehoiada was not the one who initiated the renovation 772 00:49:39,640 --> 00:49:41,240 project, right? It was the king. 773 00:49:41,760 --> 00:49:45,320 That's a mistake on this priest's part, But isn't it? 774 00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:49,040 Wonderful that because he recovered, God still honored his 775 00:49:49,040 --> 00:49:53,080 efforts for His house. You might have for years not 776 00:49:53,080 --> 00:49:55,440 taken the local church seriously, the mission of God 777 00:49:55,440 --> 00:49:59,800 seriously, but if you choose to change today, the Lord will look 778 00:49:59,800 --> 00:50:05,920 upon you with fresh eyes toward God and His house. 779 00:50:06,240 --> 00:50:10,120 Look at verse 17. Now after the death of Jehoiada, 780 00:50:10,120 --> 00:50:13,320 the Princess of Judah came and paid homage to the king. 781 00:50:14,000 --> 00:50:21,920 Then the king listened to them, oh, verse 18 And they abandoned 782 00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:27,720 the House of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the 783 00:50:27,720 --> 00:50:32,440 ashram and the idols, and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem 784 00:50:32,440 --> 00:50:39,000 for this guilt of theirs. When Jehoiada the priest died, 785 00:50:39,600 --> 00:50:46,120 so did the King's faith. Is it possible to be too 786 00:50:46,120 --> 00:50:51,600 dependent upon the blessings of a ministry or mentor in your 787 00:50:51,600 --> 00:50:56,640 life? Absolutely, absolutely. 788 00:50:57,400 --> 00:51:02,000 If the heartbeat of your faith relies solely on the constant 789 00:51:02,160 --> 00:51:06,400 service and giftedness of others, or the personal 790 00:51:06,400 --> 00:51:12,520 instruction and help of another, you're in serious danger. 791 00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:19,120 The proper response to being blessed by someone's walk with 792 00:51:19,120 --> 00:51:22,320 the Lord is that it would inspire you to deepen and 793 00:51:22,320 --> 00:51:28,280 cultivate your own walk with the Lord because you will not 794 00:51:28,280 --> 00:51:31,560 survive spiritually solely on the support of others. 795 00:51:32,680 --> 00:51:34,720 That is not to say we don't need one another. 796 00:51:35,600 --> 00:51:38,320 I love to preach how we need one another. 797 00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:43,000 But what was designed to be supplementary cannot become your 798 00:51:43,000 --> 00:51:47,280 substance. You need to be able to develop 799 00:51:47,280 --> 00:51:51,880 that with your own heart, in your own heart, with your own 800 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:56,000 walk with God. The King didn't have that. 801 00:51:58,720 --> 00:52:01,520 He was willing to follow the Lord as long as he had Jehoiada. 802 00:52:02,080 --> 00:52:04,880 Some people are only willing to follow the Lord as long as their 803 00:52:04,880 --> 00:52:09,280 spouse is following the Lord. Some are willing to as long as 804 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:11,040 they are under the tutelage of their parents. 805 00:52:11,480 --> 00:52:14,160 Others are willing to as long as your best buddy is willing to. 806 00:52:14,640 --> 00:52:16,560 Others are willing to as long as your siblings. 807 00:52:16,800 --> 00:52:18,920 And we can go on and on with examples. 808 00:52:18,920 --> 00:52:20,280 Here's a true follower of Christ. 809 00:52:20,280 --> 00:52:23,360 Though none go with me, still I will follow. 810 00:52:24,000 --> 00:52:26,320 If you want to come with me, wonderful, This journey will be 811 00:52:26,320 --> 00:52:28,920 even greater. But if no one will go with me, 812 00:52:30,080 --> 00:52:34,160 if others pass on before me, I'm still going to follow him. 813 00:52:36,960 --> 00:52:39,360 How many disappear because of the failure of a pastor? 814 00:52:40,880 --> 00:52:45,360 That is not excusable. God is merciful. 815 00:52:45,800 --> 00:52:47,360 But oh. We have an example here of the 816 00:52:47,360 --> 00:52:51,000 trouble that could come when you don't own your faith. 817 00:52:53,280 --> 00:52:57,840 If your inspiration is merely coming from the passionate 818 00:52:57,840 --> 00:53:04,120 sermons you hear, you're in trouble if your worship is. 819 00:53:04,120 --> 00:53:07,720 Only stimulated by talented singers. 820 00:53:08,480 --> 00:53:11,680 You're in trouble. Own it. 821 00:53:13,520 --> 00:53:18,920 So what happens here? Prepare to be visited again by 822 00:53:18,920 --> 00:53:21,360 the glorious patience of your God. 823 00:53:22,200 --> 00:53:27,040 Look at verse 19. Yet he sent prophets among them 824 00:53:27,040 --> 00:53:30,880 to bring them back to the Lord. These testified against them, 825 00:53:30,880 --> 00:53:33,720 but they would not pay attention. 826 00:53:34,960 --> 00:53:39,080 What does the Lord do after this man turned his back on the House 827 00:53:39,080 --> 00:53:41,880 of God? God doesn't turn his back on 828 00:53:41,880 --> 00:53:45,240 him. He sends prophet after prophet 829 00:53:45,360 --> 00:53:50,360 after prophet. That is the steadfastness of 830 00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:54,480 God's. Love and his compassion. 831 00:53:54,920 --> 00:53:57,680 He's reaching out. He's reaching out to Joash. 832 00:53:57,680 --> 00:53:59,520 Come back to me, Joash. You're headed the wrong way, 833 00:53:59,560 --> 00:54:03,760 Joash. I have a plan for you, Joash. 834 00:54:03,760 --> 00:54:05,480 You had a heart for me at one point, Joash. 835 00:54:05,560 --> 00:54:10,240 And. He would swat his hand away. 836 00:54:12,440 --> 00:54:17,040 So what is the Lord going to do? OK, if you're not going to 837 00:54:17,040 --> 00:54:21,280 listen to these prophets, I'm going to clothe someone with my 838 00:54:21,280 --> 00:54:24,160 spirit. And that someone will be very 839 00:54:24,480 --> 00:54:27,680 difficult to ignore. Who's that someone? 840 00:54:28,000 --> 00:54:31,560 Look at the next verse. Then the Spirit of God clothed 841 00:54:31,640 --> 00:54:38,160 Zachariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above 842 00:54:38,160 --> 00:54:42,400 the people, and said to them, Thus says God, why do you break 843 00:54:42,400 --> 00:54:45,800 the commandments of the Lord? So that you cannot prosper? 844 00:54:46,040 --> 00:54:49,280 Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has forsaken you. 845 00:54:49,920 --> 00:54:53,880 But they conspired against them, and by command of the. 846 00:54:53,880 --> 00:54:58,440 King, they stoned him with stones. 847 00:54:58,600 --> 00:55:00,400 In the court of the House of the Lord. 848 00:55:01,520 --> 00:55:04,760 Thus Josh, the king did not remember the kindness that 849 00:55:04,760 --> 00:55:08,320 Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him, but killed his 850 00:55:08,320 --> 00:55:11,800 son. And when he was dying, he said, 851 00:55:11,800 --> 00:55:16,440 May the Lord see an avenge. You know what happens. 852 00:55:17,840 --> 00:55:23,320 God answered Zechariah's prayer. I sent you prophet after prophet 853 00:55:23,320 --> 00:55:26,240 after prophet. I sent you the son of the man 854 00:55:26,600 --> 00:55:31,480 who took you in, who lavished his love, his wisdom, his 855 00:55:31,480 --> 00:55:34,480 insights. And because you treated 856 00:55:34,480 --> 00:55:39,720 Zechariah in this way, oh, he answered his prayers so swiftly. 857 00:55:40,840 --> 00:55:42,320 Here's the answer. In verse 23. 858 00:55:43,800 --> 00:55:47,320 At the end of the year, the army of the Syrians came up against 859 00:55:47,440 --> 00:55:49,680 Joash. Remember how I told you between 860 00:55:49,680 --> 00:55:53,440 verse 16 and 17? How do we go from Joash 861 00:55:53,640 --> 00:55:56,720 completing the House of God to him giving up everything in the 862 00:55:56,720 --> 00:55:58,480 House of God? Or what we just learned. 863 00:55:58,840 --> 00:56:00,680 Here are the Syrians. At the end of the year the army 864 00:56:00,680 --> 00:56:02,280 of the Syrians came up against Joash. 865 00:56:02,520 --> 00:56:05,080 They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the Princess 866 00:56:05,080 --> 00:56:08,000 of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil 867 00:56:08,200 --> 00:56:11,840 to the king of Damascus. Look at verse 25. 868 00:56:12,320 --> 00:56:15,240 When they had departed from him, leaving him severely wounded, 869 00:56:15,560 --> 00:56:18,080 his servants conspired against them because of the blood of the 870 00:56:18,080 --> 00:56:20,640 son of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his. 871 00:56:20,640 --> 00:56:23,960 Bed. So he died and they buried him 872 00:56:23,960 --> 00:56:27,000 in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of 873 00:56:27,000 --> 00:56:30,520 the kings. Joy that was buried with the 874 00:56:30,520 --> 00:56:31,760 kings. He was not a king. 875 00:56:32,080 --> 00:56:34,360 The king who was supposed to be buried with the kings did not 876 00:56:34,360 --> 00:56:38,160 receive that honor. How you finish is so important. 877 00:56:39,480 --> 00:56:44,280 It's so important. Here's what alarms me. 878 00:56:44,640 --> 00:56:49,160 I'm reading about the same king who, when he was a vulnerable 879 00:56:49,160 --> 00:56:54,600 baby, was providentially protected by the viciousness of 880 00:56:54,600 --> 00:56:59,080 an evil woman. And when that little child that 881 00:56:59,080 --> 00:57:05,960 was kept from the eyes of that vulture became the most powerful 882 00:57:05,960 --> 00:57:12,560 man in Israel, he was killed by his servants in his own bed. 883 00:57:14,080 --> 00:57:19,960 How scary things happen when God's hand is removed from a 884 00:57:19,960 --> 00:57:27,480 person's life. You rather be like a child and 885 00:57:27,480 --> 00:57:32,760 so dependent with God on your side that to be king with all 886 00:57:32,760 --> 00:57:35,320 the armies and have God forsake you. 887 00:57:38,800 --> 00:57:42,160 Go back to second chronicles. I skipped 2424. 888 00:57:42,640 --> 00:57:45,240 I want you to see it because it just emphasizes my point. 889 00:57:46,240 --> 00:57:50,360 Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, the Lord 890 00:57:50,360 --> 00:57:54,440 delivered into the hand a very great army, because Judah had 891 00:57:54,440 --> 00:57:57,360 forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. 892 00:57:57,360 --> 00:57:59,800 Thus they executed judgement on Joash. 893 00:57:59,800 --> 00:58:02,720 So, humanly speaking, the Syrians were not an impressive 894 00:58:02,720 --> 00:58:06,600 army, very few men in fact, who had the impressive army in this 895 00:58:07,880 --> 00:58:12,280 Judah. And yet God gave up that great 896 00:58:12,280 --> 00:58:14,160 army to the hands of very few men. 897 00:58:16,360 --> 00:58:21,080 One with God is always the majority, always the majority in 898 00:58:21,080 --> 00:58:23,040 here. If I can open my heart to you 899 00:58:23,240 --> 00:58:29,520 and how I felt when I ended this study in my own office, God keep 900 00:58:29,520 --> 00:58:35,440 me close to you no matter what. If people want to walk out, if 901 00:58:35,440 --> 00:58:38,960 people want to abandon you, if people don't want to support or 902 00:58:38,960 --> 00:58:44,720 encourage, that's fine. I'm asking you to stay close to 903 00:58:44,720 --> 00:58:49,040 me and by your grace, keep me close to you. 904 00:58:50,280 --> 00:58:54,400 I want to finish. I don't want my heart to burn 905 00:58:54,400 --> 00:59:01,280 for your house in my 20s and 30s, but in my 60s and 70s, I 906 00:59:01,280 --> 00:59:04,480 betray you. I want my heart to only grow 907 00:59:04,480 --> 00:59:08,560 brighter and hotter for you as I advance in years. 908 00:59:10,200 --> 00:59:12,280 I don't want to be a king. I don't want to be anything. 909 00:59:12,280 --> 00:59:17,720 I just want to finish well. Please Lord, let me finish well. 910 00:59:18,640 --> 00:59:37,860 Let's pray. We thank You, Lord, for every 911 00:59:37,860 --> 00:59:42,660 part of Your word, including those that challenge us and 912 00:59:42,660 --> 00:59:46,900 sober us. We will not ignore these 913 00:59:46,900 --> 00:59:51,220 passages, but we will trust that in Your love, You have given 914 00:59:51,220 --> 00:59:54,260 them to us. Even this account of King Joash, 915 00:59:54,820 --> 00:59:59,600 how he began strong but did not finish well. 916 01:00:01,400 --> 01:00:03,520 But we thank you for the Jehoiades in our lives. 917 01:00:04,400 --> 01:00:06,280 Below. We ask that you would fortify 918 01:00:06,280 --> 01:00:11,920 our personal faith, that you would you would heightened our 919 01:00:11,920 --> 01:00:15,200 appetite for the things of God, that we would have our own 920 01:00:15,200 --> 01:00:16,120 pursuit. We would have our own 921 01:00:16,120 --> 01:00:19,000 testimonies. We would not merely be inspired 922 01:00:19,000 --> 01:00:23,160 by the testimonies of others. If we are to be inspired, let it 923 01:00:23,160 --> 01:00:27,440 inspire us to plunge ourselves to dive deep into your will for 924 01:00:27,440 --> 01:00:30,880 our own lives. So Lord, tonight your word was 925 01:00:30,880 --> 01:00:33,800 so clear. The main point is so obvious. 926 01:00:33,960 --> 01:00:38,280 And we together as a church, ask that You would make us strong, 927 01:00:39,080 --> 01:00:41,680 Stronger than we were when we walked in here. 928 01:00:41,680 --> 01:00:46,440 Strong in You by your grace. Lord, we thank you for Your 929 01:00:46,440 --> 01:00:49,720 grace. We know that You are eager and 930 01:00:49,720 --> 01:00:53,800 willing to keep us faithful. Not just faithful, but 931 01:00:53,800 --> 01:00:56,880 blameless. Blame us to the point where when 932 01:00:56,880 --> 01:00:59,200 we stand before You face to face, we will have exceeding 933 01:00:59,200 --> 01:01:03,520 joy. So, Lord, we worship now not 934 01:01:03,520 --> 01:01:06,200 just because we're taking heed to Your warning, but realizing 935 01:01:06,200 --> 01:01:10,400 the extent of Your promise that even if we do drift, you send 936 01:01:10,400 --> 01:01:14,360 warning. You send messengers, You send 937 01:01:14,360 --> 01:01:17,200 many creative ways to try to bring us back. 938 01:01:17,840 --> 01:01:21,240 And Lord, if this Bible study is one of those ways for anybody in 939 01:01:21,240 --> 01:01:23,040 this place, may they not ignore it. 940 01:01:24,080 --> 01:01:28,800 For those who are walking with you, may they just do so with 941 01:01:28,800 --> 01:01:33,600 greater love and zeal. In Jesus name we pray, Amen and 942 01:01:33,600 --> 01:01:36,040 Amen. Let's stand together, worship 943 01:01:36,040 --> 01:01:37,840 the Lord. Oh, I want to encourage you, 944 01:01:38,400 --> 01:01:40,040 just take the time to tell them that. 945 01:01:40,720 --> 01:01:45,400 Take the time to tell the Lord I give you my young years, I give 946 01:01:45,400 --> 01:01:48,280 you my young life, but Lord, I want it for the long haul. 947 01:01:48,760 --> 01:01:51,760 I want to be yours until you call me home. 948 01:01:52,040 --> 01:01:56,320 I encourage you to pray that and we'll sing glorifying Him 949 01:01:56,320 --> 01:01:56,720 together.