Jonadab Who? The Unfamiliar Backstory To Blessing Series

Introduction:

A Opening Illustration

B Jonadab lived in a period of Israel’s history that should ring familiar with modern America & Western Church.

1 King Ahab & his queen, Jezebel, had turned the nation of Israel away from the God of their fathers, steering it down a course of perversion, spiritual & moral decline by infusing the worship of foreign God’s.

a Jezebel was from Tyre (in modern day Lebanon), her daddy was a priest-king who worshiped Baal, Melqart & other deities.

aa Brought 450 Baal prophets, 400 prophets of Asherah to Israel. (Ahab did nothing to stop it)

bb Ahab worshiped Yahweh, named his kids divine names, consulted God’s prophets, when Elijah slayed the prophets of Baal he didn’t interfere.

cc He also worshiped at the alter of other gods, didn’t obey God’s Word.

dd Why would he do such a thing? For political gain & increased commerce. (Money & power)

b Ahab’s spiritual apathy, religious co-mingling allowed Jezebel & her cronies to continue to spread paganism across the land of Israel after he died.

aa She lived 10 years longer as Ahab, reigned as Queen mother until she feel out a window & her body picked clean by the dogs.

bb When daddy dropped the mantel in his own home, it allowed the guard to be dropped nationally that caused the cultural to go into decline.

c This was the setting Jonadab lived in.

aa Not a prophet, general, king, judge. He was an average joe who happened to be an incredible daddy in the darkest of times.

bb Raised godly kids in the face of ungodliness.

2 During this time the key prophet was Elijah.

a He who named a man by the name of Jehu king over the rebellious people (1 Kings 10.17-18), but it would be Elisha who would anoint him king (2 Kings 9.1)

b King Ahab/ Queen Jezebeel had gutted God out the culture of Israel. (God was no longer in government, morals & society)

3 King Jehu starts his journey to bring Israel back to God (defeat God’s enemies/defend God’s people) and he stops to talk to man on his way to his mission.

a 2 Kings 10.15, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with yours?”

aa Do you feel like I do? Defeat/Defend?

bb Jehu was needing someone who was just as passionate about Yahweh as Baal worshipers were passionate about Baal.

b I believe there are American enemies who are passionate about their Anti-God/Christianity/religious freedom agenda in America?

c At the risk of offending of people, I do not think the greatest threat to religious freedom are Jihadist or Osamu Bid Laden, but rather they are from within.

PREACHING ALERT!!!

4 Perhaps one of the greatest threats is an organization known as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

a Org. supposedly began to ensure the Bill of Rights were secure for all but it appears their goal was to remove Christian influence from American culture from their genesis in 1920 by Roger Baldwin & Crystal Eastman.

b As early as 1931, the U.S. Congress were alarmed to hear the ACLU had strong ties to Communism in a report by the Special House Committee to Invistagate Communist activities:

aa “The American Civil Liberties Union is closely affiliated with the communist movement in the United States, and fully 90 percent of its efforts are on behalf of communists who have come into conflict with the law. It claims to stand for free speech, free press and free assembly, but it is quite apparent that the main function of the ACLU is an attempt to protect the communists.”

bb ACLU, like Communism, are opposed to very Spirit of our Judeo-Christian based government.

c Despite opinions against it, America was founded as a Christian nation. Period.

aa May 16, 1776, Continental Congress appointed a special day of prayer & fasting for the colonies. “The Congress . . desirous . . . to have people of all ranks and degrees duly impressed with a solemn sense of God’s superintending providence, and of their duty, devoutly to rely . . . on His aid and direction . . . Do earnestly recommend Friday, the 17th day of May be observed by the colonies as a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that we may, with united hearts, confess and bewailed our manifold sins and transgressions, and, by sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease God’s righteous displeasure, and, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain this pardon & forgiveness.

bb September 11, 1777, Congress ordered 20,000 Bibles for the American troops.,

cc On August 4, 1789, Pres. Washington signed into law was called “An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States.” Article III. Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged.”“