Entangled Families

1. Review: After the death of Solomon, Israel split into two; the bigger part was the North and retained the name "Israel" (also called Ephraim or Samaria); the Southern part, which contained Jerusalem and followed the line of David, was called Judah). None of the Northern Kings were godly; some of the Southern Kings were godly, some where not.

2. The key players: from the North (Israel/Ephraim/Samaria) Wicked King Ahab and his Phoenicia wife, even more wicked Queen Jezebel.....two significant children

1. Jehoram/Joram of Israel---King after Ahab’s death

2. Athaliah, who would marry the king of Judah...

The two kingdoms become connected when Athaliah marries the King of Judah, Jehoram of Judah...

3. Key players from the South (Judah)

1. Jehoram/Joram of Judah (son of Jehoshaphat)

2. Jehoram’s son (with Athaliah), Amaziah

3. Jehoram’s daughter, Jehosheba (probably born to another wife)

4. Jehoram’s grandson, Joash (Jehoash)

THEME: Does decency, or lack thereof, run in families? How strong a role does genetics play in who we are? Is it the only factor?

I. The Evil Family (2 Kings 1-11, passim)

1.Athaliah’s Background (chp.1-10)

(1) King Ahab and Queen Jezebel

(2) Raised with Baal worship

(3) Heart of sin is the lust for power/control

2. Athalia’s Desperate Obsession to Control Judah...(11)

--she has the control bug big time...nothing will get in her way....

1. Through husband

2. Through her son, Ahaziah---note, Ahaziah’s wife not involved...

Ahaziah had reigned only one year; visiting his Uncle Jehoram of Israel when Jehu killed them both and Jezebel.....Athaliah lost her husband, a year later, her son, brother, and mother....power disappearing....

3. By herself---has grandsons slaughtered (one rescued)

3. We respect motherhood so much that the way to curse a man is to attack his mother.....if anyone is compassionate, we expect it to be our mother because the mothering instinct is so strong, only great evil can overcome it....

II. The Good Family (chp. 11)

1. Jehosheba--daughter of Jehoram through another woman, not

Athaliah...saves one of her nephews...

2. Jehoida the high priest, Jehosheba’s wife...(2 Chron. 22:11)

3. Restoration of Joash....

III. The Change in Joash (12:2 with 2 Chron. 24:17-26)

1. Joash walked w/God while Jehoida alive...

2. Fell away from the Lord later....see 2 Chron. 24:17-26

IV. Question and Conclusions

Question: Does decency, or lack thereof, run in families? Yes. Look at Ahab & Jezebel’s and then look at Jehoida and Jehosheba’s families! But that’s not the WHOLE picture!

Three main influences upon who we are & what we do...

1. Heredity....perhaps strongest (50%)

---Jezebel and Athaliah (a carbon copy)

---A curse to the 4th and 5th generation

2. Environment/upbringing

----Joash...while in the environment controlled by Jehoida, did well...

3.. Choices we make....

---many of the Kings....godly father, ungodly son, godly grandson...

---many time the choice is to CONTROL OUR ENVIRONMENT & PEER GROUP

Conclusion:

1. A lot of who we are and who we marry,etc., are a matter of genetics; we have to simply learn to live with the way things are....dogs bark and birds fly....

2. We are responsible for our behavior: OUR GENES MAY PREDISPOSE US, BUT THEY DO NOT PREDETERMINE US...

3. The best way to change is (1) select your battles carefully---change what matters most because it takes concentration to change; more than one battle front depletes your energy; (2) choose to control your environment as best you can; (3) repeatedly make the right choices....

4. Where to start? Your walk w/God most important; "Seek ye first

the kingdom of God...."

5.Then concentrate on what affects others most, esp. those close to you...