The Three J’s
First reading
2 Chron 22:11-12
But Jehosheba, [fn] the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehosheba, [fn] the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him.
He remained hidden with them at the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
Second reading
2 Chron 23:1-7
v1 In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri.
V2 They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem,
V3 the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God. Jehoiada said to them, "The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David.
V4 Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors,
V5 a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the other men are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the Lord.
V6 No one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the other men are to guard what the Lord has assigned to them.
V7 The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes."
Third reading
2 Chron 23:7-17
V11 Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, "Long live the king!"
V12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the Lord.
V13 She looked, and there was the king, standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and singers with musical instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, "Treason! Treason!"
V14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: "Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her." For the priest had said, "Do not put her to death at the temple of the Lord."
V15 So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.
V16 Jehoiada then made a covenant that he and the people and the king would be the Lord’s people.
V17 All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
Fourth reading
2 Chron 24:1-4
v1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.
V2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest.
V3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.
V4 Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the Lord.
Fifth reading
2 Chron 24:15-25
V15 Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty.
V16 He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.
V17 After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them.
V18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem.
V19 Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.
V20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: ’Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.
V21 But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.
V22 King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, "May the Lord see this and call you to account."
V23 At the turn of the year, [fn] the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus
V24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.
V25 When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
Bible has many examples of people who we can learn from
The 3 J’s are:
1. Jehoiada
2. Joash
3. Jesus
Jehoiada
Jehovah-known; the father of Benaiah, who was one of David’s chief warriors (2Sa 8:18; 20:23).
The high priest at the time of Athaliah’s usurpation of the throne of Judah. He married Jehosheba, or Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram (2Ch 22:11), and took an active part along with his wife in the preservation and training of Jehoash when Athaliah slew all the royal family of Judah.
Jehoiada lived 130 years (v. 15), by which it appears that he was born in Solomon’s time, and had lived six entire reigns before this.
A man who intervened and did God’s work to bring about God’s purpose and plan.
He looked after the younger generation
He risked his life and the life of his family
As a priest, he wanted restoration for God’s temple
It is the greatest honour to do good in our generations
2 Chron 22:2-3
v2 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.
V3 He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong.
Although His father and grandfather were corrupted by the house of Ahab,
Jehoiada encouraged and spurred Joash on to do what was right
He didn’t look for his own glory
Temple in a really bad condition
Baal worship and Ashera poles
How can the Lord of light live with Baal who is all darkness?
How can the Lord of righteousness be in the presence of evil?
The Temple was made for restoration of sin; confession = restoration
And yet it still applies to us today but within us.
1 Cor 6:19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
Urgency to examine our lives; I believe God has shown me things that people are doing here.
I know there is someone who is practicing the occult unknowingly and I know who. I’ve known from the middle of December.
People think it’s fun to read tarot cards, astrology, get in touch with nature, fortune tellers lucky charms, anything superstitious etc.
Very dangerous; a foothold, it brings God’s judgment
Our children are exposed to films and books containing the occult, which is viewed as innocent children’s fun
¨ Harry Potter
¨ Ben 10
¨ Making up spells in school as part of the Literacy lesson
How can we protect the younger generation?
Jehoiada finished his course with honour he did all he could do
Look at his reward:
2 Chron 24:15-16
Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty.
He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.
He had a Kings funeral.
So together they set the Temple straight.
Joash
A sad account of the apostasy of Joash. God had done great things for him; he had done something for God; but now he proved ungrateful to his God and false to the oath he made before Jehoiada.
Here is someone bought up and trained in the Temple and the things of God
In the outward expressions of devotion it is possible that those who have only the form of godliness may out-strip those who have the power of it.
What made Joash fall into apostasy?
The very same things that we face today; especially our youth
¨ Pressure from others to conform
¨ The need for spiritual experience
¨ Getting in with the wrong crowd
He not only gave them permission to do it themselves, but he joined with them. The king and princes, who, a little while ago, were repairing the temple, now forsook the temple; those who had pulled down groves and idols now themselves served them.
So inconstant is man and so little confidence is to be put in him!
How many young people do things out of character?
Joash was given wrong information about Zechariah by the princes.
We hear about our young people who kill by mistake because someone gave the wrong info or have been egged on.
God sent prophets to them (v. 19) to reprove them for their wickedness, and to tell them what would be in the end and to bring them again unto the Lord.
It is the work of ministers to bring people, not to themselves, but to God
He would rather sinners turn and live than go on and die, and those that perish shall be left inexcusable.
Joash slew one of the most eminent, Zechariah the son of Jehoiada
Zechariah, who suffered martyrdom for his faithfulness to God and his country, was the son of Jehoiada, who had done so much good in Israel, and particularly had been as a father to Joash.
He had the external performances of religion
Yet no real affection for divine things or any inward relish of them
In the outward expressions of devotion it is possible that those who have only the form of godliness may out-strip those who have the power of it.
It is easier to build temples than to be temples to God
