When we read the events of the last few chapters in II Kings, we did not see God appearing or saying much. But we know that He is the primary Actor.
• He might not be prominent but He is present, and working behind the scenes even when we don’t see Him much.
• We see that again in 2 Kings 11. God keeps His promise alive despite human failures.
I entitled the sermon THE UNDERCOVER GOD because God is present and working out His purposes, but we are not seeing Him on the surface.
• It is important for us to see Him, because simply looking at what has transpired can give us, sometimes, the wrong impression that evil has triumphed because the situation is so messy and looks out-of-control.
• But the truth is that the unseen God is watching over every scene.
God’s will is to remove the evil house of Ahab, and it will come about through JEHU.
King Joram (ISRAEL) Killed by JEHU who was anointed at Ramoth Gilead
Son of Ahab
King Ahaziah (JUDAH) came visiting
Son of Athaliah (daughter of Ahab)
• In 2 Kings 9 we see the commander of Israel’s army, was at Ramoth Gilead warring against ARAM and he was prophetically told and anointed to be King of Israel.
• Subsequently he committed treason and took the throne by force, killing King Joram, as well as King Ahaziah from Judah.
2 Chron 22 tells us this was God’s will too. 22:7 “Through Ahaziah’s visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall.”
• 2 Chron 22:3-4 explains why. “3He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong. 4He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father's death they became his advisers, to his undoing.”
JEHU was God’s chosen instrument to bring about judgment against Ahab’s house, decided way back in ELIJAH’S TIME (1 Kings 19).
• See the emphasis the author gave us: When King Joram was killed, JEHU said to his chariot officer, recalling what he heard in ELIJAH’S TIME - 2 Kings 9:25-26
• 25Jehu said to Bidkar, his chariot officer, "Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Ahab his father when the LORD made this prophecy [Elijah] about him: 26Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, declares the LORD, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.' Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the LORD."
JEHU then proceeded to the palace in Jezreel and killed Queen Jezebel.
• His men were asked to bury her: 2 Kings 9:35-36 “35But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. 36They went back and told Jehu, who said, "This is the word of the LORD that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel's flesh.”
JEHU continued in 2 Kings 10 to exterminate all Ahab’s sons.
• He did it in a messy way - manipulative, deceitful, and very much self-serving.
• But he did accomplished the purpose of God in destroying the house of Ahab, as God commented (10:30 “done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do”).
After Ahab’s sons were beheaded, JEHU addressed the people – 2 Kings 10:9-11.
• 10:9-11 9The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? 10 Know then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The LORD has done what He promised through his servant Elijah." 11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.
Jehu then set out to Samaria.
• 10:17 “When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab's family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD spoken to Elijah.
Can you see all these references to ELIJAH?
• We are reminded again and again that everything that has happened here, happens according to the Word of God spoken to ELIJAH.
• God is working out His purposes in history. Whatever we are reading here, happens because it is the declared will of God.
• He may not be prominent in the proceedings but God is there and He is playing the lead role, the main character.
We need get this picture right and put our trust in God. He is sovereign.
• On the surface, things may sometimes look messy and chaotic but we train our eyes to see His presence and rule over all things. The ‘hard to see’ God still reigns.
And we are going to see more of Him in today’s chapter – 2 Kings 11.
King Jehu (ISRAEL)
King Ahaziah (JUDAH) ???
Son of Athaliah (daughter of Ahab)
Read 2 Kings 11:1-3.
We were not expecting this. The mother of King Ahaziah, ATHALIAH decided to seize power and usurp the throne.
• Imagine this, we have now the most influential (and evil) of Baal advocate seizing power in Judah.
• She wasn’t contented to be Queen, she wanted absolute power, and proceeded to destroy the whole royal family, including all her grandsons.
• Imagine how dark the situation was, with Ahab’s daughter reigning.
See how dire this situation really is. See the genealogy of David in JUDAH, from Jehosaphat to Jehoram, to Ahaziah and his surviving son Joash.
Remember when Jehoram became King, one of the first things he did was to kill all his brothers (2 Chron 21:4) so that he didn’t have any direct rivals to the throne.
• The Philistines and Arabs came to attack Judah and took away all Jehoram's sons and their wives except his youngest Ahaziah (2 Chron 21:17). Ahaziah has no brother left.
• Last week we read in 2 Kings 10 that Jehu met relatives of Ahaziah’s family on the way to Samaria and killed all 42 of them, leaving no survivor (10:14).
• Now with Queen Athaliah trying to finish the rest, we have David’s family line hanging by a thread.
• If she succeeds, we will have no descendant of David left. She would have terminated the lineage of David’s dynasty here!
This is no laughing matter. God will not allow this to happen.
• God has made a promise to King David in 2 Sam 7:16, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"
• His Kingdom cannot fall. His throne will ultimately be established forever.
• Through the house of David, God will bring forth for the Son of David, JESUS CHRIST, from the tribe of Judah, the Messiah.
• God’s salvation plan for the world hinges on the survival of David’s house. David’s lineage must and will continue.
God steps in and we see the rescue of the sole surviving descent from the line of David.
• 11:2 “But JEHOSHEBA, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.”
• God’s promise to David was one infant away from being dashed, but it did not happen. The genealogy of King David would continue, because God is in control.
• In the midst of the darkness, a light that still shines. God keeps His promise alive.
We can remember two other very similar stories.
• Remember Moses? Pharaoh wanted all the Hebrew male babies killed, and God saved Moses. Saved by Pharaoh’s daughter and nursed by his own mother.
• Remember Jesus? King Herod wanted all the baby boys killed. Joseph and Mary took him to Egypt. God protected him.
God raised up JEHOSHEBA. His promise was hanging by a threat and she kept it from snapping. God has His servant at just the right place and at the right time.
• We see two kingdoms here – the visible reign of the illegitimate human kingdom (under Athaliah)
• But we also have the Kingdom of God with the true King (Joash) resting secretly in the temple.
• Ultimately God’s Kingdom will reign. We read of it here in 2 Kings 11:4-16.
---------------------------------
God is determined to keep His promise. His promise is true and will come true.
• Satan and men can do whatever they want, but God will accomplish His purpose.
• We stand firm on the promises of God today.
GOD’S WORD IS TRUE AND WILL COME TRUE
GOD WORKS TO FULFIL HIS WILL (very often in unseen ways)
GOD ACCOMPLISHES HIS PURPOSE THROUGH PEOPLE (like Jehosheba, Jehoiada, you and me)
Can God count on us?
