{"id":35568,"date":"2025-04-21T22:00:47","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T05:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=35568"},"modified":"2025-04-16T13:42:33","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T20:42:33","slug":"2-kings-11_1-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/2-kings-11_1-21\/","title":{"rendered":"You Have A Destiny"},"content":{"rendered":"

2 Kings 11:1-21 (CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Kings 11:1-21.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.\u00a0 See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

2 Kings 11:1-21 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But 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.
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the\u00a0LORD. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the\u00a0LORD. Then he showed them the king’s son.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He commanded them, saying, “This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath–a third of you guarding the royal palace,
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple–
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king.
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Station yourselves around the king, each man with his weapon in his hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks must be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men–those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty–and came to Jehoiada the priest.
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the\u00a0LORD.
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The guards, each with his weapon in his hand, stationed themselves around the king–near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the\u00a0LORD.
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: “Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the temple of the\u00a0LORD.”
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Jehoiada then made a covenant between the\u00a0LORD\u00a0and the king and people that they would be the\u00a0LORD’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the\u00a0LORD.
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne,
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses\u00a01-21:\u00a0 After talking about the kingdom of Israel and how Jehu became its king in\u00a02\u00a0Kings\u00a09 and 10, the author of\u00a02\u00a0Kings\u00a0turns our attention once again to the kingdom of Judah.\u00a0 Judah’s King Ahaziah was killed by Jehu of Israel, but instead of Ahaziah’s brother or son taking over Ahaziah’s throne in Judah, Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah seizes power for herself.<\/p>\n

Why would Athaliah the queen mother do such a thing?\u00a0 Here it helps to understand Athaliah’s family tree.\u00a0 Athaliah was the daughter of Israel’s King Ahab and Jezebel.\u00a0 Remember them?\u00a0 Ahab and Jezebel were not only responsible for the spread of Baal worship throughout Israel;\u00a0they were also responsible for the ruthless murders of hundreds of the Lord’s prophets in Israel.\u00a0 Apparently Athaliah has inherited her parents’ ruthless and idol-worshiping ways.\u00a0 When Athaliah married King Jehoram, she moved from the kingdom of Israel to the kingdom of Judah and became the queen of Judah.\u00a0 There Athaliah led King Jehoram and their son Ahaziah to become idol worshipers as well (see\u00a02\u00a0Kings\u00a08:18, 26-27).\u00a0 After her son King Ahaziah is killed by Jehu, Athaliah\u00a0becomes hell bent on murdering every male descendant of King David who may have a claim to the throne.<\/p>\n

Athaliah almost succeeds in wiping out the entire house of David, with one exception:\u00a0 Joash, the son of Ahaziah and a woman called Zibiah, is hidden by his sister and his nurse when he is just a baby.\u00a0 The infant Joash is taken to the temple of the Lord where for 6 years he is raised under the watchful eye of Jehoiada the priest.\u00a0 So this boy Joash, who would have surely been raised to be a worshiper of Baal, is rescued and raised to worship the Lord in God’s temple.<\/p>\n

For six years Joash remains hidden from Athaliah’s sight.\u00a0 Guards are constantly watching out for his safety.\u00a0 When Joash is seven years old, Jehoiada the priest and others in Israel proclaim Joash as the new and rightful ruler of Judah.\u00a0 When Athaliah hears that Joash has been announced as king, she cries “Treason!” but is seized and put to death.\u00a0 The temple of Baal in Judah is also destroyed.\u00a0 Joash takes the throne with rejoicing from the people of Judah.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from all this?\u00a0 There are 3 lessons I believe the Holy Spirit taught me through this passage:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0The weight of destiny.<\/strong>\u00a0 Joash was the only descendant of King David who was spared.\u00a0 God had a destiny for Joash to fulfill.\u00a0 Similarly, the reason why you are here and the reason why God has brought you to this moment is because God has a destiny for you that only you can fulfill.\u00a0 Like Joash, your life is not an accident.\u00a0 You were made for a great purpose and for God’s glory.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0The importance of parenting.<\/strong>\u00a0 Here we can see how important parenting is.\u00a0 Ahab and Jezebel were ruthless rulers and staunch worshipers of Baal, and that’s what their daughter Athaliah became as well.\u00a0 Joash likely would have become a Baal worshiper like his father Ahaziah, but by God’s grace, Joash is rescued from a Baal-worshiping environment and is raised by Jehoiada the priest in God’s temple.\u00a0 The God-fearing and honourable Jehoiada becomes like a father to Joash, who in turn becomes one of the most God-fearing and honourable\u00a0kings\u00a0in Judah’s history.<\/p>\n

Parents, we must understand that no one is affected more by our character, our spirituality, our emotional intelligence (or lack thereof) and our conduct than our kids.\u00a0 For good or for bad, the chances are good that our kids will learn to live like we do, to value what we value, to treat God the way we treat God, and to treat people the way we treat people.\u00a0 If we want our kids to grow up with godly character, we must model it for them first.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0The importance of sending your kids to church.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Imagine where Joash would have been if Jehoiada the priest had never taken him into the temple.\u00a0 He would been killed, or if his father Ahaziah had survived, he would have become a worshiper of Baal, having access to great wealth but living in a family that was spiritually bankrupt.\u00a0 Instead, Joash grew up in the Lord’s temple, listening every day to God’s Word, living in God’s presence, being raised, disciplined and mentored by godly leaders like Jehoiada.\u00a0 As a result Joash’s life was protected, redeemed, saved and equipped for greatness.\u00a0 I absolutely believe that, other than a home with God-loving parents, there is no better place for children and young people to grow up than in a great church where they can learn to do life with God-loving leaders and peers.\u00a0 It is there where they can be safe, saved and set up for success.<\/p>\n

I don’t know where I would be today had it not been for the church where I grew up.\u00a0 So parents, make it your priority to bring your kids to church regularly, that they may learn God\u2019s Word and God\u2019s ways in God-centered community.\u00a0 I don\u2019t mean residential schools of previous centuries where great evil was done and horrendous abuse took place in Christ\u2019s name.\u00a0 I mean a church community where the love of Jesus truly lives in the leaders and members, where God\u2019s Word is honoured and where joy, family, and most of all Jesus are celebrated.<\/p>\n

Father, thank You that You chose me and saved me for a specific destiny.\u00a0 Thank You for placing people in my life who have been there to watch out for me, protect me, raise me, discipline me and encourage me.\u00a0 Thank You for Your church which is the best place for a young person to be.\u00a0 Together with my church, may we become everything You made us to be.\u00a0 In Jesus’ name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

copyright \u00a9 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Kings 11:1-21.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.\u00a0 See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!\u00a0<\/p>\n

2 Kings 11:1-21 (NIV)
\n1\u00a0\u00a0When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.
\n2\u00a0\u00a0But 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.<\/p>\n

On verses\u00a01-21:\u00a0 After talking about the kingdom of Israel and how Jehu became its king in\u00a02\u00a0Kings\u00a09 and 10, the author of\u00a02\u00a0Kings\u00a0turns our attention once again to the kingdom of Judah.\u00a0 Judah’s King Ahaziah was killed by Jehu of Israel, but instead of Ahaziah’s brother or son taking over Ahaziah’s throne in Judah, Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah seizes power for herself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35572,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35568"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35573,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35568\/revisions\/35573"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}