2 Kings 11
Hidden Agendas
As Jehu is bringing judgment on the house of Ahab he also kills Ahaziah king of Judah. Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah, is the daughter of Jezebel. Athaliah was married to Jehoram, king of Judah. He was the son of Jehoshapht who was also a king of Judah. Ahaziah ruled Judah for one year.
When Athaliah learned that her son was dead she killed all of his sons in order to seize the throne for herself. In doing this she was also eliminating the line of David through which Jesus would come. The plan of the devil was to prevent Jesus from coming and to claim the world for himself. The Devil will make several more attempts but all will fail. The process will be harmful to the people of God.
When God raises up a leader He often starts with a baby. Moses was born in threatening circumstances. Isaac, Sampson, and Samuel were miracle babies born to barren women. When Jesus was born He was seen as a threat to the throne of Herod. Herod had all the babies killed who were born where Jesus was born within a two year period of His birth.
Athaliah thought she had secured the throne for herself by killing all the heirs but one baby was saved by the priesthood and when he was seven he became king of Judah. His name is Jehoash or Joash. Joash was a godly king as long as he followed the instructions of Jehoiada. After Jehoiada died Joash listened to the leaders in Judah and began to worship idols. He killed Jehoiada’s son who was warning Joash not to go down the road to idoltry. His downfall and death are recorded in more detail in 2 Chronicles 24 which we will study in more detail later in the year.
The Devil couldn’t stop Jesus from coming so he resorts to his other plan which is to corrupt God’s people. The corrupting influence of Jezebel reached not only her daughter but also the leaders of Judah bringing great harm to the nation. The Devil is still trying to corrupt God’s plan.
In Revelation 2:18-29 we read that the church in Thyatira tolerated the woman Jezebel and her teaching. God said that her teaching and so called prophecies were leading His bond-servants astray. This is serious for bond-servant was what Paul, Peter, James, and Jude called their relationship and commitment to God. The book of Revelation was written to bond-servants. A bond-servant is one who is in permanent servitude to their master. In the case of the church one makes that commitment when they become a Christian. A Christian makes a commitment to permanent servanthood. To follow the teaching of Jezebel would be to corrupt that commitment and have the potential to mislead others into sin. God warned the church in Thyatira that they needed to repent or there were going to be great consequences of sickness, tribulation, pestilence, and death.
Jezebel will not repent but she will be judged. Those who follow her will be judged with her. When Jehoiada the priest ordered his men to seize Athaliah he also ordered his men to kill anyone who followed her.
As the Church we need to be careful that false teachings of immorality and idolatry do not creep in and influence the Church and its leadership. God desires us to make a total and permanent commitment to Him. He sees that type of commitment as a marriage vow. To make a casual commitment, as it appears Joash did, is to set ourselves up for a fall and ultimately judgment. Certainly, God will warn us as he did the church in Thytyria but if those warnings go unheeded because we refuse to listen, God will allow us to fall and suffer the consequences. The devil will keep sending Jezebels and Athaliahs who bring with them the pestilence of his hidden agenda. Don’t let them infect you and make you sick. Keep your relationship and commitment to God strong. He will keep that commitment healthy.
Pastor Dave