By David J. Stewart | July 2019
2nd Chronicles 24:18, “And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.”
I
was listening to Pastor Jimenez preach today (I love this guy) and he
mentioned our text Bible verse that impressed upon my heart. This is an
amazing passage of Scripture packed full of spiritual lessons for the
believer. Let's read it now:
2nd Chronicles 24:17-22, “Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass. Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear. And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD. Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.”
This is an amazing story. There was a wicked woman in Israel named Athalia (a feminist) whose son was named Joash. Athalia wanted to be queen, so she conspired and murdered her own offspring to usurp the throne. History records much of this type of cutthroat behavior surrounding royal families (e.g., Rome and Egypt). Athalia did reign as queen for a short time, but Jehoiada the priest gathered a group of godly men and removed her from power, appointing her son Joash at age 7 to the throne, who would reign for the next forty years. Jehoiada had done good to Joash, giving him the throne! If it weren't for Jehoiada, Joash wouldn't have been king! The Bible says that “Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest” (2nd Chronicles 24:2).
But then Jehoiada the priest died and gone to Heaven. King Joash and Jehoiada had maintained a good working relationship, but that all changed after Jehoiada's death. The priest Jehoiada has a son named Zechariah, a prophet. Zechariah came to King Joash, as we just read in the passage I quote to you, saying, “Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.” The Bible says that the younger people, the princes, chose NOT TO RETAIN THE FAITH OF THEIR FATHERS! 2nd Chronicles 24:18, “And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.” You see, they were “second generation” Christians (i.e., they had been raised by Christian parents). A “first generation” Christian is someone who wasn't raised in a Christian home. so they didn't receive any Christian influence or training. Joash was a second generation Christian who had been raised up by Jehoiada and his wife, who were godly people, proving Joash a godly home. But when Jehoiada died Joash abandoned his roots and went into gross wickedness, forsaking God. Joash walked away from the things of God and went into full-blown idolatry.
So the prophet Zechariah (Jehoiada's beloved son) came to Joash and said, “Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.” What a powerful truth! Dear reader, NO ONE can prosper who refuses to keep God's commandments! NO ONE! Zachariah told THE TRUTH! In their hatred, Joash suggested that they get rid of Zechariah, so they “stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king” 2nd Chronicles (24:21). So the princes murdered Zechariah, stoning him with stones. That's why ungodly people do, they try to SILENCE THE PREACHER! That is what Harvest Baptist Church on Guam did to me, silencing me in 2014 about the modern corrupt Bible perversions that they use, sell and promote; and the false gospel of Calvinism that they promote! Matthew 23:31, “Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.” I SIMPLY TOLD THE TRUTH!!!
Oh friend, nobody gets away with evil! If you reject the truth when it is handed to you, God will require it of you! Heavy, heavy, hang God's hand of judgment over the head of any preacher who sanctions the Devil's Bible versions! Heavy, heavy, hang God's hand of judgment over the head of any preacher who sanctions ANOTHER GOSPEL of partial faith in Jesus Christ, plus turning away from sinful behavior to be saved. That is NOT the Gospel of free grace!
Heavy, heavy, hang God's hand of judgment over our ungodly nation today for forsaking the Words of God—ABORTION SINCE 1973, SAME-SEX MARRIAGE SINCE 2015, THE FEDERAL RESERVE FRAUD SINCE 1913, THE BLATANT FRAUD OF EVOLUTION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS SINCE 1926, BANNING GOD'S WORDS FROM THE SCHOOLS SINCE 1962, 501C3 LICENSING OF CHURCHES SINCE 1954, PLAYBOY MAGAZINE SINCE 1953, “SIN CITY” LAS VEGAS SINCE 1906, and so much more wickedness!!! Ecclesiastes 11:9-10, “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.” Is anybody listening to the Holy Bible?
I don't know about you dear reader, but I AM ON THE LORD'S SIDE!!! Joshua 24:15, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
2nd Chronicles 24:18, “And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.”
