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CHAPTER  8

THE POWER, THE PRECISION AND THE PENETRATION

Problems to the 3rd and 4th generation,

without repentance

Part III   Continuation  Theme

It seems good to look anew at this area of the Book of Kings
and that of Chronicles, to find a broader scope,
and to dwell further on lessons to be learnt and applications to be made,
the three coverages of some things, allied with different elements,
leading to a fuller response.  

REVIEW and REDRESS

The folly of the righteous King Jehoshaphat, attained through a marriage with an unbelieving idolatress, and a deceptive and infamous father-in-law, and some adaptation  to his ways, has led to his joining with the royal relation in a battle for regaining land from a militant and dangerous  Syria. In the battle, the father-in-law, by name King Ahab, has been dressed at his own suggestion, in ordinary dress as a common soldier, whereas Jehoshaphat dressed as a King and predictably attracted attention so that he was nearly taken,  a fine present from the man who had sought this, his son-in-law as an  ally for the battle! But, knowing the Lord, he cried out to Him and was delivered.

Meanwhile, an enemy soldier seeing a hive of activity, thought to improve the situation by directing an arrow from on high, to land somehow, somewhere in the midst, hoping for something to help the battle. It struck Ahab, doubtless coming from an unexpected source in an unexpected way, and he slowly died as the battle progressed. Thus treacherous plans led to ironic results, for the likely did not happen, and the profoundly unlikely, happened.

Probabilities did not count; actual performance did, and the Lord as already shown both in the Parable of the prophet Micaiah, which had theological implications of an obvious kind, and in his persistent prediction that Ahab being warned but headstrong,  would NEVER return from that battle, had already depicted the result. He  had shown that He would bring about that murderous king's death in his heedless persistence in his rambunctious path.

Had not Ahab already lusted for an adjoining vineyard, and had not his idolatrous wife, Jezebel already told him to leave it to her; and had she not arranged a public meeting at which a character assassination of the owner of that vineyard had been deliberately planned, so that he was stoned to death ? and had she not then sated the evil desire of Ahab, by presenting him, like a child with a toy, with his vineyard, now his very own! Indeed, it adjoined the royal residence, nice for a garden ...

Elijah had met him at the very vineyard after this occurrence, being sent by the Lord (also not a matter of chance, for chance does not rule, but God). " Have you both murdered and taken possession!"  denounced the prophet. In the place where the blood of Naboth, slain owner of the vineyard, was soaking, there would that of Ahab drop to the inviting ground, there would his last drips of departure occur! Long had been the challenge of Elijah to that King, yes and eminently dramatic, as at Mt Carmel, when  there was a direct challenge to the 400 or so prophets of Baal, the nature-myth idol of the day, to contest with the Lord, in bringing fire to light a sacrifice, fire from the heavens. Only the Lord did it, and in that case, Elijah had filled the trenches around the sacrifice with water,  to emphasise the glory of the power of God.

Great had been the slaughter of the false priests, according to the law in Deuteronomy 13, and great was the wrath of Queen Jezebel that anyone should bring back the name of God to Israel, which she had for years been so expertly corrupting, just as Australia is now being expertly corrupted, away from God, to a newer but similar realm of nature-myth, towards a new racism with new freedoms for some and reduced ones for others, to be deployed through the Constitutional change that is in mind, and even more freedoms in religious expression being lusted for, to be removed, lest the Lord regain ascendency in a rotting culture. It is one now pondering the possibility of making it a crime to apply biblical judgment to anti-design sexual immorality, and many such preferences, so reversing right and wrong, and laughing in the face of the Creator.

They have not learned; nor did Israel, and even Judah, the land of reformer, Jehoshaphat, turning off its monitor,  was slowly brought to ruin which, though not total, was eminently disastrous.

THE GRISLY RESULT OF THE BATTLE

So  Israel  lost its King, but Judah kept its safely delivered royalty amidst the raging of the battle. Was the objective to get Ramoth Gilead for Ahab ? It was not effected, since the one desiring to do this, was not there to receive anything, but just condemnation, which had already resulted in three years of divinely directed drought through the mouth of Elijah, the prophet. Now the rush of battle over, death came despite his camouflage.

But his blood ? Slowly his frustration could mount as he lay in his chariot, propped up and dying, and seeing nil result in this, that only a powerless and ebbing Ahab was there to grasp it, even if it were taken. He had lost his land, spoiled his country, sacrificed his life for no good reason, vulnerable though rapacious. The death chariot killed his dreams, and this in which Ahab's blood had drained to the floor,  was taken to the  pool of Siloam, like Jezreel, in Samaria, and as for the assassination site, so here in the land, a public place, it stained the soil. There its blood residue, as it was washed, dripped that the dogs might lick it as prophesied. Thee are indeed some prophecies in which it is not well to participate.

This washing was done amid the harlots in the waters (I Kings 22:38), as if a symbol of spiritual harlotry, the name and fame of the Lord, husband to Israel, shamelessly conjoined with besotted ideas, that did not work, except for ruin. It was done in doctrine and in deeds alike!

Thus Samaria bore the curse, the substitute blood of Ahab, now given for that let in slain Naboth, the dire result of dabbling in death, remorseless till ruin. Quite a to-do for a King who had desired his neighbour's field for cultivation next to his house! as he cultivated idolatry and fought against every warning from the Lord.  Why then fight the Lord ? in order to acquire land ? to worship some lie, some nothing dressed up with imaginary machinery inside to make it look alive ? Why follow the lie! 

Slowly his frustration could mount as he lay in his chariot, propped up and dying, and seeing nil result in this, that only powerless and ebbing Ahab was there to grasp it, even if it were taken. Life had been squandered on unspirituality, a stark warning to the slithery, the serpentine, the changeable, the idolatrous, the grasping, the schemers.

THE GENERATION GAFFE

Thus did Ahab, after many opportunities, lose all and descend to the depths of history, pagan in heart and in life. He had successfully corrupted his son-in-law in part, and undisciplined living in this respect, became a minor theme in the great King Jehoshaphat's life. At once, the son of the prophet Hanani, Jehu,  rebuked him on return from battle, escaped by grace. SHOULD YOU HELP THE WICKED ? (II Chronicles 19:1ff.), he challenged. Should the King embrace those who hate the Lord ?

This is not a matter of goodwill to good, and hope to overcome evil with good, but one of NOT dealing in synthesis with sin! It is utterly condemned and this applies no less to those misled millions who are doing precisely that in fallen, defamatory denominations. These are above the Bible in not keeping to it, and below it, in cruising along together with another religion in another domain with another purpose than Christ above all, for all, who died for all that some might live, whose will, words and way are for all, as LORD, where the word of God rules, rather than being regarded as a fine ornament. Combine or replace, they chant!

What is the result ? It is like saying, if someone tries to inject you with poison, that it is doing good to let him, a matter of overcoming evil with good to offer no resistance to what is murder. What  good however does this do ? It allows the assassin to become a murderer and your body a corpse. This, since you are not a sacrifice to casual  evil, nor yet a formal one, but if so be, a saved sinner, is to  capitulate to evil. By all means, avoid its persuasion, seek to allay its vitriol, pour peace on troubled waters, but do not needlessly drown in them, and when necessary act (Proverbs 26:4-5). If you are assaulted, seek by reasonable means to show up the error and the evil, especially if it be a wicked and  spiritual attack (cf. Isaiah 54:17).

Did Christ  allow such things prior to His formal and sacrificial epochal act ? Hardly (cf. Luke 11:  53, Matthew 22). Did He not answer, rebut, denounce, expose! Indeed, too formidable, He was at length not challenged in the public domain as He had been! (Matthew 22:46).

Consider Matthew 23 ...

Therefore churches should RESIST overthrow, contamination of the Gospel, diversion from the word of God, alteration to the Gospel (Galatians 1, Jude cf.  Going with God ... Ch. 6), insidious invasions (II Corinthians 10-11) and fateful evasions (Matthew 5:37). Let the realities rule and do not become vetted and neutralised, as you see by healthy contrast in I Corinthians 2:4, I Thessalonians 2:13, 1:5. IF a contrary and feeble course of compromise and qualification be taken, in the supposed interest of peaceableness but in fact in this case in that of betrayal and impurity, is it surprising that it leads to convulsions, not spiritual conquest! If you die daily, it is to sin, not faithfulness; and if you take up your cross daily, it is to follow Christ, not to trade Him in for imaginary achievement of an unsubmissive mind, yours or that of another.

Lapses have results, and continual and wilful yielding seeks bane.

It may help here to see the names of forthcoming kings on both sides, on the one, Ahab, Ahaziah, Joram, on the other, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah, Joash. Now we may the more readily follow the narrative, and the historical pathology down the generations, offspring of neglect, rebellion and betrayal. In Israel it was total and prolonged; in Judah to the South, even in the day of reforming King Jehoshaphat, it was occasional and perilous.

These things have results, both short-term and long-term. Do it once, do it again is often the trap. So it was for Jehoshaphat, His tendency to unite with evil royal relatives from his wife to his choice of military companions in conflict was repetitive. Thus, staggered, we read of his accepting a call from Ahaziah's son, Jehoram, to fight a battle against Moab. So the family relationships dominated against the congregational company with the people of the Lord, in matters of partnership.

Again, he accepted and it was only through the interposition of the prophet Elisha, that he was able to extract himself from a waterless grave, amid the cattle on the way! (II Kings 3). Not content with this rebuke in circumstances, or even the implicit rebuke of the prophet  - for had not Elisha said, Were it not for Jehoshaphat, I would not see the other King! he tried another forbidden liaison. He would build ships with Israel's King. These were smashed up, and so he learned as one loving righteousness, but seduced by relationships hard to give up, reforming but weak where he should be strong, the price of lapses into spiritual slackness. These wanders had results. If you sin in your generation, seduced into something, do not think that the results end with you! They may endure and slowly ruin what follows, unless there be repentance.

Results ? Alas! In the case of Jehoshaphat, first note that his son Joram, brought up with this close relationship like this to what was forbidden, though in the midst of a reforming King in his own land, became like sodden poisoned meet: utterly deadly. He killed his brothers in order to reign alone! (II Chronicles 21:4).  The Lord sent a message from Elijah in rebuke, predicting a slow death from intestinal disease, which occurred (II Chronicles 21:12ff.); and we read, "he departed, not being desired," (II Chronicles 21:20).

 Small wonder. His son, Ahaziah, in the same fault line, co-operated with Joram, son of Ahab, in joint attack on Syria (II Chronicles 22:5). Jehoram was wounded (II Chronicles 22:5-6),  and Ahaziah went down to visit him in his recovery site, in Jezreel, a fateful additive and commingling added to the comradeship in the battle. Experiment with evil, conjoint with idolaters, and you walk blindfolded across a busy street. In this case,  they became the subject of the militant intentions of a freshly anointed Jehu, who served in judgment to remove the dynasty of Ahab (II Kings 9:6-8), and killed Judah's King Ahaziah as well in a rushing crusade. So the battle with Ahab at the first, led to ruin upon ruin, as truth was violated, covenant crushed and voided mercy was punctiliously avoided.

But this was very far from all! After the declining way to this double death of kings, there was even in Judah such a paraphernalia of horror at the regal level, that it is amazing to relate. Did not Ahaziah, having died horrifically, leave the kingdom to his son ? Not precisely, for his mother, Athaliah, was also ambitious, and killing the 'seed royal', she took over the country for herself! However the priest Jehoiada had saved a young child of Ahaziah, and secretly brought him up. In a secret plan, he had the Queen, Athaliah, arrested, and for her crimes she was put to death, so that young Joash could take his regal place. He did well while the old priest, Jehoiada lived, but later was seduced into idolatrous desires, and despite prophets sent to warn him, he continued in his synthetic religion way, till the end came. Let us hope Australia will repent before she removes God Almighty, as relied upon, from her Constitution, despite many warnings from the people of the Lord down the years!

Joash would not listen. A period of stability had preceded him when Jehoiada was there, living to 130 - one so revered for his excellent efforts that they buried him with the Kings. Hear this if you will: one of Jehoiada's sons, Zechariah, confronted him as a prophet (II Chronicles 24:20):

"Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord so that you cannot prosper ?"

For this he was stoned to death! What gratitude from Joash for the deliverance from death which Jehoiada had wrought for him, when a mere child! Small wonder Christ mentioned this in a review of the road to destruction for a chronically corrupted Jerusalem, one which even made sure that they killed Him also!

THE PRICE OF BETRAYAL

Such were some of the generational gaffes in this folly of synthetic religion, naming the Lord here and there, but playing games, and joining Him with nature myths, idolatrously dressed, licence for lust, moral debasement and glorying in it! It was as in Romans 1:17ff., where playing fast and loose with the name of the Lord led to playing the same game with the ways of man, till it became almost a mercy to STOP IT, like a merry-go-round on which someone has a heart attack. In the case of Israel, it was stopped with 1900 years of exile in the end, before its predicted return (Ezekiel 36-37 in prophecy cf. SMR Appendix A, 1948 in history).

So does our own land now languish in the grip of generational degeneracies.

It is like making a satellite your sun, and then revolving another satellite around that satellite. You move away, not from sun but THE SON of God, distancing yourself from Him, changing laws, ignoring wickedness selectively, returning to idolatries from which England had divorced herself, and making new ones for variety, and yet still in much clinging to biblical norms. Then, this proving inadequate as many a church declines just as did Israel, you revolve more distantly, with a new satellite which makes the first one its centre. You drift until all that is left is this, that you must be considerate of idolaters, give different degrees of freedom to different races in your land, so making racism by efforts to remove it, centred on naturalistic philosophy: making the earth its own, and forgetting both its Creator and your own. Thus many come to live in the spirit of Babylon, ready for the dénouement of Revelation 17.

A new unsacred religion arises, a silly synthesis of dropped bits,  seceding from God and making new rules for morals and mouthings, rules an affront to divinely given liberty, the engines of state seizing much - lest the Gospel be preached meaningfully, man making man the matrix, even  electronic media taken into immoral captivity, while integrity is declining, and a shiftless dynamic dissipating the wealth of the land,  many are deluded, some making a mess of restrictive rules. It is as if these gave liberty, when they merely close the mouth or the wallet or the prison doors that the mouth be interred, whichever may be our option, or worse.

There is a cost for confusion, which rejects every warning, places God in recess, taking out bits as from a morgue, at will, to parade, while a new dynamic, which is ultimately but a powerless pretence, takes over. This is foretold, and rapidly becoming fact, as the USA is moving along a similar path (Revelation 17, II Thessalonians 2).

Ancient Israel was told; modern Gentiles are told. And the bell is ready to toll on liberty lost, loveliness surrendered, the spirit of holiness and of peace, dismissed, the Gospel mutated not by odd events, but even by hearts, inventing gods as did the ancient races (II  Corinthians 11, Galatians 1, Acts 17:23), that they might all race to ruin.

In all this, be glad: for had it not been, then the word of God, which brings us to rest in Christ now and to restoration later, when these trials are past, would not have come to pass, or long might be the time to Christ's return. Rejoice and live abundantly, fearless and constant, for the day breaks and the dawn comes which in a moment is mid-day, for

"We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment,

in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible,

and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality."

Fear not you who believe the Lord, and come you who do not yet realise your creation's source or your Creator's glory, or the need of redemption from sin; for it is sin and not necessity which programs your destruction and judgment; and it is peace with pardon which prevails when you repent and find God, in Christ the only and totally reliable Saviour. Thus do you become once more, moved back to your source, the Master Maker of the race, the Creator, the Truth, in delectable realism, ready for service, like a rocket ready to be sent.

If the price of folly is high, the cost of pardon is already paid, ready for all who come, foreknown in the wisdom of that God who is repeatedly on record that HE WOULD BRING ALL TO RECONCILIATION. Do not let the deceiver persuade you that it is God who is your enemy, or who is unwilling: it is only you, ready to be abetted by the devil.

Rely on  yourself, born and to die whenever ? on your record when Christ's soars above all ? on your fellow humans, who die amid confusion ? If you will; but there is an everlasting way to everlasting life, and it is still available for one underlying reason only. It is that the Lord is merciful, and available to the end, that He loves and does not disregard His creation, that He has acted, not like a bureaucratic vote-driven surge, but as an engineer who has constructed the bridge back, a source and resource that has done the uttermost for the utmost, even where man lies and is depraved. Yet He seeks, ready and able, knowing and bestowing life where the readiness is known. BE ready then, for HIS willingness needs no increment! (John 3, Isaiah 48:16ff.). It is you who must come.