Enough is Enough | Jehoiada's Bold Stand Against Evil | 2 Chronicles 23:1-11

Show Notes

Episode 623: 
In this episode, we explore the story of Jehoiada the priest, who, after seven long years of Athaliah's tyrannical rule, finally musters the courage to act against her. We discuss how he gathers a group of army commanders and makes a pact to crown Joash, the rightful heir from the line of David, as king. This moment is pivotal, as it signifies a rebellion against the idolatrous practices that had taken root under Athaliah's reign.

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You're listening to the Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in practical ways. All right, trying, Yeah, here we go, just shifting. I'm trying to get it right. Yeah, because I'm hunching. I'm puching like this. Yeah. Well straight, that's right, that's right, that's right. You know that get stuck that way. I have. I have like. Bulging discs in my spine. Not that anybody cares. I'm sure some do, but but but I actually, uh, I hunch over a lot, and I put my neck out like this. So I've been trying to get in the habit of good posture like this and then my neck and everything. So anyway, good morning everybody. We're old and we are the bibble. Yeah, a nice thing. We're going to be talking about vitamins. Were talking about doctor's appointments, right, right, appointments me some liniments. Anytime you start using the word liniment, pocket full of butterscotch. Because. You ever talked to like your parents and they're like, hey, what's what's going on. I went to the supermarket today. Cut my hair done is a really big deal. So anyway, hey, well, listen, We're going to start off this segment with my daughter's favorite thing to do, which is dad joke competition. Okay, so Tory actually bought me get this for Christmas. She bought me a coffee mug. And the coffee mug is a pie chart, a breakdown of like of dead jokes, like where's the real humor? Who laughs? Who doesn't laugh? The pie chart is very funny. And then on the back of the mug there's a QR code and every single day, if you. QR code it you it'll bring up a dad joke of the day. That's a great So it has become. I have to do it, like I feel obligated to do it. It has become my coffee mug every day. I now no longer can enjoy any other coffee mug, only that one, because I have to do this one. So did you do one today? I did it? Said, what do you call two ducks and a cow? Quackers and milk? Okay, it's pretty okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, but that's the point of a dad joke. All right, Well, this is a competition, so you can't just mail it in with the quackers and milk and joke that's right, you better bring it for the competition because I got some good ones today. Well Desiree chooses them. But okay, okay, go ahead, she loaded me up. Go ahead. My friend keeps saying, cheer up, man. It could be worse. You could be stuck underground in a hole full of water. I know he means well. Whow like that one? Well that first I was like, this sounds like a reach, yeah, because they're trying to describe like I was like, what is he saying? But then the fact that he said I. Know he means well indicates that the guy was using these Well yes, I'm. Just saying like it was well written. That's all. Okay, all right, here we go. Ready, Okay, when I was young, I was scared of the dark. Now that I see my lectric bill, I'm scared of the lights. Okay, okay, that's not bad. My friends and I are in a band called Duvet. We're a cover band. Oh geez, not nothing like a little bit of sheets and blankets jokes, right right. Okay, how about this one? My wife asked if our kids are spoiled? I said, I think most kids smell that way. Okay, I like that one. I like that was winning so far. Well, I think you got one. Yeah, you got one, really good one. I think this is a good one. Okay. Lance is not a common name nowadays, but in medieval times people were named Lance a lot. I like that one. That's a good one. That one wins in my opinion. I like that. Okay, really, I have a couple of sock puppets for sale. Anyone interested in taking them off my hands? Yeah? Okay, that was good. That's good. That's a good one. That's a good one's gonna have. We have We're gonna have fans go, you say, first, I get the socks. I get the sock puppets. It's really fun. Okay, to start my diet today, I removed all the bad food from my house. It was delicious. Oh wow, Wow, that's pretty good. That's how I like to do it. All Right, here we go. My wife likes it when I blow air on her when she's hot, but I'm not a fan. Right, Okay, that's not bad. Okay. There's a man who's addicted to break fluid, but he says he can stop anytime he wants. Wow, that's pretty good. I like it a lot. That's a clever one. That's a good one. Okay, this is my last one. What was that your last one? That was my last one? Okay, here, here you go. Hopefully this is one that'll push me over the edge. Okay, you're yawning right in the middle of the I know for you, I know, Liz. Sorry, sorry, baby, Right here we go. How can you tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator? I don't know. Easy. One you'll see later and the other you'll see in a while, after a while, it says, in a while. But but yeah, yeah, I don't know, man. I think I think it's a tie. I think the Lancelot joke was funny. It was really good. It's a good one. It was well written. That's what I liked about it. Yeah, yeah, I think and yours yours with all the kids smell that way or whatever. That Yeah, that was pretty good. Yeah, the spoiled kids. If Tory wasn't teaching right now, she's a teacher, fourth grade teacher. If she wasn't teaching right now, I might call her live right now and tell her the Lance a Lot joke. That's how much I liked her. She'll love that. Puppets. Right, that's for you, toy. If you listen to the podcast at some point and sock Puppets was a good one, I think you had two really good ones. Yeah, I had one really good one. Okay, hopefully that segment wasn't revolting. And you know what, speaking of revolting, no, today, this next story is about a priest who revolt, revolts against the wicked queen revolts. Yes. Wow, Okay, is that terrible? Yeah? That was a that was a horrible one. I think it doesn't get much worse than that one. Chris. Yeah, well, I mean, come on, give it up. No, I love it. I love it. A little bit intuition there. Okay, So, for all of our astute listeners that have been paying attention for a while, a week or two ago, Jayhu wiped out Ahabs. You know Jay who comes in and starts Jezebel against Jezebel and then on the road he winds up white and wiping out a Hasaiah. Remember. Yeah, So well that wasn't a couple of weeks ago. It was a couple of days ago. A couple of days ago. It was last week. We started it with today, No not when. He wipes out a Hazaiah. Oh yeah, yeah, the king, the king from Judah, from Judea. So then a Hazaiah's mother becomes the queen, which is weird, right, It must have been single or something. So Isaiah's mother her name was Athalia Athalia Dahlia, which, by the way, I like the name of Athalia. It's very pretty. Yeah, it's spelled it A S A I L I A I think originally, but whoever wrote it had a list Athalia. Wow. No, wow, I's trying, okay. So yeah, Second Chronicles chapter twenty three is what we're reading now. So we're jumping over to the Second Chronicles instead of the Kings one. Because we're we're doing chronological reading and Second Chronicles oftentimes tells the same story of the Second King Second Kings. So says in the seventh year of Italia's reign, Jehoyta, the priest decided to act. He summoned his courage and made a pact with the five army commanders. As Ariah, son of George, jero m jirom Ishmael's son of Jahant what jo Hannen je Johannan j Johannen sure, yeah, let me start again. A Israah son of jero Hem Ishmael's son of Jejohannan is Israahs son of Obid, Thank you, Obd ma Asia son of ad a Ayah. And Alisha Fat son of Zikri. There we go these men in just case we're warning which Alicia Fat we were talking about? Right, you're right, right, it's not Elisha Fat, son of Bob Johnson. It was el son of These men travel secretly throughout Judah and some of the levites and clan leaders and all the towns come to Jerusalem and they're all gathered at the Temple of God, where they made a solemn pact with joe Ash. The young king. Jehoyda said to them, here is the king's son. The time has come for him to reign. The Lord has promised that the descendant of David will be our king. And this is what we must do. When you priests and levites come on duty on the Sabbath of third of you will serve as gatekeepers, another third will go over to the royal Palace, and the final third will be at the Foundation gate. Everyone else should stay in the courtyards of the Lord's temple. Remember, only the priests and levites on duty may under the temple of the Lord, for they are set apart as holy. The rest of the people must obey the Lord's instructions and stay outside. You Levites form a bodyguard around the king and keep your weapons in hand. Kill anyone who tries to enter the temple, and stay with the king wherever he goes. So the levites and all the people of Judah did everything is jehoia to the Priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. Jehoya To the Priest did not let anyone go home after the shift ended. Then Jehoiada supplied the commanders with the spears and the large and small shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of God. He stationed all the people around the king with their weapons ready. They formed a line from the south side of the temple around to the north side, and all around the altar. Then Jehoyaa and his sons brought out joe Ash, the king's son, placed the crown on his head and presented him with a copy of God's Laws. They anointed him and proclaimed him king, and everyone shouted, long live the King. Oh I think I miss courted. This wasn't the revolt story. Uh ah, well this is it is a revolution. It's a coup. Okay, yeah, but it's it's Yeah, but is that different than a revolt. Well, there's no war going on right. Now, right right? Yeah, as you were reading, I'm like, hell, yeah, this is coming up. But no, they just they crowned them. Okay, well you want me to read the rest of it. The Death of Athelia, Yeah, sure, yeah, go ahead, And there's only a few verses right there. Right second, King's eleven thirteen. Years, I said. When Athalia heard all the noise by the palace guards and the people, she hurried to the lord's temple to see what was happening. And when she arrived, she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar. This is Joe ash right, as was the custom at the times of coronation. The commanders and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. And when Athalias saw all this she tore her clothes intospair and shouted trees and treason. Then Jehoya did the priest ordered the commanders, who were in charge of the troops, take her to the soldiers in front of the temple and kill anyone who tries to rescue her, for the priest had said she must not be killed in the temple of the Lord. So they see and let her out to the gate where horses enter the palace grounds, and she was killed there. Oh okay, well that sounds like a revolt. Yeah, okay, so it happened. It did happen, So there you go. So uh so, really, this whole scripture is the transition of power and anointing coronation of a descendant of King David, right, yes, yeah, and uh and it is. A priest jehoi jeho jehoida. The priest decided to act. Yeah, so you know it is. It is uh one thing to read this and think, well, you know, what what does that have to do with me? I think there's a sermon in almost every scripture, right, Yes, didn't didn't you learn in Bible college you can take any verse of the Old Testament and pointed to Jesus. Any passage, any passage. Yeah, that's what it was. So here's here's what I would say. Here. There's the sermon that I see in here. It's actually found in verse number one, where it says, in the seventh year of Athelia's reign, Johoya the priest decided to act. He summoned his courage and made a pack with the five army commanders. And you know what, you know what that tells me. It tells me that sometimes enough is enough, because you know, seven years is a long time to put up with, you know, pagan ritualistic practices. You know, have you ever it reminds me of like I worked at a fancy restaurant called the Moon Baker when I was in high school. And I only worked there for like five months, but it was the most detestable environment, and so I would literally come in every day and I would go to and know it sounds strange, but it was the handicap bathroom stall. It was sort of the only place that I could just to be alone. So we'd go into the men's room in the handicap bathroom stall, and I would get changed, put on my bow tie, and I would literally get on my knees in the corner because it was a large stall, and so, know, go over there and I would get on my knees and I would just say, God give me this strength to be a Christian in this horrific environment. Right, it was horrific, It was awful, and I just remember thinking, this is the most detestable environment ever and h and so it was really hard. It was difficult to be a Christian in this environment. And then they then they wanted to make you know, make me work on Sundays. It was just an awful environment. So basically it's like enough is enough. That's what reminds me of And so finally enough became enough and to where I stood up and I actually like stood up to the managers. I stood up to people, and I actually told the manager, I'm like, this is this is awful? What kind of place are you running here? And then I just quit because I knew my job was going to end after that, right right, right, But I finally told him my thought and that that's what. It feels like to me. It's like in the Seventh years, like he finally summoned the courage to say that's it. We're not doing this anymore. We're gonna we're going to anoint a king from the descendants of the King of David. And we were going to try to write this place and uh, and so enough is enough And so he gets his you know, armor and and and and by the way, how cool is it that he gets symbolic uh spears. And shields that weapon that belonged to King David's. Isn't it cool? Yeah, it's just it's like it's almost like it's a callback. It's a throwback of saying like, we want this to feel like it used to, right, we want we want it to serve God, love God. And so the priest takes a stand enough is enough. And I think that's a good sermon somewhere. Yes, absolutely. So Athailia was a king a Hasiah's mother when he got killed by was it Jahu, she seizes the throne and then begins killing everybody in the family. Crazy right, destroy everybody in the rest of Judah's royal family the game of thrones for seven years, and and that's what she's doing. Well, then, in a previous chapter, it tells us that a has Aiah's sister, Jehosh she was the daughter of King Jehoram in the north. She gets a hold of a Hasaiah's infant son, joe Esh, and she takes him and hides him in the temple. Oh, ok, isn't that cool. Yeah, So that's who joe Ash was. He was an infant when Athalia began executing everybody else in the family. So a Hasi had a bunch of sons, He had a bunch of family members. They all could have been the heir, and so she's wiping them all out. But this this lady Jehashabah, she sneaks him away a Hasiah and hides him in the temple. Yeah. Yeah, And so he's being raised in the temple for seven years, and at seven years old, then this levite goes, okay, this priest, he goes, we're ready. We're gonna make joe Ash the king because she's that bad of a queen. And so that's what's happening here is they bring out the boy. Nobody knows he's alive. He's been hiding in the temple for seven years, wow, right, or six and a half years whatever. Nobody knows he's alive. And so when she hears the commotion. If you ever seen any of the models, several of the temple or several of the palaces were right near the temple. So if you had a big party, trumpets are blasting, people are celebrating. There's some kind of a long lived the king thing going on. She was close enough she would have heard it. Right, it's not a very big David. The city of David, and even by the time you get to this time wasn't very large. It'd be like a it'd be like a large subdivision, right, if you have a thousand houses in your subdivision. It'd be about like that, right, be about. It wouldn't be huge, less than a square mile maybe right out of square mile. So it's not very big. So there's trumpet is planning, there's soldiers, client cliank clank clink, right, there's all this stuff. And they bring out this boy and they surround him and now he's standing at the pillar where they anoint kings, right, and she screams treason. And I think it's funny because the priest goes, don't kill her here, not inside the temple. Take take her outside, all right, figure out and execute her outside the thing. And they set up Joe ash to be a godly Yeah. Well you know what that there's another sermon in there somewhere too, right, So God's in it for the long game, you know, think about uh, think about the effort that had gone into putting a plan in place so that they can make things right. Right, So think about that. There's something to be said about that. There's something to be said about incredible intentionality. Right. So they're planning for the future and they're doing it and there you know, it's it's a seven year. Plan, it seems like, right, right. So yeah, so there's the there's the sermon of there's enough is enough. I can't take it anymore. We're gonna annoy him even though he's only seven. We're gonna annoyin him now, right, because we can't take it anymore. But then there's also the fact that you know that God calls us to play the long game when it comes to you know, moving. His kingdom forward, you know, everything that he has. For our lives and planning for the future, all the things that God wants for us, right right. Yeah, there's a really great note second second Chronicles twenty three. It says Athalia thought she had it made. After assuming the throne, she killed all potential heirs to it, so she thought. But even the best plans for evil go sour. When the truth was revealed, she was overthrown immediately. It is much safer to live according to the truth, even if it means not obtaining everything you want. What a good note. Yeah, that's a great note. Right, there's another really good note here, since we're reading notes today. After seven years of rule by Athalia the queen mother, Jehoiada, the priest finally got up his courage and took action to get rid of the idolatrous ruler. To confront the king or queen with the demands of God's law was supposed to be the role of every priest in every generation. Tragically, many priests shied away from this duty, and that's only a few really made a difference in the nation. Wow, right, there's really something about that that as God's people, we should be speaking truth, right, right, we should be standing against that which is evil, But a lot of times we get quiet. I think it's really interested in this current political climate, how many people all of a sudden are speaking out about things that they felt like were wrong and evil. Three or four years ago. But where were they talking three or four years ago? We were talking about it, right, It's just that, And it was because they were afraid to get in canceled. Three or four years ago. There were a lot of bullies around and they were afraid to get canceled. Now they're all speaking up. But where's your voice three years ago? Where's your voice? Four years ago? Right? And I think that Thank goodness, Hey, eventually you stand up, I guess that's good. But in this case, finally Johoyeda said, hey, we've waited long enough. I think he's old enough. We can at least get him on the throne and help guide him in the way he needs to go. But we got to get rid of her. And he could have been executed for this, right, he would have been executed, but he had the guts to stand up when none of the other priests did. But you notice when the one priest stood up, the other levites and priests came gathered around him. He shuts down all the different shifts. He brings everybody in, here's your armor. We're going to stand just in case she decides he's going to come and fight us. Right, And so when one person stands up, it's amazing how many people are willing to stand up with him. Yeah, that's great, and that is true, by the way, you and I have seen that, right, you know, when one person has the courage to speak up, and then the other people who are right on the fence you didn't have the courage, will say, you know what, I agree, I'm with them. And I've done that so many times. Uh, you know, so I always Uh. I'm sure you've heard that illustration between a thermostat and the thermometer. Yes, uh, you know, the old fashioned dial in my house was the old It was the you know. Now, now there's the dials that are connected to your phone, right, they're just all digital and everything else. But back then there was the old. Fashioned dial where you know, you sort of turned it and and there was the red red uh marker on the top, and then there was the one on the bottom. And both of those look exactly the same, right. The only difference is one is connected to the power source and the other one follows the temperature. Right, so you know, you you turn the top one. If you want to set to eighty degrees, you turn it, and and that that is that determines the other one. Right, So right, so it's a it's so what are you going to be? Are you going to be the thermostat? Are you going to be the thermometer? Because the thermometer is the follower and the thermostad is the one who sets the conditions and so so you know what's the difference. Well, the difference is the first one is connected to the power source. Right right, Oh, good, there it is there. It is good. That'll preach. So yeah, I've done that before, says Although it could have cost him his life, this priest did what was right, restoring the temple worship and anointing the new king. There are times when we must correct the wrong or speak out for what is right. When such a situation arises, gather up your courage and act right. And that's what he did. So this was a moment to correct the wrong. This was the moment to set things right. He had the ability to do. It in the moment. God gave him a plan to do it. But there's still it takes a tremendous amount of courage to actually pull the trigger, right, to actually actually make it happen. And he does, and he makes things well, then things get pretty amazing. Joe ash does good things right. So he was raised by godly people in the temple, and these men were maintaining the God, you know, worship of the true God, even while the queen was leading the nation to go the wrong way. And so there's this little group, and you know, there is usually a little group, there's all. God always has a group somewhere somebody. God always has followers. And a lot of times we can feel alone. They remember Elijah felt alone and he said, hey, they got four hundred worshipers or seve hundred worshipers, right, So thousands of worshipers following me, and you're not alone. So it usually takes the one, whether it's at your school or in your workplace. One person has the courage to speak up and to bring others with them, right, speak up with God's authority and all that kind of stuff, bring others with them. And it's amazing how many other people will stand up with you in that moment. And so you be the one. Right if there's a wrong that needs to be righted, you step up, bring the others with you, but you step up and decide you're going to lead in that area, if if there's some kind of correction needs to be made, if there's some kind of declaration that means to be made, if it's God's words, and if it's the right way to do it, regardless of the costs. Other priests and other leaders were executed for trying to follow God. But in this moment, he decided to step up and do the right thing, and God chose to bless him in that moment and change the course of the nation. And so when such situation arises, gather up your courage and act. See if that doesn't show up. Isn't it great When there's a change of power in the former power is just so bad and you're like, oh, thank God, thank God for this new you know, administration coming in. It feels so good. You know, isn't that a good thing? It's amazing. Yeah, it feels good on it. It's a pretty crazy thing. Yeah, that the swing swing of power back and forth. The other thing is for you know, we had some friends that we got really aggressive politically on both sides during this last election cycle, right, yeah, yeah, And I just kept telling people, have you never read first and second Kings? For second chronicles, King comes and the king goes, and God does what he's going to do right, right, right, So sure it's a rough for a few years, but eventually somebody's gonna stand up, do the right thing and move them the other way. So we don't put our hope and trust in leaders. And this was the warning that God had with Samuel is the kings aren't the ones that are going to provide for you. It's just always going to be a burden, right right, whether it's a good one or a bad one, it's always going to be a burden. And the one that we really follow, the one that really sets us free, is God himself, the Creator. And that's great. Yeah, well, hey, that's our time, so hopefully we'll see you next time on the Bible. Guys,