Bible Study on Acts 8, verses 26 to 40, if thou believest with all thine heart

 

Acts 8:26 ¶  And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 27  And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28  Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. 29  Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30  And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31  And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32  The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33  In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34  And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36  And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37  And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38  And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39  And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. 40  But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

 

We move from the hated sect of Judaism to the Gentiles whom the Jew held in contempt. Candace is a latinized version of an Ethiopian title. Pliny the Elder, a Roman scholar who wrote an important natural history, declared that Candace was the title the Ethiopian queens assumed. Here is not only an Ethiopian but a black African and a eunuch. A eunuch is someone who biologically cannot reproduce and officials were often made that way to keep them from being naturally aggressive and assertive, that is untrustworthy in their servile duties of trust.

 

The earliest mention made of eunuchs created by intentional castration is from the Sumerian city of Lagash probably not long after the Tower of Babel. Throughout history, eunuchs occupied court positions as well as military positions, all places of trust where, contrary to intention, they had the ear of powerful men and often were part of conspiracies and intrigue. Notice how Jesus references eunuch as a person incapable of reproduction. The following covers those who are born biologically incapable, those who are made so by men, and those who purpose themselves to be childless for the sake of God’s work.

 

Matthew 19:12  For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

 

As a side note, the early Christian writer, Origen, according to the church writer, Eusebius, had himself castrated because he misunderstood the above verse. However, Origen, himself, later wrote that only an idiot would think that verse in Matthew commended having oneself castrated according to what I’ve read.

 

Philip is told to draw near to the Ethiopian’s chariot. It is well-known among evangelical Christians that there have been many times when they felt compelled to hand out a gospel tract or witness to someone verbally who they would probably not have approached on their own.

 

The eunuch is reading to himself from Isaiah, specifically;

 

Isaiah 53:7b …he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

 

There are several possible reasons why what he read was slightly different than the actual word-for-word verse we have. It could have been a version in the reader’s own language and translated to Hebrew, then to Greek, then to English for us to have the passage. It could be the Holy Spirit defining what is meant in Isaiah by the wording in Acts if you compare and contrast. Word substitution, we have seen is a predominant way the Holy Spirit has of clarifying itself to the reader. Philip began preaching that this was Jesus.

 

Although some few voices had noted this before it wasn’t until the eleventh century AD and a Jewish teacher nicknamed Rashi that Jews began to believe that the individual referred to in these and the surrounding verses in Isaiah were the suffering Jewish people themselves, not the Messiah. This was probably a reaction to the persecution visited upon them by the Christian power of Europe. But, Philip makes it clear that this is a reference to Jesus.

 

The eunuch asked what kept him from being baptized and Phillip answered.

 

37  And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

 

This verse clearly states that salvation is predicated upon belief and that baptism is something that happens after you believe, something a baby cannot do. You have to believe and then be baptized.

 

Mark 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

 

Early church fathers like Irenaeus and Cyprian commented on this as did Tertullian in the second century. Even Augustine of Hippo in the fifth century, venerated by the Catholic Church, supported this verse’s validity by referencing it. It certainly doesn’t allow for infant baptism. Clearly it is a mistake in modern Bible versions to delete it or to cast doubts on it. If your Bible doesn’t have it or dismisses its validity then you need a different Bible.

 

Philip was physically translated, removed, from the baptism after it was performed and taken to another place. These are the same Greek and mostly the same English words as in;

 

1Thessalonians 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 

Compare caught away here in 8:39 and caught up in 1Thessalonians 4:17.

Bible Study on Exodus 14, verses 21 to 31, the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea

 

Exodus 14:21 ¶  And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22  And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 23  And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24  And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, 25  And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. 26  And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27  And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28  And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. 29  But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 30  Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 31  And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

In what had to be a terrifying picture in front of them the sea divided over the night under the influence of a strong wind, creating a dry pathway to the other side. The Israelites exited across the dry pathway that God had made with the waters standing high on either side of them. Pharaoh and his army plunged in after them furiously. One can easily imagine what happened next. The dry ground starts to become a mass of mud and chariot wheels come off. Panic sets in among the soldiers between the walls of water. Due to the time frame allowed this event clearly happened at a branch of the Red Sea that was just wide enough for this many people to make this trip in these hours.

Moses raised his rod and the waters returned on the Egyptian army and all of them including the Pharaoh himself, are drowned. This is celebrated in the Bible in many places.

Deuteronomy 11:4  And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day;

Nehemiah 9:11  And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.

Psalm 78:53  And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

Hebrews 11:29  By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

The best part of the mightiest army of the world’s greatest superpower is now destroyed. The leadership of Egypt is crushed with the Pharaoh following his heir, his firstborn, in death. There is now a vacuum of power in that part of the world. A human leader and his mighty army have come up against God and been vanquished in a moment in time.

2Thessalonians 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Bible Study on Acts 8, verses 14 to 25, Samaritans receive the Holy Ghost

 

Acts 8:14 ¶  Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16  (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 18  And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19  Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. 20  But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21  Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23  For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. 24  Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. 25  And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

 

Notice the difference in how the Holy Ghost was received in the early church. I talked in chapter 2 how the receiving of the Holy Ghost is mentioned as coming at different times in the early church or is not mentioned at all. It is assumed except for here where they receive the Holy Ghost later than when they believed, perhaps significantly later.

 

The worldly and cynical Simon is entranced by the power given to the Apostles by the Holy Ghost and even thinks he can purchase it, that it was something these men possessed and like a magician’s trick was a secret that could be passed on to others, a secret, arcane knowledge as in the philosophy of the day rather than the power of God working through His chosen vessels.

 

Peter accuses Simon of being in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. His heart is not right in the sight of God. He came to Christ with the absolute wrong attitude, a worldly error that glorified himself and gave power over the things of God to money.

 

The gall of bitterness is a reference to false worship and holding something different in your heart than what is on your lips.

 

Deuteronomy 29:18  Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; 19  And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: 20  The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.

 

Bitterness would refer to the expression of that falseness through one’s speech, by cross-referencing.

 

Romans 3:14  Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

 

Ephesians 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

 

Simon has spoken falsely in extreme iniquity. He has made a sham of his shallow faith. The bond of iniquity means that Simon is a slave to sin. This is a very disturbing charge for Peter to make against Simon.

 

It doesn’t look like he repented and turned. It looked like he was just afraid of being punished. That is different than repentance, of course. Being afraid of Hell is not salvation. Turning to Christ is.

 

The attention the Christian Jews paid to the Samaritans is remarkable but in keeping with Christ’s teaching in Luke.

 

The Samaritans and the Jews were in conflict over where they were to worship which resulted in them refusing to receive Christ after He diplomatically sent messengers to alert them of His coming thereby invoking the wrath of His followers. They knew He was headed to Jerusalem and their worship was focused on Samaria.

 

John 4:20  Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

 

Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel after Israel and Judah split during the reign of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, as recorded in 1Kings, chapter 12. Then, see 1Kings 16:29. The Assyrians conquered Israel and removed the Jews from there to other territories, replacing them with others as was their custom in conquest. Jewish priests were brought in to teach them the religion of the Jews and a distinctly different sort of Judaism grew up with distinct customs and norms that underscored the divisions between the Jews and the Samaritans.

 

2Kings 17:6  In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes…24  And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof…26  Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land…28  Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

 

The Samaritan religion is called Samaritanism and is based on the Samaritan Torah. They believed they most closely followed the true religion of the Jews that existed before the Babylonian captivity. They worshipped at the ruins of their temple in Mount Gerizim. The mount is mentioned in Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Judges. The temple was destroyed by the Jews in around 100BC. The Jews did not regard the Samaritans very favorably.

 

In fact, the Samaritans were hated. They worshipped in a different place. They had a different history than the Jews and the Jews regarded them as inferiors, spiritually, politically, and every other way. They were not just somebody else but they were somebody else the Jews expected nothing good out of and looked down their noses at. But Jesus pointed out that the victim of robbery in Luke, chapter 10, had no mercy shown to him by a pious priest and then a Levite. It is the proverbial, “Good Samaritan,” who renders aid. This story taught the lawyer Jesus was speaking to that one’s neighbors included anyone you chanced upon and even someone whose ethnicity or religion you hated might be someone that God would want you to aid in their time of distress.

 

Picture for yourself from an American perspective the Samaritan in the story in Luke 10 being a black person from the inner city or a ragged mountain redneck from the Ozarks. Maybe picture a person of another political party you despise or a Yankee or a Southerner or anyone that you hold in contempt as a people. Maybe you need to think of a Catholic or a Methodist or charismatic. But, you can imagine what Christ is doing in Luke 10 in breaking down barriers.

 

As Christ breaks down false barriers set up by man, His followers, of mostly Jewish ethnicity, preach to the hated Samaritans and give them the good news of the gospel of Christ.

Bible Study on Exodus 14, verses 15 to 20, stretch out thine hand over the sea

 

Exodus 14:15 ¶  And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16  But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17  And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18  And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 19  And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 20  And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

God commands Moses to raise the rod in his hand and hold it out towards the sea. There are two northern arms of the Red Sea. On the west is the Gulf of Suez and on the right is the Gulf of Aqaba separated by the Sinai Peninsula. Some commentators have the Hebrews crossing the Gulf of Suez while others have them traversing across the Sinai Peninsula to get to the Gulf of Aqaba and crossing there into what is now Saudi Arabia which is questionable to me. The Gulf of Suez makes more sense as the Sinai Peninsula would be to its east.

The angel of God now moves from His position of leading the children of Israel to getting in between them and the Egyptian army. To the Egyptians He was darkness but to the Israelites He gave light. God does give light now to those who will believe but confounds the minds of those who will not, casting them into the darkness they desire.

Isaiah 66:4  I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

2Thessalonians 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Bible Study on Acts 8, verses 1 to 13, they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching

 

Acts 8:1 ¶  And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2  And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3  As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

 

Saul will have his name changed to Paul. See Acts 13:9. As Saul he was a great terror to the early church, and he admitted his guilt.

 

1Corinthians 15:9  For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

 

Galatians 1:13  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

 

Phillipians 3:6  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

 

1Timothy 1:13  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

 

There was a great persecution at Jerusalem and many fled, save for the Apostles. The Christian Jews were scattered abroad. Note how it is referenced elsewhere. Jews had moved to many parts of the known world then, as far as China, down in Africa, and had a significant presence in Rome and the city of Babylon. There are many references to gathering the scattered Jews together. This persecution drove the Christians out of Jerusalem.

 

Acts 8:4 ¶  Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. 5  Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6  And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7  For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. 8  And there was great joy in that city. 9  But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: 10  To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. 11  And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. 12  But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13  Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

 

This persecution led to a great effort of evangelization. Now, many more people would hear the gospel because the siege mentality, the bunker mentality, which is almost always wrong, was wiped out by the persecution and Christians moved abroad to spread the Good News of Christ.

 

Now it says that the Apostles remained in Jerusalem. This then could be Philip the servant/deacon/evangelist who was elected to serve the congregation at Jerusalem that is now dispersed abroad.

 

Acts 6:1 ¶  And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2  Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3  Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4  But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5  And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a

man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6  Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

 

Acts 21:8 ¶  And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9  And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

 

People here believe and are baptized, even Simon the sorcerer, but no mention is made of them receiving the Holy Ghost, yet. It is important to note that in this early stage of the church this passage is one of those that makes it clear that you must believe to be baptized and no mention is made of baptizing someone who cannot believe, like a baby, for instance.

 

Also note that Simon uses sorcery, the word in Greek being phonetically translated as mag-yoo-o, the root from which we get magic. These people departed from their amazement at Simon to their faith in Christ. All of the tricks of his trade could not prevent that or keep even him from believing but with a shallow faith laced with greed and a desire for self-aggrandizement.

Bible Study on Exodus 14, verses 10 to 14, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD

 

Exodus 14:10 ¶  And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. 11  And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12  Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. 13  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

The Hebrews seem to be trapped between the Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea. They were terrified, or sore afraid. They believe they’ve made a terrible mistake by following Moses. They would have been better off as slaves in Egypt than to die so miserably in this situation.

But, Moses tells them to wait as God will fight this battle for them as salvation, more often than not in the Bible, typically means physical deliverance from an impending calamity rather than eternal life.

There are many times that God says that He will do the work for us but we are often too fearful to believe that. In the next verse, Christ tells this to His disciples regarding what they will say under persecution.

Mark 13:11  But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

Even eternal salvation is purely a work of God in response to our faith.

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Ephesians 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

One important aspect of being a Christian, as I looked at before in the example set in the book of Job, is to trust God no matter how bad things get, even if we don’t see any relief in this life.

Job 13:15a  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him….

And taking the example also of the Hebrew men in Babylon.

Daniel 3:17  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

And here, in this passage in Exodus, we can see another principle linked to that one; waiting on the Lord to work in our lives rather than jumping ahead and acting on our own. The Hebrew situation was a total disaster without some kind of intervention. There was no power on earth that could save them when the greatest power on earth had them trapped. There will be situations in your life over which you are totally helpless and without God’s help you just know only complete disaster awaits you. You’re cornered. It is in that time you are forced to trust only in God, when you are between the proverbial ‘rock and a hard place’ where there is nothing left for you but to wait and see what God does.

2Kings 11 comments

 

2Kings 11:1 ¶  And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. 2  But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. 3  And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.

Let’s review the past reference to Athaliah.

2Kings 8:26  Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.

She attempts to consolidate power for herself by these wicked murders, even of her grandchildren. We’ll learn later in 2Chronicles that this job had been partially done for her by others but we’ll save Chronicles for later, at which time I will refer back to events reported in Kings.

Jehosheba is Ahaziah’s sister and the priest, Jehoiada’s wife (2Chronicles 22:11). For six years while the wicked queen rules over Judah, the young man is hidden from her. It would not be so hard to do in a big household as long as servants were in on the scheme to protect him as Athaliah was clearly a tyrant and obviously hated, as we will see.  

2Kings 11:4 ¶  And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king’s son. 5  And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king’s house; 6  And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down. 7  And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king. 8  And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in. 9  And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10  And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David’s spears and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD. 11  And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar and the temple. 12  And he brought forth the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.

Finally, the child is presented as the rightful king by the priest, Jehoiada, who has secured the proclamation lest loyal stalwarts of wicked queen Athaliah attack. So, they proclaim after the crown is placed on the young boy’s head, God save the king.

2Kings 11:13 ¶  And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD. 14  And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason. 15  But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD. 16  And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king’s house: and there was she slain.

This nasty piece of work, Queen Athaliah, hears the tumult and she rushes to the temple. She screams treason. The queen is executed after being dragged out of the temple. Her short reign is over. Clearly, she was hated and the people rejoiced at the events that transpired.

2Kings 11:17 ¶  And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD’S people; between the king also and the people. 18  And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD. 19  And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of the LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king’s house. And he sat on the throne of the kings. 20  And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king’s house. 21  Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.

This seven year old is placed on the throne and allegiance is sworn to him. The house of Baal is broken down. It looks like a new era or repentance and turning to God could take place. Does it?

2Chronicles 23:16  And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD’S people. 17  Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18  Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David. 19  And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in. 20  And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD: and they came through the high gate into the king’s house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom. 21  And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

 

Jehoash will also be called the shorter Joash, according to Strong’s, from the same meaning in Hebrew, “given by the Lord”. Let me know if you disagree with any calculations I've made based on the text of the King James Bible.