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2 Chronicles 25-28 Good evening church, I am glad you could make it out tonight. Hello to those of you watching online. Tonight we are going to continue in our study through the , we will be in 2 Chronicles Chapter 25 and we will attempt to get through Chapter 28 tonight. We have much going on in our world, and for me, it is a joy to gather here with you all to come under God’s Word. This place is the only place that makes sense, and His Word is the only True Comfort in this World. So let’s pray, and we will get into our text tonight. Well, we finished last time by looking at the assassination of King Joash of Judah, and we will pick up right after his death… Look now at chapter 25… Amaziah Reigns in Judah(:1-6) 25:1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in . His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart. Now Amaziah was a reformer just like Joash his father. Page 2 of 29

But we see here at the end of verse two, he fell short of complete reform. He did not live up to the standard that King had set as the template, and he continued to allow the high places to exist as we saw in 2 Kings Chapter 14. Verse 3 now… 3 Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established for him, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king. 4 However he did not execute their children, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of , where the Lord commanded, saying, "The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall die for his own sin." In Antiquity, it was common practice to execute a guilty person’s family for heinous crimes, such as murder. In all practicality, it would have been wiser for Amaziah to kill the children, because leaving them alive would have given chance to the survivors to enact revenge. But, we see early on in Amaziah’s rule, he was obedient to God’s Word, above even the normal customs of the day. The Law of Moses states in Deut. 24:16 "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall Page 3 of 29 children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin." God expected that each person individually be responsible for their own sin. A father cannot be guilty for the sin of their grown children, and the children cannot be responsible for the sin of their parents. Understand, today, each of us have to come to God on our own, and each of us individually have to receive salvation. Our kids, while in our homes, we are to train up, and to teach, but ultimately they must choose for themselves. Also, I would like to point out, parents should not automatically blame themselves for their wayward children. Look at verse 5 now… The War Against (2 Kings 14:7) 5 Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, according to their fathers' houses, throughout all Judah and Benjamin; and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them to be three hundred thousand choice men, able to go to war, who could handle spear and shield. 6 He also hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valor from Israel for one hundred talents of silver. 7 But a Page 4 of 29 man of God came to him, saying, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel — not with any of the children of Ephraim. 8 But if you go, be gone! Be strong in battle! Even so, God shall make you fall before the enemy; for God has power to help and to overthrow." Here Amaziah assembled an army, which would eventually be used to fight against Edom. Amaziah here hired mercenaries from the Northern tribes of Israel. This too was a very common practice in Antiquity. And God here sends an unnamed prophet to warn him against this maneuver, warning that if he aligned himself with the wicked regime in the North, they would be easily defeated on the battlefield. Verse 9 now… 9 Then Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God answered, "The Lord is able to give you much more than this." 10 So Amaziah discharged the troops that had come to him from Ephraim, to go back home. Therefore their anger was greatly aroused against Judah, and they returned home in great anger. Page 5 of 29

We see here that Amaziah heard and understood the Word of God from the Lord’s messenger. But we see here that he asks an interesting question, “How much will it cost me to obey the Lord?” And of course he is presented with the reality that whatever it costs him, it will be far less than what the price of disobedience would be. I have pled with people in the past, who are living together outside of marriage. She may be receiving her deceased husband’s pension, or alimony that might stop coming in if she remarries. And the reality is they are living disobedient to the Lord thinking only about what it would cost them to obey. But they totally disregard the Blessing of obedience. Eph. 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, You see He is a God who can do more than what our measly minds are even capable of thinking up. Some think the cost of obeying God is too much, but the True Reality to consider is the price of disobedience is far greater. And the Blessings of Obedience are being forfeited. God’s ways are so much higher than ours. Page 6 of 29

Amaziah chooses to lose out, and obey here. Then we read in verse 11… 11 Then Amaziah strengthened himself, and leading his people, he went to the and killed ten thousand of the people of Seir. 12 Also the children of Judah took captive ten thousand alive, brought them to the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were dashed in pieces. 13 But as for the soldiers of the army which Amaziah had discharged, so that they would not go with him to battle, they raided the cities of Judah from to Beth Horon, killed three thousand in them, and took much spoil. So the dismissed Northern Soldiers are making up now for the spoil they would have received had they gone to battle. The spoil was part of the soldiers pay during wartime. Look now at verse 14… 14 Now it was so, after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up to be his gods, and bowed down before them and burned incense to them. 15 Therefore the anger of the Lord was aroused against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, "Why have you sought the gods of the people, which could not rescue their own people from your hand?" Page 7 of 29

16 So it was, as he talked with him, that the king said to him, "Have we made you the king's counselor? Cease! Why should you be killed?" Then the prophet ceased, and said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice." And once again we see the folly of a good king, who had potential to be a great king, but fell away. We see the foolishness of idolatry here, why would anyone worship an idol or a god who was made by human hands, and that are something you can steal away. Man is so foolish at what he will bow down too. And another prophet was sent to reveal this foolishness, and he is silenced. And like many today, the king stops up his ears at Truth. Many times people will seek advice, and I will give them God’s Word, and they will in so many words say, “Be quiet.” The king here is now leaving the path of obedience and is rejecting God’s Word. Verse 17 now… Israel Defeats Judah(2 Kings 14:8-14) 17 Now Amaziah king of Judah asked advice and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of , king of Page 8 of 29

Israel, saying, "Come, let us face one another in battle." 18 And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife'; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. 19 Indeed you say that you have defeated the Edomites, and your heart is lifted up to boast. Stay at home now; why should you meddle with trouble, that you should fall — you and Judah with you?" So the king of Israel is now trying to speak reason to Amaziah, he was trying to pick a fight with someone out of his league. The reasonable king of Israel tells him to enjoy the victory that he had, and to be satisfied with it. He asks, “Why should you meddle with trouble?” And this is a really good question, perhaps some of you are meddling with sin tonight, you are hanging around a temptation, and you think you can overcome it. Don’t get comfortable in those compromised places. If you are an alcoholic, it is probably not a good idea to do an outreach in a bar. To meddle, may it be with alcohol, drugs, or sex, it may be to our own doom. Page 9 of 29

It is only one click on your computer, that leads you down a path to bondage. “Why is it that you should meddle in something that would lead to your fall?” And notice there is a warning here, the King of Judah’s meddling will impact the whole nation. And the reality is that our own meddling might have an impact on our own household. And unfortunately we read in verse 20… 20 But Amaziah would not heed, for it came from God, that He might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought the gods of Edom. 21 So Joash king of Israel went out; and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 22 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent. 23 Then Joash the king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh; and he brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate — four hundred cubits. 24 And he took all the gold and silver, all the articles that were found in the house of God with Obed-Edom, the treasures of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria. We see here that this move of Amaziah cost him even more. The enemy broke down his means for future defense. Page 10 of 29

He lost many resources too, and prisoners were taken. We see Pride is so destructive, and it is costly here for Amaziah, as he sets forth here a great lesson to learn from. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Look now at the final verses of chapter 25, starting in verse 25… Death of Amaziah(2 Kings 14:17-20) 25 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first to last, indeed are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? 27 After the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. 28 Then they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah. And now another king is assassinated in the kingdom of Judah. It did not pay to disobey the Lord, and the people did not appreciate the consequences of this king’s decisions. Page 11 of 29

It is important that we learn to listen and obey God at all costs. Next chapter now, starting in verse 1 of chapter 26… Reigns in Judah(2 Kings 14:21,22; 15:1-3) 26:1 Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers. 3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5 He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. Here King Uzziah is brought to the throne. In 2 Kings he was known as King Azariah. We get a more complete picture of him here in 2 Chronicles then we had in 2 Kings. He was a great king, some believe he was the greatest after David. He reigned for 52 years, and he was very popular. During his reign, prosperity came to the Kingdom of Judah. Page 12 of 29

His death was a historical marker for Judah, a mournful occasion, and it was at his death that began to prophecy. Remember that famous text out of Isaiah Chapter 6… Isa 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. A very prominent king here indeed… Look now at verses 6-15… 6 Now he went out and made war against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities around Ashdod and among the Philistines. 7 God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal, and against the Meunites. 8 Also the Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah. His fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt, for he became exceedingly strong. 9 And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the corner buttress of the wall; then he fortified them. 10 Also he built towers in the desert. He dug many wells, for he had much livestock, both in the lowlands and in the plains; he also had farmers and vinedressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved the soil. 11 Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men who went out to war by companies, according to the Page 13 of 29 number on their roll as prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains. 12 The total number of chief officers of the mighty men of valor was two thousand six hundred. 13 And under their authority was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14 Then Uzziah prepared for them, for the entire army, shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and slings to cast stones. 15 And he made devices in Jerusalem, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong. Because Uzziah desired to please God, his godly attributes were rewarded with a long reign and a prosperous reign. We are told that he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. This was notable that is for sure, but he did have some downfalls, the high places were left intact. These high places were built many times to worship Yahweh, however, they were not places that God had instructed to build. And this idea has been the downfall of mankind all throughout history. Page 14 of 29

They believe they can construct their own way to worship. I have heard people today proudly declare that they do not need to be a part of a church to be close to God, they worship God in nature. They say the church is filled with fakes. And although it is true you can worship God in nature, it is vitally important to God that we gather together with the Church as well, we are not to forsake the gathering together of hypocrites. The reality is, if we are honest we all have some degree of hypocrisy, and yet God desires us to be together. We don’t get to make up our own worship in the high places. So, Uzziah did have some issues, but overall he had some great attributes. He started young too, at the age of 16. We are told that he defeated the arch-enemy of Israel, the Philistines and he also prevailed over the Ammonites. He was internationally well-known, and had a legacy of being a strong king. He was an incredible builder, and even loved agriculture. He had callouses, and any good leader should be a working man. Page 15 of 29

We see too that he organized a mighty army, and even invented weapons of mass destruction. And he had much good going for him, and as we have seen it time and time again, it will all go to his head. Understand something very important tonight, there is much danger in success. If we are not continually giving glory to God in our successes, we will be endanger of believing that we are something special. We can never let our guard down, we must be vigilant against pride, because it so easily ruins all that God is doing in our lives. So this king started well, but unfortunately he will not end well. Look now starting in verse 16… The Penalty for Uzziah's Pride(2 Kings 15:4-7) 16 But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord — valiant men. 18 And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have Page 16 of 29 trespassed! You shall have no honor from the Lord God." 19 Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the Lord had struck him. Uzziah was so high and lifted up in his own mind, that he had violated God’s main principle in dealing with Israel. Now king was not to be priest, and the offices of prophet, priest, and king should not be combined into one person. Of course, until Jesus, the Messiah, who would be the only one who would fulfill all three offices at once. For now, there was a separation of power. King Saul was the first to challenge this idea, and he paid dearly for it…. 1 Sam 13:10-14 Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. 11 And Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul said, "When I saw that the people were Page 17 of 29 scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, 12 then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering." (Manmade worship is done through compulsion) 13 And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you." And in both cases it was pride that brought about these severe consequences to them. The Lord gives us instructions to follow and oftentimes it is in our obedience that our pride is kept at bay. Uzziah’s disobedience cost him tragically, as God strikes him with leprosy. And this is a tragic end to a man who started off so well, he will end his life as a dead man walking. To many Christians today, choose to stay in sin, and they are leprous and dying as well. Page 18 of 29

They start off on fire for the Lord, but then compromise sets in, and ultimately spiritual death, which many times leads to physical death. It is essential that we purge our lives of these areas of compromise, because the reality is, it is killing us slowly. When we allow the Spirit to reign in our lives, we are living the abundant life God offers. Look now starting in verse 21… 21 King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord. Then Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land. 22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz wrote. 23 So Uzziah rested with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial which belonged to the kings, for they said, "He is a leper." Then Jotham his son reigned in his place. Now, as we consider the whole life of this good king, the strength that he brought to the nation, the prosperity, the buildings and farming. We can understand really the historic ramifications to the nation when he died. Page 19 of 29

Therefore when Isaiah wrote that his calling came in the year that King Uzziah died, it has an incredible depth to what was happening in the nation at that time. There was an uncertainty coming over the people, a transition of power was taking place, and the people were coming off a great time period into an unknown time period. He was blighted with a sad ending to his career as king, yet the people still loved him. But the fact that he died a leper shows how important it is to finish well. Because one mistake, one scandal, can tarnish a whole lifetime of achievement. This world is harsh that way, even the people closest to us, are willing to throw decades worth of friendships out the window for one mistake, even one misplaced word. This world remembers wrongs and mistakes more than it ever remembers the good a person has done. Finishing well is the key… It rarely matters how you start, they remember how you finish. Look now at chapter 27… Jotham Reigns in Judah(2 Kings 15:32-38) 27:1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Page 20 of 29

Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of the Lord). But still the people acted corruptly. Jotham was another king of Judah who was a fairly good king. He stands in direct contrast to the evil that was being done by the Northern kings of Israel. We see here that Jotham did according to all that his father had done. Accept he did not worship God in the Temple, as he let the events of his father’s turmoil impact his decisions on going to church. He once again, is making his own way to worship God, the king should be leading in proper worship, but he refused, and the people will in turn act corruptly, perhaps the fruit of his own disobedience. You see the kind of commitment you show to the Lord, it will be modeled by those under you. If you only come to church when it is convenient for your schedule, when all other commitments are handled, your children will put church in the same category as you in their own adult life. If it is important to you, it will be important to them. Look now at verse 3… Page 21 of 29

3 He built the Upper Gate of the house of the Lord, and he built extensively on the wall of Ophel. 4 Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built fortresses and towers. 5 He also fought with the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. And the people of gave him in that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The people of Ammon paid this to him in the second and third years also. 6 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God. We see something important here with King Jotham, he built the upper gate of the house of the Lord. Although he did not attend church, he still was mindful of it. And as we have mentioned before, the house of the Lord often was a reflection of the spiritual revival taking place in the people. And as the king prepared his way before the Lord, the Lord strengthened him. 7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. 8 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9 So Jotham rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then his son reigned in his place. Page 22 of 29

Jotham’s reign is complete, we now move into his son’s reign… Ahaz Reigns in Judah(2 Kings 16:1-4) 28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, as his father David had done. 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made molded images for the Baals. 3 He burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. Ahaz now, is a really bad king, as he walked in the ways and example of the wicked kings of Israel. David was the human standard for a good king, and Ahaz comes up way short. And here is the beginning of a sad and terrible decline for the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Northern Kingdom will go first into captivity under the Assyrians. And God will give many warnings to the Southern Kingdom, but they will also fall, and go into captivity under the Babylonians. Page 23 of 29

Judah was spared for some time after the fall of Israel, but because they followed the depravity of Israel, in killing their own children to Molech, and following hard into idolatry, they will fall as well. Today, our nation has now come under new leadership, sadly it is one that promotes the death of our unborn children. And God will not be mocked, and our nation will reap the consequences of its choices. So the downfall of Judah begins here, look at verse 5… Syria and Israel Defeat Judah(2 Kings 16:5,6; Isa 7:1) 5 Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him, and carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to . Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter. 6 For the son of Remaliah killed one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. 7 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the officer over the house, and Elkanah who was second to the king. 8 And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. Page 24 of 29

Now, Isaiah Chapter 7 is a parallel passage to all of this and it makes it clear that the goal of this attack was to take out Ahaz and set up a Syrian King over Judah, the Syrian’s name is Tabel. Judah was hit very hard here, but they were not overcome by their enemies, but only for the sake of the promises made to David. Ahaz was wicked, but the Messiah would come through this line, and it needed to be preserved. Verse 9 now… Israel Returns the Captives 9 But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: "Look, because the Lord God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. 10 And now you propose to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem to be your male and female slaves; but are you not also guilty before the Lord your God? 11 Now hear me, therefore, and return the captives, whom you have taken captive from your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you." 12 Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who Page 25 of 29 came from the war, 13 and said to them, "You shall not bring the captives here, for we already have offended the Lord. You intend to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel." 14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the leaders and all the assembly. 15 Then the men who were designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals, gave them food and drink, and anointed them; and they let all the feeble ones ride on donkeys. So they brought them to their brethren at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria. We see this brave prophet went with the 200,000 captives taken from the conquered Southern Kingdom to the Kingdom of Israel. He boldly called the leaders of Israel to think about this crime against their fellow tribes. And they listened, and corrected their wrongs. Assyria Refuses to Help Judah(2 Kings 16:7-9) 16 At the same time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him. 17 For again the Edomites had come, attacked Judah, and carried away captives. 18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Sochoh with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages; Page 26 of 29 and they dwelt there. 19 For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord. 20 Also Tiglath- Pileser king of Assyria came to him and distressed him, and did not assist him. 21 For Ahaz took part of the treasures from the house of the Lord, from the house of the king, and from the leaders, and he gave it to the king of Assyria; but he did not help him. Ahaz’s kingdom is reduced here to a vassal state, petitioning the king of Assyria instead of getting right with his God. He did all of this against the advice of Isaiah. Ahaz went to the world and trusted in its strength for his security. Christian there is always danger when in time of crisis we start looking to the world instead of our God. It is in times of crisis we must turned to God’s Word for our guidance, and even if obedience is costly, understand God is still smarter than us, and obedience is always better. So Ahaz, allows moral decline, and the nation spirals down here to the point that they are begging another kingdom to help. Look at verse 22 now… Apostasy and Death of Ahaz(2 Kings 16:12-20) Page 27 of 29

22 Now in the time of his distress King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the Lord. This is that King Ahaz. 23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. 24 So Ahaz gathered the articles of the house of God, cut in pieces the articles of the house of God, shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 And in every single city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers. 26 Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 So Ahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Then his son reigned in his place. We see an interesting progression here in Judah, we see compromise first in the worship of Yahweh led to compromised morality, and then a debased kingdom was weakened and politically compromised now. Church, there are some incredible parallels for our own changing in our own government. Page 28 of 29

The leadership in this country now is morally compromised, promoting an ungodly and unbiblical agenda. They are anti-God, and anti-Christian. In fact, here in California, already, it did not take long, The County of Santa Clara will not rest until they jail pastors and exorbitantly fine churches while paying no regard to the United States Constitution. The county is pushing to have Pastors Mike McClure and Carson Atherley of Calvary Chapel San Jose jailed, tomorrow, Thursday, January 21, 1:30 p.m. after their court hearing. Both are faced with $30,000 each in personal fines, over $1,000,000 in church fines and 5 days in jail for both men. Pastor Jim Domen, M.Div. Church United Founder This country will not be church friendly in the days ahead. There will be consequences no doubt for you following Jesus Christ. There will be consequences for us as a nation as well, perhaps one of which becoming a vassal state to China. But understand something, this is not the end of the story. You all are still here, our God’s Spirit is alive and well in us. Page 29 of 29

We are God’s Mechanism for change in this world, we are called to be Salt and Light. Understand something, don’t listen to the pessimists, and get those voices out of your head, because historically the Church has always been at its best when its back is on the ropes. When opposition is great and our distracting comforts are taken, that is when the church awakens to a holy dependence upon our God. Listen, for Judah a revival was stirring in their dark time, a great king was going to be used to radically change things in Judah. And although things may seem to be dire here in our own future, our work and focus does not change. Keep those hands to the plow, as long as the church is here, and the Restrainer at work in this world, there is hope, there is always hope. I am excited for what God has in store, just a reminder tonight, He is still in control of all things. Keep your focus on Him, and live for Him, and you cannot go wrong! Let’s pray!