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Speaker 1: I'm John Stangi, and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter
Speaker 1: twenty two, and we'll be reading from the message. The
Speaker 1: people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram's youngest son king. Raiders
Speaker 1: from the desert who had come with the Arabs against
Speaker 1: the settlement had killed all the older sons. That's how Ahaziah,
Speaker 1: son of Jehoram, King of Judah, became king. Ahaziah was
Speaker 1: twenty two years old when he became king, but reigned
Speaker 1: only one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, granddaughter
Speaker 1: of Omri. He lived and ruled just like the Ahab
Speaker 1: family had done, training him in evil ways. God also
Speaker 1: considered him evil, related by both marriage and sin to
Speaker 1: the Ahab clan. After the death of his father, he
Speaker 1: attended the sin school of Ahab and graduated with a
Speaker 1: degree in doom. He did what they taught him, went
Speaker 1: with Joram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, in war
Speaker 1: against Hazehel, king of Aram at Raymoth Gilead Joram, wounded
Speaker 1: by the Aramians, retreated to Jezreel to recover from the
Speaker 1: wounds he received in Ramah in his war with Hazehel,
Speaker 1: king of Aram. Ahiah, son of Jehoram, king of Judah,
Speaker 1: paid a visit to Joram, son of Ahab, on his
Speaker 1: sick bed at Jezreel. The fate of Ahaziah when he
Speaker 1: went to visit was God's judgment on him. When Ahaziah
Speaker 1: arrived at Jezreel, he and Joram met with Jehu, son
Speaker 1: of Nimshi, whom God had already authorized to destroy the
Speaker 1: dynasty of Ahab. Jehu, already at work executing doom on
Speaker 1: the dynasty of Ahab, came upon the captains of Judah
Speaker 1: and Ahaziah's nephews, part of the Ahaziah delegation, and killed
Speaker 1: them outright. Then he sent out a search party looking
Speaker 1: for Ahaziah himself. They found him hiding out in Samaria
Speaker 1: and hauled him back to Jehu, and Jehu killed him.
Speaker 1: They didn't, though, just leave his body there. Out of
Speaker 1: respect for his grandfather, Jehoshaphat, famous as a sincere seeker
Speaker 1: after God, they gave him a decent burial, but there
Speaker 1: was no one left in Ahaziah's family capable of ruling
Speaker 1: the kingdom. When Ahziah's mother Athaliah, saw that her son
Speaker 1: was dead, she took over. She began by massacring the
Speaker 1: entire royal family. Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah's
Speaker 1: son joe Ash, and kidnapped him from among the king's
Speaker 1: sons slated for slaughter. She hid him and his nurse
Speaker 1: in a private room away from Athaliah. So Jehosheba, daughter
Speaker 1: of King Jehoram and Ahaziah's sister. She was also the
Speaker 1: wife of Jehodiah. The priest saved joe Ash from the
Speaker 1: murderous queen Athaliah. He was there with her, hidden away
Speaker 1: for six years in the temple of God. Athaliah, oblivious
Speaker 1: to his existence, ruled the country. Let's pray, Lord, we
Speaker 1: thank you for your word, and we thank you for
Speaker 1: the privilege of being able to look at this portion
Speaker 1: of scripture today, and we're thankful Lord for the cautions
Speaker 1: that we see in it. We know, Lord that just
Speaker 1: because one person believes in you and walks with you
Speaker 1: and trusts in you, that doesn't automatically mean that their
Speaker 1: children or their grandchildren are going to come to faith.
Speaker 1: So Lord, we pray that if you choose to bless
Speaker 1: us with children, that by your grace, that we would
Speaker 1: seek to make investments in them, investments of our time,
Speaker 1: investments of our effort, and investments in their spiritual health.
Speaker 1: That we would communicate the Gospel to them regularly. That
Speaker 1: we would help the children and the grandchildren that you
Speaker 1: entrust to us to know Jesus Christ, your son, to
Speaker 1: experience the free gift of salvation that you offer us
Speaker 1: through faith in Jesus, and that we would model what
Speaker 1: it looks like to truly believe in Jesus Christ, so
Speaker 1: that they would see men and women who have given
Speaker 1: their hearts and given their lives over to Christ, that
Speaker 1: we are obedient to the word of Christ, and that
Speaker 1: our hearts reflect the love of Christ. Lord, we know
Speaker 1: that you can make this happen, and we're grateful Lord
Speaker 1: that we can trust in you to supply us the
Speaker 1: wisdom and strength to lead our families. Well, Lord, we're
Speaker 1: grateful for your presence with us today, and we pray
Speaker 1: that through out the course of this day that we
Speaker 1: would seek to give you honor and glory. We thank
Speaker 1: you for this all in Jesus' name. Amen,