Over and over again…..

Don’t think the women had no part in the intrigue and atrocities of 2 Kings – oh no –

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.  2 Kings 11:1

But as always in situations of extreme evil, good has the opportunity to shine brightly like a star –

 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.  2 Kings 11:2-3

Sounds a little like the story of Moses, doesn’t it?

When Joash is seven, Jehoiada the priest sends for commanders and guards to protect Joash in the temple. They used the spears and shields that had belonged to King David for this task. Jehoiada presented Joash to the people and proclaimed him king and anointed him king – at seven years old! Athaliah protested, tearing her clothes and shouting ‘Treason! Treason!’. But she was seized and put to death.

The covenants are restored –

Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.  2 Kings 11:17

Again.

The temple of Baal is destroyed.

Again.

This work of confession and repentance and learning to get it right is ongoing.

Over and over again.

So what kind of leader is Joash? Well, he reigns for forty years and –

 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.  2 Kings 12:2-3

So….an improvement, but still a way to go….

He calls for the temple to be repaired. The priests take their time and are not effective so Joash takes the matter into his own hands. He collects money directly in a chest with a hole bored in the lid (the first ever sealed collection bucket!) and then pays the carpenters and builders, masons and stonecutters.

Remember Hazael king of Aram? He’s still around. When he turns to attack Jerusalem, Joash sends him all the dedicated sacred objects and dedicated gifts and gold from the treasuries as a peace offering.

Joash is eventually killed by two of his officials who conspire against him and assassinate him and Amaziah his son succeeds him as king.

Meanwhile in Israel –

Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord….. 2 Kings 13:1-2

The same old story….

So for a long time God allows Israel to be oppressed by Hazael the king of Aram, until Jehoahaz cries out to God and God listens and sends a deliverer…BUT they did not turn away from their sins…..BUT they continued in them…..BUT they worshipped other gods…..

When will they ever learn?

And Jehoahaz is succeeded by his son, Jehoash.

And he does evil in the eyes of the Lord.

He does not turn away from the sins.

He continues in them.

He goes to Elisha, who is seriously ill at this time, to beg for help.

Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”

Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”  2 Kings 13:15-19

Trust and obey. Obey completely. Did the king ask how many times he should strike the ground? No. Did he keep going until Elisha told him to stop? No.

Then Elisha dies and is buried.

And to finish today with an interesting anecdote –

Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.  2 Kings 13:20-21

The people of God are life-giving. In every situation, they choose life. They live life to the full. They bring joy and light to darkness and despair. They pray ‘Let your kingdom come on earth as in heaven’ and do everything they can to make that happen. In situations of extreme evil, they look for the opportunity to shine brightly like a star for good.

They embrace and celebrate all that is life-giving. We want to be with these people because they energise us and inspire us; they make us laugh and count our blessings.

I hope you know some people like that. They are the kind of people I woudl always choose to spend time with. That is the kind of person I would choose to be.

We all have life-giving moments in our daily lives that make us smile and lift our spirits and connect us back to the living God. These moments are good news. These moments are worth sharing. These moments can make a difference. These moments can bring light and hope and comfort.

Wouldn’t it be great if our Facebook Newsfeed was filled with life-giving moments rather than rants and negativity and pointing the finger?