2 Kings 11-17 - Outline

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

November 3, 2012


 *JUN 21 - 2 KINGS 11-17 - JUDAH’S ALTERNATING KINGS WITH ISRAEL*


 *1. 11:20-21 (11, ESV) ATHALIAH: FIRST AND ONLY WOMAN RULER. “So all the
people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been
put to death with the sword at the king’s house. 21 Jehoash was seven years
old when he began to reign.” *As Jezebel moved in Israel, so Athaliah with
the spirit of Jezebel moved in Judah. Only one of the seed of David escaped
Athaliah to fulfill the Messianic promises. But Your Kingdom prevailed,
Father! *Hallowed be your :name!*


 *2. 12:2-3 (12) JOASH: EIGHTH KING OF JUDAH (THIRD GOOD). “And Jehoash did
what was right in the eyes of the LORD all his days, because Jehoiada the
priest instructed him. 3 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away;
the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high
places.” *Athaliah
was the sister-in-law of Jezebel, and though dead, her spirit corrupted
Joash, who murdered the son of Jehoiada; then he himself was assassinated.
Yet there had been some good in him. *Your :kingdom come.*


 *3. 14:3-4 (14:1-22) AMAZIAH: NINTH KING OF JUDAH (FOURTH GOOD). “And he
did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father.
He did in all things as Joash his father had done. 4 But the high places
were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the
high places.” **This* was the king who worried about his 100 talents of
silver! A *great* mixture in this king! Father, make us like David, who
removed the high places! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.*


 *4. 15:3-4 (15:1-7) AZARIAH (UZZIAH): TENTH KING OF JUDAH (FIFTH GOOD). “And
he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his
father Amaziah had done. 4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken
away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.” *See
2 Chronicles 26 for a fuller word on Uzziah. O forgive us Father, that we
so often fail to seek You fully, as did David, and remove *all* the high
places (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). *Our :daily :bread Give us
this day.*


 *5. 2 Chronicles 27:6 (27) JOTHAM: TENTH; CO-REGENT WITH UZZIAH. “So
Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.”
*This son had his opportunity because of the pride and leprosy of his
father. He followed the good of his father Uzziah, but not the *best* of
his father David! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our
:debtors.*


 *6. 15:35 (15:32-38) JOTHAM: ELEVENTH KING OF JUDAH (SIXTH GOOD).
“Nevertheless,
the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made
offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the
LORD.” *No longer is Jotham Co-regent, but now full king. Yet he kept out of
the Temple; perhaps out of fear of the judgment that fell upon his father
there! *And bring us not into temptation.*


 *7. 16:17 (16) AHAZ: TWELFTH KING OF JUDAH. “And King Ahaz cut off the
frames of the stands and removed the basin from them, and he took down the
sea from off the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone
pedestal.” Jotham* *neglected* Your Temple, Father; Ahaz *desecrated* it!
How do we explain his wonderful son Hezekiah? All we can do is commit our
ways to You, and acknowledge Your right and Your sometimes inscrutable ways
to us! *But deliver us from the evil one!*


 *NOTE**: 15:5 (15:1-7) UZZIAH: GOD’S JUDGMENT UPON HIM! **“And the LORD
touched the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he
lived in a separate house.” *Uzziah made a breach against the priesthood -
even as Uzzah against the Levites. Father, teach us that we *must* conduct
all our worship according to *Your pattern*!


 It is very easy to read about “High Places” not being removed by various
kings of Judah - but not being aware of the significance of this note from
God’s point of view.


 “High Places” are a term of “Types and Shadows” in the Old Covenant. They
are not literally for us to consider as New Covenant saints.


 But how would the apostles of the early church deal with this concept? Do
they? Yes - and we can profit from the references they make to this.


 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 is a very clear reference by the apostle Paul that
alludes to this concept. *“For though we walk in **the** flesh, we do not
war according to **the** flesh **4 **(for the weapons of our :warfare are
not of flesh, but mighty before :God unto casting down of strongholds); **5
**casting down **reasoning**s**, and **every high **thing** that is exalted
against the knowledge of :God, and bringing **every thought into
captivity**to the obedience of the Christ.”
*Our “thought life” that has not been subjected to the obedience of Christ
- are “High Places”. David would not allow these to exist either in Type *or
* Reality. Neither would Hezekiah or Josiah. *But* - other good Kings of
Judah put up with these places in Old Covenant times - and many New
Covenant believers have not followed the pattern of David, Hezekiah and
Josiah. We are *only perfect* in our ways when we follow *their* example.


 See also Romans 12:1-2 - *“**I beseech you **therefore**, brethren, by the
mercies of :God, to present your :bodies a living sacrifice (holocaust),
holy, well-pleasing to God, your **spiritual service**. **2** And be
**not**fashioned according to this :age: but be
**transformed** by the **renewing of the mind**, that you may prove what **
is** the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of :God.”* Here again the
apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is crystal clear concerning this
concept.


 If we like Hudson Taylor are to walk in the God-pleasing way of the
“Exchanged Life” - then we too are to be *transformed* by the *renewing of
our mind*. The human mind - *not* transformed - are New Covenant *High
Places* - and not pleasing to God.


 And note the unusual process to bring New Covenant saints into this
God-pleasing concept: it is a *transformation* of the mind - a *
metamorphosis* of our mind! That is - we are to allow God to put our mind,
which here is likened to a “caterpillar” - to be brought into a “chrysalis”
stage. When that stage is complete - our mind then emerges as a beautiful
butterfly in the sight of God! How many believers appear in their mind to
God - as a creeping, crawling caterpillar?


 So - will we profit from an understanding of High Places under the Old
Covenant - and *present* our total being: *body*, soul (including mind) and
spirit as a living sacrifice - a “Holocaust” if you please - and let God
have us where we think *His* thoughts after Him in our mind - instead of
being ruled by our own unsurrendered thought-life?


 You say - “God is asking for my death!” You’ve got it! Exactly! Without
any doubt! And are you willing? It cost a great deal for Oswald Chambers,
Rees Howells and George Muller to come to this “death” decision! but they
did! And many others have followed their example like David, Hezekiah and
Josiah. They *all* put the *Word of God* above their own thought-life!
Jesus came as Son of Man and servant of His Father as a Holocaust - a whole
burnt-offering! Not *one* word He spoke, nor one miracle He performed - but
*all* originated from His Father out of His prayer life!


 Early in 1944, after joining the Navy to find God - when I in my search
read the Book of Romans - I said - “God - if you *are* a God - I joined the
Navy to find You - but I think the price may be too high. *You* not only
want to rule my outer life - You - even want to rule my *thought-life*!”


 His reply - “You are right, son! You have rightly perceived the way! For
over 3 hours in a room where I could see my breath, I wrestled before God.
Finally I said - “Alright God - If You’ll reveal Yourself to me, I submit -
and I’ll serve you according to Your complete Bible!”


 I haven’t taken back that decision to this day - 68 years later. I hate
“High Places”, because *God* hates them. I* *hate any thought that comes
into my mind that is *not* according to the Bible, the Word of God. Like
David, Hezekiah, Josiah and Paul - I refute all “High Places” in my mind -
tear them down - and replace them by “Thinking *God’s* thoughts” in their
place.


 Billy Graham came to this decision early in his ministry. He was confused
about some things in the Bible. But early one morning in the high Sierras -
after a sleepless night - he prayed, “Father, there are things in Your
Bible I do not understand - but from this time forward, by faith I will
refer to any part of Your Bible and say - ‘God says in His Bible’ - or -
‘The Bible says!’”


 Will you join me - not by just being a good King of Judah - but not
removing the “High Places” - but by being a King like Hezekiah and Josiah
after the heart of their father *David*? - all who refused to allow the
High Places of their mind to remain! Jim Watt


 Our chapter from Proverbs for the day: *21:13 (21) PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. **“
**Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and
not be answered.” *Is this fair? Of *course* it’s fair! You have set Your
Kingdom principles in our heart Father, and *part* of this is the Golden
Rule. And, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. We bless
You for this; *Hallowed be your :name!*

*
*


 * TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org*


 *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org*


 *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/attachments/20121103/ceed01d4/attachment.htm>