Tues.’s Devo - Restoration and Redemption

Read: 2 Chronicles 21:1-23:21; Romans 11:13-36; Psalm 22:1-18; Proverbs 20:7 Jehoshaphat died and his oldest son, Jehoram reigned in his place. The two things that Jehoshaphat did wrong during his reign both had to do with aligning himself with Israel, and now his son became a king like the kings of Israel. Jehoram had his brothers all killed. He was as wicked as King Ahab and he married on of Ahab’s daughters. When a king rebels against the Lord, his kingdom becomes weak. The Edomites had given Jehoram’s father tribute but now they rebelled. When he tried to win them back, he was defeated. He erected high places of idolatry and enticed Judah to sin. Elijah sent him a letter rebuking him for all he was doing. He told him that God was going to strike him and his people and all he owned with a heavy blow. He would die of a horrible intestinal sickness. The Philistines and the Arabs attacked Jehoram and took everything of worth from his kingdom including his sons and his wives. Only his youngest son, Ahaziah was spared. His intestinal illness killed him and he was buried but not in the royal cemetery and no one was sorry he was dead. What a sad epitaph. His son, Azariah became king at the age of 22. His mother, Athaliah ruled with him and she was very evil like Jezebel. She was the granddaughter of King Omri, Ahab’s father. Azariah teamed up with Joram, Ahab’s son in a war against King Hazael of Aram. Joram was wounded in the battle and Azariah went to visit him. While he was there he was introduced to Jehu, the man that God had appointed to bring down the family of Ahab. He was later killed by Jehu and was only given a descent burial because of Jehoshaphat his grandfather. When Athaliah learned that her son had been killed, she began killing anyone who might take her place in their family. Her sister, Jehosheba, took Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash and hid him in the temple with the priests. He was raised there for seven years. Jehoiada, the priest decided it was time to act so he recruited 5 army commanders to help him. They went throughout the land summoning the Levites and their leaders to come to Jerusalem and meet at the Temple. When the got there, he showed them the king and proposed his plan. One third were to be gatekeepers at the doors of the Temple. One third were to go to the royal palace and a third were to stand at the Foundation Gate. They brought in Josiah and crowned him king, blew the trumpets and all the people let out a shout of praise. Athaliah heard the commotion and ran to the Temple to see what it was all about. She quickly put two and two together and cried, “Treason”. They took her outside the Temple and killed her at the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds. Then the priest led the people in a new covenant to serve the Lord and they went about tearing down all the idolatrous structures of the land. The Temple was put back in operation and the people rejoiced. There was peace in the land. In Romans, Paul gives the analogy of a tree with branches. God is the root of the tree and the Jews were the original branches. They had to be pruned and the Gentiles were grafted in to the root. They will prosper and bear fruit until it is time to redraft the Jews back into the root. Then both branches will grow on the same tree. That is God’s plan in a nutshell. It all is for his glory! Lord, thank you that your plan is always for redemption and mercy. Forgive us of our sins and heal our land for your glory.