Articles
Faithful IN The Face of Opposition - 2 Chron. 22
Faithful IN The Face of Opposition - 2 Chron. 22
It was the worst of times, and the worst of times, or something like that. Israel/Judah have lived under the idolatrous house of Omri and the influence of Jezebel and her daughter Athaliah. There has been war after war, rebellion from those nations they had previously subjugated. In the uprising, Jehu begins a reign of terror – at least superficially in the name of the LORD. He kills both Ahaziah, king of Judah, and most of the family. Under his leadership both Ahab and Jezebel are put to death, along with the royal house of Ahab (2Kgs. 10:1-17). He caps off this blood bath with killing a great number of devotees of Baal (2Kgs. 10:18-27). He then reigns as king over Israel (1Kings 19:16-17).
Meanwhile, ‘back at the ranch’ (i.e., down in Judah), Athaliah had destroyed all of the royal offspring of David except for Joash. She then usurps the throne and rules as Queen for 6 years.
What doesn’t get mentioned are the normal people of the land, the people like ‘us’ who are not leaders, kings, prophets, nor priests.
Though everyone else is unfaithful to the LORD, you would have to go against the majority and remain faithful. Though the political correctness of the day would have you abandon your worship of God and serve Baal, you would have to remain faithful to the LORD. During such times, there would of course be much turmoil and the everyday needs of life would be hard to come by. It would be easy to begin questioning “where is the LORD” in all of this! Yet, we get glimpses of what we already know, God was there and God was involved.
The LORD stirrup against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistine and the Arabs… (2Chron. 21:16). The LORD smote Jehoram… and he died in great pain (2Chr. 21:16-18). “The destruction of Ahaziah was from God” (2Chron. 22:7).
Not only was God THERE, there were brave godly people who ‘stepped up to the plate’ and served the LORD in the face of such grave danger. Such is the story of the brave and godly woman Jehoshabeath (our reading for today!).
I wonder, would I have had her courage? Would I have gone against the tide of religion and politics? Would I have been faithful? Would you? How faithful are you today in the face of our problems?
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
Hugh DeLong
