Sermon for the Feast of the Epiphany LONG LIVE THE KING! (2 KINGS 11:12)
You can have a little fun with the way you write a letter to a friend or relative. In addition to writing in pen, which is immediately visible to the eye, also write a few lines using lemon juice. The ink-written message in the letter can stand on its own, but when the letter is held over a warm light bulb, the lemon-juice message will become clear. Think of God’s Old Testament as being like that letter you might write to your friend or relative. The historical lines on the pages of the Old Testament can stand on their own. The Old Testament is the book of God’s salvation history prior to Christ. Now think of your Lord Jesus—whom the Scriptures call “the light of the world” (John 8:12)—think of Jesus as being like a warm light bulb. When you hold the Old Testament near to Christ, wonderful messages emerge that might not have been visible at first. The history recorded in 2 Kings chapter 11 is history in its own right. Written in clear ink, this chapter of history can be read profitably without thought toward the larger themes of God’s salvation for all people in Christ Jesus. Simply stated, 2 Kings chapter 11 is a great example of how God faithfully kept His promise that David’s royal line will not be extinguished and that David’s throne will endure (2 Samuel 7:16, 1 Kings 8:24). Wicked queen Athaliah attempted to take the throne for herself, and for a time, she appeared to have succeeded. Wanting to eliminate the competition, Athaliah “arose and destroyed all the royal family” (2 Kings 11:1). Only one infant child, Joash the son of Aha-ziah, survived the massacre. This child was hidden and nursed in secret (2 Kings 11:2), not unlike Moses before him (Exodus 2:1-2). This child grew up in the precincts of the house of the Lord (2 Kings 1:3), similar to the prophet Samuel’s childhood (1 Samuel 1:21-2:11). When King Joash finally made his public debut, the people shouted, “Long live the king!” (2 Kings 11:12) in the same way that their forefathers had shouted for King Saul generations earlier (1 Samuel 10:24). This history of Joash’s ascent to the throne can be profitably read without any thought of Jesus. However, when you read this history from the viewpoint of the New Testament, knowing full the history of salvation, the history of Joash begins to sound a lot like the history of Jesus. Stated another way, if you hold this chapter of the Old Testament near the light bulb (so to speak) that is Christ, a new message emerges. In the light and heat of Him who is our Light, 2 Kings chapter 11 begins to look like a Christmas pageant that took place more than eight centuries before the first Christmas. Consider the similarities: · Queen Athaliah had no Davidic claim to the throne and she knew it. Herod the Great (Matthew 2:1) felt similarly insecure. Herod was not even a Jew, much less from the house and line of David. Where Athaliah took the throne when the opportunity presented itself, Herod gained his throne with help from Rome. · Just as Queen Athaliah drew blood to preserve her place (1 Kings 11:1), Herod likewise stooped to killing even little children—“all the male children in Bethlehem and that region who were two years old or under” (Matthew 2:16). · In each case of regal rage, only one child survives. Joash was hidden in the house of the Lord (2 Kings 11:3) and Jesus was whisked away to Egypt until Herod’s death (Matthew 2:14). · The similarity between Joash and Jesus might begin to break down when you think of the heavily armed guard that accompanied the king (2 Kings 11:7-11). But Jesus didn’t want the same protection. “Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father,” asked Jesus, “and He will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53). · Queen Athaliah cried “Treason!” against Joash, but to no avail (2 Kings 11:14). Jesus’ accusers succeeded in filing the same charge against Jesus (Matthew 27:11-14, John 19:15), but that was part of the divine plan. As you can see from the example of 2 Kings 11, it is possible to read the history of the Old Testament on its own terms, without any thought of the larger themes of God’s work in Christ Jesus. Without the Incarnation of our Lord, no one would ever be able to see that the story of Joash and Athaliah is somewhat like a Christmas pageant that took place eight hundred years before the first Christmas. With the Incarnation of our Lord, God has opened the doors to understanding the Old Testament in a profoundly different way, as much more than the history of God’s people who awaited Messiah. The Old Testament history could be compared an ink-and-pen letter that includes some writing in lemon juice. The message has always been there, but the message did not always become visible until held near the warmth and light of Christ, “the true Light” (John 1:9) I know that this is an inadequate analogy. I am simply trying to impress upon you that there is probably more to the story of Joash and Athaliah than might first meet the eye. · When Joash ascended to the throne, the wicked grasp of Queen Athaliah was broken and she was put to death (2 Kings 11:16). · When Jesus likewise ascended the throne of the cross, He Himself was put to death—but sin, death and the devil received the more devastating blow. In Jesus’ death and resurrection, broken forever was the wicked grasp of those enemies that once choked the life out of you. Now you are free, in the same way that the people under Athaliah’s bondage were set free by Joash’s surprising self-revelation in the temple. Long live the King! (2 Kings 11:12) ___________________________________________________________________ 'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author (as long as no charge is made for the work and it is not made part of a compilation), as well as for quoting or use in a congregational setting _with_or_without_attribution_. Note: This list's default reply is to the *poster*, NOT the list. Do *not* reply to the list with your comments, but to the poster. Subscribe? Send ANY note to: sermons...@cat41.org Unsubscribe? Send ANY note to: sermons-...@cat41.org Archive? <http://www.mail-archive.com/sermons@cat41.org/> For more information on this or other lists offered by Confess And Teach For Unity, you can contact the CAT 41 list administrator at: Rev. Fr. Eric J. 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