The Evil Queen, Her Good-Bad Grandson, and the Influential Priest
In today’s passage we read about Queen Athaliah, her grandson Joash, and the priest Jehoiada. Here’s their story.
The Evil Queen Athaliah
Athaliah’s son Ahaziah is King. As with most mothers, she influences her son. But she doesn’t have a positive impact on him. Instead she encourages him to do what’s wrong, to behave badly. He does.
When he’s executed, Athaliah takes control. She kills the royal family, which includes her children and grandchildren. Then she sets herself up as Queen, with no one in the royal bloodline to challenge her. She rules for six years.
The Boy King Joash Who Starts Out Good and Ends Badly
However, one baby escapes her purge, her grandson Joash. He’s secreted away by his aunt, Jehosheba, who’s married to the priest Jehoiada. Together they protect baby Joash.
When he’s seven, they orchestrate a coup against Athaliah and kill her. Then they make Joash King. He does what God says is right. He’s a good king—at least at first.
The Godly Priest Jehoiada Who Influences the King
Since Joash was rescued by Jehosheba and kept safe by her and Jehoiada, Joash likely views them as parental figures. It turns out that Jehoiada must have influenced the king greatly.
But instead of being a negative influence like Athaliah was on her son, Jehoiada is a positive influence on Joash.
But then Jehoiada dies, and without his godly influence, King Joash becomes unmoored. He turns wicked, changing from a good king to a bad one. His life and legacy don’t end well.
Be a Positive Influence
In this story we have Queen Athaliah who influences her son to ignore God and embrace evil. We also have Jehoiada who has a positive influence on King Joash, but when Jehoiada dies, Joash waivers and does evil.
May we have a positive influence on others. And may we seek to surround ourselves with those who have a positive influence on us.
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
The Bible talks a lot about covenants. In a generic sense a covenant is
an agreement or compact. But in the Bible, it takes on an elevated meaning. In
Scripture a covenant is a promise from God to his people.
There are two types of covenants. One is conditional. This means that to receive God’s promised blessing, we need to do something first—or avoid doing something.
If we don’t do our part, God has no obligation to do his part. If we break our portion of the covenant, the whole thing is void.
The other type of covenant is unconditional. In these covenants, God promises to do something for us and doesn’t require anything in return.
For example, his love for us is unconditional. There’s nothing we can do to earn it, and there’s nothing we can do to lose it. It’s always there, unconditionally so.
The word covenant appears in over half of the books in the Bible, showing
up over 330 times. Exodus and Deuteronomy lead the Bible with mentions of
covenant. In the New Testament, Hebrews talks the most about covenants.
Though scholars differ on the details, there are six major covenants in
the Bible. These align with some of the biblical
eras we talked about last week.
Some of these six major covenants are conditional and others are
unconditional.
1. Covenant with Adam and Eve
We start in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. They may eat anything
they want except for fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, known as
the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
If they obey these two instructions, they can live in the Garden of Eden and hang out with God each evening.
But when they eat fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they must leave. God’s covenant with them is conditional, and they fall short.
2. Covenant through Noah
Next, we have Noah and his family. Team Noah builds an arc to escape a
flood of destruction. Afterword, God promises to never again destroy people with
a flood. This covenant is unconditional.
3. Covenant with Abraham
Moving forward several centuries we come to Abraham. God calls Abraham to go to a new place and into a new relationship. God promises that he will grow Abraham into a great nation. Through him, God will bless all nations.
This is another unconditional covenant. However, as Abraham demonstrates his faithfulness to God, God continues to expand the scope of his promises to Abraham.
4. Covenant through Moses
About 500 years later, Moses comes on the scene. God gives Moses rules of what to do and what not to do. We call this the Law. If people obey God’s Law, he will bless them. If they don’t follow God’s expectations, he will withhold blessings.
This is a conditional covenant, one that the people repeatedly fall short of over the centuries.
5. Covenant with David
Later, we have King David, a man after God’s own heart—despite David having a few major failures in his life. God’s covenant to David is that his descendants will always sit on the throne forever. And for twenty generations this is what happens.
However, the physical rule of David’s line ends. This doesn’t mean God failed in his covenant.
It means we looked at it wrong. Jesus, a direct descendent of King David, arises as the ultimate King who will rule forever. This brings us to the sixth major covenant.
6. Covenant through Jesus
In the New Testament we have Jesus. He comes to fulfill the Old Testament, both the law and the covenants. Anyone who believes in Jesus, follows him, and trusts him will receive this ultimate of covenants to end all covenants.
The outcome is living with him forever.
Though we might want to call this major covenant a conditional one because we first must receive it, it’s unconditional. This is because once we receive it it’s ours. Today we fall under the new covenant with Jesus.
To receive the promises of this covenant, all we need to do is receive him. It’s that simple.
Yet some people still act as though they fall under Moses’s covenant. They think there’s a bunch of rules they must follow and activities to avoid before they can receive God’s life-changing covenant. Not so. Jesus did away with that.
We don’t need to follow Moses’s Old Testament covenant of following a bunch of rules and regulations to earn our salvation. Instead we claim God’s new covenant when we believe in Jesus and follow him.
The Most Important of the Major Covenants
Of the six major covenants in the Bible, the one that comes to us through Jesus is the most important. All we do is receive what he promises to give to us.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith
Visit fifty-two churches
in a year? Am I crazy? Maybe.
I spent a year visiting a different Christian church every
Sunday: Protestant mainline, evangelical, and charismatic, Roman Catholic, and
more.
I visited a church just like yours. I’m positive.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll
cringe.
But 52 Churches doesn’t rip at the modern
church. It’s not a church-shopping romp or a mean-spirited journalistic exposé.
Instead it’s a gift that offers encouragement, hope, and support to the
Christian Church. And I share some suggestions too.
Written as
narrative, 52 Churches calls us to embrace
all the branches of Jesus’s church and expand our practice of worshiping God.
And I invite you to join me on this personal, spiritual sojourn of discovery.
Read 52 Churches for education, read it for
entertainment, and read it for the insight gained only from visiting a boatload
of churches.
52 Churches
is ideal for church leaders, church members, and church outsiders. And if you’re
still reading this, it’s perfect for you too.
Peter DeHaan, PhD, often makes religious people squirm, but spiritual seekers cheer. He’s not trying to be provocative, but he seeks truth, even if it makes some people uncomfortable.
He yearns for Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
Peter earned his doctorate, awarded with high distinction, from Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
We ascend the steps of the church, and a gregarious woman approaches. She’s wearing a white vestment, and I spy a clerical collar underneath. We’ve never been received so cordially.
She thanks us for visiting and asks if we’re familiar with the Episcopal Church. We say no. She smiles broadly, “Here’s what I’m going to do.”
She quickly scans the sanctuary. “Our services can be hard to follow if you’re not used to them, so I’m going to seat you by someone who can guide you.”
She introduces us to a couple our age and explains the situation. I sit next to the husband, and he’s eager to help.
The choir starts our service, and he cues me on the liturgy as we bounce between two books, often in quick succession. Plus, we sing one song from the bulletin.
The priest also provides verbal cues when possible. My new friend takes his assignment seriously and performs it admirably.
The simple gesture touches me. It makes so much sense, but no one’s ever done this for us before.
After a short message is the Holy Eucharist. Open to all, the priest thoroughly explains the process. When we go up, if we just want to receive a blessing, we cross our arms over our chest and she will bless us.
To partake in the Eucharist we receive the bread (and it really is bread, not a cracker). Then we proceed to the wine, where we can dip the bread or drink from the cup. Most dip their bread and so do we.
Though we’re growing to understand liturgical services, they’re still daunting. Having someone to guide us is most helpful and much appreciated.
The service ends. I sincerely thank our guide for his assistance; today was good.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
When we arrive at church portrays something about us. More importantly it reveals much about the importance we place on God and worshipping him.
Aside from conditioned and cultural predispositions towards punctuality, we also have personal circumstances that can interfere with our best intentions.
Having a baby, small children, or many children can all impede our timely arrival. Needing to pick up someone, or something, on the way to church is a variable outside our control. Bad weather, road repairs, or car trouble can likewise delay our arrival.
While acknowledging that items outside our control, or only somewhat within our control, affect our arrival at church, let’s consider our normal practice:
Arrive Early
When we walk through the church doors early, it says we’re eager to worship God, and we enjoy Christian community. It shows respect for God and others. Depending on our personality we may spend this extra time in quiet contemplation, in prayer, or in conversation.
Arrive Right on Time
Some people breeze in right when the service starts. Though they view being late as rude, they see no reason to show up early. They don’t care to prepare themselves for worship. Does worship hold any meaning for them?
Alternatively, they might not value community. If their goal is to avoid human interaction, why go to church? Church should be about connecting with others and ministering to each other. If we don’t care about the people we attend church with, we might as well stay home and watch it on TV.
Arrive Late
Showing up late is inconsiderate of others and even more so of God. When habitual, it reveals we view our time as more important than theirs, esteeming ourselves over them.
Arriving late distracts others who are worshiping, or trying to worship, disrespecting the God we supposedly came to honor.
Yes, there are folks with psychological issues or social anxieties who purposefully arrive late to avoid human interaction; I’ll leave that for them and their healthcare provider to address.
Do we arrive at church with the expectation of experiencing community and in anticipation of worshiping God? Is church something we’re trying to squeeze into a busy schedule? Or is church merely an obligation to fulfill?
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Solomon Asks God for Wisdom to Lead Well and God Grants It
God appears to Solomon and offers to grant him a request. This isn’t a genie-in-a-bottle situation; it’s the all-powerful God showing his love and appreciation. Solomon makes a wise decision. He asks for wisdom and knowledge to lead the people well.
Not Money
Solomon doesn’t ask for wealth or possessions. He could have, but he doesn’t. In our materialistic society today, money is the goal for many.
They don’t see it as a means to an end—such as to be a blessing to others—but as the end goal itself. But we can never have enough money or enough things. Pursuing money will leave us empty
Not Honor
Other people pursue prestige. They seek acclaim from others. Solomon doesn’t ask for honor either. Though receiving respect may be gratifying and ego stroking, it accomplishes little else.
Not Power
Along with money and honor, a third often-valued pursuit is power. An extreme display of power is overcoming our enemies by bringing about their death. Solomon doesn’t ask for this either.
Not a Long Life
Most people hope for a long life, one filled with worthwhile activities and pursuits. And the older we get, the more fragile life seems and the more important it becomes. Yet Solomon doesn’t ask to live long either.
But Wisdom
What Solomon does ask for is wisdom and knowledge. And this isn’t for a selfish, intellectual pursuit, but so that he can govern the people with excellence.
God grants Solomon’s request for wisdom. Because Solomon chooses wisely, God also gives him the things he didn’t ask for: wealth, honor, power, and a long life.
God gives wisdom to Solomon because he asks for it. And he will give it to us when we ask for it too (James 1:5).
Whether we lead a country, a group, our family, or ourselves, may we lead well with wisdom and knowledge. And if we lack wisdom all we need to do is ask God for it.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
Though God Never Changes, the Bible Shows Us How Our Interaction with Him Has
As we read the Bible, it’s easy to stumble onto confusing and even conflicting perspectives of who God is and how we should interact with him.
This is because God has revealed himself in different ways throughout the various historic arcs or periods of time in the Bible.
Here are three ways we can categorize scripture and better understand God.
The Two Testaments of the Bible
The Bible has two testaments or sections, which we call the Old Testament and the New Testament. This is the first and easiest way to categorize Scripture.
The Old Testament addresses Father God’s relationship with his people and anticipates the coming Savior.
The New Testament focuses on that Savior, Jesus. It covers his ministry and the work of his followers. These are two testaments—that is, two testimonies about God—in the Bible, but there are other ways to view these segments of time.
Three Parts of the Bible
When I study the Bible, I like to consider it in three parts, as three epochs in the Bible. I see God interacting with his people in different ways in each of these sections, as parts of the Trinity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
This is a second way to categorize scripture.
The Old Testament: The first
part is the Old Testament, with Father God as the star. It looks forward to
Jesus.
The Gospels: The second part covers the life of Jesus through the perspective of four biographies, which we call Gospels—that is, the good news about Jesus—written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Jesus is the focus, with the Father playing a key supporting role, and the Holy Spirit beginning to emerge.
The Early Church: The third part covers the early church, Jesus’s followers. The focus of the church is Jesus’s life and teachings. The Holy Spirit arises as the principal guiding force, launching at Pentecost.
Ten Ages in the Bible
Yet as we read through the Bible, the way God relates to his people and how they understand him changes over time. If we look at each of these ages in the Bible apart from the others, we see God a bit differently in each one.
Considering ten ages in the Bible is a third way to categorize scripture.
1. Eden: We start in the Garden of Eden. God is in perfect community with Adam and Eve. They hang out. They spent time with each other.
Though this phase doesn’t last long, we can anticipate its return when our present reality wraps up and the new heaven and new earth emerge.
2. Sin and Separation: When Adam and Eve disobey God, their sin drives a wedge between the relationship with them and God. They must leave their idyllic existence, the garden of Eden.
After that God becomes distant, vaguely present and estranged from his creation.
3. The Reboot with Noah: We chug along with God sitting far away for several centuries until the time of Noah. With evil rampant, God does a reboot of humanity with Noah and his family. I
n doing so God takes a step forward to reconnect with his creation.
4. The Call of Abraham: We see the next transition occur with Abraham. God calls him to go to a new place and into a new relationship. Abraham’s descendants will emerge as God’s chosen people.
5. The Law of Moses: Next Moses comes along to lead the enslaved Israelites out of Egypt and to return to the land God promised Abraham.
This marks a significant transition because God gives them the Law: instructions about how to worship him and live right, rules of what to do and not to do.
Now, for the first time since Adam and Eve left the garden, the people have specific directives for how God expects them to act and connect with him.
6. Judges Lead—Sort Of: Moses brings the people to the promised land and Joshua takes them into it. For a time, God is their king, at least in theory. A series of judges try to reorient the people’s attention to God, but their efforts don’t last.
7. Kings and Prophets: Starting with Saul, the people have their first king, effectively pushing God aside as their ruler. The age of kings sees its pinnacle with David.
Then it diminishes insignificance over the centuries that follow until Israel and later Judah are conquered and deported.
The work of most of the prophets coincides with the age of the kings.
8. Repatriation and Preparation: After a time, some people return to the land God promised Abraham. They rebuild what they can, both physically and spiritually, but both fall short of what they once were.
Despite the dismal time, God is at work, which we see mostly in the Apocrypha (scripture that not all Bibles include). This prepares for the arrival of Jesus.
9. Jesus Changes Everything: We see the most significant shift occur with the arrival of Jesus. He fulfills what the Old Testament points to and anticipates. He doesn’t do away with the Law. Instead he transforms it from rules into relationship.
10. The Early Church: Led by Holy Spirit power and guidance, the church of Jesus is born. The rest of the New Testament addresses this.
We can use this to form our understanding of following and worshiping God, through Jesus as prompted by the Holy Spirit.
Categorize Scripture Conclusion
God’s way of revealing himself and connecting with his people differs in each of these ages in the Bible. Realizing this helps us to better understand who he is and comprehend his many facets.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
Listen to some people in church. Watch what they do. It may
cause you to assume God views women as second class. Far from it.
The truth is, the Bible has story after story about how fascinating women are. They’re more nuanced than men, have profound insights we all often overlook, and can teach us wisdom that everyone needs to hear.
In Women of the Bible,
Peter DeHaan, PhD., digs deep into these Bible stories and uncovers how these
women rise above their circumstances—even though society pushes them down.
He also explores the women who were powerful, in both good
and bad ways, and what we can learn from them.
In this book, you’ll discover how to celebrate your victories, embrace your virtue, have more compassion for the victims in our world, and avoid the errors of the vicious.
It’s time for a change. It’s time for a fresh perspective.
It’s time for every woman—and man—to discover powerful truths from the Women of the Bible.
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
It’s Saturday, and we head to church, a Seventh Day Adventist gathering. The focal point of the sanctuary is a large stained glass array. Modern and abstract it portrays an arm reaching up, with a dove upon an open hand.
I’m not sure if the dove is being held, given to us, or presented to God. I ponder the spiritual implications. Isn’t that the point of art?
To its right are pipes for the organ, prominent, but not ostentatious. Next to them, on an angled wall, resides a large flat-panel monitor. Announcements sequence as the display counts down the time to the scheduled start.
The service is the most technologically integrated one we’ve seen so far in our journey and certainly the most professional with its application.
The comforting modern feel contrasts with several traditional elements of the service: singing hymns, the pipe organ, and a male chorus.
In addition to the organ and hymns, we also hear the piano a couple of times as well as two contemporary tunes.
It’s World Kindness Week, and today’s service reflects that theme. Two girls read about the Good Samaritan from Luke 10:33-37. The first reads in Spanish. (The only time we hear a second language.)
The second girl reads from the KJV, even though the pew Bibles are the NKJV.
Some middle school students perform a skit, presenting modern-day scenarios about helping others. In the message, “Giving at a Cost,” the minister shares a story from Native American lore, again illustrating the theme.
The service is an ideal melding of the traditional and modern. With professional execution, engaging speakers, and compelling content that draws me to their worship.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
