Turning Against a Godly Upbringing

Let's begin our worship now singing in Psalm 100.

Psalm 100, that's from the Scottish Psalter, the first version of it on page 362.

This is one of the great rousing psalms that calls upon us, along with all mankind, to give thanks to the Lord and to come before him with cheerful voice.

All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.

Him serve with mirth, his praise foretell, come ye before him and rejoice.

Sing to tune Old 100. We'll sing the whole psalm.

And if you're able to stand, please stand to sing.

All people that on earth do dwell.

All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.

Him serve with mirth, his praise foretell, come ye before him and rejoice.

Know that the Lord is God indeed.

With God, I will be.

With God, I will be.

He did us make.

We are heads for, he doth us beat.

And for his sheep he doth us pay.

Oh, when turn in his gates with praise,

Approach with joy, his courts unto praise,

Lord and bless his name always.

For it is, for it is, for it is, for it is, for it is, for it did seemly so, to do.

For why the Lord our God is could, his mercy is, for ever should.

sure

his

truth that all

times firm

leads to

and shall

from age

to age

endure

Let's call upon the Lord now

in prayer. Let's join together

as we pray to God.

O Lord,

how gracious God,

we give thanks for these great

words that have encouraged

us to come before you with

thanksgiving and even

come before you with rejoicing.

And we give thanks, Lord,

for the many truths contained

in these few verses of this psalm.

And we bless you

for the many people down through

the years that have found their consolation

and guidance and support

from such great words

as these.

And we thank you for the relevance

to our own circumstances

today,

for the way that your word

retains that relevance,

however many changes

may take place

in ourselves

and in our own lives

immediately

or in the environment

of the

nation in which we live

or even in our local communities.

Lord, help us,

we pray,

to prize your word

again this evening,

enable us to come

before you

knowing that your word

is given to us

so that we may learn

more of yourself,

that we may indeed

appreciate

the extent to which

you have revealed

yourself to us

and the glorious

truths that you have

set out before us.

Lord,

you know each one of us

here tonight.

you know what is lying

deep within our hearts,

you know the thoughts

that are on our mind,

you know each and every

aspect of the life

we live,

and so we come to you

and ask that you

would meet with us

as we seek to draw

near to you.

And we thank you,

Lord,

whatever variety

of need

is evident

in this congregation

tonight,

that your word

is adequate

and always ready

to meet us

at the depth

of that need.

and at the detail

of that need.

And we pray

that we may come,

Lord,

to this place

each time we come

with that conviction

about your own

word of truth

and about the privilege

that is ours

in drawing near to you.

We have sung about you

as our creator,

the creator of heaven

and earth.

We sing about you

as the redeemer

of your people.

And we ask,

Lord,

tonight that this may be

our experience of you,

that we may marvel

once again

that our great God

and creator

has come to draw near

to us

in the person of Christ,

the person of your son

by which you have come

to reveal yourself

supremely to us

in a way that causes us

to marvel at the extent

of your love

to your people.

Help us,

Lord,

we pray,

to learn from

every aspect

of your word.

Give us,

we pray,

to delight

and to have a relish

and to have an appetite

for your word

and all that it comes

to us with

to teach us.

Help us to love

the history

that your word

brings to us

even though

we may not readily

have such a subject

foremost in our thoughts

or in our likings.

We thank you

for the way

that your word

brings to us

the history

of your people

and for the way

that your people

have been encouraged

down through the years

from that history

that records

from the earliest times

how you spoke

to your people,

how you guided them,

how you rebuked them,

how you led them

even through difficult

and dangerous times

and how your promises

were fulfilled

as the years went by.

We thank you too,

O Lord,

for the many passages

in your word

that form such wonderful

poetic teaching

in regard to the love

of God

and we thank you

for the great epistles

that we find

in terms of our

New Testament times

and of the way

in which

you gave such apostles

to write these

under the direction

of your word

and we thank you

for the psalms

from which we sing

your praise.

We thank you,

Lord,

for the breadth

and the depth

and the height

of experience in them

and we thank you

that whatever things

we do experience

in this life,

your psalms always

go before us.

This book always

comes to us

with a ready experience

already lived

by those who went

before us

and so that we can gain

from their experience

and their conclusions

as they were guided

by the Lord.

We thank you

for the presence

of the Lord Jesus Christ

in your word

and we thank you

for the way

that from the very

beginning of time

since you began

to reveal yourself

to people.

They were always

directed to think

of the coming one,

the Messiah,

the King,

who would come

to be in God's time,

the one who would

fulfill the many

prophecies about him

and who would come

to take our human nature

and be in our place

as our substitute.

O Lord,

we thank you

for the rich variety

of teaching

that your word brings us.

Bless us then,

we pray,

here before you

this evening.

We pray for the

power of your Spirit

to open our minds

and our understanding

to give us

a further appetite

for your truth.

Remember us,

we pray,

with relevance

to our own place

in the society

we occupy.

Help us to be

a faithful living

witness and light

to the world around us.

Enable us,

Lord,

to show that we

are your people

and enable us

to be burdened

to show

that this is indeed

so with us.

We ask that you

would bless us

as a congregation.

Thank you for all

that takes place

in this congregation

from week to week.

We thank you,

O Lord,

for the services

of worship

that we hold

and we pray

that these will

continue to be

blessed to us.

Bless the preaching

of your word,

the testimony

of your people.

Bless every activity,

Lord,

that's designed

to further

our knowledge of you

and to appreciate

the gospel

and the ways

of Christ.

We pray for the

forthcoming

holiday club.

We give thanks

for the effort

that has gone

into all the preparations

and we bless you

for the dedication

of those

who will lead the club

and we pray for them.

We pray for all

the children

who are expected.

Lord,

we pray that it

will be of

lasting benefit

to them

and that it

will be a means

by which they

themselves

will be brought

up further

in the knowledge

of the Lord

and will be

garrisoned

against the many

efforts that

are made

around us

to draw us

away from the gospel,

away from your truth,

away from those

basic matters

to do

with our

spiritual integrity

and morality.

gracious Lord,

bless,

we pray,

these coming

days to the

children

and enable us

to be truly

thankful

that there has

been such a

positive,

encouraging

response

to the

invitations

to come.

And so we ask

that your blessing

now will be

with those in

need.

Lord,

again we think

of those

belonging to us

who are ill

at this time,

those with

serious illness,

those who have

issues of

mental health,

whether it be

in old age

or middle years

or even

in young days

as well.

We commend

them to you.

We ask for

every effort

made,

O Lord,

to help them

that they will

prove successful.

And we do pray

for thankful

hearts when we

have so many

agencies that

are able

to attend

to our needs

from time

to time.

So we pray

your blessing

upon our

community,

upon our

schools,

upon our

teachers,

upon the

staff,

and all

the ways

in which

we are

helped,

both in

the health

service and

other ways,

Lord,

each day we

live.

Make us

thankful,

we pray,

that you

have provided

us with

such rich

blessings and

enable us

to return

to you

not only

a verbal

thanksgiving,

but also a

dedication of

life.

So we pray

these things

and seek

your blessing

in forgiving

our sins.

For Jesus'

sake,

Amen.

Now we're

going to sing

again to

God's praise.

This time we're

singing Psalm

119.

Psalm 119,

page 163,

from verse

97 to

verse 104.

The tune this

time is

even tied.

O Lord,

how much I

love your

holy law.

I meditate

upon it all

the day.

It makes me

wiser than

my enemies,

for your

commandments

ever with

me stay.

To verse 104,

how pleasing

to my taste

are all your

words.

More sweet

they are than

honey on my

tongue.

From your

commands I

gain enlightenment,

so I reject

and hate each

path that's

wrong.

These verses

to God's

praise.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

O Lord,

how much I

love your

holy law.

I meditate

upon it

all the day.

It makes me

wiser than

my enemies.

For your

commandments

ever with

me stay.

I have

more in sight

than my

teacher's

have.

But on

your

laws I

meditated

each

day.

I

for

discernment

than the

elders

have.

because

your

righteous

respects

I

obey.

I've

kept

my feet

from

every

world

path

that

I may

be

obedient

into

your

heart

and

I

have

not

departed

from

your

laws

for

you

yourself

have

taught me

this

O

Lord

how

pleasing

to

my

taste

God

all

your

words

more

sweet

they

are

than

honey

on

my

tongue

from

your

commands

I

gain

enlightenment

so

I

reject

and

hate

each

heart

that

all

now we

turn to

read God's

word as we

find that in

the second

book of

the

chronicles

the

old

testament

the

second

book of

the

chronicles

and

chapter

24

we'll

read

verses

1 to

22

should

be

around

page

448

or

thereabouts

in your

pew

bibles

second

chronicles

and

chapter

24

joash

was

seven

years

old

when

he

began

to

reign

and

he

reigned

for

forty

years

in

jerusalem

his

mother's

name

was

zubiah

of

be

she

and

joash

did

what

was

right

in

the

eyes

of

the

lord

all

the

days

of

jehoiada

the

priest

jehoiada

got

for him

two

wives

and yet

sons

and

daughters

after

this

joash

decided

to

restore

the

house

of

the

lord

and

he

gathered

the

priests

and

the

levites

and

said

to

them

go

out

to

the

cities

of

judah

and

gather

from

all

israel

money

to

repair

the

house

of

your

god

from

year

to

year

and

see

that

you

act

quickly

but

the

levites

did

not

act

quickly

so

the

king

summoned

jehoiada

the

chief

and

said

to

him

why

have

you

not

required

the

levites

to

bring

in

from

judah

and

jerusalem

the

tax

levied

by

moses

the

servant

of

the

lord

and

the

congregation

of

israel

for

the

tent

of

testimony

for

the

sons

of

athaliah

that

wicked

woman

had

broken

into

the

house

of

god

and

had

also

used

all

the

dedicated

things

of

the

house

of

the

lord

for

the

bales

so

the

lord

the

king

commanded

and

they

made

a

chest

and

set

it

outside

the

gate

of

the

house

of

the

lord

and

proclamation

was

made

throughout

judah

and

jerusalem

to

bring

in

for

the

lord

the

tax

that

moses

the

servant

of

god

laid

on

israel

in

the

wilderness

until

they

had

finished

and

whenever

the

chest

was

brought

to

the

king's

officers

by

the

levites

when

they

saw

that

there

was

much

money

in

it

the

king's

secretary

and

the

officer

of

the

chief

priest

would

come

and

empty

the

chest

and

take

it

and

return

it

to

its

place

thus

they

did

day

after

day

and

collected

money

in

abundance

and

the

king

and

Jehoiada

gave

it

to

those

who

had

charge

of

the

work

of

the

house

of

the

lord

and

they

hired

masons

and

carpenters

to

restore

the

house

of

the

lord

and

also

workers

of

iron

and

bronze

to

repair

the

house

of

the

lord

so

those

who

were

engaged

in

the

work

labored

and

the

repairing

went

forward

in

their

hands

and

they

restored

the

house

of

God

to

its

proper

condition

and

strengthened

it

and

when

they

had

finished

they

brought

the

rest

of

the

money

before

the

king

and

Jehoiada

and

with

it

were

made

utensils

for

the

house

of

the

lord

both

for

the

service

and

for

the

burnt

offerings

and

dishes

for

incense

and

vessels

of

gold

and

silver

and

they

offered

burnt

offerings

in

the

house

of

the

lord

regularly

all

the

days

of

Jehoiada

but

Jehoiada

grew

old

and

full

of

days

and

died

he

was

a hundred

and

thirty

years

old

at

his

death

and

they

buried

him

in

the

city

of

David

among

the

kings

because

he

had

done

good

in

Israel

and

towards

God

and

his

house

now

after

the

death

of

Jehoiada

the

princes

of

Judah

came

and

paid

homage

to

the

king

then

the

king

listened

to

them

and

they

abandoned

the

house

of

the

lord

the

god

of

their

fathers

came

upon

Judah

and

Jerusalem

for

this

guilt

of

theirs

yet

he

sent

prophets

among

them

to

bring

them

back

to

the

lord

these

testified

against

them

but

they

would

not

pay

attention

then

the

spirit

of

the

lord

clothed

Zechariah

the son

of

Jehoiada

the

priest

and

he

stood

above

the

people

and

said

to

them

thus

says

God

why

do

you

break

the

commandments

of

the

Lord

so

that

you

cannot

prosper

because

you

have

forsaken

the

lord

he

has

forsaken

you

but

they

conspired

against

him

and

by

command

of

the

king

they

stoned

him

with

stones

in

the

court

of

the

house

of

the

lord

thus

Joash

the

king

did

not

remember

the

kindness

that

Jehoiada

Zechariah's

father

had shown

him

but

killed

his

son

and

when

he

was

dying

he

said

may

the

Lord

see

and

avenge

and

may

God

follow

again

with

this

blessing

this

reading

of

his

own

word

let's

sing

once

again

in

Psalm

106

this

time

Psalm

106

from

the

sing

Psalms

page

142

verse

verse

34

to

43

and

the

tune

this

time

is

Ottawa

they

they

did

not

destroy

the

peoples

in

accords

with

God's

command

but

they

mixed

with

them

and

followed

all

the

customs

of

the

land

worshipping

the

idols

there

which

to

them

became

a

snare

sons

they

sacrificed

and

daughters

to

a

Canaanitish

god

thus

the

land

was

desecrated

by the

stain

of

guiltless

blood

by their

acts

they were

defiled

into

filthiness

beguiled

so

the

lord

was

angry

with

them

and

his

people

he

abhorred

gave

them

over

to

the

nations

and

their

foe

became

their

lord

subject

to

their

enemy

they

were

treated

cruelly

many

times

he

showed

his

power

by

delivering

his

own

but

they

set

their

heart

on

sinning

and

rebelled

against

his

throne

in

their

sin

they

chose

to

stay

and

they

wasted

quite

away

these

very

solemn

words

going

over

part

of

the

history

of

Israel

and

rebelling

against

the

lord

and

choosing

for

themselves

the

ways

of

the

nations

around

them

the

ways

of

idolatry

so

to

Tsunotawa

from

34

they

did

not

destroy

the

peoples

in

accord

with

God's

command

they

did

not

destroy

the

peoples

in

accord

with

God's

command

but

they

mixed

with

them

and

followed

all

the

customs

of

the

land

worshipping

the

idols

there

which

to

them

became

a

snare

sons

they

sacrificed

and

daughters

to

our

king

and

knighted

God

thus

their

blood

was

desecrated

by

their

sting

of

guiltless

blood

by

their

hearts

they

were

defiled

into

filthiness

they

killed

so

the

lord

was

angry

with

them

and

his

people

he

abhorred

gave

them

over

to

the

nations

and

therefore

became

their

lord

subject

to

their

enemy

they

were

treated

cruelly

they

were

treated

cruelly

cruelly

many

times he

showed his

power

by

delivering

his

own

but

they

set

their

heart

on

sinning

and

repelt

against

his

throne

in

their

sin

they

chose

to

stay

they

chose

to

stay

and

they

wasted

quite

away

please

turn with me now to 2nd

chronicles

chapter 24

and we'll read again at verse 15

but Jehoiada grew old and full of days and died

he was a hundred and thirty years old at his death and they buried him in the city of David among the kings because he had done good in Israel and towards God and his house

after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king

then the king listened to them and they abandoned the house of the Lord the God of their fathers and served the Asherim and the idols and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord these testified against them but they would not pay attention.

following the death of Jehoshaphat

following the death of Jehoshaphat where you find a reference to that in chapter 20

the following years after that were very turbulent years in Israel

turbulent because they were

years when

relatively short rains

and bad rains

bad kings

followed Jehoshaphat

and indeed that was

generally true of this northern kingdom

that had been set up

after the death

of Solomon

when

Rehoboam

took over

and caused the division of the kingdoms

into the north

and the south

that remained like that with

the south

the tribe of Judah especially prominent

in that

and as you come to

these references here

in these chapters

you'll find a reference there to Jehoram

that he reigned for eight years

they were bad years

if you go back to chapter 21

and verse 20 there

describes

in very short compass

what

he was 32 years

when he began to reign

he reigned for eight years

in Jerusalem

and he departed

with no one's regret

they buried him

in the city of David

but not

in the tombs

of the kings

well that's

telling its own story

isn't it

the kind of king

that he turned out to be

and then you have

Ahaziah for a year

he was then killed by Jehu

and following that

Athaliah for six years

who ended up killing

most of the Davidic family

as you find there apart from

Joash

who was hidden

in the temple of the Lord

who was hidden

so as he was

he was actually saved

from the slaughter that happened

at that particular moment

you find that at

the previous chapters there

especially

when you find a reference there

in chapter 22

where Jehoshabeath

the daughter of King Jehoram

and wife of Jehoiada

the priest

because she was a sister

of Ahaziah

she hid him

from Athaliah

Ahaziah the mother of Ahaziah

all these names

are a bit confusing

but she hid him

from Athaliah

so that she did not

put him to death

and he remained with them

for six years

hidden in the house of God

while Athaliah reigned

over the land

so he was spared

he was not just spared

but he was brought up

in such a way

as to be brought up

in the ways of the Lord

brought up by this

by this couple

but particularly

under the teaching

of Jehoiada

the priest

who while he was priest

remained as a priest

down through these

turbulent years

until as we read there

in chapter 24

and verse 15

at 130 years old

he died

and then after he died

as we'll see tonight

the nation basically returned

to what it had been beforehand

and it's a very sad story

because under the care

of Jehoiashabeath

and Jehoiada

Joash was brought up

in these ways of the Lord

and gave his time

and attention to them

and in fact

as he was hidden there

by them

he came to know

something of the ways

of the Lord

so that's going to be

our first point tonight

that Joash was brought up

in the way

of the Lord

and then secondly

our second point

is that Joash abandoned

the ways of the Lord

especially following

Jehoiada's death

if you turn your mind

back to

chapter 22

and verse 12

he was brought up

in the way

of the Lord

you can see in verse 12

there of chapter 22

how he remained with them

for six years

hidden in the house of God

while Athaliah reigned

over the land

in other words

this really effectively

was six years

of good teaching

and good training

given by Jehoiashabeath

and the priest Jehoiada

to this young man Joash

who was destined

to take over the throne

so this was his grounding

in the teaching

of the ways of the Lord

they obviously taught him

the ways of the Lord

they would have gone over

many of the ways

in which the Lord

had dealt with his people

had given his people

the privilege

of a covenant with them

how they had abandoned that

how they had left

in previous times

the ways of the Lord

and so on

and you can see from that

that this in fact

itself is an example

of God actually overcoming

the attempts of those

who wanted to take

the nation away

altogether from their roots

in covenant theology

and in covenant teaching

and in covenant relationship

with God

but God here provided

this measure for Joash

so that he would be brought up

in the ways of the Lord

when he began to reign

we're thankful for that

whenever you find attempts made

to wipe out the church

whenever you find

attempts made

such as in the

New Testament itself

to the days of the apostle

or the days of Jesus

you'll find that

so often

you'll find the Lord

providing a means

by which his church

if they're not altogether

preserved

then they're certainly

protected in a measure

against them being

completely

annihilated

and he was hidden

therefore

in the house

of the Lord

and you know

that's a reminder

to us

just in passing

it's not going to be

the main point

this evening

but it is a reminder

to us

because it's

we're going to see

how they abandoned

again the ways

of the Lord

and how Joash

abandoned the ways

of the Lord

despite his upbringing

but here he was

for these six years

brought up

in the ways

of the Lord

being taught

by Jehoiada

the faithful priest

of the Lord

and in Ephesians

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6

as you know

verse 4

fathers especially

are given instruction

as to how to bring up

their children

and not to cause them

to rebel against the Lord

by treating them

harshly or whatever

they are to actually

bring them up

in what's called

the nurture

and discipline

of the Lord

or to put it another way

in the training

and discipline

of the Lord

because that's what

the word means

it's really

a training

it's a shaping

and it was the same

for Joash

as he was brought up

by Jehoiada

for these years

these early years

of his life

he was being trained

in the ways of the Lord