DCLM Daily Manna Devotional, Saturday 11th June 2022

DAILY MANNA, Saturday, June 11, 2022

It is advisable that you prayerfully and meditatively read the text first. 

Topic: Terrible End For Evil Offspring

Text: 2 Kings 11:13-21

13 And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD.

14 And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.

15 But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD.

16 And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king’s house: and there was she slain.

17 And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD’s people; between the king also and the people.

18 And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.

19 And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of the LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king’s house. And he sat on the throne of the kings.

20 And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king’s house.

21 Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign. 

Key Verse: “And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king’s house.” (2 Kings 11:20)

Message

The end of the Second World War in 1945 was also the end of the reign of forces that brought trouble to the entire humanity. Since no wicked rule goes without due punishment, the fleeing enemies of mankind were also pursued for judgment. Some were dragged out from where they hid while others received instant recompense for their crimes. The world was only treading the path of the leaders of Judah, which once had a bad queen whose era was filled with blood and rebellion against God.

Queen Athaliah usurped authority and placed herself on the throne of David for six years, having presumably killed all the heirs. Unknown to her, the Lord kept Joash whom He finally enthroned at the age of seven. Athaliah was slain when she resisted the coronation of Joash. It was both the closure to a dark season and the end of the road for the perpetrator of idol worship.

God has also appointed a day to halt the wicked system of the world. Already, events are moving fast to that day, given the fulfilment of prophecy day by day. Just as the Lord enforced the provisions of the covenant, in due course, He will also move against the antichrist order of this age and all those aiding it.

There will be damnable end for those who would remain in their ungodly acts. Their evil offspring, like Athaliah the offspring of two devilish parents, Ahab and Jezebel, will also be judged if they fail to flee from the wrath to come. The Lord is still waiting for those who will come to Him in genuine repentance to avoid a terrible end.

Thought For The Day: Choose between the fleeting joy of the world and the fulfilling joy of heaven.

The Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 13-17

Meditation

The sure route to revival in the house of God

1. Presence of the wicked in God’s house

a. There cannot be revival in any house of God where the wicked are either reigning or safely rooted.

b. A case in the text was a situation where the unrepentant ruler, the wicked Queen,  hijacked the leadership of God’s own Judah. The presence of the uncompromising  High priest not withstanding, vv13,14.

c. In fact,  the revivalist high priest himself could not bring revival until the wicked power on throne was judged and dethroned, vv15,16,17. Sinners outside need the mercy of God since they are strangers to the truth of the gospel.  However, the wicked are the serpents and scorpions in the house of God who practice evil in spite of their knowledge of the truth.

d. The church of God, more than ever before is hijacked by wicked people including immoral people,  idol worshippers, witches and wizards. We had such in the early church but the dimension now is disturbing. 

e. Since there could not be revival in such kind of environment,  what should the righteous do?

Question: Give examples of cases in the Old and the New Testament where the wicked crept in and rose to the position of leadership in the house of God?

2. The punishment of the wicked in the house of God

“Judgement MUST begin at the house of God” and this is the time and a sure route to revival, I Peter 4:17.

a. The wicked who are involved in sinning either publicly or privately must be sharply rebuked and if need be put on discipline, I Corinthians 5:1,2.

b. If leaders are involved, it may be appropriate to make the rebuke public especially if it is not hidden, I Timothy 5:20.

c. If the person is a serial fornicator, adulterer or exercising negative influence on members, they should be excommunicated, Titus 3:10, 11.

d. If there is evidence by two or three witnesses that someone is into witchcraft, he/she should be suspended from the work force immediate or withdraw the privileges of fellowship until it is proved otherwise,  just like it is done for any other sin of the flesh. Jesus rebuked the pastor of Jezebel for allowing her to minister when a case of idol worship and witchcraft was already levelled against her, Revelation 2:20. 

e. The church must fervently pray that the wicked in the house of God should be exposed and punished in order to experience revival in the house of God, I Corinthians 5:2,7.

Question: Give examples in the Old and New Testament where the wicked were judged instantaneously and what are the positive effect of that. In particular check Acts 5:1-11.

       Prayer points

Lord, I hereby renounce my wickedness, immorality, witchcraft and sorceress, asking for your mercy and deliverance. Break all links with the evil habits

Let the Holy Spirit mightily descend on the church and convict all evil doers to repentance

Let the Holy Spirit fire expose and dethrone all hardened wicked people in the position of leadership in your church

Lord, give your ministers the spirit of fire and discernment,  with courage, to deal with wickedness in the Church

Hymn: There is a great day coming

1. There’s a great day coming, 

A great day coming,

There’s a great day coming by and by,

When the saints and the sinners shall 

be parted right and left,

Are you ready for that day to come?

Refrain:

Are you ready? Are you ready?

Are you ready for the judgment day?

Are you ready? Are you ready?

for the judgment day?

2. There’s a bright day coming, 

A bright day coming,

There’s a bright day coming by and by,

But its brightness shall only come 

to them that love the Lord,

Are you ready for that day to come? 

3. There’s a sad day coming, 

A sad day coming,

There’s a sad day coming by and by,

When the sinner shall hear His doom, 

“Depart, I know ye not!”

Are you ready for that day to come?