One Year Bible, Tuesday June 28th More Kings Come and Go in Israel and Judah and Apollos Grows As a Believer and Gifted Teacher
Jehoahaz Rules in Israel
We see a familiar pattern again to today with King Jehoahaz of Israel. He does the same evil that his father Jehu sucuumbed to during his reign. The Syrian army led by King Hazael and his son, Ben Hadad thoroughly defeated Israel. When Jehoahaz repented, God relented. But sure enough Israel returned to sin even leaving the pagan Asherah pole standing in Samaria. Jehoahaz was followed by his son, Jehoash.
Jehoash Rules in Israel
Jehoash ruled 17 years in Israel and followed the evil ways of Jeroboam. He also went to war with King Amaziah in Judah.
"The reign of Jehoash saw a civil war among the people of God, with the Southern Kingdom of Judah and the Northern Kingdom of Israel at war." Guzik
“This war with Amaziah may be seen in ample detail in 2 Chronicles 25; it ended in the total defeat of Amaziah who was taken prisoner by Joash, and afterwards slain in a conspiracy at Lachish.” (Clarke)
Elisha’s Final Prophecy
As Elisha died, King Jehoash came and wept over him. This shows the king was not all bad and had respect for the man of God. Elisha asked Jehoash to shoot an arrow out of his window. As he did, Elisha prophecied that Israel would defeat Aram. Then he asked Jehoash to strike the ground with the arrows, but the King only struck the ground three times. Elisha tells the king if he would have struck the arrows more times, he could have completely defeated the Arameans, but as it is they would only beat them three times.
Joash timidly received this invitation of the prophet to shoot the arrows at no particular target so that they hit the ground. He shot three arrows and stopped, not sensing what he should have – that the arrows represented victories in battle over the Syrians, and he should have received the prophet’s invitation more boldly. The phrase “Strike the ground” can be for shot arrows hitting the ground. Elisha asked Joash to shoot the arrows through the window at no particular target, not to pound them on the floor. - Guzik
Sure enough after Elisha died, Jehoash had victory over King Ben Hadad of Syria on the three separate occasions and recovered many town the Arameans had taken from them.
Amaziah Rules in Judah
King Amaziah took over as king of Judah when he was 25 years old. Generally speaking he did what was right in the Lord's eyes, but like his father Joash, he did not destroy the pagan shrines. Amaziah took revenge on the officials that took his father's life, but did not kill their children in obedience to the Old Testament law that parents should not be punished for their kids' sins and visa versa.
Amaziah made a really bad decision to challenge King Jehoash of Israel to battle. They had defeated the Edomites and were feeling a little bit cocky. Jehoash tried to tell Amaziah to let it go, but Amaziah refused resulting in the routing of Amaziah's army by the king of Israel. The king and his men took gold and silver from the temple and also treasures from the royal palace.
Eventually there was a revolt against Amaziah by his enemies, and they hired thugs to assassinate him. At least they had the decency to bring his body back and bury it with the ancestors of David. Amaziah's son, Uzziah, who was 16 was named king and rebuilt some of the cities of Judah.
Meanwhile Jeroboam II began his reign in Israel. He reigned in Samariah for 42 years, but still did what was evil in the Lord's sight. But the king recovered many cities of Israel during his reign, as the Lord kept his promise that he would not blot out Israel completely!
Apollos Instructed at Ephesus
Apollos was a gifted and eloquent speaker, who arrived in Ephesus from Egypt. He knew much about Jesus, but was still not schooled in all the aspects of the Christian faith, including baptism. He knew about John's baptism for repentance but not about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Priscilla and Aquilla taught him more in depth about the Way and the believers sent him to Corinth where he was of great help teaching the believers there. He was particularly helpful at reasoning and debating with the Jews in the synagogue that Jesus was the true Messiah.
Apollos had a gift but it needed to be molded and shaped. Priscilla and Aquilla took him under their wings and equipped to be of more effective service in the body of Christ.
Aquila and Priscilla did something valuable for God’s kingdom. They helped someone who had a passion for God and at least some power in serving Him; yet he had limited knowledge and therefore limited resources for truly effective ministry. - Guzik
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went back to Ephesus. He found some believers there but discovered too that they had only known about the baptism of John for repentance. Then, Paul baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus and laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. There were 12 men in all and all of them prophesied and spoke in tongues.
We see the reception of the Holy Spiirt is tied into baptism and also the direct laying on of hands by the apostle Paul. Two of the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit imparted were speaking in tongues and prophesying.
Since they were called "disciples", most assume they were Christians, even though they were not baptized in the name of Jesus, or had not received the Holy Spirit yet. This is why some think they were not yet truly Christians.
Here are some good commentaries on the matter, which also point to the fact as believers we always need to be aware of, seeking and being filled with the Holy Spirit. We cannot not do anyting of value in the kingdom of God or the church without the Spirit.
All of the quotes are from David Guzik unless noted!
i. An often-debated question is, “Were these 12 Ephesian disciples actually Christians before this remarkable filling of the Holy Spirit, or not?” On the one hand, they were called disciples – and appeared to part of the company of Christians in Ephesus, things that would not usually be said of them if they were not actually Christians. On the other hand, they knew so little about Jesus; and they were baptized in water again, this time in the name of Jesus. It is difficult to say with certainty if they were already Christians or not, but one can say with certainty that Paul perceived they lacked something of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
ii. It is fair for each Christian today to consider if someone were to look at their own life, would they notice a conspicuous absence of the Person and power of the Holy Spirit?
iii. These Ephesian disciples sensed their need to get right with God, and knew the answer was in God’s Messiah – but they had gone no further than that. They need to go all the way, to trust in everything Jesus is and everything He had done, and to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
iv. “Have ye then received the Spirit since you believed? Beloved, are you now receiving the Spirit? Are you living under his divine influence? Are you filled with his power? Put the question personally. I am afraid some professors will have to admit that they hardly know whether there be any Holy Ghost; and others will have to confess that though they have enjoyed a little of his saving work, yet they do not know much of his ennobling and sanctifying influence.” (Spurgeon)
v. God always wants us to go deeper. We tend to sip where we could drink deeply; we drink deeply where we could wade in, and we wade in where we could plunge in and swim. Most of us need to be encouraged to go deeper and further into the things of the Holy Spirit.
vi. If someone doesn’t seem to know if they have the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in their life, it’s fair to assume that they don’t have it. If you have it, you should know it. “Give a man an electric shock, and I warrant you he will know it; but if he has the Holy Ghost, he will know it much more.” (Spurgeon) This isn’t something to hope about; we can know – one can know they are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Paul Ministers in Ephesus
Paul went back to Ephesus and continued to teach and preach persuasively in the synagogue as to why Jesus was the Messiah. But the Jews refused to listen to him, so he went into the hall of Tyrannus where he held daily "discussions" for two years so that many people heard the word of the Lord.
Paul was not only powerful in his preaching and teaching, but the Holy Spirit was so manifest in his life and person that people were healed and delivered from demons merely by touching his hankerchief. Now that's some power!
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