Jezebel, Babylon, and Unlikely Heroes

Announcements - There are events all month long!

Hope For Christmas - Crosspoint City Partnership

For a sponsorship of $50, a child receives 2 gifts of their choosing, the family gets a boxed meal, the child picks out a gift to give to their parent/guardian, picture with Santa, a day of fun and games on December 10, a warm coat/hoodie, and bible.

WE WANT TO SPONSOR 30 KIDS

______________________________________

Dates to remember

Christmas Parade - December 1

Joy of Christmas - Awaken Kids Takeover - December 11

Dream Team Celebration, 90’s Christmas - December 14

Christmas Weekend - No service on December 25 - 2 services on December 23 - 6:00 & 7:30

______________________________________

Purpose of The Message

A message of hope to those who have been broken by the culture.

A message of purpose to those who have given up on those affected by the culture.

TR: Pray over the message

______________________________________

Kentucky Lost to Saint Mary’s

I’m a huge basketball fan.

Kentucky is the second winningest program in college basketball history

Every year we have hopes of winning a national championship

Last year our team seemed to be clicking at the right time.

We made it into the tournament with a lot of people picking us into the final four

BUT THEN WE MET THE SAINT MARY’S GAELS

They were the cinderella of the 2021 tournament

They made it into the sweet 16

A DOMINANT PROGRAM WAS BROUGHT DOWN IN AN INSTANT WHEN THEY FACED AN UNLIKELY SPOILER…

THEIR SECRET WEAPON: THEY BELIEVED

______________________________________

TR: Today we’re talking about the nation of Israel when they were under the leadership of a king named Ahab. ______________________________________

Jezebel brings some weird stuff into Israel.

Ahab is the son of Omri - Omri was on the winning end of a divided kingdom.

That matters because Ahab inherits a kingdom that is still reeling in some ways from a dual mindset towards the leadership of his family.

His father was evil and he would follow suit.

When I read about Ahab I get a sense of subtle insecurities within his leadership style.

Ahab marries Jezebel in order to gain alliance with the Sidonians.

He served their gods for the mere purpose of gaining power and authority.

Ahab took on the characteristics of their culture in order to leverage his way to a greater level of influence.

______________________________________

They were using eunuchs in Israel

In 2 Kings 9, we find our text wherein Jezebel is accompanied by palace servants referred to as Eunuchs.

While there are several variations of this hebrew term “saris” in the OT…it has a common indication that these were individuals who had been sexually mutilated for the purpose of serving the purposes of the king without the distraction of relationships and legacy.

Eunuchs - Men who had been physically mutilated to sexual incapacity in order to further the purposes of the ruler.

Eunuchs did not pursue generational purposes because they could not reproduce.

They had levels of influence within the kingdom because they were in the presence of royatly

They were elevated to positions of superiority based on their willingness to forfeit their future.

These individuals represented those who were the most broken by their culture but also the most commited to their culture.

______________________________________

There are many broken people propagating a broken system

Have you noticed how militantly commited people are to causes that were previously classified as immoral.

Most of the “hot button” issues we face in our society

We’re OVERWHELMINGLY VIEWED AS IMMORAL less than 100 years ago

Our culture has experienced prosperity…which tends to carry with it a greater sense of independence

When we don’t stand in need of God’s deliverance…we feel obliged to abandon God’s standards

THE MORAL DECAY OF AMERICA IS DUE IN LARGE PART TO THE PEACE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED OVER THE LAST 60 YEARS

Now those who preach consistent standards and absolute truth are seen as archaic, out of touch, and dangerous

Some of the most militant advocates for our worlds current state are some of the most broken.

When we march against them, and call them degrading names, we are further strengthening their resolve to serve the culture they are so adamantly commited to.

| THESE MEN SERVING IN THE ROLE OF BEING A EUNUCH WERE GRANTED AUTHORITY WITHIN THE CULTURE THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE OTHERWISE..

______________________________________

Why is this significant? - Being a Eunuch limited your access

This is a significant fact because although you were granted authority in the culture…being a eunuch meant you were excluded from the temple...

According to Mosaic law; Commitment to culture cost them connection to God

Deuteronomy 23:1 NKJV

“He who is emasculated by crushing or mutilation shall not enter the assembly of the Lord.

Every person who had had their physical capacity to sexually reproduce diminished…was disqualified from entering the courts of God.

So we summarize these individuals as such. They are men of the nation of Israel (God’s chosen people) who had potential to do something great for God but have been disqualified from encountering the presence of God because they have given themselves to the cause of the king.

THIS SEEMS TO BE A STORY OF WASTED POTENTIAL.

| Now Pause that thought and let’s look at another character in the historical narrative of Israel named Hezekiah.

_____________________________________________

Hezekiah was successful

The most successful and prosperous king in the history of Judah.

2 Kings 18:5 NKJV

He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.

Hezekiah was a righteous king…He did things the right way.

Because of this he was a prosperous king.

God blessed the nation of Judah while Hezekiah was king in some significant ways!

The thing about blessing is that when we are blessed…we face the temptation to let others in on the fact that we are blessed.

SOCIAL MEDIA | I fight a battle with social media

_____________________________________________

Hezekiah was seduced into showing off

Isaiah 39:1–2 NLT

Soon after this, Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent Hezekiah his best wishes and a gift. He had heard that Hezekiah had been very sick and that he had recovered. Hezekiah was delighted with the Babylonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them everything in his royal treasuries! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

Hezekiah was seduced by a culture that seemingly sympathized with him and the struggle he had come through.

The king of Babylon had power and wealth…He sent a gift

The gift opened a gap to gain access to the goods.

We get seduced by surface gifts that the culture has to offer.

We invite influence into places that it should not be based on surface impressions.

_____________________________________________

The church has been blessed - and lowered our defense

The church of America has been blessed for generations.

Born out of a desire to see religious freedom outside of government rule!

This risk taking venture of the 1700’s gave way to a freedom that birthed prosperity!

The American church has worshipped in freedom for over 200 years.

Somewhere along the way, like Hezekiah… we let the affirmation of culture seduce us into inviting culture into our courts!

We have opened ourselves up to have our goods stolen!

We are the beginning of a generation that has resulted from a church world that accepted the gifts of the culture and opened up vulnerabilities to invasion.

TR: Hezekiah invited the king into his courts not knowing it was the beginning of a strategic season for his enemy.

_____________________________________________

Cultural affirmation has generational consequences

Isaiah 39:3–8 NKJV

Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?” So Hezekiah said, “They came to me from a far country, from Babylon.” And he said, “What have they seen in your house?” So Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.” Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the Lord. ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ” So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good!” For he said, “At least there will be peace and truth in my days.”

Hezekiah is made aware of the danger of letting Babylon into his house.

He comes to understand what he has done.

But has little care about its effect because it will not be realized until long after He is gone.

The indictment of Hezekiah has been the indictment of the last generation of Christendom

“At least there will be peace and truth during my days.”

We must shake ourselves from this mentality

We need to begin walking in trans-generational consciousness.

_____________________________________________

This show and tell project starts a journey towards captivity

This lessening of the guard and mismanagement of security by Hezekiah results in the downfall of the nation of Israel and Judah.

Babylon does take them captive

Over the course of the next generation the entire nation is taken into Babylonian captivity.

This includes many individuals that have become somewhat patriarchal to our biblical understanding.

You can read in history and gain an understanding that many of the primary characters that we would know from the Babylonian captivity were probably eunuchs.

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo

Nehemiah

They were choice individuals chosen to serve the purposes of the king.

Many Commentators and historians agree this very well could have included castration for the purpose of being in service to the king.

|Remember this also means they are now disqualified to enter into the courts of the one true God.

|NOW BACK TO JEZEBEL

_____________________________________________

Jehu, the remedy to Jezebel

In the middle of Ahab and Jezebel’s reign (which was unparalleled in it’s level of wickedness.)

WE ARE INTRODUCED TO THIS YOUNG COMMANDER NAMED JEHU

Elisha the prophet confronts him and anoints him telling him that he will cast down this evil queen named Jezebel.

| Remember Jezebel has brouhgt Baal worship as well as pagan practices to the nation of Israel when she marries Ahab

This resulted in the introduction of eunuchs serving in the royal court even in the nation of Israel.

To be elevated to a high position within the kingdom you had to sacrifice eligibility to enter the tabernacle.

I’m sure there were conspiracies about who would overthrow such an evil individual.

Obadiah

Elijah

The school of the prophets

Elisha

But at the end of the day…this commander named Jehu is who God says will be the one who killed Jezebel...

Let’s take a look at how it all plays out.

2 Kings 9:30–33 NLT

When Jezebel, the queen mother, heard that Jehu had come to Jezreel, she painted her eyelids and fixed her hair and sat at a window. When Jehu entered the gate of the palace, she shouted at him, “Have you come in peace, you murderer? You’re just like Zimri, who murdered his master!” Jehu looked up and saw her at the window and shouted, “Who is on my side?” And two or three eunuchs looked out at him. “Throw her down!” Jehu yelled. So they threw her out the window, and her blood spattered against the wall and on the horses. And Jehu trampled her body under his horses’ hooves.

_____________________________________________

Eunuchs attack!

Individuals who had served a wicked king in a wicked culture

Individuals who had been mutilated in the name of a false pretense

Heard a message of hope and a call to act.

Jehu means “He is God.”

Our generation needs someone who is willing to proclaim “He is God” with definitive stances and call them to cast down the strongholds they are facing.

When a generation living in their mistakes serving a unworthy master hears the voice of “a Jehu” generation that declares there is a God with greater purpose…

THEY WILL BE THE ONES TO OVERTHROW THE BROKENNESS OF OUR CULTURE.

The revival that is coming will come from those who have been broken by our culture

They will hear the call…cast down the one who has mutilated you.

_____________________________________________

Remember all those names I mentioned from Babylonian captivity?

Individuals who could have been disqualified from entrance into the temple

It was Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo who stood against idol worship

It was Daniel who proclaimed he would only pray to God

It was Nehemiah who ultimately rebuilt the security that the generation before had forfeited

Those who were disqualified were ultimately the ones who dismantled the stronghold of the enemy.

_____________________________________________

Isaiah saw it coming

Isaiah told Hezekiah that bondage was coming…But then he prophesied about the recipients of the bondage.

Isaiah 56:3–5 NLT

“Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’ And don’t let the eunuchs say, ‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’ For this is what the Lord says: I will bless those eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me. I will give them—within the walls of my house— a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear!

Today I am preaching a simple message of hope to those who feel disqualified because the culture has taken a toll on you!

I’m also preaching a message of purpose to a church full of Jehu’s who will simply issue an invitation of alliance to a culture of broken people!

The out cast is who God will use to cast out the Spirit of the age

The broken is who God will use to break the stronghold of darkness

What you thought disqualified you has actually only strategically positioned you to take down the ruler of darkness in your family, city, region, and generation!

Hear the voice of heaven calling: WILL YOU CAST HER DOWN?

_____________________________________________

It doesn’t take many....two or three in a palace full are all it took.

I can get caught up in a need for grandeur

If we can see two or three people have their lives changed…it can cast down a stronghold of a region!