JUNIOR DESOUZA MINISTRIES
I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord. --Psalm 121:1,2
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This week's topic (Feb 8-12): The Voice of the Lord
Motherhood, Mom-guilt, & Sabbath-rest
Our Sabbath learnings take an interesting turn this week, as the Lord desires to comfort and help the moms in His kingdom. Moms, the Lord loves you! You are His beloved! His heart is burning to speak with you today. May the Lord of the Sabbath refresh you as you enter a Sabbath-rest in the midst of motherhood.
Motherhood & Spiritual Growth 1Timothy 2:15 and 5:14 Scripture connects mothering and spiritual growth in two key passages, one of them being 1Timothy 2:15 (NIV): But women will be saved through childbearing-if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. First and most importantly, Paul is surely not saying that women will be saved from eternal lostness through childbearing, or even through women collectively birthing the Savior. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus' finished work alone, and nothing of human efforts (Eph 2:8,9). Secondly, and more relevant to our lesson, this passage reveals how important mothering is to a woman's spiritual well-being and development. Paul is not saying every woman must have children; some have the celibacy gift (1Co 7:7) or some other non-childbearing calling. He is simply underscoring the importance of mothering to women in general. However, Paul did say women will be saved from something through motherhood. He explains himself in the attached phrase, "...if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with propriety". In other words, mothering is so constitutional to the typical woman that it can even help distract and deliver her from sin's power in her life. How many women have changed their lives in Christ simply because they became pregnant? How many women have grown spiritually in atypical ways through their mothering experiences? The instinct to caretake their young superseded their desire for sin and folly. Spirit-filled moms everywhere certify that motherhood is a highly motivating, enlightening, and cleansing experience. Obviously childbearing alone cannot sanctify a woman, which is why Paul supplements his statement with the command to "continue in faith, love and holiness". In other words, it is the woman who is a committed mom AND a committed Christ-seeker that maximizes her growth potential imposed by motherhood. 1Timothy 5:14 Paul makes a similar statement a few chapters later, in 1Timothy 5:11-15. Here he tells us about widows-gone-wild in Timothy's congregation. Not only were they behaving badly because of an unfulfilled husband-question, but also because of an unfulfilled children-question. Again Paul shows astonishing insight, not only counseling them to marry (satisfying the husband-question), but also to have children (satisfying the children-question). 1Timothy 5:14: So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children...to give the enemy no opportunity. Paul understood the mystical power of the mothering experience, and that it would impose the needed spiritual growth in these restless Christian women. |
Mom-guilt This explains, in part, the phenomenon of mom-guilt, a relentless feeling of inadequacy and failure in childrearing. Mothering experiences were intended to illumine character shortcomings and provoke spiritual growth in Christ. This was Paul's divine insight in the two scriptures above. However, there are other components to mom-guilt that exacerbate the fact, morphing it into something harmful and hurtful that God never intended. In the typical female, mom-guilt keeps her rushing for perfection, yet exhausted from a pursuit that never or rarely pays up. In extreme cases, mom-guilt overwhelms the mother, shipwrecking her emotionally and parentally, sometimes even causing her to become abusive to herself, her children, or her partner. Mom-guilt is very real. It is not simply "female insecurity", as some detached onlookers suggest. Graciously and tenderly, the perfect Father in Heaven is moving to heal the mothers and grandmothers of Zion. |
Mom-guilt Five Components There are five components to the phenomenon of mom-guilt, that when combined and accumulated, make it a quite a force to deal with. Practical component Mothering is a skill that is both innate and learned. The learning part is what adds to mom-guilt. A person learning to shoot a basketball, or how to eat healthy, or how to spend time with God, can experience the equivalent of mom-guilt. Learning a new skill always magnifies inability, that's why it is called a "new skill"! Mothers are never to accept guilt that comes from the general learning process. This kind of guilt should be prayed against firmly by the name of Jesus. Leadership component The leadership component is similar to the practical component. Any leadership/caretaking role--mothering or pastoring or coaching--shines a vicious floodlight on our personal state. Nothing is more telling than having to care for someone else...than having to impart the crucial ingredients for a successful life...than having to model those very ingredients! As with the practical, mothers are never to accept guilt that comes from the general learning process of how to be a great leader for their kids. This kind of guilt also should be prayed against firmly by the name of Jesus. Social component Women have greater guilt-tendencies than men because of their strong social predisposition. They have hyperperception to those around them, doing whatever they can to keep their relational ecosystem intact and thriving. Men, on the other hand, are more project-oriented. Therefore, they tend to be hypoperceptive to their environment, and therefore, less guilt-stricken about its mishaps and imperfections. Some discernment is needed here. Mom-guilt is legitimate if the mother is truly neglecting her relational circle, and those in it are languishing for her attention and output. In fact, all of us need to be good gardeners of our relational vineyard. Mom-guilt is illegitimate when the mother is available and engaged, yet coerced by the spirit of workaholism and legalism to a burn-out pursuit of perfect parenting. Historical-emotional component Past fears and insecurities often resurface with a vengeance in parenting. It is one of the few triggers that can pull up what has been buried in the soul's deepest recesses. See, every emotion we feel today is a replay of an emotion we learned in the past. We all learned fear, joy, anger, peace--guilt--somewhere. When the brain encounters in the present a similar scenario from the past, it automatically impulses the emotion associated with that scenario. This is the concept of association and emotional habituation. God created our brains and emotions with the capability of "replay", like a tape recorder. This can be good or bad. Mom's motherly journey mirrors many familiar scenarios from her past, triggering the corresponding emotions from those scenarios. How many moms have been introduced to a side of themselves they didn't know existed? How many moms have said, "I don't know why my child(ren) make me feel this way, and where these emotions are coming from!" Motherhood is the perfect, sometimes temporary, window to deal with the buried and forgotten self. As deeply-rooted guilt is triggered and brought into consciousness, it must processed with prayer (Ps 6:2) and the Word (107:20) and maybe some godly friends (Jas 5:16). Sometimes fasting is needed (Isa 58:6). Greater spiritual maturity and inner freedom will result. Proverbs 20:5: The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. The spiritual component Ultimately, the spiritual component is the leverage point with mom-guilt: will she internalize it or verticalize it? Moms internalize mom-guilt by swallowing it whole, by accepting every bout and pang without suspicion, applying it to their personality, and massacring their self-worth. What if the mom-guilt, or certain parts of it, is illegitimate? Moms can verticalize mom-guilt by putting it to the test when it strikes, scrutinizing it with the Holy Spirit for helpfulness or harmfulness. Instead of immediately turning it inward she immediately turns it upward, to the Lord. By verticalizing it, she grabs it by the horns and rides it by prayer and the Word. The legitimate elements are processed for spiritual growth, the illegitimate ones firmly rejected as perfectionism, workaholism, and legalism. |
Mom-guilt & Sabbath-rest The Lord is burdened by the mom-guilt of His mothers. His Spirit has descended at this time to move them into a Sabbath-rest. His word calls out to all Christians, moms included (Heb 4:1,9,11): Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it...There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God...Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest... Here are four particulars I sense Him wanting to address. Need-a-break guilt: "I feel guilty about loving being away from my kids." If moms are not vigilant they can embrace the tyranny of child-centrism. God forbid you go out alone with your spouse, get your hair done, put your child in the swing, do housework, run errands, go to the gym, or have a ladies night out--and love it. (If mom is having disproportionate parenting breaks and becoming truly negligent, that's a different story. In this case the guilt would be helpful to re-engage her.) Living a child-centric life is risky at best, idolatry at worst. Children will demand to be worshipped. Narcissism is the first expression of their fallen, sinful nature (Pr 22:15), as it was the first expression of Lucifer's (Isa 14:12-14). If moms do not identify this clearly, they will unintentionally agree with it and enter a child-centered existence. Her relationship with Jesus, her spouse, and herself will deteriorate until very little is left of her identity and health. Then, when that child grows up into an adult...well, you know the rest. Entering Sabbath-rest Entering divine rest from this guilt means resisting a child-centric attitude and life. Your children are important--absolutely. They are a major part of your thoughts and lifestyle--absolutely. You adore them and cannot imagine life without them--absolutely. However, they are not you, they are not your life, and they are not your god. Recognize the deceptive tyranny of child-centrism. Reject it in thought and prayer. Protect your identity and well-being through responsible parenting breaks. And yes, love every second! Your inner rest will increase, and you will have a Sabbath rejuvenation to mother even more passionately and excellently. There must be outflow out and inflow for a body of water to not stagnate and die. Quality time guilt: "I feel guilty because 'quality time' with my kids is usually housework and errands." Some discretion is necessary here. On one hand, children need consistent parental attention that is stimulating, intimate, and personal. On the other hand, child-centrism is a sure temptation to be avoided. There is a rest from this guilt. Entering Sabbath-rest Entering divine rest here means two things: balance and discernment. Your child may be flipping out and acting out because they are genuinely starved for face-to-face time with you. I remember a family I used to minister with, and how their out of control young boy would straighten up and calm down when I would hold him, play with him, and give him my full attention. His parents were spread way too thin for several reasons, leaving him in genuine love-hunger. Children cannot articulate their needs and impulses, so you will have to do the math if you are supplying enough quality time or not. The sin nature though, wants attention long after the quota is met. The child wants/needs attention, but the sin nature wants/needs worship. By being aware of this and walking daily with the Holy Spirit, you can intuit when your child's sin nature is wanting to take you further than you need to go. Discern this, refuse it, and use it as an opportunity to train their flesh in a critical godly habit--the world does not revolve around them. Through balance and discernment, rest will replace this guilt. Work-related guilt: "I feel guilty because I work, yet have kids. Am I being negligent and irresponsible?" This is a biggie. According to a Pew Research Center survey, only 10 percent of mothers working full-time give themselves a "10" for their parenting, and only 24 percent of mothers working part-time give themselves a 10. Most working mothers simply do not know whether to feel at peace or at fault, and feeling at fault seems to be the tendency. What does God's Word and practical wisdom say? Scripture and working moms Scripture does not forbid women/moms from working, from having non-domestic goals and involvements, or from becoming a vital part of society's movement. Miriam, Deborah, Esther, Priscilla, Euodia, Syntyche, the Proverbs 31-woman (v24), and the women who followed Jesus (Lk 8:1-3) were all godly women who had important commitments outside the home. However, those with children are to be meticulous about succeeding at home first, prioritizing the care and development of their young ones. Somehow the Proverbs 31-woman was masterful at both working and childrearing (Pr 31:13-29). If she could do it by the wisdom of Jehovah, you can too. Entering Sabbath-rest For some moms, the guilt is legitimate. They sense deep within that they should dial down to part-time, or in some cases, not work at all. There are several possible reasons for this: less than ideal caretakers, increased needs in one or more of the children, overly consuming work demands, or a simple conviction to be with the children more. Let these inner nudges motivate you to develop an action-plan to work less, or find a different job, or find a better caretaker(s), or whatever solution is best. This guilt should subside into rest as you act on it. For some, the guilt is illegitimate. There are several wholesome reasons to be a working mom: the need for money, divine calling, setting an example of vocational responsibility for children, feminine contribution and competence, and others. Through prayer and reflection, identify exactly why you work (or want to). If the motives prove wholesome, the guilt should be refused and ignored, and restful confidence embraced and celebrated. Guilt-inducing people should be confronted, distanced from, or if possible, simply brushed off when comments arise. If motives are not quality, though, acknowledge this and focus on momming full-time until better timing and motivations emerge. Whether you work full-time, part-time, or not at all, always remember, your child needs you. A caretaker is often necessary, but they can never be Mom. Be sure to ferociously guard quality time with your child, in which full attention and face-to-face interaction are given freely. We do not want God's little ones growing up without engaged and energetic mothers, and the next generation of the kingdom populated by wounded and wandering souls still searching for a mother-figure. The truly guilty guilt: "I've made serious mistakes that have contributed to my adult-child's condition." When all is said and done, no mom is perfect. Keep in mind, perfectionism is simply a part of the unholy trinity along with workaholism and legalism. There are, however, serious mistakes that some mothers have made. These mistakes have greatly wounded, incapacitated, or stacked tremendous odds against their child. So what's a mom to do when she realizes this, and is overcome with guilt? Entering Sabbath-rest The first and greatest thing she is to do is genuinely repent before God (1Jn 1:9). Ultimately, her sin has grieved her Creator and His purpose for the mother-child relationship. Secondly, she needs to repent to the child in question--face to face, if not possible, via telephone, if not possible, via handwritten letter, if not possible, via email. Her approach needs to be contrite, forthcoming, and specific; Proverbs 28:13 is great on this. She needs to resist face-saving justifications, debates, and simply humble herself to the lowest place. Thirdly, she needs to make reparations and restitutions when possible (1Sam 12:3). This may be a one-time event or an ongoing repayment. Sometimes restitution is simply not possible. Fourthly, she needs to intercede for full restoration in the child's life, calling on the Lord to use her sin for good, as only He can do. Intercede in the energy of Joseph from Genesis 50:20. Fifthly, use your mistake(s) as a ministry. Resist being prideful; let God use your shortcomings to deliver other moms going down your same path. And you will see rest from even the greatest mistakes. |
Christian Kingship & the Sabbath
Athaliah, Jehoiada, Joash...who are these people with weird names? And what do they have to do with our kingship in Christ...and the Sabbath? This will be interesting!
Are Christians Really Kings?
More and more of us are realizing, finally, that we are greater than the sum of our Christian activities. At last, the saints of the Most High are growing sick and tired of being on church assembly lines, sidelined by one-man shows, tormented by the idea that "there has to be more to the Christian life than just this". Something within us is groping for more than obligatory duties to our King. Yearnings of godly influence and kingdom establishment grow stronger with each bout of frustration. Dreams of God-greatness alight on our imagination with each pang of disappointment. For the first time in many centuries, a mighty Lion is rousing Himself from a great sleep. The true church senses it.
Before, we thought only of faithfulness and duty to our Lord. God was creating dependability in us. It was a time when He was observing "whether you would keep his commandments or not" (Deu 8:2). But now that He has found many of us faithful, aggressive new contemplations are rising within, contemplations pertaining to identity, co-heir, and kingship. As the Lion awakens in Heaven, so also a lion is awakening in each one of us. And Jezebelian Christianity fidgets and squirms in threatened agitation.Biblical Basis for Christian Kingship
Paul expresses this kingship from a different angle, calling us "more than conquerors through him" (Ro 8:37). Ever wonder what more than a conqueror meant? A ruler, or king. A foot soldier is vital to an army's conquest, yet his responsibility ends after victory has been won. To be more than a conqueror is to then be a ruler of what was just conquered--a king.
Paul once again highlights kingship a few chapters earlier in Romans 5:17. The Amplified Bible says it perfectly (underline added): For if because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God's] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
Finally, Solomon makes a most intriguing and subtle prediction in Proverbs 25:2: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. The wise king is forecasting the day of the church, a day when a community of kings would find glory in plumbing the unrevealed secrets of God. This is exactly what Paul said! 1Corinthians 2:7 (underline added): No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. How awesome! It sounds as if Paul was reminiscing Solomon's words as he was writing. We are kings in Him!What Christian Kingship Means
Personally, it means reigning over sin, self, Satan, and spiritual death in our own life. This is the broader context of Romans 5:17 (ch5-8). I have divine right and privilege to apply Christ's Lordship to my own life, gaining me personal victory and rule over anything unChristlike in me. Christian kingship begins with Christ and Me co-ruling over Me.
Professionally, it means reigning in the field of work God has assigned to us (2Co 10:13, Ps 37:9,11,22,29,34). In other words, ascending to a place of influence and credibility needed to implement Christ's Lordship in that field. Part of this reign can and must happen now (Rev 1:6, 5:10); the fullness, however, will only happen after His Coming (2:25,26).
Athaliah, Jehoiada, and Joash If Scripture is so affirmative about the kingly experience of God's children, why are so many still slaves to themselves and slaves to others? Though several explanations could be given, the Spirit's right-now answer is from 2Kings 11 and 2Chronicles 22:10-ch23, the story of Athaliah, Jehoiada, and Joash. This secrets and implications in this story astound me. Please read both passages carefully before we go on.Enemies of the Kingship
Ahab and Jezebel have a daughter, Athaliah (2Ki 8:26, 2Chr 22:2). Athaliah, from the kingdom of Israel, crosses camps and marries Jehoram, king of Judah (2Ki 8:18, 2Chr 21:6). Their relationship is identical to her parents'--Jehoram, an invertebrate; Athaliah, inciting her husband and the people to Baalism (2Chr 24:7); both of them, a murderous bloodlust (21:4, 22:10).
Yahweh intervenes. He strikes king Jehoram, Athaliah's husband, with an incurable illness in which his bowels would come out (21:12-20). Gross! Then Ahaziah, their son, becomes king in his place (2Ki 8:26), but the Lord strikes him too with the edge of Jehu's anointed sword (2Chr 22:7-9). Our merciful God longed to provoke repentance in Athaliah, granting her a different legacy than her wicked mother. However, the ferocious deaths of the most important men in her life only fueled her fire to make her mother proud.
Athaliah rules with a double portion With Jehoram and Ahaziah dead, Athaliah found opportunity to become Judah's alpha girl. With maniacal calculation, she massacres the royal seed (her own grandchildren) and obliterates all competition for the throne (v10). Her seizure and maintenance of sovereign power reveal something interesting: God created a double Elijah in Elisha, and Satan counterattacked by creating a double Jezebel in Athaliah.
Athaliah truly possessed a double portion of Jezebel's spirit. Jezebel never attained sole monarchial rule as Athaliah did. Jezebel never murdered her own family for power as Athaliah did. Jezebel's rule, though powerful, was indirect. She ruled by influencing Ahab (1Ki 21:25), by high-level sex and prostitution (2Ki 9:22,30), and by securing Baalism as the state religion (1Ki 16:31,32, 18:19). Yet she never achieved sovereignty. Athaliah not only achieved it, but also maintained it for six whole years (2Chr 22:12)! Jezebel was darkly talented, but her daughter was twice so.
The spirit of Jezebel Much is said these days about the spirit of Jezebel, especially in Charismatic groups, so let me clarify biblically. "The spirit of Jezebel" is not the departed ghost of the actual woman Jezebel, just as "the spirit of Elijah" (2Ki 2:9,15, Lk 1:17) is not the departed ghost of the actual man Elijah. The phrase spirit of, in this sense, simply means the personality and energy of.
Many have asserted that the Jezebel spirit is a demon, or class of demons. This is partially true, but incomplete. Keep in mind, demons can only demonize a person if they first detect an existing evil in that person (major sin, rebellion, hardness, lie-based trauma, etc...)--commonly called an "open door" (Gen 4:6,7, 1Jn 3:12) or "foothold" (Eph 4:27). This happened with Cain (Gen 4:6,7, 1Jn 3:12), Saul (1Sam 15:23, 16:14), Peter (Mt 16:23), and Judas (Jn 13:27). This is also why Satan could not malign Jesus, because, as Jesus said, "he has nothing in me" (Jn 14:30 NKJV). Therefore, we must be careful to prioritize human responsibility in Jezebelian manifestations, knowing that demons (Jezebelian or otherwise) simply energize and accelerate a person's existing evil momentum.
(NOTE: In cases of child demonization, extreme and intentional evil existed around or toward the child from very early on. Generational spirituality and idolatry comes into play here. See Exodus 20:5, Jeremiah 32:18, Hosea 4:6, Mark 7:24-30, Luke 9:37-42.)
APPLICATION: Identify the enemies of your kingship Athaliah, more specifically, the spirit of Jezebel, is the most consistent and predictable enemy of godly kingship. The main characteristic of this energy is illegitimate authority, or authority abuse, and therefore, control, intimidation, and suppression. And why? The suppression of godly kingship. Remember Jezebel and Athaliah's greatest goal? The suppression of a godly king. Jezebel did not want righteous Jehu assuming power, and Athaliah did not want a godly seed of Jehoram assuming power.
Christians, we also will encounter the personality and energy of Jezebel concerning our kingship. It will come through highly controlling, intimidating, and suppressive people. Like Jezebel and Athaliah, they will display a pronounced and irrational aggression against us, determined to keep us from gaining any significant power of our own.
Here are the most common scenarios in which Jezebelism appears. Jezebelian demons are often present in such cases, because, as I mentioned, a person(s) is available already possessing her tendencies.
--spouses/romantic partners who control through sex, intimidation, and/or volatility
--parents who cannot and do not truly release and bless their adult children
--coworkers hellbent on sabotaging a Christian's success in the workplace
--church members who seek to manipulate the direction of a congregation without honoring biblical procedures and leadership
--Christian leaders who cling to sole power and do not facilitate diversified team ministry
--immature apostolic and prophetic environments in which weighty authoritarianism and egotism flourishes; Jezebel relishes being at the head of the prophets' table (1Ki 18:19), as does Diotrephes (3Jn 9)
--any person, group, or environment that is not genuinely enthusiastic, supportive, and empowering towards the full actualization of our kingship in Christ, but rather is domineering, intimidating, or suppressive, in subtle or obvious ways, to stifle our progress towards any positive power of our own
What false, illegitimate, or abusive leadership are you exposed to? What controlling, intimidating, and suppressive forces are you surrounded by? What relationships or environments suppress your kingly identity, emergence, and actualization? Who pushes you down, instead of up? Who focuses on your failures, instead of your potential? Who suffocates you, instead of liberates you? Who keeps you under their wing, instead of giving you wings? Identify the enemies of your kingship!Guardians of the Kingship
Family is not destiny Here's the amazing thing about Jehosheba...she was Athaliah's daughter (v11)! Can you believe that? Athaliah embraced her mother Jezebel's evil, but Jehosheba rejected her mother Athaliah's evil. How beautiful in the eyes of God. I can feel His heart warmed by her decisions. I am warmed. She married a godly priest and showed her own godliness by defying Psycho Mom and sparing the king-to-be. Her family was not her destiny, her choices were. So it is with us. Our families are not an irreversible course or curse, our choices are (Eze 18).
APPLICATION: Identify the guardians of your kingship Just as baby Joash had God-given guardians of his kingship, so also we will have God-given guardians of our kingship. Though the enemy seeks to destroy us through a flood of Jezebelism, the Spirit will always position guardians against him. Micah 5:5,6 is a tremendous scripture saying exactly this. I cannot impose on you enough how critical it is to identify your kingship guardians. These are godly men and women divinely-positioned in our life to protect, preserve, prepare, and promote our kingship. They understand the kingship. They believe in the kingship. They safeguard the kingship. Without them, Athaliah would finish us off like she has so many others.
Your Jehoshebas and Jehoiadas may be male or female, young or old, black or white, Baptist or nondenominational, American or Chinese, in shape or overweight--you get the point. You are not to nitpick your guardians' differences or shortcomings. That is not your seasonal call. Rather, you are to discern that the Judge gave them temporary custody of you, and therefore, you must remain in their care until your Athaliahs are dealt with and you are free. Identify the guardians of your kingship!Kingship At Last!
Jehoiada, the Sabbath year, and Sabbath ideals Remember the six Sabbath ideals from the last writing? If you need to refresh, it is on my homepage ( www.juniordesouza.com ). We gathered from the Law of Moses that God's Sabbath contained six components, or ideals: rest, blessing, sanctification, provision, sign, and consequences. Under that covenant, observing the entire Sabbath repertoire meant manifestation of these divine graces.
Jehoiada the priest, a righteous man and teacher of the Law, understood this. He knew he could leverage Sabbath ideals against Athaliah. Imagine that! Pay close attention. We are told Athaliah reigned over Judah six years (2Chr 22:12), and "in the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength" (23:1). The seventh year. The Sabbath year. The righteous priest waited until the Sabbath year to stage his revolt.
See, all six Sabbath ideals were relevant to Jehoiada's plan to overthrow Athaliah: rest from a wicked ruler...blessing for his holy mission to destroy her...sanctification and cleansing from her spirit and idolatry...the provision of a righteous king (Joash)...restoring the Sabbath as a sign of the covenant (Ex 31:16,17)...and, negative consequence for Athaliah who defied the Lord and His Sabbaths, positive consequence for Jehoiada and his helpers. The wise priest purposed to leverage the Lord of the Sabbath in his favor.
Jehoiada, the Sabbath day, and Sabbath ideals As if the Sabbath year wasn't enough, Jehoiada wielded the Sabbath day as well! He initiated his coup on a Saturday (2Ki 11:5-7,9). With amazing Mosaic wisdom, Jehoiada really thought this through. I can see him saying and praying to himself, I will leverage a double portion against Athaliah, a Sabbath year and a Sabbath day. O Lord, God of my father David, look upon your servant with pleasure, granting him a double portion of your Sabbath favor. Remember this wicked woman Athaliah, and how she has desecrated your name, your land, and your Sabbaths. Answer me O God, O Lord of the Sabbath, and with one blow give your servant victory through these two Sabbaths that I consecrate before you.
The Sabbath destroys Athaliah & actualizes the kingship On a Sabbath day in a Sabbath year Jehoiada and the other priests and Levites staged Athaliah's overthrow. Young Joash, who had been hidden throughout her reign, was revealed to the public with an enthusiastic and jubilant celebration (v12). The temple grounds instantly became a coronation party. Joash was king! Athaliah heard the commotion, ran out to see what was happening, and was immediately arrested by the temple guards (v13-15). Her, and all who supported her, were executed at the Horse Gate (v16).
The Sabbath destroys Athaliah & actualizes the kingship. The Lord of the Sabbath manifested for Jehoiada all six Sabbath ideals: finally there was rest from a wicked ruler (v20)...Jehoiada's holy mission was indeed blessed, for she walked blindly right into his temple militia...Judah was sanctified and cleansed from her spirit and idolatry (v18)...a righteous king was provided...the covenant and its Sabbath sign were restored (v17; Ex 31:16,17)...and there was deathly consequence for her rejection of the Sabbath and its Lord, and life-giving consequence for Jehoiada's reverence of them.
APPLICATION: The Sabbath destroys Athaliah & actualizes our kingship We too will see decisive victory over Athaliah powers, and actualize our kingship in Christ, as we mature into new levels of Sabbath living.
First, this means rest. Notice king Joash "sat on the throne of the kings" (2Ki 11:19 NKJV, italics added). Sitting is an apt illustration for resting. Our rest in the Lord must increase until we have finally learned to sit. To sit down and wait to be fed (Mk 8:6, SS 2:3). To sit with Him and listen to Him speak (Lk 10:39). To sit mentally and emotionally and let Him work it out (Ps 131:2,3). God will never give us a throne to sit on until we've mastered sitting in non-thronely situations. How many places in the temple did Joash sit upon until he finally sat on the king's throne? Our Sabbath-resting in Him teaches us to sit. What good is a king who can't sit and rule in peace and composure?
Second, this means blessing. In the Old Testament era, only recognized Sabbath days, years, and seasons had a special grace, a unique blessing (Gen 2:3, Ex 20:11). Similarly, in the New Testament era, only the Sabbath life is graced with divine blessing. This is what the book of Galatians is about: living by grace, not religious self-effort, and the blessing is therein (Gal 3:8,9,14). The Old Testament Jews had a foretaste of this grace every time they observed a Sabbath. For an entire day they could rest in a heavenly blessing that was otherwise foreign to the larger Mosaic system.
Athaliah's power flourishes amidst human competitors. That's why Jehoiada had to defeat her as a spiritual competitor. He knew she could not withstand the special grace, blessing, and strength bestowed on Sabbath-keepers. Likewise, we cannot overcome kingship enemies by competing with them humanistically. If we depend daily on the Spirit's grace, not self effort or religious effort, the Sabbath-blessing will strengthen us like a powerful horse. Athaliah was killed at the Horse Gate (2Chr 23:15, 2Ki 11:16), and her mother Jezebel was trampled by horses (2Ki 9:33). See the symbolism? Only a Christian with the spiritual strength of a horse can trample kingship enemies (2Chr 23:1). This strength comes from the Sabbath blessing, living a Sabbath life by grace.
Third, this means sanctification. Judah's cleansing from idolatry happened in the seventh/Sabbath year (2Ki 11:18). Likewise, our maturation in Sabbath living will result in profound new freedoms from personal idols. Like Athaliah, not even the most stubborn sinful strongholds can withstand Sabbath sanctification. Our rest in the Lord, coupled with the blessing of daily grace, sanctifies our most deeply ingrained bondages. God wants righteous kings (Isa 32:1), and those who grow in Sabbath living will become just that.
Fourth, this means provision. God provided a righteous king in the Sabbath year on the Sabbath day. Did you ever consider Jehoiada's interests in this whole event? As a righteous priest, he craved a righteous king. How it must have depressed him day after day, year after year, to see Athaliah ruling and Baalism prevailing! And God did not provide his heart's desire until he himself entered a Sabbath-rest concerning that desire. The Sabbath year and day was more than just his weapon of warfare, it was also his personal testimony. 2Chronicles 23:1 says, "In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength".
Similarly, we also find ourselves at times "looking for a king". Looking for a spouse, looking for a best friend, looking for a spiritual covering, looking for a mentor, someone who will be a source of strength and security for us. God says, "Not until that desire has been Sabbatized, then your king will be provided."
Fifth, this means sign. The Sabbath was a sign of the Mosaic covenant (Ex 31:16,17). Jehoiada restored this along with the kingship (2Ki 11:17). God desires that Christian kingship also restore the Sabbath sign of the covenant--theNew Covenant, though, not the Old. This sign is not the Sabbath repertoire of the Mosaic law, which was only seminal, a foreshadow (Gal 4:9-11, Col 2:16,17). Christian kingship is to embody the Sabbath's full evolution: the Sabbath life. This is the sign of a New Covenant. The Old Covenant Sabbath gave rest for a day, year, or season; the New Covenant Sabbath gives rest for a lifetime!
Hebrews 4:9, 8:6,7: There remains, therefore, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God...the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.
Sixth, this means consequences. Jehoiada and Athaliah both experienced Sabbath consequences--one for life, one for death. When the Sabbath of the Lord and the Lord of the Sabbath prevail, someone will always "die" and someone will always "live". The Sabbath life actualizes our kingship in Christ, yet destroys its enemies. The Sabbath is a consequential reality, and was intended to be so.
2010: Living a Sabbath Life (Sabbath Foundations)
A brand new year. Just like each new day, a new year invites us to new possibilities in every way. Though many people, situations, and projects will court our attention this year, there is one most urgent that we must attend to immediately--the voice of the Lord of the Sabbath. This voice is renewing an ancient call, a call to live a Sabbath life. The Sabbath Spirit is turning on His lamps, inviting us to come sit awhile and be illumined in Sabbath ways...and you will find rest for your souls (Mt 11:29).
In the shadows, perceptive businessmen pounce on the wounded prey. As we rationalize, or simply ignore, our subpar emotional state, opportunists construct multibillion dollar corporations of pills and products promising to equilibrate and restore our emotions. While we pay an embarrassing amount of tithes and offerings to antidepressant companies--$11 billion in 2008--I hear our First Love pleading with us from Micah 6:3,4, My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I also hear Him pleading from Hosea 11:2-4, But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.
Hear those words of passionate grief coming from our First Love. Does that sound like an impotent God who abdicates His healing responsibilities to secular wise men and antidepressant companies? Did God's people live in emotional misery until, at last, the arrival of self-help psychology and pills? I pray we see the calf-idol we have created with Satan's alternative to biblical sanctification, healing, and discipleship.
This year the Holy Spirit is illuminating and renewing an ancient call to His people. A call to rest, peace, and contentment. A call to live a Sabbath life...everyday...in every way.
In the coming weeks I will be sending out a series of writings on Sabbath living. It will not be one long teaching, rather, it will be multiple teachings and exhortations from different angles. The Sabbath will be our diamond, and these writings will refract its light in various directions. My prayer is to Sabbatize our thinking completely, setting an immediate tone for the entire year.
If you've longed to enter a Sabbath-rest internally (Heb 4:1,9), consistently experience perfect peace that surpasses all understanding (Isa 26:3, Php 4:7), enjoying deep contentment in any circumstance of life (v11,12), then follow closely in the weeks to come. As we walk prayerfully around this diamond the Spirit will move with us to Sabbatize our life completely.
Sabbath ideals appear from the very beginning of time, the creation week (Gen 2:1-3). Such an early introduction underscores its importance. After the creation though, the Sabbath does not appear again in Scripture until just before and just after Israel's exodus--on the first and seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex 12:16) and in conjunction with the first provision of manna (16:23-30). Shortly thereafter, it is officially codified as the fourth of ten commandments in the Decalogue (20:8-11). A "Sabbath year" is introduced and commanded next, a year in which the land would rest and lie unplowed and unused (23:10,11). The poor, even the wild animals, would eat from the lands, vineyards, and olive groves during this year (v11).
By Exodus 31, the Sabbath is called a "sign" for the first time (31:13,17), a permanent sign forever of the covenant between Jehovah and the Israelites (v16,17). This passage also introduces the death penalty for Sabbath-breakers (v14,15), and is repeated a few chapters later (35:2). A ban on lighting fires is the final development (v3).
Bread is to be set out in the temple before the Lord every Sabbath (24:8, 1Chr 9:32). The Sabbath year for the land to rest unused is reaffirmed (Lev 25:1-7, 20-22, 26:34,35,43), with a new promise of triple provision in the sixth year (25:20-22). A Jubilee (year of redemption and liberation) was to happen in the fiftieth year after seven Sabbaths of years, or forty-nine years (v8-13). Leviticus ends with a severe and sobering passage--a Sabbath reaffirmation to introduce the blessings and curses offer (26:2).
Numbers gives us only two major passages concerning the Sabbath, Numbers 15 and Numbers 28,29. A Sabbath-breaker is executed for gathering wood (Num 15:32-36). For the first time in all of Scripture, a specified offering is ordered for the basic Sabbath day (28:9,10; two lambs a year old without defect, a drink offering, and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil).
The Sabbaths tied to the feasts are reiterated here. The first and seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to be a Sabbath (28:18,25)...the first day of the Feast of Firstfruits (v26)...the first day of the Feast of Trumpets (29:1)...the Day of Atonement (v7)...the first and eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles (v12,35).
Deuteronomy gives us a replay of the fourth commandment, but with a slightly new perspective (Deu 5:12-15). Here, the philanthropic side of the Sabbath is emphasized. Just as the Israelites were slaves without rest in Egypt, so now the Israelites were to show mercy to their menservants and maidservants by giving them a day of complete rest and refreshment (v14,15).
(1) Rest The first and most well-known Sabbath feature is that of rest. Every single Sabbath passage in Genesis and Exodus mentions rest: God rested from creating (Gen 2:2,3), Israel was to rest on the first and seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex 12:16), they were to rest from collecting manna (16:23-30), the fourth commandment codified rest (20:8-11; Deu 5:12-15), the land was to rest and lie unused in the Sabbath year (Ex 23:10,11), the Sabbath's sign purpose pointed to a covenant of rest (31:12-17), and the death penalty was imposed on those who refused Sabbath rest (v14, 35:2; Num 15:32-36). God makes a dramatic and persistent point from the beginning that His Sabbaths mean rest.
(2) Blessing After resting, the Creator blessed the seventh day (Gen 2:3), making the Sabbath a divinely-graced and divinely-favored reality. This blessing is repeated in the fourth commandment (Ex 20:11). The Sabbath year was a wonderful blessing for the poor and the wild animals (23:10,11), as well as all of Israel (Lev 25:20-22). The Jubilee, a year of wonderful blessings of redemption and liberation, was to happen in the fiftieth year after seven Sabbaths of years, or forty-nine years (25:8-13).
(3) Sanctification After resting and blessing the Sabbath, the Creator then sanctified it, or made it holy (Gen 2:3). The Sabbath is referred to as a "holy Sabbath" for the first time in the Desert of Sin (Ex 16:23). The fourth commandment opens by asserting the day's holiness (20:8).
In Exodus 31, for the first time in all of Scripture, the Sabbath is associated with God sanctifying His people and making them holy (31:13). Up to this point only the day was pronounced holy. But now, through the Sabbath-centered Mosaic law, God was imputing the holiness of the day to His people (v14, underline added): Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Just as the Sabbath was "holy to the Lord" (v15), so now through observing the day the Israelites would be included in that holiness to the Lord. Appropriately then, Moses refers to the Sabbath as "your holy day" (35:2 NIV). The day was holy and so became those who observed it.
(4) Provision We also see the Sabbath tied to provision. The day appears in conjunction with the first provision of manna (Ex 16:23-30). Though manna did not fall on the Sabbath, Jehovah wanted His people to trust that His Sabbath provision would come as a double portion on Friday, the day before (v29). The Sabbath is tied to provision once again in the Sabbath year, when the land was to rest unused (23:10,11). At this time the poor and the wild animals would enjoy an abundance of provision the entire year. Even more so, triple provision was promised to all in this year (Lev 25:20-22).
Perhaps the most consistent indication of the Sabbath/provision relationship is the bread of the temple. "Sabbath after Sabbath" the bread is to be set out before the Lord, on behalf of the Israelites as a lasting covenant (Lev 24:8, 1Chr 9:32). Jehovah wanted His people to know, week after week, that their daily bread was woven into Sabbath realities.
(5) Sign Moses tells us the Sabbath has a sign purpose, signifying the covenant of rest between Jehovah and Israel forever (Ex 31:12-17). It is important to notice this was the very last thing revealed to Moses on Sinai (v18), emphasizing the Sabbath's superimportance to God and its centrality in the Mosaic system. This passage, Exodus 31:12-17, will prove highly pertinent in the New Testament's development of the Sabbath.
(6) Consequences Finally, Sabbath-breaking is consequential. Twice in Exodus we are told the penalty is death (Ex 31:14, 35:2), and we see God enforce His threat in Numbers (Num 15:32-26). Leviticus 26 makes a most fearsome point to the Old Covenant Hebrews--Sabbath-keeping brings blessings and Sabbath-breaking brings curses (Lev 26:2).
Are you ready to finally live a Sabbath life of rest, blessing, sanctification, provision, and sign? In your intimacy with the Lord of the Sabbath, inner person, character, relationships, ministry, job/career, finances--in every way, every day? It starts with learning Sabbath foundations, beginning to lay these foundations in you. Think about them, talk about them, and pray about them in this season of Sabbatizing (Deu 6:6-9). What I will be sending out in the coming weeks will develop from what is written here. These are Sabbath foundations and they must become yours!
ANSWER--Isaiah 58:12: Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up
