READING FOR NOVEMBER 24, 2025: 2 KINGS 11, 1 JOHN 2, PSALM 119:73-80 2 KINGS 11 We’ve already run into this story of the rise and fall of Queen Athaliah when we studied 2 Chronicles 23. By way of quick summary, remember that Jehu killed King Ahaziah of Judah after he killed King Joram of Israel. Then Queen Athaliah, apparently not feeling much grief over the death of her son Ahaziah, got rid of (or so she thought) all the royal children and claimed the throne of Judah for herself. Unbeknownst to her, Jehosheba, sister of the slain Ahaziah, rescued Joash, a very young son of Ahaziah. She hid him in the Temple, a place the wicked Athaliah likely did not visit.
The in seventh year the faithful priest Jehoiada arranged for faithful soldiers to come to the Temple. He asked them to enter into a covenant with him, some sort of promise of loyalty. Then he dramatically revealed the very much alive rightful heir of King Ahaziah, Joash, and gave them directions for placing him on the throne. As we may recall from 2 Chronicles 23 this plan was successful and led to the death of Queen Athaliah. Then once again, the forging of a covenant becomes significant: “Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, that they would be the Lord’s people, and between the king and the people” (vs. 17).
Covenants are important to this story, but a better covenant is the Gospel of Jesus Christ: “Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb.7:22-25).
1 John 2 John’s goal for his readers is that they do not sin. That should be our goal, as well. If and when we do sin, though, we have the best possible advocate in our defense before God the Father: none other than Jesus, Himself. He bore God’s wrath against our sin in our place. He did this for us, for all our sins. Strict Calvinists believe in a concept called limited atonement, meaning God only did this for those elected for salvation. Verse two seems to counter this view. Wesleyans, such as our church, believe Jesus died for everyone, but that the gift of salvation still needs to be received by us. Jesus cannot be an advocate for those who reject His advocacy. Verse three answers the question, “How do we know we are saved or are Christians?” John says we know by keeping Jesus’s commandments. If we don’t know His commandments because we don’t study His word, that’s a concern. Jesus made the following comment about the importance of the Bible: “He answered and said, ‘it is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God’” (Matt.4:4). John is a bit hard to understand in verses 7-8. At first, he says he is not giving them a new commandment. Then immediately he says he is giving a new commandment. What’s going on? Possibly he is
READING FOR NOVEMBER 24, 2025 CONTINUED: 1 JOHN 2, PSALM 119:73-80 suggesting that in one sense the commandment about loving our neighbors as ourselves is not new. We find this way back in Leviticus 19:18. But we do find a commandment Jesus called “new” in John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” This fits with the context of 1 John 2:3 about knowing we are Jesus followers and 1 John 2:6 about walking as Jesus walked.
John tells us not to love the world or the things of the world. The word for world is kosmon,which is the same word used in John 3:16 about God loving the world. This word is used differently depending on the context. Here it means the sinful fallen world system that rejects God. John describes it as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life. This is the world that is passing away, but the obedient believer will live forever. John mentioned that the great enemy of Christ, the antichrist, will come in these last days. Already there were many who opposed Jesus, including and especially those who once identified as Christians. This is certainly true today where we find former apparent believers now leading the opposition to Jesus. These individuals do not accept Jesus as God the Son who was anointed by the Holy Spirit and sent from God the Father. But Jesus is the one who promises eternal life through faith in Him. Those who teach otherwise are trying to deceive us.
PSALM 119:73-80 The Psalmist reasons that because God created us, He can certainly help us understand His commandments. Asking God for such understanding is so important when contemporary interpretations seem to stray from the original meaning. The Psalmist prays that other believers will be happy to know He is meditating on God’s word. Let’s rejoice when we hear another believer gaining good insight from the Bible and not be jealous or defensive. Verse 75 is shocking to us, but we cannot ignore it. If God afflicts us, He is right to do so and in fact is demonstrating His faithfulness to us. At the same time verse 76 says it is right to turn to God for comfort. Can we hold both of these truths together? Verse 78 reminds us that arrogant people are out to destroy our faith, but meditating on the Bible protects us.
