Jehu, No; We Need Jehoiada

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Jehu you may know, but who is Jehoiada? Okay, the title of this post started as Jehu, Wake Up Church.

Jehu was the chosen, anointed leader of the Northern Kingdom of Israel at the time of Elisha the Prophet. He destroyed the house of Ahab, killed Jezebel, ended Baal worship, and God honored him by fulfilling the promise of four generations of his family ruling over Israel. Much of this has been covered in

Jehu – The Start

2 Kings 9 11

Jehu and the Prophets

You will find Jehu’s story in 2 Kings 9 and 10 and his children in 13, 14, and 15. This man had it all, he did what he was given to do for the Lord. He ruled for twenty-eight years and could have made the list in Hebrews 11. He had prophets of God to help him, especially Elisha. With all of this going for him, he had a serious issue that he did not let go of. See 2 Kings 10:28, 29. He ended Baal worship, but could not let go of the golden calves in Bethel and Dan. The first King Jeroboam started this practice after he got a promise from God and had it fulfilled. See 1 Kings 12:25. I guess they had something in common, they were blessed by God but held on to the bull.  

Jehoiada’s story is mixed in with Joash king of Judah – 2 Kings 11 and 12, and in 2 Chronicles 22:10 through 24:27. Maybe I should say that King Joash (not the father of Gideon) had a story because of the Jehoiada the priest. Athaliah, who was not a loving nana, killed almost everyone in royal line of Solomon and took the throne. She missed Joash because of his aunt who stole him away and hid him in the Temple. Jehoiada was Joash’s uncle, by marriage, with this aunt, Jehosheba. (Okay, if you are into the Law governing priest, that marriage should not have happened, she was from Judah. But thank God it did happen.) No Joash means no Joseph who married Mary the mother of Jesus.

Jehoiada hid Joash, protected him, restored him to power, and helped him restore the Temple of God, and helped Joash as long as he lived. When Jehoiada died Joash forgot the Lord and met with a bad ending.

Church of Jesus, we need Jehoiada’s not Jehu’s or Joash’s. Jehoiada was faithful in his work for the Lord and served his community by doing what was right. Maybe a better title would have been: Two Kings and a Man of God.

The Lord’s Prayer – More Than One?

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“More Than One?” comes from the fact that Matthew and Luke have different versions of the Lord’s Prayer. If you extend your search, you will find translations of the Bible and denominations also have slightly different versions. My simple answer to that is – Because!

Imagine my surprise as a preteen, when I visited a different denomination and they did not know the Lord’s Prayer. Everyone stopped and did not finish it; they left the ending off.     

My post, my opinion, and my hope is that you will study so that “you can show yourself approved” if you ever choose to get into a discussion on this or any topic. I will even inject a few facts.

Not only are there variations between Matthew and Luke, but other people have done some well-meaning additions since they were written. There has been attempts in the past to make Luke sound more like Matthew, or the translators’ choice of sin or debit, and the big one of adding a line after temptation. By 1599 the Geneva Bible had – but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen. That means by 1611 it was also in the King James. This addition to the Prayer sounds a lot like 1 Chronicles 29:11, which is part of a prayer from David.

So, was this to be the perfect prayer or a pattern of how to pray? Read Matthew 6:5 to 7:12, now compare it to Luke 11:1-13. Yes, I am contemplating learning activities, but for now, how would you defend your answer?

Did this perfect prayer pattern (see what I did there) have an effect? Analyze Colossians 1:9-14 and compare it to the Lord’s Prayer. How does Ephesians 4:32 reflect the Prayer? Do the differences and additions show a lack of competent teaching or a lot of use?  

More Than One? The Lord prayed many times, yet only one is named. John 17, the Garden, and on the cross; Jesus prayed some powerful prayers. The Our Father is important, but is it a formula or a foundation to a relationship?

The Lord’s Prayer – The Start

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The Books from Matthew and Luke record Jesus’ teaching about prayer – Matthew 6: 9 – 13 (6:5-15 + 7:7-12); Luke 11: 1-4 (11:1-13). Matthew’s version is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Luke’s comes after a prayer session and then much of the “Sermon on the Mount” is presented. The Holy Spirit directed these writers, and I feel it is important to include the whole teaching as part of this study. Actually, I have already written about bread, epiousios (daily), and hallow (more to come).

Jesus was teaching Jews who had knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures and traditions. So, as the Master Teacher He presented a prayer that has many layers and references that deserve looking into. I will get to the “support” text but the two versions of the Prayer have more than enough in them to start.

Reference materials have been important for this study, I have used The Blue Letter Bible text analysis, Bible Hub, Stong’s Concordance, Mounce Greek Interlinear, and I have viewed other translations in Bible Gateway. Lately, I have preferred the NASB version. Matthew has been my focus for a while, so bookmark both Gospels and be prepared to “flip pages”.

Our

In Matthew, I noticed that Jesus used three possessive adjectives in this section on prayer and in the Sermon: your, our, and My. He used these with Father to get the people thinking about the righteous relationship the Father has wanted with His children. In verses 6:5-8 “your Father” is used three times; then for the prayer He changes it to “our Father”. Simple and subtle but take a moment to reflect on that. In the Greek text Luke does not start with Our but uses hemon or “of us”. (G1473 – ego.)

Our Father

If you use a word-search tool you will find hundreds of times “father” is used in the Bible. So, I added “your” and looked for “your Father”, that narrowed the entries a lot and I went to the Minor Prophets and Psalms and found what I was looking for. (Yes, I may have missed some and this is NASB.)

Psalms 2:7 and 89:26 are verses where the Father and Son are talking to each other (Righteous relationship). Malachi 2:10 includes everyone in the Father/child relationship. There are not a lot of references like these, so they are precious and very informative. To show what Jesus was bring, as part of the Kingdom, Matthew 5:16 to 7:21 has many your Father, our Father, and My Father references.  

In Heaven

I see Jesus giving this phrase to not only say who He was praying to, but giving a definite location. Remember, the Jews were surrounded by countries who had many gods that were connected to geographical locations and temples. This also prepared the way for this prayer to go beyond the borders of Israel and still connect to Jehovah.

If “epiousios bread” had not been included Moses or David could have written this centuries before Jesus and it would have been a great Hebrew prayer to HaShem.     

Bible 911 – 1 Chronicles 9:11

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1 Chronicles 9:11 And Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God (KJV) See Nehemiah 11:11.

Aaron’s family from the Tribe of Levi are the main focus of this edition of Bible 911. In between King David’s family and the Trible of Benjamin, especially King Saul’s family, the journey of the Tribe of Levi is well documented in the Bible. Levi and Simeon led the “pillaging” of Shechem in Genesis 34 when their sister was defiled. Remember, these guys were in their teens when they took matters into their own hands. The history in 9:11 starts in the time of Samuel, goes through David’s rule, and is talking about family around the time of Jeremiah and beyond. (1 Samuel 14:3 and Ezra 7:2) This family and tribe played important roles throughout Israel’s history for both good and bad.

Priest not after the Order of Aaron

  • Samuel was not a priest after Aaron. He was a servant to Eli that God elevated to prophet and judge. Any sacrifice he made was not in connection with the Tabernacle or Ark.
  • David was a priest after the Order of Melchizedek. (Psalms 110)
  • Jesus is our High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 4 and 7)
  • We are kings and priest because we are in Jesus; so, being like Melchizedek.

Cohen or Kohen – Aaron’s Family

A very important thing to remember when studying names, especially in the Levities, is that names are reused to honor family. So, a casual glance may not work well as there could be multiple Ahitub’s, or Zadok’s, or Ananias’. Family linage was/is important in the Jewish community, just look in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. Matthew 1 focuses on Joseph and Luke 3 is Mary’s. They have a common point after the exile in Babylon with Zerubbabel and Shealtiel. No, I do not know how that works, but Mary’s is through Nathan not Solomon.

(A side note.) I know there are other cultures that might be able to trace their families back many generations, but the recorded historical legacy of the Hebrew people is amazing.

Here are a few Cohens in the Bible.

  • Hilkiah was an important priest; you will find his name mentioned many times in 2 Chronicles, 2 Kings, and Jeremiah. He is not the only Hilkiah mentioned in the Bible.
  • Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Ezra were priests.
  • Ezra may have been the “author” of Chronicles and Malachi. Jeremiah/Baruch may have complied Kings. Both probably used common source material, there are many “lost” writings mentioned in the Bible.
  • Much of Jeremiah’s trouble came from family members (Sons of Hilkiah, the priest).
  • Azariah or Seraiah was after the captivity of Babylon. (In 9:11)
  • At the time of Eli, in 1 Samuel, there were two branches of the family of Aaron. (2 Samuel 8:17 and shows the name Seraiah) Eleazar and Ithamar were the branches, the other two sons died – Leviticus 10:1 and 6.
  • See Samuel and the Priest, Priest, Priest 2
  • Because of Eli, his side of the family was downgraded, but not removed from being priest; that extended into King Saul (1 Samuel 22:9), David, and Solomon reign’s.
  • At the time of Luke 1 the High Priest office was “bought” from Herod. The selling of sacrifices and money exchanging in the Temple was a lucrative concession. (Josephus) 
  • Zechariah (Luke 1) and his son John the Baptist were priest.
  • There are good records from this time that can be found on the internet about the High Priest in Jerusalem before 70 AD.

1 Chronicles 9, for me, is a transition chapter. Chapters 1 – 8 are family lines and a wealth of information. Chapter 8 ends with the linage of King Saul past Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth or Meribbaal. This works into the Book of Esther. Chapter 9 begins with the return of exiles from Babylon and repeats King Saul’s family line. It connects with the work of David and Samuel, and lays the foundation for the positions of responsibility in the Second Temple. Chapter 11 begins David’s time as king.

9:3 adds an interesting historical footnote, Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph’s sons) are included in those who returned. Their ancestral lands were in the Northern Kingdom, that was carried into exile by Assyria. In Kings and Chronicles there are verses that some returned to the South and the Temple before that exile. There is no indication that these families came from the Habor Valley, but they might have.

Zechariah and John

The role that these two Cohens play in life of Jesus should not be limited to His birth. Zechariah was behind the curtain offering incense. In Leviticus 23 this was done in the “seventh month” on the Day of Atonement (See Leviticus 16). His self-centered lack of faith got him nine months of silence. Contrast this to his very vocal son announcing the need to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. The father stood in an empty room, where the Mercy Seat should have been, confessing the sins of Israel. The son announced in the open, that the Lamb of God was here to take away the sins of the world. Now contemplate the symbolic transfer from the Law, that was about to be fulfilled, to Mercy and Grace when Jesus put His blood on the heavenly Mercy Seat.

The “name change” from Zechariah to John is another indicator of this shift. Zechariah means “God remembers” and John means “God is gracious”. Something should be noted here. The Law and the priest worked under the watchful eye of Herod. John lost his head to an entertainer at a party under the same watchful eye of Herod.

Jesus’ Family Line

As Christians we have a natural and a spiritual family line. Tribes and nations are important to the Father, He ordained them. So, research and learn about your natural family, it may be very long and have many fathers and mothers in it. Your spiritual family line is shorter. What would your family branch look like if it was in the Book of Luke Chapter 3? It may look like this – (Your name), the son or daughter of God. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 NASB – Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST – Bible Gateway    Galatians 3:26 NASB – For you are all sons and daughters of – Bible Gateway

Paul

Paul, who was from the Tribe of Benjamin, wrote about genealogies and sons.

1 Timothy 1:4 and Titus 3:9 advise each of his “sons in the faith” to avoid the trap of genealogies because they do not support the “plan of God”. I get the feeling that people were claiming importance because of their heritage and demanding certain Laws must be followed.

Our 9:11 verse made me think of long family lines to prove you are connected to God, He made a much shorter path.

1 Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4, and Galatians 3:7 NASB – Therefore, recognize that it is those – Bible Gateway  talk about an intriguing father/child relationship that can happen because of faith. 

Bread in the Bible – The Meal He Wanted to Share

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The trail of “breadcrumbs” in the Book of Matthew starts with the devil tempting Jesus, goes to the Sermon on the Mount, nourishes thousands (including Gentiles), rises to challenge Pharisees and Sadducees, and comes to Matthew 26:26 and His last meal before the crucifixion. Those loaves of bread, leavened and unleavened, were physical and metaphorical. That bread feeds the body and soul of the Kingdom Jesus brought to His people and the world.

A true smorgasbord of facts, opinions, beliefs, and doctrines have fed the Christian world for hundreds of years. I have read recipes, mixed ingredients, risen and kneaded this study for a while. When heat is applied, a crust will still form with a soft inside and supply energy to the eater, but I am sure not everyone will want to finish their piece.   

Food, Eating, and a Meal

As this post I pondered, my mind wandered through the Bible from beginning to end. Our story (people) began in a garden eating and goes to a garden city where we will have a banquet. Many of our Bible stories and favorite characters have food or eating as part of their story. Jesus’ parables frequently featured food, fishing, farmers, or feasting. This last koinonia or fellowship Jesus wanted to share with His disciples was an evening meal. He sent John and Peter to prepare/arrange for the meal (Luke 22), they “sat” at a table, Jesus even washed the disciples’ feet (part of the “greeting” going into a Hebrew home). This party even had singing.

The Sacrament of Christian Communion started as two parts of a Jewish dinner. “Breaking bread” (G2800) and “broke bread” (G2806) both have references to eating a regular meal and communion (See Luke 24:30). Jesus’ last meal had unleavened bread (no yeast, it was Passover), it may have been a “matzah”. Not all “flat breads” are dry, hard crackers or convenient, tasteless wafers. I will stop and leave our denominational traditions alone.

This is a list of communion references, this is not a list of “body and blood” references Paul uses in his Letters – Matthew 26, Luke 22, Mark 14, John 6, and c. John’s reference about Jesus’ Body and Blood is in Chapter 6 after the Feeding of the 5,000 when Jesus is addressing people on the other side of Lake Galilee. John’s account of the last meal is in Chapter 13. Okay, I am going back to bread and SOME of the symbolism of His Body.

Bread

As I thought about bread in the Bible, the Holy Spirit reminded to include the seeds or grain, in this Kingdom teaching, that the finished loaf is made from. Oil, water, salt, yeast, and flavorings may be added as another study, but not today. Jesus used a sower, farmers, gardeners, and a bread maker when He taught about His Kingdom. Joseph saving grain in Egypt, Gideon preparing and protecting his grain, and Ruth in the fields of Bethlehem are important introductions of God’s thoughts on His Kingdom.

Passover is at the beginning of barley harvest; the wheat harvest is around Pentecost (See Ruth). Both of these grains were important to Israel. Sometimes it clearly says barley or wheat, but not always. Flour is ground up seeds of grain and does not always mean wheat. Unless it was a new crop, the bread that Jesus’ broke was stored away from the previous harvesting season and could have been either barley or wheat.

Unleavened bread (no yeast) is quick to make and bake, think about leaving Egypt. Yeast bread takes longer to make and bake and is really just a different loaf of bread. Yeast is not always bad. The grain offering at Pentecost was two loaves of yeast bread, that symbolizes Jews and Gentiles (Leviticus 23). The woman mixed yeast into a large amount of flour to represent how the kingdom should grow (Matthew 13:33).

For Jesus to have that loaf of bread to break the ground had to be prepared, seeds had to be sown, the grain was harvested and the poisonous tare seeds removed. Threshing to remove the husk was the last step before storing it until needed. Then many individual grains had to be ground together to make flour, so the final loaf of bread could be baked in a fire or hot oven. All of that sounds like Kingdom work to me.

Take and Eat

Matthew 26:26 – Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it out, and said, “Take and eat; this is my body”.

1 Corinthians 10:16 – Is the cup of blessing which we bless not a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ? (NASB)

The Body of Christ is an important topic in Paul’s writings. 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 highlight his vision of the Body. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul makes a point that he got the communion service “from the Lord”. You can get the feeling that Paul had some powerful times in the Lord’s presence. As a part of that revelation Paul and Luke add that communion should be a time of remembrance of the Lord and His Body -Luke 22:19 and 1 Corinthians 11:24 and 25. That word is used only one other time, Hebrews 10:3 and it is in connection with the sin sacrifice.

κοινωνία | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com  koinonia or fellowship

ἀνάμνησις | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com remembrance

Final Thought

Jesus’ last meal, before He said, “Tetelestai”, had wine and bread in it. In Matthew 26:28 He said His blood was poured out for the forgiveness of sins. In 1 Peter 2:24 it says that He took our sins in His body and put them on the cross and that His wounds were for our healing. His wounds bled and covered His body with His blood so that we could be saved and healed.