WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE?

2 KINGS 14

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

Read the books of 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles and you’ll discover some material that seems repetitive, because these books sometimes recount the same event from a somewhat different perspective. They all are inspired but like the gospels in the New Testament the Holy Spirit had the writer emphasize different things He wanted to emphasize. That is His prerogative. You also learn that there were good kings and evil kings whose lives are recounted in Holy Writ. Sometimes a king listed as “good” did bad things- sometimes a king listed as “evil” did good things. What was the difference maker? Let’s check out two kings and see.

 

I. AMAZIAH- THE “PRETTY” KING OF JUDAH

1. He was “Pretty” Good [v. 1-4]

2. He Was “Pretty” Tough [v. 5-7]

3. He was “Pretty” Arrogant [v. 8-12]

 

II. JEHOASH- THE “FAIR” KING OF ISRAEL

1. He was “Fairly” Reasonable [v. 9-10]

2. He Was “Fairly” Thorough [v. 13-16]

3. He was “Fairly” Accurate [v. 10, 17-20]

 

III. YAHWEH [JEHOVAH] - THE DIFFERENCE MAKING GOD

1. God Sees [v. 23-24]

2. God Speaks [v. 25]

when anyone listens it makes the difference in their life [Jm. 1:18-19, Rm. 2:8-11, Ga. 5:7, 1 Peter 4:17-18]

-Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

-But unto them that are contentious , and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.

-Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

-For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

3. God Saves [v. 26-29]