Page 26 - Christ in You - The Hope of Glory

Scripture at places where God was executing judgment upon the wicked.

I Kings 14:20
The time that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years; and he slept with his fathers.

I Kings 16:29-30
Now Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa
king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two
years. Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of Yahweh more than all who were
before him.

II Kings 8:26-27
Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in
Jerusalem... He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of
Yahweh, like the house of Ahab had done, because he was a son-in-law of the house
of Ahab.

Each of these three men were exceedingly wicked. We each of them we find the
number twenty-two featuring prominently. After twenty-two years Yahweh took the life of
Jeroboam, the man who caused all Israel to enter into idolatry. After twenty-two years of
ruling, Yahweh took the life of Ahab. Ahab’s son-in-law was twenty-two when he began to
reign, and Yahweh removed him after only one year.
On the day Israel transgressed before Yahweh by fashioning for themselves a golden
calf, and debasing themselves before it, there were 22,000 Levite males.

Numbers 3:39
All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the
command of Yahweh by their families, every male from a month old and upward,
were 22,000.

The Levites answered God’s call to remove the wicked from among them that day.
They slew every man his brother, his son, his friend, and his neighbor. By carrying out this
costly obedience, choosing to do what was hateful to their own soul in order to honor
Yahweh, they obtained for themselves the right of the firstborn.
Christians will be required to make no less of a sacrifice today. Christ invited ALL who
were gathered to Him to count the cost before they started down the path of following Him.
He told them that it would cost them everything. Many have begun to follow Christ, but
when submission to the will of God became too costly, they shrank back. Many have in this
way disqualified themselves. These ones will not attain to the first resurrection, nor be
numbered among the firstborn of God.
The honor of being numbered among the firstborn is no slight honor. Yahweh was
Himself the inheritance of those so chosen. The Levites were granted access to the presence
of Yahweh that was unique among their brethren.

Numbers 18:21-23
“And to the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance,
in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting. And