Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the Lord. Then he showed them the king's son. He commanded them, saying, "This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath — a third of you guarding the royal palace, a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple - and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king. Station yourselves around the king, each man with his weapon in his hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks must be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes."
The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men — those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty — and came to Jehoiada the priest. Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the Lord. The guards, each with his weapon in his hand, stationed themselves around the king — near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.
Jehoiada brought out the king's son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, "Long live the king!"
When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the Lord. She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, "Treason! Treason!"
Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: "Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her." For the priest had said, "She must not be put to death in the temple of the Lord." So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.
Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the Lord. He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the Lord and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne, and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.
Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.
2 Kings 11:1-21
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Most of the scripture over the last several chapter in 2 Kings has centered on Jehu, a former commander in Israel’s army, who was chosen by the Lord to be king and carry out judgment on the house of Ahab…a task that included killing the current king of Israel, Ahab’s son Joram, and the king of Judah, Ahaziah, who had married Ahab’s daughter.
From that point on, Jehu assumed command in Israel and continued to carry out the Lord’s penalty against any one connected with Ahab, to include those who led the worship of the false god Baal.
So what was going on in the southern kingdom of Judah during this time?
Chapter 11 lets us know.
For as the chapter opens, we find “Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah” seeking to seize the throne after her son’s death by destroying the “whole royal family”. All Athaliah had to do was kill all of her son's successors and she could sit on the throne and this is what she set out to do…so power hungry that she would kill all her grandchildren in order to rule.
Well, “Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah” wasn’t about to let this happen to her newborn son. And so she “took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered”, hiding him and his nurse in a bedroom within the “temple of the Lord”. They would remain there “for six years while Athaliah ruled the land”.
So would evil win out? Would Athaliah get away with her heinous scheme?
Back to the scriptures…where in the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, “the priest Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord”. There he “made a covenant with them and put them under oath” before showing them the king's son and giving the following command:
"This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath — a third of you guarding the royal palace, a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple - and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king. Station yourselves around the king, each man with his weapon in his hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks must be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes."
And so the “commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered” with each one taking their men — “those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty” — to Jehoiada who armed them with “the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the Lord”. The armed guards then “stationed themselves around the king near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side”.
Then Jehoiada brought out Ahaziah’s only surviving son, Joash, who was now seven years of age, and “put the crown on him” before presenting him “with a copy of the covenant” and proclaiming him king. Joash was then anointed and the people “clapped their hands” and shouted, "Long live the king!"
Well, the “noise made by the guards and the people” was heard by Athaliah and so she went to the temple. Once there, she saw what everyone was cheering. For “standing by the pillar” was the crowned Joash with “the officers and the trumpeters” beside him and “all the people of the land…rejoicing and blowing trumpets”.
In anger at what she witnessed, Athaliah “tore her robes” and called out, "Treason! Treason!" as if her actions to assume power had been noble.
Athaliah would have been better suited to be quiet. Because after she brought such attention on herself, we read where Jehoiada “ordered the commanders of units of a hundred”…those “in charge of the troops”…to "Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her." It was clear that the priest did not want Athaliah to be “put to death in the temple of the Lord." And so she was seized as “she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds” and there “she was put to death”.
Athaliah’s evil reign was over.
So everything was good now…right?
Wrong.
Because there was unfinished business in Judah.
You see, not only was Athaliah evil in the way she assumed power but she also promoted Baal worship in her kingdom. And before things could be right again with God, the false idols and altars had to be removed and destroyed.
And so Jehoiada the priest “made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord's people”. Then “all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down”, smashing “the altars and idols to pieces” and killing “Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars”.
Jehoiada followed this by posting “guards at the temple of the Lord” and escorting Joash from the temple and into the palace where he took his place on the royal throne…an action that caused the people of the land to rejoice.
And then “the city went quiet”…at peace…because Athaliah was no longer in power.
Order had been restored.
Do you have a crisis in your life that you are trying to work through? Maybe you’re mired in financial problems. Possibly your having issues in a relationship…whether marital or family or work related. Maybe someone is being evil toward you. Or maybe you’re trapped in a downward spiral of sin and unsure how to escape.
If you’re going through any of these or any other difficulty, today’s scripture shows us the way to deal with it and it all starts with the Lord.
For when things reach a crisis stage in life, we can always count on the Lord to restore order when he is put in His rightful place…in charge.
In Judah, this meant removing the evil Athaliah from power and installing a rightful successor in Joash. But even this wasn’t done without first presenting the young boy king with a copy of the covenant so he would have the word of the Lord with him. If true order were going to be restored then God’s word would have to be restored as well.
Note as well that Jehoiada the priest “made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord's people”. For it wasn’t enough to just have God’s word in the hands of the king. Everyone had to be committed to being God’s people…to allow Him to rule supreme…to allow His will and way to be theirs.
So this was enough right?
God’s word was restored as was the people’s commitment to be God’s people.
Not quite enough.
Because there was still a matter of the Baal worship that had permeated Judah. If the people were now recommitted to God, then Baal had to go. And so the people did just that, entering the temple of Baal and tearing it down…smashing the altars and idols to pieces before killing the Baal priest in front of the altars.
At that point, God was restored as the God of Israel…the only One worthy of worship.
So again, what crisis are you going through? Are you, like the people of Judah, longing for a restoration of order?
Then why not follow the three steps found in our passage today?
1. Engage yourself with God’s word. Pray over it and ask the Lord to reveal His truth to you through His words.
2. As you reconnect with God’s word and allow His truth to be revealed to you, renew your covenant with Him…to allow Him to rule supreme in your life.
3. And then as you renew your commitment to be one of His people, fully embracing Him in every part of your life, rid yourself of anything else that might draw you away from Him. For Satan is good at getting us to worship all kinds of things in life, all the while pulling us away from the only One worthy of our worship.
Friends, we often cry out in the midst of our troubles for help…for resolution…for peace and quiet.
Judah finally found their quiet in the order restored through the Lord.
You can too.
Trust and believe it.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
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