2 Kings 11.
THE ways of God with His people in the little kingdom of Judah come before us again, though the chief concern of these Books of the Kings is with the main body of Israel led astray by Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin.
The evil consequences of the believer’s mingling with the world in its affairs, seeking companionship with those who are unbelievers, are again strikingly presented to the Christian heart as we read of the wicked Athaliah.
In no small measure the beginning of all the evil which befell the nation of Judah is traceable back to the agreement of the godly, but world-bordering, Jehoshaphat with Ahab (2 Chronicles 18:1) of whom we are told in 1 Kings 16:29-34 that Ahab “did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him; and ... ..as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him... . and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel, that were before him.”
Jehoshaphat knew something of the Word of God, and as a young man he showed much godliness, but he in later years, made a league with Ahab. After this he went down to visit him whom once he must have warned his people against. He made himself one with Ahab, saying to him when war against the Syrians was being talked of, “I am as thou art, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war.” 2 Chronicles 18:3. Next and finally, Jehoshaphat saw his son Jehoram (or Joram) married at a very young age to the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and that son walking “in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab; for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife; and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 21:6).
How very solemn a warning all this is to the Christian! (See Psalm 1; 2 Corinthians 6:14; James 4:4).
Athaliah, Jezebel’s daughter, mad perhaps with mingled rage and grief because of all that had befallen her family (2 Chronicles 22:1 and 8; 2 Kings 9:27 etc;) now undertook to kill her remaining grandsons. Satan, through this horrible woman whose husband apparently with her connivance had murdered all his six brothers and others (2 Chronicles 21:4) was trying to put an end to the royal line of David, but God moved Jehosheba, who seems to have been Athaliah’s daughter to carry away to safety her one-year old nephew Joash. Jehosheba was the wife of the priest Jehoiada, a godly man, and with this couple the baby stayed six years, never being brought out of doors in that time as it would seem. During this period, Athaliah, the murderess and idolater, reigned in Jerusalem in the place once occupied by David and Solomon.
In the seventh year Johoiada strengthened himself, and told the secret to the captains of the army and the Levites, and showed them the king’s son. He appointed guards to look after the boy’s safety, and armed them with king David’s spears and shields. At a suitable moment Jehoiada brought Joash, or Jehoash as his name is also written, out and crowned him, putting into his hands the Word of God.
Athaliah heard the noise of the people as they rejoiced over their new king, and came to the temple to see what might be going on. Her time had come, and she was taken away and put to death. Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, and between the king and the people.
All the people of the land went into the house of Baal and broke it down; broke down the altars and images there, and put to death the priest of Baal. Officers were then appointed over the house of God.
Now for a season, the worship of Baal was at an end in both Israel and Judah. If in Israel the worship of the golden calves still went on, in Judah at least the godly Jehoiada was seeking the honor of God, and teaching the boy-king ways pleasing to Him.
ML 12/11/1927