2 Chronicles 23:1-151And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him. 2And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the Lord hath said of the sons of David. 4This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors; 5And a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. 6But let none come into the house of the Lord, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord. 7And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out. 8So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses. 9Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David's, which were in the house of God. 10And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about. 11Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king. 12Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord: 13And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of music, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason. 14Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth of the ranges: and whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Slay her not in the house of the Lord. 15So they laid hands on her; and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there. (2 Chronicles 23:1‑15).
THE house of David had failed completely; but the faithfulness of God remained. He will not suffer His faithfulness to fail (Psa. 89:3333Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. (Psalm 89:33)). How precious this is! When things were at their lowest ebb, He raised up a man of faith, Jehoiada the high priest, who restored the kingdom to the family of David. Jehoiada was a godly man who valued the Word of God and knew that He would not suffer the wicked Athaliah to continue her course. Being high priest he knew all that sought the Lord, and evidently more and more of the people turned away from Athaliah and her wicked ways. In the seventh year he made a covenant with several captains of the army, who went about the land of Judah and gathered the Levites and the chief of the fathers of Israel to Jerusalem. These came unto the house of the Lord, and Jehoiada showed them the king's son, and they made a covenant with him. Jehoiada said unto them, "Behold the king's son shall reign as the Lord hath said of the sons of David."
Jehoiada divided them into three parts. A third part were to come in on the Sabbath. The priests and Levites were to keep watch at the doors. A third part were to be at the king's house, and the other third were to be in the courts of the house of the Lord. But none but the priests and Levites were to come into the house of the Lord. The Levites were to stand around the king with weapons in their hands, and anyone who came into the house was to be put to death. Jehoiada was able to give them weapons, spears and shields which had been put into the house of the Lord by King David. When everything was ready, they brought forth little Joash and put the crown upon him. Then they shouted,
"God save the king."
When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came into the house of the Lord. There she saw the young king standing crowned on a platform with the princes standing by him, and all the people were rejoicing amid the blowing of trumpets and other instruments of music, while others were sing. ing praises. Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried out, "Treason, treason!" but her power and authority were gone forever. Jehoiada gave orders to have her taken out of the house of the Lord. She went out through the entrance of the horse gate and was slain.
We learn from this that when the Lord's appointed time comes, the power of the usurper vanishes, and what seemed so mighty in the ordinary ways of man is soon wiped away. So it will be at the end of this age. Satan has usurped power and authority from the Lord, but in His own time He will bring it all to nothing. When He comes to rule over the earth, those who have wielded the power and authority Satan has given them will be taken and cast into the lake of fire, and those who followed them will be slain by the sword which proceeded out of His mouth.
Those who were privileged to see Joash before he was publicly crowned as king, are a type of those who are privileged even now to look up by faith and see the Lord Jesus at the Father's right hand, during this time when He is hid from the eyes of the world. "We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor." Heb. 2:99But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9). What will it be to be suddenly called to meet Him in the air, and to be with Him when He is manifested to this world in His glory and power!
Messages of the Love of God 9/7/1958