The
Book of Second kings
Chapter 11
[1] And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that
her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
[2] But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash
the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the king's sons which were slain;
and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so
that he was not slain.
[3] And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah
did reign over the land.
1) Lust For Power Vs
1 & 3b
In the land of Israel there is
division.
The N. Kingdom 10 tribes known as Israel and the S.
Kingdom known as Judah
But an alliance was formed by the marriage of Jehoram (Judah) & Athaliah (Israel) she introduced Baal worship
Jehu has been ordained of God to be
the king of Israel
He proceeds to execute the current king Jehoram.
He also executes the king of Judah Ahaziah (for his
assoc w/ Jehoram)
Jehu executes wicked Queen Jezebel and any other
rivals to his throne in Israel
Jehu executes all that worship Baal in Israel, BUT
Jehu would not serve God fully
In the land of Judah, with king Ahaziah executed by
Jehu, Athaliah took charge!!!
Who is Athaliah ? She is the mother of the executed king
Ahaziah (Killed by Jehu)
She is the daughter of Wicked King Ahab and Queen
Jezebel
She was the bride of the king of
Judah (Jehoram)
She is bloodthirsty for power and proceeds to destroy all her grandchildren and the royal family so she can RULE!
(Vs 3b) Athaliah did reign over the
land ---- for 6 yrs
[4] And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds,
with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the
LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of
the LORD, and shewed them the king's son.
[5] And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third
part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of
the king's house;
[6] And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate
behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not
broken down.
[7] And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep
the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.
[8] And ye shall compass the king around about, every man with his weapons in
his hand: and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye
with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in.
[9] And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that
Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to
come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath, and came
to Jehoiada the priest.
[10] And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David's spears
and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD.
[11] And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about
the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple,
along by the altar and the temple.
[12] And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave
him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped
their hands, and said, God save the king.
2) Love for Promise Vs 2-12
Please remember while Athaliah is
destroying the royal seed God made a promise to David (2 Sam 7:16)
Jehosheba, the ˝ sister of king Ahaziah Athaliah is not her mother, but Athaliah’s husband (the former King) is her father
She is also the wife of Jehoiada the
priest (2 Chr 22:11)
Jehosheba took her little nephew
Joash (along with his nurse) and hid him away 6yrs in the House of the Lord
Jehoiada, the high priest is a godly man and is
concerned with restoring the house of David
He gathered the leaders along with
the captains & guards.
He secured their loyalty before he revealed the
royal heir.
Then he showed them the king’s son
(Joash). Happy be the day!
Living under the rule of wickedness without hope as
they knew not the King was alive &ready to rule (1Jn3:1)
Jehoiada’s plan was to have the guard ready for
protection.
Every Sabbath the guards would
change shifts weekly (Vs 9). Therefore, there are present 2 great shifts
of men
The men would be divided.
The group coming in (1/3 to watch kings house
and 2/3 at the gate)
The group going out divided in halves and are
to watch the house of the Lord about the king
Jehoiada would give the men spears
and shields of King David from the house of the Lord
The men would surround the king and stand
guard for him (security detail)
Jehoiada reveals the King!
Joash is brought out before the
people
Ps 75:6 For promotion cometh neither from the east,
nor form the west, nor from the south
The King is crowned! The King is given the Word of God (Dt
17:18,19a)
The King is Anointed! The
King is received and recognized as the people declare “God save the King.”
[13] And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came
to the people into the temple of the LORD.
[14] And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner
was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the
land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and
cried, Treason, Treason.
[15] But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the
officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges:
and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let
her not be slain in the house of the LORD.
[16] And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the
horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain.
3) Lack of Praise Vs
13-16
Queen Athaliah heard the
noise of the people and she came to the house of the Lord
When
she looked she saw the king, the support of the people and she screamed
“Treason Treason”
She is desiring for the
guard to arrest and execute the new king along with those assembled in his
support
But she is arrested and taken from the house of the Lord and slain with the sword where the kings horses came
The
wages of sin is death! (Rom 6:23)
She did not ask for her life, nor for mercy. She would not bow to the new king. She would not move out of the way
[17] And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people
that they should be the LORD's people; between the king also and the people.
[18] And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it
down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew
Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers
over the house of the LORD.
[19] And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and
all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of
the LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And
he sat on the throne of the kings.
[20] And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and
they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king's house.
[21] Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.
4) Live for Peace Vs
17-21
A. Reform
Jehoiada the priest
established a covenant between the Lord, the King and the People
The people re-committed
themselves to be the people of the Lord.
They will honor, obey and serve God
God in turn will forgive
and pardon their sin and restore them
The King will stand for
right and the people pledge their support of the king
The people destroyed the
temple of Baal in Jerusalem and it’s false idols and images.
The priest of Baal was
slain. No longer will the people serve false gods
B. Rejoicing
Jehoiada has the guard take
the king from the House of the Lord to
the Kings house.
It was at the Kings House
that he sat upon the throne to rule!
(vs 21 - Seven years
old was Jehoash when he began to reign)
All the land rejoiced to
see this day and there was peace in the city
I wonder if the kingdom
was at first governed by the Lord thru the high priest Jehoiada and other
advisors
Surely before long the Lord Jesus, who is now
hidden, will be manifested (Col. 3:4), and those that have hated Him will be
ashamed.