the Jigsaw of Joash #2

                  …the Rise and Fall of Athaliah

   “If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.”

Proverbs chapter 24 verse 10

 

   I hope you can remember the dramatic events leading up to this post?

   Athaliah, the daughter of the wicked Israeli King Ahab, married into the Judean monarchy. Through manipulation she controlled the reigns of her husband and then her son. Upon her son’s murder, she seized power, killing the remainder of her family, thus ensuring no possible competition.

   This evil lady- the Queen Mother and now supreme Queen- had destroyed the line of David, thus finishing and nullifying God’s promise to bless the whole world through David’s seed.  Or so it would seem…

 

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   Now, Athaliah’s daughter Jehosheba was very unlike her mother. Surprisingly she had married a priest (this was during a time when priests of the Lord were hated and rejected by the Kings and Queens). It must have taken great courage for the Princess to marry a mere Jewish priest. In fact, it is likely that her parents disowned her.

   During this period of Judean/Israeli history names beginning with either a ‘J’ or an ‘A’ seem to have been in fashion. Jehosheba’s husband was no exception: Jehoida the Priest!

    Its hard to imagine how difficult life must have been for Jehoida and Jehosheba. Jerusalem must have been filled with Baal-worshipers and leaders, corruption and cruelty. Their decision to follow the Lord God must have opened them to persecution and abuse.

   Seeing the courage and holiness of this couple helps  us to understand why they risked their lives to stop Athaliah’s massacre. When they discovered her attempt to eliminate the Royal family, they managed to rescue one young baby boy. Apparently, Athaliah had placed her victims together in one place, somehow Jehosheba got in there and snuck out with Joash, whom she then hid with his nurse in a bedroom. After escaping from the palace, they hid Joash (now the only surviving direct-descendant of King David) in the Temple for six whole years!

   When Joash was seven years old, Jehoida decided the time had come to act: he contacted the military leaders of Judah. It appears that Athaliah was distinctly unpopular- the commanders were eager to assist Jehoida in overthrowing the wicked monarch. You can read about the clever rebellion in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. To cut a long story short, the captains surrounded the Temple and the young King and had an impromptu Coronation! 

   Athaliah heard the racket of the ceremony (trumpets and shouts of “Long live the King!). She came to the Temple to see what was happening. Seeing Joash dressed up like a King and the Captains surrounding him, she tore her clothes and wailed “Treason! Treason!” (ironic for the woman who earlier had murdered almost the entire royal family).

  She was dragged into the palace via the horse’s entrance and killed unceremoniously by the soldiers.

    Wishing to start the new King’s reign well, Jehoida made an agreement with God: the people and the King would serve the Lord God and no-one else. The crowds rushed to the Temple of Baal and utterly destroyed it. In contrast, they set watchmen over the Temple of the Lord and offered sacrifices to God with singing.

  King Joash was marched to his new palace and throneroom!

“So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword.”

 

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  So, what can we learn from Athaliah’s defeat and Joash’s rescue?

  Firstly, God never abandons his people and his promises never will fail. Read that last sentence again. That is the truth: God cannot and will not fail. He will never let his people be defeated.

  Secondly, ‘Be sure you’re sins will find you out.’ Look at Athaliah.

  Thirdly, the godly actions of seemingly weak and insignificant Christians can be used by God to change history. Because Jehosheba married a priest, and because that priest refused to abandon his God, that same God used them to preserve the line of Jesus Christ.

 

  So far this story could be straight out of a Disney film! Underdog boy is rescued from wicked Queen and eventually becomes a good King himself.

That’s all about to change….

  To find out more read the Jigsaw of Joash #3 (coming soon)