Joel M Bradshaw

3…And Jehoiada said to them, “Behold, the king’s son! Let him reign, as the LORD spoke concerning the sons of David.–2 Chronicles 23

Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family of the house of Judah. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom.

Thus Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the priest, because she was a sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athaliah, so that she did not put him to death. And he remained with them six years, hidden in the house of God, while Athaliah reigned over the land (2 Chronicles 22:10-12).

1. Once her son the king was dead, Athaliah assumed the role of Queen.
2. She then killed all the royal family to secure her throne.
3. But a courageous aunt and daughter of a priest saved the crown prince by hiding him from his murderous mother.
4. This prince Joash would stay hidden in the house of the priest. In chapter 23, the priest Jehoiada made a grand plan to execute the queen and install Joash as king.
5. It was like a military operation as they put the rightful ruler on the throne and executed the despotic queen.
6. This story is surprisingly action-packed and plays out like an entertaining movie!
7. Jerhoida cared about the standards of God and was willing to risk everything to see that God was honored. His family followed his lead. I pray the same can be said of you and me.–JMB