that her son was
dead, she saw an opportunity to rule over Judah herself. So she
went to destroy all the royal princes, her own grandchildren,
while they slept.
Now Ahaziah had a
sister, Jehosheba, who wanted to prevent this. She stole into the
chambers where the young princes were sleeping. She took away the
baby Joash and his nurse, so that Joash alone, of all the king's
sons, was not slain.
Jehosheba was
married to Jehoiada, a priest of the temple, one of the few who
were loyal to God. She took Joash to her husband, and he hid the
child in the temple for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the
land.
Jehoiada taught
Joash of the God of Abraham and Isaac, the Lord of Israel. He kept
a guard about the temple, and Athaliah never knew that Joash had
been saved.
When Joash was
thirteen years old, Jehoiada quietly sent trusted messengers
throughout the kingdom to find those of the people who still were
faithful to God and to bring them to the temple. When these people
were gathered, he gave to their captains spears and shields which
had belonged to King David and had been kept in the temple. He
stationed all the people, every man having a weapon in his hand,
about the temple and the altar.
Then he brought
forth the young prince, set the crown upon his head, and made him
king. Jehoiada blessed him and said, "God save the
king."
The people took
up the cry and clapped their hands loudly. "God save the
king!" The excitement grew, and people in the streets came
running to know what was happening.
When Athaliah
heard the noise of the people praising the newly crowned king, she
ran to the temple. There between the pillars at the entrance, she
saw the young king. She saw the guards with their weapons and
heard the trumpeters and the people rejoicing.
Tearing her
clothes, she cried, "Treason! Treason!"
But the guards
dragged her from the temple and killed her. The people broke down
the temple of Baal and smashed his altar and images. Jehoiada made
a covenant with the people, that Joash should be king and that
they should serve the Lord.
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