2 Kings 11:1-20
Long Live the King

When David was king, the Lord promised to establish his throne forever. (2 Samuel 7:13) Across the centuries, the Jews came to understand that the promise was about more than ordinary human kings; the Messiah would come from the line of David. But within seven generations, it appeared that the promise had failed. Athaliah, the wicked daughter of Ahab and Jezebel from the idolatrous northern kingdom of Israel, was reigning as queen over Judah in Jerusalem. Between her murderous lust for power and Jehu’s zeal, it appeared that every legitimate heir to the throne of David was dead. It was dark days indeed. Not only was Judah ruled by an evil queen, but she was a pawn of Satan, whose great ambition was to thwart the Lord’s Messiah. But … One little boy, Joash – infant son of Athaliah’s son King Ahaziah, eighth in line from David – had survived. He was saved by his aunt Jehosheba and sequestered in the temple complex by his uncle Jehoiada, the high priest, for six years. The line of David was not broken, and from that line came Jesus the Messiah. When the night is darkest, when evil seems to be winning, don’t count God out. Ask Him to remind you of His absolute sovereignty. Ask during hard times in your own life, and pray for your brothers and sisters who live in very dark places in our world.

When Joash was anointed king and his evil grandmother the queen put to death, the people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!” Under the leadership of the high priest, they dedicated themselves to the Lord, and not in words only, as a formality. They repented of their own idolatry by tearing down the temple of Baal, smashing idols, and killing the priest of Baal. Pastor Todd asked, what about us? Am I dedicated to the Lord only in the sense that I say the right things? Or does my life display dedication to Him because it is marked by obedience? As Austin asked last week, when I come to a fork in the road and must choose between pleasing God or pleasing myself, which do I choose? I was intrigued that Todd highlighted verse 20 of the passage, which describes the result of the people’s dedication to God: So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. Perhaps that applies to us too. If I regularly experience joy and peace in my soul, perhaps that is evidence of true dedication. But if I live with persistent disquiet and tumult in my soul, perhaps my dedication is paper-thin.

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert

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