September 13, 2010
Ahaziah was the king of Judah who was a friend of Ahab's. He was killed at the same time as Ahab's son Joram. Ahaziah's mother (named Athaliah), decided that if her son Ahaziah wasn't going to be king then she would do what it took so she could be queen—and she did. Athaliah killed all the remaining members of the royal family so she could be queen. (Wonder who Ahaziah got his evil actions from?) Athaliah made one mistake. There was an infant that she evidently forgot about. This infant, named Joash, was hidden, cared for, and raised in the temple of the LORD.
Athaliah was oblivious to the whole thing because evidently she never went to the temple of the LORD. When Joash turned seven, the priest put together the plan to make Joash, at just seven years old, king. When Athaliah hears the trumpets and sees there is a new king, she is angry and yells. Traitors! Traitors! Athaliah schemed and plotted, killed the entire royal family (she thought) and is fine with that. And yet, when she is foiled in her plan and realizes she has been tricked, she is appalled. How dare they? How dare she?! Incredible. Isn't it amazing that people who behave like Athaliah have no problem with their own selfish actions, but let someone stand up to them and they scream bloody murder at being "betrayed."
Joash did what was right as long as the priest Jehoiada was alive. He used the money in the temple to repair the temple. The workers were trustworthy and honest. They were respected because of that and their integrity was not questioned. But there was a problem. "Joash did what the LORD said was right as long as Jehoiada the priest taught him." Oh the importance of knowing God's Word ourselves. If we are only "taught" by others it isn't "our" belief. It is the belief of someone else, and it won't stick with us. We must go to the LORD ourselves and be taught by Him.
Joash was given a copy of the agreement but then it was "lost" in the Temple and not found until almost 200 years later. See II Kings 22.
Next Entry: The Book
Ahaziah was the king of Judah who was a friend of Ahab's. He was killed at the same time as Ahab's son Joram. Ahaziah's mother (named Athaliah), decided that if her son Ahaziah wasn't going to be king then she would do what it took so she could be queen—and she did. Athaliah killed all the remaining members of the royal family so she could be queen. (Wonder who Ahaziah got his evil actions from?) Athaliah made one mistake. There was an infant that she evidently forgot about. This infant, named Joash, was hidden, cared for, and raised in the temple of the LORD.
Athaliah was oblivious to the whole thing because evidently she never went to the temple of the LORD. When Joash turned seven, the priest put together the plan to make Joash, at just seven years old, king. When Athaliah hears the trumpets and sees there is a new king, she is angry and yells. Traitors! Traitors! Athaliah schemed and plotted, killed the entire royal family (she thought) and is fine with that. And yet, when she is foiled in her plan and realizes she has been tricked, she is appalled. How dare they? How dare she?! Incredible. Isn't it amazing that people who behave like Athaliah have no problem with their own selfish actions, but let someone stand up to them and they scream bloody murder at being "betrayed."
Joash did what was right as long as the priest Jehoiada was alive. He used the money in the temple to repair the temple. The workers were trustworthy and honest. They were respected because of that and their integrity was not questioned. But there was a problem. "Joash did what the LORD said was right as long as Jehoiada the priest taught him." Oh the importance of knowing God's Word ourselves. If we are only "taught" by others it isn't "our" belief. It is the belief of someone else, and it won't stick with us. We must go to the LORD ourselves and be taught by Him.
Joash was given a copy of the agreement but then it was "lost" in the Temple and not found until almost 200 years later. See II Kings 22.
Next Entry: The Book
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