The leaders of God’s people had turned their backs on Him. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel had embraced the worship of the Canaanite god Baal, and neither the prophecies nor the miracles accomplished by the prophet Elijah had been able to discourage them. Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, had allowed his son Jehoram to marry Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab. Jehoram naturally began to mimic the wicked practices of the northern kingdom, and his son Ahaziah was determined to follow in his footsteps.

Then things went from bad to worse. When Ahaziah was assassinated, his mother Athaliah decided to consolidate power in her own hands. She tried to kill all the royal heirs, all the descendants of the Kings of Judah so that no one could stand against her authority. The line of David was never so close to being snuffed out. What could possibly stem the tide of wickedness washing over God’s people?

God could, and that’s the main point of these chapters. It was Elisha the prophet who, at the Lord’s bidding, caused Jehu to be anointed the next King of Israel (II Kings 9:1-3). And Jehu set out to fulfill the sentence that God had handed down on Ahab and Jezebel, which was first pronounced by Elijah (I Kings 21:21-24), and then repeated by Elisha’s servant (II Kings 9:8-10).

To accomplish this, Jehu led a revolt against Ahab’s son, during which Jezebel was thrown out of a window to her death (II Kings 9:33). Jehu then made sure that all of Ahab’s descendants were killed, wiping out his dynasty forever (II Kings 10:7). Finally, Jehu deceived all the prophets and worshippers of Baal so that he could put all of them to death (II Kings 10:18-28). In this violent and sudden way, Baal worship was uprooted from Israel (II Kings 10:28).

But what about Athaliah’s attempt to do to David’s dynasty what Jehu had done to Ahab’s? Again, nothing could destroy the promises and the prophecies God had made. God had told David his descendants would sit on his throne forever (II Samuel 7:16; II Kings 8:19), and God kept that promise through Jehosheba, sister of King Ahaziah and mother of Athaliah’s grandson Joash. In spite of Athaliah’s orders, Jehosheba put herself in grave danger for six years, hiding Joash until he was old enough to take the throne. Then, Jehosheba’s husband, Jehoiada the priest, led a revolt against Athaliah, executing her and restoring the throne to David’s heir (II Kings 11:1-16).

And that’s the good news for us today. For no matter how desperate things may seem to be in our lives and in our world, God never forgets His promises. He is always in control, and His justice never fails.

II Kings 11:1-16 (NASB)

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring.
2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom. So they hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death.
3 So he was hidden with her in the house of the LORD six years, while Athaliah was reigning over the land.
4 Now in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of hundreds of the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him in the house of the LORD. Then he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the LORD, and showed them the king’s son.
5 And he commanded them, saying, “This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, who come in on the sabbath and keep watch over the king’s house
6 (one third also shall be at the gate Sur, and one third at the gate behind the guards), shall keep watch over the house for defense.
7 “And two parts of you, even all who go out on the sabbath, shall also keep watch over the house of the LORD for the king.
8 “Then you shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes within the ranks shall be put to death. And be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”
9 So the captains of hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each one of them took his men who were to come in on the sabbath, with those who were to go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.
10 And the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the LORD.
11 And the guards stood each with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king.
12 Then he brought the king’s son out and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”
13 When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people in the house of the LORD.
14 And she looked and behold, the king was standing by the pillar, according to the custom, with the captains and the trumpeters beside the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!”
15 And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds who were appointed over the army, and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks, and whoever follows her put to death with the sword.” For the priest said, “Let her not be put to death in the house of the LORD.”
16 So they seized her, and when she arrived at the horses’ entrance of the king’s house, she was put to death there.