Lux Lucet

Jehoiada Ousts Wicked Queen Athaliah

The account of Jehoiada’s overthrow of Queen Athaliah can be found in 2 Kings 11 and 2 Chronicles 22 and 23.  One can divide Jehoiada’s successful rebellion against Athaliah into three phases.  Phase one was his hiding of the infant heir to the throne Joash.  We read in 2 Kings 11:3, “So he [Joash] was hidden with her [probably referring to Jehosheba] in the house of the LORD for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.”  Although this verse does not explicitly mention Jehoiada, considering Jehosheba, who rescued Joash, was Jehoiada’s wife and considering the young future king was hidden in the temple for six years, it is reasonable to suppose that Jehoiada was well aware of Joash’s presence in the temple and approved of the arrangement. 

Worth noting, too, is John Gill’s comment on this verse.  He writes,

An Athaliah did reign over the land; the only instance we hear of a woman reigning in Israel, and this was not by right, but by usurpation; and so, according to the Jewish canons, a woman might not rule; which thus runs, they do not set a woman in the kingdom, as it is said, Deut 17:15, “a king over them”, not a queen; and so in all places of power and authority in Israel, they put in them none but a man.

The Biblical prohibition against putting women in positions of political authority is a hard saying to hear in our day.  Even in theologically conservative Protestant circles, among those who claim to believe the Bible, there are many who would vigorously oppose anyone who argues that the Scriptures enjoin Christians from supporting female political candidates or women’s suffrage.  Worth mentioning is that the two stand or fall together.  The ability to vote for an office implies one has the right to hold that same office. 

In recent years, many in the so-called “religious right” have enthusiastically supported female candidates for various offices, including the presidency.  This state of affairs is to be repented of, not promoted.

Now moving on to the second phase of Jehoiada’s rebellion, let us consider his act of anointing Joash king.  Using the occasion of the changing of the temple guard on the Sabbath, we read that Jehoiada, “brought out the king’s son, 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!’.”

I would especially like to draw the reader’s attention to Jehoiada’s use of the temple guard.  In 1 Kings 11:4-8 we read of Jehoiada’s making detailed preparation to ensure that the anointing of Joash would go uninterrupted.  For this, Jehoiada needed military force. We read that Jehoiada, “send and brought the captains of hundreds – of the bodyguards and the escorts…And he made a covenant with them…and showed them the king’s son.” 

Not only did Jehoiada resist the rule of Athaliah, but he “actively resist[ed]” her rule by bringing the military force to bear.  Normally, we don’t see a High Priest actively commanding a military or police force. In fact, this may be the only time in the Scriptures we see such a thing done.  John Gill supposes that the guards referred to in this passage were the guards of the former king “whom Athaliah had turned out of their post, and took others in their room, unless rather the temple guard is meant.” 

We further read that on the Sabbath on which Jehoiada anointed Joash king, Jehoiada, “gave the captains of hundreds the spears and shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of the LORD.”  Not only did Jehoiada arrange to have guards present when he anointed Joash king, but he wanted them armed.  Thus we can take this account of Jehoiada’s rebellion as supporting, when circumstances call for it, an armed rebellion by the lesser magistrate against the superior magistrate.  Private citizens do not have the right to do this, but public officials have not only the right, but as Matthew Trewhella points out, also the duty to do this when the superior magistrate, “makes unjust/immoral laws or decrees.” 

In Athaliah’s case, not only was she a treasonous murderess, but she was also an idolater herself as well as a promoter of idolatry.  In 2 Chronicles 24:7 we read, “For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of the God, and had also presented all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD to the Baals.” In this regard, Athaliah and her sons were much like Belshazzar, who used the gold and silver vessels of the temple – perhaps the very same items that Athaliah and her sons presented to the Baals – at his feast to drink wine and praise, “the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.”  Worth noting, too, is that both Athaliah and Belshazzar came to similar ends.    

Closing

As much as I’d like to finish the example of Jehoiada’s practice of the doctrine of the lesser magistrate, I have, for now, reached the limits of what I can write for today.  Lord willing, next week we will continue our look at Jehoiada’s heroic example of interposition and the salutary effects that it had on the kingdom of Judah. 

Grace and peace.   

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