2 Kings 11-12

2 Kings 11-12

The scene now shifts back to Judah. While Jehu was reigning in Israel, Judah had to find someone to take the throne in Judah. Since their former 2 kings had followed in the ways of Ahab, they had been killed (by Jehu). That meant that Ahaziah’s son would be the next to take the throne, so that the kingship would remain in the line of David. However, Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah went on a rampage, killing anyone who might have the opportunity to take the throne. She declared herself as queen, but she did not know that one of Ahaziah’s sons had been spared. Ahaziah’s sister, took Joash (one of his sons) and hid him from Athaliah. She knew that the time would come when he would be promoted to the throne, but for the time being he was safe.


Seven years later, the time finally came for Joash to take the throne, and he really was only seven when he became king. Since he was so young, Jehoiada the priest served as a type of advisor for Joash. Jehoiada gathered all of the priests from Judah together and devised a plan that would give the crown to Joash. Without Athaliah’s knowledge, Jehoiada proclaimed Joash as king of Judah, and the people recognized him as their king as well. Of course, this pronouncement angered Athaliah, and she declared it as treason. She believed that she had a right to the throne. However, God had promised that the throne in Judah was only for those in the line of David. Although she married into that line, she was not a descendant of David.

Jehoiada eventually had Athaliah killed, along with the rest of her followers. He also led Israel in the taking down of anything that had to do with the worship of Baal. This completely did away with any of the influences of Ahab that were left in Judah. Jehoiada then led Joash and Judah into a covenant between them and God. Growing up in this position of authority and this covenant before God, Joash learned at a young age what it meant to follow God. So during his 40 year reign in Judah, Joash was able to bring the nation closer to God, something that had been destroyed during the reigns of Jehoram and Ahaziah.

He was most known for his efforts at repairing the Temple. While this was not an easy undertaking and it took almost 23 years to get the project started, Joash was able to collect enough money to restore their center of worship. Think about how big of a deal this was for Judah! Not only had they successfully destroyed anything that was associated with Baal, but they were also able to restore the things of God. This was a big swing religiously for the nation of Judah, and it was evident that they were truly turning back to God (at least for the time being). This can also serve as encouragement for us. We all drift from God at some point in our life, but we can be encouraged to know that He will always take us back. He loves us and wants us to return to Him, and if we get our lives back on track, we can find forgiveness and love in His arms.

Even though Joash, with the help of Jehoiada, was able to turn Judah back to God, his life ended tragically. Some of his own servants rose up and assassinated Joash, putting a tragic end to his reign as king. This gave the throne to his son, Amaziah, who would also continue to follow God as he led Judah. One final note, if you read through 2 Kings 12, you will notice that Joash is nowhere to be found (depending on your translation). Joash is sometimes referred to as Jehoash, so recognize that they are the same person.

Matt