Women with a Story to Tell: The Plan Comes Together.

 Judah is in trouble. The lineage of King David is about to be extinguished. 

God had promised King David that there would always be one of his descendants on the throne (I Kings 8: 25, 9:5; II Chronicles 6: 16, 7:18). If the lone descendant, Joash, is discovered and killed, then this prophecy will be difficult to fulfill.

 Still, we know that the Kingdom of Judah eventually fell to the Babylonian Empire and the people were taken captive in exile. Those who returned never recovered the independent rule of a kingdom. Christians believe that Jesus’ triumph at the resurrection placed him on the throne of David forever.

 However, if Jehosheba had not acted, and her husband Jehoiada, the High Priest, had not cooperated, then the line of David leading to Jesus would have been cut short. What did Jehosheba and Jehoiada do? 

”But in the seventh year Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carites and of the guards and had them come to him in the house of the LORD. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the LORD; then he showed them the king’s son. He commanded them, “This is what you are to do: one-third of you, those who go off duty on the Sabbath and guard the king’s house (another third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards), shall guard the palace, and your two divisions that come on duty in force on the Sabbath and guard the house of the LORD shall surround the king, each with weapons in hand, and whoever approaches the ranks is to be killed. Be with the king in his comings and goings.” (II Kings 11: 4-8).

 A plan for a coup. And, where are these plans being hatched? Three times the text says, so we do not have to wonder. The plans to overthrow an evil and despotic government come from within ‘the house of the Lord,” and it involves the High Priest and guards who are posted to ‘the house of the Lord.” 

 Where did they get the weapons? The spoils of war were the reward for prevailing in battle (Deuteronomy 20: 13-14), and David stored many things in the house of the Lord, including weapons (I Chronicles 26: 26-27).

Who are the Carites? They are the royal guard for the king. Who are ‘the guards’? They are the temple guards. The guards served in three shifts throughout the day. At shift change, two of the sets of guards would be in the temple at the same time. The ones being replaced are not to leave, but rather to set up a guard around the palace where Athaliah lives.

  When everyone had given their vow and was in their station, then the next step could be taken.

^“The captains did according to all that the priest Jehoiada commanded; each brought his men who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath and came to the priest Jehoiada. The priest delivered to the captains the spears and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the LORD;  the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house, to guard the king on every side. Then he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the covenant; they proclaimed him king and anointed him; they clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!” (II Kings 11: 9-12). 

 The actions that Jehosheba took, hiding the heir for six years, and the support of her husband Jehoiada, now hang in the balance, as does the life of the only remaining heir to the throne. 

”When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of the LORD to the people; when she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar, according to custom, with the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” (II Kings 11: 13-14).

Of course she would cry “Treason!” That’s the last sound of a despot in disgrace to try rallying the troops around a failing government. However, the guardians of the true king held firm. 

” Then the priest Jehoiada commanded the captains who were set over the army, ‘Bring her out between the ranks and kill with the sword anyone who follows her'. For the priest said, 'Let her not be killed in the house of the LORD’. So, they laid hands on her; she went through the horses’ entrance to the king’s house, and there she was put to death” (II Kings 11: 15-16).

 What was the result of Jehosheba’s faithful actions? First, the high priest renewed the covenant that both the king and the people should be the Lord’s people. Second, the people went and tore down the house where Ba’al was worshipped. Third, the young king marched through the streets for all to see, walking from the temple to the king’s house where he was placed on the throne of the kings of Judah. Finally, “all the city rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been killed…” (II Kings 11: 20).

 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and all the days of his advisers, Jehoiada and Jehosheba, he was faithful to the Lord. Once again, a woman had saved the lineage of David and the people of Judah.