2 Kings 11
Following the assassination of king Ahaziah of Judah by Jehu the usurping king of Israel the mother of Ahaziah decided to take charge as Queen Athaliah.
Her first act is to assassinate the whole royal family, which more or less worked apart from the sister of Ahaziah. who hid her nephew who was probably under 1 year old. The name of the child is Joash.
Young Joash was hidden first in a bedroom and then hidden with his nurse in the temple in Jerusalem for 6 years while grandma Athaliah runs the country.
After 6 years Jehoida the priest
sent for the guards and had them bought to the temple - he showed them the young boy king and they form a plan, they split the guards into 3 sections, and station them at the royal palace and a third at the gate and the final third at the gate behind the guard.
They also call in the 2 additional companies who were not on duty that day to guard the temple for the king.
They gave the guards the shields and weapons that king David had dedicated.
Jehoida then proclaims Joash king, puts the crown on his head, gives him a copy of the law of God and annointed the king with oil.
When Atheliah heard the noise she went to the temple, saw the king and cried "Treason" - a rather funny allegation given that she was not averse to killing the royal family a few years earlier!
Jehoida orders that she be taken away and not killed in the temple, so the guards took Atheliah to the horse entrance to the palace and kill her there.
The king made a covenant with God and with the people, and they tore down the temple of Baal killing the priest of Baal.
Joash was 7 years old at this stage.
Following the assassination of king Ahaziah of Judah by Jehu the usurping king of Israel the mother of Ahaziah decided to take charge as Queen Athaliah.
Her first act is to assassinate the whole royal family, which more or less worked apart from the sister of Ahaziah. who hid her nephew who was probably under 1 year old. The name of the child is Joash.
Young Joash was hidden first in a bedroom and then hidden with his nurse in the temple in Jerusalem for 6 years while grandma Athaliah runs the country.
After 6 years Jehoida the priest
sent for the guards and had them bought to the temple - he showed them the young boy king and they form a plan, they split the guards into 3 sections, and station them at the royal palace and a third at the gate and the final third at the gate behind the guard.
They also call in the 2 additional companies who were not on duty that day to guard the temple for the king.
They gave the guards the shields and weapons that king David had dedicated.
Jehoida then proclaims Joash king, puts the crown on his head, gives him a copy of the law of God and annointed the king with oil.
When Atheliah heard the noise she went to the temple, saw the king and cried "Treason" - a rather funny allegation given that she was not averse to killing the royal family a few years earlier!
Jehoida orders that she be taken away and not killed in the temple, so the guards took Atheliah to the horse entrance to the palace and kill her there.
The king made a covenant with God and with the people, and they tore down the temple of Baal killing the priest of Baal.
Joash was 7 years old at this stage.
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