372
THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Jehosheba was a believer in the God of Israel— a woman of courage, discreet, purposeful. She secreted the young king in the storeroom of the palace. The boy was environed by the sym bols of the temple. He was in a holy atmosphere. His young heart was di rected to the worship of Jehovah. How little the wicked queen knew of. God’s purpose and of the presence of God’s elect! (Psa. 76:10.) / ‘Surely the wrath of man shall praise theej the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.” You cannot get rid of Joseph by sell ing him into Egypt. You can issue edicts against Elijah, but God preserved him for a visit to the skies. You can lock the gates of the prison upon Peter, but God can open the doors. The young Christ child was driven into' Egypt, but he came back to be a King. You can never outwit God. Jehoiada became God’s instrument for the preservation of the boy and the destruction of the queen. God has to have some agents that are aggressive. Jehoiada believed that the “ powers that be are ordained of God,” but that there was a time limit for some of them, and j that God used agents for the setting up of rulers. There was but one life between God’s promise and its fulfillment. (1 Ki. 8:25.) “Therefore now, Lord God mf Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promlsedst him, saying, There snail not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel.” Had the boy died the Word of God would have failed, but he was as safe in Jehdiada’s keeping as he would have been in heaven. (Psa. 34:7.) “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and dellvereth them.” The day was fixed and the guard care fully disposed about the temple and palace. It was a great day when the priest gave the queen a surprise party. The young king was crowned and the testimony of the law was put into his hand. (Deut. 17:18-20.) The crown
equals authority; the law, wisdom; anointing with oil, qualification for ser- , vice. He was to be a ruler, but he was also to be wise. He was to know God’s Word and have power to do it. Kings must be subject to God’s au thority. The Word, without the Spirit to interpret it, is powerless. It cannot be understood. There was rejoicing and glad shouts. The queen heard the noise, rushed to the temple, saw the king, read her doom. She was arrested, taken out of the tem ple and slain by the order of Jehoiada. Retribution is sometimes slow but sure. It is also often sudden. She cried “ Trea- j son,” but that was the very term which was applicable to herself. Why cry out against sin if we our selves are unclean? Why teach about the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit if our temple is foul with sin? Swift judgment fell upon Athaliah as * it fell upon her father and mother, and as it must eventually fall upon all. (Isa. 14:27.) “For the Lord of hosts hath purposed and who shall disannul it f and his hand is stretched out and who shall turn It back?” (3) THE COVENANT OP THE KING, ' v. 17. Jehoiada made' a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people. They pledged their loyalty to Jehovah. The king pledged himself to maintain the government upon the authority and truth of Jehovah. They broke down the altars of Baal. They restored the worship of the true God. There are many practical lessons growing out of this Bible narrative that are very applicable to present condi tions. The ,agents of Satan are destroying our children. First, by keeping the parents out of touch with the Bible and the church, and by excluding the Word of God from the public schools so that the children are growing up in ignor ance of God’s commands and of His
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs