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7; Jer. 33:17-26), and ail the Athaftiahs on earth cannot make void the smallest of God’s promises (Prov. 21:30).— Torrey. The bedchamber in the East is not the kind of an apartment that we understand by the name, but a large closet into which are flung, during the day, the mattresses and other bedding materials spread upon the floor or divans of the sitting rooms by day. Such a lumber room was a fitting place to hide the royal infant and his nurse.— Jamieson. v. 3. Hid in the house of the Lord. •The Lord in His providence made use of her murderous act to send the boy into the very place where he could best be educated and prepared for the throne (Ps. 76:10; Gen. 50:20).—Haldeman. v. 4. Jehoiada fetched the rulers. The narrative here has to be supplement ed from that in 2 Chron. 23 which com pletes this passage. It informs us that before the final scene in the temple Jehioada had in Jerusalem assembled a large force of Levites and “ heads of the fathers’ houses” from all the king dom. This implies that the revolution was mainly religious in its motive and was national in its extent. Obviously Jehoiada would have been courting de struction for Joash and himself unless he had made sure of a strong backing before he hoisted the standard of the house of David. There must therefore have been long preparation and much stir,_ and all the while the foreign woman was sitting in the palace close by the temple and not a whisper reach ed her.— Maclaren. v. 10. David’s spears and shields. If they were old and out of fashion, yet those that used them might, by their being David’s, be reminded of God’s covenant with him which they were now acting in defense of. See 1 Cor. 1:21. —Henry. v. 11. Round about the king. Those who are king’s soldiers stand about him on every side, but the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, yet “ they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:14). v. 12. Brought forth king’s son. Joash had now reached his seventh year and a Jewish prince in his seventh year is regarded as something more than a mere child.— Exp. Bible. Put. the crown upon him. Those who meet the king’s son in secret will appear with him at the public crowning.— Cook. Gave him the testimony. The Word of God was a befitting gift to place in the
hands of the young prince.—Meyer. v. 13. Athaliah heard the noise. The profound secrecy with which the con spiracy had been conducted rendered the unusual acclamations of the vast assembled crowd the more startling and aroused the suspicions of the tyrant.^ ; ' J. F. & B.. v. 14. The people rejoiced. All these blessed results are faint foreshadowings of what is yet to be when the usurper is cast out and when the true King is crowned, ihen Israel will be in truth the Lord’s people. Idolatry will cease, the land and the people will rejoice and the city be quiet.— Gaebelein. Athaliah cried out. It is the just decree of Heaven that the traitor never sees his danger till his ruin is at hand.— Sel. Treason, treason! She herself was the embodiment of treason. How some people do detest their own faults when they see them mirrored in others.— Sel. Some people are always invok ing justice, yet it is justice which should make them tremble.— Swetchine. v. 16. She was slain. Deliberate treachery entails punishment upon the - traitor. There is no possibility of escap ing it even in the highest rank to which the consent of society may exalt the meanest and worst of persons.— Junius. v. 17. Made a covenant. Adjust a nation or an individual to the claims of God and at once -p®a,ce and joy succeed. The Lord Jesus, who is now hidden, shall one day be manifested. Then shall nations rejoice and be quiet because they have discovered their rightful Ruler.—Devo. Com. The Lord’s people. They were not so zealous in the enter prise as to forget God. All is for the best when changes revive true religion among men.—Eliot. UA Pictorial Questions Who was Athaliah? 2 Kings 8:18. 26. Her grandfather was Omri, his son was Ahab who married Jezebel. Who was her mother? Who was her father? Who was her LESSON husband? 2 Kings QUESTIONS 9:29. Who was Aha- W, H. Pike ziah? What was his father’s name? Did he belong to the northern or southern kingdom? What caused Ahaziah’s death? 2 Kings 9:27, 28. Who slew Ahaziah? Why was he slain? 2
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