A Kingdom Reestablished
4/2/26 Bible Thought (2 Kings 11)
Main Idea: God’s plans override human rebellion.
A Look at the Text:
After focusing on the kingdom in Israel, in today’s chapter, the story shifts back to the southern kingdom of Judah. With this, we must remember that the reigning king had been struck down back in chapter 9. With a void in place, the king’s mother, Athaliah, determined to establish herself by killing all competitors to the throne.
It was a bloody, awful time, but it was nonetheless a time in which God was at work. The deceased king’s sister hid her infant nephew and his nurse. For six years, they hid in the house of the Lord until the appropriate time.
Then, Jehoiada, the chief priest, called together the king’s guard, and they anointed the young man as king. After Athaliah was removed, a covenantal ceremony took place not only to establish young Joash as king, but also to reestablish Yahweh as their God alone.
The house of Baal was torn down. Worship of Yahweh was reinstituted in Judah. A descendant of David was enthroned once again. A new day had dawned.
Bringing it Home:
For six years, a wicked woman reigned over the land of Judah. Contrary to God’s promise, a descendant of David was no longer upon the throne. Yet that was not the end of the story. For God worked through Jehosheba, an otherwise unknown figure, to spare a rightful heir to David’s throne.
In that day, many probably wondered what God was doing. The worship of Baal prospered. The Davidic dynasty had seemingly come to an end. A power-hungry mother had executed much of her own family. Yet all along God was preparing an heir to David’s house in His own house.
Let us rest assured that even in the darkest of nights, God’s promises stand firm. Even if it seems that things are completely backwards in the present, God’s Word will not return void. God had purposed the dynasty of David, and no bloodthirsty woman could overthrow it. Contrast this with the resolute destruction of Ahab’s descendants in Israel at this same time.
God’s promises stand firm.
Even more, a day was coming when the Son of David would come as a light shining in the darkness (see Matt. 4:15-16). The Lord Jesus came into an incredibly dark world as the climax of this same lineage that had been miraculously kept again and again.
God’s plans will stand. His will will be done, even when things look impossible. When we can’t see God’s hand in the present, we should study His work in the past to build faith for the future.
Challenge:
Do I trust that God is in control even during dark days?