“And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.” — 2 Chronicles 23:1

Christian author A. W. Tozer once stated, “Next to the Holy Scriptures, the greatest aid to the life of faith may be Christian biography. It is indeed notable that a large part of the Bible itself is given over to the life and labors of prophets, patriarchs, and kings—who they were, what they did and said, how they prayed and toiled and suffered and triumphed at last!”¹ 

I am not sure if my parents ever read Tozer’s statement, but they certainly would have agreed with him. While I was still young, they instilled in me a love for biographies of great Christians—people whose hearts were on fire for the Lord. They introduced me to the accounts of genuine heroes: missionaries, preachers, and Christians from different parts of the world, from the past and present. I read about men, women, and children with resilient spirits, mountain-moving faith, incredible courage, and selfless, sacrificial love. And those accounts impacted and inspired me. 

As I read the stories of these people of God, I became aware of how often one hero of the faith was influenced by the life of another. Josh McDowell dedicated his life to serving God after reading of Jim Elliot’s sacrificial love for the Auca tribe of Ecuador. Elizabeth Elliott was inspired by both Amy Carmichael, who rescued children from idolatrous practices in India, and Lilias Trotter, who gave up a promising career in the world of art to minister in Algeria. Dorie Van Stone decided to become a missionary after hearing Darlene Diebler speak about her experiences while serving the Lord in Papua, New Guinea. Hudson Taylor was impacted by a sermon by Dwight L. Moody. Amy Carmichael was encouraged by George Mueller’s story of trusting God to provide buildings, staff to oversee them, furniture, food, and clothing for the thousands of orphans he cared for in England. 

Not all the heroes I read about over the years were well-known. Many had names that would not be recognized by most people. But their faithfulness influenced others, many times changing the courses of lives. 

In today’s text, there is mention of a priest named Jehoiada who would fit in that category. Although not as well-known as some Biblical heroes, this man’s courage and commitment to God impacted the life of a young prince and helped preserve the line of David. His wife had rescued the king’s son, Joash, from the murderous intentions of the queen mother Athaliah, and together they hid the young boy in the Temple for six years. It would have been safest for Jehoiada to simply go about his duties, since any action against Athaliah, who had assumed the throne, could have meant death. However, our focus verse indicates that Jehoiada “strengthened himself”—he summoned courage—and made a covenant with the captains and the guards to dethrone Athaliah and install the young Joash as Judah’s rightful king. Jehoiada did what was right in confronting evil, and throughout the remainder of his life, he continued to be a great influence for good in the kingdom of Judah. 

There are times when we, too, must gather courage to do what is spiritually right. Whether the situation we face is difficult, daunting, or possibly even dangerous, let us follow the example of Jehoiada and other defenders of the faith who bravely took a stand for God. In Tozer’s words, let’s purpose to be among those who “prayed and toiled and suffered and triumphed at last!” Our story may never be recorded in a biography. We may never do fearless deeds that change the course of history. But who knows? Our example of courage may have a long-lasting influence on those who observe or learn about our lives!

^1. A. W. Tozer, Let My People Go: The Life of Robert A Jaffray, rev. ed. (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1990), 1.

BACKGROUND

The previous chapter of 2 Chronicles recorded the queen mother Athalia’s attempt to destroy all the royal line in Judah after the death of her son Ahaziah in order to remove any who might challenge her taking control. However, Ahaziah’s sister, Jehoshabeath, hid Ahaziah’s youngest son Joash in the Temple. Verses 1-11 of this chapter relate that in the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, the priest Jehoiada instituted a plan to depose Athaliah and replace her with the boy king Joash. Queen Athaliah was executed (verses 12-15) and in verses 16-21, a covenant was made between the young king, the priests, and the people, declaring their purpose to honor, obey, and serve God. 

Jehoiada was a godly man who was determined to restore the throne to David’s rightful descendants. He was a priest and the husband of Jehoshabeath, who hid the child Joash to protect him from Athaliah’s massacre. 

Jehoiada’s brave action in calling together the captains, chief fathers, and Levites to implement the takeover of the throne could have cost him his life. Jehoiada chose the Sabbath as the day to overthrow Athaliah because the guards changed shifts on that day; this enabled them to assemble two groups of guards at the Temple at the same time without attracting attention. According to verse 9, the men who gathered to protect the new king were equipped with weapons dating from the days of King David. It was appropriate for the soldiers who would place the heir of David’s royal line back on the throne of Judah to use weapons that had once belonged to King David. 

Jehoiada brought Joash out and crowned him in a public and official ceremony. The statement in verse 11 that Jehoiada “gave him the testimony”—the scrolls containing the Mosaic Law—was in accordance with God’s command in Deuteronomy 17:18, which commanded that the king should have his own copy of the Scriptures. 

The people clearly were in favor of this transition of power, because the noise of the rejoicing and acclamation of the new king attracted the attention of Athaliah, who came to the Temple. When she realized what was taking place, she cried, “Treason, Treason” (verse 13). However, Jehoiada gave instructions for her execution. This was not to occur on the Temple grounds because it was necessary to preserve the sanctity of the Temple complex. The command to “have her forth of the ranges” (verse 14) meant that she was to be escorted out between ranks of soldiers, so there would be no possibility of her escape or of any supporter coming to her rescue. 

Jehoiada continued to be a powerful influence for good in the kingdom as the young king began to rule. Verse 16 records that he led the people in making a covenant of recommitment to God. The people then destroyed the temple of Baal in Jerusalem. In verses 18-20, Jehoiada reinstituted worship practices based on what God had revealed to Moses and David. After more than six years, the rightful king of Judah once again ruled over the people, and “all the people of the land rejoiced” (verse 21).

AMPLIFIED OUTLINE

III. The history of the kings of Judah
     H. The reign of Joash
          1. The ascension of Joash (23:1-11)
          2. The execution of Athaliah (23:12-15)
          3. The revival under Jehoiada (23:16-21)

A CLOSER LOOK

1. According to verse 3, why did Jehoiada say the king’s son, young Joash, should reign?
2. Why is Athaliah’s cry of “Treason, Treason” in verse 13 somewhat ironic?
3. What courageous men and women of God have been a significant encouragement to you?

CONCLUSION

Courage is indispensable for both spreading and preserving the truth of Christ. May God help each of us to follow the example of Jehoiada and be willing to say and do the right thing regardless of the personal cost.