Queen Athaliah Reigns in Judah
Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and the wife of Jehoram. She took over the rule of the southern Kingdom of Judah after the death of her husband and oldest son. Athaliah is referred to as, that wicked woman, who had broken up the house of God. She also took all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD and bestowed them upon Baalim. We as Women of Christ must always be aware of our influence on our children and the people around us. We owe our loyalty to Jesus Christ and the worship of the LORD God. There are so many false gods around that we can get trapped into worshiping.
2 Kings 11:1–21; 2 Chronicles 22; 23; 24:7
Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and the wife of Jehoram, who was the king of the southern Kingdom of Judah, and the first-born son of Jehoshaphat. (2 Kings 8:16-18). Jehoram took the throne at the age of 32 and reigned for eight years. He killed all his brothers with the sword and all the different princes also. Jehoram was married to Athaliah who was as evil as her father and mother, Ahab and Jezebel. (2 Chronicles 21:4-6). Athaliah was the mother of Ahaziah.
Once Athaliah heard her husband and her son Ahaziah had been killed she was determined to take the throne. She reigned for six years. She tried to destroy all the royal family which was the line of David. Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and carried him away from among the king’s sons who were slain; and they hid him, even his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. Jehosheb hid Joash in the house of the LORD for six years. (2 Kings 11:2-3).
Athaliah is referred to as, that wicked woman, who had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD and bestowed them upon Baalim. Baalim is a supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites. (2 Chronicles 24:7).
Athaliah had worshipped Baalim as a child since her parents were Ahab and Jezebel. Baal or Baalim, was more of a worship of power than of religion which would then turn into the worship of evil. Athaliah would have watched as her parents gained more and more power and Athaliah kept up the evil practice.
The seven- year-old Joash the son of Ahaziah, was being protected by Jehoiada The high priest, Jehoiada, sent for over hundreds of captains and guards and brought them unto the house of the LORD and made an agreement with them to protect the rightful king. Jehoiada gave the captains over the hundreds the spear and shields of King David that were in the temple of the LORD. The guard stood with their weapons in their hand around the king. The seven-year-old king Joash was crown and given the testimony that made him the king. He was anointed and they clapped their hands and said, God save the king. (2 Kings 11:5-12).
When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD. There Athaliah saw the little king standing by a pillar, and the princes and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew the trumpets. Athaliah rented her clothes, and cried Treason. The priest commanded the captains of the hundreds to take her outside of the house of the LORD and slay her. (2 Kings 11:13-16).
Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD’S people. All the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and broke it down; his altars and his images broke them in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD. All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king’s house. (2 Kings 11: 17-20).
The wickedness of Athaliah ended with violence just like her parents. Athaliah reigned for six years and then was put to death in rebellion by the people who wanted to see Josiah crowned as king. She ruled for six years in tyranny. When her downfall came, she was still prideful. It must have been hard to hear the people shouting acclamations to the newly crowned king. Athaliah still tried to get the upper hand by accusing treason.
It did not work Athaliah still was marched out of the house of the LORD and as she came out to enter the horse gate by the king’s house she was killed by the soldiers. The people then swept the land of all the Baal worship from the land. The seven- year- old Joash was under the high priest, Jehoiada, his protector, governed Judah until he became of age. Joash was nothing like his grandmother he was a mild and good king. Together with Jehoiada they restored Judah back to worshipping the LORD God. They even repaired the temple of Solomon temple which had fallen into decay and ruin.
Athaliah was a Treacherous Queen who killed all her family who could challenge her rule as Queen over Judah. Had she been successful the whole of the generations of the line of David might have been wiped out. This was not in the plans of the LORD God and one line continued through her grandson Joash.
Jezebel had promoted Baalism in Israel, and her daughter Athaliah had encouraged it in Judah. Athaliah, as queen, and a woman of authority encouraged that Baalism gained its strongest foothold in the Southern Kingdom. She was not as influential to make the worship of Baal as strong as her mother had made it in Israel.
Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel of Israel and the wife of Jehoram, the king of Judah. She followed the path set by her parents and influenced her husband to walk “in the way of the kings of Israel” (2 Kings 8:18) and worship Baal. One wonders if Athaliah remembered the battle that occurred with Elijah and the worshipers of Baal. Elijah, the prophet of the LORD God won and destroyed the worshipers of Baal. (1Kings 17 and 18). The destruction of her mother and father should have taught her to be faithful to the LORD God.
We as Women of Christ must always be aware of our influence on our children and the people around us. We owe our loyalty to Jesus Christ and the worship of the LORD God. There are so many false gods around that we can get trapped into worshiping.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Queen Athaliah Reigns in Judah:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2115,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, January) “Queen Athaliah Reigns in Judah:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2115,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Queen Athaliah Reigns in Judah:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2115, (accessed).
