Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Monday, December 3, 2012 Read – 2 Kings 11 & 12 The action now moves back to the Southern Kingdom. Ahaziah has been killed leaving a vacancy in the kingship. Up until this time the descendants of David had reigned with son following father. The pattern is broken. Certainly these were the darkest days in the history of the Southern Kingdom – at least until the time of the Babylonian captivity. We need to remember that Ahaziah’s mother was Athaliah, the daughter of the wicked Ahab. When her son was killed Athaliah makes her move by taking over control of the Southern Kingdom. She was the Queen mother and now she brutally begins to kill off her own grandchildren. What a bloody story. She almost pulls it off – but one son of Ahaziah is rescued and hidden away by Ahaziah’s sister. This is not the first time that women have played the leading role in preserving the reign of God – and it will not be the last. Perhaps you have noticed that God is hardly mentioned in the story that has been unfolding. As we have said before, one can only wonder what God might have been thinking about the awful things that have been happening. Certainly this is not what God wanted to have happen. In fact, the opposite seems to be the case. No wonder that God did not really want a king to reign over his people in the first place. No wonder God warned the people of what would happen if they got a king. God’s work is certainly made more complicated and difficult by the choices and actions of people. Yet there are hints of God’s activity – in spite of the awful story that has been unfolding. A hint of God’s activity can be found in the hiding of Joash, the little boy who was destined to be king. And a hint of God’s activity can be found in the actions of Jehosheba and the priest Jehoiada. Seven years will pass with Athaliah in control of the Southern Kingdom – time for the infant king to grow into a small boy – and time enough to take back the kingdom. The killing of Athaliah is not a pleasant story either, but the outcome brings promise once again. Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD, the king, and the people that they should be the LORD’s people – the covenant of David is renewed and a new start occurs. Joash was only seven years old when he became king and the record states that he was a good king – not perfect but a king who did what was right in the eyes of the LORD because Jehoiada instructed him. One of the things that Joash did was to restore the Temple. One can only imagine how the Temple must have suffered under Athaliah. Chapter 12 ends on an ominous note. Hazael begins to threaten Jerusalem and is finally bought off. And Joash’s servants conspire against him and kill him. No explanation is given for why this occurred. Joash is succeeded by his son Amaziah.