Friday, March 10, 2017

2 Chronicles 22

But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him.  And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land. vv.11-12

Read chapter 22
In this chapter we read of one of the most wicked women in the Bible and one of the most women of faith in the Bible: Athaliah and Jehoshabeath (respectively).  King Ahaziah of Judah was wicked, following the ways of Ahab who was king of Israel rather than following the ways of his great great grandfather David, a man after God's heart.  Ahaziah is killed by Jehu, a prophet of the Lord, and when his mother Athaliah finds out she's furious.  So what does she do, she proceeds to kill the whole royal like of Judah for she was a daughter of Ahab king of Israel.  Now we have to see Satan's attempt in this: his goal is to kill the line for the Messiah to come through which is the line of David through he house of Judah, so if Athaliah succeeded in killing off the whole royal line that would have stopped the lineage to Jesus Christ.  But of course God doesnt let that happen and raises up this faithful woman, Jehosabeath.  Jehoshabeth was Ahaziah's sister, daughter of king Jehoram, and married to a priest, Jehoiada.  She does an amazing act of faith and courage to take the king's son who was just a baby and hide him and his nurse for six years so he wouldn't be killed by his own grandmother Athaliah.  Can you imagine trying to keep a baby quiet those first six years of their life?  I wonder how stressed she ever was every day of those six years.  Yet what a woman of faith to know the promises of God of bringing the Messiah through this lineage and doing her part, no doubt God had His hand in that situation of keeping them so hidden and protected.  What scary situation may you be facing or one around you that God is calling you to act?  Can you relate or sympathize with Jehoshabeath, not one of the more famous women of the Bible, of how she cared for a baby in a hard situation or how she stepped up against her evil family in a hidden and humble way?

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