2 Chronicles 23: 1 – 21
Earned wages due
23 In the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself and made a covenant with the captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri. 2 And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3 Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the LORD has said of the sons of David. 4 This is what you shall do: One-third of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors; 5 one-third shall be at the king’s house; and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD. 6 But let no one come into the house of the LORD except the priests and those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD. 7 And the Levites shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.” 8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed the divisions. 9 And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of God. 10 Then he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and by the temple, all around the king. 11 And they brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the Testimony, and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, “Long live the king!” 12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people in the temple of the LORD. 13 When she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, also the singers with musical instruments, and those who led in praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes and said, “Treason! Treason!” 14 And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not kill her in the house of the LORD.” 15 So they seized her; and she went by way of the entrance of the Horse Gate into the king’s house, and they killed her there. 16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the people, and the king, that they should be the LORD’s people. 17 And all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars and images and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18 Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the LORD to the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was established by David. 19 And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter. 20 Then he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the LORD; and they went through the Upper Gate to the king’s house and set the king on the throne of the kingdom. 21 So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.
Just recently in the United States we witness government shutdown. Sadly, those who work for the government are pawns who are held hostage and not paid due to a power struggle of political parties.
I do like to see videos of business owners who have opened their hearts and wallets to help those affected by the rich people’s struggle for power. For those families impacted by government closure good citizens have responded with gifts of love and care for those in need.
This is something important to consider. What is sweeter? - Gifts of generosity or wages dependent on selfish power grabbers? I think you know the answer.
We read in the book of Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” At its core, sin is rebellion against God. Our sin separates us from God, the creator and sustainer of life. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14: 6). God is known as the great “I AM.” Life is in God. So, when we sin and become separated from God, we become separated from true life. Therefore, we experience death. Three points of clarification are needed:
First, sin does not necessarily result in physical death right away. Romans 6 is not telling us that when we sin we will physically die. Rather, it is referring to spiritual death.
Second, when we are saved in Christ, we are rescued from ultimate spiritual death and brought into ultimate spiritual life. Paul told the Romans, “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).
Third, even believers’ sins will still result in a type of spiritual “death.” Though we are rescued from the ultimate penalty of sin (eternal separation from God), we are not exempt from the natural consequences of a broken relationship with the Father. When we sin, we experience the symptoms of spiritual death. We may feel guilty, empty, confused, or disconnected from God. We act as the unrighteous rather than as the righteous. Our sin, even as believers, hurts the heart of God and grieves His Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). Though it does not sever our relationship with Him, our sin does put a barrier between us.
Think of a child and a parent. When a child disobeys, the relationship with his parent is strained. The parent still loves the child and still has the child’s best interest at heart. The child never stops belonging to the parent. However, the child may experience some consequences: mistrust, discipline, a sense of guilt, and the like. The relationship is ultimately restored, but generally pain comes first.
So it is with us and God. When we rebel against God’s rule in our lives, we rebel against the Life, and therefore experience “death” (a brokenness resulting in pain). When we return to God, we are also restored to spiritual life—communion with God, a sense of purpose, righteousness, freedom, etc. The rejoicing father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son said it best: “This son of mine was dead and is alive again” (Luke 15:24).
The person who does not place his or her faith in Jesus Christ will receive the wages of sin. "The wages" refers to a payment. When a person works, the person receives a wage or payment for the work. For example, James wrote of "the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields" (James 5:4). First Corinthians 3:8 teaches, "each will receive his wages according to his labor."
Today we are going to study the life of a woman who received her payment of wages that was coming to her. This is not a wage you would want anyone to collect.
The wife of the king of Judah, Athaliah took over the throne after the kings death. She then proceeded to kill all the royal heirs to the throne. One however was spared by our Holy God.
Jehoiada the High Priest, with the young Joash under his protection, bided his time and waited until he felt that it was the time to act. It is clear from what follows that there was a great deal of unrest in the kingdom, so much so that when he did act the people were ready to respond, and no one informed Athaliah. Proceedings began when Jehoiada sent out the commanders of elite troops (probably the Temple guards), with whom he had clearly previously been plotting, in order to bring the Levites to the Temple to commence their course (a regular event which would arouse no suspicion), together with the clan leaders of the people, no doubt outwardly with a view to a Feast of YHWH. These gathered to the Temple, and were then armed, and suitable guards for the young king were arranged. Once everything was ready the coup took place. Joash was brought out, crowned and proclaimed as king.
All these preparations were necessarily carried out strategically, no doubt under the veil of gathering the clan leaders for a Feast of YHWH, something which was assisted by what appeared to outside observers to be the regular weekly change of courses of the Levites when much movement of personnel would be expected. But in this case, it was without those who had completed their course leaving the Temple to swell the numbers. Thus, no suspicions were aroused until the coup took place and the young king was proclaimed.
The unusual noise from the Temple as the people hailed the young king (she would have been familiar with a certain level of noise as worship proceeded), aroused Athaliah in the palace next door, and confident in her status she entered the Temple, no doubt accompanied by her bodyguard, to discover what was happening. Seeing the coronation scene before her she must have been completely taken aback, and it caused her to cry out ‘treason, treason’. But she was unable to do anything because, as she recognized, her bodyguard were heavily outnumbered by the armed and determined men in the Temple, armed from the Temple treasury.
She was removed from the Temple precincts, because to slay her there would have rendered the Temple unclean. But as soon as she was taken out she was slain, along with all who followed her. Joash was then ‘set on the throne of the kingdom’ amidst general rejoicing. The country had long been awaiting such a change.
23 In the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself and made a covenant with the captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri.
It is quite clear from this and what follows that Jehoida had been in consultation with these commanders previously about the political situation and that they had had their feelers out assessing the mood of tribal and clan chiefs in Judah and had discovered that many were only too willing to act to deliver Judah from Athaliah and from Baalism if only the opportunity arose. And so, in the seventh year after Athaliah seized the throne he determined that it was time to act, and called together five ‘commanders of hundreds’, and entered into a solemn pact with them.
It is quite clear that these five men were extremely important military men, and not simply junior army officers. These men may well have been commanders of the Temple guards, who would have been numbered in thousands. As Temple guards they would then be Levites and see themselves as owing no allegiance to Athaliah. Their loyalty was to the High Priest.
2 And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
Neither this verse nor the following verse are found in 2 Kings and make clear that the coup was not just a Temple one, but had wide general support. No suspicion would have been aroused by the Temple guard going out to escort to Jerusalem the course of unarmed Levites who were coming on duty. It would be a regular occurrence. And they took the opportunity at the same time to gather the heads of sub-tribes and clans, no doubt under the pretext of a worship Feast in Jerusalem.
3 Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the LORD has said of the sons of David.
Jehoiada revealed to them that a genuine son of David was still alive in the Temple. For there in the House of God they solemnly entered a covenant to support the young king, gladly accepting Jehoiada’s assurance that Azariah’s true born son, the true king of the house of David, would reign over them in accordance with the word of YHWH given in 1 Chronicles 17.12, 14.
4 This is what you shall do: One-third of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors; 5 one-third shall be at the king’s house; and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD.
We are only given the bare issues of the plot, but we can be sure that it had been meticulously planned. It was probably timed to take place during a regular feast when crowds of people gathering to the Temple would not cause any stir and was clearly at the time of the changing of the Temple guard when movements in and out by armed guards would be expected. Others, however, who were not of the Temple guard going on and off duty, (the latter being able to move in and out armed as they commenced or finished duty), presumably had to enter the Temple without weapons. They would be supplied with weapons in the Temple area (verse 9), because for them to enter the Temple armed would have been suspicious.
The instructions in this verse were for the incoming Temple guards. These were those who came into the Temple on the Sabbath in order to begin their period of duty, clearly in this case they were more than usual because of what was anticipated (proved by the fact that they made up three companies), but not sufficiently more to arouse suspicions (no one would be counting but the numbers would have to be kept within bounds). Of these one third were to guard the house where the king was residing, one third were to guard the Foundation Gate (2 Kings - the gate is called ‘Sur’), and one third were to be at the gate behind the guard (2 Kings - the gate of the keepers/guards). Their joint responsibility was to watch over the place where the king was in residence, and to be ready for any armed opponents who might try to enter the Temple by the gates mentioned to attack the king.
6 But let no one come into the house of the LORD except the priests and those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.
This verse is not found in 2 Kings, but its truth would be acknowledged by everyone. The point of it was to preserve the purity of the temple, and this would be recognizable by all. No one was actually to enter the Sanctuary apart from ‘the priests and/even the serving Levites’. These latter may be another designation of the priests, indicating that only the serving ones (who had been sanctified for the occasion) could enter, for only sanctified priests could enter the Holy Place. It is, however, possible that by this time there had been a slight relaxation of the rules. These could enter because they were ‘holy’ (set apart for YHWH and sanctified for the occasion).
Those who were supposed to be going off duty would not actually do so, but would act as further guards in the Temple so as directly to protect the king.
7 And the Levites shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”
The general point is that when the king was being brought out for his coronation their responsibility would be to surround the king with their weapons at the ready and to ensure that any who sought to break into the Sanctuary, or who later tried to pierce their ranks, would be killed instantly. ‘Going out and coming in’ is a general phrase signifying everyday living, but here probably has in mind the king’s activities on that day. They would go with him into the Temple, and out again once the proceedings were over, guarding him always. There could be no slip up. His life as the only remaining heir of David from Solomon’s lineage was paramount.
8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed the divisions.
They did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, as did all Judah who were present. Everyone fulfilled his part. So, the commanders over these military units did precisely as Jehoiada had commanded, both those who were over the guards who were coming on duty, and those who were over those going off duty. There was no dissent.
9 And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of God.
It may be that the Temple guards had to pass their weapons on when they went off duty so as to limit the number of weapons available at one time. Or it may simply be that there were others who required to be armed. Thus, we are now told where Jehoiada was able to obtain more weapons so that all could be armed. Furthermore, others who were not Temple guards but who were present would have come without weapons and these too were armed more fully from a stock of weapons which had been put in the Temple treasury by David himself.
10 Then he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and by the temple, all around the king.
With all the loyal men present fully armed, guards were established, with their weapons in their hands, on both sides of the Temple courts, on both the right side and the left, and between the altar and the Sanctuary, fully surrounding the young king once he emerged from the Temple to be hailed by the people. Jehoiada was taking no chances.
11 And they brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the Testimony, and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, “Long live the king!”
Then the event took place that most present could only previously have dreamed of. A genuine heir of the house of David was ‘brought out’, and was crowned, presumably in accordance with the customs prevailing in Judah;
• The crown was placed on his head.
• The covenant (2 Kings - ‘testimony’, which was probably Exodus 20.2-17 in written form), that is a token copy of what was on the tablets stored in the Ark of the Testimony - 1 Kings 8.9), was placed in his hand, or symbolically placed upon him. It would signify the whole Law of Moses.
• He was anointed by the Priest.
• He was acclaimed by all present with the cry, ‘May the king live (long)’.
12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people in the temple of the LORD.
On hearing the cries of acclamation in the Temple Athaliah was concerned to discover the cause of it, and came from the palace into the Temple precincts, no doubt accompanied by armed attendants. But she must have been totally without suspicion of the truth to arrive in the way that she did (she, of course, believed that all sons of David were dead).
13 When she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, also the singers with musical instruments, and those who led in praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes and said, “Treason! Treason!”
She must equally have been totally taken aback when she discovered there a boy wearing a crown, standing by the coronation pillar (or the recognized ‘king’s pillar’), and being hailed by the commanders of the guard and all the people present, with loud cries of acclamation and the blowing of trumpets. Furthermore, he was surrounded by many armed men, far more than she had expected. She would not have known where they obtained their arms.
Her response in seeing all this was that she tore her clothes and cried out in alarm, ‘treason, treason’. She was furious. She had felt safe to come there because she had known the Temple guard were there, and knew that they were limited in numbers, and she just could not believe that the whole of the Temple guard had turned against her, and that other armed men were present as well. After all the guard had always treated her with the greatest of respect, while no other armed men were allowed in the Temple. (Had she realized the true position earlier she could have withdrawn quietly and waited until she could round up her own loyal supporters and call out the royal bodyguard, but she had acted on impulse and presumably could not believe that this was happening to her until it was too late. We recognize that this was of YHWH).
‘Treason, treason.’ The cry is ironic. This woman who had stolen the throne by murdering all royal blood was herself treasonable. By her own standards what had occurred was within the order of things, that might be right. She could have no grounds for complaint. She was now going to receive her just wages for the sins she had committed.
14 And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not kill her in the house of the LORD.”
Then Jehoiada commanded ‘the commanders of hundreds who were set over the host’ to take her outside the Temple precincts. Only then could she be slain with the sword. And if any followed her, demonstrating their loyalty to her, they too were to be slain. The point was that it was not fitting that blood be shed in this way in the house of YHWH. It would defile the house.
15 So they seized her; and she went by way of the entrance of the Horse Gate into the king’s house, and they killed her there.
So they grabbed ahold of her and drug her out of the Temple grounds by way of the Horse Gate to the king’s house, and there she was executed.
16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the people, and the king, that they should be the LORD’s people.
Such a renewing of the covenant on important occasions was an essential part of returning to the true worship of YHWH. By it the people were acknowledging YHWH as their sole God and Overlord, and their responsibility to be His holy people and observe His laws and commandments.
17 And all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars and images and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.
Then ‘all the people’ (2 Kings says, ‘all the people of the land’ in contrast with the city residents), went to the hated house of Baal and tore it down. They were dethroning the Baal worshipped by Athaliah and the house of Ahab. They broke in pieces his altars and his images. And they slew Mattan, the priest of Baal in Jerusalem, before those altars. This was, of course, a necessary consequence of the official renewing of the covenants. The people were in control, no doubt supported by the Temple guard, and they hated the foreign religion introduced by Athaliah. Any followers of Baal remained quiet. The will of the people was conclusive.
Mattan was a common Israelite name (a shortened form of Mattaniah) and is testified to by a seal at Lachish. It means simply ‘gift’. (It may here signify ‘gift (of Baal)’. Mattaniah in contrast means ‘gift of YHWH’).
18 Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the LORD to the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was established by David.
The ‘officers of the House of YHWH’ were priests appointed by ‘the Levitical priests’ at the request of Jehoiada, for the specific purpose of offering burnt offerings to YHWH as the Law of Moses required. Because of Athaliah’s reign the Temple was in disrepair, much of its furniture was gone, and it is probable that the daily burnt offerings had ceased to be offered regularly (24.7). Alternatively, these burnt offerings may have been offered because of the deliverance from Athaliah. And this was accompanied by rejoicing and singing as the people rejoiced in deliverance. And it was in accordance with the order of David, who had himself determined the courses of the Levitical priests. Thus, Jehoiada brought them back to obedience to the Law of Moses, and to the injunctions of David.
19 And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter.
Jehoiada also set the gatekeepers at the gates of the House of YHWH. These were not just porters, but important Levites who had the responsibility to check the credentials of all who sought to enter the House and to make sure that no one who was ritually unclean in any way could enter.
20 Then he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the LORD; and they went through the Upper Gate to the king’s house and set the king on the throne of the kingdom.
The new king having been crowned, and Athaliah having been paid her wages with the sword, there was no longer need for secrecy. So Jehoiada brought together the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people and all the ‘people of the land’ and then they brought down the king from the House of YHWH, entered through the Upper Gate into the king’s palace, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom which was in the king’s palace.
21 So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.
The coup being successfully completed, the whole land rejoiced at what had happened, and Jerusalem was quiet. No attempts at a counter-coup were made. Any who were unhappy about what had happened kept their heads low. Jerusalem was satisfied with the situation.
Take another look at the statement, ‘The city was quiet.’ ‘Quiet’ is a word regularly used by the Chronicler to depict a condition which results from YHWH showing His goodness towards His people by giving them peace. Here we are intended to see that it was YHWH Who had acted in what they had accomplished.
The account ends with a sense of satisfaction at the thought that Athaliah, the multiple murderess and idolatress, had been executed with the sword. Evil had been dealt with and good had triumphed. The house of David was restored to its rightful place.
