King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 12 notes
Read 2 Chronicles 23 in the app
1And 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.
What exactly does that mean — he strengthened himself? It means he schemed, he planned, he strategised.
This was politics, a life-and-death matter, and he had to be very shrewd lest his head be on the line, so he had to form strategic alliances with the army commanders.
He was a priest, which in itself was authority and power, but that alone was not enough — he had to get firepower by his side, and firepower he did get.
Athaliah had games of her own, and she was a heartless brute — she had no rules and had to be feared greatly. She feared neither God, less so man, so being priest alone was not enough.
He had the oil to genuinely anoint kings, but he needed the sword. Lord, give me wisdom to know the times I live in and to know what I ought to do.
All those who were part of the alliance at the peril of their lives were definitely going to benefit from their kingdom when their plans succeeded.
2And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David.
Though rebellion had brought them such calamity, they activated a righteous covenant in order to get divine backing, and made the young man king.
God was with them because they aligned with his will and his word.
4This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors;
5And a third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD.
6But let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.
7And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.
They were going to invade the palace and enthrone the king, and had come up with a strategy.
Why the Levites? Because they were the righteous and right custodians of the oracles of the LORD.
They could be trusted to keep the word of the Lord, because that is what they were born to do.
To mediate between God and the people. And now that waywardness had taken over the kingdom, it was their prerogative right to enforce and establish the norms of the land.
8So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.
9Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David’s, which were in the house of God.
This was like so that attention is not drawn should the captains and their people go to the public armoury for weapons; that would have raised suspicion. So they went about nonchalantly whiles secretly getting weapons from the last place anybody suspected.
The house of the Lord. I now see the wisdom of King David and King Solomon in providing spears and shields for the house of the Lord.
10And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about.
This was a house coup, and he succeeded.
11Then they brought out the king’s son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.
The king's palace and the temple were connected, as built by Solomon the Great.
12Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD:
13And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.
There was the ascent by which the king went to the house of the Lord. Solomon established this ascent, and it was one of the many things Queen Sheba saw that mesmerised her.
And here the king stood by his pillar in the house of the Lord.
It was over for Athaliah. The coup had been made, and successfully.
Dake's says the king's pillar was a place in the house of the Lord where kings sat.
This was such a strong symbol. No one had sat there for a long while, so to see the king standing there sent such a strong signal to all.
To Athaliah, this was treason. The wicked know how to take advantage of situations and maximize the opportunities presented to them.
Through much wickedness she had seized the throne, and now Jehoiada the priest, also seeing the opportunities, seizes the divine opportunities.
I can imagine all the years of silence and scheming Jehoiada had to do.
As he watched the evil Athaliah reign. He knew something no one else knew: the rightful heir to the throne, the son of Jehoram, was alive but still young.
When the time was ripe, he executed his agenda.
14Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth of the ranges: and whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Slay her not in the house of the LORD.
15So they laid hands on her; and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king’s house, they slew her there.
It seems there was a part of the king's house hard against that of the Lord.
So we see kings and priests working together, as ought to be the case, state and religion as one.
16And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD’s people.
17Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.
18Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed 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 ordained by David.
19And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in.
The revival had begun, and Israel knew they were going to be blessed once more.
Oh, what a season this was in the house of the Lord... I wish I was there to see it.
20And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD: and they came through the high gate into the king’s house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.
21And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.
Quite a remarkable statement — after Athaliah was slain with the sword, the city was quiet. Cast out the scorner, and contentions shall cease. In other words, cut off the murderer and quietness shall be restored to the people.