2. Athaliah's evil reign in Judah 11:1-20

Queen Athaliah usurped the throne of Judah. She was not a descendant of David. She was Judah's only reigning queen and the strongest Baal advocate among Judah's rulers.

 God's preservation of a legitimate king 11:1-12 

Athaliah was the mother of the Judean king Ahaziah whom Jehu assassinated (9:27-29). She was a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel and the sister of the Israelite kings Ahaziah and Joram who had succeeded Ahab. She was the wife of Judean king Jehoram who had died of intestinal disease (2 Chron. 21:18-19). Raiding Philistines and Arabians had killed her other sons beside Ahaziah (2 Chron. 21:17).

She proceeded to assassinate all potential successors to the throne totally disregarding God's will that David's descendants were to rule Judah (2 Sam. 7:16).

"It was one of the many attempts Satan made to exterminate the male offspring to make the coming One, the promised Savior, the seed of the woman, impossible. Had he succeeded through Athaliah in the destruction of the royal seed of David, the promise made to David would have become impossible."⁷¹

Jehosheba was a daughter of Athaliah's husband, King Jehoram. She may not have been Athaliah's own daughter, the half-sister of King Ahaziah of Judah, and the wife of the high priest in Judah, Jehoiada (2 Chron. 22:11).⁷²She hid Jehoash (Joash) as Jochebed had hidden Moses (Exod. 2). According to Josephus, Jehosheba hid Jehoash in a room used to store spare furniture and mattresses.⁷³

The Carites (another spelling of Cherethites; cf. 2 Sam. 8:18; et al.) were special guards. The other guards (v. 4) were priests and Levites (2 Chron. 23:4).

When the high priest crowned Jehoash (Joash), who was then seven years old, he gave him a copy of the Mosaic Law consistent with what the Law required (Deut. 17:18-19).⁷⁴

 God's judgment of the usurper 11:13-20

Though Athaliah claimed Jehoash's coronation was treasonous, she was the one guilty of treason. Jehoash was a legitimate heir to the throne of Judah, but she was not since she was not a descendant of David but had married into Judah's royal family. She evidently wanted to bring Judah under Israel's authority. Out of disrespect the people executed her near the gate where the horses entered the palace (not the city; cf. 2 Chron. 24:20-22). Like her mother she died a violent death among horses, the instruments of warfare (cf. 9:30-37).

The covenant Jehoiada led the people in adopting was a fresh commitment to the Mosaic Law (v. 17; cf. Deut. 27-30; Josh. 24; 2 Sam. 5:3; 2 Kings 23:1-3). He also destroyed the temple of Baal (v. 18) and killed the idolatrous priests in front of the Baal altars. Mattan was a common Phoenician name, but an Israelite with the same name appears in 24:17, so this priest may have been Phoenician or Israelite.⁷⁵All of this showed contempt for the pagan worshippers' false belief that their temple area was a sacred sanctuary. The result of this return to Yahweh was joy and peace in Jerusalem (v. 20).

As Jezebel had promoted Baalism in Israel, so her daughter did in Judah. During Athaliah's six-year reign (841-835 B.C.) Baalism gained its most secure foothold in the Southern Kingdom. It was never as influential in Judah as it was in Israel, however, because of the stronger commitment to Yahweh that existed in the Southern Kingdom.

Athaliah's history is still another proof that those who disregard God's Word and will bring God's discipline on themselves and on those they lead.