A Hidden King

Devotional:  May 15, 2012“But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom. So they hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death. So he was hidden with her in the house of the Lord six years, while Athaliah was reigning over the land.” (2 Kings 11:2-3, NASB95)[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=“yes” overflow=“visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=“1_1” background_position=“left top” background_color=“” border_size=“” border_color=“” border_style=“solid” spacing=“yes” background_image=“” background_repeat=“no-repeat” padding=“” margin_top=“0px” margin_bottom=“0px” class=“” id=“” animation_type=“” animation_speed=“0.3” animation_direction=“left” hide_on_mobile=“no” center_content=“no” min_height=“none”][caption id=“” align=“alignleft” width=“133” caption=“Interested in Biblical History? This resource is one of Dr. White's favorite tools!”][/caption]In the days of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, after the death of King Ahaziah, Queen Athaliah became the ruler of the Kingdom.  Athaliah was the Queen Mother, and upon the death of her son Ahaziah, she slaughtered all the other heirs to the throne so that she could take the throne herself.  So much for the image of a loving grandmother!  Athaliah was the daughter of Jezebel, and the devil-inspired fury of the mother passed perfectly to the daughter.By the word of a righteous priest, however, one heir to the throne, a baby boy, was hidden away, and kept in secrecy for six years.  Turning seven, the priest arranged to have the boy brought into theTemple, where he was crowned King of Judah.  The celebration began, and Athaliah began to hear the commotion, including shouts of “Long Live the King!”  Coming to investigate, she was put to death by theTempleGuard.Seven year-old King Joash took the throne, and under the tutelage of the Priest, Joash began a 40-year reign inJerusalem, making great strides to bring the country back to God.When you see evil, sometimes you can take care of it immediately.  Often, however, you must make immediate provisions that will not come to full bloom for weeks, months, or even years to come.  Like the righteous priest who hid away a baby King for a latter coronation, can you take action today that will help alleviate evil another day?In His Grace,Dr. Randy White[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]