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peace and joy

2 Chronicles 23:1-21

2 Chronicles 23:1 Then, in the seventh year, Jehoiada summoned his courage and took the commanders of hundreds into a covenant with him: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri.
2 Chronicles 23:2 They made a circuit throughout Judah. They gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the family heads of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 23:3 Then the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in God’s temple. Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the king’s son! He will reign, just as Yahveh promised concerning David’s sons.
2 Chronicles 23:4 This is what you are to do: a third of you, priests and Levites who are coming on duty on the Sabbath, are to be gatekeepers.
2 Chronicles 23:5 A third are to be at the king’s palace, and a third are to be at the Foundation Gate, and all the troops will be in the courtyards of Yahveh’s temple.
2 Chronicles 23:6 No one is to enter Yahveh’s temple but the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are holy, but all the people are to obey the requirement of Yahveh.
2 Chronicles 23:7 Completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Be with the king in all his daily tasks.”
2 Chronicles 23:8 So the commanders of hundreds did everything the priest Jehoiada commanded. They each brought their men– those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty on the Sabbath– for the priest Jehoiada did not release the divisions.
2 Chronicles 23:9 The priest Jehoiada gave to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears, shields, and quivers that were in God’s temple.
2 Chronicles 23:10 Then he stationed all the troops with their weapons in hand surrounding the king– from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple.
2 Chronicles 23:11 They brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the testimony, and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and cried, “Long live the king!”
2 Chronicles 23:12 When Athaliah heard the noise from the troops, the guards, and those praising the king, she went to the troops in Yahveh’s temple.
2 Chronicles 23:13 As she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets while the singers with musical instruments were leading the praise. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”
2 Chronicles 23:14 Then the priest Jehoiada sent out the commanders of hundreds, those in charge of the army, saying, “Take her out between the ranks, and put anyone who follows her to death by the sword,” for the priest had said, “Don’t put her to death in Yahveh’s temple.”
2 Chronicles 23:15 So they arrested her, and she went by the entrance of the Horse Gate to the king’s palace, where they put her to death.
2 Chronicles 23:16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the king, and the people that they would be Yahveh’s people.
2 Chronicles 23:17 So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed its altars and images and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars.
2 Chronicles 23:18 Then Jehoiada put the oversight of Yahveh’s temple into the hands of the Levitical priests, whom David had appointed over Yahveh’s temple, to offer burnt offerings to Yahve has it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and song ordained by David.
2 Chronicles 23:19 He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of Yahveh’s temple so that nothing unclean could enter for any reason.
2 Chronicles 23:20 Then he took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land and brought the king down from Yahveh’s temple. They entered the king’s palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the throne of the kingdom.
2 Chronicles 23:21 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword.

peace and joy

Athalia is executed by the people, and Joash is made king. The temple of Baal is destroyed, and the people once again devote themselves to the LORD alone. The chronicler records two results to this turn of events. The people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. The political and religious turmoil had ceased, and people could once again think about their God, and relish in his peace.

LORD, restore our unity in you. Rid us of our conflicting loyalties, and selfish distractions.