This twenty third chapter of II Chronicles is complementary to II Kings 11:4-20. Seven is the number of spiritual perfection in biblical numerics. Though this first verse talks about the military being the avenue for the high priest Jehoiada's political strength, however this strength came from the return of the Levites to their duties. At this period of time in Judah, the people looked to the priesthood for direction, so it became important to get the backing of the Levites also.

II Kings 11:4 "And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the Lord, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord, and shewed them the king's son."

Remember the high priest is Jehoiada, the wife of Jehosheba, the daughter of the king that saved her baby brother from off the pile of her dead brothers. Jehoiada called a meeting of the top ranked military men, for the sake of placing this child prince of the dead king to the throne of Judah. The queen over Judah was Athaliah, the wicked Kenite that assumed the throne by killing off all the sons of the king, and gaining all the power to herself. All that is, except for this one baby boy that was taken from under the pile of his dead brothers; murdered by Athaliah to protect her reign on the throne of Judah.

Jehoiada had each officer of the army of Judah come to the temple individually where he told them of Jehoash, the child of Joash, the only rightful heir to the throne of Judah. This was one case where covert activity was directed by God to preserve the lineage of David, and the promise that there would always be one of his lineage to sit on the throne of Israel. This was not so in the nation of Israel to the north, for there would be many kings that would ascend to the throne that were not of the seed line of David.

II Chronicles 23:2 "And 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."

After all the Levites came to Jerusalem from all over the nation, each had taken an oath, and each Levite, and Military leader were sworn to make this coronation come about. Queen Athaliah was just down the road a little, and all this would take place right under her nose, and watchful eyes.

II Chronicles 23:3 "And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God."

II Chronicles 23:4 "This 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;"

II Kings 11:5 "And he commanded them, saying, "This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king's house;"

"The kings' house" is where Athaliah was living and reigning. One third part of the assigned group was to keep watch on the Queen as all the coronation of this child king is taking place. The High priest is telling those military officers present how they shall fulfill this covert activity, that will take place in the temple on the Sabbath, as the people come to worship.

II Chronicles 23:5 "And 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."

II Kings 11:6 "And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down."

The rest of the men would be divided equally to guard both the front gate of the Temple grounds, and the back side of the Temple. These high ranking military men would be standing their guard, not allowing any breach to come, as they protected their child king that would take Athaliah's throne over Judah.

II Chronicles 23:6 "But 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."

II Chronicles 23:7 "And 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."

II Chronicles 23:8 "So 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."

II Chronicles 23:9 "Moreover 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."

II Kings 11:9, 10 "And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that they should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada, the priest." [9] "And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David's spears and shields, that were in the temple of the Lord." [10]

All this is telling us is that every person that was assigned a job to do in the protection of this child did his job. In both their coming to worship, and their leaving the worship service they had a mission to do. While they were in the temple, no one was allowed to bear arms, but all the weapons were passed to the one leaving from the one about to attend. The child was raised in the Temple, and stayed in the Temple at all times.

II Chronicles 23:10 "And 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 is the house of God being protected, and not one part of the property was being overlooked.

II Chronicles 23:11 "Then 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."

This verse is exactly as stated in II Kings 11:12, and from this, to this day, when the King or Queen of England is addressed, they say, "God save the king [queen]." Think of the joy that filled the church when this lad was crowned king over Judah, the people had their king, and his mind was trained in the Temple of God, but the priests of God.

II Chronicles 23:12 "Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the People running and praising the king, she came to the People into the house of the Lord:"

The protection of this king had gone on for the past six years, and now that child was seven years old, and he was now the king over Judah. When the anointing and crowning cermonies were over, of course Athaliah heard the noise and came running to the Temple to see what was going on there.

II Chronicles 23:13 "And 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. The Ataliah rent her clothes, and said, "Treason, Treason."

II Chronicles 23:14 "Then 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."

This is exactly as recorded by the prophets in II Kings 11:14. Picture Athaliah standing at the back of the Temple and observing this little child standing by the pillar in his little king's garments. He was trained to have the same manner that a king was suppose to stand, and she knew instantly what was taking place. She knew she missed this child when she was out murdering all his brothers that were heir to the throne.

Remember that Athaliah was the daughter of Jezebel, from the seed of the throne of the Kenites. It was under king Omri of Israel that king Ethbaal of the Kenites of Hamath sealed their kingdoms through the marriage of Ahab and Jezebel. Later king Ahab tried to make an alliance with Jehoshaphat of Judah, but allowing their sons and daughters to intermarry. So here stands the murderous queed Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel, who is loosing her throne to this young child. The desire of the people was to kill her right on the spot for they now have a king, but Jehoiada told them; "slay her not in the house of the Lord." Have respect for God's house.

II Kings 11:14 "And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the People of the land rejoiced, and blew with the trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, "Treason, Treason."

II Chronicles 23:15 "So 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."

Her military leaders took this wicked queen not by the main gate of the castle, but out the back door where the horses are dept, that come and go from the city. Out there behind the horse barn wicked Queen Athaliah was slain.

II Chronicles 23:16 "And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the People, and between the king, that they should be the Lord's People."

II Kings 11:17 "And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the People, that they should be the Lord's people; between the king also and the People."

This young king Joash has been raised in the house of the Lord, around those that loved him, and protected him. Joash has been raised to the age of seven to be an honest person, respectful of the Lord and the Ways of God. His has become king, and those that shall advise the king are the same spiritual leaders and military men that are making this covenant between them and the Lord. Joash is the first king in many years that has been free from the teachings and influence of wicked Jezebel, and her murderous daughter Athaliah.

This is a good lesson for us today, that we also should be studying God's Word on our own, so that we do not fall under the vail of some false teacher. Though that teacher believes that what he or she is teaching is true, he could be absolutely wrong and his teachings nothing but traditions. However keep in mind that all people are not going to have the same level of understanding, for God will open your mind to that which you are capable to handle.

II Chronicles 23:17 "Then 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."

The people of the house of Judah cleaned up their house in Judah, just as Jehu did in Israel, for they completely destroyed the buildings and the altars with all that was part of that baal system. They even killed Mattan the priest of Baal, just as Jehu killed the Baal priests that Jezebel brought into Israel. It is important that when you tare out those wicked habits in your life, and all those things that go against God's Word, that you utterly destroy the images that cause your mind to be drawn to those wicked ways again. This did not bring back the two nations into one nation of Israel, but God worked in a way to take Baal and grove worship out of His nations and restore the things of God to Judah.

Even though Jehu in Israel did the same to Baal altars, images and groves, he did not put away the two golden calves, but kept them and bowed to them.

II Chronicles 23:18 "And Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the Lord by the hand of the priests of 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."

II Chronicles 23:19 "And he set porters at the gates of the house of the Lord, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in."

II Chronicles 23:20 "And 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."

So the wicked queen has been killed along with her wicked altars and ways, and Judah has returned to the house of the Lord, and God's ways. In the process the people have a new king, and the ways of God are established under that new young man, under the leadership of the priests.

II Chronicles 23:21 "And all the People of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, afther that they had slain Athaliah with the sword."

As you read the record of this event between II Chronicles 23, and II Kings 11:4 -21, remember that the name Jehoash and Joash are the same name. II Kings 4:21; "Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign." It is important not to get this Joash, and the Joash that will later rule over the house of Israel mixed up. This Joash of Judah went on to rule for another forty years; but the other King Joash will bow to idols and Baal worship. Satan and his daughters Jezebel and Athaliah sought to bind God's people to Baal worship, when they tried to murder the entire seed line of David. Then out of that pile of dead bodies, this small baby was taken into the temple, healed, and raised to take the throne over Judah. God has a way of protecting his promises and His people, and you can count on that.