GOD SAVE THE KING! 2nd Kings 11 In Judah, following the death of Ahaziah, when he had gone north to see the king of Israel, there was a leadership vacuum his mother sought to fill. To do this, she had to eliminate every other claim to the throne. Even though they were her grandsons, she wanted them all killed. Jehoram, her husband, had killed his brothers. Jehu had slain many of the royal family, and now Satan was using Athaliah to seek to thwart God's promise of David's seed continuing forever. From the line of David, our Lord Jesus Christ would be born. The whole promise of the redemption of Israel and for lost souls would fail if "God who cannot lie" did not fulfill His promise. Years earlier, Solomon had prayed in faith at the temple's dedication, "There hath not failed one word of all His good promises."
In times when we are wondering if things can get worse than they already are, and "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse," we must remember the promises of God. The Lord has promised to be with us to the end of the age. He has promised to come and receive us to Himself. He has promised eternal life to those who believe in Him. "Goodness and mercy" shall follow us all the days of our lives. The challenges against people who live by faith will continue, and the attacks of Satan will also, but overriding all of this is our covenant-keeping God.
The darkness of the days did not keep the priest, Jehoiada, from remembering the promise of God, and he did his part in keeping the covenant with the Lord by taking the infant boy-prince and placing him in the keeping of Jehosheba, the half-sister of the evil woman, Athaliah. The priest laid plans at the appropriate time for the six years of Athaliah's reign to be stopped. The way he carried out these plans secured the safety of the boy-king and the righteous carrying out justice against evil. Evil must be punished.
Knowing our God has already arranged events and people to carry out His sovereign plans can greatly comfort us. Those who choose their own way and ignore the righteous acts of God cannot stop the purposes of divine grace. God's will assuredly will be done. Of that, we can be sure. There are always risks to be taken when we walk by faith, but when the covenants of God are involved, we can be sure that He will do His part when we do ours. It is a lesson to be learned that when the time comes for us to act in faith, we need to take the time necessary to plan first and then carry out the work we have been given. Jumping ahead without considering how a thing is best to be done, and the consequences, both good and bad, of the action, is not of faith but of self-will.
Risks are always involved when we move into "uncharted territory" because we are mortal men who can easily fail. However, when we have biblical principles that apply to a situation and are in fellowship with the Lord and His faithful people, we can go forward in confidence. A "calculated risk" is not blind faith but a considered action following divine guidelines that have been tried and proven right. Fear of man can keep us from acting when we should, and self-confidence can make us act when we shouldn't. There will be times when, like the people of Judah, we need to deliberately renew our commitment to the Lord, His work, and His people.
The proclamation of Joash, a seven-year-old boy, as king may have seemed to some to have been premature, but it is more important to deal with sin as quickly as possible than to follow a protocol that we think should be followed. The mutual obligations of the king and his people would have been taught to Joash by Jehoiada, the priest. As time passed, the leadership role would have developed to the extent that he assumed leadership responsibility. The calmness of the city of Jerusalem after the death of Athaliah, the evil queen, would have made a big impression on the people. Even though their king was a seven-year-old boy, they rejoiced and would have appreciated the new day that had dawned on Judah.
God, who is able to make stones praise Him if He so chooses, can help a boy learn from his mentors and follow their advice. Children who God's grace has saved are able to learn when they are properly mentored. Too often, believing children are left on their own in spiritual things until the early years of divine life have lost their glow, and then it is hard to instill truth when they spend most of their days learning secular things. Learning to define and carry out our responsibilities and obligations to our Lord takes time.
God had promised David that his "throne would be established forever" in whatever way He chose. David's line would be preserved even through a young seven-year-old boy-king. We, too, are blessed by God's promises. "God save the king" was a public declaration of the hope of God's people in the past. Our King reigns over His people today; the day is coming when the world will know "Our God reigns."
He stood there small and silent, having obediently followed the guidance of those who really cared for him. Around him, older men stood with ancient spears and shields, definitely on guard and prepared to defend God’s chosen king. They would have been cautiously looking out towards each entrance because they were guarding a new life, hope, and, hopefully, a new time for the nation. Faith and works went together in unity so that when the time came when he was identified as king, that news would be received joyfully, and the response of all would be, “God save the king!”
Another Child lay in a manger far from home, submitting obediently to His Father in heaven and parental guidance on earth. As a youth, He sat with the ancient scholars, discussing the scriptures and answering their questions definitively. He spent years laboring in obscurity as a carpenter, cautiously and carefully making sure the labor of His hands was consistent with the perfections of His character. And then, Jesus stepped out publicly to call His own. Gladly, they followed Him, hopefully anticipating that the time had come for Israel to receive its Messiah. But the Lord Jesus Christ was unitedly rejected by the leadership of Israel, although when He entered the city of Jerusalem, people shouted joyfully, “Hosanna … Blessed be the King!”
Today, He is preparing and obediently waiting for His Father to send Him to receive His bride and bring the church to His heaven home. Many worldwide are sure of His promise and are watching and waiting for Him. They go about life cautiously because they wonder if this is the day and are looking up hopefully. They know that the living and dead saints will join unitedly in the air and will joyfully see the One we know by faith –Jesus, our Savior-King!
In the future, on the day of His appearance, kings and nations will come from all over the world obediently to submit to His universal authority and leadership. They will have no choice but to appear before Him submissively. They will approach His throne and bow before Him cautiously, and a new reign will start definitely all over the earth. Even the animal kingdom will be changed when all creation responds joyfully because Jesus is the King of kings!