2 Kings 11

“When Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs.  Jehosheba, who was King Jehoram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister, secretly rescued Joash, son of Ahaziah from the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom.  So he was hidden from Athaliah and was not killed.  Joash was in hiding with Jehosheba in the Lord’s temple six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.” 2 Kings 11:1-3 (HCSB)

When I was a boy, I was so excited to watch TV at Christmastime!  The reason was that I loved those “claymation” Christmas programs on network TV.  The stories always had some plot, where Christmas was about to be canceled or foiled by some villain.  In the same tradition, you may have never cared about 2 Kings 11, a baby named Joash, or his aunt who saved him…but you may be interested to know that Jehosheba is literally the “Aunt who saved Christmas.”

Jezebel’s daughter, Athaliah, was on a murderous campaign to destroy the royal Davidic family line of the house of Judah!  Talk about your anti-Christs...she was one of the worst of them!  Athaliah was just one baby away from eliminating Christmas…and your and my salvation!  You see, by God’s Word, Messiah had to come from the Line of David.

Long before Luke 2, God’s hand was at work protecting and preserving Jesus’ advent.  If Athaliah had had her way, there wouldn’t have been any shepherds and Angels in glorious appearance, swaddling clothes, or good news of great joy.  Yes, today, as we are hauling crumpled-up wrapping paper to the curb, perhaps, we should pause and remember the aunt who saved Christmas.  

We should thank God for using an otherwise forgettable individual in Israel’s history to save the line of the Savior.  We should also reflect on how He chooses to call us…otherwise insignificant humans…to receive salvation and carry His gospel to an otherwise damned people.  As someone was “Jehoshaba” for us, we have the opportunity to be “Jehosheba” for others, sheltering them from the Enemy.

What I like about today’s chapter is how absent and yet completely present God is.  Of course, He is always present and working in our midst, but He doesn’t always announce Himself in “thus sayeth the Lord” terms.  In 2 Kings 11, God is indirect in accomplishing His plan of redemption.  He does not inject a word, and there is no evidence of any explicit activity on His part.

But we know better.  We know how He works in our lives.  He usually goes about His work without attracting our attention.  Sometimes we even feel He has abandoned us because we cannot see the expected trappings of His deity.  Today’s passage is another invitation to enjoy – in Scripture, history, and experience – the refreshing subtlety and mighty silence of our God.  It is the stuff that makes faith worth it…when the Lord’s “slow reveal” is fully realized, and our “Praise God!” is matched with His “Well done.”