Athaliah and Jehosheba: two very different women with two very different plans

This month’s study features two women: Athaliah and Jehosheba. Two very different women with two very different plans with very different outcomes. Athaliah was the granddaughter of Omri, one of Israel’s most idolatrous and evil kings. She was the daughter of Ahab and possibly Jezebel. Athaliah was the only woman to rule over Judah and spent her time promoting Baal worship. In order to stay in power, she murdered her own family. She attempted to destroy the royal line of Judah but failed. She failed due to Jehoseheba’s actions. Jehosheba was a princess and the wife of the high priest, Jehoiada. A courageous woman who helped preserve the Judean royal line. The same line that would produce Jesus. She preserved the life of her brother’s youngest son, Joash, so he could become Judah’s rightful king. One woman’s evil plan was subverted by another woman’s courage and kept God’s promise alive. What is their story? What other examples do we have of people doing right in the face of evil? What promises do we have from God when we face these situations? 

Athaliah’s name sent chills through the hearts of God’s people. After her husband and son were killed in battle with Jehu, she took the throne. In her paranoia and lust for power, she proceeded to murder her own grandsons in order to keep her place on the throne of Judah. She may have sat back with satisfaction as she believed she had successfully snuffed out the royal line. There was no one else to challenge her place on the throne. Little did she know there was one grandson she missed. Jehosheba was the sister of Ahaziah, Athaliah’s son, which makes Jehosheba, her stepdaughter (2 Kings 11:1-2). Taking the infant, Joash, Jehosheba hid him within the safety of the temple for six years (2 Kings 11:3). When Joash was seven years old, Jehoiada, the high priest, arranged a coup with the Carites, a mercenary army, and crowned Joash as king (2 Kings 11:4-8). Everything goes according to plan as the people rejoice in the temple at the crowning of Joash. When Athaliah heard the noise, she came to investigate and saw the newly crowned king and tore her robes (2 Kings 11:13-14). Jehoiada ordered the troops to take Athaliah and her followers and put them to the sword (2 Kings 11:15-16). 

Jehosheba and her husband, Jehoiada took a great risk hiding Joash within the temple walls. They are another example on a long list of people who took a great risk, doing right in the face of evil. Jochebed hid her infant son, Moses, before putting him in a papyrus basket and placing him in the Nile River (Exodus 2:1-10). Many individuals like Jehosheba helped others with great risk to themselves especially in World War II. First, Irena Sandler (1910-2008) rescued an estimated 2,500 children from the Warsaw Ghetto. Between 1935-1943, Irena used her position within the Department of Social Welfare and Public Health of the City of Warsaw to rename and relocate Jewish children. When she was arrested by the Gestapo in 1943, she refused to reveal the names and locations of the children. She was sent to be executed but a bribe was able to secure her release. Second, and probably most famous, Oskar Schindler (1908-1974), a German industrialist was able to save the lives of 1,200 Jews that worked in his factories. He used his connections to bribe Nazi officials to prevent the deportation of Jewish workers. Lastly, Raoul Wellenberg (1912-1945) has been credited with saving as many as 100,000 Hungarian Jews by issuing them passports and hiding them in buildings designated as Swedish territory. 

While we may be put into situations to make choices like Jehoiada or face evil like Athaliah, we still see negative and evil forces working in the world around us. How do we find the strength to carry on? Simply remembering God always wins. Evil forces will always try to disrupt or stop God’s plans but God always wins. When dishonesty, the lack of integrity or low morality is the norm and kindness and godliness is the exception, we are told not to despair. God will not lose the war. He will prevail in the end. Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a man’s heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” God’s power is far greater than the power of evil. God always does what he says He will no matter the human plots. When situations have a tendency to shake your faith, seek God’s words for strength. Seek the courage to act on behalf of the innocent regardless of human reactions and possible consequences. In today’s society of cancel culture and vilification for standing up for what’s right, it is easy to be scared of reprisals. Jehosheba, a seemingly minor individual in the Bible, played a major role in the life of God’s people.  Her story is an example of doing what is right regardless of the risks involved. 

In conclusion, while it is easy to say “do what is right in the face of the risks,” we have Biblical and historical examples of people doing exactly that. People rising up and essentially thumbing their noses at the evils in power and saying no more. I want the strength and courage to do the same. It is a constant prayer that the Lord guides me as I face trials and evils in my life. Whether it is in government, in the church, in my neighborhood or even in my own family. To help me to do whatever is in my power to resist either by my vote, by speaking up or taking a stand. To give me wisdom to know what to do, when to do it and the courage to act as I trust him. Jehosheba knew the extent of Athaliah’s evil and knew she would be killed if she were caught. But she still took the stand to save the life of one child and saved the Judah family line. Imagine what could be the result if we did the same? 

Sarah: a woman of action and not a fan of waiting

This month’s study is on Sarah. The wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac, she is seen as the matriarch of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Her original name was Sarai and later changed to Sarah when God made his covenant with Abraham. Both names mean essentially “princess” as evidence of her importance. Her death, at the age of 127 years, is the only instance in Scripture where the age of a woman is recorded (Genesis 23:1-2). What insights can we learn from her characters? What lessons can we apply to our lives from Sarah’s example?  What does Sarah’s story tell us about God’s promises?

Sarah was a very beautiful woman. So beautiful that she attracted the attention of ancient rulers (Genesis 12:14 and Genesis 20:1-2). She was strong willed and was a woman of action. Unfortunately, her strong will and action led to jealousy and mistreatment of innocent people. She knew of God’s promise to make them the parents of a nation and when a child hadn’t arrived yet, she took matters in her own hands. She asked her husband, Abraham, to sleep with her maidservant, Hagar, in order to have a child through her (Genesis 16:1-4). According to my devotional study, Sarah is described as a loyal wife who did right and did not give in to fear. But did she really? Did she do what was right? She mistreated Hagar who was pregnant by Sarah’s own plots (Genesis 16:6) and blamed Abraham for Hagar’s hatred of her (Genesis 16:5). She called for the banishment of Hagar and her son, Ishmael so he couldn’t share in Isaac’s inheritance (Genesis 21:9-10). What about not giving in to fear? The whole Hagar situation is evidence that her fear and lack of faith in God’s promise that she took matters in her own hands.

The lessons we can apply from Sarah’s example is two points. First, God responds to our faith despite our failures. Despite Sarah’s plan to create the promise child ahead of God’s plan, she was still blessed with her son, Isaac, at the age of 90. God can accomplish his purposes despite our frailties, our little faith and our belief of self-reliance. He did the same for King David numerous times. He did for Elijah was he struggled being God’s primary prophet (1 Kings 17 & 18). He did for Peter even after his denial of Jesus (Mark 14:66-72). Second, God isn’t bound by physical limitations, he can stretch the limits and cause the unthinkable to happen. Our understanding of the world, the universe and even God, is limited by what we see. First Corinthians 13:12 says “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” We only see in part while God sees the entire picture. When we pray for something. We see our desires to 1) have it now or 2) have it at all. God sees the picture and knows 1) its too soon or 2) its not good at all. One day we will have all the answers and see from God’s perspective.

The second point leads me to God’s promises. All God’s promise come to pass with time. Sarah didn’t believe God would give her a child in her old age. Impossible! she thinks. She laughs as if God made a joke (Genesis 18:12). The promise was first made to Abraham in Genesis 17:15-21 when he made the covenant with him. Later, in Genesis 18:10, God had given them a timeline for this child to appear: one year. And within one year, Isaac was born (Genesis 21:1-7). Today, fulfillment of God’s promises comes when we pray. Sometimes we get an immediate answer whether it is yes or no. Sometimes we’ll get “silence” usually a clue that God has answered “not yet.” The Bible is filled with verses which states God’s promises to provide and deliver. One of my favorites is Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” The best way to bring peace to a troubled heart is to focus on God’s promises and trust him to do as he promises.

In conclusion, there’s nothing harder than to wait. Waiting is the hardest part whether is waiting for someone good, someone bad or something unknown. Waiting can be agony. Sarah knew the difficulty in waiting. Sarah tried to “help” along God’s promises and tried to deal with her problems without God. And when that didn’t work, she tried to cover up her faults by blaming others. She allowed her desire for a child and fulfill God’s promise to get ahead of her faith and even God himself. From Sarah’s story, we learn that it is best to wait on God’s timing rather than take matters in our own hands.