“Now as regards Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah, she saw that her son had died. So she rose up and destroyed all the offspring of the kingdom.” So begins chapter 11 of 2 Kings. Not a very nice person at all. It demonstrates what happens when the moral fiber of civilization breaks down so thoroughly, that a completely worthless person ends up ruling. Although today women in government have proven themselves very capable, back in the days of the Kings of Israel and Judah, a female ruler was not permitted under God’s law. But the gender of the person being spoken of is not the issue here. It is the thoroughly corrupt character of the individual.
What I found of particular interest was the response that Athaliah had when she got her comeuppance. To set up the scene, Athaliah had actually mistakenly overlooked one of the king’s offspring that had been hidden away for a few years. Then, in a highly secured and regal moment, the young man is introduced to the public. What was Athaliah’s response? As stated in verse 14: “Then she saw, and there the king was standing by the pillar according to the custom, and the chiefs and the trumpets by the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing the trumpets. Immediately Athaliah ripped her garments apart and began crying: ‘Conspiracy! Conspiracy!’”
If anything, she was the last person that ought to be proclaiming “conspiracy!” She was illegally ruling the land and only because she murdered the deserving ones. Her punishment was death by the sword.
What about today? The second Psalm prophetically speaks of the nations becoming agitated because of God installing the rightful rule of his son, Jesus Christ. The nations actually think they can fight against God himself (vs.3). It is no wonder God laughs at them (vs.4). The result is the removal of all rule by man so that God tells Jesus (vs.8) “I will give nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your possession.” Thereafter, Jesus “will break them [the nations] with an iron scepter, and you will smash them like a piece of pottery.” (vs.9)
More so now than any other time, I am compelled to sympathize with the apostle John when he pleaded, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)
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