It is a sobering thought to consider that the Kingdom of Israel was once ruled by a woman—but not a very good woman. To secure her throne, she had all the royal children murdered. But a priest, Jehoiada, hid one of the boys, and thereby hangs a story. Athaliah, the queen, ruled for six years until the boy Jehoash was seven. Then the priest and the army conspired to dispose of her and place the young Jehoash on the throne. It was a good choice. The idealism of youth served Israel well for many years. The story is told in 2 Kings, chapter 11.
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.
Mind you, they are not going to be the people of Baal. They are not going to the people of no god or a nameless, generic god. They are Jehovah’s people. It turns out it was none too soon, because the worship of Baal was gaining a foothold in Judah.
And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and broke it down; its altars and its images broke they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the Lord. And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of the Lord, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king’s house. And he sat on the throne of the kings. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet: because they slew Athaliah with the sword at the king’s house.Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.