"Preserved!" 2 Chronicles 22:10-12. Word of Grace Devotion

Preserved!

2 Chronicles 22:10-12, “Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family of the house of Judah. 11But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were about to be put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the priest, because she was a sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athaliah, so that she did not put him to death. 12And he remained with them six years, hidden in the house of God, while Athaliah reigned over the land.”

Beloved, today we contrast the lives of a destroyer verses a preserver!

Athaliah was a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. She did no good and did much harm. Her life work was a Work of destruction. She destroyed her own husband, Jehoram King of Judah and also her son Ahaziah. We read of him that "he also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly, 2 Chronicles 21:3. She completes her destructive career by putting to death her grandchildren, the royal seed of the kingdom, 2 Chronicles 22:10, “Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family of the house of Judah.” There are many women like Athaliah, whose life work is a work of destruction. Don’t be a Athaliah!

Jehoshabeath was also a king’s daughter who had not been corrupted by the wickedness of the court.Her work was a work of preservation. She was the wife of Jehoiada the priest - a good wife of a good man. She rescued Joash from Athaliah's massacre, and kept him hid in the priests' apartments in the temple, 2 Chronicles 22:11-12. There he was hid for six years, until the time that, as a boy-king, he was called to the throne. If there are Athaliahs in the world still, there are also Jehoshebas. If there are women of cruelty, there are also women of sympathy.

Beloved, today we have the choice to either be an Athaliah or a Jehoshabeath. We can either set out to destroy God’s work and His people or we can set out to preserve God’s work and His people. May we all strive to be a Jehoshabeath and not an Athaliah!

I pray that you will have a blessed week! I love you and I will be praying for you!

In His Love-

Pastor Joe

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