2 Chronicles 23:1-7: a reflection

1In the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds—Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri—into a covenant with him. 2They went around in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers’ households of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3All the assembly made a covenant with the king in God’s house. Jehoiada said to them, “Behold, the king’s son must reign, as the LORD has spoken concerning the sons of David. 4This is the thing that you must do: a third part of you, who come in on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be gatekeepers of the thresholds. 5A third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation. All the people will be in the courts of the LORD’s house. 6But let no one come into the LORD’s house except the priests and those who minister of the Levites. They shall come in, for they are holy, but all the people shall follow the LORD’s instructions. 7The Levites shall surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand. Whoever comes into the house, let him be slain. Be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

For years, the wicked queen Athaliah had usurped the throne of Judah, having tried to destroy the royal line. But one heir, the boy Joash, had been hidden and kept safe. Now the priest Jehoiada acts. Carefully and courageously, he gathers the leaders, binds them in covenant, organizes the guards, and prepares to bring the rightful king out of hiding and place him on the throne, restoring what was right at great personal risk.

Notice Jehoiada's courageous, careful action for what was right. He did not simply lament that a usurper sat on the throne, nor passively accept a wrong that had prevailed for years; he acted, wisely and boldly, to set things right. His action was both courageous, for it risked everything, and careful, well planned and organized, not reckless. Faithfulness, in his case, meant taking decisive action to restore what was right.

That is a reminder that faithfulness sometimes calls for bold action, not only patient endurance. There are times when a wrong has prevailed, and it would be easy to simply accept it, to lament it without acting. But there are also times when God calls his people to act, wisely and courageously, to set right what is wrong, at personal risk. This is not a call to rashness, for Jehoiada acted carefully; but it is a reminder that faithfulness is not always passive. Where God calls you to act for what is right, do not hide behind passivity or mere lament. Act, as Jehoiada did, wisely and courageously, to restore what is right, trusting God as you take the risk that faithfulness requires.

Lord, when a usurper had seized the throne, the priest Jehoiada acted courageously and carefully to restore the rightful king, at great personal risk, rather than passively accepting the wrong. Remind me that faithfulness sometimes calls for bold action, not only patient endurance. There are times when a wrong has prevailed, and it would be easy simply to accept it, to lament it without acting. But there are also times when you call your people to act, wisely and courageously, to set right what is wrong, at personal risk. Keep me from rashness, for Jehoiada acted carefully; but keep me also from a passivity that hides behind mere lament. Where you call me to act for what is right, help me not to hide behind inaction, but to act, wisely and courageously, trusting you as I take the risk that faithfulness requires. Give me both wisdom and courage to do what is right.