2 Kings 11:9-14: a reflection

9The captains over hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded; and they each took his men, those who were to come in on the Sabbath with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10The priest delivered to the captains over hundreds the spears and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the LORD’s house. 11The guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, around the king. 12Then he brought out the king’s son, and put the crown on him, and gave him the covenant; and they made him king and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, “Long live the king!” 13When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the LORD’s house; 14and she looked, and behold, the king stood by the pillar, as the tradition was, with the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!”

When the wicked queen Athaliah had seized power and tried to destroy the royal line, God's promise to David's house seemed nearly extinguished; but one child had been hidden and protected, and now he is brought out and crowned, the line preserved. They brought out the king's son, and put the crown on him, the account says, and made him king and anointed him; and all the people rejoiced. The rightful heir of David's line, who had been hidden and kept safe through the danger, is now revealed and crowned, and the usurper's power ended. Though the promise to David's house had seemed nearly wiped out, God had preserved it, keeping the line alive through the hidden child. This shows that God preserves his promises even when they seem nearly extinguished. God preserves his promise even when it seems nearly wiped out. The line of David, nearly destroyed, was preserved by God. God keeps his purposes alive even through great danger. What God has promised, he preserves, even against threats to wipe it out.

Notice how close the promise came to being extinguished, and how God preserved it. Athaliah had seized power and tried to destroy the whole royal line of David, so that the promise God had made to David, of an enduring line and throne, seemed on the verge of being wiped out entirely. But one child of the line had been hidden away and kept safe through the years of danger; and now that child is brought out, crowned, and anointed, the rightful line restored and the usurper ended. Though the promise had seemed nearly extinguished, God had preserved it, keeping the line of David alive through the hidden child. This matters greatly, for from this preserved line would come, in time, the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of David. Had the line been wiped out, God's great promise would have failed. But God preserved it, even through this danger. This reveals something we can trust about God: that he preserves his promises and purposes, even when they seem nearly extinguished, even against threats that would wipe them out. God's purposes are not so easily defeated; he keeps them alive, often through means we would not expect, a hidden child, a preserved remnant, until they are fulfilled. We can trust that God preserves his promises even when they seem on the verge of being lost. God preserves his promises even when they seem nearly extinguished. God's purposes are not so easily defeated; he keeps them alive. Trust God to preserve what he has promised, even through danger. What seems nearly wiped out, God can preserve and restore.

That is worth resting in, for God preserves his promises and purposes even when they seem nearly extinguished, as he preserved the line of David through the hidden child when it seemed nearly wiped out. We can fear that God's promises might fail, that his purposes might be defeated when they seem on the verge of being lost; but God preserved the line of David, from which Christ would come, even when Athaliah tried to destroy it. God's purposes endure. When God's promises seem nearly extinguished, trust that he preserves them, keeping his purposes alive even through danger. Rest in the truth that God preserves his promises and purposes even when they seem nearly extinguished, as when the wicked queen Athaliah had seized power and tried to destroy the royal line so that God's promise to David's house seemed nearly wiped out, one child had been hidden and kept safe through the danger and was now brought out, crowned, and anointed, the line preserved and the usurper ended; for the promise had come close to being extinguished, since Athaliah had tried to destroy the whole royal line, but one child had been hidden away and kept safe, and God had preserved the line of David alive through the hidden child, which matters greatly, since from this preserved line would come in time the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of David, and had the line been wiped out God's great promise would have failed, but God preserved it even through this danger, which reveals something we can trust about God, that he preserves his promises and purposes even when they seem nearly extinguished and against threats that would wipe them out, so that God's purposes are not so easily defeated but he keeps them alive, often through means we would not expect, until they are fulfilled, and we can trust that God preserves his promises even when they seem on the verge of being lost.

Lord, when the wicked queen Athaliah had seized power and tried to destroy the royal line, your promise to David's house seemed nearly extinguished; but one child had been hidden and protected, and now he is brought out and crowned, the line preserved. They brought out the king's son, and put the crown on him, the account says, and made him king and anointed him; and all the people rejoiced. The rightful heir of David's line, who had been hidden and kept safe through the danger, is now revealed and crowned, and the usurper's power ended. Though the promise to David's house had seemed nearly wiped out, you had preserved it, keeping the line alive through the hidden child. Show me how close the promise came to being extinguished, and how you preserved it. Athaliah had tried to destroy the whole royal line, so that your promise to David seemed on the verge of being wiped out entirely. But one child had been hidden away and kept safe; and now that child is brought out, crowned, and anointed, the line restored. Though the promise had seemed nearly extinguished, you had preserved it. This matters greatly, for from this preserved line would come, in time, the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of David. Had the line been wiped out, your great promise would have failed. But you preserved it. This reveals something I can trust about you: that you preserve your promises and purposes, even when they seem nearly extinguished, even against threats that would wipe them out. Your purposes are not so easily defeated; you keep them alive, often through means we would not expect, until they are fulfilled. Take that to my heart, for you preserve your promises even when they seem nearly extinguished. When your promises seem on the verge of being lost, help me trust that you preserve them, Lord, keeping your purposes alive even through danger, as you preserved the line of David from which Christ came.