Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-04-05
The Lord Preserves Jonsh.

1879.
Golden Text: Jehovah preserv-
9th all them that love Him.
Psalm cxlv. 20.
The Lord Prcscrvca Jonsh.
1t all came of bad marriage. For
hoshaphat married his son to the
daughter OF Jezehei The chroricler
speaks OF Athaliah az that WICK ed
woman" She was as unscrupu!ous
as she was ambitious. In opposition
TO Hebrew law she seated herself
upon the throne of Judah and for
tiaed herself in her usurpat!on by
numbering all claimants. among
them her own grandchildren. Never
was royal blood so profuscly shed.
All kin TO the crown were supposed
to be out Of the way. Thus. this
Lady Macbeth Of Jewish history be-
san her course of tyranny. Under
her reign Baalism had It's innings
so much SO that temple TO the
Sidonian god is known to have been
built In Jerusalem. The temple was
robbed TO build the shrine to the
a time OF trouble. rebukc. and bias
pheming.'' Athaliah was wicked
daughter OF wicked mother. :. But
there was one unsupported flaw in
the iron of her tyranny. In the
slaughter OF the innocents. one little
intended victim was overlooked. Je-
hosheba hororcd her sex as Athaliah
disgraced II. What she did stands
high among all the daring deeds OF
patriotism. By her courage she pre-
served the house OF David from ex-
tinction. AT the risk OF her own
NE she hurried the infant prince and
his nurse into n little used store
room OF tho temple. Her husband.
the high priest. was party to this
merciful plot. and from his position
u In In y II.
/; For six years the little prince was
hid, The temple was place which
Athaliah seldom troubled In this
ohscurity Joash lived. although all
the while entitled to a crown. In
his remarkable preservation the
never go out had fulhllment. q.
Jehoiada is star in tho Hebrew
priesthood. Iadock and Abiathar are
the other exceptions 10 the rule OF
dullness. The nature OF the ONCE
Is not such as 10 bring It's holder
INTO prominence. In this instance Je-
ho!ada could not prevent. the general
destruction OF the royal stock. The
crime was so unnatural that II could
not have been suspected What he
did do was to bide his time and
organize counter-revolution. And
gacity unsurpassed. The dlsinter-
est"d character of his patriotism did
not admit OF question. He aimed Mt
nothing for himself. He averted civil
war and achieved bloodless revo-
luton: The story is told with
most vivid and dramatic paga OF
human history. The Queen was al
lowed to wear out the nation by
her despotism. At the same time
she was encouraged in n sense of Sc
curity. Jchoiada. on his part. was
"a In,
party. This he could do tn. more
effectively since the Queen had in =
adverfently left him in possession
or the temple with it's treasury. ar
mory and fortress. When the time
was ripe Jchoiada took the five can
tains of the royal guard into his CON
hdence and showed them the infant
heir TO the throne. Soldiers who
were wiling TO serve under Athaliah
as long as they thought the house
OF David extinct would waver in
their allegiance when they learned
that a scion of the royal stock sur
vived The next step was To secure
the presence of the largest company
possible in tho temple to witness the
coronation and protect the Kings
person. This could be done without
creating suspicion by OBTAINING the
Lcvites who. according to their
course. would he going off duty. At
tention did not need TO be attracted
either by the carrying of arms into
me temple. y sufficient supply could
be had from the vot!ve arms hung
there by David after his Victories
The depioying OF his forces by Je-
hoiada would have done credit To
one OF experience In military affairs,
The chief object was the protection
OF the person OF the little king. Tbc
cYronatton was effective and spcc.
Hcuiar. Standing on raised plat
form between the two great piIiar &c
Of the court. Strength and Beauty =
INC boy prince was in sight OF all
when the crown was placed on nj.
brow another thing was done which
under the circumstances, was yery
significant. The yellow scroll of the
law was laid upon his head. He was
TO be under. not above. the law. Uo
was to govern religiOusly. when
this was done. hands were clapped
trumpcts blown. and the cry, God
save the King" was raised. Al
sound OF the tumult the Queen rush ed
upon tho scene. Sho came alone. II
guards had accompanied her from
the palace. they had been stopped
at the temple gate. Althaliah took
In the import of the scene mt a
glance. She made one last drive &c
recoup her fortunes. She stood upon
her imperial majesty. and ignored
the illegitimacy OF her own author
lily when she cried, "Treasonw Nc
one came to her side as she hoped
e