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July 14, 2025 17 mins

In this Bible Story, we learn about Queen Athaliah. Her foul heart turns the entire nation of Judah corrupt and depressed. She rules to serve herself, and kills her grandchildren in attempts to secure her power. However, she overlooked one grandchild - Joash. This story is inspired by 2 Chronicles 21-23 & 2 Kings 8:16-29, 9:14-29, 11:1-21. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.

Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 22:10 from the King James Version.

Episode 140: Athaliah had finally fallen and Joash was now king. Only a boy, he leaned on Jehoiada for guidance as he ruled the kingdom. And as he grew, God blessed him with many children and a thriving kingdom. Looking out one day, Joash saw the temple of God in decay, that very moment he started planning its repair. After Joash rallied the people and the work was done, Jehoiada died and was given great honor. Now without the guidance of his mentor and substitute father, the king was led astray and the kingdom was led back into sin.

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Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard

Producer: Ben Gammon

Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham

Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith

Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. But when Athaliah, the mother of Aziah,
saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed
all the seed royal of the House of Judah Second Chronicles,
twenty two ten. Dear God, through the life of Queen Athaliah,
I will make sure that as I step into my

(00:22):
position of leadership, I will not be motivated by power,
prestige or position. Instead, I will do everything within my
power to make sure that everything I do is motivated
by love. I will not seek leadership merely to gain
power over others or to revel in a smug feeling

(00:46):
of superiority, but will focus my motive to meet the
needs and grow the cause of your kingdom. Increase your
godly character in my life, fortify the walls of my faith,
so that my pursuit will be one of love and
service to others, which ultimately leads to you being glorified. God.

(01:13):
I'm ready and willing to step up and to be
used to show people the magnitude of how much you
love them. In Jesus name, Amen, thank you for making
prayer a priority in your day. To learn more about

(01:34):
the Bible, stay tuned for today's story brought to you
by Bible in a Year dot com Athaliah.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
In our last story Gee, who was used by God
to rid Israel of evil. He killed Jezebel and all
the remnants of King Ahab. He also taught up the
temples of Bail along with all its followers. Jehu killed
thousands in the name of a truly free Israel, but
the process claimed his heart. Eventually he succumbed to his

(02:13):
own inner evils and strayed away from God. Jee who
would forever be honored by God for what he did,
But his time as king was marked with suffering, and
the Kingdom of Israel shrunk under his rule. Now we
peer into the life of Athaliah and get a better
understanding of how Judah and Israel descended into further dysfunction

(02:36):
and pain. Inspired by the books of Second Chronicles and
Second Kings.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham. With today's episode of the
Bible in a Year. In our last time together, we
learned how Jehu cleansed Israel of Ahab's family and brought
judgment upon those who carried out his evil and idolatrous lafegacy.
Though Jay, who did great things for the Lord, he
failed to hold fast to God all the days of

(03:06):
his life, and as a result, failed to fully witness
to God's glory throughout his lifetime. Today we look at Athaliah,
the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, whose marriage to Jehoram,
the King of Judah, had disastrous consequences on the southern kingdom,
once again leading Judah into idolatry and unfaithfulness and disobedience
to God. So listen now to the word of God.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
The Kingdom of Judah was thriving under King Jehosaphat. He
ruled with a fear of the Lord and a genuine
love for his people. Surrounding nations respected him, his people
loved him, and he had the spirit of God resting
on his soul. For all Jehosaphat's triumphs as king over Judah,

(03:51):
he made one faithful mistake, a mistake that would alter
the course of Judah and Israel for several generations. Jehosephat
learned to broke a peace with many surrounding nations, yet
there was still disdain between Judah and their sister nation Israel.
In an attempt to broke a peace, Jeosephad betrothed his

(04:14):
son Jerome to the daughter of Ahab Athaliah. Athaaliah was
the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Ahab's corrupt mind in
Jezebel's wicked heart had seeped their way into their daughter.
Athaliah had the seductive qualities of her mother. Her silver
tongue lured Jorom into straying away from the Lord. All

(04:36):
of Jehosephath's positive influence began to melt as Athaliah spun
webs of lies around her husband's mind. Jehosephad eventually passed
to be with his forefathers. His life was celebrated as
one of Judah's truest kings. However, Jurom had no such legacy.
He and his wife practiced ancient pagan rituals. Their selfish

(05:00):
and lude practices trickled down into the culture of Judah.
King Jehosaphad had such a peace with God that he
was able to stand in the face of vast armies
without fear. King Joram had no such peace. His mind
was clouded with paranoia and pride. In an attempt to
secure his legacy forever, he killed all six of his brothers.

(05:24):
Corruption drenched his thoughts, and Athaliah reveled in her husband's
downward spiral. Elisha the Prophet kept a close eye on
the king of Judah. He watched as Athaliah sowed lies
into the fabric of Judah. He watched as Juram secured
his line by murdering his brothers. Elisha knew the heart

(05:44):
of God. He knew that a king's heart eventually reached
the heart of his people. He sent King Joram a
message saying, you have caused the people of Judah to
fall into false worship. You have slain your brothers, good
men who served the Lord. Because of this, you and
your sons will be blotted out from the kingdom. Slowly,

(06:07):
Judah's prosperity and favor shifted. With each battle, Judah tallied
more and more loss. Nations that were once at peace
with Judah began to take away more and more land.
Joram felt his kingdom slipping away from him. To add
to his woes, Uram was plagued with a crippling stomach
illness for two years. He writhed in pain each night.

(06:31):
He screamed for mercy. Eventually, Juram and all his sons
perished by the same illness. All his sons but one.
Nobody mourned for Joram's death. He was a corrupt man
and brought nothing but sorrow to the people of Judah.
There was hope for his son Aiah, hope that he
could restore the heart of David and Jehosaphat, Hope that

(06:55):
he might rise above his father's sins and reach out
to God for guidance. However, King Asiah was also muddled
by the doctrine of his mother. Athaliah tutored her son
in the ways of Jezebel. She weaved his wicked heart
like a tapestry. Eventually, Aziah went to visit his uncle,
the King of Israel, who had been wounded on the battlefield.

(07:17):
There he met Jehu, who sent a sea of arrows
to drown him in blood. So Athaliah found herself a
widow and childless. Her husband and her sons were weak.
Their minds and hearts were malleable and easy to sway,
but not hers. Athaliah had a will of iron. She

(07:37):
was the daughter of Jezebel and Ahab. She would find
a way to remain in power. Athaliah knew that only
men from the line of David were chosen as rulers
over Judah. As long as the line of David lived,
there would be a possibility to be overthrown. So Athaliah
conspired to kill all of her grandchildren. Anyone with David's

(07:59):
blood running through their her veins would feel the cold
iron of her dacker. Athaliakh conspired with a few of
her servants, not knowing that a child of God stood
in her midst. Athaaliah's daughter peered into her mother's chambers
and listened. She heard of Athaaliah's plan to murder the
line of David to gain power. Athaaliah's daughter was married

(08:21):
to the high priest Jehoiadah. Together they worshiped God and
served the people of Judah. She would not allow her
mother to murder her child. Before Athaliah sent her guards
to murder her grandchildren, her daughter grabbed her baby, Joash
and hid him in the temple of God. Tears streamed
down her face as she held her son close. In

(08:44):
the distance, she could hear the boots of Athaliah's men,
Each one of them scattered throughout the city to find
the descendants of David. All the small children were killed
all but Joash, who was held safely in the arms
of his mother. Athaliah, stood proud in front of the
people of Judah. Confident she had slain all the descendants

(09:04):
of David. She stood proud as the new ruler of Judah.
For six years, she corrupted the nation with the sins
of Jezebel, all the while Joash was kept safe with
his father and the Temple of God. For seven years,
he remained there and studied the Word of God. Meanwhile,
the people who still worshiped the lord became restless for

(09:26):
a king. Jehoiada, the high Priest, and Joasher's father gathered
the trusted leaders and elders of Judah together. They all
conversed in secret about Queen Athaliah. They spoke of revolt,
They spoke of rebellion. This is when Jehoyada felt comfortable
to ask the question, what would you do if I

(09:47):
told you there was a descendant of King David still alive?
The people paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
We would make him king, of course, they shouted. Jehoiada nodded,
and he got up from his seat. He went into
the other room and brought in his seven year old son.
Joash stood shyly in front of the crowd. This is Joash,

(10:10):
your next king. Gasps filled the room. There in the temple,
they bowed to the Lord's preserved hope for Judah. Together,
the elders devised a plan to bring Joash in front
of the people. They rallied troops who were not loyal
to the queen and ushered Joash forward in front of
the people. His father anointed his head and placed a

(10:32):
crown on his head. The people erupted in praise to
God in honor of their king. The sounds of applause, music,
and laughter echoed through the city. It woke the slumbering Atheliah.
She looked out her window to see what was happening.
She beheld citizens running through the streets in praise of
their new king. Her blood began to boil with hatred.

(10:55):
All she had built had begun to crumple. All the
murder and lie.

Speaker 1 (11:00):
Had been for nothing.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
She would not admit defeat easily. She rallied some of
her guards and stormed the temple of God. There she
saw the seven year old Joash sitting upon his throne.
She cackled towards him, then lifted her finger treason. She screamed.
Her voice was broken and without control, her eyes revealed

(11:22):
in inner madness. Her hunger for power had driven her insane.
Joash was just a child and unable to truly rule
on his own. Jehoiadain. The elders stood behind him. They
were pillars of strength and guidance for him. With resolute
strength in God, they stood their ground. Take her away
from here, they ordered the gods. To Athalia's surprise, her

(11:46):
men did nothing to help her. As she was swept
away out of the temple. They dragged her to the
horse corral and executed her without a spectacle. Slowly the
hearts of Judah began to heal. They tore down the
eyeOS in the city and renewed of culture of worship.

Speaker 3 (12:07):
As we open today's passage, we're reminded of the righteous
reign of Jehasaphat, King of Judah. His heart was like David's,
and he earnestly sought to be close to the Lord
and to lead his people to do the same. His
rule was marked by success and a glorious time in
Judas's history, But in his efforts to secure peace with

(12:29):
the northern kingdom of Israel. Jehasaphat had united with Ahab
through the marriage of his son Jehoram to Ahab and
Jezebel's daughter Athaliah. Atheliah was cut from the same cloth
as her evil parents and was deeply involved in pagan
worship and idolatry. So when Jehosaphat died and left a
flourishing kingdom for Jehoram to rule, things took an unfortunate turn.

(12:53):
Athaliah's influence upon Jehoram was stronger than Jehosaphats, and soon
the royal brought back the pagan rituals that poisoned Israel
and of which Jehasafad had worked so hard to rid
from Judah. But as Jehoram discovered, when we turned from
God to other sources of power and peace, we will
end up with neither rather than peace. Jehoram was tortured

(13:17):
by insecurity and fear, which in the end left him
powerless to resist even the gravest of sins, like the
murder of his six brothers, whom he feared were after
his throne. Elisha, the great Man of God, watched as
all of this transpired he saw the evil that was
growing in Judah and sent word of God's judgment to Jehoram.

(13:40):
His sins had not gone unnoticed, and as result, God
was going to wipe out the king and his sons,
just as the prophet had said. Jehoram and his sons
all died, the last of which was a Haziah, the king,
who we learned died when Jehu came to power. Ajziah
and Israel's king Joram both died at the hand of Jehu.

(14:02):
Athaliah was left without a husband or any children. But
rather than being fearful for her future or turned to
God in repentance of our own sins, Athaliah doubled down.
She saw the threat to her power David's line, and
proposed to destroy every descendant of King David. This included
her own grandchildren. We could view this as simply the

(14:25):
evil plot of a woman hungry for power and unwilling
to repent, but we know that there was something much
deeper going on here. There was a spiritual battle taking place,
a cosmic war. Our greatest enemy, the devil, knows God's
plan to bring the Savior, the Lord Jesus as Messiah
through David's line seen in that light, Athaliah's plot to

(14:48):
wipe out David's lineage was the work of Satan, who
seeks to kill, steal, and destroy. But God's plans are
impossible to stop. And even as Athalia go to death,
one of God's servants was in her midst And in
Second Kings eleven to two, here's what we find. But Jaoshiba,
the daughter of King Jorham, the sister of a Haziah,

(15:10):
took Joehas, the son of a Haziah, and stole him
away from among the king's sons who are about to
be put to death, and she put him and his
nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah
so that he was not put to death. Queen Athaliah's
reign of terror lasted six years, and in the seventh year,
Jayoshiba revealed that her son joe Ash was alive, as

(15:34):
is the line of David. His father Jehodah, the priest
anointed the child as king, and the seven year old
child was placed under strong protection. The people were quick
to welcome a new king, as Queen Athaliah had brought
them nothing but pain and suffering, and when she tried
to seize the child to kill him. Her guards refused

(15:55):
to help her. Instead, she was taken to a stable
and executed. The plans of Satan may seem to prevail
for a time. God will always accomplish his will and
his purpose, and so this child, the anointed one joe Ash,
carried on the line of David and ushered in an
era of peace and obedience to God. As a result

(16:19):
of Jehoshebah's faithfulness to God, the child was preserved and
God's plan carried on, and one day the Messiah would
indeed come through the line of David. Lord God, we
remember today that no plot against you, no plan against
your work and your will will ever prosper. We're reminded

(16:40):
of this today through the life of joe Ash and
the bravery the courage of his mother to preserve him.
Thank You for doing your will and accomplish your purposes
in our lives. We know that we have a destiny
with You, and our destiny is found in our relationship
through our Lord Jesus Christ, with you our God and Father. Amen.

(17:02):
Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot
Com app and make prayer and Bible study a priority
in your life. And if you enjoyed this podcast, tell
someone else about it. We would love to connect with
you at Jack Graham dot org for there are resources

(17:24):
and opportunities for you to continue to grow in your
faith through this ministry. God bless you
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