https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/67071-jehosheba-a-lineage-preserver/day/4
I (Aida) have just been reading 2 Chronicles as part of my Bible reading plan. I read the Bible in historical or chronological order and every time I learn more and more, as the Chronicler records some marvelous and courageous deeds. This way, I don’t miss the ramifications of the actions of some of the people, such as the courageous but often unnoticed actions of a daughter of a very wicked king, who, unlike her father, was very righteous.
Princess Jehosheba (or in Hebrew, Jehoshabeath) was the granddaughter of King Jehoshaphat and daughter of King Jehoram. Who was King Jehoram? He was a king over Judah and the firstborn son of the righteous King Jehoshaphat. Because Jehoram was the firstborn, his father gave him the throne when he died. King Jehoshaphat “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” and “sought the Lord with all his heart” (2 Chron 21:32; 22:9). However, in contrast, his son Jehoram killed all his six innocent brothers (Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah, 2 Chron 21:2) so that none would compete with him for the throne. Even the prophet Elijah sent Jehoram a personal letter from the Lord against his killing of his brothers, members of his own family, who were better than he was, according to God. Thus, Jehoram’s own family would get a plague and he himself would die of a severe illness (2 Chron 22:12-15). The Bible summarizes: “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Chron 21:6). Jehosheba’s half brother Ahaziah, when he became king for one year, also “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Chron 22:4). At his death, Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah (daughter of Ahab and Jezebel), a wife of King Jehoram and the evil stepmother of Jehosheba (whose birth mother possibly was Zibiah, 2 Kings 12:1) planned, as did her husband Jehoram, to kill the whole royal family, including her grandson Joash, so she could remain queen of Judah. She promoted Baal worship, as did her parents (2 Chron 22:10). But Jehosheba was courageous. She acted righteously and swiftly in conflict with the unrighteous ways of her father and stepmother Athaliah and uncle Ahaziah and “stole” (i.e., took away secretly) and hid in the temple her one-year-old “relative” (brother or nephew)[1] Joash, son of Ahaziah, for six years, probably in one of the buildings of the court of the temple, maybe even in Jehosheba’s own house, the dwelling of her husband, the high priest (2 Chron 22:11-12; 2 Kings 11:2-3). She protected her brother daily for six long years (841-835 BC). When Joash was seven years old, Jehosheba’s husband, priest Jehoida (2 Chron 22:11), assembled a mighty group to enlist the Levite priests and powerful families throughout Judah to support Joash as a young king and rid Judah of the evil Athaliah. While Joash listened to his mentor and uncle (or brother-in-law) Jehoiada the priest, he “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Chron 24:2; 2 Kings 12:2). Joash as king even pushed the high priest Jehoiada to be consistent in restoring the temple in Jerusalem (2 Chron 24:6; 2 Kings 12:6-8).
This valiant woman, Jehosheba, is an example for us of someone who dares to follow the ways and the purposes of the Lord, despite genuine and lethal opposition from her family. Jesus reminds us that following him does not always result in familial peace. As a result of choices and actions, families may be divided against each other: “father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law” (Luke 12:51-53). Jehosheba acted against the evil ways of her father and father’s wife but followed in the good ways of her grandfather. This took great courage. She risked her own life out of love and concern for her young brother (or nephew) and the kingdom.
Honoring one’s father and mother is a command from God (Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16). However, “honoring” (cabed) does not signify following one’s parents into evil. We are also supposed to honor or extol Wisdom, who will in turn honor her disciples (Prov 4:17-18). Yes, we should honor our parents, but not necessarily their actions, if they are in opposition to God’s ways.[2] Even more so than our human parents, we should honor our Parent in heaven (Mal 1:6).
Aída
[1] NIV translates ahoth as “sister,” while C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch render ahoth “his father’s sister” (Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 3 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1989), 356.
[2] In contrast, the priest Eli was reprimanded for “honoring” his sons above the Lord by allowing them to continue doing evil at the tabernacle. Eli forgot that God honors those who honor him (1 Sam 2:22-25, 30).
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