2Ch 23:15 | KingComments | STEP | Athaliah hears the sound of the cheers of the people for the just anointed king ( ). She goes out to the sound and comes to the people in the house of the LORD, for there everything is happening so far. The revival that is going on starts there. The opponents are also going there. So she sees what is going on, who it is about, where he stands, who is involved, and how they express themselves ( ). Her reaction to her observations is that she tears her clothes. She does not do this because she is convinced of her sins in her conscience, but because she has lost her power. Her exclamation “Treason! Treason!” brings out how she is inwardly. She describes what happens as high treason. If there is a revival in our lives, if we subject our lives completely to the authority of the Lord Jesus and honor Him again, we can count on the interest of our adversaries. They do not want to share it, but see it as treason. The calling of ‘Treason!’ is the typical reaction of religious men and politicians who do not want to give up any of their power when they see that others give themselves completely to the Lord and want to do obediently what He says. We can notice such reactions in personal lives as well as in the life of a church. We can think of not participating in all kinds of good actions in the world and in the church and point to our submission to the Lord as a motive for this. Of course people who do not have the Spirit cannot understand this. They see us as traitors, because they think that a Christian should work for those good things. We do not have to feel obliged because of their attitude to participate or to donate. The Lord must be our Client and not a charity organization. Jehoiada orders to put Athaliah to death ( ). However, this must not happen in the house of the LORD. With this house she hasn’t had any bond in her life. That connection must not be there in her death either. She is seized in the king’s house that she has presumptuously occupied and there she is killed ( ). This has put an end to the reign of this wicked woman who claimed this reign for herself at the expense of the lives of many.

‏ 2 Chronicles 23:15

Athaliah Put to Death

Athaliah hears the sound of the cheers of the people for the just anointed king (2Chr 23:12). She goes out to the sound and comes to the people in the house of the LORD, for there everything is happening so far. The revival that is going on starts there. The opponents are also going there. So she sees what is going on, who it is about, where he stands, who is involved, and how they express themselves (2Chr 23:13).

Her reaction to her observations is that she tears her clothes. She does not do this because she is convinced of her sins in her conscience, but because she has lost her power. Her exclamation “Treason! Treason!” brings out how she is inwardly. She describes what happens as high treason.

If there is a revival in our lives, if we subject our lives completely to the authority of the Lord Jesus and honor Him again, we can count on the interest of our adversaries. They do not want to share it, but see it as treason. The calling of ‘Treason!’ is the typical reaction of religious men and politicians who do not want to give up any of their power when they see that others give themselves completely to the Lord and want to do obediently what He says. We can notice such reactions in personal lives as well as in the life of a church.

We can think of not participating in all kinds of good actions in the world and in the church and point to our submission to the Lord as a motive for this. Of course people who do not have the Spirit cannot understand this. They see us as traitors, because they think that a Christian should work for those good things. We do not have to feel obliged because of their attitude to participate or to donate. The Lord must be our Client and not a charity organization.

Jehoiada orders to put Athaliah to death (2Chr 23:14). However, this must not happen in the house of the LORD. With this house she hasn’t had any bond in her life. That connection must not be there in her death either. She is seized in the king’s house that she has presumptuously occupied and there she is killed (2Chr 23:15). This has put an end to the reign of this wicked woman who claimed this reign for herself at the expense of the lives of many.