2 Kings 11

13-16 In these verses, the writer describes how Athaliah learned that Joash had been made king and how she was soon afterward put to death.

17-21 Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord and His people (verse 17). This was not a new covenant; this was a renewal of the original covenant God had made with the Israelites at Mount Sinai (see Exodus 19:5-8) and which had been renewed a number of times since (see Deuteronomy 29:1-29; Joshua 8:3035). The covenant stipulated that both the king and his people were to obey God’s law, and that if they did so, God would make them His very own people and bless them. In renewing this covenant, Jehoiada was also renewing the promise God had made to David that his throne would endure forever (2 Samuel 7:16).

Jehoiada also made a covenant between the king and the people, according to which the king was to serve the people and the people were to obey the king as God’s representative (see verse 12 and comment).

In accordance with their renewed vow to keep the Lord’s covenant, the people went out and tore down Baal’s temple and killed Baal’s chief priest (verse 18). No doubt it was Athaliah herself, a daughter of Ahab, who had introduced Baal worship into Judah (see 2 Chronicles 24:7).

Then Joash was brought to the royal palace and seated on the throne of his ancestor David. The writer notes that he was only seven years old when he began to reign (verse 21). Truly the Lord had preserved a lamp for David (1 Kings 11:36; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19).