2 Kings Chapter 11
“His grace aboundeth more,
though sin abounded in my heart,
His grace aboundeth more.”
– Hymn 89
Just as this is one of the shorter chapters in 2 Kings, so shall this reflection be.
Once again, God has shown us very clearly that out of an abundance, unending cycle of sin, sorrow and despair, His grace, mercy and sovereign will prevail. No matter how narrow, He always provides that one way of escape, always opens a way that leads unto deliverance and salvation for those who hold fast the confession of hope and faith that is found in Him alone.
Here we see that God worked through Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram (and subsequently Jehoiada the priest), in the promised preservation of the lineage of king David within the kingdom of Judah. Amid the gruesome course of Athaliah’s ascension to the throne, Jehosheba risked it all to save a remnant of the Davidic monarchy – baby Joash.
Under such perilous circumstances, one can only imagine the extensively meticulous measures to be taken to keep the existence of Joash top secret.
Parallels with two other Biblical accounts come to mind – Moses and Ruth. These two chaotic, oppressive, and highly turbulent backdrops (the respective reigns of Pharaoh and the judges) are a stark contrast to God’s unchanging nature. When all seems lost, God proves that it never is as long as He is.
So, do we not see?
- Time and again, God reassures us that the value of our lives on earth is not determined by the summation of the good that He supplies; our lives are of indeterminate value because of how good God is.
- It is in outwardly dire straits that God is undeniably glorified – it is inevitable (almost imperative) that we be tried and tested to be able to witness and know, even if but a fraction, the absolute authority and power of and in God’s abidance.
- In a faithless multitude of people, God has freely given us the good part, charged us to be His faithful remnant, to be burning lamps that must never go out, perpetual living testaments of Him.
After a significant period in which foreign ideas and beliefs have dominated, this chapter concludes with the renewal of the rightful covenantal union of and relationship between the king, his people, and God. For us today, this is a mirror of the hope of promise that is to come, the hope we must boldly and unreservedly strive and live for.
Let us never take God’s grace and mercy for granted, lest it no longer be granted to us.