猶大的王后亞她利雅
（代下22‧10－23‧15）
1 亞哈謝的母親亞她利雅見她兒子死了，就起來剿滅王室。 2但約蘭王的女兒，亞哈謝的妹子約示巴，將亞哈謝的兒子約阿施從那被殺的王子中偷出來，把他和他的乳母都藏在臥房裏，躲避亞她利雅，免得被殺。 3約阿施和他的乳母藏在耶和華的殿裏六年；亞她利雅篡了國位。
4第七年，耶何耶大打發人叫迦利人和護衛兵的眾百夫長來，領他們進了耶和華的殿，與他們立約，使他們在耶和華殿裏起誓，又將王的兒子指給他們看， 5吩咐他們說：「你們當這樣行：凡安息日進班的三分之一要看守王宮， 6三分之一要在蘇珥門，三分之一要在護衛兵院的後門。這樣把守王宮，攔阻閒人。 7你們安息日所有出班的三分之二要在耶和華的殿裏護衛王； 8各人手拿兵器，四圍護衛王。凡擅入你們班次的必當治死，王出入的時候，你們當跟隨他。」
9眾百夫長就照着祭司耶何耶大一切所吩咐的去行，各帶所管安息日進班出班的人來見祭司耶何耶大。 10祭司便將耶和華殿裏所藏大衛王的槍和盾牌交給百夫長。 11護衛兵手中各拿兵器，在壇和殿那裏，從殿右直到殿左，站在王子的四圍。 12祭司領王子出來，給他戴上冠冕，將律法書交給他，膏他作王；眾人就拍掌說：「願王萬歲！」
13 亞她利雅聽見護衛兵和民的聲音，就到民那裏，進耶和華的殿， 14看見王照例站在柱旁，百夫長和吹號的人侍立在王左右，國中的眾民歡樂吹號；亞她利雅就撕裂衣服，喊叫說：「反了！反了！」 15祭司耶何耶大吩咐管轄軍兵的百夫長說：「將她趕出班外，凡跟隨她的必用刀殺死！」因為祭司說「不可在耶和華殿裏殺她」， 16眾兵就閃開讓她去；她從馬路上王宮去，便在那裏被殺。
耶何耶大的改革
（代下23‧16－21）
17 耶何耶大使王和民與耶和華立約，作耶和華的民；又使王與民立約。 18於是國民都到巴力廟，拆毀了廟，打碎壇和像，又在壇前將巴力的祭司瑪坦殺了。祭司耶何耶大派官看守耶和華的殿， 19又率領百夫長和迦利人與護衛兵，以及國中的眾民，請王從耶和華殿下來，由護衛兵的門進入王宮，他就坐了王位。 20國民都歡樂，閤城都安靜。眾人已將亞她利雅在王宮那裏用刀殺了。
21 約阿施登基的時候年方七歲。
今天我們來讀的是《列王紀下》第11章。昨天我們看到了亂世梟雄耶戶的故事，今天我們將看到另一個充滿戲劇性的事件——一場王子的復仇記。
以色列古代的宮廷劇，其實一點都不遜色於我們所熟悉的中國宮廷劇。家族間的爭鬥、政權的更替，同樣充滿了骨肉相殘的悲劇性場景。
這裡有幾個人物我們要先釐清一下。亞哈謝是之前和約蘭王一起被耶戶殺死的猶大國王，而他的母親名叫亞他利雅。亞他利雅是從北國以色列嫁來的公主，是亞哈的女兒，也就是剛才我們提到的惡王后耶洗別的繼女。她嫁到猶大後，也將拜偶像的惡習帶了過來，並且她本身也是一個非常邪惡的女人。
當她得知自己的兒子亞哈謝被殺後，便起身奪取國位，並且下令將所有王室成員一併殺害。這樣的行為顯示了她是一個心狠手辣、不擇手段的女人。
這裡記載了一個重要的王，就是約阿施王。他能夠保命下來，是因為當時他還只有一歲。拯救他性命的是他的姑姑約示巴和姑丈大祭司耶何耶大。這兩人將他藏起來，讓他成為唯一躲過這場大屠殺的王室成員，成為猶大王室的唯一倖存者。
這段故事記載在《歷代志下》22章。當我們理解到聖經中有許多書卷記載同一事件時，我們會發現，因為作者不同，所以角度也有所不同。這有點像是舊約中的“福音書”概念，從不同作者的視角來記錄同一段歷史。
例如，在《列王記下》中，沒有特別強調約阿施和耶何耶大這個人，但在《歷代志》中，卻特別強調了耶何耶大的角色和貢獻。
我們看到約阿施在聖殿裡成長，直到七歲。後來，耶何耶大策劃了一次奪回王位的行動，聯合忠心的百夫長和守衛兵，推翻了亞他利雅的統治，將王位重新歸還給約阿施。這次的革命相當成功，不僅推翻了亞他利雅的統治，還摧毀了巴力的偶像，暫時讓這種邪惡的信仰從猶大消失。
耶何耶大一生忠心耿耿，輔佐約阿施，使他成為一個不錯的王。在耶何耶大在世期間，猶大國經歷了一次小規模的復興，敬拜上帝的風氣重新回到國中。因此，耶何耶大在猶大的歷史中是一位極其重要的人物。
耶何耶大的故事在《歷代志》22到24章中記載得更加詳盡。我們看到，在他在世時，帶領整個國家回歸上帝，並指導國王行上帝眼中看為正的事。他去世時享年130歲高齡，並且破例葬在了大衛王的墳墓中。這表明他對國家和人民的貢獻是何等巨大，能夠以非王室的身份享有這樣的殊榮。
接下來，我們來看看約阿施王如何奪回王位，並重新帶領猶大國回到正軌。然而，這樣的復興能夠持續多久呢？我們將在明天的第12章故事中繼續探索。
感謝各位的聆聽！
Athaliah and Joash
When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, so he was not killed. He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
In the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites, and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the LORD. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the LORD. Then he showed them the king’s son. He commanded them, saying, “This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath—a third of you guarding the royal palace, a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple—and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king. Station yourselves around the king, each of you with a weapon in hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”
The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest. Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the LORD. The guards, each with a weapon in hand, stationed themselves around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.
Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”
When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the LORD. She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”
Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: “Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the temple of the LORD.” So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.
Jehoiada then made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people that they would be the LORD’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars.
Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the LORD. He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the LORD and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne. All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.
Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.
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Today we are reading from 2 Kings, Chapter 11. Yesterday we saw the story of the warlord Jehu, and today we will witness another dramatic event—The Prince's Revenge.
The ancient court dramas of Israel are no less intense than the court dramas we are familiar with from Chinese history. The struggles between families and the changes in power are filled with tragic scenes of bloodshed among kin.
There are a few key figures we need to clarify. Ahaziah was the king of Judah who was killed alongside King Joram by Jehu. His mother was Athaliah, a princess from the northern kingdom of Israel, the daughter of Ahab, and the stepdaughter of the wicked Queen Jezebel, whom we mentioned earlier. When Athaliah married into Judah, she brought with her the evil practice of idol worship and was herself a wicked woman.
Upon learning of her son Ahaziah’s death, Athaliah seized the throne and ordered the massacre of all royal family members. This action demonstrated her ruthless and unscrupulous nature.
This passage also introduces an important king, Joash. He survived because he was just a year old at the time. His aunt Jehosheba and her husband, the high priest Jehoiada, saved his life by hiding him. Joash became the only surviving member of the royal family and the sole heir to the throne of Judah.
This story is also recorded in 2 Chronicles 22. When we realize that many books of the Bible recount the same events, we can see that different authors bring different perspectives. This is somewhat like the concept of the “Gospels” in the Old Testament, where different authors record the same history from various angles.
For example, in 2 Kings, there is little emphasis on Joash and Jehoiada, but in 2 Chronicles, Jehoiada's role and contributions are highlighted.
We see Joash growing up in the temple until he was seven years old. Later, Jehoiada orchestrated a coup, allying with faithful captains and guards to overthrow Athaliah’s rule and restore the throne to Joash. This revolution was highly successful, not only overthrowing Athaliah but also destroying the idols of Baal, temporarily removing this evil faith from Judah.
Jehoiada remained loyal throughout his life, guiding Joash to become a good king. During Jehoiada’s lifetime, Judah experienced a small revival, and the practice of worshiping God was restored in the nation. Therefore, Jehoiada is a highly significant figure in Judah’s history.
Jehoiada’s story is detailed more thoroughly in 2 Chronicles 22 to 24. We see that during his life, he led the entire nation back to God and guided the king to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. When he passed away at the age of 130, he was given the extraordinary honor of being buried in the tomb of King David, despite not being of royal blood. This honor shows the immense contribution he made to the nation and its people.
Next, we will see how King Joash reclaimed the throne and led Judah back on the right path. But how long would this revival last? We will explore that in tomorrow’s story from Chapter 12.
Thank you all for listening!
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