In Second Kings, chapter eleven, verse four, Jehoiada, the husband of Jehosheba, was the high priest of the Lord during Athaliah’s reign in the southern kingdom, as in verse two and Second Chronicles twenty-two, verse eleven, respectively. He instigated Athaliah’s overthrow in Second Chronicles twenty-three, set Joash in chapter twelve, verse one, on the throne, and guided him in devotion to the Lord, as in verse twelve and Second Chronicles twenty-three, verse eleven. However, what Jehoiada did was preserve the Messianic line. He effectively directed the young King Joash in renewing the covenant between the Lord and His people and in destroying the religion of Baal.
After waiting for six long years and seeing the young prince grow from an infant to a boy of seven years of age, Jehoiada deemed that the time had come to venture on an effort. He needed to make his arrangements beforehand with great care. His first step was to sound the captains of the royal guard. To these men, five in number, as in Second Chronicles twenty-three, verse one, he sent secretly and in-wired them to confer with him in the temple on important business. Finding them well-disposed to adopt his views, Jehoiada revealed that Joash had escaped the massacre of Ahaziah’s sons and was still living, even allowing them to see him. The result of the interview was that they put themselves at Jehoiada’s disposal and agreed to take their orders from him, as in verse four.
Jehoiada then proceeded to his second step. Either distrusting the body-guard that the captains commanded or regarding it as insufficient in numbers, he gave them orders to visit the various cities of Judea, and collect from them a strong force of Levites and other trusty persons, and bring them to Jerusalem as in Second Chronicles twenty-three, verse two, where he would give them their orders. The plan was successful and, as it would seem, without arousing the suspicions of Athaliah. A day was in place for proclaiming Joash king; the guard and the Levites disposed about the temple and the palace; the king was brought up, crowned, anointed, and saluted as monarch, with noisy acclamations as in verse twelve. Noises came in the mansion, and Athaliah went forth, with a few attendants, to inquire the reason. Following the sound, she came to the temple and entered when she saw what was going on and cried out, “Treason! Treason!” By Jehoiada’s order, the guards seized her, took her out of the temple, and slew her.