Thwarting the Threats: God's Unyielding Plan of Salvation
June 21, 2024 - Friday, Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious
2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20
As we continue reading the Books of Kings, we realize that with the death of Elijah, the battle against Baalism did not end. We also realize that the kings of Israel are far from being righteous and faithful to the covenant with God. Additionally, we notice how women are often portrayed negatively. We encountered Jezebel, the Syrian queen who introduced her husband, Ahab, to Baalism. Today, we meet another woman, Athaliah, who, in her thirst for power, murdered all possible challengers to the throne. She reminds us a bit of Wu Zetian, the famous Chinese Empress who ruled the nation from 690 to 705.
Athaliah’s action of killing off "the whole royal family" puts God's plan of salvation in jeopardy. If all the descendants of David are annihilated, how can the Messiah come to save the world? This is not the first nor the last time that God's plan of salvation is jeopardized, either by natural causes or by the power of evil. Sarah was barren and could not have children, the famine in Bethlehem destroyed the entire family of Elimelech (see the Book of Ruth), and the Babylonians brought the ruling dynasty of David to an end. And yet, the Lord always finds ways to thwart all those attempts.
In today's story, the Lord uses two individuals, Jehosheba and Jehoiada. Jehosheba stands as an example of a brave woman who saves the life of the future king, Joash. Jehoiada, the priest in the temple of Jerusalem, protected and raised the future king for seven years before anointing him as the legitimate king over God's people. Thus, Athaliah failed in preventing God's plan of salvation from continuing to unfold. The same applied to the Babylonians. Although since 586 BC there was no king in Jerusalem, the line of David continued to exist, like a subterranean stream invisible to the eyes, but then suddenly surfacing on the day when the Messiah of the line of David was born in Bethlehem.
Athaliah and Jehosheba symbolize two types of women within the biblical story. Athaliah stands for the most visible, the negative type. Like Eve, Jezebel, and the wife of Job, they all stray from righteousness. On the other hand, Jehosheba represents the often overlooked type of all those women, from Sarah to Mary, the mother of Jesus, who contributed to the advancement of God's plan of salvation. Athaliah can also symbolize the way of foolishness that rejects God and turns to idols and immoral living. Jehosheba can symbolize wisdom characterized by obedience to God's commandments, leading to a life of happiness and fulfillment.
As we look at our world through the media, many are tempted to despair. God's plan of salvation aims to establish a new heaven and a new earth, but it seems that before He will be able to do it, we will destroy our planet Earth. But then, the Bible, and today's story in particular, remind us that nothing and no one can thwart God's plan. Today, we also have brave individuals, like Jehosheba and Jehoiada, who are God's instruments in advancing His plan of salvation.