2 Kings 11:17-21 – Age is no barrier to serving God

Jehoiada's well-thought plan had Athaliah and her followers killed and eliminated. Judah had broken their covenant with God under Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Athaliah. Hence it was needful to renew their covenant with God. So 2 Kings 11:17 talked about the renewal of the covenant. Having restored Joash, the rightful heir to the throne, Jehoiada had the king, and the people renew their covenant with God. Both the new king and the people pledged to be the LORD’s people. And the king and the people also vouched to be loyal to each other.

Second Kings 11:18 tells us that all the people of Judah unitedly went to the house of Baal and had everything destroyed. Not only did they tear down the house, they also destroyed the altars and the images thoroughly. They also killed Mattan, the priest of Baal. In verse 19, the young king was escorted by the captains of the guards and the Carites and their men from the temple to the palace. There Jehoiada sat him on the throne of the kings, his rightful place. Verse 20 said that the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, meaning it was peaceful. The wicked Athaliah, the troubler of Judah, was put to death at the king’s house. The last verse of 2 Kings 11 said that Joash was seven years old when he became king.

Age is no barrier in the LORD’s plan. Especially when one is well nurtured and groomed. Joash was a case in point. He was young, tutored, and prepared by the godly Jehoiada. And at the right time, he was uncovered. When God ordains a person for a role, age need not be a disadvantage. Think of young Timothy, the protégé of the Apostle Paul. He was not only young but also timid and diffident. But he had a good grounding. Second Timothy 1:3 suggests that he was well taught in faith and in the word by his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice. Paul reminded him in 1 Timothy 4:12 to stand his ground and let no one look down on him just because he was young. In this same verse, Paul shows us that our disadvantage is not in our age (physical or spiritual). but in our character and example in life. Our good example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity can be an inspiration, even if we are young in our faith or age. God is no respector of person!