Ahaziah was only twenty-two, and was ruled by his mother Athaliah for
the one year before, going to visit his uncle Jehoram, of Israel, he
was slain with him in Jehu's massacre of the House of Ahab. Athaliah
herself fulfilled the rest of the decree which she did not acknowledge.
She was bent on reigning, and savagely murdered all her grandsons who
fell into her hands; but as the House of David was never to fail, one
tender branch, the infant Joash, was hidden from her fury by his aunt,
the wife of the High Priest Jehoiada; and when the fitting time was
come, the Levites were armed, and the people were shown their little
king. They acknowledged him with shouts of joy, and Athaliah coming to
see the cause of the outcry, was dragged out of the Temple and put
to death. Jerusalem was cleansed from the worship of Baal, and all
prospered as long as the good Jehoiada lived. After his death, however,
Joash fell away grievously, and promoted idol worship; nay, he even slew
the son of his preserver, Jehoiada, for bringing him a Divine rebuke,
and for this iniquity his troops suffered a great defeat from the
Syrians, and his servants slew him as he lay sick on his bed in 838.
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