I once heard a pastor say, when we sense God’s call in an area, it’ll often feel like a death. Some of my most frightening and courageous steps of obedience have proven that statement true. Often, I must let something go to embrace whatever new assignment the Lord lays before me. This might sound selfish, but my greatest struggle usually involves relinquishing my agenda, likely because doing so also requires conceding my illusion of control.
When I allow anxiety to drive my actions and freeze my steps, God still fulfills His plan. I simply forfeit my part in them and miss out on encountering the miraculous. The converse is true as well. When I courageously obey God rather than self-protect, I receive the joy and fulfillment of knowing He used me to bring light and life to our dark and hurting world.
Jehosheba and an unnamed nurse mentioned in 2 Kings 11 must’ve wrestled with similar emotions while hiding a baby ordained to one day sit upon Judah’s throne.
The Background
After a season of religious reform, instituted by a godly king named Jehoshaphat, his son and successor, Jehoram, returned wickedness to the nation. When his son Ahaziah rose to power, he followed his father’s example, and was soon killed in battle. After this, we read, “When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram[a] 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” (2 Kings 11:1-3, NIV).
Can you imagine how terrifying this must’ve felt. Jehosheba risked her life to save this child. When chaos hit the palace, did she ever debate not getting involved? Did she contemplate fleeing to the hills or pretending to side with the queen?
Notice also, the dead king was her brother. This means in defying Queen Athaliah, she was going against her family.
Perhaps you know how that feels.
Can you envision how frightening this must’ve felt for the nurse as well? If you’ve ever tried to quiet a baby during church service or while on a plane, you can likely understand how challenging it must have felt to hide young Joash (also called Jehoash) for 6 years!
She must’ve wrestle with her involvement. While abandoning her post might’ve been equivalent to treason, so was hiding the future king from the present queen. When she received the child, did she have any indication as to how long they’d remain in hiding? What plans had she formulated prior? Was she isolated for over half a decade, or did she have help that allowed her to venture outside on occasion?
Did she ever want to quit?
I probably would have, numerous times. But I also would’ve found it incredibly gratifying to know, after those six years, that I had helped save a child.
But here’s the most beautiful part of this story. In rescuing baby Joash, both women also preserved the Messianic line that evil tried to extinguish.
Yet, to quote the study notes in my Tyndale Bible, “Athaliah’s attempts to kill all of Ahaziah’s sons was futile because God had promised that the Messiah would be born through David’s descendants.”
The next time God calls us into a holy battle, big or small, may we find courage in this truth: light always wins, and Christ’s victory is secure.
Join the conversation: What assignment has God invited you to accept? What tiny but necessary step can you take today?
