2 Kings 11:11-14

The will of God, rest assured will be carried out, with or without human intervention.

To God be all glory!

Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab of Israel, married Jehoram, king of Judah (who reigned ca. 848–41). She bore Ahaziah (king of Judah, who reigned ca. 841–40 bc). After Jehu kills King Ahaziah, Athaliah takes his place and becomes queen of Judah. Faithlife Bible.

Athaliah’s destruction of all of the royal heirs must have concentrated on her own grandchildren.

Josephus says that Jehosheba was Ahaziah’s half sister (Antiquities 9.7.1). As the wife of the high priest Jehoiada, her marriage and her relation to the royal house made it possible for her to rescue and hide the young Joash. Joash was the son of Ahaziah. He apparently was an infant at this time. Athaliah might not have known of his existence and for this reason failed to kill him in her purges. Yet Joash was to inherit the promises of the Davidic covenant. His righteous reign may be attributed in part to his early years spent in the house of the Lord and to the godly instruction and protection of his aunt Jehosheba and his uncle, the high priest Jehoiada. 

Meanwhile, the unthinkable was happening: The daughter of Jezebel was now the queen of Judah. A worshiper of Baal was in power in the nation of God’s promise. She built in Jerusalem a temple to Baal.

The temple was the appropriate place to crown the king of God’s appointment. It was also probably a good place to hide from a queen whose god was Baal. What a shock this must have been to Athaliah. There stood a little boy that guaranteed the end of her reign. Her words Treason! Treason! were technically correct. But it was she who had committed treason by murdering all the survivors of the Davidic house—except for the one who was now king. NKJ Bible.

2 Kings 11:11–14 (NKJV)

¹¹ Then the escorts stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, all around the king, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, by the altar and the house. ¹² And he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the Testimony; they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”

¹³ Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the escorts and the people, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord. ¹⁴ When she looked, there was the king standing by a pillar according to custom; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. So Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Treason! Treason!”

2 Kings 8:26 (NKJV)

²⁶ Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel.