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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1708)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>S E C O N D C H R O N I C L E S</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XXIII.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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</CENTER>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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Six years bloody Athaliah had tyrannised; in this chapter we have her
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deposed and slain, and Joash, the rightful heir, enthroned. We had the
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story before nearly as it is here related,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+11:4-21">2 Kings xi. 4</A>,
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&c.
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I. Jehoiada prepared the people for the king, acquainted them with his
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design, armed them, and appointed them their posts,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:1-10">ver. 1-10</A>.
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II. He produced the king to the people, crowned him, and anointed him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:11">ver. 11</A>.
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III. He slew the usurper,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:12-15">ver. 12-15</A>.
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IV. He reformed the kingdom, re-established religion, and restored the
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civil government,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:16-21">ver. 16-21</A>.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_9"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_10"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_11"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Preparations to Restore Judah.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 878.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and
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took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and
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Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and
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Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri,
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into covenant with him.
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2 And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of
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all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel,
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and they came to Jerusalem.
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3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the
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house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall
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reign, as the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> hath said of the sons of David.
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4 This <I>is</I> the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you
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entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites,
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<I>shall be</I> porters of the doors;
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5 And a third part <I>shall be</I> at the king's house; and a third
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part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people <I>shall be</I>
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in the courts of the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>.
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6 But let none come into the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>, save the
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priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in,
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for they <I>are</I> holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of
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the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>.
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7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man
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with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever <I>else</I> cometh into
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the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when
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he cometh in, and when he goeth out.
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8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that
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Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men
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that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go
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<I>out</I> on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the
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courses.
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9 Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of
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hundreds spears, and bucklers, and shields, that <I>had been</I> king
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David's, which <I>were</I> in the house of God.
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10 And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in
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his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of
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the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round
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about.
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11 Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the
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crown, and <I>gave him</I> the testimony, and made him king. And
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Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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We may well imagine the bad posture of affairs in Jerusalem during
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Athaliah's six years' usurpation, and may wonder that God permitted it
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and his people bore it so long; but after such a dark and tedious night
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the returning day in this revolution was the brighter and the more
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welcome. The continuance of David's seed and throne was what God had
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sworn by his holiness
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+89:35">Ps. lxxxix. 35</A>),
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and an interruption was no defeasance; the stream of government here
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runs again in the right channel. The instrument and chief manager of
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the restoration is Jehoiada, who appears to have been,
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1. A man of great prudence, who reserved the young prince for so many
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years till he was fit to appear in public, and till the nation had
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grown weary of the usurper, who prepared his work beforehand, and then
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effected it with admirable secresy and expedition. When God has work to
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do he will qualify and animate men for it.
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2. A man of great interest. The captains joined with him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:1"><I>v.</I> 1</A>.
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The Levites and the chief of the fathers of Israel came at his call to
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Jerusalem
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:2"><I>v.</I> 2</A>)
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and were there ready to receive his orders. See what a command wisdom
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and virtue will give men. <I>The Levites and all Judah did as Jehoiada
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commanded</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:8"><I>v.</I> 8</A>),
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and, which is strange, all that were entrusted with the secret kept
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their own counsel till it was executed. Thus <I>the words of the wise
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are heard in quiet,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ec+9:17">Eccl. ix. 17</A>.
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3. A man of great faith. It was not only common equity (much less his
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wife's relation to the royal family) that put him upon this
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undertaking, but a regard to the word of God, and the divine entail of
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the crown
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>):
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<I>The king's son shall reign,</I> must reign, <I>as the Lord hath
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said.</I> His eye to the promise, and dependence upon that, added a
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great deal of glory to this undertaking.
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4. A man of great religion. This matter was to be done in the temple,
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which might occasion some breach of rule, and the necessity of the case
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might be thought to excuse it; but he gave special order that none of
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the people should come into the house of the Lord, but the priests and
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Levites only, who were holy, upon pain of death,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:6,7"><I>v.</I> 6, 7</A>.
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Never let sacred things be profaned, no, not for the support of civil
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rights.
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5. A man of great resolution. When he had undertaken this business he
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went through with it, <I>brought out the king, crowned him, and gave
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him the testimony,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:11"><I>v.</I> 11</A>.
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He ventured his head, but it was in a good cause, and therefore he went
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on boldly. It is here said that his sons joined with him in anointing
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the young king. One of them, it is likely, was that Zechariah whom
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Joash afterwards put to death for reproving him
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+24:20"><I>ch.</I> xxiv. 20</A>),
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which was so much the more ungrateful because he bore a willing part in
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anointing him.</P>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_12"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_13"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_14"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_15"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_16"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_17"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_18"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_19"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_20"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch23_21"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Joash Crowned and Athaliah Slain.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 878.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and
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praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the
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L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>:
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13 And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at
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the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king:
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and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with
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trumpets, also the singers with instruments of music, and such
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as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and
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said, Treason, Treason.
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14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of
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hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have
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her forth of the ranges: and whoso followeth her, let him be
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slain with the sword. For the priest said, Slay her not in the
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house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>.
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15 So they laid hands on her; and when she was come to the
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entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her
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there.
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16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all
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the people, and between the king, that they should be the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>'s
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people.
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17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it
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down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew
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Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.
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18 Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>
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by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had
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distributed in the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>, to offer the burnt
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offerings of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>, as <I>it is</I> written in the law of Moses,
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with rejoicing and with singing, <I>as it was ordained</I> by David.
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19 And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the
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L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>, that none <I>which was</I> unclean in any thing should enter in.
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20 And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and
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the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and
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brought down the king from the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>: and they came
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through the high gate into the king's house, and set the king
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upon the throne of the kingdom.
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21 And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was
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quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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Here we have,
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I. The people pleased,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:12,13"><I>v.</I> 12, 13</A>.
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When the king stood at his pillar, whose right it was to stand there,
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<I>all the people of the land rejoiced to see a rod sprung out of the
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stem of Jesse,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Isa+11:1">Isa. xi. 1</A>.
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When it seemed a withered root in a dry ground, to see what they
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despaired of ever seeing--a king of the house of David, what a pleasing
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surprise was it to them! They ran in transports of joy to see this
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sight, praised the king, and praised God, for they had with them such
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as <I>taught to sing praise.</I></P>
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<P>
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II. Athaliah slain. She ran upon the point of the sword of justice;
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for, imagining her interest much better than it was, she ventured
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<I>into the house of the Lord</I> at that time, and cried, <I>Treason,
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treason!</I> But nobody seconded her, or sided with her. The pride of
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her heart deceived her. She thought all her own, whereas none were
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cordially so. Jehoiada, as protector in the king's minority, ordered
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her to be slain
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:14"><I>v.</I> 14</A>),
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which was done immediately
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:15"><I>v.</I> 15</A>),
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only care was taken that she should not be <I>slain in the house of the
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Lord,</I> that sacred place must not be so far disgraced, nor that
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wicked woman so far honoured.</P>
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<P>
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III. The original contract agreed to,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:16"><I>v.</I> 16</A>.
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In the <I>Kings</I> it is said that Jehoiada made a covenant between
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the <I>Lord,</I> the people, and the king,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+11:17">2 Kings xi. 17</A>.
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Here it is said to be between <I>himself,</I> the people, and the king;
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for he, as God's priest, was his representative in this transaction, or
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a sort of mediator, as Moses was. The indenture was tripartite, but the
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true intent and meaning of the whole was that <I>they should be the
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Lord's people.</I> God covenanted by Jehoiada to take them for his
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people; the king and people covenanted with him to be his; and then the
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king covenanted with the people to govern them <I>as the people of
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God,</I> and the people with the king to be subject to him <I>as the
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Lord's people,</I> in his fear and for his sake. Let us look upon
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ourselves and one another as <I>the Lord's people,</I> and this will
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have a powerful influence upon us in the discharge of all our duty both
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to God and man.</P>
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<P>
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IV. Baal destroyed,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:17"><I>v.</I> 17</A>.
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They would not have done half their work if they had only destroyed the
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usurper of the <I>king's</I> right, and not the usurper of <I>God's</I>
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right--if they had asserted the honour of the throne, and not that of
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the altar. The greatest grievance of Athaliah's reign was the bringing
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in of the worship of Baal, and supporting of that; therefore that must
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be abolished in the first place. Down with Baal's house, his altars,
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his images; down with them all, and let the blood of his priests be
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mingled with his sacrifices; for God had commanded that seducers to
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idolatry should be put to death,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=De+13:5,6">Deut. xiii. 5, 6</A>.</P>
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<P>
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V. The temple service revived,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:18,19"><I>v.</I> 18, 19</A>.
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This had been neglected in the last reigns, the priest and people
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wanting either power or zeal to keep it up when they had princes that
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were disaffected to it. But Jehoiada restored <I>the offices of the
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house of the Lord,</I> which in the late times had been disturbed and
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invaded, to the proper course and proper hands.
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1. He appointed the priests to their courses, for the due offering of
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sacrifices, according to the law of Moses.
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2. The singers to theirs, according to the appointment of David. The
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sacrifices (it should seem) were <I>offered with rejoicing and
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singing,</I> and with good reason. We <I>joy in God</I> when we
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<I>receive the atonement,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ro+5:11">Rom. v. 11</A>.
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3. The porters were put in their respective posts as David ordered
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:19"><I>v.</I> 19</A>),
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and their office was to take care that none who were upon any account
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ceremonially unclean should be admitted into the courts of the
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temple.</P>
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<P>
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VI. The civil government re-established,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:20"><I>v.</I> 20</A>.
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They brought the king in state to his own palace, and set him <I>upon
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the throne of the kingdom,</I> to give law, and give judgment, either
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in his own person or by Jehoiada his tutor. Thus was this happy
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revolution perfected. The generality of the people rejoiced in it, and
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the rest were quiet and made no opposition,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+23:21"><I>v.</I> 21</A>.
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When the Son of David is enthroned in the soul all is quiet and springs
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