An engaging story is rife with conflict as the protagonist—a lead character for whom you find yourself cheering—contends against the antagonist, generally known as the bad guy.

The story of Athaliah and Jehosheba takes place when a litany of bad guys in the form of kings committed abominations against the Lord and His people. Athaliah was the daughter of King Ahab, one of the baddest of the bad, as well as Queen Jezebel, whose name became synonymous with wickedness. And let’s just say the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

We’ll call Athaliah our antagonist. And we’ll call Jehosheba (aka Jehoshabeath) our protagonist.

As is the case throughout the Bible, good eventually triumphs over evil. The Lord brings about victory while the wicked are celebrating their win.

A Killer Queen

Athaliah entered into the kingdom of Judah’s history through an ill-advised marriage. King Jehoshophat of Judah was a rare breed who actually “followed the ways of his father David before him” (2 Chronicles 17:3-4 NIV). But he made an unwise alliance with Israel’s King Ahab, marrying his son and heir apparent Jehoram to Ahab’s daughter Athaliah.

Jehoram proved to be as wicked as his wife. When he died, his son Ahaziah rose to power and lived up to the family legacy.

He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in doing wickedly.—2 Chronicles 22:3 (ESV)

Ahaziah was killed just a year after claiming the throne. It was then that Athaliah—likely remembering the example of her murderous parents—made her move. But so did Jehosheba, wife of high priest Jehoiada.

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram 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. He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.—2 Kings 11:1-3 (NIV)

The countdown had begun to Athaliah’s day of reckoning.

The Big Reveal

Behind the scenes, Jehoiada was working out a plan. Seven years after Athaliah appointed herself Judah’s queen, the high priest enlisted the help of guards as he finally coronated the long-hidden prince.

Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”—2 Kings 11:12 (NIV)

Athaliah heard the ruckus, saw the 7-year-old king, and knew her end was near. And so they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds, and there she was put to death (2 Kings 11:16 NIV).

It was a brutal end to a brutal reign. 

What We Can Learn from Them

Clearly Athaliah had some serious negative imprinting and potentially some PTSD from the things she witnessed in her childhood home. Her experience left her with two choices: Perpetuate the family’s penchant for wickedness or break the chain.

Breaking the chain requires principle and courage. Athaliah had neither. Jehosheba demonstrated both. As screams and bloodshed cried out to heaven, Jehosheba risked her life to protect her nephew and, perhaps, restore righteousness to the throne. (Read about King Joash’s downfall after Jehoiada’s passing here.) While she had breath, Jehosheba would not let evil have the last word.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.—Romans 12:21 (NIV)

That principle remains true for us today. We can choose to let evil rule over us, or we can choose to overcome evil with good.

Athaliah chose the former. Jehosheba chose the latter. We don’t even need to read the story to know which choice God honored.

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This is Part 30 in a series about biblical women—some named, some not, some honorable, some less so. But all have earned a place in scripture, and all have important lessons to teach us.