God's temple was deserted, but He used it as a safe refuge for the young king Joash. Jehoiada and the Levites devised a plan to conceal the child king, and they surrounded him with bodyguards, setting up a perimeter around the Sabbath. The priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and shields that belonged to King David, symbolizing the return of the Davidic line. Athaliah, the wicked queen, was eventually killed, and Joash was crowned king, marking a reformation and restoration in the land.
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