What other biblical instances show God using people to protect His anointed? God Positions Guards around Joash (2 Kings 11:11) “Then the guards stood with weapons in hand surrounding the king, from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple.” • Athaliah’s murderous plot failed because priests, captains, and royal bodyguards banded together at God’s prompting. • Their obedience illustrates a wider biblical pattern: the Lord raises up human protectors when His anointed are threatened. Midwives, a Mother, and a Princess—Moses Preserved (Exodus 1–2) • Shiphrah and Puah defied Pharaoh: “The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.” (Exodus 1:17) • Jochebed hid her baby three months, then set the basket afloat. • Miriam kept watch and negotiated with Pharaoh’s daughter. • Pharaoh’s daughter rescued and raised Moses inside the very palace that sought his death. God wove together ordinary courage and royal compassion to shield the deliverer of Israel. Jonathan, Michal, and Mighty Men—David Sheltered (1 Samuel–2 Samuel) • Jonathan warned: “My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard…” (1 Samuel 19:2). • Michal lowered David through a window so he could flee (1 Samuel 19:12). • Later, Abishai stepped in when a giant tried to kill David: “Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s aid.” (2 Samuel 21:17) Whether by covert warning or open sword, friends and warriors became God’s shield around His chosen king. Jehoiada and Jehosheba—The Hidden King (2 Kings 11:2-3) • Before the guards ever took their posts, Jehosheba “stole him away… and hid him.” • Jehoiada the priest sheltered the boy for six years, then revealed him at the right moment. Joash’s story shows layered protection: first a hiding place, then an armed guard. Obadiah’s Caves—Prophets Hidden from Jezebel (1 Kings 18:4) “For when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty men per cave, and had fed them with bread and water.” A faithful court official used royal resources to preserve God’s spokesmen until Elijah confronted Baal. Joseph’s Nighttime Flight—Jesus Protected from Herod (Matthew 2:13-15) “‘Get up… Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt; stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.’” (Matthew 2:13) • Joseph obeyed immediately, becoming the human shield God used to guard the Messiah. • Foreign gifts from the Magi likely financed the journey, another example of people’s role in divine protection. Paul’s Nephew and a Roman Escort—Apostle Delivered (Acts 23) • Plot uncovered: “The son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot.” (Acts 23:16) • Military escort: “Two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen” transferred Paul safely (Acts 23:23-24). God even leveraged an occupying army to keep His apostle alive and the gospel advancing. Patterns We Can Trust • God’s anointed may face deadly opposition, yet He consistently works through willing people—family members, friends, officials, even enemies—to guard them. • The variety of protectors underscores His sovereignty: midwives, princes, priests, soldiers, foreigners, and government authorities all become instruments in His hand. • As 2 Kings 11:11 reminds us, human vigilance and divine purpose are not at odds; God ordains both to secure His promises and advance His redemptive plan. |
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