When Power Is Misused: Athaliah in 2 Kings 11
- Dara V. Rose
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Second Kings 11 tells a story shaped by fear, control, and survival. After the death of her son, Athaliah takes power and moves quickly to secure her position, attempting to remove anything that might threaten her rule.
Her actions are decisive, but they reveal more than strength—they reveal misuse. Power is no longer being held with responsibility; it is being used to protect position at all costs. What unfolds is not leadership, but control driven by fear.
Yet within the same chapter, something quieter is taking place. While power is being exercised publicly, preservation is happening quietly. A child is hidden. A promise is protected. What appears to be ending is, in fact, being sustained.
Athaliah’s story reminds us that misused power can create the illusion of security, but it cannot establish what God has already determined to preserve. What is taken by force does not carry the same weight as what is sustained by faithfulness.
There is a contrast here that Scripture allows us to notice without rushing to resolve. One path is marked by urgency and control. The other unfolds with patience and quiet protection. In the end, it is not control that endures, but what God has chosen to keep.
As we continue our 12 Cups of Grace journey, May invites us to reflect on how power is held in our own lives. Not only in positions or influence, but in the everyday choices we make.
Power can be used to protect self, or it can be surrendered in trust.
Grace often appears not in control, but in release—in trusting that what God preserves does not depend on our ability to secure it.
With love, gratitude & grace,
Dara V. Rose
Founder of 12 Cups of Grace
We invite you to our end-of-the-month Bible study on YouTube (12 Cups of Grace Channel).
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