Di Prince Wey Dem Hide

Shouting and crying dey echo for inside di palace for Jerusalem. For di middle of di confusion, one woman dey pass quietly for one corridor, she hold one baby tight for her chest, and di baby nurse dey follow her close. She no stop to run until she reach one bedroom wey dem hide.

Na about one hundred and fifty years after King David, and di kingdom of Judah dey for danger. Dem don kill King Ahaziah. Im mama, Athaliah, na daughter from di house of Ahab and Jezebel, di rulers of di northern kingdom wey carry Israel go worship Baal. When Athaliah see say her pikin don die, she do one terrible tin. She stand up to destroy di whole royal family, even her own grandchildren, so dat she go rule alone. If she succeed, no son of David go remain. Di promise wey God make to David, say im line go last forever, just dey hang for one small thread.

But one person dey wey Athaliah no count. Her name na Jehosheba. She be daughter of King Joram, sister of di king wey dem kill, so she be aunty to di small princes. Di book of Chronicles tell us say she still be di wife of di high priest, Jehoiada. While di killing dey happen, Jehosheba carry Joash, one of di king sons, wey still be small baby, and she quietly take am comot from among di princes wey dem wan kill. She hide am and im nurse for one bedroom. Then she carry am go di house of di Lord, di temple. And for there, for six years, di small prince grow for hiding, while Athaliah dey rule di land.

For di seventh year, Jehoiada di priest make im move. E send for di commanders of di king guard and bring dem enter di temple. E make dem swear oath. Then e show dem di king son. Imagine dia face. Boy wey dem think say don die, e dey alive, e stand for dia front. Jehoiada arrange one careful plan. For di Sabbath day, when di guards dey change shift, one group go guard di palace, others go guard di gates, and di rest go surround di boy inside di temple, with dia weapon for hand. Anybody wey try enter di line, make dem stop am. Make una stay with di king, e talk, anywhere wey e go. Jehoiada even give di commanders King David own spears and shields, wey dem keep for di temple.

Di day reach. Di guards stand for dia position, from one side of di temple go di other side, round di altar. Then Jehoiada bring di young prince comot, wey just be seven years old. E put di crown for im head and give am di testimony, one copy of God law. Dem declare am king and anoint am. And di people clap dia hands, dem shout, Make di king live long! Athaliah hear di noise and she rush enter di temple. Na di boy king she see, e stand near di pillar, trumpet dey blow and di people dey rejoice. Her plan don fail. Di line of David, wey dem hide for six years inside God house, don waka come out for light again.

House of David really exist? For nineteen ninety-three, archaeologists for Tel Dan for northern Israel find pieces of one stone monument wey one king of Damascus write for Aramaic language. E dey boast say e defeat one king of Israel and one king of di house of David. E dey from di ninth century before Christ, di same century as dis story, and na di oldest place outside di Bible wey we know wey mention David family line.

You go find dis story for Second Kings chapter eleven, verse one reach twelve. One brave aunty and one faithful priest keep one baby alive, and God promise to David continue. Many hundred years after, another king wey dem dey call Herod go try kill one baby from David line, and God go protect am too. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Jehosheba show courage for di time wey e matter pass. Which small, brave tin you fit do to protect another person?