Who Was The Youngest King In The Bible?

Who was the youngest king in the Bible? What can we learn from a king so young?

God Anoints Kings

God is the One Who anoints kings, even though He typically uses a prophet to do so. Daniel understood this when he wrote “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Dan 2:21) for it is “By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just” (Prov 8:15) says God. Such was the case with Israel’s very first king where “Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance” (1st Sam 10:1).

God Rule over Kings

Kings or today, prime ministers or presidents, might think they have power but in actuality, “God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne” (Psalm 47:8) “for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:28). The psalmist actually rejoiced over this, writing “May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth” (Psalm 67:4). The Bible is crystal clear that “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19).

The Youngest King

Just before young King Joash started his reign, “Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years” (2nd Kings 10:35-36) but “Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death” (2nd Kings 11:1-2) and to keep Joash safe, “he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land” (2nd Kings 11:3). Eventually “Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign” (2nd Kings 11:21) and King Joash or some translations render his name “Jehoash” which is an alternate name for Joash, began to reign in Israel, the youngest king every to reign over Israel and so it was “In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem” (2nd Kings 12:1).

The Coming King

Kings on this earth come and go but there is One King who is coming Who will never pass on His reign and that is He Who “on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev 19:16). This King was long ago prophesied where the psalmist wrote that God says “I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth” (Psalm 89:27) and God, in His own time, “will bring about in his own time–God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1st Tim 6:15-16). This refers to “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood” (Rev 1:5) and many “will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings–and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers” (Rev 17:14).

Conclusion

If Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, then He is your King. If you don’t bow the knee to Christ today, He will be your Judge in the future (Rev 20:12-15) or after your death (Heb 9:27). Today I pray you will repent of your sins and trust in Him before He comes to judge the world in righteousness.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon.