Joash, the Boy Who Became King
2 Kings 11:1-12:16; 2 Kings 8:19; 2 Samuel 7:16; Luke 1:32-33 Old Testament PrincipleFaithfulness
God promised King David that a king from his family would rule forever. When wicked Queen Athaliah tried to destroy the whole royal family, Jehosheba rescued baby Joash and hid him in the house of the LORD for six years. Then Jehoiada the priest brought the seven-year-old out, crowned him, and the people shouted, "Long live the king!" Joash did what was right while Jehoiada taught him, and he repaired God's temple. Faithfulness means staying true to God, and we can trust Him because He always keeps His promises, even when people don't.
Faithfulness is staying true to God and doing what's right day after day. God is always faithful to His promises, even when we are not, so we can trust Him and stay faithful to Him.
- CreationGod made it
- FallWe broke it
- RedemptionJesus fixes it (this lesson)
- RestorationJesus makes it new
Memory verse
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
2 Timothy 2:13 BSB
Christ Connection · Promise
God kept David's royal family alive through baby Joash because He had promised a forever King. That King is Jesus: "The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David… His kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:32-33). Joash was faithful for a while; "Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house" forever (Hebrews 3:6).
Luke 1:32-33; Hebrews 3:6; Matthew 2:13-15
The Big Story · Redemption
God promised that a forever King would come from David's family. Wicked rulers tried to stop it, but God kept His promise, and the King He promised is Jesus.
Teacher Guide
This version includes:
- Background and context for the passage
- Hidden in Plain Sight: the detail most people miss
- The Christ Connection: how this story points to Jesus
- A 45-minute class plan and prep checklist
- A map of where it happened
- Object lesson: The hidden king
- Dasch’s Dig Site (bible-times history): Silver for the temple
- A skit to act out the story
- Review game: Long live the king
- Pronunciation help, tips for every age, song ideas and a note for parents
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
Preschool (ages 3–5)
God always keeps His promises.
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 4-minute Bible story written for this age
- 3 discussion questions
- 2 activities: Hide and crown, Color the boy king
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at home, at church
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
Free preview · Kindergarten – 2nd grade
God promised that a king from David's family would always rule. A wicked queen tried to get rid of the whole royal family. But brave Jehosheba hid baby Joash in God's house for six years. When Joash was seven, Jehoiada the priest crowned him king. Joash did what was right and fixed God's house. God always keeps His promises, so we can stay faithful to Him.
Memory verse
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful.”
Adapted from 2 Timothy 2:13
Start here
Do "The hidden king" object lesson. Ask, "Why would anyone need to hide a king?" Say, "Let's find out about a baby who was hidden in God's house."
Bible story 6 min
Long ago, God made a promise to King David. "Your family will always have a king."
Many years later, a bad queen took over. Her name was Athaliah. She did not love God. She wanted to get rid of all of the king's family. Then she could be the boss.
But a brave woman grabbed baby Joash. Her name was Jehosheba. She hid the baby and his nurse in a bedroom. Then she hid them in God's house.
The rest of the story, discussion questions, songs, Live It and prayer are for members.
Try an activity
The hidden king 10 min
You’ll need: A paper crown, A blanket
- Choose a narrator, Jehosheba, Jehoiada, Joash, a guard and a crowd.
- Act out the skit. The crowd claps and shouts, "Long live the king!"
- Switch parts so more kids get a turn.
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
3rd – 4th grade
God promised David that his family would always have a king. When wicked Queen Athaliah set out to destroy the whole royal family, Jehosheba hid baby Joash in the house of the LORD for six years. In the seventh year, Jehoiada the priest crowned him, and the people shouted, "Long live the king!" Joash did what was right while Jehoiada taught him and repaired God's temple. God stays faithful even when people fail, so we can trust Him and stay faithful to Him.
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 8-minute Bible story written for this age, with a Hidden in Plain Sight moment
- 5 discussion questions
- 2 activities: God kept His promise, Long live the king
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at school, at church, at home
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
5th – 6th grade
God had promised David an everlasting royal line (2 Samuel 7:16). When Athaliah tried to annihilate the royal heirs, the whole promise came down to one infant, hidden for six years in the house of the LORD. Jehoiada crowned seven-year-old Joash, renewed the covenant and led the repair of the temple. Joash was faithful while Jehoiada lived, but later turned away (2 Chronicles 24). The lesson isn't "be like Joash" – it's that God is faithful when kings fail, and His promise led to Jesus, the King who is faithful forever.
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 10-minute Bible story written for this age, with a Hidden in Plain Sight moment
- 6 discussion questions
- 2 activities: Whose faithfulness?, My Jehoiadas
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at church, with friends, online and on screens
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
More lessons on Faithfulness
The same principle in other Bible stories.
With NatureStay Connected: Jesus Is the VineJohn 15:1-17; Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:8-11Jesus said He is the vine and we are the branches. A branch can't grow fruit by itself; it stays connected to the vine, and the vine's life flows into it. When we stay close to Jesus, He grows love, joy and faithfulness in us.New TestamentFaithfulness
In the BeginningNoah and the FloodGenesis 6:5-9:17God judged a world full of evil, but He made a way to be saved and kept His promise to Noah.Old TestamentFaithfulness
Seeing God's WorldLiving It OutDaniel 6; Romans 12:1-2Daniel was an old man in Babylon when jealous leaders tricked the king into banning prayer. Daniel kept praying three times a day, just as he always had, and God shut the lions' mouths. A biblical worldview isn't just how we see. It's how we live, every day, so we're ready when the hard day comes.Old TestamentFaithfulness
Crossing the JordanJoshua 3:1–4:24After forty years in the wilderness, God's people came to the Jordan River. It was flooding! When the priests carrying the ark stepped into the water, God stopped the river, and everyone crossed on dry ground. They stacked twelve stones so their children would ask about it. God is faithful, so we remember what He has done.Old TestamentFaithfulness
The Church BeginsTimothy Learns God’s Word2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Acts 16:1-3Timothy's grandmother Lois and mother Eunice taught him God's Word when he was little. He grew up to help Paul tell people about Jesus. In his last letter, Paul told Timothy to keep holding on to the Scriptures, because they come from God and point to Jesus.New TestamentFaithfulness