There is a beautiful order in the account here given. The first object of reform is to show that God graciously looks upon his people and remembers his covenant. The covenant that is said to be made, is between him, and between all the people, and between the king. Him means, no doubt, the Lord, and Jehoiada, as his priest, might be supposed to represent him. Sweetly suggesting to us Jesus, our glorious Head and Mediator, whom Jehoiada typified. Hence, what a beautiful portion of gospel comes in, in the midst of this history? And where we expected to find nothing but a simple narrative concerning Judah, here we find a lovely shadow of the Lord Jesus! The next object in this revolution of Judah is the destruction of Baal and his images. When the hearts of the people are turned back again to the Lord, then immediately follows the destruction of idolatry. Reader! how precious a part of our holy faith is it, when we so love the Lord as to hate his enemies, David makes this the subject of appeal in proof of his sincerity, Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? Psalms 139:21. The third step in the reform of Judah, is the arrangement of the temple service. During the usurpation and tyranny of Athaliah all had gone to disorder. But now the Lord shall be again worshipped in the beauty of holiness. And lastly, all the departments of government were brought into regularity and order. So that when God is honored, in his house of prayer, and true religion prevails through the land, all ranks of the people are made happy; there is no leading into captivity, no complaining in the streets. Well might the Psalmist, in the view of such a nation, cry out; Happy is that people that is in such a case; yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Psalms 144:15.
2 Chronicles 23:16-21
16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD'S people.
17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.
18 Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David.
19 And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in
20 And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD: and they came through the high gate into the king's house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.
21 And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.