2 Chronicles 23:16-21--Jehoiada's Reforms

2 Chronicles 23:16-21
English Standard Version
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Jehoiada's Reforms
16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the LORD's people. 17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18 And Jehoiada posted watchmen for the house of the LORD under the direction of the Levitical priests and the Levites whom David had organized to be in charge of the house of the LORD, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David. 19 He stationed the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD so that no one should enter who was in any way unclean. 20 And he took the captains, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD, marching through the upper gate to the king's house. And they set the king on the royal throne. 21 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword.

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Jehoiada did not wait for the king to make policy changes that would trickle down to changing the culture.  He did what he could to immediately affect changes in the culture that would make it easier for the king to affect changes in policy.  Jehoiada started by renewing the LORD's covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the LORD's people and that each and every one of them was responsible individually, but that the high priest and king were responsible corporately, for the people keeping that covenant.  IF the king or high priest messed up, it would mess things up for everyone.

The people clearly understood as they immediately went to the temple of Baal and tore it down along with tis altars and images (idols).  They broke it all to pieces and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars there.  Then Jehoida restored the regular order with the Levites serving in their positions given to them by David and Solomon with some being doorkeepers and some as musicians, and some to assist the priests with burnt offerings, and so on.  Everyone knew the job that the LORD had given to them, and their families and they served the LORD with gladness.

The gatekeepers were stationed to make sure that no one who was unclean could enter the Temple and defile it (you will need to look at the book of Leviticus to know what it meant to be "unclean," but it can be someone with a physical deformity, disease, or was spiritually "sick" because they were living in open rebellion against God).

Only after the people took care of being in right standing before the LORD did everyone great and small join together to place the king on the throne and they rejoiced at what the LORD had done.  Then the city was quiet (probably meaning they had the peace of God that they had been missing for so long) after Athaliah had been put to death as the leadership and the people were no longer living in rebellion against the LORD.