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July 5th

The bible reading today is in 2 Kings 12 & 13 and 2 Chronicles 24.

“His servants arose and made a conspiracy and struck down Judah’s King Joash in the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla. It was Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, who struck him down so that he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Amaziah his son reigned in his place.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭12:20-21‬ ‭ESV‬

King Joash reigned in Jerusalem for over forty years. Then he was betrayed and assassinated by two of his servants. We will come back to this terrible end of a king’s life and influence. But now let’s look at how he began his reign in Judah.

“And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭24:2‬ ‭

“...because Jehoiada the priest instructed him.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Joash was 7 yrs old when he became king. We can say that Jehoiada discipled him in the word and ways of God for at least 30 of his 40-year reign.

“After his marriage, Joash decided to “restore” the house of the Lord. And he gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you act quickly.”

But the Levites did not act quickly.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭24:4-5‬ ‭ESV‬

Joash was probably twenty when he married. He would have two children. His desire was to restore the dilapidated Temple in Jerusalem. But sadly, the Levites stole restoration money for 23 years. No one knew for the longest. So no wonder God was not blessing the project.

Before he died, Jehoiada, the High Priest replaced the unfaithful priests with responsible ones. And the restoration continued until completion.

“So those who were engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward in their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭24:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But Jehoiada grew old and full of days and died. He was 130 years old at his death. And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel and toward God and his house.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭24:15-16‬ ‭

Jehoiada and the young King would be known to this day for that good work...not to their glory, but God’s. And then the wheels came off. The Bible says that Joash walked with God all the days of his spiritual instructor. But after Jehoiada died...

“Now after the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭24:17-19‬ ‭

Joash stopped trusting God for what he needed. He relied upon the counsel of wayward friends, friends who influenced their king to worship the idols of foreign gods.

Nowhere in scripture is it recorded that Joash ever repented and came back to the Lord. All we know is that before Joash was murdered, he had his mentor’s son murdered because he didn't like the message that God spoke through him. Thus a life full of promise and great expectation, in the beginning, ended in ruin.

My thoughts? The same one coined by a preacher, John Bradford, in 1550. He was witnessing the death by hanging of a habitual sinner in his town...when he said, “Except by the grace of God, go I.”

“Oh Lord help me to finish strong with You...neither turning to the right nor left...but always abounding in the work of the Lord.”

Have a great day