Rēad to Read …Again
Daily Reading: II Chronicles 21-24
II Chronicles 24:18
And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.
Joash’s life is an all too familiar tale. He was miraculously saved from the bloody rampage of Athaliah (the daughter of Jezebel and Ahab). His rescue came at the hands of Jehoshabeath who was his aunt. This great lady is a hero in Judah and the nation of Israel, or should be. Her husband was Jehoiada, a high priest of the Lord. They were in a unique position to hide Joash away from Athaliah’s murderous plot (she was Jehoshabeath’s stepmother) to kill all the “seed royal” so she and she alone could rule Judah.
In Joash’s seventh year, Jehoiada, the high priest, orchestrated the coronation of Joash. When Athaliah found out she accused them of treason, when in reality she was the treasonous one. Oftentimes it is them that do the accusing that’s them doing the doing. This was one of those times. She, Athaliah, died unceremoniously and Joash reigned over Judah.
During the life of Jehoiada, this young king did well. But as so often is the case, his strength was found out to be weakness, for after the death of the high priest (Jehoiada) Joash turned to idolatry, served the groves, and left the house of God. All due to the peer pressure of the princes of Judah. The man of God died; his leadership was replaced in Joash’s life by those who knew not God nor cared for His ways. Joash became such an anti-God type person that he had Zechariah the great prophet for God stoned to death because of his unmitigated gall to tell the truth recorded in II Chronicles 24:20. …Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? Because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you. This message was true, the price paid for its delivery was the life of Zechariah (Jehoiada’s son).
It is interesting, when Joash died they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings (24:25). But when Jehoiada died, though he was a priest and not a king, they buried him in the city of David among the kings (II Chronicles 24:16). In life and then in death Joash lacked the legacy of a good king. In life and then in death, Jehoiada had the eternal legacy of well doing to both God and his country. What a difference faith makes!
Many do well when under the watchguard of a strong godly leader, but once that leader is removed a person’s true inner belief system will be tried and displayed for all to see. Joash was like a hollow tree that looked strong and healthy on the outside. But one strong wind toppled him, manifesting his weakness of character and lack of a strong core belief in God.
This story is reminiscent of a truth that Jesus gave when He said: Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24-27).
Joash built his house upon the sand. Jehoiada built his house upon the rock.
Dr. William T. Howe
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