Monday, September 23, 2013

Joash Turns Away From God

II Kings 12:17-21

“But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.  And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.” (II Chronicles 24:15-16) 

Jehoiada had grown up during Asa’s Reign and had served the Lord during Jehoshaphat’s reign,  He continued to serve God during Jehoram, Ahaziah and Athaliah’s reigns, even though doing so was extremely unpopular, finally anointing Joash as king and doing his best to teach him to serve God, as well as the entire nation of Israel.   Like everyone else, he died  at a hundred thirty years old.  He was highly respected by both the nation and his own family for what he had done for them, and was honored by being buried in the royal cemetery where the kings were buried, unlike Jehoram and Athaliah.

“Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.  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.  Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear” (II Chronicles 24:17-19) 

Jehoida had devoted his life to teaching Judah to serve God, and had been like a father teaching Joash to do so.  While he was alive, Joash had seemed really dedicated to God, calling for the reconstruction of the temple and rebuking Jehoiada for his failure to get it done expeditiously.

Unfortunately, he was like many who have been taught by strong Christian parents, going along with their standards and practices because the others believe it, but not really committed to them.  As soon as Jehoiada was dead,  After Jehoiada’s death, the leaders of Judah came and made a big effort to express their admiration and respect for him.  Joash responded by going along with their ideas, rather than holding to the beliefs and standards Jehoiada had set.  As a result, toleration and even observance of other religious practices was encouraged.

God was angered by their rejection of him, but sent prophets to warn them of the consequences of their sin.  Like most people, they refused to pay attention to the warnings.    

“And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, 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. 

And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD. 

Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.” (II Chronicles 24:20-22)

One of the prophets God sent was Jehoiada’s son Zechariah, who warned them that because they had turned away from God, he would turn away from them and their economy would collapse.

Not wanting to hear that their sins were causing their economy to collapse the leaders met with Joash.  He ordered that Zechariah be killed to shut him up, totally ignoring the fact that without Jehoiada‘s help and protection he would not have been made king and probably would have been killed.

His attitude was much like that of the political leaders of today who try to destroy the influence of the churches today, overlooking the part Christianity played in getting the freedom they have, or like the pastors who get rid of all the people and reminders of the former pastor, ignoring the fact they wouldn’t even have the church if not for him.

 Zechariah’s last words were essentially that God would give them what they desired.  God is watching today, and he will give those today what they deserve as well.  As Galatians 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

“Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.” (II Kings 12:17) 

“And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus. 

For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.” (II Chronicles 24:23-24)

The Syrians came down along the Mediterranean coast and captured The ancient Philistine city of Gath before turning East to Jerusalem.  Though they were vastly outnumbered by the armies of Judah, the Syrians were victorious, killing the leaders and sending most of their wealth to Damascus.  Judah’s economy was destroyed, as Zechariah had warned.

“And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.” (II Kings 12:18) 

Joash wound up robbing the temple of all it’s wealth and giving up his personal fortune persuade Hazael to allow him to continue as king.  

“And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?” (II Kings 12:19) 

“And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.  And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.” (II Chronicles 24:25-26) 

“And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.  For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.” (II Kings 12:20-21)

Joash had apparently been severly wounded during the fighting with the Syrians and his wounds had become infected.   Two of his servants, one a half  Ammonite and the other a half Moabite attacked and killed him while he was sick in bed, about a year after Jehoash, Jehu‘s grandson became king.of Israel.   He was buried in Jerusalem, alongside Jehoram and Ahaziah, but not in the royal cemetery.

“Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.” (II Chronicles 24:7)

Joash overcame some huge difficulties and accomplished some great things for God,  Unfortunately he threw most of his accomplishments away later.  Ezekiel 33:12-13 warns, “Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.”

His son Amaziah would become the next king of Judah.  

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