332. King Joash and the Priest Jehoiada

“Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

“Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. And Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.

“Now it happened after this that Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord.

“Then at the king’s command they made a chest, and set it outside the gate of the house of the Lord . . . to bring to the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of God had imposed on Israel in the wilderness.

“Then all the leaders and all the people rejoiced, brought their contributions, and put them into the chest until all had given. When they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the high priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it and returned it to its place. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

“The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of the Lord; and they hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord, and also those who worked in iron and bronze to restore the house of the Lord.

“So the workmen labored, and the work was completed by them; they restored the house of God to its original condition and reinforced it.”

Think of the glory that was over the king, the high priest, and the whole nation when they did what was right in the eyes of the Lord according to the law of Moses, the servant of the Lord.

The priest Jehoiada was the heart and soul of it all because he was the one who guided the mind and thoughts of the king to that which was right. The king in turn had power over the people and their leaders. In that way the Lord was able to bless them all.

“But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old 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 His house.

“Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king [asking permission to worship idols]. And the king listened to them.”

This was fateful for King Joash, and the step he made led to his own corruption and that of the entire nation. The fact that Jehoiada was now dead was clearly noticeable, and the God-fearing among the people noticed it too. But Joash allowed himself to be deceived by the leaders bowing down to him and by their apparent humility. If Joash had been wholehearted for God in the days of Jehoiada the priest, he would not have fallen away so quickly. But now his own heart was tried when he did not have Jehoiada’s guidance, and so he fell.

The consequences came quickly. “They left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served wooden images and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass.

“Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the Lord; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.

“Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, ‘Thus says God: “Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.”’

“So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord.

“Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada the father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, ‘The Lord look on it, and repay!’”

King Joash came into darkness the moment he gave in to the leaders of Judah. He surrendered to the power of the prince of darkness, and the works of darkness came at once. The same happens to anyone who begins to strive against God’s laws and commandments, calling God’s ordinances bondage.

“So it happened in the spring of the year that the army of Syria came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the leaders of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.”

These were the leaders who had fallen on their knees before King Joash after Jehoiada’s death, asking to be allowed to worship idols. Now they were all killed.

The Syrian army that came was only a small one; nevertheless, the Lord delivered Judah’s very large army into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Thus the Syrians executed the punishment over Joash.

“And when they had withdrawn from him (for they left him severely wounded), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died. And they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.”

What can we learn from this? We must examine whether our love for God is personal and genuine so we are not only God-fearing when we are in the shadow of other people. If that is the case, we will not be able to pass our personal tests. We must be saved from the respect of persons and from admiration of worldly greatness, so when the leaders of Judah invite us to idolatry, we know what to answer. Balaam was deceived by important people and by gifts, but then he was also killed together with the kings of Midian. Num. 31:8. King Joash was ensnared by the error of Balaam. How many preachers in our days are deceived by gifts and respect of persons like Balaam, so that they stone (spiritually speaking) the prophets of the Lord. May God free us from the favor of the lords of this world, so we can also live in favor with Him who said of His Son, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”