Joash Saved From Death
The record of Zechariah, his ministry and his betrayal are recorded in 2 Chronicles 24:15-22. The Bible tells us that the wicked Queen Athaliah, in her greed to seize the throne, destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Judah (2 Chronicles 22:10). So, Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and hid him from Athaliah, so that she would not kill him (2 Chronicles 22:11, 12). And Joash remained hid in the temple under Jehoiada’s care.
When Joash became seven years, Jehoiada announced him king and called the people to sentence Queen Athalia to death. The king reigned forty years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord under the spiritual guidance of Jehoiada the priest (2 Chronicles 24:1,2).
And the king set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord. So, the king asked the priests to set a box in order to gather money from all Israel for repairs (2 Chronicles 24: 4-10). Jehoiada gave the collected money to the masons and carpenters. And when they had finished, they used the rest of the money to made articles for serving and offering, spoons and vessels of gold and silver for God’s temple (2 Chronicles 24: 12-14).
Joash’s Betrayal of Zechariah
Thus, Jehoiada the high priest with the king led the nation in a religious revival, but many of the people didn’t have a heart conversion. Inwardly, they were still devoted to idolatry. So, when Jehoiada died, the people backslid away from God and served idols.
In mercy, God endeavored to bring His people back to the ways of righteousness. So, he sent prophets to warn the people of the results that would follow if they continued their disobedience. But the people didn’t listen.
One of those prophets was Zechariah the son of Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 24:20). And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah saying: ‘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’” (2 Chronicles 24:20, 21).
Unfortunately, the leaders of the people were able to influence the King to do evil (2 Chronicles 24:17). And they stood against Zechariah and at the command of the king they stoned him in the court of the house of the Lord (2 Chronicles 24:21).
Jehoiada (Zechariah’s father) had saved the life of the infant king and elevated him to the throne, and now the king had no appreciation for the kindness that had been shown him that he ordered the death of the son of his benefactor (2 Chronicles 24:22).
God’s Judgement
The Lord could not allow His blessings to rest upon His people when they apostatized from Him. Therefore, His protective hand was withdrawn and judgments fell upon the nation. So, the army of Syria came up against them; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the leaders of the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus (2 Chronicles 24:23). Joash kept the invading army of Syrians from sacking Jerusalem itself by sending Hazael King of Assyrians the treasures of both the Temple and palace (2 Kings 12:18).
And when the Assyrians had withdrawn from the king (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. And they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings (2 Chronicles 24:24,25). Thus, at his death, King Joash, who had begun his reign with such great promise, was refused the honor of burial in the royal sepulchers.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
