#571 Son Of

Joash[a] was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada got for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters.

4 After this Joash decided to restore the house of the Lord. 5 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. 6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the congregation of Israel for the tent of testimony?” 7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also used all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.

8 So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the Lord. 9 And proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. 10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished.[b] 11 And whenever the chest was brought to the king's officers by the Levites, when they saw that there was much money in it, the king's secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and take it and return it to its place. Thus they did day after day, and collected money in abundance. 12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who had charge of the work of the house of the Lord, and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the Lord, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the Lord. 13 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. 14 And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made utensils for the house of the Lord, both for the service and for the burnt offerings, and dishes for incense and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord regularly all the days of Jehoiada.

15 But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died. He was 130 years old at his death. 16 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.

17 Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. 18 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. 19 Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.
Joash's Treachery

20 Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’” 21 But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. 22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and avenge!”[c]
Joash Assassinated

23 At the end of the year the army of the Syrians came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. 24 Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, the Lord delivered into their hand a very great army, because Judah[d] had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.

25 When they had departed from him, leaving him severely wounded, his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son[e] 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. 26 Those who conspired against him were Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonite, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabite. 27 Accounts of his sons and of the many oracles against him and of the rebuilding[f] of the house of God are written in the Story[g] of the Book of the Kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place. 2 Chronicles 24 ESV

Sister 2 Kings 12

Joash reigned well when he was reigned in. Jehoiadas are a wonderful thing, and though they may live long, they do not live forever. While the one who spared him, raised him, and brought the kingdom back to his house, lived, and while he was under the influence of one so set upon the true God, he did well. We must teach our children correct doctrine, good behavior, give them every advantage toward the things of God, but if their religion stops with us then it falls short. If we leave them with the vision of piety and self righteousness, then they may well see the need of the building where we meet but not the temple that is their heart. They may take pleasure in the exercise, the show, the outward symbolic gestures, and yet be tarnished inside from all manner of idolatry. I get it, I understand that the care of the building where we meet is important, and it's neglect may well represent the state of those falling away, it was good he recognized this. It was good that he made sure, as stewards should, that the money went to the proper hands so that the work took place and no one was taken advantage of in the name of the cloth. We should take care when we give that we do not broadcast it to our glory, but also that we see where it is going. The same things that plague government also plague the church, they are men in both places and men can not only be wrong, but also corrupt. We must take care and guard against such. Once they knew where the money went and saw it work to good use, they gave over and abundantly. 

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully4 will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency5 in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever.” 2 Corinthians 9: 6-9 

Jehoiada dies at 130 and I also think of note, he is buried among the kings, so much respect there was for this man, this man who literally laid all on the line for the line. The house of David was kept alive in the temple that this priest presided over, and during his time the government was held in check, and so after his time he rested with David. The vultures can see a carcass from far away and the jackals see the vultures, so the princes come to Joash. Some men are easily buttered, complimented, they love the gestures as well, the titles and find their greatness easy to believe. Come now Joash, surely you see that the need for everyone to worship at the temple was an invention of Jehoiada, his need to control, some wondered whether he was the king or you. Let us return to the high places, that each man may worship God in his own way, and that all else may be cursed. A little leaven, and now they go all the way to those idols long ago found useless. God sends prophets and they will not listen to the prophets. Then, the son of the man who saved you, the one who brought you back to the throne you would not have known of without, his son. He speaks to you and all the people and you can't stand what he says, that you have forsaken God so now He has forsaken you. How dare he speak to you this way, as if you have made all this history, that God has not made those who intervened on your behalf, but rather than confess your wrong and lack, stone him, crucify Him. Oh the blood of those who warn us of our sin, the blood of the innocent, the blood of the one whose father protected you. You were dead without him, your own grandmother would have eaten you alive, but now you will have to answer for the blood of his son. The hope of Judah hangs low, the enemy from within has called the enemy from without. The Syrians take your bloody counselors, those foolish princes that you found so wise, and your own servants conspire for your blood, you will not be buried with the kings of Judah. 

“There was a want of principle in Joash, and it is of that I want to warn all our friends. Do not, I pray you, be satisfied with the practice of piety without the principles of piety. It is not enough to have a correct creed; you must have a renewed heart. It is not sufficient to have an ornate ritual; you must have a holy life, and to be holy you must be renewed by the Holy Spirit. If this change is not wrought in you by the Holy Ghost, you who yield so readily to good will yield just as quickly to evil.” (Spurgeon)