[Paul and his team are] taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift; for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. - 2 Corinthians 8:20-21
Good morning. I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week and have come to God’s house this morning expecting to hear from Him. After all, that’s why we read and study God’s Word. It is living and active, and the LORD speaks to us through it. He tells us things we need to know in order to live as He desires us to.
Today’s message will concentrate on the southern kingdom of Judah. Queen Athaliah is dead and her young grandson Joash has been crowned as the new king. The evil influence of Ahab and Jezebel has finally passed. A new day has dawned in Judah, of hope, joy, and restoration.
I. JOASH REIGNS (2 Kings 12:1-3; 2 Chronicles 24:1-3)
During the 7th year of Jehu’s reign in Israel, Joash became the king of Judah. He was just 7 years old when he took the crown, and he reigned for 40 years in Jerusalem. Joash’s mother was named Zibiah and she was from Beersheba. Joash was a good king who did right in the sight of the LORD all the days that Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Still, the high places were not removed and there were those few who continued making sacrifices and burning incense to and for false gods. When he grew older, Jehoiada took 2 wives for him, and Joash became the father of several children.
II. THE TEMPLE IS REPAIRED (2 Kings 12:4-16; 2 Chronicles 24:4-14)
Joash decided to restore the temple which had fallen into disrepair over the years, due to age, neglect, and mistreatment. He reinstituted the annual temple tax that was to be paid by all of the citizens throughout the kingdom of Judah, as prescribed in the law of Moses (Exodus 30:13-16). He charged the Levites with collecting it, intending to use the funds to finance the repairs.
In the 23rd year of his reign, apparently several years after beginning this project, no repairs on the temple had been made. Joash summoned Jehoiada and the priests and asked them why the damages to the temple were not being taken care of. They blamed the wicked sons of Athaliah for abusing God’s house for the sake of Baal, but this still did not excuse their disobedience and lack of accountability. Joash decided to follow a different approach, with greater oversight, for gathering the necessary monies.
And so, at the king’s command, Jehoiada the priest bore a hole in the lid of a large chest and placed it at the entrance of the temple. The people of Judah were decreed to bring their tax to Jerusalem personally and place it in the chest when making their required pilgrimage to the temple. They could also give voluntary donations if so led. Joash charged his scribe and the high priest with counting the money in the chest and bringing it to the palace on a daily basis. These monies were collected and used to purchase lumber and supplies, as well as to pay the workers who’d begun work on the temple. The process was transparent, simple, efficient, and conducted in good faith, unlike it had been previously. And thus, after several years, the temple was finally renovated and the temple was again used as God intended.
III. JEHOIADA’S SON IS MURDERED (2 Chronicles 24:15-22)
Eventually, Jehoiada the priest died at the age of 130. He was so respected for all the good he’d done during his life that the people of Judah buried him with the kings in Jerusalem. Sadly, in the years following Jehoiada’s death, Joash began listening to and following the voices of others who led him away from God. He began practicing and promoting idol worship and would not listen to the prophets who sought to bring him back to the LORD.
Emboldened by the Spirit of God, Zechariah, the son (most likely, the grandson) of Jehoiada, stood up and confronted Joash and the people for turning from the LORD. Furious and humiliated, Joash had Zechariah stoned to death in the temple court. Jehoiada the priest had been like a father to Joash, raising and counseling him throughout his lifetime, but Joash forsook this kindness and murdered Jehoiada’s son (grandson). As Zechariah died, he cried, “May the LORD see and avenge!” (...which He did.) Centuries later, Jesus cited this incident when chastising the Pharisees (Matthew 23:35).
IV. HAZEAL INVADES JUDAH (2 Kings 12:17-18; 2 Chronicles 24:23-24)
During these years, Hazeal, the king of Aram, had been quite active and successful in his military exploits. The Aramaens had already conquered and taken the territories east of the Jordan River from Jehu, the king of Israel (2 Kings 10:32-33). They had also invaded Philistia and captured the city of Gath. Then Hazael decided to attack Jerusalem itself. Though the army of Aram was relatively small, God gave it tremendous success. Joash took the sacred valuables and gold that was stored in the treasuries of the temple and the palace and gave them to Hazael in order to secure peace. Satisfied with this bountiful payoff, Hazael departed from Jerusalem.
IV. JOASH IS KILLED (2 Kings 12:19-21; 2 Chronicles 24:25-27)
In the end, Joash’s own servants conspired against him. They assassinated him at the house of Millo, as he was going down to Silla. He was sick and in bed at the time of his murder. The conspirators who struck him down were Jozacar (aka, Zabad) and Jehozabad. The people of Judah buried Joash in Jerusalem, but not in the tomb of the kings. Then his son Amaziah became king in his place.
CONCLUSION
Though his name is not mentioned in either Kings or Chronicles, many scholars believe that the minor prophet Joel lived and wrote during the reign of King Joash. There is no explicit reference in the book of Joel to date it with certainty, and thus it must be done based on context clues. As such, different proposals have been made for the time of its writing. That said, for the purposes of this series, we will follow the traditional view and place it here. If correct, this would make Joel the 2nd oldest of the minor prophets, after Obadiah.
Getting back to the sermon, I want to consider how we can apply today’s message. The most commonly preached lesson that I’ve heard from today’s passage deals with the handling of finances, both within and outside the context of the church. Any time money is involved, especially large sums of money, it is imperative that those responsible for handling it are held accountable. Corruption and abuse are inevitable apart from the use of sound financial practices and clear visibility. The mismanagement of money has been the downfall of many people and organizations, including churches and ministers. We are wise to be careful and prudent when dealing with the collection and use of money.
Lastly, let me make 1 additional observation. The kingship of Joash demonstrates the importance of having godly mentors and role models in your life. As long as Jehoiada the priest was there to give him counsel and direction, Joash did well. But once Jehoiada was gone, Joash quickly turned away from God and went astray. This in turn led to disastrous consequences. Beloved, it is imperative that we surround ourselves with and heed the advice of righteous, God-fearing men and women.
Good morning. I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week and have come to God’s house this morning expecting to hear from Him. After all, that’s why we read and study God’s Word. It is living and active, and the LORD speaks to us through it. He tells us things we need to know in order to live as He desires us to.
Today’s message will concentrate on the southern kingdom of Judah. Queen Athaliah is dead and her young grandson Joash has been crowned as the new king. The evil influence of Ahab and Jezebel has finally passed. A new day has dawned in Judah, of hope, joy, and restoration.
I. JOASH REIGNS (2 Kings 12:1-3; 2 Chronicles 24:1-3)
During the 7th year of Jehu’s reign in Israel, Joash became the king of Judah. He was just 7 years old when he took the crown, and he reigned for 40 years in Jerusalem. Joash’s mother was named Zibiah and she was from Beersheba. Joash was a good king who did right in the sight of the LORD all the days that Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Still, the high places were not removed and there were those few who continued making sacrifices and burning incense to and for false gods. When he grew older, Jehoiada took 2 wives for him, and Joash became the father of several children.
II. THE TEMPLE IS REPAIRED (2 Kings 12:4-16; 2 Chronicles 24:4-14)
Joash decided to restore the temple which had fallen into disrepair over the years, due to age, neglect, and mistreatment. He reinstituted the annual temple tax that was to be paid by all of the citizens throughout the kingdom of Judah, as prescribed in the law of Moses (Exodus 30:13-16). He charged the Levites with collecting it, intending to use the funds to finance the repairs.
In the 23rd year of his reign, apparently several years after beginning this project, no repairs on the temple had been made. Joash summoned Jehoiada and the priests and asked them why the damages to the temple were not being taken care of. They blamed the wicked sons of Athaliah for abusing God’s house for the sake of Baal, but this still did not excuse their disobedience and lack of accountability. Joash decided to follow a different approach, with greater oversight, for gathering the necessary monies.
And so, at the king’s command, Jehoiada the priest bore a hole in the lid of a large chest and placed it at the entrance of the temple. The people of Judah were decreed to bring their tax to Jerusalem personally and place it in the chest when making their required pilgrimage to the temple. They could also give voluntary donations if so led. Joash charged his scribe and the high priest with counting the money in the chest and bringing it to the palace on a daily basis. These monies were collected and used to purchase lumber and supplies, as well as to pay the workers who’d begun work on the temple. The process was transparent, simple, efficient, and conducted in good faith, unlike it had been previously. And thus, after several years, the temple was finally renovated and the temple was again used as God intended.
III. JEHOIADA’S SON IS MURDERED (2 Chronicles 24:15-22)
Eventually, Jehoiada the priest died at the age of 130. He was so respected for all the good he’d done during his life that the people of Judah buried him with the kings in Jerusalem. Sadly, in the years following Jehoiada’s death, Joash began listening to and following the voices of others who led him away from God. He began practicing and promoting idol worship and would not listen to the prophets who sought to bring him back to the LORD.
Emboldened by the Spirit of God, Zechariah, the son (most likely, the grandson) of Jehoiada, stood up and confronted Joash and the people for turning from the LORD. Furious and humiliated, Joash had Zechariah stoned to death in the temple court. Jehoiada the priest had been like a father to Joash, raising and counseling him throughout his lifetime, but Joash forsook this kindness and murdered Jehoiada’s son (grandson). As Zechariah died, he cried, “May the LORD see and avenge!” (...which He did.) Centuries later, Jesus cited this incident when chastising the Pharisees (Matthew 23:35).
IV. HAZEAL INVADES JUDAH (2 Kings 12:17-18; 2 Chronicles 24:23-24)
During these years, Hazeal, the king of Aram, had been quite active and successful in his military exploits. The Aramaens had already conquered and taken the territories east of the Jordan River from Jehu, the king of Israel (2 Kings 10:32-33). They had also invaded Philistia and captured the city of Gath. Then Hazael decided to attack Jerusalem itself. Though the army of Aram was relatively small, God gave it tremendous success. Joash took the sacred valuables and gold that was stored in the treasuries of the temple and the palace and gave them to Hazael in order to secure peace. Satisfied with this bountiful payoff, Hazael departed from Jerusalem.
IV. JOASH IS KILLED (2 Kings 12:19-21; 2 Chronicles 24:25-27)
In the end, Joash’s own servants conspired against him. They assassinated him at the house of Millo, as he was going down to Silla. He was sick and in bed at the time of his murder. The conspirators who struck him down were Jozacar (aka, Zabad) and Jehozabad. The people of Judah buried Joash in Jerusalem, but not in the tomb of the kings. Then his son Amaziah became king in his place.
CONCLUSION
Though his name is not mentioned in either Kings or Chronicles, many scholars believe that the minor prophet Joel lived and wrote during the reign of King Joash. There is no explicit reference in the book of Joel to date it with certainty, and thus it must be done based on context clues. As such, different proposals have been made for the time of its writing. That said, for the purposes of this series, we will follow the traditional view and place it here. If correct, this would make Joel the 2nd oldest of the minor prophets, after Obadiah.
Getting back to the sermon, I want to consider how we can apply today’s message. The most commonly preached lesson that I’ve heard from today’s passage deals with the handling of finances, both within and outside the context of the church. Any time money is involved, especially large sums of money, it is imperative that those responsible for handling it are held accountable. Corruption and abuse are inevitable apart from the use of sound financial practices and clear visibility. The mismanagement of money has been the downfall of many people and organizations, including churches and ministers. We are wise to be careful and prudent when dealing with the collection and use of money.
Lastly, let me make 1 additional observation. The kingship of Joash demonstrates the importance of having godly mentors and role models in your life. As long as Jehoiada the priest was there to give him counsel and direction, Joash did well. But once Jehoiada was gone, Joash quickly turned away from God and went astray. This in turn led to disastrous consequences. Beloved, it is imperative that we surround ourselves with and heed the advice of righteous, God-fearing men and women.