Joash is reported to have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD, except that he did not tear down the high places...where offerings and sacrifices were made. The high places sort of demeaned the purpose of the temple. They were people's attempts to reach God on their own terms, as opposed to the way that was commanded. This is bad, by the way.
Jehoiada, who was a good guy, still had his failings. He apparently taught Joash well, excepting the high places, and then later when the money is collected for years as the temple's Building Fund disappears and no repairs are made for a decade and a half. He did not account for it. It just kind of got embezzled. As Smithers would say "I've got a much more sinister word for it, sir. Misappropriation."
Jehoiada made the first offering box in the history of time, and whenever it got filled, it was given over to the workmen to prepare materials and make the repairs to the temple. And I'm just floored by verse 15. They didn't have to account for the money, because of total honesty? Really? With the creation of earth, reanimation of the dead, and the floating axhead in mind, I find this the hardest to believe of all the bits in the Bible to this point.
Anyway, Hazael from Aram comes and is going to bully Jerusalem, but Joash pays him off. With this Era of Good Feelings, I would have assumed that Joash's army, with the help of the LORD, could have easily repelled any attack. Why didn't they do it? Was Joash afraid? Did he not have a commander like Abner or something? What's the deal? In chapter ten, the LORD was said to begin to reduce Israel's territory. Perhaps Hazael, devious assassin that he was, was God's instrument in this. Even when Judah's leadership took a turn for the positive.
Joash was assassinated by his officials. It doesn't say why. They may not have appreciated his stance on paying off Hazael, or maybe it was his adherence to the covenant. It may have been his annoying laugh. Anyway, something he did made someone mad.
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