2 Ch. 24: Joash's Run

2 Chronicles 24:22 "King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah's father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, "May the LORD see this and call you to account.""

Joash starts hot but then fades. Sure, he had the whole restoring the temple thing, but then he had a similar problem to that of his father Ahaziah. Once the priest Jehoiada kicked off, Joash was surrounded with buffoonery, who led him back into idolatry and Asherah Poles and all that stuff. 

I didn't realize Joash ended so poorly, I suppose he was an example of a good boy king that you hear about in Sunday School meant to encourage kids that they mean something. Kid power! Etc.

Anyway, Jehoiada's son Zechariah prophesies that because they had forsaken the LORD, the LORD had forsaken them. And you can guess how this went over. Joash had Zechariah killed. And I find it all rather interesting. If a person rejects a god, then why should the word of that rejected god's prophet mean anything? If you reject a belief system, why is there such an interest in silencing any vocalists belonging to said rejected belief system?

Or maybe it was too much for Joash's conscience and spirit to take.

Joash doesn't get the burial honors that Jehoiada receives. Also notable. Jehoiada died conveniently while people still followed God's covenant. Joash died while people rejected or ignored that covenant. He was one of them, right? But he was killed as recompense for killing Zechariah, by a ludicrously fickle people.