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.

2 Ch. 23: Jehoiada's Priestly Coup

2 Chronicles 23:11 "Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king's son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, 'Long live the king!'"

Jehoiada had finally had enough of Athaliah's reign of terror. In the seventh year of her reign, he put together a cadre of rebels, and crowns Joash king. Yep. The seven year old. A priest overthrows the government. How did a priest get these people on his side? How did he have such a sudden and lasting impact on the people of Israel to make them kill Athaliah, revere this little boy, and destroy the temple of Baal? He must have allied himself with people of good repute, and influential citizens.

And I don't know how a boy could be king, but if his advisor and main supporter is a priest, that spells good news for his reign and for his future. He would be surrounded with the reprobates that Ahaziah did.

2 Ki. 12: Extreme Makeover: Temple Edition

2 Kings 12:15 "They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty."

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.

2 Ki. 11: Child on a Leash

2 Kings 11:18 "All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the LORD."

It looks to me like Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, was kind of the shadow king of Judah. When she found out Ahaziah was dead, she went around killing his family. She really wanted to be in charge. Athaliah's daughter by Jehoram took Ahaziah's infant son Joash and hid him in the one place Athaliah was certain to never look, the temple of the LORD.

Jehoiada, the priest, sets up guards at the temple to protect the youngster with extreme prejudice. To use lethal force even. At that point, he brings out Joash, who was seven, and crowns him the king. Athaliah, who was apparently not winning any popularity contests, comes out to see what the scuttlebutt is at the temple, and sees the rejoicing, and hears the trumpeting, and freaks out.

The guards drag Athaliah out of the temple, and put her to the sword. Jehoiada renews the covenant. Again. Between the LORD and the people. He commits the people to the LORD. Again. Which is nice to do. We'll have to see if this one takes. What steps does he take? He reads the covenant again. Then they smash the idols and kill the priest of Baal. Interesting that they only smash their own copy of Baal. Not the other copies from outside. Anyway...Joash is brought from the temple to the palace, and is ensconced on the throne. A boy king. Can you imagine how heads would roll for his tantrums? We'll see how he does. He doesn't exactly come from good parental stock.