Prophets And Kings, Day 90. Amaziah King Of Judah, Part 2

Prophets And Kings

Day 90

Amaziah King Of Judah

Part 2

INTRODUCTION BY BELINDA
Yesterday we saws Amaziah do the right thing by being obedient to the Lord. Today him haves a huge victory over the Edomites and lets it go to hims head. This is where things begin to go wrong for him.

2 CHRONICLES 25:11-16

Amaziah, while building his army, had hired some Israelite soldiers in yesterday's passage but a prophet came and told him to send them home. He said the Lord wasn't with Israel and that having these men in the Judean army would bring defeat. So Amaziah obeyed even though he lost well over three tons of silver that he had paid the hired soldiers.

Today he takes his Judean troops and makes war with the tribe known as the men of Seir, who are Edomites. These are people descended from Jacob's brother Esau. Earlier in our study we learned that the Edomites are at this time subject to Judah but they don't want to be under Judean rule. They have already rebelled several times against Judah and have been unsuccessful. The author doesn't tell us this is why Amaziah brings troops against the Edomites today but many Bible scholars believe there is a current rebellion going on and Amaziah marches out to stop it. "Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces." (2 Chronicles 25:11-12) This battle is brutal, as most battles are.

The hired Israelite troops who were angry yesterday at being sent home turn up again to make trouble. "Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder." (2 Chronicles 25:13) Amaziah made some fierce enemies in these men. Although they got paid without ever going to battle for him, they had expected much more as time went on. Men who won battles were free to plunder the camps and the towns of their defeated enemies and so these Israelite troops expected to gain riches along the way. Because they did not, they make raids into Judah and steal from its citizens, killing anyone who resisted. This is uncalled-for behavior. They have already been highly compensated for doing nothing but showing up and then being sent home. If only Amaziah had consulted the Lord before hiring these troops, this tragedy could have been avoided, but still it isn't right what these Israelite soldiers are doing.

Amaziah is in Edom while Judah is being raided and he returns victoriously with much plunder. "When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them." (2 Chronicles 25:14) I think maybe Amaziah's original intention in bringing the gods back could be because they were plated in gold or jewels or it could be because taking a nation's gods was a way of making one last stab at them. It's like a final sticking out of the tongue at the enemy. Whenever King David's men took the gods of their enemies, they burned them. Nobody set them up as idols and it's puzzling why Amaziah does so. Up til now he has more or less been obedient to God and has followed in his father's footsteps. But something in his heart must have been cold toward God or else he couldn't turn away from Him to idols. Was something about the Edomite gods more attractive to him than the living God? Were their requirements less strict? Were they more approving of his desire to go his own way? One thing is certain, none of these idols is going to stand up and point out any wrong attitudes or any sins. Amaziah can worship these with a clear conscience, knowing none of his idols will ever send a prophet to him to condemn any of his actions.

But the God of Abraham is still the only God who exists and He is not willing to let this idolatry go unnoticed. It's bad enough that the king has fallen into it but his example will lead the people astray. "The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and He sent a prophet to him, who said, 'Why do you consult this people's gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?'" (2 Chronicles 25:15) This prophet is the voice of reason. It's illogical for the king to bow down to gods that were unable to save the people who worshiped them in Edom. Why serve a god who cannot save? There is no point. If our Almighty God could not hear us or help us, would we pray to Him? In that case our time would be better spent in trying to figure how to solve our own problems. If our God didn't have the power to save our souls, would we serve Him? In that case there would be no reward in serving Him, not in this life or in the next. In fact, there would be no next life and, as the Apostle Paul said, we would be "of all people most to be pitied". (1 Corinthians 15:19) Or as the KJV puts it, "of all men most miserable". It would be a waste of our lives to bow down before a God who cannot save us, who cannot see us or hear us or help us, but we don't have a God like that. We have a God who inclines His hear at the cry of His children. We have a God who is mighty to save. We have a God who is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. We have a God who is unwilling that any should perish but that all would have eternal life in His Son. 

But the king doesn't want to listen. Right in the middle of his speech, the king interrupts the prophet, which is really the same as interrupting the Lord. "While he was still speaking, the king said to him, 'Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?'" (2 Chronicles 25:16a) Amaziah is saying, "Who died and made you the boss of me? You'd better hush up right now. I don't want to have to kill you." The rejection of the prophet's counsel is a rejection of the Lord's counsel. When Amaziah refuses the advice of the prophet he is refusing the advice of the Lord. He is rejecting the Lord's authority over him. 

Knowing that to continue means his death, the prophet gives up trying to reason with the king. God is merciful in sending this faithful prophet to Amaziah. Amaziah could have taken the words to heart and could have turned from his sinful ways. He will never be able to stand in the judgment and claim that the Lord never tried to bring conviction on him for his sins. He will never be able to say the Lord didn't give him an opportunity to repent. "So the prophet stopped but said, 'I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.'" (2 Chronicles 25:16b) God is about to take His protective hand off the king. This verse reminds me of something the late C S Lewis said, "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.'" If Amaziah had taken heed to the prophet's words he could have repented and turned away from his sins. If he had said to the Lord, "Thy will be done," and had been obedient to Him, things would have gone differently. But instead Amaziah refused the counsel of the Lord to his own harm. So the Lord said to him, "Fine. Thy will be done." 

In tomorrow's passage we will find Amaziah instigating a war against the will of God. He will be lifted up in pride and will believe he can do anything he wants. But this attitude will bring defeat.

There is only one God deserving of our worship. In the United States, there may not be many who bow to literal idols, but many of us have bowed down to less tangible idols. We have put other people and other things before God. We have put ourselves before God. Our culture teaches us to follow the money, to always keep climbing the ladder, to make much of ourselves and to be continually involved with self-improvement. Over the centuries Satan has had to modify the idols he presents to mankind. I don't personally know anyone who would bow down before a golden image but haven't we violated our principles here and there to get what we want? All the idols of ancient times and all the idols of our own times are really just a form of self-worship. Satan would love for us to fall on our knees and worship him but failing that, he wants us to worship anyone or anything but God. And it's easier to get us to worship ourselves than to get us to worship anything else. We want what we want. Our carnal nature tempts us to violate our principles to get ahead. Our natural desire for comfort and pleasure tempts us to do whatever makes us feel better about ourselves and about our social position in life. But when we start to serve ourselves instead of the living God, we are serving useless idols just as Amaziah is serving useless idols. We can't save ourselves any more than the idols of Edom were able to save them. Again we come back to the question: why serve a God who cannot save? Why serve a God who cannot help? When we deny the Lord in favor of our own carnal natures, we are serving ourselves, and we cannot help or save ourselves. This is foolishness, every bit as foolish as Amaziah bowing down to the idols of Edom. 

The Lord Jesus tells us how to avoid making gods of ourselves, how to avoid making gods of money, how to avoid ceaseless worry about paying the bills or putting food on the table. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)  

Below is a song about our God, the God mighty to save, the God who loves us. Why bow down to a false god that can be held in the hand or placed on a stand? A god like that cannot save. But we have a God so big we can't even comprehend Him. And He is the only God.

One True God

Prophets And Kings, Day 89. Amaziah King Of Judah, Part1

Prophets And Kings

 Day 89

Amaziah King Of Judah

Part 1

INTRODUCTION BY BELINDA
We begin ours study of King Amaziah, the son of King Joash of Judah.

2 KINGS 14:1-6, 2 CHRONICLES 25:5-10

"In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash." (2 Kings 14:1-3) Joash did a lot of good things for Judah and he brought his son up in the faith. So we find Amaziah following in his father's footsteps, but not in his ancestor King David's footsteps. The reason the author points that out is probably because of what is in this next verse, "The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there." (2 Kings 14:4) Now that there was a temple in Jerusalem, King David would not have allowed the old high places to remain. They have proven to be a temptation to the people to put distance between themselves and God. Because the high places are still there, the people have an excuse not to go down to the temple for worship. This separates them from the main assembly of believers and it separates them from the teaching of the priests. 

Satan loves it when we fall out of step with the body of Christ. We are like the gazelle that falls behind and is attacked by the lion. This is why the Apostle Peter warns us that Satan is like a lion hiding in the weeds, waiting for an opportunity to attack, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peters 5:8) Sometimes we get stressed out and feel like isolating ourselves from others but this is the very thing we must not do. There are days when I feel tired or I have things on my mind and my instinct is to withdraw into myself. But because this is a tactic our enemy uses, we have to resist the temptation. The Lord created us with the need for social contact, with the need for close friends, with the need for the encouragement we find in fellow believers. There's no quicker way to fall farther into discouragement than to shut ourselves up in the house and turn the phone off and refuse to answer messages. It's the gazelle who breaks off from the group that gets eaten by the lion. The lion is crouched in the weeds, watching for that one stray soul, waiting to pounce. Let's not give him this advantage over us. In the Scriptures, the only time we find Jesus in isolation is when He is praying to the Father, which means He really wasn't alone because the Father was with Him. 

You may recall from our study several days ago that Amaziah's father was assassinated by men who blamed him for their defeat at the hands of the Arameans. Amaziah takes revenge on the men who killed his father. "After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the law of Moses where the Lord commanded: 'Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin." (2 Kings 14:5-6) Men who are willing to assassinate God's anointed king would be willing to do anything. It's really not safe for Amaziah and his family to leave these men alive. But he is obedient to the law of Moses which says a person is not to be punished for the sins of someone else. If a child commits a deadly sin, the parents are not to pay for it. If the parents commit a deadly sin, the child is not to pay for it. There is some risk in leaving the sons of Joash's assassins alive but Amaziah is faithful to the law by refusing to harm them.

The king now looks to building his army. "Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered those twenty years old or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service, able to handle the spear and the shield." (2 Chronicles 25:5) 

In addition to the able-bodied men of his own nation, Amaziah seeks to add hired soldiers to his army. "He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents of silver." (2 Chronicles 25:6) There's nothing unusual about hiring fighting men. It was common in the ancient world. But spiritually speaking there is something wrong with it and a prophet is about to point this out.

"But a man of God came to him and said, 'Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel---not with any of the people of Ephraim. Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.'" (2 Chronicles 25:7-8) The northern kingdom, though it was made up of ten tribes, is often simply called Ephraim by some of the Old Testament prophets. Ephraim was the largest tribe, situated pretty much in the middle of the kingdom. This is similar to the way the Scriptures refer to the southern kingdom as Judah when it was actually made up of both Judah and Benjamin. Judah was such a large tribe and Benjamin was such a small tribe that the southern kingdom became known as Judah.

The anonymous prophet states that the Lord is not with Israel and Amaziah shouldn't ally himself with the northern kingdom. The author doesn't expressly spell out why the Lord isn't with Israel but we have already seen that even the kings who rid the land of Baal worship refused to rid the land of the golden calves at Dan and Beersheba. The people are persisting in bringing offerings and sacrifices to these calves instead of to the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem. Because at this time Israel is not fully committed to the Lord and to His commands, He is not with her. So far Amaziah has been a faithful king and the Lord doesn't want him to be tempted by the idolatry of the northern kingdom.

I think this is another example of the principle of not being unequally yoked with unbelievers. (2 Corinthians 6:14) Amaziah is a believer and his southern kingdom is more fully committed to the Lord than the northern kingdom. The Bible tells us, for our own good, not to enter into any type of close partnership with an unbeliever. This applies to marriage and to business partnerships and, in today's passage, to military alliances. The Apostle Paul's use of the "yoke" was something easily understood by the agricultural society of his times, so we will use that example here. Let's assume you are a farmer from ancient times and are about to go out and plow your fields. You are going to need to put two oxen in the yoke that pulls the plow. That means you are going to need to select a pair of oxen as identical in size and strength as possible. If you put a large muscular ox on one side and a weak scrawny ox on the other side, your plow is not going to make very straight lines. The oxen won't pull together evenly because they are poorly matched. This is why in any partnership it's so important that a believer is yoked with another believer. They will be closely matched in spiritual size and strength. They will be able to pull together as a unit, doing the best job possible. We can see how vital this is in a marriage, that both husband and wife are equally devoted to the Lord and to their family. We can see how vital this is in a business partnership, that both parties are committed to running the business ethically according to the word of the Lord. In a military alliance, it's important because in the Scriptures we find the Lord giving victories to those who are devoted to Him, to those who call on His name and trust in Him for their help. But His favor is not on those who bow their knees to idols. This is why Amaziah must not be unequally yoked with the northern kingdom.

Like any practical man, Amaziah is upset at the thought of wasting money. "Amaziah asked the man of God, 'But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?'" (2 Chronicles 25:9a) The best thing for Amaziah to have done was inquire of the Lord before making this arrangement with the troops and giving them money. But since he did not, he is about to lose what amounts to well over three tons of silver. That's a huge amount of money, then and now. And it's not just his money; it's the money of the citizens of Judah that they paid to the government in taxes. Naturally the king dreads the thought of having paid so much money for nothing. He feels bad about it personally and he feels bad about it for his nation.

But the prophet makes a beautiful statement, "The man of God replied, 'The Lord can give you much more than that.'" (2 Chronicles 25:9b) It hurts Amaziah to part with so much money without getting anything for it, but his help is in the Lord, not in these troops from Israel. Yes, it would have been better not to have made this arrangement in the first place, but it's not too late to avoid being unequally yoked with these soldiers. He can still turn the situation around, even though it means giving up the money. It's better to obey the Lord than to rush headlong into trouble. Amaziah will suffer some loss but it's better to lose the money than to lose in battle. 

Following Jesus will cost us something. Being obedient to His word will cost us and if it does not, we need to take stock of where we are spiritually. It may cost us at work because we refuse to do things that are dishonest. It may cost us socially because we refuse to join in with immoral carousing. But "the Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness". (1 Samuel 26:23) Will He make us rich if we didn't get promoted at work because we are a Christian? Not necessarily, but He has promised to "meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus". (Philippians 4:19) When it comes to a choice between being promoted for doing something wrong, or losing the promotion for doing what the Lord says is right, I believe our righteous God will see and reward us for our obedience. He will make sure our bills are paid and our kids get what they need for school and our bellies are filled with food on the table. When we say no to carousing wickedly with our fair-weather friends, the Lord will be faithful to bring godly friends into our lives, people who will stand by us even in our worst times. 

Amaziah obeys the word of the Lord and says goodbye to his three tons of silver, trusting that the Lord is able to reward him for his obedience. "So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage." (2 Chronicles 25:10) These men receive their pay without having done any fighting. But they are still angry because more riches were expected in battle. They would have been able to plunder the camps of any army they defeated. They would have taken the spoils from any city they conquered. Had these soldiers truly understood what's going on here, they would have been grateful to be sent back home. The Lord was not with them. They would have been defeated in battle and a lot of them would have lost their lives. Instead they have come away from Judah with their lives and with money they didn't even have to work for. We don't know whether Amaziah explained to them why he was dismissing them from military service, but if he did they haven't taken it to heart.

There will be times when we have to turn down things that look good to us. We will have to say no to opportunities that promise big bucks for doing something wrong. We will have to stay home alone because we said no to friends who asked us to go out partying with them. We may not be promoted, we may not receive recognition or fame, we may not win Homecoming Queen or be captain of the football team, we may not be the most popular person at school or at work. But the Lord can give us much more than that! He has promised to supply the needs of those who are His in Christ. We can rest easy at night knowing we kept our integrity, knowing God is going to give us jobs that pay the bills. Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves alone in front of the TV at night, God urges us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together with believers. (Hebrews 10:25) We can join a good church and get involved in the classes and activities, making friends who share our faith and who will invite us along for wholesome adventures. If we have given up anything to follow Christ, He is able to reward us with what will be far more satisfying. King Solomon said it's better to enjoy a dry crust of bread in peace than to feast and carouse where there is strife. (Proverbs 17:1) And if we are living in sin, strife is guaranteed to us, for Solomon also said, "the way of a transgressor is hard". (Proverbs 13:15) 

I would rather eat a piece of bread with a clear conscience than enjoy the finest of food that was bought with money I earned sinfully, wouldn't you? I would rather bow my head over it in thankfulness than to toss and turn all night knowing I'm living in disobedience to my Redeemer. We never know what temptations we will be faced with in life. We never know what our obedience may cost us. But it's better to be on the right side, the winning side, with Jesus.

Prophets And Kings, Day 88. A Miracle, Jehoash Recovers Israeli Towns

Prophets And Kings

Day 88

A Miracle

Jehoash Recovers Israeli Towns

INTRODUCTION BY BELINDA
Elisha died in yesterdays passage and today an unusual miracle occurs regarding hims bones. Also, as Elisha predicted, Jehoash defeats the Arameans three times.

2 KINGS 13:20b-25

"Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring." (2 Kings 13:20b) As we learned while studying the life of King David, the spring was when kings went to war. The fall and winter was the rainy season and conflicts were usually suspended til the spring. Evidently the Moabites were in the habit of making forays into Israel every spring. They were as regular as clockwork about it.

"Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet." (2 Kings 13:21) A man has died and the people have brought his body to the cemetery for burial. Before they can get him in the ground, they spot a raiding party and so they don't have time to complete a proper burial. Instead they throw his body into Elisha's tomb and head back to the fortified city of Jerusalem. 

What an unusual miracle takes place! When the man's body touches the bones of Elisha, he comes back to life. Nothing more is said about this man. We aren't given his name. We aren't told the reaction of the men who just a few minutes ago were attempting to bury him. And I think there's a good reason for that. I think the author wants to keep our eyes on the Lord and not on any of these men. 

Yesterday we talked about how little was said about the death and burial of Elisha. We discussed how this is probably just as Elisha would have wanted it. He lived his whole life pointing people to the Lord, not to himself. He never made any kind of big deal about himself, though if any man in the Old Testament had reason to take pride in himself, it was Elisha. But he never did; his pride was in the God of Israel. So today's miracle doesn't glorify the man who came back to life. It doesn't even glorify Elisha because all that's left of him are some dry lifeless bones. His spirit has gone on to be with the Lord and his bones have no power to resurrect anyone. The power is of the Lord. 

This miracle seems so strange and it occurs right in the middle of ordinary events, such as the Moabites attacking every spring. In my background research, most of the scholars discuss this miracle without giving any particular reason for it, but I did find a possible reason and I think it's a good one. The miracle takes place after Elisha made a prophecy to the king of Israel about three future victories over Aram. And it takes place before the three victories over Aram. So this suggests that the miracle is related to what comes next: Jehoash defeating the Arameans three times. Maybe this unusual miracle is a reminder to Jehoash that the Lord's promise didn't die with Elisha. Israel's security was not in Elisha but in her God. Remember how yesterday Jehoash wept over the impending death of Elisha, fearing that the favor of the Lord would disappear with him? Today's miracle is proof that God is going to keep His word. 

"Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day He has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from His presence." (2 Kings 13:22-23) The author reminds us of how God preserved Israel during the reign of Jehoahaz, King Jehoash's father. Yesterday as I studied, and as I listened to Christian music in the car, and as I listened to the pastor at church, there was a connected theme of thankfulness for past victories. It's important to look back on all that God has done for us. Remembering how He delivered us in the past strengthens our faith that He will deliver us today and tomorrow. It's easy to feel discouraged in the midst of troubles. It's easy to feel apprehensive about the future. But when we take time to look back and be thankful for all the Lord has brought us through, we find new life, just like the man whose body touched Elisha's bones. We are revived and renewed.

"Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad his son succeeded him as king." (2 Kings 13:24) The Lord protected Israel during all the years of King Hazael. Though this king oppressed them, he was never permitted to destroy them. And now he comes to the end of his life, not having been successful in wiping Israel out. No one will ever wipe Israel out. Today she sits surrounded by enemies who would love to see her cease to exist but our promise-keeping God will keep His word to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Our promise-keeping God will keep His word to King David. Israel will never cease being a people before Him. 

Hazael's predecessor was named Ben-Hadad and this is the man he secretly smothered to death as he lay on his sickbed. No one in Aram knows what Hazael did and he even has the nerve to name his own son after the man he murdered. He hypocritically tries to honor the man he killed by naming his heir after him. But his heir will not be as powerful as the first Ben-Hadad, for God will keep the promise made to King Jehoash through the prophet Elisha. "Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered the Israelite towns." (2 Kings 13:25) 

If only Jehoash had shot more arrows yesterday he could have defeated the Arameans so soundly that they would never again have been a threat to Israel. This is why Elisha was angry with Jehoash yesterday, because he lacked the faith to ask for a decisive victory. The king's faith was weak and he only had the courage to ask small things of God. But still the Lord was faithful to His word: He gave Jehoash the three victories he asked for. 

Let's not stop short of full victory. Let's not ask to win the battle but to win the war. Our God is greater than anything our minds could possibly imagine. This is the God who said, "Let there be light," and the universe sprang into existence. Can a God who did that not solve our daily problems, big and small? Can a God who created all things not bring our lost loved ones to Christ? Can a God who parted the Red Sea not help us pay our bills? Can a God who brings the dead back to life not put our marriages back together? Can a God who walked on the water not bring wayward children home? 

Today is the National Day of Prayer so when we pray let's look back and be thankful. Let's also look forward and ask big things of our big God. He is able to do far more than we could ever ask or imagine. In bringing big things to Him, we honor who He is. We display our faith that He is able to handle whatever we ask of Him. Our God can do all things so let's ask for nothing less than total victory. 

Prophets And Kings, Day 87. The Death Of Elisha

Prophets And Kings

Day 87
The Death Of Elisha

INTRODUCTION BY BELINDA
Yesterdays study ended wif the death of King Jehoahaz of Israel. Hims son Jehoash is king now and its during his reign that the prophet Elisha dies.

2 KINGS 13:10-25

"In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them." (2 Kings 13:10-11) I will be lucky if I don't manage to get these kings confused with each other; their names are so similar. Jehoash is like his father and grandfather in that he allows the golden calves in Dan and Beersheba to remain, with the people going to these idols to sacrifice and make offerings. 

The author of 2nd Kings doesn't have much to say about King Jehoash but we will learn more about him when we study King Amaziah of Israel, for these two men will have some dealings with each other. The author of 2nd Kings simply says, "As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the books of the annals of the kings of Israel? Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel." (2 Kings 13:12-13) 

The author backs up just a bit now to tell us of the death of Elisha. "Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness of which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. 'My father! My father!' he cried. 'The chariots and horsemen of Israel!'" (2 Kings 13:14) Jehoash does not consider himself a sinful man, nor did his father or grandfather consider themselves sinful men. They are not idolaters in the same sense that the Baal worshipers were idolaters. These kings believe they are worshiping the one true God, the God of Israel, when they go to Dan or Beersheba with their sacrifices and offerings. But this is not the form of worship God set forth for His people. It is actually breaking one of the ten commandments, "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them." (Exodus 20:4-5a) When Jeroboam set up this system of worship, he was in denial that he was making an image. He was in denial that he was bowing down and worshiping an idol. He was able to convince himself and the nation that these calves symbolized God and that this did not constitute idolatry. So we see that King Jehoash weeps over the prophet Elisha because the king sees himself and Elisha as followers of the same God. But Elisha has held true to God's commandments while Jehoash and the kings before him adulterated the truth of God's word. 

The king repeats Elisha's own words back to him. Elisha spoke these words on the day the Lord took his mentor Elijah from him, "Suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, 'My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!'" (2 Kings 2:11b-12a) I believe King Jehoash wants the prophet to know that his grief is as great over Elisha's impending departure as Elisha's grief was over Elijah's departure. Often we don't know what to say when we visit the sick. I don't know why we think we should know the right thing to say, as if our words have the power to take away any of the pain or grief. Usually the best thing we can do is express our sorrow and that's what King Jehoash does at Elisha's bedside. By repeating the prophet's own words back to him, Jehoash is communicating the depth of his sorrow in the best way he knows how.

Elisha is a very elderly man by now and has lived through the reign of many kings. But even on his deathbed there's still some fight left in this old soldier of God. "Elisha said, 'Get a bow and some arrows,' and he did so. 'Take the bow in your hands,' he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king's hands." (2 Kings 13:15-16) The king fears the favor of the Lord will depart from Israel at the death of this great prophet, so Elisha asks him to perform some simple but strange tasks. The king is to perform these tasks in faith. I picture these men, one old and one young, one ill and one healthy, one with wrinkled shaking hands and one with smooth strong hands, their eyes meeting over the bow they both hold. Then Elisha continues, "'Open the east window,' he said, and he opened it. 'Shoot!' Elisha said, and he shot. 'The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!' Elisha declared. 'You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.'" (2 Kings 13:17) The prophet reminds the king that the strength of Israel is her God, not her prophets. The Lord is the One who gives victory. The Lord is Israel's arrow over her enemy.

The shooting of an arrow toward the land of the Arameans is a declaration of war, though Israel's enemy doesn't know it yet. The arrow symbolizes the intention of the Lord to give Israel victory in a coming battle with her enemy. It's the first shot fired of a future conflict, though no one sees it but the king, the prophet, and the Lord. 

"Then he said, 'Take the arrows,' and the king took them. Elisha told him, 'Strike the ground.' He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, 'You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.'" (2 Kings 13:18-19) When Elisha tells the king to strike the ground, the original text indicates he is telling the king to shoot arrows at the ground. The king shoots three arrows, one by one, at the ground and then stops. The arrows symbolize Israel's victory over Aram and the prophet expects the king to understand this and shoot as many arrows as he can. But the king, like all of us at one time or another, fails to ask enough of God. He fails to ask big things from a big God, a God who "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20) 

I wonder what great victories we would already have experienced if we just had the faith to shoot as many arrows into the ground as we can, spiritually speaking. Why do we ask so little of God? Why do we limit Him in our imagination? Intelligent as humans are, capable of abstract thought and creativity, the Lord is able to do far more than will ever enter our minds. The Lord's brother James said (and I'm quoting the familiar KJV version here), "Ye have not, because ye ask not." (James 4:2b) Won't it be a shame to stand before God someday, beholding His infinite power and glory, and know we could have had so much more? I am guilty of this in so many ways: not daring to believe more of Him, not boldly asking more of Him. We may not be granted all that we ask but I think we will be granted more of what we ask. 

Elisha is angry when the king displays a mediocre faith. He is angry for the king's sake and for the sake of Israel. The king could have so much more victory in his life if he just had more faith. The nation itself could enjoy peace from her enemies if her citizens just had more faith. Over the years they have become lukewarm toward God and have made Him small in their eyes. Elisha, great prophet of God, has lived his life on the principle of asking big things of a big God. He wants to pass this on to the king but the king lacks the faith to receive it.

We will find later on that Elisha's words come true. Jehoash will only defeat the Arameans three times. The Arameans will remain a force to be reckoned with. But if he had only asked more of God in faith, he could have defeated this enemy so thoroughly that they would never have come against Israel again. 

"Elisha died and was buried." (2 Kings 13:20a) This is all the author says about the prophet's death. We are given no last words, no eulogy, no funeral details. All we get is, "Elisha died and was buried." I want to know more about the final days of this great prophet because it's hard to say goodbye to him. I was disappointed that the author didn't tell us more. But then I realized these simple words are a perfect eulogy for a man like Elisha. He spent his entire life lifting up the name of the Lord, making much of God and making little of himself. If Elisha had lived in our times and someone had asked him what he wanted in his obituary, I can picture the old prophet dismissively waving one thin age-spotted hand and saying something like, "I don't want an obituary. I don't want anything said about me. I'm going to be with my Redeemer and it's the job of the rest of you to get on with His work. The best way to remember me is to honor the God I served." Elisha wasn't the type of man to want a fuss made over him. He couldn't have cared less whether he got a big write-up in the paper or a lavish funeral or an expensive gravestone. His work here was done and he was going home to be with the Lord he loved so much. What more could a man ask for? What more can any of us ask for? Only what we've done for the Lord matters and when our time here is up, let people say what they will. Our works done for the Lord speak for themselves. We will be in His presence and no rich ceremonies or words spoken in our honor will compare with the joy we will have in our Lord. 

Elisha died and was buried. That's all he wanted said. If we are to honor his memory in any way I believe he would have us honor it by speaking highly of the Lord our Redeemer. 

So we thank You, Lord, for Your holy word. We thank You for your prophets of old who had the courage to stand for what was right. We thank You for Elisha and the example he set for us. May we walk worthy of our calling in Christ, as Elisha walked. May we have a faith like his, a faith that boldly asks big things of a big God. We ask these things for the honor and glory of Your holy name. Amen.

Below is a link to a song that goes perfectly with today's passage of Scripture.

Be Magnified, O Lord

Prophets And Kings, Day 86. King Jehoahaz Of Israel

Prophets And Kings

Day 86

King Jehoahaz Of Israel

INTRODUCTION
The author of 2nd Kings now introduces us to a new king of Israel.

2 KINGS 13:1-9

"In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years." (2 Kings 13:1) We were told earlier that King Joash of Judah demanded an accounting of why the temple project wasn't completed in his twenty-third year, so Jehoahaz is crowned king of Israel at about the same time.

"He did evil in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them." (2 Kings 13:2) The sins of Jeroboam were that he set up a golden calf in Dan and a golden calf in Beersheba and proclaimed them the symbols of the God who brought them out of Egypt. He put something in place of God so the people wouldn't go up to Jerusalem to worship at the temple, for he feared their hearts would turn from him to the king of Judah. Jeroboam didn't trust God and so he led the people astray by introducing a form of idol worship. Now we find that this is still going on in Israel and the new king Jehoahaz does nothing to stop it. Instead, he joins in with it.

Because the king and the people continue to rebel against the God who has provided for them all these years, the Lord chastises them. He is angry but He is merciful. The trouble He sends them is intended to turn them back to Him. Some of our troubles in this life are of our own making and the Lord is merciful when He lets us suffer the consequences, for its the consequences that cause us to take stock of our hearts, that cause us to stop and think about just why these things are happening to us. "So the Lord's anger burned against Israel, and for a long time He kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son." (2 Kings 13:3) 

As the prophet Elisha predicted earlier in our study, the wicked King Hazael continues to oppress Israel. He's a ruthless man, one who assassinated his own king and took the throne, one who has the nerve to name his own son after the king he killed. Evil though Hazael is, the Lord uses him as an instrument of discipline on a wayward people. I believe if the people had repented early and if they had burned up their golden idols and turned wholeheartedly to the Lord, He would have given them freedom from this enemy much sooner. 

When we live in sin we are held captive by it, just as much as if we were locked in a prison cell or chained to a dungeon wall. The longer we cling to our sin the longer we remain captives. We are like those of whom the psalmist says, "Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, because they rebelled against God's commands and despised the plans of the Most High." (Psalm 107:10-11) It's not God's will for us to live in shackles but to walk in the glorious freedom of His grace. If He disciplines us for our sins, it's a kindness to us. His anger at our sins, in my opinion, is anger for our own sakes, anger about the harm we are doing to ourselves. Jesus Christ died to give us liberty, to give us hearts like His, so we could walk in the light of life. And this is what He wants to do for us, "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron." (Psalm 107:13-16)

I bless the day the Lord Jesus broke down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron to get to me! When at last, sitting chained in darkness, I looked up and called out His name, He didn't let anything get between me and Him.

Jehoahaz is not able to throw off the yoke of Israel's Syrian oppressor so at last he turns to the only One who can help. "Then Jeoahaz sought the Lord's favor, and the Lord listened to him, for He saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel." (2 Kings 13:4) We will find that Jehoahaz doesn't experience much of a conversion because he doesn't remove the golden calves from Israel, but the Lord does listen to his cry for help. I think there's a couple of good reasons for that, even though Jehoahaz's heart isn't really right with the Lord. First, Answering Jehoahaz's prayer proves to the king that there is a real God in Israel. Bowing down to the calves has done nothing to help the situation. Military might has done nothing to help the situation either. Nothing Jehoahaz has tried has worked until he prays to the Lord. When the Lord answers, this could have been a life-changing experience for Jehoahaz if he had really allowed God into his heart. Secondly, the Lord answers the prayer because the king of Aram is so vicious. We recall the things Elisha predicted he would do, including killing infants and pregnant women. (2 Kings 8:12) Hazael is overstepping his bounds and the Lord is disgusted with his actions. It's one thing to conquer another nation and make them subject to you, to make them pay taxes and tributes, but it's yet another to perform such cruelties. 

"The Lord provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram." (2 Kings 13:5a) The author does not make it clear who this deliverer is and from my background study it appears that scholars are divided in their opinion of who this is. I tend to agree with the ones who say the deliverer is Jehoahaz's own son who succeeds him as king, because later in Chapter 13 we find his son defeating the Arameans on several occasions and taking back the towns the Arameans had captured.

"So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before. But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole remained standing in Samaria." (2 Kings 13:5b-6) In spite of the Lord's kindness, the people don't turn back to Him. They were sorry when things were going badly for them and were willing to call on the name of the Lord, but after His deliverance they fell back into the same old habits. Haven't we all done that, though? Haven't we ever ignored the Lord when times were good, merrily going on our way, living as we pleased? Then didn't we call on Him in our troubles when we had tried everything else and it didn't work? I know I've been there. There were times in my past that I was pleased to ignore the Lord and His laws and do whatever my carnal mind wanted. Then when trouble came I'd call to Him for help, say a brief "thank You" when my situation improved, and then go right back to whatever I was doing before. That's not a true conversion and I lived that way for a long time in my teens and early twenties. I was raised in church and knew just enough Bible to talk the talk but I wasn't walking the walk. 

"Nothing had been left of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed the rest and made them like the dust at threshing time." (2 Kings 13:7) This is how decimated the army of Israel was after the king of Aram was finished with them. If the Lord had not stepped in, the nation could well have been destroyed. What mercy He shows to them and to us! The Lord would be within His rights to wipe any of us off the face of the earth for our sins. But as the prophet Jeremiah said, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23) It's because of the Lord's great love for His people that He rescued them. He could have allowed the king of Aram to eradicate them. After all, the royal line of Judah was continuing on, the line from which Messiah would come, so the Lord could have allowed the northern kingdom of Israel to perish. But He loved them. His mercies were new every morning. Every morning the Lord looked down on the nation and saw that they were continuing down the same old path of sin, yet His heart never turned away from them. Day after day He witnessed them bowing before golden calves instead of bowing at His feet, yet He preserved their lives. Great is His faithfulness! Morning after morning I used to get up and continue down my same old path. For many years nothing changed and I fell deeper and deeper into a pit of sin. Yet the Lord preserved my life. Yet He kept dealing with my heart. Yet His compassion never failed. His mercies were new every morning. 

"As for the other events of the reign of Jehoahaz, all he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoash his son succeeded him as king." (2 Kings 13:8-9)

The link below is to a song that reminds me of my own life, before and after I came to Christ. It says, "I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about how You were mighty to save, but those were only empty words on a page." I grew up in church, grew up with a Christian mother who told me about Jesus, and I knew all the stories. I could talk the talk, as I said above, but my walk was far from Him. But when I had a face-to-face encounter with the living God I realized I knew nothing. As this song says, "Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be. The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees." When we meet Him, we only see a glimpse because His full glory would consume us in our weak mortal flesh, but He is faithful to give us a glimpse just like He gave Moses as He hid him in the cleft of the rock. And that glimpse is so holy, so overwhelming, so real and so true, we can't help but fall to our knees. Lord, great is Your faithfulness! Great is Your mercy!

What Do I Know Of Holy?

Prophets And Kings, Day 85. The Reign Of Joash, Part 2

Prophets And Kings

Day 85

The Reign Of Joash

Part 2

INTRODUCTION BY BELINDA
Today we finish our look at King Joash, who sadly goes wrong after the priest Jehoiada dies.

2 KINGS 12:17-21, 2 CHRONICLES 24:15-25

Yesterday Joash implemented a plan for the restoration of the temple and it was a success. Everything was restored to its original splendor and there was enough money left over to replace the articles Athaliah's sons had stolen from the temple. During these years Joash was advised by his uncle Jehoiada the high priest. "As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord." (2 Chronicles 24:14b) 

But things are about to change because Jehoiada is about to pass on. It was in the twenty-third year of his reign that Joash took over the temple project, so we know Jehoiada has advised him for well over half his reign, since Joash's total reign was forty years. Jehoiada has been a father to him. Jehoiada has been a spiritual adviser to him, along with being a wise counselor in matters of government. And God has been good to both these men, giving Jehoiada an unusually long life during a time when men who lived to be seventy were considered old. The long lifespans of Old Testament characters is past but because Joash was so young when he ascended to the throne and because Jehoiada was so faithful to God and so essential for the prosperity of Judah, the Lord extended his years. "Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and His temple." (2 Chronicles 24:15-16) This man Jehoiada served his nation so well that he is given the burial of a king. 

Joash is undone by the death of his mentor. He falls into sin quite quickly after Jehoiada's death and I suspect the reason is that his faith was in Jehoiada, not in the Lord. While his uncle lived, Joash gave him respect and honor and obedience, but his allegiance was to a man and not to the living God. I believe Jehoiada taught Joash the truth of God's word and may not even have realized his nephew didn't have a relationship with the Lord. Joash looked like a godly man and behaved like a godly man. He had an earnest desire to see the house of the Lord restored and he worked diligently toward that goal. He went up to the temple and made all the sacrifices and offerings that the law required. Everything about him said that he was a faithful man but the death of Jehoiada tells us the truth about the condition of the king's heart. His trust was in the priest, not in the Lord.

"After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God's anger came on Judah and Jerusalem. Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to Him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen." (2 Chronicles 24:17-18) How quickly Joash abandons the living God! This tells us he was never committed to Him in the first place. There's something weak in Joash that longs for someone to tell him what to do, and instead of clinging to the Lord's covenant he was given at his coronation, he happily changes his allegiance to these new advisers. I think Jehoiada did all that was humanly possible to mold Joash into a godly man but there's something lacking in the king's character. 

The Lord sends many prophets to speak against what the king and the people are doing, to no avail. So He sends Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, to give the people a chance to listen to the descendant of a well-respected man. After all, Zechariah's father was given a king's burial. For the sake of Jehoiada, we would expect the people to want to hear what Zechariah has to say. But their hearts are hard and they do not want to be confronted with their sin. "Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, 'This is what God says: 'Why do you disobey the Lord's commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has forsaken you.'" (2 Chronicles 24:20) What dreadful words! But even in these words there is mercy because the Lord sends Zechariah to tell the people the truth so they may have the opportunity to turn from their sins. God is not saying He has forsaken them forever. He is saying that He has taken His protective hand off the nation because they have forsaken Him. But if they will repent and turn back, God will forgive them and heal their land. 

The truth hurts sometimes. When we know we are in the wrong and a friend comes to us and tells us the truth in love, it hurts. But as King Solomon once said, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend." (Proverbs 276a) God is telling the people the truth because He is their friend. Zechariah, obedient priest of God, is telling the people the truth because he is their friend.

But they don't want to hear the truth. They don't want to turn from their pagan rituals back to the service of the living God. They want a made-to-order religion, one that requires little of them, one that allows them to satisfy their carnal desires. And so they reject the words of Zechariah. "But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord's temple. 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.'" (2 Chronicles 24:21-22) Joash is alive only because of the kindness of Jehoiada. Joash is king only because of the kindness of Jehoiada. Yet he refuses to extend such mercy to Jehoiada's own son. It's difficult to imagine such cruelty and ingratitude. 

This heinous act of the king and the people is the last straw. The Lord allows their enemy, the Syrian king Hazael, to defeat them. "At the turn of the year, the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus." (2 Chronicles 24:23) There is an account in 2nd Kings of Hazael coming to attack Jerusalem. I can't tell whether that attack is the same as we find in 2nd Chronicles. Many scholars believe that it is. "About this time Hazael king of Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. But Joash king of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his predecessors---Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah---and the gifts he himself had dedicated and all the gold found in the treasuries of the temple of the Lord and of the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram, who then withdrew from Jerusalem." (2 Kings 12:17-18) Joash is willing to do anything to preserve the capitol city, including giving the sacred temple objects to a pagan king. 

We can't be certain whether Hazael came against Jerusalem once or twice, but in one of the battles Joash himself is wounded. "Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash. When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings." (2 Chronicles 24:24-25) Up til now the officials of Joash haven't seemed very godly, so I don't know whether they assassinate him because of their high regard for Jehoiada and Zechariah or whether they blame Joash for their current defeat. It could be they want him dead because they can see a direct correlation between the stoning of Zechariah and their defeat by the Syrian army. Joash, who was consenting to the conspiracy against Zechariah, falls victim to a conspiracy himself. It's ironic that his godly uncle Jehoiada received a king's burial but Joash himself does not.

The author of 2nd Kings concludes with this, "The officials who murdered him were Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king." (2 Kings 12:21) He was buried with his ancestors but not in a king's tomb and not with all the pomp and ceremony of a king. While Jehoiada lived, Joash was a good king for the people, but after the death of the priest we see who was the real power behind the throne. Things abruptly fell apart. This is what can happen to any of us if we place our security in anyone or anything except the Lord. We will fall apart just like Joash did. If we follow our church pastor instead of the Lord, we are standing on dangerous ground because if the pastor lets us down we run the risk of falling away from the church. If we place our security in our marriage and our marriage fails or our spouse dies, what are we to do then? If we place our security in our children and we lose a child or our children rebel and break their relationship with us, what then? If we trust in our jobs, our finances, our standing in the community, our health, our talents, or anything other than the living God, the loss of any one of those things could send us into a downward spiral. As the old song goes, "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is shifting sand." In this life there is only one thing upon which we can safely stand: the Rock of Ages. There is only one hand to which we can cling: God's unchanging hand. There is only one form of real security and it is found in the One who made us this unbreakable promise, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) Our security is in the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

Prophets And Kings, Day 84. The Reign Of Joash, Part 1

Prophets And Kings

Day 84

The Reign Of Joash

Part 1

INTRODUCTION BY BELINDA
Today we study the reign of the young king Joash and will be looking at both 2 Kings 12 and 2 Chronicles 24.

2 KINGS 12:1-16, 2 CHRONICLES 24:3,7,13-14a

"In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother's name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there." (2 Kings 12:1-2) Jehu had been king of Israel for seven years when Joash was crowned king of Judah. Joash has one of the longer reigns of the kings of Judah, perhaps because for many years he did what was right under the guidance of his uncle the high priest. We will find he has a heart for God's house but he does fail to remove the old high places where people used to sacrifice to God before there was a temple at Jerusalem. The high places are not good for the people because they lead the people away from the temple where God commanded them to worship. The high places are a step removed from where God told them to worship and they are a step toward slipping back into idolatry.

"Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters." (2 Chronicles 24:3) Jehoiada is so involved in Joash's life that he even chooses his wives for him. I think Jehoiada fears Joash making a bad match in marriage like some of the kings before him who married pagan women. We can safely assume that the women Jehoiada chose for his nephew were godly women. I don't feel that the Bible endorses multiple wives or that this situation applies to our world today. The Bible reports to us what men and women did in ancient times, both the good and the bad. But God only gave Adam one wife when He created mankind because God's best plan does not involve a man having multiple wives. Most of the men of the Bible who had multiple wives also had a great deal of trouble in life because of it, mainly through their children. A man cannot adequately guide more than one household or effectively be a father to a multitude of children by different women. It could be that Jehoiada chose two wives for the king because he felt the more children the better, in view of how the wicked queen Athaliah once ordered all the royal princes killed. It could be the priest fears something similar happening again and wants to do all he can to ensure the continuation of the royal line. Having more than one household of children may seem prudent to Jehoiada in case of attack on the family.

Joash has a heart for God's house and wants to see it restored to its former glory. The house of God was his home during the years the priests hid him from his wicked grandmother. The house of God is precious to him, like our childhood homes were precious to us. He has a godly desire to care for it. During the reign of Athaliah, a Baal worshiper, this happened: "Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals." (2 Chronicles 24:7) It wasn't enough for Athaliah to simply reject and disrespect the God of Israel. It wasn't enough for her to neglect the upkeep of the temple. She allowed her sons to break into the temple and do damage to it. She even allowed them to take the sacred objects out and desecrate them by using them in pagan rituals. 

Joash comes up with a plan to fund the temple repairs. "Joash said to the priests, 'Collect all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the Lord---the money collected in the census, the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily to the temple. Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasuries, then use it to repair whatever damage is found in the temple.'" (2 Kings 12:4-5) The priests were intended to make their living by their service at the temple, so some of this money paid their salaries, which is only right since that was their occupation in life. If a priest or pastor works full time in the church, he ought to be paid a good living wage for it. But somehow it was not a priority to use the money left over to do the repairs to God's house. Some scholars speculate that the priests were taking the excess and dividing it greedily among themselves, becoming quite wealthy. Other scholars feel these men were not skilled in money management and were not making the repairs a priority.

Joash's command is ignored for many years. "But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests had still not repaired the temple. Therefore King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and asked them, 'Why aren't you repairing the damage done to the temple? Take no more money from your treasurers, but hand it over for repairing the temple.' The priests agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves." (2 Kings 12:6-8) Because the priests have failed to properly manage the money and repair the temple, Joash takes matters into his own hands. The money will need to go into a specific collection box. Also, workmen will be assigned to do the repairs that the priests have failed to do. Unfortunately, these men have shown themselves to be poor stewards of the money entrusted to them and have been lazy in getting the work done. This is another reason some scholars believe their failure to obey the king was motivated by greed, although to give them the benefit of the doubt they may just have been so busy with their duties they had little time left over to do repairs, or they may have just naturally been bad at handling money, or they may have lacked management and leadership skills.

A collection box is constructed for donations to the temple repairs. "Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar, on the right side as one enters the temple of the Lord. The priests who guarded the entrance put into the chest all the money that was brought to the temple of the Lord. Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal secretary and the high priest came, counted the money that had been brought into the temple of the Lord and put it into bags. When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the Lord---the carpenters and builders, the masons and stonecutters. They purchased timbers and blocks of dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the Lord, and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple." (2 Kings 24:9-12) This is more like it. This is a good system of money management and personal accountability. The collection box is placed where the people can't miss it when they come to the temple. The people know this money is for the repair of the temple and so they know exactly what their offerings will be used for. The priests stand there to collect the offerings and place them in the box in the sight of the people, so they can see for themselves that their money is going into the temple repair fund. When the box gets almost full, two men come and count the money, which is far better than having only one man count the money, With two there is less chance of being accused of any funny business with the money, since each of them is keeping an eye on the other. Then the money is given to those who supervise the work and it is paid out as expenses are incurred.

"The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the Lord; it was paid to the workers, who used it to repair the temple. They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty. The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the temple of the Lord; it belonged to the priests." (2 Kings 12:13-16) What Joash is doing is good for the economy by employing workmen. The priests aren't suffering financially either because they are still receiving the portion of funds that is due them. This clearly shows us that there was more than enough money for everything that needed to be done; it just wasn't being handled properly before Joash set down some rules. I feel inclined to disagree with those who think the priests were being greedy with the money, because once a clear system is in place, everyone behaves with the utmost honesty. Some people are naturally good at handling money while others need guidance and I think in this case the priests simply needed guidance. They needed someone to help them make the temple repairs a priority. 

"The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the Lord's temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver." (2 Chronicles 24:13-14a) The Lord requires good stewardship of everything He blesses us with. Because all these men finally got with the program and put a system in place, the Lord abundantly blessed this project. There was plenty of money for materials and to pay the workmen, with enough left over to replace the articles that Athaliah's sons had stolen.  

We will continue our study of Joash's reign tomorrow and we will find that he goes astray after his uncle Jeoiada dies. He is a wise king when it comes to managing projects but not so wise when it comes to managing his personal life. He isn't the first king we can say this about, though. King David was successful as a leader and a warrior but not successful as a family man. King Solomon was successful in building the kingdom but not successful in setting a spiritual example. Like the rest of us, the kings of Judah and Israel had strengths and weaknesses. They were strong in the Lord at times, weak in the flesh at others. We see a pattern in their lives that should be a warning to us: when they stick close to the Lord they do well; when they stray from Him they do poorly. 

I have a fear of growing cold toward the Lord. In my early thirties I somehow slipped out of church and didn't go back for seven years. You would think a thing like that would have to be caused by something specific, something big, but that wasn't the case. My heart had grown lukewarm and after missing a few services I simply didn't go back. And I can't tell you why because I don't understand why. I can't point to this thing or to that thing and say, "This is what caused me to stop going to church," or, "This is what caused me to stop spending prayer time with the Lord." It took what, to me, was a personal tragedy to send me running back into the arms of the Lord. And so for me it's vital that I stay faithfully in church. It's vital that I do this Bible study and that I talk to the Lord in private. It like life or death to me. The last thing I ever want is to feel cold in my worship again. I remember what kind of person it made me, how dead I felt inside, how fruitless my life was, how nothing I was doing during that time had any eternal value. And I really think I'd rather be dead than ever feel like that again. Looking back on my life, the only things that matter are the things I've done in the name of the Lord and for His honor, and sadly there aren't as many of those things as there should be. It's a slippery slope when we start growing cool toward the Lord. Studying these kings of the Bible should be a warning to us about growing spiritually cold. The Lord was with them if they were with Him. But when they grew lukewarm and then cool and then cold, many of their reigns ended on a sad note. We don't want to be like the kings who started well but ended poorly. Many of us began poorly, lost and without Christ, but in Him we can end well. We can finish strong. As the saying goes, let's go out with our boots on. Let's go out standing on the battle line, shield in one hand and sword in the other, with the name of our Lord and Mighty Defender on our lips.