PRIESTS and Kings appear conspicuously right down throughout the history of the Old Testament Church; and much of that history was centred in Jerusalem and Judah. And thus it was that Jehoiada, the priest, and Joash, the King, appear in Jerusalem according to the records of Scripture in the second book of Chronicles, from chapter 22 to 24. The history of both those personalities is intimately linked together from the very childhood of Joash, for when Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah except the child Joash, who was taken from among the King’s sons by Jehoshabeath, the wife of Jehoiada, the priest, and hidden in the House of God six years thereafter (II Chron. xxii. 10-12). And during these first six years of his life Joash was under the protection and care and spiritual instruction of the priest Jehoiada and his wife. Thus had God in His good providence ordered matters. Then in the seventh year “Jehoiada strengthened himself” (xxiii. 1), no doubt as he was led, encouraged and emboldened by divine aid, and proceeded to make arrangements for the setting up of Joash as King in Jerusalem to the setting aside of that wicked woman, Athaliah. As he intimated to the people of Judah, “Behold, the King’s son shall reign, as the Lord hath said of the sons of David” (xxiii. 3), which reveals the regard Jehoiada had for the Lord and His Word. And ultimately he accomplished the crowning of Joash, as we read, “Then they brought the King’s son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him King. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the King” (II Chron. xxiii. 11). And following this Athaliah was slain and also Mattan, the priest of Baal, and the house of Baal was broken down. Then Jehoiada appointed the offices of the House of the Lord by the hand of the priests the Levites, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, and to attend to other essential matters concerning God’s worship. Now the effect of all this was, that the people of the land rejoiced, and the city of Jerusalem was quiet, and so under the good hand of God, Jehoiada was instrumental in bringing about a reformation at the very outset of King Joash’s reign, who was only seven years old when he began to reign. But when he grew older, instead of having around him idolaters and idolatry to lead him astray in his tender years, he found himself surrounded by the blessed influences and example of the true people of God and the Word and worship of God. Well might the King seek to bless the Lord for His favour in these respects and for all that Jehoiada the priest had accomplished by divine assistance.
Joash’s conduct during Jehoiada’s lifetime.
Now let us look at Joash’s conduct during Jehoiada’s lifetime. He reigned 40 years in Jerusalem and practically all that lengthy period Jehoiada was alive and discharging his duties relative to God and the people in the office of the priesthood. Jehoiada “did good in Israel, both toward God, and toward His house,” as we read in chapter xxiv. v. 16, regarding him when he died. And it appears that his godly example and counsel had a powerful and beneficial influence and effect upon King Joash, as we read that “Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest” (xxiv. 2). This commendation of the King was applicable to his character and conduct, in a general and public manner, as to his outward and consistent respect for the Word of the Lord, His name, commandments and His house and worship. Probably many who truly feared and served the Lord in Jerusalem considered that the King was a godly and gracious person and of the spiritual seed of Abraham, inasmuch as his life, conversation and activities included a great deal which had all the appearance of being fruits of faith and labours of love toward the God of Jehoiada. Indeed, these were particular activities on the part of Joash which tend to support such an estimate of the man. For instance, his mind was favourably exercised with regard to the need there was to repair the House of the Lord, and we do read of others being chided and rebuked by the Lord for attending to their own selfish interests and affairs and building themselves houses while the Lord’s house lay waste, as in the days of Haggai. But Joash was of a different mind from these. And what was occupying his mind, he put into practice, for “he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the House of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter” (xxiv. 5). And so his practical zeal engaged, by command, the priests and Levites in widespread activities to bring home upon the people throughout Judah the claims of their God, whom they professed, and their obligations to His House and cause. And as indicative of the King’s intense interest in this matter, he requires haste and no sloth or delay on the part of the priests and Levites for the accomplishment of the same. But nevertheless, for some reason, “the Levites hastened it not,” and we find Joash with all the appearance of devotion to God’s cause, faithfully re proving even Jehoiada the priest for this laxity on the part of the Levites. He called for Jehoiada and said unto him, “Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses, the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?” (xxiv. 5, 6). And so the King seems to outstrip Jehoiada himself in concern for the carrying out of the will of the Lord, according to the practice and example of Moses. Then again, the King assumes a leading part in preparing for the receiving of the collection, for at his commandment “they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the House of the Lord” (verse 8), and in the process of time the matter was brought to a successful issue. For “all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end” (verse 10); and “Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance” (verse 11). And so, although this encouraging turn of events, under the authority and devotion of Joash, concerned money, yet the design of it all was the repairing of the House of the Lord. The King and Jehoiada worked together here and gave the money “to such as did the work of the service of the House of the Lord”; and when the work was finished “they brought the rest of the money before the King and Jehoiada.” Here we discern the closest visible fellowship and unity between these two influential men in Jerusalem, in those things which concerned the honour of God in the visible Church of the day, culminating in the divine order of God’s house being restored, and the worship of God being carried on all the days of Jehoiada, as we read, “And they offered burnt offerings in the House of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada” (verse 14). And doubtless Joash himself regularly appeared among those who went up to the tabernacles of God’s grace. At this stage we may observe that man looketh upon the outward appearance, and in so doing may come by a judgment of human and even gracious charity, to conclude well of Joash the King as to his heart and spiritual interest in the God of his fathers. But alas! the history of Joash does not continue in this strain.
The King’s conduct after the death of Jehoiada.
Let us now consider the King’s conduct after the death of Jehoiada. Jehoiada waxed old and was full of days when he died and he was buried in the city of David among the Kings “because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward His house” (xxiv. 15, 16). Now after the death of this eminent servant of the Lord, whose influence had been so beneficial upon the King, and so profitable to the people, and so honouring to the Lord, one might expect Joash at any rate to persevere in following in the footsteps of Jehoiada as to the public service of the Lord. It was far otherwise. Truly, He who looketh upon the hearts of men knows the sinfulness and deceitfulness thereof, and on this account when He sees fit, permits trials and testing times to confront some who were bidding fair for heaven in the estimation of their fellow sinners and discerning saints; such trials, temptations and testing times being fitted to expose men as to the real state and frame of their hearts and minds in relation to God, His glory and cause on the earth. Unregenerate sinners may outwardly appear to be one with the children of God and in harmony with their scriptural practices, and their gracious and holy desires for the building up and furtherance of His Kingdom. But it is after all only a superficial religion, zeal, devotion, faithfulness and service on their part. So it was in the sad case of Joash, who persevered even many years with a hollow religion. But after the death of Jehoiada lamentable and radical changes took place in the conduct and outward character of Joash, revealing the moral and spiritual barrenness of his unchanged heart. First of all, when the princes of Judah found that Jehoiada no longer stood in their way to broaden out their practices and depart from the Word and worship of God “they made obeisance to the King” (xxiv. 17). From what follows in the immediate context we rightly conclude that they made proposals to Joash of an evil and wicked nature, viz., that now was the opportune time to depart from adherence to God and His revealed truth and worship. To begin with, there seems to be none as worthy as Jehoiada to withstand these unfaithful and designing men. And the King is entrapped by the very first temptation with which he is confronted when left without the counsel and example of Jehoiada, as the narrative reveals, “Then the King hearkened unto them.” He listened to these evil men, gave place to their proposals in his mind, complied with their evil intentions, and agreed to act along with them as their civil head. And so, “They left the House of the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves and idols” (verse 118). Here are men, and Joash at their head, who once were so zealous for the repairing of the House of the Lord God of their fathers, now serving gods of their own making and trampling underfoot the holy law of the Lord and provoking the eyes of His glory; and this after all the light they had from His Word. It appears that Joash certainly did not fear God in his heart, but maybe he feared Jehoiada the priest while he lived, and felt some obligation to him as being instrumental in setting he himself upon the throne. How many have held men’s persons in admiration because of advantage! But Jehoiada was now out of sight, and out of mind, and his religion as well, as far as Joash and the princes were concerned, and furthermore it is later made evident that the people of Jerusalem and Judah in general were turned away backward from the God of Israel to idolatry. What a disastrous change had come upon the King! And now, no wonder we read that wrath from the Lord came upon Judah and Jerusalem for their trespass (verse 18), but yet the Lord “sent prophets to them to bring them again unto the Lord, and they testified against them,” but Joash and the others would not give ear (see verse 19). The King would now listen to evil princes and counsellors but not to God’s prophets. This is the man who formerly could reprove and remind Jehoiada of the commandment of Moses, the servant of God, relative to the collection for the house of the Lord. But greater boldness in wickedness was yet to be manifested by Joash. For when the Spirit of the Lord came upon Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, commanding and enabling him to charge the backsliders with transgression and to warn them that the Lord had forsaken them—then he was stoned with stones at the commandment of the King in the very court of the Lord’s house (verses 20, 21). All restraint is now withdrawn from Joash and the depravity of his wicked heart was now openly exposed to view. What a deceitful and hypocritical part he played while Jehoiada lived and exercised a godly and leading supervision of the Church of God! What a pathetic and solemn observation the divine record brings before us on this matter! “Thus Joash the King remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son” (verse 22). How bitter and sottish men can become when they turn away from the truth of God to which they once adhered outwardly, and when they banish from their minds the gracious, kindly and beneficial example and activities of those who feared God and whose fellowship and friendship they were privileged to experience in the recent past.
The miserable end of Joash the King.
And now the miserable end of Joash the King. The dying prayer of Jehoiada’s son, “The Lord look upon it, and require it” (verse 22), was soon answered by terrible dispensations in providence. The host of Syria came up against him to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed his wicked counsellors the princes, and then the Lord delivered a very great host of the people into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. And when the enemy departed from Joash, they left him in great diseases, and later “his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died” (verse 25). A man who was preserved from death in his childhood, by Jehoiada’s wife, is now slain upon his bed because he put to death Jehoiada’s sons. His was manifestly the latter end of a wicked man, although we read that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. This truly has a warning for some at any rate, whose religion and zeal may appear consistent with the mind of God in the Scriptures and as revealed in the gospel of His Son Jesus Christ, and which religion is liable to become as the morning cloud early dew that passeth away, if and when certain human influences and restraints thereby are withdrawn. May God in His sovereign mercy preserve us from a religion and a Christian profession which can be cast away at will. May we obtain that holy faith which lays hold upon God in Christ Jesus and looks not to princes nor man’s sons, that faith which is of the operation of the Holy Spirit in the heart, through which sinners are saved, which also purifies the heart and overcomes the world. Thus we may be enabled graciously and humbly to serve the Lord, to be genuine companions of those who fear God and walk in His commandments, and to endure unto the end in the right way that leads to a city of habitation.