2 Chronicles 24

2 Chronicles 24:1

REIGN OF JOASHJehoiada, the priest, is the one who really guided and led this little fellow during the early part of his reign. However, his mother’s name is given to us, and she must have been a good mother. She apparently agreed with the return to the Lord which was taking place. Her home was in Beer-sheba. When I was down there not long ago, I thought of the mother of Joash. Beer-sheba is also the town of Abraham.

2 Chronicles 24:2

Joash did what was right under the coaching of Jehoiada; then we have the strange statement that he took two wives for him. Of course this didn’t happen when he was seven years oldremember that he reigned forty years. Is the implication that it was all right to have two wives? No. It was wrong. It is not recorded because God approved of it; it is recorded because that is what he did. Considering the background of that day, two wives was really a small number. This was extremely mild, especially for a king in that period.

2 Chronicles 24:4

As Joash grew up, Jehoiada grew oldhe was one hundred thirty years old when he died. Apparently he lost his control over the other priests, and the temple was not restored. Although it is questionable to say that Joash led in the revivalthere wasn’t much of a revival under himit was revival. And he was the one who planned and insisted on repairing the temple of God.

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Apparently Jehoiada has grown old, and the priests are indifferent. They have fallen down on their job.

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This tells us what had actually happened to the temple and who was responsible. God’s temple was in a terribly disreputable condition. So Joash takes the matter in his own hands.

2 Chronicles 24:8

“Until they had made an end” means that they got all they needed.

2 Chronicles 24:11

Joash couldn’t trust the Levites going out and collecting the money, so he puts this chest there in the temple, and people put their contributions there. By the way, many organizations since then have used this method. They put out what they call a “chest of Joash” and ask folk to put their offerings in it.

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As a result, the repair work of the temple was completed.

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There were sufficient funds to remake the vessels and implements to carry on the regular services in the temple.

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This gives the explanation of why the priests were negligent in carrying out the order of the king. Jehoiada was probably senile. He had experienced bringing up this boy, and I suppose he had liberties that no one else would have had with the king.

2 Chronicles 24:16

Jehoiada actually received royal honors in his death.

2 Chronicles 24:17

APOSTASY AFTER JEHOIADANow after the death of Jehoiada, a new era begins. You see, as long as Jehoiada lived, the princes did not dare go into idolatry. Jehoiada maintained a very strong influence. Joash is a young king and probably very lenient. These princes pledge allegiance to him, but they go out and worship idols again.

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In His mercy, God sends prophets to warn them, but they will not listen. So God sends a message by a man who is the son of Jehoiada.

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Now notice the shocking thing that happens.

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My thought is that Joash has been given wrong information about this man. He was the son of Jehoiada! You would think that Joash would never have done a thing like this, but it reveals the evil influence of the princes and the despicable deeds that they were engaged in. They put him to death.

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In other words, this dying man calls upon God to take vengeance upon the king for this.

2 Chronicles 24:23

JUDGMENT UPON JOASHGod judges them by defeat in battle. Although Joash had been a good king, he had ordered this heartless murder. God must judge him because he is the king and because of his influence upon the whole nation.

2 Chronicles 24:25

Jehoiada the priest had been buried with honor; now Joash the king is buried with dishonor.

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So we see that Joash at the beginning led a revival under the influence of Jehoiada; but, after Jehoiada’s death, he apparently lapsed into a state of apostasy.