King Joash - The Hidden King

Hidden Kings

I read The Lord of the Rings as a teenager. From the very beginning my hero was a character by the name of Strider (also Aragorn). He was an early defender and protector of the weaker hobbits, Frodo and Sam. I liked him because of his goodness. He seemed troubled but, at the core, a good man and a dependable ally. For those who are familiar with the story, he was much more a just a good man that happened to find Frodo and Sam. He was a noble man who was destined to become the rightful king of Gondor but was wandering in Middle Earth.

For those who are Lord of the Rings fans, there was a poem that also served as a clue to the identity of Strider:

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king. – J.R.R. Tolkien

The poem was mysterious but hopeful in a land and time that needed hope and a light. What does that have to do with the message today? Well, first of all, our king today is a hidden king. It is the story of a boy who narrowly escapes being murdered to become a king. It is the story of a dark time and the opportunities that this hidden king had to bring light to a dark world.

The Hidden King Joash

Let’s take a look at the line of kings. Last week we looked at Ahab, king of Israel. This week we are going to go back to Judah with a man who became king at the age of 8.

[Slide 48]

After Jehoshaphat, his son Jehoram became king. Jehoram was a wicked king who gave himself and the nation over to idolatry. As punishment, God stirred up the Philistines against Judah and they came, defeated, and carried off the goods, his wives, and his children except for Ahaziah. Jehoram died from a disease of the bowels after 8 years as king.

Ahaziah became king and reigned only one year. Jehu defeated Judah on the battlefield and killed Ahaziah.

No one was strong enough to take the throne, so Queen Athaliah assumed the throne. She was wicked. With her son dead she wanted to kill off all the legitimate heirs to the throne. Joash survived because he is hidden away by a priest and his wife.

At the age of 8, Joash is brought out of hiding and crowned the king. Queen Athaliah is killed.

One commentator explained, “Joash is sometimes obedient and sometimes not, capable of both wisdom and folly, a mixture of good and bad—in a word, typically human. (The) humanness of the story is meant to point us to the divine principles which are at work behind it.”[1]

As I was reading the story of Joash, it seemed to me that he was an example of an ‘everyman’. By that I mean that he had his good and bad points. As I said, he was ‘human’ but I think there is something even more important that can help us today. He never understood the relationship that God intended for him. I want to point out some things so that we can understand it and apply it to ourselves today.

The Ascendency of Joash

It is hard to imagine the childhood of Joash. He certainly must have known that he was both the rightful heir of Judah’s throne and also hunted by his grandmother, Queen Athaliah. What did it mean to be the rightful heir? With murder and treason surrounding the kings, was it really something that he desired? Well, there was at least one man who saw the value. It was a priest by the name of Jehoiada.

The King Maker

Jehoiada was a light shining in a dark time. The man whose name meant “God has cared for me” became the king-maker for Judah and the promise to the house of David. Jehoiada led the Levites throughout the nation in a coup that would remove the wicked queen.

2 Chronicles 23:2–3 NIV

They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God. Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David.

He was a leader of men. He was a discerning man and a man of God who saw the things of God as valuable. He understood “covenants” to be divine promises. The evidence shows that the nation of Judah responded to him. They respected him.

2 Chronicles 24:15–16 NIV

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.

What an honor! A priest who gets buried with the kings is a big deal and Joash was lucky to have a priest (and uncle) who helped him out so much.

The Davidic Covenant

Jehoiada “gets it”. In the book of Chronicles, it seems that the story teller’s greatest message is how Jehovah and Judah/Israel are faithful or unfaithful to God’s covenant.

Though “Kings” and “Chronicles” show great similarity in the matter of their contents, they are written from different viewpoints, the former being written from the human viewpoint, the latter, from the Divine. To illustrate: 1 Kings 14:20 recording the death of Jeroboam, tells us that he “slept with his fathers.” That is the human viewpoint. Second Chronicles 13:20, recording the same event, tells us that “the Lord struck him and he died.” That is the divine viewpoint. One writer gives the following interesting table to show the difference between “Kings” and “Chronicles”:

“Kings” was written shortly after the beginning of the captivity in Babylon; “Chronicles” was written shortly after the return from the captivity.

“Kings” was compiled by a prophet—Jeremiah; “Chronicles” by a priest—Ezra.

“Kings” emphasizes the throne of earthly kings; “Chronicles,” the earthly throne (the temple) of the heavenly King.

“Kings” deals with Judah and Israel; “Chronicles,” with Judah, Israel being mentioned but incidentally.

“Kings” is political and kingly; “Chronicles,” ecclesiastical and priestly.[2]

This is why we see so much time spent on the activity of the priest Jehoiada. Chapter 23 is all about the priest. His viewpoint is important and ‘covenants’ are meaningful. We see that if God’s covenant is dishonored, wicked kings and national catastrophe follow. If God’s covenant is honored, then Godly kings and blessings follow. Jehoshaphat “got it”. Jehoram and Queen Athaliah didn’t “get it”. The priest Jehoiada “got it” but Joash….well, that is what we will see.

The Davidic covenant refers to the promise of God to David that an heir would always sit on the throne of Israel/Judah. That was important to Jehoiada:

2 Chronicles 23:3 NIV

the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God. Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David.

2 Chronicles 23:9 NIV

Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God.

2 Chronicles 23:16 NIV

Jehoiada then made a covenant that he, the people and the king would be the Lord’s people.

2 Chronicles 23:18 NIV

Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests, to whom David had made assignments in the temple, to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered.

The priest lived and breathed the covenant that God had with David.

Now here is the thing that stands out to me about King Joash. I’ve got no question that the priest is on fire for God, but is Joash?

The Legacy of Joash

Joash had the right stuff but didn’t have the right heart. Sure, he was good as long as the priest lived, but the priest couldn’t live Joash’s life for him.

2 Chronicles 24:2–3 NIV

Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest. Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.

Sadly, after the death of Jehoiada he began to listen to advisors who abandoned the temple of the Lord and left the land of Judah defeated by the Arameans.

2 Chronicles 24:17–19 NIV

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.

Joash Just Didn’t Get It!

Joash depended on Jehoiada but never internalized the heart of Jehoiada.

Do You Know Who You Are?

Okay, now we are going to bring this home! Joash was a child of King David but he didn’t “get it” the way that the priest Jehoiada did. Years ago, I was visiting with my youth pastor and we were getting caught up with others that were in my youth group. One girl in particular was not serving the Lord at the time. My youth pastor simply said, “She didn’t ‘get it’” meaning that she didn’t understand or value being a Christian just like Joash didn’t.

Christians Are Children of God

As children of God, believers immediately become heirs of God with access to the resources of the heavenly Father.[3]

Romans 8:16–17 NIV

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Christians Are New Creations

With salvation we become new creations with access to the divine nature. Consequently, the nature and attitude of the believer are transformed.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Peter 1:4 NIV

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

The famous missionary C.T. Studd’s story started at the salvation of his father. His father was a wealthy investor who became rich in North India. He owned a fine country house, Tedworth Hall in Wiltshire, was a master of foxhounds and had a passion for (cricket). Then he met D.L. Moody and listened night after night until he accepted Christ and became a Christian. When his coachman was asked about him after that he simply said, “All I can say is that though there’s the same skin, there’s a new man inside”.[4]

Christians Live in Victory

The new birth enables believers to live a life of victory over sin and the corruption of the world. John stated that individuals in Christ will not continue to live a lifestyle of sin: “Those who are God’s children do not continue sinning, because the new life from God remains in them. They are not able to go on sinning, because they have become children of God”.[5]

1 John 3:7–10 NIV

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

In King Joash’s day, living right looked like destroying all the idols in the land and getting back to the worship God had established with Moses and later, David. It is the same today. I believe that last week we had a move of God that challenged idolatry in our lives. We surrendered anything that was in the way of God and anything that was causing sin. In Joash’s day it was living to please God, and it is the same today. We please God by loving Him and loving others.

It's No Time to Hide

The lesson from King Joash that really stood out to me was that

being a Christian is not about having the right people around you. It is about having the right heart inside you.

It is good to have mentors, like Jehoiada, who can guide you. Some of us have had the benefit of godly parents or grandparents who protected us and guided us. But there comes a day when what they have inside their hearts that drives them needs to be inside our hearts to drive us. Jehoiada and Joash didn’t value the Lord the same way. The Lord never became personal to Joash.

God intended for each of us to be His children, to be new creations with a divine nature. He intended us to live victoriously throughout our lives. It is a true “rags to riches” story! That is what being a Christian is all about! If you don’t “get it” it is time to “get it” now.

[1]Michael Wilcock, The Message of Chronicles: One Church, One Faith, One Lord, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1987), 208. [2] Myer Pearlman, Old Testament: Genesis to Esther, vol. 1, Through the Bible Book by Book (Gospel Publishing House, 2012), 83–84. [3] Guy P. Duffield and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave, Foundations of Pentecostal Theology, Revised & Updated., vol. 1 (Los Angeles, CA: Foursquare Media, 2016), 216. [4] John Stott, The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott, ed. Mark Meynell (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018). [5] Guy P. Duffield and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave, Foundations of Pentecostal Theology, Revised & Updated., vol. 1 (Los Angeles, CA: Foursquare Media, 2016), 216.