Joash, King of Judah

The Death of Ahaziah

Lets start with the death of King Ahaziah of Judah. Ahaziah was the son of King Jehoram and Jezebel’s daughter Athaliah. Ahaziah went to visit the King of Israel. What neither of them knew was that the prophet Elisha had given a man named Jehu a message, telling him that he would be king. So Jehu came for the throne, and killed the King of Israel. Before Ahaziah could escape, Jehu killed him too. So Judah was without a king.

The Reign of Athaliah, Usurper Queen of Judah

Now, normally when this happens, the eldest son of the king becomes the new king. However, Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah grieved for her dead son a little differently. She decided to assassinate the entire royal family. She set out to kill all of Ahaziah’s sons. When Ahaziah’s sons were dead, she usurped the crown for herself and became the first and only Queen of Judah. Before we go on, think about this from a covenantal perspective. God made a covenant with David, that his line would reign. This is one of the main things that separated Judah from Israel. Israel would have dynasties where a family would reign for a few generations, then there would be another dynasty, and another dynasty. But Judah was always the line of David. While Judah had many idol worshippers, there were God-fearing Jews there. Imagine what must have gone through their heads when they heard that all of the king’s sons were dead. The line was gone. God failed His people. It must have been very hard for them.

Joash hidden by Jehoiada

But unbeknownst to Queen Athaliah, Ahaziah’s sister rescued likely the youngest of Ahaziah’s sons, a one-year-old named Joash. She escaped to the Lord’s Temple and her and the boy spent six years in the Temple under the protection of Jehoiada the priest, biding time. So for six years Queen Athaliah ruled over Judah, assured that the kingly line of David had ended.

The Death of Athaliah

But when Joash was seven years old, Jehoiada the priest met with the leaders of Judah under Athaliah. Apparently things were not well under Athaliah’s rule, and so the entire Judean military sided with Jehoiada. So Jehoiada conducted a ceremony in front of the palace, and he brought Joash out into the public. He placed a crown upon his head, gave him a copy of the Law of Moses, and anointed Joash King of Judah. When the usurper queen realized what was going on, she accused them of treason. But the military leaders took Athaliah out and put her to death. Though only a child, Joash was established as the rightful King of Judah.

The Reforms of King Joash

As Joash grew up, he was greatly influenced by Jehoiada the Priest. Shortly after coming to the throne, Joash realized that the Temple was in disrepair, and so in spite of the apathy of most priests, Joash and Jehoiada together worked to repair the Temple. At this point, Joash was very much a good king. His only real fault was that he allowed people to sacrifice at places besides the Temple.

The Death of Jehoiada the Priest

But then Jehoiada the Priest died. He was 130 years old. Though he was a Levitical priest, Jehoiada was held in such high esteem among all the people that he was buried in Jerusalem with David and the other kings of Judah. It was clear that this was the end of an era.

The Idolatry of Joash

But something changed with Joash. In fact, the writer of said it like this: “Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord during all the days of Jehoiada the priest.” But after Jehoiada’s death, politics happened:

2 Chronicles 24:17–18 HCSB

However, after Jehoiada died, the rulers of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them, and they abandoned the temple of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors and served the Asherah poles and the idols. So there was wrath against Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

2 chronicles 24:17

So because the leaders of Judah appealed to him, Joash abandoned God.

Idolatry

The death of Zechariah

After Joash became an idolater, he was visited by prophet after prophet, admonishing him and calling him back to Yahweh. But he wouldn’t listen. Eventually, the Holy Spirit rested upon Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the Priest, whom Joash respected so much. Surely he would respect his son. But he did not. Joash and the rulers conspired against Zechariah, and stoned him to death. Joash killed the son of the man who protected him, anointed him, and influenced him so much.

War against Aram

The next spring, the army of Aramea went to war against Joash. Hazael King of Aram went into Jerusalem and killed all of its leaders. Before they could find and kill King Joash, though he had been severely wounded, he went to the Lord’s Temple, took all of its gold, took all of his own gold, and all his most prized possessions, and sent all of them to Hazael in an attempt to save his own life. Hazael accepted the gift, and withdrew from the city.

The Death of Joash

The city left poor and in shambles, the Temple ransacked by the king himself, Jerusalem was in bad shape. Joash commanded his servants Jozabad and Jehozabad to take him on his bed and transfer him to a city called Silla. Seeing that Joash was wounded and seeing what he had done, they conspired against Joash and killed him on his own bed. So the king of Judah died, was buried with David and his fathers, and Jehoiada, and his son Amaziah became king in his place.