Theological Commentary: Click Here
This is an
interesting chapter. Joash follows the
ways of the Lord for as long as Jehoiada is with him as an advisor. Joash seeks to restore the temple and its wealth
back to what it was before it had been ravaged by foreign armies and the
worship of Ba’al. So long as Jehoiada is
there to encourage him, Joash does a great job at walking in the ways of the
Lord.
The question
at hand, though, is what is truly in Joash’s heart. It’s one thing to be faithful when it is easy
and someone is looking over your shoulder.
On the other hand, it says something far more when you choose to do the
right thing when you are fully in charge.
It is when we are in control that we are able to see glimpses of who we really
are.
When Jehoiada
dies, the princes of Judah come to Joash to speak to him. Joash hears them and listens to them. Before too long, the Asherim are being
worshipped once more. When Zechariah,
Jehoiada’s son, comes to him and tries to warn him, they kill him.
Joash was a
mighty king with a great example under Jehoiada. Without Jehoiada, though, Joash follows the
crowd. He takes the path of least
resistance. Rather than stand up for God
against the princes of Judah, he capitulates.
Joash is not a leader; Joash is a follower.
In the beginning,
Joash had such promise. In the end, he
fell away. God allows Joash to fall to
the hand of the Syrians because of his unfaithfulness. We get a glimpse of Joash’s true character,
though, in this passage. True character
truly is what we do when nobody is looking (or when we’re truly in charge).
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