Joash was an infant boy when his father King Ahaziah of Judah met with an untimely end for he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. King Ahaziah's mother, Queen Athaliah, seized the opportunity to establish her rule by ordering the killing of anyone who was from the bloodline of Judah who may challenge the throne. Here's a woman, a mother, who would stop at nothing, ordering the deaths of her relatives including her own children and grandchildren to seize power. But, there was a covenant promise from God to David that he would keep the throne of Judah in David's royal line. God had told David, "Your dynasty and your kingdom will continue for all time before me, and your throne will be secure forever." (2 Samuel 7:16)
Jehosheba, the sister of Ahaziah, wife of the priest Jehoida, stole the infant Joash away, and hid the child and his nurse in a bedroom in the palace, away from the rest of the family awaiting execution. Take a moment to pause here and think - where does Jehosheba get the courage to hide the infant at the risk of losing her own life, as the palace is under Athaliah's control with her supporters carrying out her wishes, executing everyone from Judah's bloodline. This was not even her own child! Can you imagine how difficult it would be to hide the infant without his cries reaching others? Jehosheba and the priest Jehoida, her husband, hid the child for six years in the temple and took care of him. They risked their lives to protect the baby boy because God's favor was upon the bloodline of David, God's favor was upon the little boy Joash.
In chapter 23 we read that towards the seventh year of Queen Athaliah's reign, Jehoida the priest decides to do something about the throne. He gathers enough courage to approach five army commanders and makes a pact with them to depose Athaliah and put the seven year old boy Joash on the throne as their king. With God's favor, he was able to remind the five commanders of God's promise to David and convince them to pledge their loyalty to Joash. Again, I want you to pause for a moment and think. Here are five battle hardened, grown up men of war, with above average intelligence (as you would need to have to be a leader or commander of an army) pledge their allegiance to a boy and put him on the throne. They will then be his servants! This was during one of the most turbulent times in Judah's history, that saw three different rulers in the span of eight years, and here are five army commanders who put aside any selfish ambition they may have had and pledged their allegiance to a seven year old boy King. Yet it happened for God's promise to David and his favor upon the bloodline of David. They overthrew the Queen, killed her and crowned the little boy Joash as the king of Judah. If it wasn't for God's favor that was upon the boy, what else would move the hearts of five grown up men, battle hardened leaders of the army, to put a seven year old boy on the throne of Judah. Jehoida the priest was the guardian of the boy.
Joash grew up under the tutelage of Jehoida the priest who taught him in the ways of the God of Israel, Jehovah, and Joash did what was pleasing to the LORD. Joash ruled for 33 years. During this time he rebuilt Solomon's temple that was in disrepair and partially demolished during Athaliah's reign. Following Jehoida's death at the age of 130, Joash was led astray from the ways of Jehovah, and he led the people of Judah in to sin, worshiping idols and the Asherah poles. God sent his servant Zechariah, the son of Jehoida, to warn Joash. But, Joash's response was to have Zechariah stoned to death. He had Zechariah, the son of his mentor Jehoida, the one who had risked his life to put Joash on the throne of Judah, the one who stood by him for 40 years, to death. What a way to repay a lifetime's service!
God abandoned Joash and helped his enemies to defeat him. Ultimately, Joash was assassinated as he lay in his bed, by his own men. The God who protected the life of the infant boy from the murderous hands of his wicked grandmother Athaliah, let go of his hand when the little boy grew up and abandoned his God. The infant, who survived to become the boy king of Judah, for whom people risked their lives, to whom powerful commanders pledged their loyalty, and a nation pledged its allegiance for thirty three years, met with less than a glorious end when he abandoned the God who had been faithful to him.
Following the death of Jehoida the priest, Joash lost his focus, his calling and ultimately his life. Why? One has to have a relationship with God, built on one's own experience of God's goodness, that will anchor our lives when we pass through the turbulent times. As a christian, we have to anchor ourselves in the Word of God, through regular personal reading and meditation on the Word. We have to have a prayer life and through our personal prayer life we build our relationship with God. Listening to all the great messages, immersing yourself in christian music, reading all the good books published out there, is all good, but unless and until you develop a very intimate and personal relationship with God, you run the risk of being led astray by those who have the next grand sounding philosophy or ideas. I pray that we won't lose God's favor upon our lives. God bless you!
Hillsong - With Everything
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