Today's reading from the One-Year Bible Chronological Reading Plan is 2 Kings 11:1-12:16, 2 Chronicles 22:10-24:22, 2 Kings 10:32-36.
I have obviously never really paid very close attention to this story before. Or at least, never gave much thought to the additional information the 2 Chronicles account gives. I have always loved hearing or reading the story of Joash, the boy-king, who was saved by his aunt and a nursemaid from his blood-thirsty grandmother; who grew up to rebuild the temple and restore worship of The One True God. The story in 2 Kings is a very positive one ~ Joash is a shining light in Israel and Judah's dark days of disbelief and discord. This is obviously the version all the childrens' Sunday school stories are based on!
But this time, I couldn't help noticing that 2 Chronicles gives us information beyond Joash's good deeds and therefore, a little more insight into his relationship with God. His story ends almost as tragically as it begins, despite the good things he did during his lifetime, and despite the awesome fulfillment of God's promise that there would always be a remnant of David's line to sit on the throne.
We see in 2 Chronicles that Joash really isn't such a great king. Yes, he instructs all Judah to return to God and he eventually gets around to restoring the temple once he's 30 yrs old, but both accounts, actually, clearly state he did right in the eyes of God only while Jehoiada, the priest, was alive.
It seems Joash didn't so much have a heart for serving God as he did, perhaps, a deep gratitude and strong emotional connection to Jehoiada, who, in a very real and physical sense, had been his savior in his early childhood. But instead of seeing God's hand in his life being spared and seeking to live his life in gratitude to GOD for His miraculous protection and provision, Joash seems to live to please Jehoiada instead.
As soon as Jehoiada dies (At the ripe old age of 130!), things go downhill BUT FAST! Joash lets the officials of Judah woo him with their own ideas of what's important and very quickly, God and His house of worship are abandoned. Jehoiada's son, Zechariah, speaks up and reminds the people of their disobedience and disloyalty, but his message proves rather unpopular. In an appalling turn of events, Joash himself orders the son of his former mentor, advisor, and friend to be killed. Zechariah is stoned to death within the walls of the temple. Hard to believe Joash could do something like this to a man he quite possibly grew up with and considered a close friend at one time.
It's amazing and frightening to what lengths we'll go sometimes to drown out God's Word; shutting our minds to what we read in our Bibles, to what is spoken from the pulpit, or to what we hear from the mouths of friends. It's hard to receive rebuke well, but that's exactly why a spirit of humility and repentence is so important if we really want to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24)
I have obviously never really paid very close attention to this story before. Or at least, never gave much thought to the additional information the 2 Chronicles account gives. I have always loved hearing or reading the story of Joash, the boy-king, who was saved by his aunt and a nursemaid from his blood-thirsty grandmother; who grew up to rebuild the temple and restore worship of The One True God. The story in 2 Kings is a very positive one ~ Joash is a shining light in Israel and Judah's dark days of disbelief and discord. This is obviously the version all the childrens' Sunday school stories are based on!
But this time, I couldn't help noticing that 2 Chronicles gives us information beyond Joash's good deeds and therefore, a little more insight into his relationship with God. His story ends almost as tragically as it begins, despite the good things he did during his lifetime, and despite the awesome fulfillment of God's promise that there would always be a remnant of David's line to sit on the throne.
We see in 2 Chronicles that Joash really isn't such a great king. Yes, he instructs all Judah to return to God and he eventually gets around to restoring the temple once he's 30 yrs old, but both accounts, actually, clearly state he did right in the eyes of God only while Jehoiada, the priest, was alive.
It seems Joash didn't so much have a heart for serving God as he did, perhaps, a deep gratitude and strong emotional connection to Jehoiada, who, in a very real and physical sense, had been his savior in his early childhood. But instead of seeing God's hand in his life being spared and seeking to live his life in gratitude to GOD for His miraculous protection and provision, Joash seems to live to please Jehoiada instead.
As soon as Jehoiada dies (At the ripe old age of 130!), things go downhill BUT FAST! Joash lets the officials of Judah woo him with their own ideas of what's important and very quickly, God and His house of worship are abandoned. Jehoiada's son, Zechariah, speaks up and reminds the people of their disobedience and disloyalty, but his message proves rather unpopular. In an appalling turn of events, Joash himself orders the son of his former mentor, advisor, and friend to be killed. Zechariah is stoned to death within the walls of the temple. Hard to believe Joash could do something like this to a man he quite possibly grew up with and considered a close friend at one time.
It's amazing and frightening to what lengths we'll go sometimes to drown out God's Word; shutting our minds to what we read in our Bibles, to what is spoken from the pulpit, or to what we hear from the mouths of friends. It's hard to receive rebuke well, but that's exactly why a spirit of humility and repentence is so important if we really want to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24)
We can't say we love the truth, and then refuse to take it to heart.
Tomorrow's passages: 2 Kings 13:1-11; 12:17-21, 2 Chronicles 24:23-27, 2 Kings 13:14-25.
5 comments:
Well said - or rather, well written. I don't remember having heard the end of that story before either.
I was thinking the exact same thing! I'm not sure how I missed that last year when I read through the Bible, but I obviously did.
I even remember thinking the night before I read this passage - "Oh good, the Joash story, I love this story!", and then it ended so badly.
Isn't that so weird?! I guess that's one advantage to this chronological method. It's hard to miss those details when you read both accounts at the same time. I'm getting a bit lazy though, I find ~ when I notice that passages are quite similar, I tend to skim the second reading. Do you guys find that, too?
WOW! great entry and well said too! Thanks for stopping by and sharing the "Bra Fitting" with me today. Your blog design is so sharp! I love it! Abundant blessings to you!
Yes, I do find I skim the similar parts. Though we're obviously not skimming too much, if we're catching the differences :)
Post a Comment