Based on 2 Chronicles 24:1-25 (New King James Version)
“Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. And Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters. Now it happened after this that Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord. Then he gathered the priests and the Levites, and said to them, ‘Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you do it quickly.’ However the Levites did not do it quickly. So the king called Jehoiada the chief priest, and said to him, ‘Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the Lord and of the assembly of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?’ For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also presented all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord to the Baals. Then at the king’s command they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of the Lord. And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of God had imposed on Israel in the wilderness. Then all the leaders and all the people rejoiced, brought their contributions, and put them into the chest until all had given. So it was, at that time, when the chest was brought to the king’s official by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, that the king’s scribe and the high priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it and returned it to its place. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance. The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of the Lord; and they hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord, and also those who worked in iron and bronze to restore the house of the Lord. So the workmen labored, and the work was completed by them; they restored the house of God to its original condition and reinforced it. When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; they made from it articles for the house of the Lord, articles for serving and offering, spoons and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada. But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old when he died. And they buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and His house. Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king. And the king listened to them. Therefore they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served wooden images and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass. Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the Lord; and they testified against them, but they would not listen. Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, ‘Thus says God: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper?Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.’’ So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, ‘The Lord look on it, and repay!’ So it happened in the spring of the year that the army of Syria came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the leaders of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; but the Lord delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash. And when they had withdrawn from him (for they left him severely wounded), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died. And they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.”
Today’s message is very simple, but many times, those that desire to do God’s things their way or convenience distort and disseminate a message that abuses the grace of God, a message of irresponsibility, teaching things that do not coincide with God’s Word in its entirety. And through this distortion, they teach that the things of the Old Testament need to be ignored, that they no longer apply (because we are in the dispensation of God’s grace), thereby committing blasphemy against the Word of God, mutilating the Lord’s holy counsel. In the end, today we will see King Joash’s life, it’s shining start, but with a sad and unexpected end.
What happened to Joash? When we see the beginning of his story, and although he was a child, he did good things before God, where he even urged the Levites (those people that were supposed to be the leaders and teachers of God’s things) to be more faithful and diligent. But when Jehoiada the high priest died, something happened, and the story changed. He went from one extreme to the other, from being faithful to God and to worrying about His things, to leaving the house of the Lord, and serving wooden images and idols, committing abomination before the Almighty.
Now, many of those that think that are wise in the Word might say that he never had a personal relationship with God because he said: “…the house of your God (and did not say: ‘my God’).” Others that think that are scholarly would say that God raised him for the work, and that it was not his own choice. And others may simply say that he followed Jehoiada the priest. And well, all of the above may be true, but being so wise and educated, we can yet lose sight of Joash’s life. No matter what happened, Joash started well, but unfortunately finished badly. And in the end, God is more concerned about how each of us live our lives and how we finish the race (because this is a race, and in a race, you need to run and finish, as the Word teaches in the New Testament, as part of grace), for it is written: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2. “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.” Philippians 3:13-15. And finally, the Lord Jesus Himself said this: “…If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24.
So then, what are you doing with God’s grace? And, will you follow the Lord faithfully until your end? Lord bless! John