Lessons From Kings: Jehoash son of Ahaziah I. Base Text: 2 Kings 11:1-12:21, 2 Chronicles 22:19-24:27 II. Historical Background A. Jehoshaphat son of Asa king of Judah had made peace with Ahab king of Israel, yet that was a double-edged sword (1 Kings 22:44, 2 Chronicles 18:1-2) 1. Ever since the division of the kingdoms Judah had been, more or less, in a continual state of war with Israel, mostly to their hurt 2. By making peace Jehoshaphat facilitates a time of more economic prosperity 3. Yet he married his son Jehoram to Athaliah daughter of Ahab, a decision which would prove almost fatal to the Davidic monarchy (2 Kings 8:18, 26, 2 Chronicles 18:2, 21:6) B. Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Athaliah 1. Jehoram acted wickedly, no doubt influenced by his wife; he reigned only eight years, and Edom revolted successfully during his reign (2 Kings 8:16-24, 2 Chronicles 21:1-20) 2. Ahaziah his son reigned in his place, but only for a year; he also was wicked, and was killed by Jehu son of Nimshi along with his uncle Jehoram (2 Kings 8:25-29, 9:14-29, 2 Chronicles 22:1-9) 3. Athaliah, upon hearing of her son's death, worked to exterminate the house of David and to reign over Judah herself; she was almost fully successful, and reigned over Judah for six years (2 Kings 11:1-20, 2 Chronicles 22:10-12) 4. Athaliah was quite wicked, served Baal, and was odious to the people of Judah (2 Kings 11:18, 20) III. Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, king of Judah A. Yet Athaliah was not fully successful: Jehosheba (also called Jehoshabeath), daughter of Jehoram, Ahaziah's sister, hid Jehoash (also called Joash) son of Ahaziah in the Temple of YHWH, kept away from Athaliah and protected by Jehoiada the high priest, who was also Jehosheba's husband (2 Kings 11:2-3, 2 Chronicles 22:11-12) B. When Jehoash was seven years old, Jehoiada had him proclaimed as king behind the defenses of the Temple guard; upon this proclamation, he had Athaliah brought out and killed, as well as Mattan priest of Baal (2 Kings 11:4-18, 2 Chronicles 23:1-17) C. The fact this took place so quickly and without much bloodshed demonstrated how little loyalty the people had toward Athaliah the usurper; the people of Judah rejoice at Jehoash's accession (2 Kings 11:19) D. Jehoash is made king at seven years of age; Jehoiada is made his counselor, and he restores the temple service to the way it was under David (2 Chronicles 23:16-21) E. Jehoash's main work: Temple restoration (2 Kings 12:4-16, 2 Chronicles 24:1-14) 1. Jehoash intended for the Temple to be restored with the money from the yearly assessment and freewill offerings (2 Kings 12:4-5, 2 Chronicles 24:4-5) 2. We do not know when this decree went out, but by Jehoash's twenty-third year (thus, when he was 30), it had not been done, so he summoned Jehoiada and demanded the work to be done (2 Kings 12:6-8, 2 Chronicles 24:6-7) 3. A chest was made in which to put the money brought in, and the high priest and king's secretary would weigh it out and paid the workmen, and no accounting was demanded (2 Kings 12:9-16, 2 Chronicles 24:8-14) 4. These offerings led to the restoration of the Temple and the utensils for its service 5. This restoration celebrated in an inscription recently discovered near Jerusalem, although its authenticity has been sharply disputed F. Jehoash's Downfall: Apostasy after Jehoiada's Death (2 Kings 12:17-21, 2 Chronicles 24:15-27) 1. Jehoiada the high priests lived 130 years and then died (2 Chronicles 24:15-16) 2. Afterwards Jehoash listened more to the princes of Judah, abandoned the service of YHWH, and served the Asherah and Canaanite idols (2 Chronicles 24:17-18) 3. Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest spoke up, as well as other prophets, against Jehoash and his behavior, and for it was stoned at the command of Jehoash (2 Chronicles 24:19-22) 4. God sent Hazael king of Aram against Jehoash who tried to buy him off with all the treasury of his house and of the temple; yet Hazael laid waste to the land and injured Jehoash; two of his servants then conspired against him and assassinated him, and thus he died ignominiously (2 Kings 12:17-21, 2 Chronicles 24:23-27) G. Thus we see the life of Jehoash son of Ahaziah; what can we learn from him? IV. Lessons from Jehoash, son of Ahaziah A. The primary lesson from Jehoash is seen in 2 Chronicles 24:2 vs. 2 Chronicles 24:15-18: the power of influence 1. Jehoash owed his life and success to YHWH and Jehoiada and Jehosheba who protected him for the sake of the house of David; if not for them and their loyalty to YHWH and the house of David, the latter would have been destroyed and idolaters would have been ascendant in Judah 2. As long as Jehoiada lived, Jehoash stayed faithful to YHWH and His purposes, indeed, more emphatic on Temple restoration than Jehoiada himself 3. Yet once Jehoiada died, and Jehoash was more influenced by his peers or perhaps even younger contemporaries, he forgot about the lovingkindness of YHWH and Jehoiada, and did the types of things which made his grandmother odious to Judah! 4. He met a most ignominious fate: assassination, his kingdom defeated B. The Power of Positive Influence 1. Jehoash's early days were the one bright spot religiously between Jehoshaphat and Uzziah, and all because of Jehoiada's influence on him 2. When Jehoash's counsel firmly adhered to the service of YHWH, things went well! 3. The same is true for us! 4. 1 Corinthians 12:21-27, Ephesians 4:11-16, Hebrews 10:24-25: the church, the people of God, as source of encouragement, positive influence, growth in faith 5. If we surround ourselves with people who encourage us to serve God, and take counsel from those who encourage us to serve God, we are more likely to serve God! C. The Power of Negative Influence 1. Jehoash later surrounded himself with those who had a more compromised view of the world, who did not feel YHWH was as special as Jehoiada did, and thought it made sense to serve other gods 2. All the past heritage no longer mattered; the hypocrisy did not matter; Jehoash committed idolatry and compounded his sin by executing Zechariah when he spoke against it 3. Such demonstrates the pervasive power of negative influence: it can undo years of positive influence, and leave one dead in sin quickly! 4. 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 is instructive in this regard; the Corinthians only thought to deny the resurrection, the centerpiece of the Christian faith, because they allowed negative influences to corrupt them! 5. Likewise, 1 Corinthians 5:6, Galatians 5:9: a little leaven leavens the whole lump, and it does not take a lot of influence from sin and error to corrupt a person! D. How many times have we seen good people go bad because they gave into negative influences? E. Jehoash as illustration of Ezekiel 18:24-26 1. Israel did not think YHWH just for not punishing the sons for the sins of the fathers, and punishing a man even if he had done righteousness before sinning 2. Yet Jehoash sadly illustrates exactly why YHWH is just: so what if he restored the Temple? He died wallowing in sin! 3. After all the kindnesses Jehoiada showed him, Jehoash kills his son Zechariah for standing up for what he and his father knew what was right, the same reason Jehoiada stood up against Athaliah and risked his own life to elevate Jehoash as king! 4. Jehoash's condemnation is just: regardless of the good he had done, he died as a consequence of his apostasy from the ways of YHWH! V. Conclusion A. So much hope surrounded Jehoash son of Ahaziah 1. YHWH had preserved a remnant of the house of David 2. He listened to Jehoiada, restored the Temple service, the Temple B. Yet, ultimately, grave disappointment 1. When Jehoiada died, so did Jehoash's faithfulness 2. He pursued idols, had Jehoiada's son killed for speaking against it 3. Judah devastated by Aram, Jehoash assassinated C. Let us learn about the power of influence from Jehoash son of Ahaziah 1. Positive influence can lead to all sorts of blessings... 2. ...but all can be undone in very short time by a few negative influences! D. Let us devote ourselves to disciplines which encourage faithfulness toward God, associate with and take counsel from others seeking to glorify God, and remain faithful to God in Christ! E. Invitation/songbook Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons that were slain, even him and his nurse, and put them in the bedchamber; and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain (2 Kings 11:2). The house of David was in mortal danger, and Judah suffered under Athaliah the usurper. Yet YHWH proved faithful; Jehoash son of Ahaziah was protected. Even in the darkest days, God proves faithful. May we trust Him until the end! 2: And Joash did that which was right in the eyes of YHWH all the days of Jehoiada the priest (2 Chronicles 24:2). Jehoash proved faithful to God as long as Jehoiada lived and provided him counsel. Such attests to the power of positive influence: when you associate with and take counsel from those who seek God's ways, you are more likely to seek God's ways as well. Let us follow God in Christ and associate with those who will strengthen us in His ways! 3: Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. And they forsook the house of YHWH, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness (2 Chronicles 24:17-18). Jehoash's story proves tragic: once the positive influence of Jehoiada was gone, negative influences led Jehoash to betray YHWH and serve other gods. Jehoash owed his life and kingship to YHWH's lovingkindness toward the house of David, but all that was forgotten, and he began doing as his grandmother had done. Such is the power of negative influence; let us avoid it! 4: And when they were departed for him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died; and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings (2 Chronicles 24:25). Jehoash meets an ignominious end: after being defeated by Aram, he is assassinated by his own servants. He is not buried among the kings, a sign of how lowly esteemed he was in the eyes of his people. Thus it goes for all who turn away from righteousness unto evil; let us learn from Jehoash and pursue righteousness!