Joash Repairs Solomon’s Temple
April 5, 2020
Commentary
Joash was the youngest king ever to mount the throne of Judah. He did the Lord’s will as long as his mentor, Jehoiada the priest, lived. However, after Jehoiada died Joash turned away from following the Lord. He had a lengthy reign of forty years but never did remove the high places, as was true of most of the kings of Judah.
Joash purposed to restore Solomon’s temple which had suffered severe damage during Athaliah’s reign (2 Chron. 24:7). He planned to use the money that was received from the people in the regular course of offerings. However, their plan did not work as the money from these regular sources was not sufficient to support the priests and also pay for the temple repairs. Therefore, Joash ordered Jehoiada to build a collection box (2 Chron. 24:8) and place it beside the altar (vv. 8-9). When the box was full, the money was taken and distributed to the workmen who were repairing the temple (vv. l0-l2). Eventually some of the money was used for replacing gold and silver utensils in the temple (2 Chron. 24:l4).
Jehoiada died at the age of l30 years (2 Chron. 24:l5-l6) and was replaced by his son, Zechariah. When he sounded a prophetic warning Joash had him stoned to death (2 Chron. 24:20-22). Hazael, king of Aram, sent his army against Jerusalem. To buy Hazael off, Joash gave him many sacred objects and gifts as well as all the gold in the temple and palace treasures (2 Chron. 24:23). Later several of Joash’s officials conspired against him and murdered him in his bed.
Application
Jesus says that the hidden things will be made known and the guilty will find no place to hide. Instead of trying to hide shameful thoughts and actions from God I need to confess them to Him and ask for His forgiveness (I John 1:9).
Isaiah 26:1– 21 (NET)
1 At that time this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city! The Lord’s deliverance, like walls and a rampart, makes it secure.
2 Open the gates so a righteous nation can enter— one that remains trustworthy.
3 You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith, for they trust in you.
4 Trust in the Lord from this time forward, even in Yah, the Lord, an enduring protector!
5 Indeed, the Lord knocks down those who live in a high place, he brings down an elevated town; he brings it down to the ground, he throws it down to the dust.
6 It is trampled underfoot by the feet of the oppressed, by the soles of the poor.”
7 The way of the righteous is level, the path of the righteous that you prepare is straight.
8 Yes, as your judgments unfold, O Lord, we wait for you. We desire your fame and reputation to grow.
9 I look for you during the night; my spirit within me seeks you at dawn, for when your judgments come upon the earth, those who live in the world learn about justice.
10 If the wicked are shown mercy, they do not learn about justice. Even in a land where right is rewarded, they act unjustly; they do not see the Lord’s majesty revealed.
11 O Lord, you are ready to act, but they don’t even notice. They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind; yes, fire will consume your enemies.
12 O Lord, you make us secure, for even all we have accomplished, you have done for us.
13 O Lord, our God, masters other than you have ruled us, but we praise your name alone.
14 The dead do not come back to life, the spirits of the dead do not rise. That is because you came in judgment and destroyed them, you wiped out all memory of them.
15 You have made the nation larger, O Lord; you have made the nation larger and revealed your splendor; you have extended all the borders of the land.
16 O Lord, in distress they looked for you; they uttered incantations because of your discipline.
17 As when a pregnant woman gets ready to deliver and strains and cries out because of her labor pains, so were we because of you, O Lord.
18 We were pregnant, we strained, we gave birth, as it were, to wind. We cannot produce deliverance on the earth; no people are born to populate the world.
19 Your dead will come back to life; your corpses will rise up. Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground! For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits.
20 Go, my people! Enter your inner rooms! Close your doors behind you! Hide for a little while, until his angry judgment is over.
21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, to punish the sin of those who live on the earth. The earth will display the blood shed on it; it will no longer cover up its slain.
Illustration: Calvin Hobbes What if There is No Heaven
In a cartoon Calvin & Hobbes were lying in the shade of a tree on a summer afternoon discussing the important things of life. Calvin says, “What if there is no heaven? What if this is all we get?” Hobbes answers, “Well, if this is all we get I guess we’ll just have to accept it.” Calvin replies, “Yeah, but if I’m not going to be rewarded for my good deeds, I want to know it now.” (Lou Nicholes – Missionary/Author)