2 Chronicles Profiles

JOASH

2 Kings 11:2–12:21

All parents want their children to make the right decisions. But to do this, children must first learn to make their own decisions. Making bad ones helps them learn to make good ones. If parents make all the decisions for their children, they leave their children without the skills for wise decision making when they are on their own. This problem seriously affected Joash. He had great advice, but he never grew up. He became so dependent on what he was told that his effectiveness was limited to the quality of his advisers.

When Joash was one year old, his grandmother Athaliah decided to slaughter all her descendants in a desperate bid for power. Joash, the only survivor, was rescued and hidden by his aunt and uncle, Jehosheba and Jehoiada. Jehoiada’s work as a priest made it possible to keep Joash hidden in the Temple for six years. At that point, Jehoiada arranged for the overthrow of Athaliah and the crowning of Joash. For many years following, Jehoiada made most of the kingdom’s decisions for Joash. When the old priest died, he was buried in the royal cemetery as a tribute to his role.

But after Jehoiada’s death, Joash didn’t know what to do. He listened to counsel that led him into evil. Within a short time he even ordered the death of Jehoiada’s son Zechariah. After a few months, Joash’s army had been soundly defeated by the Syrians. Jerusalem was saved only because Joash stripped the Temple of its treasures as a bribe. Finally, the king’s own officials assassinated him. In contrast to Jehoiada, Joash was not buried among the kings; he is not even listed in Jesus’ genealogy in the New Testament.

As dependent as Joash was on Jehoiada, there is little evidence that he ever established a real dependence on the God Jehoiada obeyed. Like many children, Joash’s knowledge of God was secondhand. It was a start, but the king needed his own relationship with God that would outlast and overrule the changes in the advice he received.

It would be easy to criticize Joash’s failure were it not for the fact that we often fall into the same traps. How often have we acted on poor advice without considering God’s Word?

Strengths and accomplishments	Carried out extensive repairs on the Temple Was faithful to God as long as Jehoiada lived
Weaknesses and mistakes	Allowed idolatry to continue among his people Used the Temple treasures to bribe King Hazael of Syria Killed Jehoiada’s son Zechariah Allowed his advisers to lead the people away from God
Lessons from his life	A good and hopeful start can be ruined by an evil end Even the best counsel is ineffective if it does not help us make wise decisions As helpful or hurtful as others may be, we are individually responsible for what we do
Vital statistics	Where: Jerusalem Occupation: King of Judah Relatives: Father: Ahaziah. Mother: Zibiah. Grandmother: Athaliah. Aunt: Jehosheba. Uncle: Jehoiada. Son: Amaziah. Cousin: Zechariah. Contemporaries: Jehu, Hazael
Key verses	“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 left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass” (2 Chronicles 24:17, 18).

Joash’s story is told in 2 Kings 11:1—12:21 and 2 Chronicles 22:11—24:27.