“Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.”
2 Chronicles 24:19 (NIV)
This account of Joash is a sad reminder of the truth recorded in Ecclesiastes 7:8 “the end of a matter is better than its beginning”, for Joash started so well as king and ended so poorly. He ends his reign by killing Zechariah, the son of the priest Jehoida who had made him king, who had chosen his wives for him, and who with wisdom had guided his reign that began at 7 years old. In the saddest irony of all Joash killed Zechariah in the courtyard of the temple, the very temple that Joash had established his good reputation by restoring. Our Lord adds the detail in Luke 11:51 that Zechariah was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. It is clear from this account that Joash had made up his mind to turn away from the LORD, and that he would not listen to the prophets the LORD sent to warn him, so God put His Spirit on the son of the man who had been like a father to Joash, to speak one last Word of warning to this king. Joash’s response is one final rejection of God - he gives orders to kill God’s last messenger and they stone him to death in the temple court. At least the Sanhedrin has the sense to remove Stephen from the city before stoning him (Acts 7), perhaps they thought they learned something from this account of king Joash.
The bible not only shows us the persistent patience of God - it shows us who humans are.
This chapter exposes the extent of dark potential in humans who are determined not to listen to God. May we have ears to listen all the way to the end.
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