2 Kings 12:19-21 Joash’s Death
Joash has strayed from the Lord. His servants have had enough and plot to kill him. They are successful and his son takes his place.
When reading our short passage I wondered why Joash’s servants wanted to kill him. So I went looking first to Gotquestions.org and then to the passages sited in their answer. This brought me to 2 Chronicles 24. Here we get a more detailed story of Joash’s later years.
I want to hold off getting into the full story presented in 2 Chronicles until we get there. But the answer to my question was that Joash strayed from the Lord and refused to be redirected. The straw that ‘broke the camel’s back’ was when he had the son of Jehoiada stoned for calling him out on his sin. Joash’s servants had had enough. And when they saw an opportunity they took it.
With the death of Jehoiada, Joash began listening to the wrong influences. He was listening to the people instead of God. And he followed their counsel. Is it possible that the servants who rose up against Joash were listening to God? Or were zealous for God?
We are not told that these servants tried to seize power with the murder of Joash. Their motives, according to 2 Chronicles 24:25, was in response to how he orchestrated the death of Jehoiada’s son. Revenge or retribution? Tomorrow we will see that they don’t live long after their act. But did they feel God calling them to do this? Were they acting out of anger? Were they trying to protect the nation from falling even further away from God? Or were they simply seizing on the opportunity to rid themselves of Joash when he was already wounded? Will we get to ask them when we reach Heaven? I would like to know.
These two men bring to mind the story of David and king Saul. God told David he would be king but he refused to take that office until God removed Saul from it. Even though Saul was sinning and chasing David down, he “would not raise a hand against the Lord’s anointed.” God took care of removing Saul. He didn’t need anyone else to do it for Him. These two men decided to give God a hand with Joash. Not to advance their own interests but because ‘he needed killin’’ as they say in Tennessee. But murder demands payment. I wish I knew how to interpret their actions. But that’s not my place; it’s God’s.
Father God, thank You that it is NOT my job to judge. I would make a mess of it. Even if I had all the information of man it still wouldn’t be enough. Man cannot see into the heart. Only You can. Help me remember that all the time.
While doing that though show me what lessons You would have me learn from each step of the journey. Each one is important to building me into the person You have planned for me to be.
