2 Chronicles 23:16-24:1916And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the Lord's people. 17Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the Lord by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David. 19And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the Lord, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in. 20And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the Lord: and they came through the high gate into the king's house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom. 21And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword. 1Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. 2And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters. 4And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord. 5And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not. 6And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness? 7For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord did they bestow upon Baalim. 8And at the king's commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the Lord. 9And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness. 10And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end. 11Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance. 12And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the Lord. 13So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it. 14And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the Lord, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada. 15But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died. 16And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house. 17Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. 18And 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. 19Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear. (2 Chronicles 23:16‑24:19).
AFTER the crowning of king Joash and the death of Athaliah, Jehoiada the priest made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they should be the people of the Lord. Then the people went to the house of Baal, the false god that Athaliah had introduced among the people of Judah, and they broke it down. They destroyed the altars and the images and slew the priests of Baal. Then Jehoiada ordered again the worship in the house of the Lord according to that which David had instituted, and according to the law of Moses, for evidently during the reign of Athaliah this had been largely set aside. So when all this was done, we read that "all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet."
Joash was only seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. We can see how he was guided all those years by the faithful priest who had saved his life and preserved him. Typically this looks on to that time when the Lord Jesus Christ will reign in His millennial kingdom, when He will be both King and Priest upon His throne. (Zech. 6:1313Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (Zechariah 6:13).)
It was when he was about in the middle of his long reign that Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord. So he called the priests and Levites and told them to go out into the cities of Judah and gather money to repair the house of the Lord from year to year. Also at the king's command they made a chest and set it at the gate of the house of the Lord. Then they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in to the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.
The princes and all the people rejoiced and brought in the money and cast it into the chest. The response was such that the chest had to be emptied each day. Then the king and Jehoiada gave the money to those who had charge of the service of the house, and they hired masons, carpenters and men who worked in brass and iron, to make the repairs. When the work was finished, there remained a large amount over and above what was needed, so they made vessels of gold and silver for the house of the Lord. We also read that they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada.
Then we read of failure coming in. Jehoiada grew old. The Lord granted him a long life for he lived to be one hundred and thirty years old, longer than anyone since the days of Moses' parents. I do not doubt that this was the Lord rewarding him for his faithful service in preserving the life of the young king and for guiding him in His ways. When he died they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel both toward God and toward His house.
After Jehoiada's death the princes of Judah came to the king and made obeisance to him. It was really flattery, but we read that Joash hearkened to them. Sad to say, the purpose of their coming was to get him to allow them to forsake the Lord and to worship idols. We may wonder how it could be so with them after all the blessing they had received from the Lord's hand. But it was because their hearts were not touched by the ministry of the Word among them, and when this is the case, there is chafing and rebellion at being restrained. When we are born again we have a new nature which delights in the things of God.
Messages of the Love of God 9/14/1958