relationships (2 Chronicles 24:1-27) Finding the Best Counselor

(2 Chronicles 24:1-27)  Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah from Beersheba. 2 Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he fathered sons and daughters.

4 Now it came about after this that Joash decided to restore the house of the Lord. 5 He gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel to repair the house of your God annually, and you shall do the work quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. 6 So the king summoned Jehoiada, the chief priest, and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the contribution of Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the congregation of Israel, for the tent of the testimony?” 7 For the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God, and even used the holy things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.

8 So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside by the gate of the house of the Lord. 9 And they made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord the contribution commanded by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the officers and all the people rejoiced, and they brought in their contribution and dropped it into the chest until they had finished. 11 It happened that whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officer by the Levites, and they saw that the money was substantial, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer would come and empty the chest, and pick it up and return it to its place. They did this daily and collected a large amount of money. 12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of the Lord; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the Lord, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the Lord. 13 So the workmen labored, and the repair work progressed in their hands, and they restored the house of God according to its specifications and strengthened it. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; and it was made into utensils for the house of the Lord, utensils for the service and the burnt offerings, and pans and utensils of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually, all the days of Jehoiada.

15 Now Jehoiada reached a good old age and he died; he was 130 years old at his death. 16 And they buried him in the city of David with the kings, because he had done well in Israel and for God and His house.

17 But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 18 And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. 19 Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the Lord; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.

20 Then the Spirit of God covered Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest like clothing; and he stood above the people and said to them, “This is what God has said, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord and do not prosper? Because you have abandoned the Lord, He has also abandoned you.’” 21 So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the house of the Lord. 22 So Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as Zechariah died he said, “May the Lord see and avenge!”

23 Now it happened at the turn of the year that the army of the Arameans came up against Joash; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoils to the king of Damascus. 24 Indeed, the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet the Lord handed a very great army over to them, because Judah and Joash had abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash.

25 When they left him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they murdered him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26 Now these are the men who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27 As to his sons and the many pronouncements against him and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then his son Amaziah became king in his place.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We are doing what is right in the sight of the Lord WHEN we become believers and then STRIVE in the Lord's strength and guidance to be steadfast and obedient to His will.  Obviously, God knows that we will still stumble and stray.  This is why He has sealed us with His Holy Spirit of promise, otherwise we'd all be losing our salvation, pretty much immediately.  But with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us and with His grace - we are guaranteed eternal life with Him in heaven.

Meanwhile, to help us stay the course, having godly influences around us will help direct us and our "success" in life, but this will not save us.  Joash's mistake was that he didn't believe in the Lord, he just saw the value of going through the motions.  Notice that (in the beginning) Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord, although he married more than one wife.  This doesn't mean that having more than one spouse is okay or "right".  God's design has always been that the man would leave his parents and cleave to his wife, and the two become one, having sex only within marriage.  But in general, as to guiding the nation, Joash listened to and trusted in Jehoiada the priest, but he did not trust in the Lord God.

After Jehoiada died, Joash and the people turned away from God and worshiped other gods.  Because of this, God allowed consequences into their lives.  Yet, verse 19 demonstrates just how much God cares!  Even though Joash and the people turned away from Him, and even though He already knew they would continue to reject Him, He still sent a prophet, Jehoiada's son, to try to help turn them around.  

Joash and the people killed the son... just like Israel killed the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God (God, Himself), when He came to earth in flesh.  Obviously, He knew this would happen, and had to happen, in order to make salvation possible.  But He did this for us, because He cares and loves each and every one of us, whether we accept Him or reject Him!!!

God doesn't desire to punish anyone.  Because of His love, He reaches down to us, because He wants to save us and be our heavenly Father.  So, while it helps to have godly people in our lives for help and encouragement, we are still to go directly to God, Himself!   Jesus makes a far greater mediator and guidance counselor than any person ever could, because Jesus is God, and is all-knowing and all powerful!!!