Upon the demise of her son Ahaziah, Athaliah, his mother, sought to annihilate the entire royal lineage. However, Jehosheba, King Jehoram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister, managed to rescue Joash, Ahaziah’s son, from the impending massacre of the royal princes. She concealed him and his nurse in a secluded chamber, thereby saving him from Athaliah’s wrath. For six years, while Athaliah reigned, he remained hidden with his nurse in the Lord’s temple.
According to the parallel narratives found in the Book of Chronicles, specifically 2 Chronicles 21:4, it is documented that Jehoram eliminated all his siblings to secure his sovereignty over the southern kingdom. The preceding chapter details how Jehu exterminated an additional forty-two members of the royal lineage of Judah, which could have included numerous descendants of Jehoram’s brothers. Furthermore, it is recorded in 2 Chronicles 22:1 that the siblings of Ahaziah fell victim to Arab raiders. Athaliah, who hailed from the lineage of Ahab, was opposed to the ascension of David’s line to power. It is conceivable that she desired her paternal lineage to govern over Judah, thereby extending their dominion over the entirety of Israel.
Jehoiada Restores David’s Throne
In the seventh year, Jehoiada summoned the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards to the Lord’s temple. He established a covenant with them, swearing them in at the temple. He then revealed the king’s son to them and issued a directive. Those assigned to Sabbath duty were to guard the royal palace, the Sur Gate, and the gate behind the guard, which alternated in guarding the temple. Those in the other two companies, who usually had Sabbath off, were to guard the temple for the king. They were to surround the king, armed, and anyone who approached their ranks was to be executed. They were to remain close to the king at all times.
The commanders faithfully executed Jehoiada the priest’s orders. Each one, whether going on or off Sabbath duty, reported to Jehoiada. He then equipped the commanders with the spears and shields that once belonged to King David and were kept in the Lord’s temple. The guards, armed, positioned themselves around the king, from the south to the north side of the temple, near the altar.
Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!” – 2 Kings 11:12
When Athaliah heard the commotion caused by the guards and the people, she approached the crowd at the Lord’s temple. She saw the king standing by the pillar, as was customary. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and the people were celebrating and sounding trumpets. Athaliah, in shock, tore her robes and cried out, “Treason! Treason!” Jehoiada the priest commanded the commanders, who were leading the troops, to seize her and execute anyone who followed her. He had decreed that she should not be executed in the Lord’s temple. They apprehended her at the entrance to the palace grounds, where she was executed. The people then went to the temple of Baal, demolished it, shattered the altars and idols, and executed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars.
Jehoiada then made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people that they would be the LORD’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. – 2 Kings 11:17
Jehoiada established a covenant, serving as a formal agreement among the populace, the king, and the LORD. This was intended to reaffirm the people’s allegiance to the house of David via the young monarch. This act also served to officially proclaim Joash as the new king. Drawing parallels with David and Solomon, who had previously formed covenants with their subjects and subsequently with the LORD, Jehoiada followed suit. His aim was to instil a sense of duty, even if it merely served to remind the people of their past devotion to the LORD.
Jehoiada the priest then stationed guards at the Lord’s temple. Accompanied by the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, they escorted the king from the Lord’s temple to the palace through the gate of the guards. The king then ascended the royal throne. The people rejoiced, and the city was peaceful, as Athaliah had been executed at the palace.
Thus, at the age of seven, Joash rose to the throne, becoming the youngest monarch in the historical record of Israel. However, his reign was far from flawless. His disregard for the LORD’s commandments and his imprudent actions led to his untimely demise, thereby bringing an abrupt end to his reign that spanned four decades. This duration of rule was unparalleled since the era of David and Solomon.
The Temple Repairs
In Jehu’s seventh year, Joash ascended the throne in Jerusalem, reigning for forty years. His mother, Zibiah, hailed from Beersheba. Under the guidance of Jehoiada the priest, Joash adhered to the Lord’s righteous path throughout his reign. However, the high places remained, with people continuing their sacrificial rituals. All the kings who succeeded Solomon were unable to fully eradicate the transgressions of those who came before them. Each one fell short in eliminating the ritualistic sacrifices on the high places during their individual reform efforts.
Possibly, they didn’t want to unsettle the status quo and risk losing the people’s approval. The populace had grown accustomed to these ritualistic sacrifices, which were too significant to alter without causing discontent. These practices were linked to the Canaanite deities, and the people persisted in following the pagan customs prevalent in their surroundings. Yet, there was one issue that stirred Joash – the deteriorating condition of the LORD’s temple. He took it upon himself (or rather delegated) the repair work that the structure desperately needed.
Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals. – 2 Chronicles 24:7
Joash instructed the priests to gather all the sacred offerings brought to the Lord’s temple, including the census money, personal vow funds, and voluntary contributions. He directed that these funds be used for temple repairs. However, by Joash’s twenty-third year, the temple remained unrepaired. Consequently, Joash questioned Jehoiada and the other priests about the delay and ordered them to use the collected funds for the temple’s restoration.
The priests were conveniently diverting the allocated funds for personal gain, neglecting the tasks assigned to them. Joash, who ascended to the throne at a young age, placed his trust in his mentor Jehoida to oversee the temple’s restoration. He would have felt assured that Jehoida, who had guided Joash through the intricacies of rulership, was trusted with this responsibility. However, both Joash and Jehoida allowed this crucial task to fall by the wayside, turning a blind eye to the misappropriation of funds intended for the temple’s repair. This lapse in their duties resulted in the further deterioration of the temple.
Jehoiada placed a chest with a bored hole in its lid beside the altar. The entrance-guarding priests deposited all the money brought to the temple into this chest. When a significant amount accumulated, the royal secretary and high priest counted the money and allocated it to the temple work supervisors. These funds were used to pay the workers and purchase materials for the temple’s restoration. The funds were not used for crafting silver or gold temple articles, instead, they were strictly used for repairs. The workers were trusted with the funds without the need for an account. The guilt and sin offering money was not brought into the temple as that was still reserved for the priests.
In the Old Testament, the priests relied on the sins and guilt of the populace for their sustenance. Sadly, this trend persists even today, post the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for the redemption of our sins. Pastors and local leaders should not capitalize on the guilt of their followers but rather enlighten them about the true significance of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. Fear-mongering tactics are employed in the present day to manipulate the masses and extract monetary gains, without providing any tangible solutions to their problems.
Analogously, traffic laws, instead of enhancing road safety, often serve to enrich law enforcement at the expense of the public. Similarly, the laws of the Old Testament did not deter individuals from sinning but facilitated the transfer of wealth to the priests through tithes and offerings. Jesus came to abolish these laws and guide us towards a superior path to God, through sole reliance on Him. However, people today continue to cling to these outdated laws as a source of comfort, and their leaders exploit this ignorance to their advantage.
When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the LORD’s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the LORD. – 2 Chronicles 24:14
The Fall of Joash
Around this time, Hazael, the king of Aram, attacked and captured Gath before turning his attention to Jerusalem. To avert the attack, Joash sent all the sacred objects and gold from the temple and royal palace treasuries, dedicated by him and his predecessors, to Hazael, who then retreated from Jerusalem.
His officials conspired against him and assassinated him at Beth Millo, on the road down to Silla. The officials who murdered him were Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king. – 2 Kings 12:20-21
The assassination of the prodigy king by his own officials, as depicted in the Book of Kings, may indeed appear perplexing to readers. To comprehend the underlying cause of the revolt against him, one must refer to the book of Chronicles (2 Chronicles 24:17-27). It is in this latter source that the rationale for the insurgency becomes evident.
Post Jehoiada’s death, Judah’s officials paid homage to the king, leading to the abandonment of the Lord’s temple and the worship of Asherah poles and idols. Despite the Lord’s attempts to guide them back through prophets, they didn’t heed. Zechariah, Jehoiada’s son, warned them of their disobedience but was stoned to death by the king’s order.
….His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. – 2 Chronicles 24:25 (NIV)
Sometime later, the Aramean army invaded Judah and Jerusalem, killing all leaders and sending the plunder to their king in Damascus. The Lord handed over a larger army to the few Arameans due to Judah’s abandonment of Him, leading to Joash’s judgment. After the Arameans’ withdrawal, Joash, severely wounded, was killed by his officials for murdering Jehoiada’s son. He was buried in the City of David, not in the kings’ tombs and his son, Amaziah, succeeded him as king.
Joash serves as a stark reminder that one can be devoted to God externally, yet remain distant at heart. It underscores the importance of fostering a deep, intimate relationship with God to truly comprehend His essence. Despite Jehoiada’s guidance from a young age, Joash swiftly embraced the world’s pagan customs. Our tendency is to forsake God, yet in His boundless wisdom and mercy, He offered a simpler path to know Him beyond any laws – through His son, Jesus. This allows us to establish a personal bond with our Heavenly Father and repair the ridge that leads us back to the Garden.
Discussion Questions
- Why did Athaliah murder the members of her own family?
- Why did Jehoiada make a covenant between the people, the king and the LORD?
- Why did the kings of Israel and Judah not remove the high places as part of their respective reformations?
- Why would the priests ignore the king’s directive to repair the temple and why did it take the king so long to notice that there was no progress being made?
- Why was Joash who was loved by all murdered by his own officials?
The Jordan Valley 
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