Articles
Standing On Your Own - 2 Chron. 24
Standing On Your Own - 2 Chron. 24
The story of king Joash is another tragic one. As all of his family is being put to death, he is saved by the actions of the wife of Jehoiada (the high priest). They hide him, protect him, and raise him. Through such protection and tutelage, he becomes a good king. “Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.” (2 Chronicles 24:2). He restores the house of the LORD that had fallen into disrepair under the era of Baal worship.
As with all men, Jehoiada got old and died at 130. Without this continued guidance and strength, Joash quickly turns aside. While he had listened to Jehoiada, now he listens to the 'officials of Judah'. Unfortunately, they are NOT godly and their advice leads Joash and Judah to abandon the house of the LORD and return to serving idols (vs. 18).
Upon being reproved for such apostasy by the son of Jehoiada, Joash forgets all the kindness and goodness that he had received at the hand of the old priest. He gives the command and has Zechariah stoned to death for such reproof.
As we have seen several times now, because Joash and the people had forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken them. Moses had warned: "When you become the father of children and children’s children and have remained long in the land, and act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord your God so as to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed" (Deuteronomy 4:25–26). Joshua had warned: "If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you" (Joshua 24:20). God had said during the time of the Judges: "Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you" (Judges 10:13).
God is faithful to His word. They have again forsaken the LORD and served idols, He forsakes them. God says what He means, means what He says, and does what He says He will do. Now, instead of protecting Judah, the LORD delivers them into the hands of their enemies (vs. 20, 24).
Many people do well with constant supervision and encouragement. Yet, in every life there comes those times when you must stand on your own. Your faith cannot be the faith of another. Your faith has to be strong enough to keep you from forsaking the LORD when social pressures bear down upon you. The faith of Jehoiada wasn't enough to keep Joash faithful!
Hence the warnings in the NT: "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
Jesus warned the apostles: "You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved” (Matthew 10:22).
Do you have your own faith as did Jehoiada? Hugh DeLong
