2 Chronicles 24:15-20
¹⁵Now when Jehoiada reached a ripe old age he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death.
¹⁶They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done well in Israel and to God and His house.
¹⁷But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them.
¹⁸They 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 their guilt.
¹⁹Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the Lord; though they testified against them, they would not listen.
²⁰Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus God has said, ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has also forsaken you.'”
We all want to grow up, preferably become independent as soon as possible. But then you also have to make your own decisions and bear the consequences yourself.
Joash did not become independent.
It was so easy, there was always Uncle Jehoiada, who had made the decisions for him from the very beginning.
Jehoiada ensures that King Joash has the temple restored, he arranges everything for the king. But then Jehoiada dies. Now Joas has to continue on his own two feet and this does not work.
It is remarkable that Joash does not seek support from the Lord, he falls into the hands of bad counselors.
Joash begins to serve idols, despite warnings from prophets.
Joash rebels against his upbringing, he hardens himself against God.
Do you recognize this?
You may see in your own family or at your school young people who were raised as Christians, went to church, but are now breaking away from it.
Some are proud: “I don’t pray anymore, I don’t believe!”
Could this be an outward appearance, a way to get attention, or is it an inner resistance against the Lord Jesus?
Joash does not listen to warnings, he even has the prophet Zechariah stoned.
Shortly afterwards, Joash himself is murdered on his bed.
Poor Joas, he remained dependent, and would not listen to God’s warnings.
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