July 15, 2025 • 19 mins
In this Bible Story, we learn about the rise and fall of Joash who began his rule as a young child, growing under the love and care of the high priest. However, when the priest dies, Joash’s heart grows sour and against the things of God. He causes the people to stumble, and is ultimately remembered for his wickedness. This story is inspired by 2 Kings 12 & 2 Chronicles 24. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 24:19 from the King James Version.
Episode 141: The rulers of Israel were trapped in a cycle of wickedness and self-worship. King Jehoahaz, who saw how his wickedness was causing oppression and military failure of Israel, repented before God, seeking redemption for his people. Yet once God gave him and his people peace, he returned to his wicked ways. Despite their wickedness, Elisha loved the people of Israel and their kings. And before he died, Elisha gave Jehoash one last prophecy.
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Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard
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Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith
Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. Yet he send profits to them to
bring them again unto the Lord. And they testified against them,
but they would not give ear Second Chronicles twenty four
nineteen To day, Lord, I am making the conscious decision
to forever be mindful of how I conduct myself. Because
(00:25):
I am a leader, and because you have entrusted me
with influence in the lives of others. I will not
lower my standards to become comfortable with ungodliness. I will
not lower my standards to cater to the hearts of
those who desire to walk away from your goodness and
your mercy. Lord, I decree and declare that I will
(00:48):
stay the course and finish my race of faith with
all diligence. Whether eyes are on me or whether I
am alone, I will make sure that I represent Christ
in all that I do, For I know that I
do not have the luxury of living up to others'
(01:08):
low expectations of my life. So with Second Kings before
me and joe Ash's story heard by me, I will
not be moved from my place of faith in You God,
in Jesus' name. Amen. Listening to these daily prayers strengthens
(01:33):
your relationship with God. Continue hearing from the Lord by
listening to today's Bible in a Year, brought to you
by Bible in a Year dot.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Com Joe Ash.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
In our last story, we learned about Queen Atheliah. Her
foul heard turn the entire nation of Judah corrupt and depressed.
She ruled to serve herself and killed her grandchildren in
attempts to secure her power. However, she overlooked one grandchild,
joe Ash. The righteous leaders of Judah overthrew Athaliah and
(02:17):
placed joe Ash as king over the land. Now we
learn of Joash's time as king. His faith would be
reliant on the high priest Jehoiadah. However, would Joash's heart
cling to righteousness even in his teacher's absence, or would
the darkness and his heart be too much for him
to bear alone? Inspired by the Book of Second Kings
(02:40):
and Second Chronicles.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
This is Pastor Jack Graham with the day's episode of
the Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous episode,
we heard about Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab and Jezebel,
who became the only woman to ever rule over God's people.
Her evil heart and hunger for power caused her to
carry out a slaughter of all of David's descendants in
(03:04):
an attempt to secure her rule. But God's plan to
save his people through David could not be stopped, and
one child remained Atheliah's grandson, joe Ash. When joe Ash
was just seven, the leaders of Judah overthrew Athaliah and
installed him as king, with Jehodah the High Priest as
his counsel. Today, we'll hear about joe Ash's righteous rule
(03:28):
under the tutelage of his garden and discovered that the
young man stayed faithful to his teaching. Let's listen now
to today's reading from God's word.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
The daughter of the witch queen had fallen. The kingdom
of Judah was rid of its villainous empress and now
free to worship the Lord under its new king, Joash.
The new king was only a boy when he took
the throne at the age of seven. Joe Ash was
given a terribly heavy burden to bear. He desired to play, explore,
(03:59):
and learn like any other boy his age. However, he
was now responsible for the well being of an entire nation.
Joash leaned on the guidance of Jehoiada, the high priest.
He was a gentle servant of God, wise and full
of God's spirit. He raised Joash in the fear and
wisdom of the Lord. Jehoyada gathered other elders, priests, and
(04:21):
leaders to come alongside the young king to strengthen encounsel him.
As Joash grew older, Jehoiadah found two wives for him
to settle alliances with other tribes. As Jehoyida grew stronger
and more independent, the Lord blessed him with many children
and a thriving kingdom. Joash was surveying his kingdom in
(04:42):
the coolness of the morning. The sun was just beginning
to peer over the hillside, and the new rays of
light shone on the Temple of God. The temple was
brilliantly designed by Solomon, However, years of neglect had broken
it down. The temple had lost much of its luster.
Joash knew that the temple could not contain God, However,
(05:03):
it was a symbol of Israel's relationship with him. He
determined in his heart to repair the broken parts of
the temple. So Joash set plans in place to restore
the place of worship enthusiastic about his new project, King
Joash summoned all the priests and levites to his home.
They watched as the king laid out his plan. Now,
(05:24):
all we need is to collect the annual offerings from
the people, Joash said, with excitement, that will fund the
temple repairs. Go quickly to collect from them. However, as
Joash was speaking, his enthusiasm was not matched by the
men in the room. They left the meeting but delayed
in collecting the funds from the people. Joash was anxious
(05:46):
that the priests and levites did not reach out to
the people for an offering. He did not understand why
they would delay in such a noble project. Disturbed and hurt,
he summoned Jehoyda to his home. The old priest sat
down years had weighed heavily and Jehoyda, but he maintained
his bright smile and positive glow. Why haven't the priests
(06:07):
and levites collected the taxes yet, Joash asked, while pacing
the room. Moses declared, this tax in the community of
Israel to maintain the tabernacle. It is an act of worship.
I would have thought they would be excited to do
so Jehoyda smiled and nodded his head. He stood up
and looked out the king's window towards the temple. He
(06:28):
then began to tell joe Ash about the years before
he was king. For six years, Queen Arthaliah and her
men would collect the temple tax and then raid it
in the middle of the night to build altars to bale.
The people were oppressed with their own offering. They were
choked out by their own acts of worship. Jehoyada looked
at Joash and put his hands on his shoulders. He
(06:51):
was still a young king, naive, but with a good heart.
You must comfort the people that things have changed, he said.
Joe Ash nodded and left the room. He ordered for
a large chest to be made and placed outside the
temple gate. The chest was massive, immovable, and could be
seen by all. He then explained that the chest would
(07:13):
be a symbol of transparency. No one would take the
money in secret or in the shadows. When money would
be taken to repair the temple, all would be able
to witness it. So the proclamation was sent throughout all
of Judah and Jerusalem. People happily answered the call and
brought their temple tax to the chest of the temple.
(07:33):
The elders, priests, and levites were pleased to partner with
joe Ash since he proved to be a leader of light,
not of darkness. He would not hide in the shadows
as his grandmother. Masons, metal workers, and carpenters were all
hired to restore the temple. The beaten up exterior of
the temple began to be smoothed of its rough surface.
(07:55):
The rotting beams were replaced with sturdy wood. The eroding
medal was he furbished and polished. As the temple began
to be cleaned, so did the hearts of the people.
The temple was a symbol of their restored relationship to
God after years of darkness. After the work was done,
there was still money left over. The money was then
(08:16):
used to make instruments for worship and sacrifice. All these
things Joash did under the loving influence of Jehoiada the priest. However,
time is the great thief. It takes even the best
of men. After one hundred thirty years of faithfully guiding, loving,
and serving the people of Judah, Jehoyada passed to be
(08:38):
with his God. He was buried among the kings in
the city of David. For Jehoyadah was considered a king
in his own right. Without him, joe Ash would have
been lost. The trumpets sounded throughout the entire city of Jerusalem.
The sun began its descent, and the sky was painted
a deep red. The whole nation mourned as Jehoyida was
(09:00):
buried into the ground. Joash suaked in the corner of
his palace. He sat in silence, mourning over the death
of his teacher, friend, and father.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
There was a.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Dormant darkness in his heart that had been kept down
by Jehoyada's kindness.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
He felt it.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Creeping in slowly. He felt anger, he felt pride. The
king had never been without the counsel of Jehoyida. Seeing
this void as an opportunity, a few of Judah's elders
came to him and bowed. They implored of the king
to take their advice. They painted themselves as Jehoiada's replacements.
(09:38):
They took advantage of Joash's vulnerable and malleable mind. Together
they conspired to abandon the Temple of God. They erected
monuments and polls to the pagan God Asherah, the depraved
idle worship, once eradicated, had resurfaced, and the people of
Judah suffered. As a result. Selfishness replaced generosity, lewdness replaced kindness,
(10:03):
anger replaced hope. All began to crumble. The Lord rumbled
with divine anger against joe Ash and his leaders. He
watched as all the progress established by Jehoiada blew away
like sand in a storm. The Lord sent a messenger
to joe Ash to counsel him back to holiness. To
do this, he sent Jehoyda's son, Zechariah. Zechariah stood firm
(10:28):
against joe Ash and his corrupt elders. He warned them
of what would happen if they continued to muddy their
minds with idolatry. Why do you stray from the Lord?
He asked? Were you not prospering when under his guidance?
Were you not loved and successful while worshiping him? Was
Judah not better off? Zechariah's words were true, but fell
(10:50):
on deaf ears. He saw Joasher's eyes. They were full
of hurt and pain. They were the eyes of a
man who had given in to the corruption in his
own heart. Zechariah sighed. He knew what was about to happen. However,
the Lord gave him boldness to say one final thing.
If you abandon the Lord, surely you will feel the consequences.
(11:14):
With those words, Zechariah was struck on the jaw by
the King's guard. He fell to the floor. Immediately, he
felt a flurry of kicks on his ribs and stomach.
Zechariah moaned in pain. As he rose to his feet,
he looked at Joash again. Resolute evil beamed from Joash's eyes.
Stone him, the king said, with a cold tone. Zechariah
(11:39):
was dragged out into the courtyard. He was tied to
a beam, facing an angry mob of Asherah worshippers. He
watched their hands caress the stones that would be thrown
at him. This was how the king repaid Jehoida by
killing his son. Zechariah sighed and lifted his eyes to heaven.
May you see what they are doing. Lord, May you
(12:00):
deal with them as you please. And with those final words,
Zechariah felt the onslaught of stones crush his bones and face.
Moments later, the bloodied corpse of the prophet was hanging
from the beam. His lifeless and mangled body was an
image of Judah's collective heart. Springtime came and the nation
of Judah was vulnerable. The Arramian army marched in with
(12:23):
a small army to plunder the outside towns. They invaded
with force and killed every leader that rode out against them.
Although their army was small, they were able to take
large portions of land. The armies of Judah were uninspired
and ill prepared under their selfish King Joash rode against
the Aramians. He flew in with his horse and sword,
(12:45):
expecting to save his nation from evil. However, he was
delivered a harsh blow and brutally wounded. Before they could
kill him, King joe Ash was taken back to Jerusalem
to heal. Joash slept in his bed. He coughed and
winced at his fresh wound. It was a moonless night,
and now shadows were cast in joe Ash's room. Leaders
(13:07):
that were loyal to God had crept in the middle
of the night and killed the king in his sleep.
Thus ended the forty year reign of joe Ash. His
life was a true tragedy. All the good he accomplished
in his life was blotted out by a few years
of corruption. Joe Ash serves as an example that past
good does not outweigh present failure. To be known and
(13:29):
remembered as a true leader, one must cling to God
in all seasons of life.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
As we began today's reading, Judah has a new king,
the young boy joe Ash. At just seven, he was
too young to bear the burden of leadership on his own,
so Jehoidah, who had cared for him while he hid
from his wicked grandmother at Elias, served as the boy's
teacher and counselor until he came of age. Jehoidah was
(14:01):
an honorable man who sought God and served with godly wisdom.
He instructed joe Ash in God's ways from an early
age until the young king came of age. It's a
reminder of us today that young people need godly leadership
and spiritual mentors in their lives, someone whose example can
provide wise counsel. This, of course, begins with parents and
(14:24):
pastors and others who have the responsibility to teach the young.
Because Jehoidah led the young king and taught him to
fear the Lord, God blessed the reign of joe Ash
as he matured when Joash saw the temple in disrepair,
he was moved to restore God's house, so he ordered
the priest to take up the taxes and offerings from
(14:44):
the people to fund the restoration of the temple. It
was an act of worship, recognizing that God's House was
a signed to the people of God's presence, and it
was also a sign to God that his people's hearts
were turned to him. The king was sure that the
people would be eager to give their offerings to the
Lord to accomplish this, but after years of Athaliah's rule
(15:05):
and her dishonest dealings with money, the people were reluctant
to contribute. They needed to learn to trust their leaders,
both the king and the priest. It is almost impossible
for a leader to inspire others and lead them when
there is a lack of trust. So joe Ash had
Jehoidah construct a chess with a hole in the top,
(15:26):
and whenever money was removed from the chest, there was
an open and transparent accounting of the funds. The people
then gave freely and the temple was restored. This was
not only a physical act of restoration and cleansing, but
a symbolic act that demonstrated the changed hearts of God's
people and their generosity. After years of faithful service, Jehoedah
(15:50):
left his earthly life to be with his heavenly father.
He served God and the King of Judah with honor, integrity,
and wisdom. Joe Ash had been given a strong example
from this godly man. Sadly, what followed Jehoidah's death is
an example of how quickly darkness can take over our
hearts when we lose focus. In Second Chronicles twenty four,
(16:11):
seventeen and eighteen we read this now, after the death
of Jehoidah, the princes of Judah came and paid homage
to the King. Then the King listened to them and
abandon the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers,
and serve the Asherim and the idols. How sad that
despite years under his wise mentor, joe Ash failed to
(16:33):
remember the Lord. This serves as a vivid reminder of
us today that though we are secure in our salvation
through Christ, it is possible to slip into sinful behavior
and live as though we are not honoring God when
we fail to keep our eyes on the Lord and
lean on his spirit to enable us. When we begin
(16:55):
listening to the wisdom of this world or to those
who represent the world, Darkness, like a lion, is waiting
to devour us. God was angry with the king and
sent a message through Zachariah, the son of Joash's mentor Jehodah.
Because he had abandoned God, God would turn away from him.
There was still time for repentance. If joe Ash had
(17:17):
heard these words and turned from his ways, history would
remember him differently. Instead, he closed his ears and his
heart to God, and he had Zachariah the prophet stoned
to death. The king's heart has now turned to darkness,
and Judah was with him. The nation was attacked by
the Aramians, and joe Ash suffered a devastating wound. He
(17:38):
made it home, only to be killed by a God
fearing man who desired to see Judah returned to the Lord,
and so ended the tragic life of a king who
began so well but ended so poorly. May his life
and his tragic death serve as a lesson to us today.
Dear God, thank you for your word. Always, thank you
(18:00):
for the truth of it, even when it is hard.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Truth.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Lord, we pledge that we will be faithful to you.
We're asking that your spirit would fill us and use
us all the days of our lives, that you would
guide us and guard us and protect us and provide
everything that we need to live in the fear of
the Lord always. And we pray this in the name
of Jesus. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible
(18:26):
in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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study a priority in your life. If you enjoyed this podcast,
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(18:48):
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God bless you.
Let us pray. Yet he send profits to them to
bring them again unto the Lord. And they testified against them,
but they would not give ear Second Chronicles twenty four
nineteen To day, Lord, I am making the conscious decision
to forever be mindful of how I conduct myself. Because
(00:25):
I am a leader, and because you have entrusted me
with influence in the lives of others. I will not
lower my standards to become comfortable with ungodliness. I will
not lower my standards to cater to the hearts of
those who desire to walk away from your goodness and
your mercy. Lord, I decree and declare that I will
(00:48):
stay the course and finish my race of faith with
all diligence. Whether eyes are on me or whether I
am alone, I will make sure that I represent Christ
in all that I do, For I know that I
do not have the luxury of living up to others'
(01:08):
low expectations of my life. So with Second Kings before
me and joe Ash's story heard by me, I will
not be moved from my place of faith in You God,
in Jesus' name. Amen. Listening to these daily prayers strengthens
(01:33):
your relationship with God. Continue hearing from the Lord by
listening to today's Bible in a Year, brought to you
by Bible in a Year dot.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Com Joe Ash.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
In our last story, we learned about Queen Atheliah. Her
foul heard turn the entire nation of Judah corrupt and depressed.
She ruled to serve herself and killed her grandchildren in
attempts to secure her power. However, she overlooked one grandchild,
joe Ash. The righteous leaders of Judah overthrew Athaliah and
(02:17):
placed joe Ash as king over the land. Now we
learn of Joash's time as king. His faith would be
reliant on the high priest Jehoiadah. However, would Joash's heart
cling to righteousness even in his teacher's absence, or would
the darkness and his heart be too much for him
to bear alone? Inspired by the Book of Second Kings
(02:40):
and Second Chronicles.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
This is Pastor Jack Graham with the day's episode of
the Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous episode,
we heard about Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab and Jezebel,
who became the only woman to ever rule over God's people.
Her evil heart and hunger for power caused her to
carry out a slaughter of all of David's descendants in
(03:04):
an attempt to secure her rule. But God's plan to
save his people through David could not be stopped, and
one child remained Atheliah's grandson, joe Ash. When joe Ash
was just seven, the leaders of Judah overthrew Athaliah and
installed him as king, with Jehodah the High Priest as
his counsel. Today, we'll hear about joe Ash's righteous rule
(03:28):
under the tutelage of his garden and discovered that the
young man stayed faithful to his teaching. Let's listen now
to today's reading from God's word.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
The daughter of the witch queen had fallen. The kingdom
of Judah was rid of its villainous empress and now
free to worship the Lord under its new king, Joash.
The new king was only a boy when he took
the throne at the age of seven. Joe Ash was
given a terribly heavy burden to bear. He desired to play, explore,
(03:59):
and learn like any other boy his age. However, he
was now responsible for the well being of an entire nation.
Joash leaned on the guidance of Jehoiada, the high priest.
He was a gentle servant of God, wise and full
of God's spirit. He raised Joash in the fear and
wisdom of the Lord. Jehoyada gathered other elders, priests, and
(04:21):
leaders to come alongside the young king to strengthen encounsel him.
As Joash grew older, Jehoiadah found two wives for him
to settle alliances with other tribes. As Jehoyida grew stronger
and more independent, the Lord blessed him with many children
and a thriving kingdom. Joash was surveying his kingdom in
(04:42):
the coolness of the morning. The sun was just beginning
to peer over the hillside, and the new rays of
light shone on the Temple of God. The temple was
brilliantly designed by Solomon, However, years of neglect had broken
it down. The temple had lost much of its luster.
Joash knew that the temple could not contain God, However,
(05:03):
it was a symbol of Israel's relationship with him. He
determined in his heart to repair the broken parts of
the temple. So Joash set plans in place to restore
the place of worship enthusiastic about his new project, King
Joash summoned all the priests and levites to his home.
They watched as the king laid out his plan. Now,
(05:24):
all we need is to collect the annual offerings from
the people, Joash said, with excitement, that will fund the
temple repairs. Go quickly to collect from them. However, as
Joash was speaking, his enthusiasm was not matched by the
men in the room. They left the meeting but delayed
in collecting the funds from the people. Joash was anxious
(05:46):
that the priests and levites did not reach out to
the people for an offering. He did not understand why
they would delay in such a noble project. Disturbed and hurt,
he summoned Jehoyda to his home. The old priest sat
down years had weighed heavily and Jehoyda, but he maintained
his bright smile and positive glow. Why haven't the priests
(06:07):
and levites collected the taxes yet, Joash asked, while pacing
the room. Moses declared, this tax in the community of
Israel to maintain the tabernacle. It is an act of worship.
I would have thought they would be excited to do
so Jehoyda smiled and nodded his head. He stood up
and looked out the king's window towards the temple. He
(06:28):
then began to tell joe Ash about the years before
he was king. For six years, Queen Arthaliah and her
men would collect the temple tax and then raid it
in the middle of the night to build altars to bale.
The people were oppressed with their own offering. They were
choked out by their own acts of worship. Jehoyada looked
at Joash and put his hands on his shoulders. He
(06:51):
was still a young king, naive, but with a good heart.
You must comfort the people that things have changed, he said.
Joe Ash nodded and left the room. He ordered for
a large chest to be made and placed outside the
temple gate. The chest was massive, immovable, and could be
seen by all. He then explained that the chest would
(07:13):
be a symbol of transparency. No one would take the
money in secret or in the shadows. When money would
be taken to repair the temple, all would be able
to witness it. So the proclamation was sent throughout all
of Judah and Jerusalem. People happily answered the call and
brought their temple tax to the chest of the temple.
(07:33):
The elders, priests, and levites were pleased to partner with
joe Ash since he proved to be a leader of light,
not of darkness. He would not hide in the shadows
as his grandmother. Masons, metal workers, and carpenters were all
hired to restore the temple. The beaten up exterior of
the temple began to be smoothed of its rough surface.
(07:55):
The rotting beams were replaced with sturdy wood. The eroding
medal was he furbished and polished. As the temple began
to be cleaned, so did the hearts of the people.
The temple was a symbol of their restored relationship to
God after years of darkness. After the work was done,
there was still money left over. The money was then
(08:16):
used to make instruments for worship and sacrifice. All these
things Joash did under the loving influence of Jehoiada the priest. However,
time is the great thief. It takes even the best
of men. After one hundred thirty years of faithfully guiding, loving,
and serving the people of Judah, Jehoyada passed to be
(08:38):
with his God. He was buried among the kings in
the city of David. For Jehoyadah was considered a king
in his own right. Without him, joe Ash would have
been lost. The trumpets sounded throughout the entire city of Jerusalem.
The sun began its descent, and the sky was painted
a deep red. The whole nation mourned as Jehoyida was
(09:00):
buried into the ground. Joash suaked in the corner of
his palace. He sat in silence, mourning over the death
of his teacher, friend, and father.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
There was a.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Dormant darkness in his heart that had been kept down
by Jehoyada's kindness.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
He felt it.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Creeping in slowly. He felt anger, he felt pride. The
king had never been without the counsel of Jehoyida. Seeing
this void as an opportunity, a few of Judah's elders
came to him and bowed. They implored of the king
to take their advice. They painted themselves as Jehoiada's replacements.
(09:38):
They took advantage of Joash's vulnerable and malleable mind. Together
they conspired to abandon the Temple of God. They erected
monuments and polls to the pagan God Asherah, the depraved
idle worship, once eradicated, had resurfaced, and the people of
Judah suffered. As a result. Selfishness replaced generosity, lewdness replaced kindness,
(10:03):
anger replaced hope. All began to crumble. The Lord rumbled
with divine anger against joe Ash and his leaders. He
watched as all the progress established by Jehoiada blew away
like sand in a storm. The Lord sent a messenger
to joe Ash to counsel him back to holiness. To
do this, he sent Jehoyda's son, Zechariah. Zechariah stood firm
(10:28):
against joe Ash and his corrupt elders. He warned them
of what would happen if they continued to muddy their
minds with idolatry. Why do you stray from the Lord?
He asked? Were you not prospering when under his guidance?
Were you not loved and successful while worshiping him? Was
Judah not better off? Zechariah's words were true, but fell
(10:50):
on deaf ears. He saw Joasher's eyes. They were full
of hurt and pain. They were the eyes of a
man who had given in to the corruption in his
own heart. Zechariah sighed. He knew what was about to happen. However,
the Lord gave him boldness to say one final thing.
If you abandon the Lord, surely you will feel the consequences.
(11:14):
With those words, Zechariah was struck on the jaw by
the King's guard. He fell to the floor. Immediately, he
felt a flurry of kicks on his ribs and stomach.
Zechariah moaned in pain. As he rose to his feet,
he looked at Joash again. Resolute evil beamed from Joash's eyes.
Stone him, the king said, with a cold tone. Zechariah
(11:39):
was dragged out into the courtyard. He was tied to
a beam, facing an angry mob of Asherah worshippers. He
watched their hands caress the stones that would be thrown
at him. This was how the king repaid Jehoida by
killing his son. Zechariah sighed and lifted his eyes to heaven.
May you see what they are doing. Lord, May you
(12:00):
deal with them as you please. And with those final words,
Zechariah felt the onslaught of stones crush his bones and face.
Moments later, the bloodied corpse of the prophet was hanging
from the beam. His lifeless and mangled body was an
image of Judah's collective heart. Springtime came and the nation
of Judah was vulnerable. The Arramian army marched in with
(12:23):
a small army to plunder the outside towns. They invaded
with force and killed every leader that rode out against them.
Although their army was small, they were able to take
large portions of land. The armies of Judah were uninspired
and ill prepared under their selfish King Joash rode against
the Aramians. He flew in with his horse and sword,
(12:45):
expecting to save his nation from evil. However, he was
delivered a harsh blow and brutally wounded. Before they could
kill him, King joe Ash was taken back to Jerusalem
to heal. Joash slept in his bed. He coughed and
winced at his fresh wound. It was a moonless night,
and now shadows were cast in joe Ash's room. Leaders
(13:07):
that were loyal to God had crept in the middle
of the night and killed the king in his sleep.
Thus ended the forty year reign of joe Ash. His
life was a true tragedy. All the good he accomplished
in his life was blotted out by a few years
of corruption. Joe Ash serves as an example that past
good does not outweigh present failure. To be known and
(13:29):
remembered as a true leader, one must cling to God
in all seasons of life.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
As we began today's reading, Judah has a new king,
the young boy joe Ash. At just seven, he was
too young to bear the burden of leadership on his own,
so Jehoidah, who had cared for him while he hid
from his wicked grandmother at Elias, served as the boy's
teacher and counselor until he came of age. Jehoidah was
(14:01):
an honorable man who sought God and served with godly wisdom.
He instructed joe Ash in God's ways from an early
age until the young king came of age. It's a
reminder of us today that young people need godly leadership
and spiritual mentors in their lives, someone whose example can
provide wise counsel. This, of course, begins with parents and
(14:24):
pastors and others who have the responsibility to teach the young.
Because Jehoidah led the young king and taught him to
fear the Lord, God blessed the reign of joe Ash
as he matured when Joash saw the temple in disrepair,
he was moved to restore God's house, so he ordered
the priest to take up the taxes and offerings from
(14:44):
the people to fund the restoration of the temple. It
was an act of worship, recognizing that God's House was
a signed to the people of God's presence, and it
was also a sign to God that his people's hearts
were turned to him. The king was sure that the
people would be eager to give their offerings to the
Lord to accomplish this, but after years of Athaliah's rule
(15:05):
and her dishonest dealings with money, the people were reluctant
to contribute. They needed to learn to trust their leaders,
both the king and the priest. It is almost impossible
for a leader to inspire others and lead them when
there is a lack of trust. So joe Ash had
Jehoidah construct a chess with a hole in the top,
(15:26):
and whenever money was removed from the chest, there was
an open and transparent accounting of the funds. The people
then gave freely and the temple was restored. This was
not only a physical act of restoration and cleansing, but
a symbolic act that demonstrated the changed hearts of God's
people and their generosity. After years of faithful service, Jehoedah
(15:50):
left his earthly life to be with his heavenly father.
He served God and the King of Judah with honor, integrity,
and wisdom. Joe Ash had been given a strong example
from this godly man. Sadly, what followed Jehoidah's death is
an example of how quickly darkness can take over our
hearts when we lose focus. In Second Chronicles twenty four,
(16:11):
seventeen and eighteen we read this now, after the death
of Jehoidah, the princes of Judah came and paid homage
to the King. Then the King listened to them and
abandon the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers,
and serve the Asherim and the idols. How sad that
despite years under his wise mentor, joe Ash failed to
(16:33):
remember the Lord. This serves as a vivid reminder of
us today that though we are secure in our salvation
through Christ, it is possible to slip into sinful behavior
and live as though we are not honoring God when
we fail to keep our eyes on the Lord and
lean on his spirit to enable us. When we begin
(16:55):
listening to the wisdom of this world or to those
who represent the world, Darkness, like a lion, is waiting
to devour us. God was angry with the king and
sent a message through Zachariah, the son of Joash's mentor Jehodah.
Because he had abandoned God, God would turn away from him.
There was still time for repentance. If joe Ash had
(17:17):
heard these words and turned from his ways, history would
remember him differently. Instead, he closed his ears and his
heart to God, and he had Zachariah the prophet stoned
to death. The king's heart has now turned to darkness,
and Judah was with him. The nation was attacked by
the Aramians, and joe Ash suffered a devastating wound. He
(17:38):
made it home, only to be killed by a God
fearing man who desired to see Judah returned to the Lord,
and so ended the tragic life of a king who
began so well but ended so poorly. May his life
and his tragic death serve as a lesson to us today.
Dear God, thank you for your word. Always, thank you
(18:00):
for the truth of it, even when it is hard.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Truth.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Lord, we pledge that we will be faithful to you.
We're asking that your spirit would fill us and use
us all the days of our lives, that you would
guide us and guard us and protect us and provide
everything that we need to live in the fear of
the Lord always. And we pray this in the name
of Jesus. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible
(18:26):
in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
Download thepray dot com app and make prayer and Bible
study a priority in your life. If you enjoyed this podcast,
share it with someone you love, share it with a friend,
pass it on because this podcast can make a huge
difference in people's lives. I'm hearing wonderful stories of the
(18:48):
impact of God's Word as a result of listening to
Bible in a Year. And if you want more biblical resources,
resources from God's Word that will enable you and assist
you in your walk with God, then be sure to
visit Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham dot org.
God bless you.
Host
Jack Graham
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