2 Chronicles (Book of Chronicles). Bible Lesson 11
Just for your thoughts.
2 Chronicles (Book of Chronicles).
Bible Lesson 11
The Other Side of Joash.
When Joash was a child, it was the priest Jehoiada who protected him from the conspiracy of Athaliah, who tried to kill him and destroy the line of David.
Until his death, Jehoiada stood firmly as Joash’s support. As long as Jehoiada was alive, Joash remained safe.
But after Jehoiada’s death, Joash did not continue to walk in ways that pleased God.
When Jehoiada’s son realized this and rebuked Joash, proclaiming God’s word and warning him, the king commanded that he be stoned to death in the courtyard of the LORD’s temple.
King Joash did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, the father of Zechariah, had shown him, but instead killed his son.
(2 Chronicles 24:22)
This was Joash’s greatest act of ingratitude.
As a consequence, although the Syrian army came against him with only a small force, the LORD delivered the great army of Judah into the hands of the Syrians.
Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment came upon Joash.
(2 Chronicles 24:24)
In this battle he was severely wounded, and afterward he died
and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
Lessons God teaches us through these events:
1.When we live with God, even if very powerful enemies come against us, the damage done to us will not be great. But when we turn away from God’s ways, no matter how strong we may be, even a small enemy can bring us down. The life of Joash is a lesson to us in this regard.
2.When we turn away from God, we lose the reward of all the ministry we have done before. If we desire to receive the full reward of our spiritual labor, we must walk in the Lord’s ways until the end. If we turn aside, we cannot fully receive the fruit of the work we have done up to that point.
In the New Testament, John clearly writes about this:
“Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward.”
(2 John 1:8)
Joash was not only ungrateful to Jehoiada, but by turning away from God’s ways he also failed to attain the reward of the good deeds he had done until then. Just as our spiritual beginning should be excellent, so also our race and its end must be glorious. This is God’s will concerning us.
I would like to conclude by quoting the words of the apostle Paul:
“Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
(Galatians 3:3)
A good beginning is not a guarantee of a glorious ending.