Joash

Athaliah had finally fallen and Joash was now king. Only a boy, he leaned on Jehoiada for guidance as he ruled the kingdom. And as he grew, God blessed him with many children and a thriving kingdom. Looking out one day, Joash saw the temple of God in decay, that very moment he started planning its repair. After Joash rallied the people and the work was done, Jehoiada died and was given great honor. Now without the guidance of his mentor and substitute father, the king was led astray and the kingdom was led back into sin.

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 an attempt to secure her rule. But God’s plan to save His people through David could not be thwarted, and one child remained, Athaliah’s grandson Joash. When Joash was just seven the leaders of Judah overthrew Athaliah and installed him as king, with Jehoiada the high priest as his counsel. Today we’ll hear about Joash’s righteous rule under the tutelage of his guardian, and discover if the young king clung to his teaching even when Jehoiada was gone.