Joash Repairs the House of the Lord God |
2 Chronicles 24:1-27 2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks] |
Joash was 7 years old when he began to [rule] & he [ruled] 40 years in Jerusalem. Also, his mother’s name was Zibiah of BeerSheba. Joash did [what] was right in the sight of the Lord, all the [years] of Jehoiada, the priest. |
Jehoiada [chose] 2 wives [for Joash.] [Joash fathered] sons & daughters. After this, Joash was [determined] to repair the house of the Lord [God.] He gathered together the priests & Levites & said to them, Go into the cities of Judah & all Israel & gather money to repair the house of your God, from year to year. |
See that you [rush this] matter, [since] the Levites [haven’t moved with speed to do it.] |
King [Joash] called for Jehoiada, chief [priest] & said to him, Why [haven't] you required the Levites to bring out the collection [of money] from Judah, Jerusalem & the congregation of Israel for the Tabernacle of Witness, according to [Moses’ command], the servant of the Lord? |
For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God & also [took] all the dedicated things of the [Lord’s] house & [presented them for] Baalim [a false god.] |
[2 Chronicles 21:17 And they came up into Judah & broke into the king’s [palace] & carried away all [Jeroham’s possessions:] also, his sons & wives. There [wasn’t] a son left [to [Jeroham, except] the youngest of his sons.] |
And at king [Joash’s] command, they made a chest & set it [outside] at the gate of the [Lord’s] house. They made a proclamation [in] Judah & Jerusalem to bring the collection [money] to the Lord, that Moses, the servant of God, [had imposed] upon Israel in the wilderness. |
All the princes [officials] & people rejoiced & brought in [the money & dropped] it into the chest, until [the chest was full.] It [happened] at that time, the Levites brought the chest to the king’s office. |
When they saw there was [lots of] money, the king’s scribe & the high priest’s officer came & emptied the chest & [returned it to its] place again. They did [this] day by day & gathered [an] abundance of money. |
King [Joash] & Jehoiada gave it to [those who supervised] the work & [provided] the service of the [Lord’s] house. [They] hired masons & carpenters to repair the [Lord’s] house. Also, [they hired those who] work with iron & brass to [fix] the [Lord’s] house. |
So, the workmen did the work & [it] was [repaired by] them. They [got] the house of God [in its original condition] & strengthened it. When they had finished it, they brought t[& put] he rest of the money [in front of] king [Joash] & Jehoiada. |
[It was used to make] vessels for the [Lord’s] house. Vessels to minister, to [make offerings,] spoons, vessels of gold & silver. They offered burnt offerings in the [Lord’s] house continually all the days of [Jehoiada, the high priest’s life.] |
But Jehoiada [grew] old & full of [years] when he died [at] 130 years old. They buried [Jehoiada] in the city of David among the kings, because he did good in Israel, both toward God & toward [the Lord’s] house. |
After [Jehoiada’s] death, the princes [officials] of Judah [bowed] to the king & the king [listened[ to them. They [abandoned] the house of the Lord God of their [forefathers] & served groves & idols & [fury] came upon Judah & Jerusalem for this sin [of theirs.] |
Yet, [God] sent prophets to them, to bring them [back] to the Lord again. They testified against [the prophets & wouldn’t listen] to them. The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, [Jehoiada’s] son, the priest. |
[Zechariah] stood above the people & said to them, God [says this,] Why [do you sin against] the commandments of the Lord, [so] that you can’t prosper? Because you have [abandoned] the Lord, He has also [abandoned] you. |
They conspired again [Zechariah] & stoned him [to death] at the [command] of king [Joash,] in the [courtyard] of the [Lord’s] house. [King] Joash [didn’t remember] the kindness which Jehoiada had done to [Joash,] but [killed Jehoiada’s] son, [Zechariah.] |
When [Zechariah] died, he said, May the Lord look up on [this & call you to account for it.] At the end of the year, [Syria’s] army came up against [Joash,] to Judah & Jerusalem & destroyed all the princes among the people & sent all [their plunder] to the king of Damascus. |
The [Syrian] army came with a small company of men, [but] the Lord delivered the very [large army of Judah & Jerusalem] into the [hands of the Syrians,] because [the Israelites abandoned] the Lord God of their [forefathers.] So, they executed judgment against Joash. |
[Ezekiel 5:17 So I will send upon you famine & [wild animals] & [you shall suffer the loss of loved ones] & pestilence & [bloodshed] shall pass through [your land.] And I will bring the sword upon you. I, the Lord, have spoken it.] |
When they [had] departed from him (for they left [Joash, Who was very diseased],) his own servants conspired against [Joash,] for the [bloodshed] of the [son] of Jehoiada, the priest. They [killed Joash] on his bed & he died. |
They buried [Joash] in the city of David, but not in the [tombs] of the kings. [Those who] conspired against [Joash] are: Zabad, [Shimeath’s] son, an [Ammonite] & Jehozabad, [Shimrith’s] son, a [Moabite.] |
Now, [about Joash’s] sons & the large] burden [Joash had] laid upon him & repairing the house of God, [look] they are written in the [records] of the Book of the Kings. And Amaziah, his son [ruled] in his [place.] |