Hello my ‘Walking with Jesus” friends,
The words “Child Prodigy” are sometimes used when describing a young child who has remarkable ability in music or art or athletics or even intelligence in school, particularly in math or science. Maybe you’ve had the privilege of knowing one of these very unusual and gifted young human beings. At other times adult expectations and roles are thrust upon children out of necessity in the crisis of unusual circumstances.
Today, as we continue our journey through 2 Chronicles in the Bible, we meet a young boy named Joash, who finds himself in that exact situation. The year was about 835bc and in Jerusalem life was indescribably difficult and chaotic. As we saw yesterday an evil woman named Athaliah had slaughtered the royal family, after the death of her son King Ahaziah, and then she declared herself Queen of the southern kingdom Judah, with her throne in Jerusalem. That story is found in 2 Chronicles 22.
Perhaps you’ve discovered that no matter how well you think you understand your city there are always more things going on under the surface, unknown to you, and that was true in Jerusalem in 835bc. While wicked Athaliah led her reign of terror for 6 full years, what she and most of Jerusalem did not know was that there was a little child growing up in the care of a kind woman named Jehosheba in the home of a courageous priest of the Temple of God.
The priest’s name was Jehoiada and that infant boy Joash was a prince of the royal family! Young Joash had been spared in the slaughter when Jehoshaba kidnapped him to safety, out of the royal nursery, protecting him from the ravages of wicked Athaliah. (2 Chron. 22:11,12) In those six years Jehosheba loved Joash as her own son, and priest Jehoiada taught little Joash about the God of Israel, and the history of Israel, going all the way back to Abraham.
It should not be difficult for us to imagine the seriousness with which these two adults faced each day. They understood God had called them to a very special assignment. They were preparing this little boy to be the next king of God’s people in Jerusalem, and because times were so terrible this boy would not have the luxury of a normal childhood or upbringing. Little Joash needed to learn as much as he could as fast as he could!
The record tells us it was in the seventh year of Queen Athaliah’s reign that priest Jehoiada discerned the time had come for action! Certain trusted leaders were sent by priest Jehoiada throughout the land with a secret mission: “They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, the whole assembly made a covenant with young Joash at the Temple of God.” (2 Chronicles 23:2,3)
Joash was still a child, only 7 years of age, yet being the only surviving male of the royal family, it was his duty to accept the kingship if an intervention was to take place and wicked Athaliah was to be removed from her illegitimate authority over Jerusalem and the people Judah. Jehoiada had obviously been planning and praying about this for quite some time, for 2 Chronicles 23 gives us considerable detail about exactly who and where he stationed just the right people, armed for battle if necessary, in this, one of the most important moments in the long history of the great city of Jerusalem.
As the critical moment arrived, the record describes it this way: “Priest Jehoiada brought out the king’s son (Joash) and put the royal crown on his head. They presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him King. They anointed him and shouted ‘Long live the king!” The great noise of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people celebrating reached the ears of Queen Athaliah and startled, she ran to look at what was happening.
What she saw shocked her: “She looked and there was the young king standing by his pillar at the entrance to the Temple. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king and all the people were rejoicing…and the musicians were leading the people in praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, ‘Treason! Treason!” (2 Chronicles 23:11-13)
Perhaps Queen Athaliah thought she had sufficient loyal followers who would rise up to defend her and put down this insurrection. But Jehoiada had such a well developed plan, and the people were so anxious to rid Jerusalem of this wicked woman, that within moments Athaliah and her followers were rounded up and put to death. (2 Chron. 23:14,15)
Then we find a very powerful statement which reflects a total and dramatic change in Jerusalem: “Jehoiada then made a covenant that he, the people and the king would be the LORD’s people. All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the Temple of the LORD in the hands of the Levitical priests… He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the LORD’s temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.” (2 Chronicles 23:16-19)
Do you love it when a well prepared plan works out almost perfectly? Seems to me that is what happened in Jerusalem that day. Did you notice the extent to which Jehoiada led the people to make an entirely fresh, new start with ‘child prodigy’ King Joash? Not only was wicked Queen Athaliah deposed, and her government followers with her, but also the wicked spiritual leader of the idolatrous Baal movement was destroyed and the Baal temple demolished!
With the cleansing accomplished it was time for a unified self-recommitment by the people and young King Joash to BE, in every way, the people of Almighty, Holy God of Israel. That must have been a very special, even sacred worship ceremony! Then an inaugural parade took young King Joash to the palace and seated him on the throne of Judah. (2 Chron. 23:20) Can you see it in your mind’s eye? A little 7 year old boy, sitting on the king’s throne, wearing the king’s robe with the king’s crown on his head!
But that little boy had the heart of a passionate young adult and his little mind had been filled and prepared by his mentor, faithful priest Jehoiada, for this dramatic moment. This remarkable statement summarizes this historic event: “All the people of the land rejoiced, and Jerusalem was calm, because wicked Athaliah had been slain with the sword. Joash was seven years old when he became king and he reigned in Jerusalem forty (40) years!… Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD God all the days of Jehoiada the priest…” (2 Chronicles 23:21-24:1, 2)
Oh my what a transformation! From the wicked, tumultuous leadership of King Jehoram and his mother Athaliah, which so deeply scarred Jerusalem after the glorious, long, God blessed reign of King Jehoshaphat…to once again a long reign of a God honoring king and his mentor, God honoring priest Jehoiada! What a wonderful time of renewal and spiritual restoration was taking place in Jerusalem!
Tomorrow we’ll take a close look at those wonderful years, for today, can you see yourself anywhere in this great story of renewed hope and cleansing? What might God be speaking to you and me about today my friends? Oh here’s a special song that comes to us from Jamaica and it might help us understand what the praise was like rising up from those people in Jerusalem that glorious day of new beginnings.
Today’s Scripture: 2 Chronicles 23:1-24:2.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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