Today’s passage: 2 Kings 12:1-21
Helpful thoughts:
- Joash/Jehoash became king at the age of seven.
- Jehoiada the High Priest lived to be 130!
- After Jehoiada’s death, Joash turned sharply toward idolatry, even killing Jehoiada’s son.
- Joash seems to have been responsible for refurbishing the Temple and then depleting it.
- Though this young king had survived the coup of his grandmother Athaliah, he would not make it to fifty years old. He was later killed by his own servants.
- Much more information about Joash’s reign can be found in 2 Chronicles 22:10-24:27.
Questions to consider:
- Why is verse 3 so important? When we pursue righteousness, how much righteousness should we pursue? Is it right to be satisfied with being mostly good? How did the Apostle Paul deal with this struggle (Romans 7:21-25)? If our church is the people, how important to the whole are our individual pursuits of godliness?
- In 2 Chronicles 24:4-5, we see why the Temple refurbishing didn’t get started as planned. In our passage in 2 Kings 12, we are told they did receive the money but would not use it for the Temple. How could these actions by the Levites and Priests have hurt the cause of their ministry? Why must the church today be honest and accountable with finances and maintain a good work ethic?
- What can Joash’s change in allegiances remind us of? Do we really need to be with people who will faithfully encourage us to pursue Christ? How does God’s gift of the local church help us to stay focused on Jesus?