2 Kings 12:19-21
The Death of Joash
Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? His servants arose and made a conspiracy and struck down Joash in the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla. It was Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, who struck him down, so that he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
Tag: Sin is Costly in Old Age
Joash started out as a good king in Judah. He was rescued when he was young and, as a young king, he brought in reforms for God. During his reign God was honored. However, in his later years, something happened. We are not given the details as to what he did, but we know that in his later life he failed to follow through in the same way he did in his younger life. The key was probably the death of the priest, Jehoiada. Without an immediate supervisor, Joash, was not able to carry thorough with his commitment to God and God’s laws. Leadership without spiritual influence will eventually go wrong. Without having someone to speak into the life of the leader in regard to spiritual minded things, all leaders will be end up like Joash. As a result of his failure to follow God, his own servants conspired to take his life. His disobedience removed God’s protection from his life. God will watch over the leaders who give honor to him. In Joash’s early life that is what happened. But, in the later part of his life, he failed to heed God’s Word and sought other ways to lead. In the story just before these verses we read that, instead of honoring God and trusting God in the midst of a threat from the King of Syria, he, rather, paid the King off. Instead of coming to God for help he used his riches to protect himself and God’s people. Note what Solomon says about that approach:
Proverbs 11:28
Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
In our later life we need to be as enthusiastic for God as in our younger life. Leadership can’t afford to cease following God.
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