2 Chronicles 23-24

2 Chronicles 23-24

Scripture Thought (What I Learned):

Chapter 23: Athaliah is Slain

                In the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and made a covenant with the captains of the hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri. They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them; “…A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors; And a third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. But let none come into the house of the Lord, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they areholy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord. And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.” (2 Chronicles 4-7)

                So the Levites and all Judah did what Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed the divisions. And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of God. Then he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and by the temple. And they brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the Testimony, and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, “Long live the king!”

When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord. When she looked, she saw the king standing by a pillar with leaders and people playing trumpets and singers with musical instruments, everyone leading the king in praise… Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed of Treason! Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds, and commanded them to kill her and all who follow her. But he also commanded them not to kill her in the house of the Lord, so they took her by the entrance of the Horse Gate and killed her there.

                Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the people, and the king that they would be the Lord’s people. So all the people agreed and went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. The broke everything to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars of Baal. Jehoiada appointed the responsibility of the oversight of the house of the Lord to the priests, the levites, with whom David had assigned in the house of the Lord. They would be charged with offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses. Jehoiada also set gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter. Then he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the Lord; and they went through the Upper Gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom. So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

Chapter 24: Re-building the Temple

Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. And Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters. After Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord, he gathered the priests and the Levites, and commanded them to go to the cities of Judah and gather from all of Israel money to repair the house of the Lord God. However the Levites did not do it quickly. So at the king’s command they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of the Lord. And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of God had imposed on Israel in the wilderness. Then all the leaders and all the people rejoiced, they brought their contributions, and put them into the chest until all had given. The chest was then taken, under the hands of the Levites to the king’s scribe and the high priest’s officer came and emptied the chest. They did this on a daily basis until they had an abundance of money.

The king and Jehoiada gave this money for those who worked on the house of the Lord; and they hired masons and carpenters and those who worked in iron and bronze to restore the house of the Lord. After some time, they restored the house of God to its original condition and reinforced it. When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; and with the excess funds, they made articles for the house of the Lord, articles for serving and offering, spoons and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.

 Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of one hundred and thirty years old. They buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done well in Israel, both toward God and His house. After the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king. And the king listened to them. Therefore they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served wooden images and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of this. Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the Lord; and they testified against them, and would not listen.

                Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and he asked the people why they transgressed against the commandments of the Lord. Because they had transgressed they did not prosper. The people were angered and at the command of the king, they stoned him in the courthouse of the Lord. Joash did not remember the kindness of which his father Jehoiada had done to him, and killed his son.

In the spring of that year the army of Syria came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the leaders of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. The army of the Syrians was small, but the Lord delivered a very large army into their hand, because the people had forsaken the Lord and they executed judgmenet against Joash. After the army had withdrawn from him (for they left him severely wounded), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died. And they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.

These are the ones who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. More information is written concerning his sons, and the many oracles about him, and the repairing of the house of God, they are written in the annals of the book of the kings, yet another LOST book of the Bible. Then Amaziah his son reigned in his place.