The story of Joash the baby, the boy and the man contains a deep lesson for the believer. ' Here was one who was rescued from the unsparing hand of his idol worshiping grandmother, who was set upon the death of every one of her offspring that might have lived to sit upon David's throne. It was God who intervened, that the line of David's sons might be maintained till David's great Son should be born of Mary, the virgin of Nazareth (Luke 1:2727To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. (Luke 1:27)).
He had likewise intervened to preserve that other infant of promise, the three months' old Moses (Exodus 2).
In the course of time each boy, for the two cases are parallel, having been sheltered in God's various ways from that power of Satan which ruled where he lived, was introduced to a position of responsibility and opportunity for service for God and His earthly people. And presently the parallel ceases; the courses of the two as men diverge; for Moses, though having to go through deep exercises of soul, later was a most faithful servant of God, chosen to lead His people with all their murmurings and self-will and unbelief so often manifested, to the banks of the Jordan; but Joash, somewhat like Lot, Abraham's nephew (Genesis 13:10-11,10And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 11Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. (Genesis 13:10‑11) and later chapters) having lived for a time in the strength of another's faith, later failed most lamentably.
We must not think however, that Joash, while the godly high priest lived, showed none of the energy of faith, for it was the king and not the priest who was minded to repair the sadly neglected and despoiled temple (verses 4, 7), and he reproved Jehoida for his negligence concerning the matter (verse 6).
Observe, also, the happy results of a little energy in the things of God (verses 10 to 14). It was not a day of display, nor of a Solomon in his glory, but of a little testimony amid manifest ruin, and hearts were blessed while God was glorified.
God spared Jehoida, an old man already when Joash was born, to live, as we judge, almost to the close of the king's long reign, and he was buried among the kings because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and toward His house. But after this,—so little is man to be trusted or depended upon,—the princes of Judah had but to come to the king with flattery, or that which appealed to his vanity and pride, and he hearkened to them. And what was their counsel, these leaders of Judah? To abandon the divine Center, and serve Asherahs and idols; and this they did,—the king and the head men of the land; forgotten was the Blesser; ignored the blessings of His hand!
Wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this, for God does not fail to notice the ways of the inhabitants of the world He made, and particularly they who profess His name, and live in privileged countries.
He sent prophets to them, not here named, but as Elisha was yet living, he may have been one; Jonah was perhaps another (2 Kings 14:2525He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gath-hepher. (2 Kings 14:25)). The prophets were refused, and Zechariah the son of Jehoida was put to death in the court of the temple at the commandment of the king, because he gave the people a message from God about their ways.
The rest of Joash's story is soon told; within a year a small army of the host of Syria came and destroyed the princes of the people, carried away all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold found in the treasures of the temple, and in the king's house (2 Kings 12:17-1817Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. 18And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem. (2 Kings 12:17‑18)).
While in bad health, his servants killed him on his bed, and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.