Saturday 19 June 2010

Background

In yesterday's passage we read that theyoung king Joash began his reign well and had rebuilt the Temple.The Chronicler (the traditional name for the author of 1 and 2Chronicles) divides the reign into the good years and the badyears. The divide comes when Joash's wise advisor Jehoiada dies.The suggestion in this passage is that new advisors led the kingastray, but there is also the inference that that he was compliantin the process.

All the things established in the early part of Joash's reignrestoring the worship of Yahweh (another name for God) and thejustice of the community are abandoned. There is also thesuggestion that the purging of Baal (a local god) worship was notas thorough as the early passage of this chapter would suggest(see 2 Kings 12:3).

The role of Zechariah is significant, if brief. The prophetZechariah confirms the plight of Israel which abandons Yahweh andforsakes its faith. Always the prophets hold together the notionthat to abandon faith and worship in Yahweh leads inevitably tocorruption, injustice and defeat.

In the 'holy war' ideology of Israel, Yahweh fought for the peopleso that a small force could overthrow a larger force (eg Gideon,David) but here the reverse happens. A small force from Aram (inmodern-day Syria) sweeps up the coastal plain and overpowersDamascus and all in its path. King Joash meets his end and isconsigned to an ignominious grave. Jehoiada, the earlier advisor,had been accorded the honour of being buried in the tomb of thekings, but not so for Joash, who began so well but allowed himselfto be deceived.

To Ponder

The prophets held together doing justice andpreaching grace. How is your church doing?

Reflect on your journey of faith. How easy is itto abandon the things you say that you hold dear?

How would you like to be remembered? What needsto be done to effect that?