2 Chronicles 24 Study Notes: Joash Repairs the Temple and Turns Away
Joash serves the LORD while Jehoiada the priest lives and gathers money in a chest to restore the temple. After Jehoiada dies, Joash and the officials turn to idols, and Joash has Jehoiada’s son Zechariah stoned for warning them. A small Aramean army defeats Judah, and Joash’s servants kill him.
General
How did the officials and people respond when the chest was set at the temple gate and the collection was announced (2 Chronicles 24:10)?
Answer: They gladly gave until the chest was filled
Joash ordered a chest to be built and set outside by the temple gate, and a proclamation went through Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the LORD the levy Moses had imposed (24:8-9). All the officials and people gladly brought their gifts, filling the chest to the top; the chest was emptied daily, and money was gathered in abundance (24:10-11). The workers then restored God’s house, and the leftover money was made into articles for worship (24:13-14). Their giving was glad, not grudging. Scripture commends this spirit: at the tabernacle the willing-hearted brought their gifts (Exodus 35:21), in David’s day the people were glad to give freely to the LORD (1 Chronicles 29:9), and God delights in one who gives cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7).
- 2 Chronicles 24:10 (BSB)“All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought their contributions, and they dropped them in the chest until it was full.”The officials and people rejoice and fill the chest with their contributions.
- Exodus 35:21 (BSB)“And everyone whose heart stirred him and whose spirit prompted him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its services, and for the holy garments.”Everyone whose heart stirred him brought an offering for the Tent of Meeting.
- 1 Chronicles 29:9 (BSB)“And the people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given to the LORD freely and wholeheartedly. And King David also rejoiced greatly.”The people rejoiced because they had given to the LORD freely and wholeheartedly.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7 (BSB)“Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.”God loves a cheerful giver.
Theological
What was the response of the officials and people to Joash’s chest and proclamation (2 Chronicles 24:10)?
Answer: They gladly gave until the chest was filled
Once the chest was placed at the gate and the Mosaic levy proclaimed (24:8-9), officials and people alike gave with rejoicing until it was filled, so that money accumulated daily in abundance (24:10-11). The restoration was completed and the surplus fashioned into vessels for worship (24:13-14). Glad, willing giving is a consistent mark of God’s people, from the tabernacle (Exodus 35:21) to David’s temple preparations (1 Chronicles 29:9) to the apostolic church (2 Corinthians 9:7).
- 2 Chronicles 24:10 (BSB)“All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought their contributions, and they dropped them in the chest until it was full.”The officials and people rejoice and fill the chest with their contributions.
- Exodus 35:21 (BSB)“And everyone whose heart stirred him and whose spirit prompted him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its services, and for the holy garments.”Everyone whose heart stirred him brought an offering for the Tent of Meeting.
- 1 Chronicles 29:9 (BSB)“And the people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given to the LORD freely and wholeheartedly. And King David also rejoiced greatly.”The people rejoiced because they had given to the LORD freely and wholeheartedly.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7 (BSB)“Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.”God loves a cheerful giver.
General
Why was Jehoiada the priest buried among the kings in David’s city (2 Chronicles 24:16)?
Answer: He had served God, His temple, and Israel well
Jehoiada lived to a great age and died at 130 (24:15). He was buried in David’s city among the kings, for the good he had done in Israel toward God and His house (24:16). Throughout his days burnt offerings had been offered regularly in the temple (24:14). A priest received a king’s burial because of his faithful service, in sharp contrast with Joash himself, who would later be buried in David’s city and yet was kept out of the royal tombs (24:25). God had said that He honors those who honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30), and the righteous are remembered with blessing (Proverbs 10:7).
- 2 Chronicles 24:15-16 (BSB)“When Jehoiada was old and full of years, he died at the age of 130. And Jehoiada was buried with the kings in the City of David, because he had done what was good in Israel for God and His temple.”Jehoiada dies old and is buried with the kings because of the good he had done.
- 1 Samuel 2:30 (BSB)“Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.”The LORD declares that He will honor those who honor Him.
- Proverbs 10:7 (BSB)“The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.”The memory of the righteous is a blessing.
Theological
What reason does the text give for Jehoiada’s burial among the kings (2 Chronicles 24:16)?
Answer: He had served God, His temple, and Israel well
Jehoiada dies full of years (24:15) and receives royal burial for his good service to God, His house, and Israel (24:16), the temple worship having continued regularly throughout his days (24:14). The honor given to the faithful priest stands against the dishonor later given to Joash, who was denied the royal tombs (24:25). The LORD honors those who honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30), and the righteous are remembered with blessing (Proverbs 10:7).
- 2 Chronicles 24:15-16 (BSB)“When Jehoiada was old and full of years, he died at the age of 130. And Jehoiada was buried with the kings in the City of David, because he had done what was good in Israel for God and His temple.”Jehoiada dies old and is buried with the kings because of the good he had done.
- 1 Samuel 2:30 (BSB)“Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.”The LORD declares that He will honor those who honor Him.
- Proverbs 10:7 (BSB)“The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.”The memory of the righteous is a blessing.
General
True or False: Although Joash’s servants killed him, he was buried with honor in the royal tombs, as Jehoiada had been.
Answer: False
This is false. After the Arameans withdrew and left Joash badly wounded, his servants plotted against him because he had killed Jehoiada’s son, and murdered him in his bed (24:25). He was buried in David’s city but kept out of the royal tombs (24:25), whereas the priest Jehoiada had been buried among the kings because of the good he had done (24:16). Chronicles presents his death as part of the judgment that fell on him (24:24-25). The king who repaid kindness with murder was denied a place with the kings, as his grandfather Jehoram had been (21:20), while the faithful priest received one. Scripture teaches that a person reaps what he sows (Galatians 6:7).
- 2 Chronicles 24:16 (BSB)“And Jehoiada was buried with the kings in the City of David, because he had done what was good in Israel for God and His temple.”Jehoiada, by contrast, was buried with the kings because of the good he had done.
- 2 Chronicles 21:20 (BSB)“Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He died, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.”Jehoram too was buried in the City of David but not in the tombs of the kings.
- Galatians 6:7 (BSB)“Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.”God is not mocked; whatever a man sows, he will reap.
Theological
True or False: Joash, though assassinated by his servants, received burial in the royal tombs like Jehoiada.
Answer: False
This is false. Joash’s servants conspire against him for the blood of Jehoiada’s son and kill him, and he is buried in David’s city but excluded from the royal tombs (24:25). The contrast with Jehoiada, honored with burial among the kings for the good he had done (24:16), is stark, and the exclusion matches that of Jehoram (21:20). Chronicles frames the whole end of Joash as judgment (24:24-25), the harvest of what he sowed (Galatians 6:7).
- 2 Chronicles 24:16 (BSB)“And Jehoiada was buried with the kings in the City of David, because he had done what was good in Israel for God and His temple.”Jehoiada, by contrast, was buried with the kings because of the good he had done.
- 2 Chronicles 21:20 (BSB)“Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He died, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.”Jehoram too was buried in the City of David but not in the tombs of the kings.
- Galatians 6:7 (BSB)“Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.”God is not mocked; whatever a man sows, he will reap.
General
When Zechariah was stoned on the king’s order, what does the text say Joash forgot (2 Chronicles 24:22)?
Answer: The kindness Jehoiada had shown him
Instead of heeding Zechariah, the people conspired against him, and at the king’s order they stoned him to death in the temple court (24:21). The verdict follows: Joash forgot the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown him, and he killed Jehoiada’s son (24:22). Jehoiada’s wife had hidden Joash as a small child (22:11), and Jehoiada had made him king (23:11), yet Joash repaid that kindness with murder at God’s own house. Proverbs warns that repaying good with evil brings lasting trouble on a household (Proverbs 17:13), and Scripture calls God’s people not to forget His kindness (Psalm 103:2).
- 2 Chronicles 24:21 (BSB)“But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD.”At the king’s command the people stone Zechariah in the temple courtyard.
- 2 Chronicles 24:22 (BSB)“Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada’s son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see this and call you to account.””Joash failed to remember Jehoiada’s kindness and killed his son.
- Proverbs 17:13 (BSB)“If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.”Evil will not leave the house of one who returns evil for good.
- Psalm 103:2 (BSB)“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds—”God’s people are called not to forget His kind deeds.
Theological
In putting Zechariah to death, what did Joash fail to remember, according to 2 Chronicles 24:22?
Answer: The kindness Jehoiada had shown him
The people plot against Zechariah, and at royal command he is stoned in the temple court (24:21). The verdict is pointed: Joash forgot the loyal kindness of Jehoiada and killed his son (24:22). The king who owed his life and throne to Jehoiada’s household (22:11; 23:11) repays good with evil, a sin Proverbs says brings enduring evil on one’s house (Proverbs 17:13), and a failure of the gratitude Scripture commands toward God Himself (Psalm 103:2).
- 2 Chronicles 24:21 (BSB)“But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD.”At the king’s command the people stone Zechariah in the temple courtyard.
- 2 Chronicles 24:22 (BSB)“Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada’s son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see this and call you to account.””Joash failed to remember Jehoiada’s kindness and killed his son.
- Proverbs 17:13 (BSB)“If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.”Evil will not leave the house of one who returns evil for good.
- Psalm 103:2 (BSB)“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds—”God’s people are called not to forget His kind deeds.
General
What were Zechariah’s words as he was dying (2 Chronicles 24:22)?
Answer: He asked the LORD to see and hold them to account
While he was dying, Zechariah called on the LORD to see what had been done and to call them to account (24:22). That reckoning came: in the spring a small Aramean force defeated Judah’s large army and judgment was carried out on Joash (24:24), and afterward the king’s servants plotted against him and killed him because he had shed the blood of Jehoiada’s son (24:25). Jesus later spoke of the blood of every prophet, from Abel to Zechariah, slain at the temple, and said that generation would be held responsible for it (Luke 11:50-51).
- 2 Chronicles 24:22 (BSB)“Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada’s son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see this and call you to account.””Zechariah, dying, asks the LORD to see and call them to account.
- 2 Chronicles 24:24 (BSB)“Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.”Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, judgment was executed on Joash.
- Luke 11:50-51 (BSB)“As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.”Jesus speaks of the blood of the prophets from Abel to Zechariah.
Theological
What did Zechariah say in his final moments (2 Chronicles 24:22)?
Answer: He asked the LORD to see and hold them to account
Zechariah’s dying words call on the LORD to see the deed and require an account of it (24:22). The reckoning follows in the judgment executed on Joash through the Aramean defeat (24:24) and his death at the hands of his own servants for the blood of Jehoiada’s son (24:25). Jesus speaks of the blood of the prophets from Abel to Zechariah, slain at the temple, and says it would be charged to that generation (Luke 11:50-51).
- 2 Chronicles 24:22 (BSB)“Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada’s son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see this and call you to account.””Zechariah, dying, asks the LORD to see and call them to account.
- 2 Chronicles 24:24 (BSB)“Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.”Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, judgment was executed on Joash.
- Luke 11:50-51 (BSB)“As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.”Jesus speaks of the blood of the prophets from Abel to Zechariah.
General
What happened after Jehoiada died (2 Chronicles 24:17-18)?
Answer: Judah’s officials swayed Joash, and they turned to Asherah and idols
After Jehoiada’s death, Judah’s officials came and bowed before the king, and Joash listened to them (24:17). They abandoned the LORD’s temple and served Asherah poles (wooden poles or images linked to the goddess Asherah) and idols, and God’s wrath fell on Judah and Jerusalem because of this guilt (24:18). The text ties Joash’s faithfulness to Jehoiada’s lifetime (24:2); once his guide was gone he followed new advisers into idolatry, much as his father Ahaziah had been led astray by wicked counselors (22:3-4). God’s law forbade setting up an Asherah pole beside His altar (Deuteronomy 16:21), and Proverbs warns that whoever keeps company with fools comes to harm (Proverbs 13:20).
- 2 Chronicles 24:17-18 (BSB)“After the death of Jehoiada, however, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and idols. So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.”The officials pay homage, the king listens, and they serve Asherah poles and idols.
- 2 Chronicles 22:3-4 (BSB)“Ahaziah also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in wickedness. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for to his destruction they were his counselors after the death of his father.”Joash’s father Ahaziah had likewise been led into evil by his counselors.
- Deuteronomy 16:21 (BSB)“Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole next to the altar you will build for the LORD your God,”God forbade setting up an Asherah pole beside His altar.
- Proverbs 13:20 (BSB)“He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.”The companion of fools will be destroyed.
Theological
What turn does Joash’s reign take after Jehoiada’s death (2 Chronicles 24:17-18)?
Answer: Judah’s officials swayed Joash, and they turned to Asherah and idols
With Jehoiada gone, Judah’s officials court the king, and Joash heeds them (24:17). The result is apostasy, abandoning the LORD’s house for Asherah poles and other idols, and wrath falls on Judah and Jerusalem (24:18). Joash repeats the pattern of his father Ahaziah, ruined by evil counsel (22:3-4). Asherah worship was expressly forbidden beside the LORD’s altar (Deuteronomy 16:21), and whoever keeps company with fools comes to ruin (Proverbs 13:20).
- 2 Chronicles 24:17-18 (BSB)“After the death of Jehoiada, however, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and idols. So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.”The officials pay homage, the king listens, and they serve Asherah poles and idols.
- 2 Chronicles 22:3-4 (BSB)“Ahaziah also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in wickedness. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for to his destruction they were his counselors after the death of his father.”Joash’s father Ahaziah had likewise been led into evil by his counselors.
- Deuteronomy 16:21 (BSB)“Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole next to the altar you will build for the LORD your God,”God forbade setting up an Asherah pole beside His altar.
- Proverbs 13:20 (BSB)“He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.”The companion of fools will be destroyed.
General
True or False: After Judah turned to idols, God sent prophets to turn Judah back to Himself, but they refused to heed them.
Answer: True
This is true. Even after Judah turned to idols, God sent prophets (messengers who spoke His word) to call Judah back to Himself and to bear witness against their sin, but they refused to hear (24:19). Even with wrath already upon Judah (24:18), God kept warning them before the Aramean judgment fell, a sign of His patience. Chronicles ends with the same pattern on a larger scale: the LORD sent messengers again and again out of compassion for His people, but they mocked them until there was no remedy (36:15-16). Nehemiah’s prayer likewise recalls how God’s Spirit warned Israel through the prophets, yet the people refused to hear (Nehemiah 9:30), and Jeremiah records the same persistent refusal (Jeremiah 7:25-26).
- 2 Chronicles 24:19 (BSB)“Nevertheless, the LORD sent prophets to bring the people back to Him and to testify against them, but they would not listen.”The LORD sends prophets to bring the people back, but they will not listen.
- 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 (BSB)“Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.”The LORD sent His messengers again and again out of compassion, but they were mocked.
- Nehemiah 9:30 (BSB)“You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets. Yet they would not listen, so You gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.”God’s Spirit admonished Israel through the prophets, yet they would not listen.
- Jeremiah 7:25-26 (BSB)“From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again. Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.”God sent His servants the prophets again and again, but Israel would not listen.
Theological
True or False: After Judah’s turn to idolatry, God sent prophets to call the people back, and they refused to hear.
Answer: True
This is true. Even with wrath already upon Judah (24:18), and before the Aramean judgment falls, God sends prophets to restore the people and to bear witness against them, and they refuse to hear (24:19). The pattern of patient, compassionate warning rejected recurs at the climax of the book (36:15-16), is confessed in Nehemiah’s prayer (Nehemiah 9:30), and is lamented by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:25-26).
- 2 Chronicles 24:19 (BSB)“Nevertheless, the LORD sent prophets to bring the people back to Him and to testify against them, but they would not listen.”The LORD sends prophets to bring the people back, but they will not listen.
- 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 (BSB)“Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.”The LORD sent His messengers again and again out of compassion, but they were mocked.
- Nehemiah 9:30 (BSB)“You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets. Yet they would not listen, so You gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.”God’s Spirit admonished Israel through the prophets, yet they would not listen.
- Jeremiah 7:25-26 (BSB)“From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again. Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.”God sent His servants the prophets again and again, but Israel would not listen.
General
How long does 2 Chronicles 24:2 say Joash did what pleased the LORD?
Answer: As long as Jehoiada the priest was alive
Joash pleased the LORD throughout the lifetime of the priest Jehoiada (24:2). That limit foreshadows what follows: after Jehoiada died, Joash listened to Judah’s officials, and they abandoned the LORD’s house for idols (24:17-18). A godly guide is a great gift, since walking with the wise makes a person wise (Proverbs 13:20), but Joash’s faithfulness did not outlast his guide. Chronicles records a similar pattern with Uzziah, who sought God while Zechariah taught him to revere God, and prospered while he did so (26:5).
- 2 Chronicles 24:2 (BSB)“And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.”Joash did right in the LORD’s eyes all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
- 2 Chronicles 24:17-18 (BSB)“After the death of Jehoiada, however, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and idols. So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.”After Jehoiada’s death Joash listens to the officials and they turn to idols.
- 2 Chronicles 26:5 (BSB)“He sought God throughout the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. And as long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.”Uzziah likewise sought God during the days of the one who instructed him.
- Proverbs 13:20 (BSB)“He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.”Walking with the wise makes a person wise.
Theological
What limit does 2 Chronicles 24:2 place on Joash’s faithfulness?
Answer: As long as Jehoiada the priest was alive
Joash’s obedience is explicitly bounded by Jehoiada’s lifetime (24:2), and the qualification anticipates his apostasy once the priest is gone (24:17-18). Faithfulness that rests on another’s influence proves fragile. The same dynamic of godly instruction and its fruit appears with Uzziah under Zechariah (26:5), and Proverbs commends the company of the wise (Proverbs 13:20).
- 2 Chronicles 24:2 (BSB)“And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.”Joash did right in the LORD’s eyes all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
- 2 Chronicles 24:17-18 (BSB)“After the death of Jehoiada, however, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and idols. So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.”After Jehoiada’s death Joash listens to the officials and they turn to idols.
- 2 Chronicles 26:5 (BSB)“He sought God throughout the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. And as long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.”Uzziah likewise sought God during the days of the one who instructed him.
- Proverbs 13:20 (BSB)“He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.”Walking with the wise makes a person wise.
General
Why did the small Aramean army defeat Judah’s much larger army (2 Chronicles 24:24)?
Answer: The LORD gave Judah over because they had forsaken Him
When spring came, the Aramean army came against Joash, invaded Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed the people’s leaders, and carried the spoil off to Damascus for their king (24:23). Although the Arameans came with a small force, the LORD handed over to them a very large army, since Judah had abandoned Him; so judgment fell on Joash (24:24). This reverses the earlier victories Judah won by trusting in the LORD (13:18; 14:11). Moses asked how one man could rout a thousand unless God had handed His people over (Deuteronomy 32:30), and warned that disobedience would bring defeat before enemies (Deuteronomy 28:25).
- 2 Chronicles 24:24 (BSB)“Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.”A small Aramean force defeats Judah’s great army because Judah had forsaken the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 13:18 (BSB)“Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.”Judah earlier prevailed because they relied on the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 14:11 (BSB)“Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.””Asa prayed that only the LORD can help the powerless against the mighty.
- Deuteronomy 32:30 (BSB)“How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?”One could chase a thousand only if the LORD had given His people up.
- Deuteronomy 28:25 (BSB)“The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.”Covenant disobedience would bring defeat before enemies.
Theological
What explanation does Chronicles give for the Arameans’ victory over Judah’s far greater force (2 Chronicles 24:24)?
Answer: The LORD gave Judah over because they had forsaken Him
The Aramean campaign kills Judah’s leaders and plunders Jerusalem (24:23), and the decisive detail is theological: a small force overcomes a vast army, since the LORD gave Judah into their hand for forsaking Him, executing judgment on Joash (24:24). The pattern inverts Judah’s earlier victories through reliance on the LORD (13:18; 14:11) and echoes the law’s warnings that a small enemy would rout Israel if the LORD gave them up (Deuteronomy 32:30; 28:25).
- 2 Chronicles 24:24 (BSB)“Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.”A small Aramean force defeats Judah’s great army because Judah had forsaken the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 13:18 (BSB)“Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.”Judah earlier prevailed because they relied on the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 14:11 (BSB)“Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.””Asa prayed that only the LORD can help the powerless against the mighty.
- Deuteronomy 32:30 (BSB)“How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?”One could chase a thousand only if the LORD had given His people up.
- Deuteronomy 28:25 (BSB)“The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.”Covenant disobedience would bring defeat before enemies.
General
When the Levites were slow to collect money for repairing the temple, what did Joash say they should have been bringing in (2 Chronicles 24:6)?
Answer: The levy Moses had laid on Israel for God’s tent
Joash resolved to repair the temple and sent priests and Levites through Judah to collect the yearly money from all Israel, urging them to hurry, but the Levites were slow (24:4-5). Joash asked Jehoiada why he had not required them to bring in the tax that Moses, the LORD’s servant, and Israel’s assembly had set for God’s tent in the wilderness (24:6, 24:9). The repairs were needed because Athaliah’s sons had broken into God’s house and taken its holy articles for the Baals (24:7). Moses’ law had commanded that each Israelite counted in a census give a half shekel as an offering, which was to pay for work at the Tent of Meeting (Exodus 30:12-16).
- 2 Chronicles 24:5-6 (BSB)“So he gathered the priests and Levites and said, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the house of your God. Do it quickly.” The Levites, however, did not make haste. So the king called Jehoiada the high priest and said, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the LORD and by the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?””The Levites delay, and Joash asks why the tax imposed by Moses has not been collected.
- 2 Chronicles 24:7 (BSB)“For the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the house of God and had even used the sacred objects of the house of the LORD for the Baals.”Athaliah’s sons had broken into God’s house and used its sacred objects for the Baals.
- 2 Chronicles 24:9 (BSB)“And a proclamation was issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they were to bring to the LORD the tax imposed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness.”A proclamation calls Judah to bring the tax Moses had imposed on Israel in the wilderness.
- Exodus 30:12-16 (BSB)““When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay the LORD a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will come upon them when they are numbered. Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD. Everyone twenty years of age or older who crosses over must give this offering to the LORD. In making the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more than a half shekel, nor shall the poor give less. Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD to make atonement for your lives.””Moses commanded a half-shekel offering from each counted Israelite for the Tent of Meeting.
Theological
What source of funds did Joash insist the Levites should have been collecting for the temple repair (2 Chronicles 24:6)?
Answer: The levy Moses had laid on Israel for God’s tent
Joash’s zeal for the temple outpaces the Levites’ diligence (24:4-5). He presses Jehoiada about the levy instituted by Moses and the wilderness assembly for the tabernacle (24:6, 24:9), made urgent by the damage and desecration done by Athaliah’s sons to serve the Baals (24:7). The appeal is to what the law of Moses commanded: a half-shekel offering from each Israelite counted in a census, used for work at the Tent of Meeting (Exodus 30:12-16).
- 2 Chronicles 24:5-6 (BSB)“So he gathered the priests and Levites and said, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the house of your God. Do it quickly.” The Levites, however, did not make haste. So the king called Jehoiada the high priest and said, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the LORD and by the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?””The Levites delay, and Joash asks why the tax imposed by Moses has not been collected.
- 2 Chronicles 24:7 (BSB)“For the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the house of God and had even used the sacred objects of the house of the LORD for the Baals.”Athaliah’s sons had broken into God’s house and used its sacred objects for the Baals.
- 2 Chronicles 24:9 (BSB)“And a proclamation was issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they were to bring to the LORD the tax imposed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness.”A proclamation calls Judah to bring the tax Moses had imposed on Israel in the wilderness.
- Exodus 30:12-16 (BSB)““When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay the LORD a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will come upon them when they are numbered. Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD. Everyone twenty years of age or older who crosses over must give this offering to the LORD. In making the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more than a half shekel, nor shall the poor give less. Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD to make atonement for your lives.””Moses commanded a half-shekel offering from each counted Israelite for the Tent of Meeting.
General
When God’s Spirit came on Jehoiada’s son Zechariah, what message did he bring the people (2 Chronicles 24:20)?
Answer: They had abandoned the LORD, so He abandoned them
God’s Spirit came on Zechariah, whose father was the priest Jehoiada, and he rose before the crowd and spoke God’s word: he asked why they were breaking the LORD’s commands, which kept them from prospering, and declared that because they had abandoned the LORD, He had abandoned them (24:20). This is the same principle Azariah announced to Asa (15:2) and Shemaiah to Rehoboam (12:5): the LORD stays near those who seek Him, but those who forsake Him are forsaken. Zechariah spoke as a prophet (a messenger carrying God’s word), and his question laid bare their guilt.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20 (BSB)“Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’””Zechariah, filled with the Spirit, says they have forsaken the LORD and so He has forsaken them.
- 2 Chronicles 15:2 (BSB)“So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”Azariah told Asa that if they forsook the LORD, He would forsake them.
- 2 Chronicles 12:5 (BSB)“Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You have forsaken Me; therefore, I have forsaken you into the hand of Shishak.’””Shemaiah told Rehoboam that because they had forsaken the LORD, He had forsaken them.
Theological
What was the content of Zechariah’s Spirit-given rebuke (2 Chronicles 24:20)?
Answer: They had abandoned the LORD, so He abandoned them
Empowered by the Spirit, Jehoiada’s son Zechariah confronts the people with God’s own question about their transgression, which forfeits prosperity, and with the verdict that their forsaking of the LORD has met with His forsaking of them (24:20). The word restates a covenant principle already sounded by Azariah (15:2) and Shemaiah (12:5) in Chronicles: covenant blessing attends those who seek the LORD, and judgment those who abandon Him.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20 (BSB)“Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’””Zechariah, filled with the Spirit, says they have forsaken the LORD and so He has forsaken them.
- 2 Chronicles 15:2 (BSB)“So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”Azariah told Asa that if they forsook the LORD, He would forsake them.
- 2 Chronicles 12:5 (BSB)“Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You have forsaken Me; therefore, I have forsaken you into the hand of Shishak.’””Shemaiah told Rehoboam that because they had forsaken the LORD, He had forsaken them.