Mon.’s Devo - The Rule of Joash and Amaziah

Read: 2 Chronicles 24:1-25:28; Romans 12:1-21; Psalm 22:19-31; Proverbs 20:8-10 Joash became the king at the age of seven. He followed the Lord as long as Jehoiada the high priest was living and mentoring him. Jehoiada chose his two wives and they had many sons and daughters. *** Joash wanted to repair and restore the Temple so he instructed the priests and Levites to take up the Temple tax to pay for the repairs. They finally obeyed and a box was set up for the people to give offerings to repair the Temple. They gave abundantly. Renovation began on the Temple which had been plundered by Athaliah and the dedicated things used in Baal worship. *** Jehoiada died at the age of 130 and things began to change. The leaders of Judah came and enticed King Joash to abandon the Temple and worship at the Asherah poles instead. God sent prophets to warn the people to repent but they refused to listen. Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah was one of the ones who confronted the king for abandoning the Lord. Jehoiada had Zechariah stoned to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s Temple. His last words to Joash were, “May the Lord see what they are doing and avenge my death!” *** That next spring, the Aramean army attacked Jerusalem with a very small army and killed all the leaders of the nation. They were successful because God was using them to judge the nation. Joash was severely wounded in the attack and his own officials plotted to kill him for murdering Zechariah. He died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery. *** Joash’s son, Amaziah became the next king. He was 29 and he did what was pleasing to the Lord only not wholeheartedly. He had the men who executed his father killed. Then he organized the army and hired 100,000 experienced warriors from Israel to help him. *** God sent his prophet to tell him not to hire the troops from Israel because God was not with Israel and would not help him if he did. When he asked the man of God what about the 7,500 pounds of silver he had paid to hire them, his response was “The Lord is able to give you much more than this!” So Amaziah sent them home which made them very upset. *** Amaziah courageously led his small army against the Edomites and God gave them victory. The hired men from Israel went home raiding several of the towns of Judah on their way home. They killed 3,000 people and carried off much wealth. *** Amaziah brought back some of the idols of Edom with him and set them up as his own gods and worshiped them. God sent a prophet to ask him why he was bowing down to idols that couldn’t even save their own people. Amaziah got very angry with the prophet and was told that God would destroy him because of what he had done. *** Amaziah sent a message to King Jehoash, the king of Israel challenging him to battle. King Jehoash tried to get King Amaziah to relent but he wouldn’t listen. So they met on the battle field at Beth-shemesh in Judah and Israel won the battle. Amaziah was captured and brought with them to Jerusalem where he witnessed the demolition of 600 feet of his wall and the seizure of the wealth of the Temple, the taking of the Ark and all his treasures from his house being taken. He was eventually killed as he fled to Lachish. *** In Romans Paul reminds us that we all represent each other and Christ. What we do or don’t do affects the other people in the Body. We all have different gifts that will build up the body or tear it down. We are to use our gifts to build up the body because we love others. We are to take delight in honoring one another and help those in need. *** I love Paul’s quote: “Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.” *** Lord, may we conquer evil with your goodness. May we use the gifts you have given us to bless the body of Christ.o