Sat.’s Devo - Joash Comes to the Kingdom

Read: 2 Kings 10:32-12:21; Acts 18:1-22; Psalm 145:1-21; Proverbs 18:1 Jehu didn’t follow the Lord with all his heart and still worshipped false gods along with the Lord, so God began cutting off Israel’s land. He used Hazael king of Syria to do it. Hazael took the land east of the Jordan that had belonged to Gad, Manasseh and Rueben. When Jehu died, Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. *** In Judah, Ahaziah had been killed so Athalia his mother ruled. She killed all the king’s sons and destroyed all the royal family. But, Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram and Ahaziah’s sister, took one of Ahaziah’s infant sons and hid him away in a bedroom where his nurse raised him in secrecy. When Joash was seven years old, Jehoiada the priest had the captains the guards meet him in the house of the Lord. He made a covenant with them to help him set Joash as the king. They were to come on the Sabbath and surround the house of the Lord and protect Joash. He would proclaim that he is king and they were to kill anyone who tries to stop them. *** On that day, Jehoiada the priest brought out Joash and put the crown on his head and gave them the testimony o the Lord. They proclaimed him and anointed him and clapped their hands crying “Long live the king!” *** Athaliah heard the noice and went to the house of the Lord to see what was going on. When she saw Joash’s standing in the place of the king and heard the trumpets and what the people were saying she tore her clothes and cried, “Treason!” Jehoiada ordered her to be killed, so they took her out of the house of the Lord and killed her. *** Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they would be his people and worship him. They went and tore down the house of Baal and killed the priest of Baal. The soldiers brought the king from the house of the Lord to the king’s house. The people of the land rejoiced and there was peace in the city. *** Joash was seven years old when he began to reign over Judah and Jehu had been reigning for seven years over Israel. Jehu had rid Israel of Baal worship and now Joash rid Judah of it. *** A temple tax was taken every year and was supposed to be used for maintenance on the temple but after reigning for 23 years, Joash realized it was not being used for that. The priests refused to take responsibility so Jehoiada bore a hole in a chest and set guards over it. The people could put their money in there and it would be safe. When the chest got full, Jehoiada gave it to the repairmen and they did the work honestly and fairly. *** Hazael the king of Syria took Gath and was on his way to take Jerusalem. Joash took all the money in the temple treasury and paid them not to come. Joash was killed by his own servants and his son Amaziah took his place. *** In Acts, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met Aquila and Priscilla a couple who had been banned from Rome because they were Jews. They were also tent-makers and willingly they helped Paul in his ministry. *** Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia. Paul tried to convince the Jews about Jesus, but they refused to believe. Paul shook out his garments and told them he was going to the Gentiles. Paul did find Titius and Scrispus who believed in the Lord and became Christians. They were baptized. *** Paul had a dream telling him to keep speaking about Jesus because God would protect him from harm. God had many in this city who were his. So Paul stayed there another year and a half teaching the word of the Lord. *** When Gallio became proconsul of Achaia, the Jews joined to attack Paul and brought him before the tribunal. They accused Paul of teaching against the law. Paul was about to speak but Gallio interrupted and said that he refused to judge on questions concerning their law. He drove the Jews out of the tribunal. The people took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue and beat him publicly, but Gallio didn’t care. *** Paul stayed longer then left for Syria taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. He left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus and he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. Then he left Ephesus to go to Caesarea then to Antioch. *** Lord, thanks to Paul’s diligence and perseverance the Gospel was spread throughout the earth. May we continue in his work to spread the Good News to the world.