Study Desk

Joash was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah ruled over the land.

Then all the people made an agreement with the king in the house of God. Jehoiada said to them, "See, the king's son will rule, as the Lord has spoken about the sons of David.

Then Jehoiada the religious leader gave the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small battle-coverings that had been King David's, which were in the house of God.

He gathered the religious leaders and Levites, and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Judah. And gather money from all Israel to pay for the work needed to be done on the house of your God from year to year. Be quick about it." But the Levites did not hurry.

For the sons of that sinful woman Athaliah had broken into the house of God. They even used the holy things of the Lord's house for the false gods of Baal.

So the workmen worked hard doing what needed to be done. The house of God was like new again, just as it was planned. They made it strong.

They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done well in Israel, and to God and His house.

They left the house of the Lord the God of their fathers, and worshiped the false gods of Asherah and the objects made to look like them. So anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their sin.

Yet God sent men who speak for God to bring them back to the Lord. These men of God spoke against them, but they would not listen.

Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the religious leader. He stood where he could be seen by the people and said to them, "God says, ‘Why do you sin against the Laws of the Lord, and bring trouble on yourselves? Because you have left the Lord, He has left you.'"

The army of the Syrians came with a small number of men. But the Lord let them win against a very large army. Because the people of Judah and Jerusalem had turned away from the Lord, the God of their fathers. So the Syrians were used to punish Joash.

Now the story of his sons, and the words spoken by wise men against him, and the work done on the house of God, are written in the Book of the Kings. His son Amaziah became king in his place.

But a man of God came to him and said, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you. For the Lord is not with Israel. He is not with all these sons of Ephraim.

But if you think that in this way you will be strong in war, God will destroy you in front of those who fight you. For God has power to help and to destroy."

Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what should I do about the silver weighing as much as 100 men, which I have given to the army of Israel?" The man of God answered, "The Lord has much more to give you than this."

Then the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent a man who speaks for God to him, saying, "Why have you worshiped the gods of the people? These gods have not saved their own people from your hand."

But as he was speaking the king said to him, "Have we chosen you to give words of wisdom to the king? Stop! Or I will have you put to death." So the man who spoke for God stopped, but said, "I know that God has planned to destroy you because you have done this. And you have not listened to what I have said."

But Amaziah would not listen. God had planned that He would give Judah into the hand of Joash because Judah had worshiped the gods of Edom.

And he took all the gold and silver, and all the objects found in the house of God with Obed-edom. He took the riches of the king's house, and people also, and returned to Samaria.

He kept on looking to God in the days of Zechariah, who had special wisdom from God and taught him in the things of God. And as long as he looked to the Lord, God made things go well for him.