Some translations use the name ‘Jehoash’, but this is simply a variation of the name Joash. Joash reigned in Jerusalem forty years and his mother’s name was Zibiah who was from Beersheba, 2 Kings 12:1 / 2 Chronicles 24:1. Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years of Jehoiada the priest, 2 Kings 12:2 / 2 Chronicles 24:2.
Because Joash was only seven years old when he began to reign, 2 Chronicles 24:1 / 2 Kings 11:21, he heavily relied on the wise guidance of Jehoiada, who was high priest at the time, 2 Kings 12:2 / 2 Chronicles 24:2. Notice he had two wives, 2 Chronicles 24:3, which tells us he didn’t live according to God’s principles of only having one wife.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Athaliah’s destruction of the seed royal had left Joash without a natural successor, and his marriage at the earliest suitable age, was, therefore, a matter of state policy. One of his wives in question was probably ‘Jehoaddan of Jerusalem,’ the mother of Amaziah, 2 Chronicles 25:1, who must have been taken to wife by Joash as early as his 21st year.’
It appears in the early years of Joash’s reign, he stayed in Jerusalem and as a result, Judah didn’t remove all the high places and so, the people continued to sacrifice and burn incense in idolatrous worship, outside of Jerusalem, 2 Kings 12:3 / 2 Chronicles 24:15-27.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The worship on the ‘high places’ seems to have continued uninterruptedly to the time of Hezekiah, who abolished it, 2 Kings 18:4. It was, however, again established by Manasseh, his son, 2 Kings 21:3. The priests at this time cannot have regarded it as idolatrous, or Jehoiada would have put it during his regency. Jehoiada lived after the accession of Joash at least 23 years, 2 Kings 12:6. Thus the idolatries of Joash, 2 Chronicles 24:18, were confined to his last 10 or 15 years.’
When queen Athaliah reigned, she was so obsessed with Baal worship and the upkeep of the temples of Baal, that it’s clear that God’s temple had been totally neglected. She had no respect for God or His temple because she removed some items from God’s temple and placed them in the temple of Baal, 2 Chronicles 24:7.
Because she neglected God’s temple, it was now in need of some serious repair, which was going to cost a lot of money, 2 Kings 12:4-5 / 2 Chronicles 24:4. The collection was to be made throughout Judah, with each of the priests and Levites collecting the temple tax in his own region, 2 Chronicles 24:5.
This money was sourced in three ways.
1. The half-shekel required by the Law, Exodus 30:13.
2. The money paid by those who had devoted themselves or made vows, a variable sum depending on age, sex, and property, Leviticus 27:2-8 / Numbers 18:15-16.
3. The money offered in the way of free-will offerings.
They tried to raise enough funds to repair the temple, but sadly the priests failed to raise enough, 2 Kings 12:6 / Malachi 2:1-2.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘In what year Jehoash gave the orders for these repairs, we cannot tell but the account here plainly intimates that they had been long given, and that nothing was done, merely through the inactivity and negligence of the priests, 2 Chronicles 24:6.’
Joash then summons Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, why aren’t they repairing the damage done to the temple? And tells them to take no more money from their treasurers, but hand it over for repairing the temple, 2 Kings 12:7 / 2 Chronicles 24:6.
We’re told that the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals, 2 Chronicles 24:7. The priests agree that they wouldn’t collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves, 2 Kings 12:8.
Notice that Jehoiada took a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it, 2 Kings 12:9 / 2 Chronicles 24:8. This is the first mention of a ‘collection box’ in the Scriptures, Mark 12:42. Jehoiada placed the box beside the altar, on the right side as one enters the temple, Ezekiel 40:35-43 / 2 Chronicles 24:8, and the priests who guarded the entrance put into the chest all the money that was brought to the temple, 2 Kings 12:9.
A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the LORD the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the wilderness, 2 Chronicles 24:9.
A real effort was made by Jehoiada to try and increase the freewill offerings, and so when the people came and saw that the temple was in need of repair due to a lack of funds, they cheerfully put their freewill offerings into the chest, 2 Kings 12:10-12 / 2 Chronicles 24:10-12.
This tax was originally designated for the purpose of repairing the tabernacle, but in this case, it was used to repair the temple, Exodus 30:12-16 / Numbers 1:50. It appears the Levites were neglectful in keeping the temple in repair because of oppressing kings of the past.
The workers pointed out the repairs which were needed to the people and the people responded by giving their money towards the cost of those repairs, 2 Kings 22:3-7 / Nehemiah 10:32. I believe people will often freely give more when they can see where their freewill offering is going, 2 Corinthians 9:7.
Notice that ‘the money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the LORD,’ 2 Kings 12:13-14 / 2 Chronicles 24:13 / 2 Chronicles 24:7. This statement refers to the time when the repairs were being made to the temple, but 2 Chronicles 24:14, tells us it refers to the time when all the repairs were finished, and then these articles for the temple were made.
Notice also that the guilt offerings, and sin offerings, Leviticus 5:14-15 / Numbers 5:8 / Leviticus 6:26-29, weren’t taken into the temple. This money wasn’t to be placed into the chest for the repair work. The money belonged to the priests, 2 Kings 12:16, it was given to them for their private use and maintenance, Numbers 5:10.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘In all cases of injury done to another, a man was bound by the Law to make compensation, to the sufferer, if possible; if not, to his nearest kinsman. If the man was dead and had left no kinsman, then the compensation was to be made to the priest, Numbers 5:8. This would form a part of the trespass and sin money. The remainder would accrue from the voluntary gifts made to the priests by those who came to make atonement for sins or trespasses Numbers 5:10.’
We mustn’t underestimate Jehoiada in regards to his respect for God and His ways. God blessed this man with one-hundred and thirty years of life, which was way beyond the average living age for this time period, 2 Chronicles 24:14. He was so highly regarded, he was buried with the kings in Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 24:16.
Hazael king of Aram goes and attacks Gath and captures it, and then turn to attack Jerusalem, 2 Kings 12:17. We’re not told if Joash was making continuous payments to Hazael, but because Hazael, king of Aram had become such a great threat to Jerusalem, Joash took the treasures of the temple and royal palace and gave them to Hazael as tribute, 2 Kings 12:18.
In 2 Chronicles 24, we read of a collation of false teachers who remained in the background as the restoration took place when Jehoiada was still alive. These false teachers waited, as false teachers do, in obscurity, until they had an opportunity to influence the king to move toward their views and support, 2 Chronicles 24:17.
Notice they abandoned the temple and worshipped Asherah poles and idols, 2 Chronicles 24:18. This tells us where their loyalty lay, they weren’t interested in repairing the temple, they would rather worship false gods. Because the temple was located in Jerusalem, worshipping these false gods became more convenient for them, and they didn’t have so far to travel.
Despite God sending prophets to His people, they wouldn’t listen, 2 Chronicles 24:19. The reason for them not listening to the prophets was simply because they had lost their jobs during the restoration from the worship of Baal to the worship of God. They lost their financial support. By killing only Mattan the priest of Baal, 2 Chronicles 23:17, it’s reasonable to conclude that other Baal prophets also lost their jobs, but not their lives.
Jehoiada’s son Zechariah, stood up, Nehemiah 8:4, and under the influence of the Spirit of God, Judges 6:34 / 1 Chronicles 12:18, pronounced a severe warning, 2 Chronicles 24:20, but the king’s response was to honour the conspiracy of the evil princes and order the man of God stoned to death within the court of the temple itself, 2 Chronicles 24:21.
Zechariah was murdered in the same place where his father Jehoiada had anointed Joash king, 2 Chronicles 23:10-11. Zechariah’s prayer was that God would see their terrible crime and pronounce a judgment against them was honoured immediately, 2 Chronicles 24:22.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Compare Genesis 9:5 / Genesis 42:22, and contrast the words of Christ, Luke 23:34, and of Stephen, Acts 7:60. Zechariah’s prayer was prophetic, 2 Chronicles 24:23 / 2 Chronicles 24:25 / Luke 11:51.’
Joash looked to Jehoiada as a father and so, he probably knew Zechariah as a friend for most of his life, 2 Chronicles 24:22. And yet, the persuasion of the idolatrous leaders was so strong that he had his childhood friend Zechariah stoned, 2 Chronicles 24:21.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘These two paragraphs, 2 Chronicles 24:20-22, reveal that Joash, at heart, was a true descendant of his evil ancestor Ahab. As long as Jehoiada was available as a wise and able counsellor, Joash did very well but as soon as Jehoiada was dead, the princes of Judah seduced him with their flattery and induced him to reopen the high places with their licentious worship of the pagan idols.’
A few years ago, with half the number of soldiers, Judah was able to be victorious over an army of one million Cushites during the reign of Asa, 2 Chronicles 14:1-12, however, here, because of Judah’s sin, the Arameans with a much smaller army were able to defeat the greater army of Judah, 2 Chronicles 24:23.
God empowered the army of Aram to punish Judah for their sin of apostasy, 2 Chronicles 24:24 / Leviticus 26:8 / Leviticus 26:17 / Leviticus 26:37. It was especially appropriate that the Arameans killed all the princes, the very people who had seduced Joash to accept idolatry.
Significantly, this judgment fell upon Joash and his kingdom within less than a year following the heartless murder of Zechariah. But God was not finished with his judgment against Joash.
We’re not told if Joash was making continuous payments to Hazael, but because Hazael, king of Aram had become such a great threat to Jerusalem, Joash took the treasures of the temple and royal palace and gave them to Hazael as tribute, 2 Kings 12:17-21.
Notice that Joash’s officials conspired against him, 2 Kings 12:20 / 2 Chronicles 24:26. It appears that after the death of Jehoiada, Joash may have begun to get involved in idol worship, 2 Chronicles 24:15-22.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following, 2 Kings 12:17-21 / 2 Chronicles 24:17-27.
‘A conspiracy. Compare the marginal reference Joash, either from suspicion of intended treason or from some other unknown cause, took up his abode in the fortress of Millo, 1 Kings 9:24. This conspiracy was connected with religion. Soon after the death of Jehoiada, Joash had apostatised, had renewed the worship of Baal, and, despite many prophetic warnings, had persisted in his evil courses, even commanding Zechariah to be slain when he rebuked them, 2 Chronicles 24:18-27. The conspirators, who wished to avenge Zechariah, no doubt wished also to put down the Baal worship. In this, it appears that they succeeded. For, though Amaziah punished the actual murderers after a while, 2 Kings 14:5, yet he appears not to have been a Baal-worshipper. The only idolatries laid to his charge are the maintenance of the high places, 2 Kings 14:4, and a worship of the gods of Edom, 2 Chronicles 25:14-20.’
He died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David but not in the tombs of the kings, 2 Kings 12:21 . 2 Chronicles 24:25. The officials who murdered Joash were Jozabad and Jehozabad, 2 Kings 12:21 / 2 Chronicles 24:26.
The other events of the reign of Joash, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah, 2 Kings 12:18. Including the account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings, 2 Chronicles 24:27. After the assassination of Joash, Amaziah his son succeeded him as king, 2 Kings 12:21 / 2 Chronicles 24:27.