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. Sermons
I. DEPARTURE FROM THE LIVING GOD. Not being "rooted and grounded" in reverence and in attachment to Jehovah, as soon as the directing and sustaining hand of Jehoiada was missed, Joash gave heed to the evil counsel of the reactionary "princes of Judah" and "left the house of the Lord." The young may be habituated to sacred services, and they may be brought up in the practice of good behaviour, but if they have not fully and firmly attached themselves to the Divine Lord whose praises they have been singing and whose will they have been respecting, their piety will not endure. "Being let go," being released, as they must be in time, from the human restraints that hold them to the right course, they follow the bent of worldly inclination; it may be that they yield to the solicitation of unholy passion; but they decline from the path of Christian worship and godly service. It is a melancholy sight for the angels of God, and for all earnest human souls, to witness - that of a man who knows what is best, who has stood face to face with Christ, who has often worshipped in his house, and perhaps sat at his table, declining to lower paths, "going after Baal," letting another power than that of his gracious Lord rule his heart and occupy his life. II. RESENTMENT AT THE DIVINE REBUKE. The true and honoured servant of the Lord, Jehoiada, was well succeeded by a faithful son, Zechariah. He did his work right nobly, and testified against the apostasy of the king and court. But the monarch, in the haughtiness of his heart, resented the rebuke of the Lord's prophet, and only aggravated his offence by persecution and even murder (vers. 20, 21). Thus sin slopes down, and at some points with sad and startling rapidity. When God's rebuke is heard, coming through the voice of one of his ministers, or coming in his Divine providence; and when that rebuke, instead of being heeded and obeyed, is resented by the rebellious spirit, then there ensues a very rapid spiritual decline. Men go "from bad to worse," from indifference or forgetfulness to hostility, from doubt to disbelief, from laxity to licentiousness, from wrongness of attitude to iniquity in action. To resent the rebuke of the Lord is to inflict upon ourselves the most serious, and too often a mortal, injury. III. THE PENALTY OF DISOBEDIENCE. In the case of Joash, it was: 1. Humiliating defeat in battle (vers. 23, 24). 2. Bodily sufferings (ver. 25). 3. A violent and miserable death (ver. 25). 4. Dishonour after death (ver. 25). In the case of the spiritual transgressor now, the penalty that has to be feared is: 1. Grave and grievous spiritual decline. 2. The serious displeasure of the Divine Master. 3. The loss of the esteem of the truest and best human friends. 4. Condemnation in the day of judgment. - C.
Jehoiada waxed old. I. EXAMINE THE NAME OF THIS AGED PRIEST. "Jehoiada" — "one who has knowledge of Jehovah."1. He had been experimentally acquainted with Jehovah in His fatherly and merciful character. 2. He had as priest special opportunities of gaining acquaintance with God. II. CONSIDER HIS BENEFICENT INFLUENCE in — 1. Instructing the youthful king. 2. Acting as regent of the kingdom. 3. Patriotically serving his country and promoting the well-being of her people. 4. Doing good to, and in connection with, the house of God. III. CONTEMPLATE THE HONOURED CLOSE OF A LONG AND USEFUL LIFE. (Fairfax Goodall, M.A.) I. THE COMMON OPINION OF MANKIND RESPECTING THE USEFULNESS OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTORS IN CIVIL SOCIETY. The opinion of the world upon this subject is evidenced by their uniform and immemorial practice. Jews, Christians, and heathen have universally agreed to support religious teachers. II. THIS COMMON OPINION OF MANKIND RESPECTING RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTORS IS WELL FOUNDED. 1. The common opinion of the world is generally just. Men seldom form a wrong judgment of those things which come under their own observation and experience. 2. Another argument is drawn —(1) From the duties which the ministers of religion ought to teach. (a) (b) (c) (a) (b) (c) (d) III. SUGGESTIONS. 1. Since men in all ages have generally and justly agreed in the opinion that religious instructors are useful in civil society, it discovers no less ignorance than presumption in those who adopt and endeavour to propagate the opposite sentiment. (1) (2) 2. None are fit for civil rulers who would exclude religious instructors from civil society. 3. A people ought to consider the gift of wise and faithful ministers as a great public blessing. 4. It is the wisdom and duty of civil rulers to favour the cause of religion and employ every proper method to promote the general diffusion of religious knowledge. 5. It argues a great degree of infatuation in those who govern to oppose or restrain religious instruction. 6. It is extremely difficult for civil rulers to subvert a good government while religious teachers faithfully discharge their duty. 7. Ministers of the gospel ought to exert all the power and influence which their sacred office gives them to prevent the ruin of the nation. 8. We have great reason to fear the displeasure of God for neglecting and abusing the ministrations of His Word. (N. Emmons, D.D.) People Amaziah, Aram, Athaliah, David, Jehoiada, Jehozabad, Joash, Levites, Shimeath, Shimrith, Syrians, Zabad, Zechariah, ZibiahPlaces Beersheba, Damascus, JerusalemTopics Abandoned, Anger, Asherah, Asherahs, Asherim, Ashe'rim, Fathers, Forsake, Forsook, God's, Groves, Guilt, Guiltiness, Idols, Images, Jerusalem, Judah, Pillars, Poles, Serve, Served, Shrines, Sin, Temple, Theirs, Trespass, Wood, Worshiped, Worshippers, WrathOutline 1. Joash reigns well all the days of Jehoiada4. He gives order for the repair of the temple 15. Jehoiada's death and honorable burial 17. Joash, falling into idolatry, slays Zechariah the son of Jehoiada 23. Joash is spoiled by the Syrians, and slain by Zabad and Jehozabad 27. Amaziah succeeds him Dictionary of Bible Themes 2 Chronicles 24:18 5770 abandonment Library The King's Farewell'Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30. And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Joash Glad Givers and Faithful Workers The Channel of Power. The Prophet Joel. Conclusion The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close. Chronicles Links 2 Chronicles 24:18 NIV2 Chronicles 24:18 NLT 2 Chronicles 24:18 ESV 2 Chronicles 24:18 NASB 2 Chronicles 24:18 KJV 2 Chronicles 24:18 Bible Apps 2 Chronicles 24:18 Parallel 2 Chronicles 24:18 Biblia Paralela 2 Chronicles 24:18 Chinese Bible 2 Chronicles 24:18 French Bible 2 Chronicles 24:18 German Bible 2 Chronicles 24:18 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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