Joash's Character: With & Without a Priest

Joash did what was right in the eyes of Yawheh all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

2 Kings 12:2,3 NIV

Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of Yahweh. He called together the priests and Levites and said to them, "Go to the towns of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the temple of your God. Do it now." But the Levites did not act at once.

Therefore the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, "Why haven't you required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of Yahweh and by the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?"

At the king's command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of Yahweh. A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to Yahweh the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the desert. All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full.

The king and Jehoiada gave it to the men who carried out the work required for the temple of Yahweh. They hired masons and carpenters to restore Yahweh's temple, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the temple.

The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for Yahweh's temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of Yahweh.

Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.

After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. They abandoned the temple of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God's anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem. Although Yahweh sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.
Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: 'Why do you disobey Yahweh's commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken Yahweh, he has forsaken you.' "

But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of Yahweh's temple. King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah's father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, "May Yahweh see this and call you to account."

At the turn of the year, the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, Yahweh delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash. When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.


2 Chronicles 24:4-6,8-10, 12-25 NIV

[Yahweh, it appears Joash did not truly know you. May my work and decisions reflect you in all I do.]