(The previous post covered the end of Jehoshaphat's reign and Jehoram's reign.)
2 Chronicles 22
(This chapter covered the reigns of Ahaziah and Athaliah.)
1 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead; for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.
2 Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.
(Ahaziah's father was only forty years old when he died (2 Chronicles 21:20), so Ahaziah could not have been forty-two when he began to reign. In 2 Kings 8:26, Ahaziah's actual age was shown to be twenty-two years at the beginning of his reign. It was thought the forty-two years had to do with his being a son of the house of Omri for that long, his connection being through his mother, Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.)
3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab; for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly.
4 And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did the house of Ahab; for they were his counsellors after the death of his father, to his destruction.
(Ahaziah, also known as Jehoahaz, did evil before God. He walked in the ways of Ahab and took wicked counsel from his mother.)
5 He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram.
(Remember, Joram was another spelling of Jehoram. Also, this was during the confusing time when Joram was the king of the ten tribes of Israel, whose name was also spelled Jehoram. In 2 Kings 3 and here, we refer to the king of Judah as Jehoram and the king of Israel as Joram.)
6 And he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
(Azariah was the same as Ahaziah.)
7 Now the destruction of Ahaziah was of God, in that he went unto Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Jehovah had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.
(Jehu the son of Nimshi was different than Jehu the son of Hanani the seer.)
8 And it came to pass, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, that he found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, ministering to Ahaziah, and slew them.
9 And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him (now he was hiding in Samaria), and they brought him to Jehu, and slew him; and they buried him, for they said, He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Jehovah with all his heart. And the house of Ahaziah had no power to hold the kingdom.
10 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.
(Jehu became king of Israel. He killed Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah. Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother then destroyed all the royal seed, except Joash because Joash's sister hid him.)
11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in the bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.
12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.
(Athaliah (queen) reigned over Judah.)
2 Chronicles 23
(This chapter covered Jehoiada and the crowning of Joash.)
1 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.
(The seventh year since Ahaziah had been killed and Athaliah had killed all the royal seed except for Joash.)
2 And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers' houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3 And all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as Jehovah hath spoken concerning the sons of David.
4 This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the thresholds;
5 and a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of Jehovah.
(Jehoiada, the priest, notified leaders that Joash was alive and then organized men into three parts to do service to the temple.)
6 But let none come into the house of Jehovah, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall come in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the charge of Jehovah.
7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever cometh into the house, let him be slain: and be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.
(The Levites were placed around the king to be his armed guards because there was no worship in the temple because Judah had rejected God.)
8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men, those that were to come in on the sabbath; with those that were to go out on the sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.
9 And Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David's, which were in the house of God.
10 And he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, by the king round about.
11 Then they brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony, and made him king: and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him; and they said, Long live the king.
(Jehoiada and his sons anointed Joash as king. Joash was very young when he was anointed king. Jehoiada must have played an important role in the kingdom during the first years of Joash’s reign.)
12 And when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of Jehovah:
13 and she looked, and, behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets; the singers also played on instruments of music, and led the singing of praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason! treason!
(Athaliah heard about the anointing and cried "treason, treason.")
14 And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth between the ranks; and whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword: for the priest said, Slay her not in the house of Jehovah.
15 So they made way for her; and she went to the entrance of the horse gate to the king's house: and they slew her there.
(Athaliah was killed once Jehoiada captured her with the captains of hundreds.)
16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, and all the people, and the king, that they should be Jehovah's people.
(The first thing Jehoiada did was make a covenant between himself, all the people, and the king, that they should be God's people.)
17 And all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.
(The second thing Jehoiada did was lead all the people to the house of Baal, broke it down and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal.)
18 And Jehoiada appointed the officers of the house of Jehovah under the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of Jehovah, to offer the burnt-offerings of Jehovah, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David.
19 And he set the porters at the gates of the house of Jehovah, that none that was unclean in anything should enter in.
20 And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of Jehovah: and they came through the upper gate unto the king's house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.
21 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. And Athaliah they had slain with the sword.
(All the people rejoiced and the city was quiet after Athaliah was slain.)
2 Chronicles 24
1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Zibiah, of Beer-sheba.
(Joash was the youngest king to reign in all Israel and the fifth king to reign for forty years.)
2 And Joash did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
(Jehoiada being mentioned here confirmed that he was a big influence on Joash and his "good" reign.)
3 And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters.
4 And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to restore the house of Jehovah.
(Jehoiada acted as Joash's father and selected wives for Joash. Joash grew up in the temple, so he, more than anyone, would know what needed to be repaired.)
5 And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year; and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.
6 And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tax of Moses the servant of Jehovah, and of the assembly of Israel, for the tent of the testimony?
7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of Jehovah did they bestow upon the Baalim.
8 So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of Jehovah.
9 And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for Jehovah the tax that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.
(This was the half shekel redemption money that had not been collected in Israel for a long period of time: Exodus 30:13-16.)
10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.
11 And it was so, that, at what time the chest was brought unto the king's officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the chief priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.
12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of Jehovah; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of Jehovah, and also such as wrought iron and brass to repair the house of Jehovah.
13 So the workmen wrought, and the work of repairing went forward in their hands, and they set up the house of God in its state, and strengthened it.
(Joash and Jehoiada took the tithes and used it to repair the temple.)
14 And when they had made an end, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of Jehovah, even vessels wherewith to minister and to offer, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt-offerings in the house of Jehovah continually all the days of Jehoiada.
15 But Jehoiada waxed old and was full of days, and he died; a hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.
16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house.
(Jehoiada was 130 years old when he died. He was buried among the kings in the city of David because he had done good toward God and the temple.)
17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.
18 And they forsook the house of Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness.
(The princes of Judah left God and served groves and idols and wrath came upon Judah for this trespass. We have seen the king led the people astray. This time, the princes led the king astray after Jehoiada died. Perhaps Joash did not think for himself but did whatever Jehoiada told him, which may be why Jehoiada was buried among the kings.)
19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto Jehovah; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
(The Vulgate translated word testified as protestantes, which was the first reference to the word protestant.)
20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of Jehovah, so that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken Jehovah, he hath also forsaken you.
(God sent prophets to them, but they would not hear. The Spirit of God went upon Zechariah and he testified against the people. This was not the Zechariah that wrote the Book of Zechariah.)
21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of Jehovah.
(It did not take long for Joash to progress in the opposite direction that Jehoiada was leading him in.)
22 Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, Jehovah look upon it, and require it.
(Jehoiada was referred to as Joash's father.)
23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the army of the Syrians came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.
24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and Jehovah delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken Jehovah, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment upon Joash.
25 And when they were departed for him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died; and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.
(Zechariah's prophecy came true. Also, Joash was killed.)
26 And these are they that conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.
27 Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
(The Book of Kings referenced was 1 Kings 11:1-12:21. Amaziah began his reign.)
(This post covered the reigns of Ahaziah, Athaliah, and Joash.)
Day 127
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