Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 12
It is a wise decision to follow advice when that advice is wise. However, it is wrong and foolish to follow advice that is evil or foolish. Joash was a good king for the many years that he had Jehoiada to advise him (12:2). However, 2 Chronicles 24:17-22 tells us that he accepted evil advice after Jehoiada’s death.
At that time, the people in Judah wanted to serve false gods. Their officials advised Joash to allow it, and Joash accepted this advice. God warned the people against this by the messages that he gave to his prophets (holy people). However, they would not listen even when Zechariah, Jehoiada’s son, declared such a message from God. They wanted to kill Zechariah, and Joash agreed to order his death.
That order caused some of Joash’s officials to become very bitter and angry against him. It was a shock for them to see how ungrateful Joash was to the family of Jehoiada. Those officials decided to plot against Joash. They had no legal right to punish Joash for his order to kill Zechariah – rather, what they were plotting was an act of murder against their king.
They saw an opportunity after Joash suffered a bad injury in the war against Aram. Joash was resting at a house called Beth Millo. They murdered him in his bed (2 Chronicles 24:25).
Amaziah, Joash’s son who became king after him, ordered their deaths as a legal punishment for this crime (14:5-6).
Joash had buried Jehoiada in the royal grave (2 Chronicles 24:15-16). It did not seem right to bury Joash, who ordered the death of Jehoiada’s son, in the same grave. Probably for this reason, Joash’s family buried his body in a separate grave (2 Chronicles 24:25).
Next part: King Jehoahaz of Israel (2 Kings 13:1-3)
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