What does 2 Chronicles 24:22 teach about divine justice? Text “Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him, but he killed his son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, ‘May the LORD see and call you to account!’” (2 Chron 24:22). Historical Setting Joash, rescued as an infant by the priest Jehoiada, ascended Judah’s throne at seven (24:1). For decades he flourished under Jehoiada’s guidance, repaired the temple, and restored worship (24:4–14). When Jehoiada died, court nobles lured Joash into idolatry (24:17–18). Jehoiada’s own son, Zechariah, confronted the apostasy. Joash responded by ordering Zechariah stoned in the temple court (24:20–21). The narrator pauses on verse 22 to pronounce a theological verdict before describing Joash’s downfall at Aramean hands and his assassination by palace servants (24:23–25). Literary Function of the Verse The historian inserts Zechariah’s dying cry—“May the LORD see and call you to account!”—as the hinge between sin and retribution. It is a legal summons invoking the divine Judge (Psalm 7:11; Isaiah 33:22). The ensuing verses record the verdict carried out, proving the prayer effective and God’s justice sure. Core Teaching on Divine Justice 1. Justice Is God’s Personal Prerogative • “May the LORD see….” Justice is rooted not in human retaliation but in Yahweh’s character (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19). The verb rāʾāh (“see”) affirms omniscience; pāqad (“call to account”) denotes inspection followed by action. 2. God Remembers What Humans Forget • Joash “failed to remember” covenant loyalty (חֶסֶד, ḥesed) owed to Jehoiada. Divine justice reverses the king’s forgetfulness with unfailing remembrance (Malachi 3:16). 3. Retribution Is Proportionate and Inevitable • Zechariah’s innocent blood brings measured recompense: foreign invasion, plunder, disease, and Joash’s violent death—mirror images of his crime (24:23–25; cf. Genesis 9:6; Galatians 6:7). 4. Covenant Leaders Bear Heightened Accountability • As Davidic king, Joash was guardian of both people and temple. His sacrilege (murder in the sanctuary) merits covenant curse (Leviticus 26:14–25). Divine justice upholds not only individual but dynastic integrity. 5. Intergenerational Testimony • Jesus cites “the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah” (a titular overlap) together with Abel’s (Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:50–51) to frame Scripture’s first and last martyrdoms in Hebrew order (Gen–2 Chron). Verse 22 thus feeds into the gospel warning that spurned revelation piles up guilt until judgment climaxes in A.D. 70 and ultimately at His return. 6. Foreshadowing of Christ • Zechariah is a type of Christ: righteous, rejected by His own, killed at the temple precincts. Yet whereas Joash perishes for shedding blood, Christ’s blood secures mercy for all who repent (Hebrews 12:24). Divine justice and mercy converge at the cross; rejection of that blood, however, guarantees wrath (John 3:36). Pastoral Application Believers wronged for righteous witness can entrust vindication to God, praying Zechariah’s prayer without bitterness (1 Peter 2:23). Conversely, remembering received kindness and honoring spiritual mentors forestalls Joash-like ingratitude that invites discipline (Hebrews 13:7). Eschatological Consummation Verse 22 previews the final assize where every “account” (logos) is rendered (Matthew 12:36; Revelation 20:11–15). Divine justice may appear slow, but it is inexorable; the cross secures pardon for the repentant, and the throne secures judgment for the impenitent. Summary 2 Chronicles 24:22 teaches that Yahweh’s justice is omniscient, covenantal, proportionate, and certain. Human forgetfulness, ingratitude, and violence never escape His gaze; the righteous may confidently appeal to Him, and the wicked will inevitably face His righteous recompense—either borne by Christ or borne by themselves. |
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