Topical Bible: Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Joash or Jehoash

◄ Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Joash or Jehoash ►

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Introduction:
Joash, also known as Jehoash, was the eighth king of Judah, reigning from approximately 835 to 796 BC. His reign is noted for the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem and his initial commitment to the ways of the Lord, influenced by the high priest Jehoiada. Joash's account is primarily found in 2 Kings 11-12 and 2 Chronicles 22-24.

Background and Ascension:
Joash was the son of King Ahaziah of Judah and was the only surviving heir of the Davidic line after the massacre ordered by his grandmother, Athaliah. Athaliah usurped the throne following Ahaziah's death, but Joash was hidden in the Temple for six years by his aunt Jehosheba and her husband, the high priest Jehoiada. At the age of seven, Joash was anointed king in a coup orchestrated by Jehoiada, which led to Athaliah's execution (2 Kings 11:1-16).

Reign and Religious Reforms:
Under the guidance of Jehoiada, Joash began his reign with a strong commitment to the worship of Yahweh. He initiated significant religious reforms, most notably the restoration of the Temple, which had fallen into disrepair during Athaliah's reign. Joash instructed the priests to collect funds for the Temple's repair, and under his leadership, the work was completed (2 Kings 12:4-15; 2 Chronicles 24:4-14).

Challenges and Decline:
Despite his promising start, Joash's reign faced challenges. After Jehoiada's death, Joash's commitment to God waned. Influenced by the officials of Judah, he allowed the worship of idols to return, leading to divine disfavor. The prophet Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, rebuked the people for their unfaithfulness, but Joash ordered his execution, an act that marked a significant moral decline (2 Chronicles 24:17-22).

Military Conflicts and Death:
Joash's later years were marked by military conflicts. Hazael, king of Aram, threatened Jerusalem, and Joash appeased him by sending treasures from the Temple and royal palace (2 Kings 12:17-18). His reign ended in tragedy when he was assassinated by his own officials at Beth Millo, due to his abandonment of the covenant with God and the murder of Zechariah (2 Kings 12:20-21; 2 Chronicles 24:25-26).

Legacy:
Joash's legacy is a complex one. He is remembered for his early dedication to God and the significant restoration of the Temple. However, his later years serve as a cautionary tale of the dangers of turning away from divine guidance and the influence of ungodly counsel. His son, Amaziah, succeeded him as king of Judah.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 11:4-12:21
And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and showed them the king's son.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 23:1-24:27
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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Hazael Makes an Expedition against the People of Israel and the ...
... the laws, and died when he had reigned over the Israelites ... the treasures of God and
of the kings [before him ... should kill his master, and reign over the Syrians ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 8 hazael makes an.htm

The Divided Kingdom.
... Reigned IS years and died. ... During this time the kings of Judah cherished the
hope that they would regain their control over the ten tribes. ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xiii the divided kingdom.htm

The Antiquities of the Jews
... When He Had Taken Jezebel To Wife Became More Wicked Than All The Kings That Had ...
How Jotham, The Son Of Uzziah Reigned Over The Tribe Of Judah; And What ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/

Book 9 Footnotes
... or Aradus, and with Damascus, 2 Kings 18:34 ... prophetic times which were to pass over
Nebuchadnezzar [Daniel ... well as by Josephus presently, that he reigned in all ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 9 footnotes.htm

Appendices
... and not rather one of the unknown kings of the ... Assyrians 732 Hezekiah 727 Invasion
of Judah by Sennacherib ... 2. My father reigned over Moab thirty years, and I ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/appendices.htm

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... the labours of the attacking force were not yet over. ... The petty kings who shared
with Assyria the possession ... Barzur, son of Panammu I., had reigned there since ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm