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Commentary on 2 Chronicles 24 verses 15–27
We have here a sad account of the degeneracy and apostasy of Joash. God had done great things for him; he had done something for God; but now he proved ungrateful to his God and false to the engagements he had laid himself under to him. How has the gold become dim, and the most fine gold changed! Here we find,
I. The occasions of his apostasy. When he did that which was right it was not with a perfect heart. He never was sincere, never acted from principle, but in compliance to Jehoiada, who had helped him to the crown, and because he had been protected in the temple and rose upon the ruins of idolatry; and therefore, when the wind turned, he turned with it. 1. His good counsellor left him, and was by death removed from him. It was a mercy to him and his kingdom that Jehoiada lived so long-130 years (Ch2 24:15), by which it appears that he was born in Solomon's time, and had lived six entire reigns before this. It was an encouragement to him to go on in that good way which Jehoiada had trained him up in to see what honour was done to Jehoiada at his death: They buried him among the kings, with this honourable encomium (perhaps it was part of the inscription on his grave-stone), that he had done good in Israel. Judah is called Israel, because, the other tribes having revolted from God, they only were Israelites indeed. Note, It is the greatest honour to do good in our generations, and those who do that which is good shall have praise of the same. He had done good towards God; not that any man's goodness can extend unto him, but he had done good towards his house, in reviving the temple service, Ch2 23:8. Note, Those do the greatest good to their country that lay out themselves in their places to promote religion. Well, Jehoiada finished his course with honour; but the little religion that Joash had was all buried in his grave, and, after his death, both king and kingdom miserably degenerated. See how much one head may sustain, and what a great judgment to any prince or people the death of godly, zealous, useful men is. See how necessary it is that, as our Saviour speaks, we have salt in ourselves, that we act in religion from an inward principle, which will carry us on through all changes. Then the loss of a parent, a minister, a friend, will not involve the loss of our religion. 2. Bad counsellors got about him, insinuated themselves into his affections, wheedled him, flattered him, made obeisance to him, and, instead of condoling, congratulated him upon the death of his old tutor, as his release from the discipline he had been so long under, unworthy a man, a king. They tell him he must be priest-ridden no longer, he is now discharged from grave lessons and restraints, he may do as he pleases: and (would you think it?) the princes of Judah were the men that were so industrious to debauch him, Ch2 24:17. His father and grandfather were corrupted by the house of Ahab, from whom no better could be expected. But that the princes of Judah should be seducers to their king was very sad. But those that incline to the counsels of the ungodly will never want ungodly counsellors. They made obeisance to the king, flattered him into an opinion of his absolute power, promised to stand by him in making his royal will and pleasure pass for a law, any divine precept or institution to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. And he hearkened to them: their discourse pleased him, and was more agreeable than Jehoiada's dictates used to be. Princes and inferior people have been many a time thus flattered into their ruin by those who have promised them liberty and dignity, but who have really brought them into the greatest servitude and disgrace.
II. The apostasy itself: They left the house of God, and served groves and idols, Ch2 24:18. The princes, it is likely, had a request to the king, which they tell him they durst not offer while Jehoiada lived; but now they hope it will give no offence: it is that they may set up the groves and idols again which were thrown down in the beginning of his reign, for they hate to be always confined to the dull old-fashioned service of the temple. And he not only gave them leave to do it themselves, but he joined with them. The king and princes, who, a little while ago, were repairing the temple, now forsook the temple; those who had pulled down groves and idols now themselves served them. So inconstant a thing is man and so little confidence is to be put in him!
III. The aggravations of this apostasy and the additions of guilt to it. God sent prophets to them (Ch2 24:19) to reprove them for their wickedness, and to tell them what would be in the end thereof, and so to bring them again unto the Lord. It is the work of ministers to bring people, not to themselves, but to God - to bring those again to him who have gone a whoring from him. In the most degenerate times God left not himself without witness; though they had dealt very disingenuously with God, yet he sent prophets to them to convince and instruct them, and to assure them that they should find favour with him if yet they would return; for he would rather sinners should turn and live than go on and die, and those that perish shall be left inexcusable. The prophets did their part: they testified against them; but, few or none received their testimony.
1.They slighted all the prophets; they would not give ear, were so strangely wedded to their idols that no reproofs, warnings, threatenings, nor any of the various methods which the prophets took to convince them would reclaim them. Few would hear them, fewer would heed them, but fewest of all would believe them or be governed by them.
2.They slew one of the most eminent, Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, and perhaps others. Concerning him observe,
(1.)The message which he delivered to them in the name of God, Ch2 24:20. The people were assembled in the court of the temple (for they had not quite left it), probably on occasion of some solemn feast, when this Zechariah, being filled with the spirit of prophecy, and known (it is likely) to be a prophet, stood up in some of the desks that were in the court of the priests, and very plainly, but without any provoking language, told the people of their sin and what would be the consequences of it. He did not impeach any particular persons, nor predict any particular judgments, as sometimes the prophets did, but as inoffensively as possible reminded them of what was written in the law. Let them but look into their Bibles, and there they would find, [1.] The precept they broke: "You transgress the commandments of the Lord, you know you do so, in serving groves and idols: and why will you so offend God and wrong yourselves?" [2.] The penalty they incurred: "You know, if the word of God be true, you cannot prosper in this evil way; never expect to do ill and fare well. Nay, you find already that because you have forsaken the Lord he hath forsaken you, as he told you he would," Deu 29:25; Deu 31:16, Deu 31:17. This is the work of ministers, by the word of God, as a lamp and a light, to expose the sin of men and expound the providences of God.
(2.)The barbarous treatment they gave him for his kindness and faithfulness in delivering this message to them, Ch2 24:21. By the conspiracy of the princes, or some of their party, and by the commandment of the king, who thought himself affronted by this fair warning, they stoned him to death immediately, not under colour of law, accusing him as a blasphemer, a traitor, or a false prophet, but in a popular tumult, in the court of the house of the Lord - as horrid a piece of wickedness as perhaps any we read of in all the history of the kings. The person was sacred - a priest, the place sacred - the court of the temple (the inner court, between the porch and the altar), the message yet more sacred, and we have reason to think that they knew it came from the spirit of prophecy. The reproof was just, the warning fair, both backed with scripture, and the delivery very gentle and tender; and yet so impudently and daringly do they defy God himself that nothing less than the blood of the prophet can satisfy their indignation at the prophecy. Be astonished, O heavens! at this, and tremble, O earth! that ever such villany should be committed by men, by Israelites, in contempt and violation of every thing that is just, honourable, and sacred - that a king, a king in covenant with God, should command the murder of one whom it was his office to protect and countenance! The Jews say there were seven transgressions in this; for they killed a priest, a prophet, a judge, they shed innocent blood, and polluted the court of the temple, the sabbath, and the day of expiation: for on that day, their tradition says, this happened.
(3.)The aggravation of this sin, that this Zechariah, who suffered martyrdom for his faithfulness to God and his country, was the son of Jehoiada, who had done so much good in Israel, and particularly had been as a father to Joash, Ch2 24:22. The affront done by it to God, and the contempt put on religion, are not so particularly taken notice of as the ingratitude there was in it to the memory of Jehoiada. He remembered not the kindness of the father, but slew the son for doing his duty, and what the father would have done if he had been there. Call a man ungrateful, and you can call him no worse.
(4.)The dying martyr's prophetic imprecation of vengeance upon his murderers: The Lord look upon it, and require it! This came not from a spirit of revenge, but a spirit of prophecy: He will require it. This would be the continual cry of the blood they shed, as Abel's blood cried against Cain: "Let the God to whom vengeance belongs demand blood for blood. He will do it, for he is righteous." This precious blood was quickly reckoned for in the judgments that came upon this apostate prince; it came into the account afterwards in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans - their misusing the prophets was that which brought upon them ruin without remedy (Ch2 36:16); nay, our Saviour makes the persecutors of him and his gospel answerable for the blood of this Zechariah; so loud, so long, does the blood of the martyrs cry. See Mat 23:35. Such as this is the cry of the souls under the altar (Rev 6:10), How long ere thou avenge our blood? For it shall not always go unrevenged.
IV. The judgments of God which came upon Joash for this aggravated wickedness of his. 1. A small army of Syrians made themselves masters of Jerusalem, destroyed the princes, plundered the city, and sent the spoil of it to Damascus, Ch2 24:23, Ch2 24:24. God's people, while they kept in with God, had often been conquerors when the enemy had the advantage of the greater number; but now, on the contrary, an inconsiderable handful of Syrians routed a very great host of Israelites, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers, and then they were not only put upon the level with their enemies, but opposed them with the utmost disadvantage; for their God not only departed from them, but turned to be their enemy and fought against them. The Syrians were employed as instruments in God's hand to execute judgments against Joash, though they little thought so, Isa 10:6, Isa 10:7, and see Deu 32:30. 2. God smote him with great diseases, of body, or mind, or both, either like his grandfather (Ch2 21:18), or, like Saul, an evil spirit from God troubling him. While he was plagued with the Syrians he thought that, if he could but get clear of them, he should do well enough. But, before they departed from him, God smote him with diseases. If vengeance pursue men, the end of one trouble will but be the beginning of another. 3. His own servants conspired against him. Perhaps he began to hope his disease would be cured - he was but a middle-aged man and might recover it; but he that cometh up out of the pit shall fall into the snare. When he thought he should escape death by sickness he met it by the sword. They slew him in his bed for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada, by which it should seem that he did not only slay Zechariah, but others of the sons of Jehoiada for his sake. Perhaps those that slew him intended to take vengeance for that blood; but, whether they did or not, this was what God intended in permitting them to slay him. Those that drink the blood of the saints shall have their own blood given them to drink, for they are worthy. The regicides are here named (Ch2 24:26), and it is observable that the mothers of them both were foreigners, one an Ammonitess and the other a Moabitess. The idolatrous kings, it is likely, countenanced those marriages which the law prohibited for the prevention of idolatry; and see how they resulted in their own destruction. 4. His people would not bury him in the sepulchres of the kings because he had stained his honour by his mal-administration. Let him not be written with the righteous, Psa 69:28. These judgments are called the burdens laid upon him (Ch2 24:27), for the wrath of God is a heavy burden, too heavy for any man to bear. Or it may be meant of the threatenings denounced against him by the prophets, for those are called burdens. Usually God sets some special marks of his displeasure upon apostates in this life, for warning to all to remember Lot's wife.
But if there are some who think that they can return to the Church not with prayers but with threats, or suppose that they can make a way for themselves, not with lamentation and atonements, but with terrors, let them take it for certain that against such the Church of the Lord stands closed; nor does the camp of Christ, unconquered and firm with the Lord's protection, yield to threats. The priest of God holding fast the Gospel and keeping Christ's precepts may be slain; he cannot be conquered. Zacharias, God's priest, suggests and furnishes to us examples of courage and faith, who, when he could not be terrified with threats and stoning, was slain in the temple of God, at the same time crying out and saying, what we also cry out and say against the heretics, "Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken the ways of the Lord, and the Lord will forsake you."
Some such thing we read of in the book of Chronicles. For Joash the king of Judah at the age of seven was summoned by Jehoiada the priest to the kingdom and by the witness of Scripture is commended for all his actions as long as the aforesaid priest lived. But hear what Scripture relates of him after Jehoiada’s death and how he was puffed up with pride and given over to a most disgraceful state. “But after the death of Jehoiada the princes went in and worshiped the king: and he was soothed by their services and hearkened to them. And they forsook the temple of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served groves and idols, and great wrath came on Judah and Jerusalem because of this sin.” And after a little: “When a year was come about, the army of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the princes of the people, and they sent all the spoils to the king to Damascus. And whereas there came a very small number of the Syrians, the Lord delivered into their hands an infinite multitude, because they had forsaken the Lord the God of their fathers; and on Joash they executed shameful judgments. And departing they left him in great diseases.” You see how the consequence of pride was that he was given over to shocking and filthy passions. For he who is puffed up with pride and has permitted himself to be worshiped as God, is (as the apostle says) “given over to shameful passions and a reprobate mind to do those things that are not convenient.” And because, as Scripture says, “everyone who exalts his heart is unclean before God,” he who is puffed up with swelling pride of heart is given over to most shameful confusion to be deluded by it, that when thus humbled he may know that he is unclean through impurity of the flesh and knowledge of impure desires, a thing that he had refused to recognize in the pride of his heart; and also that the shameful infection of the flesh may disclose the hidden impurity of the heart, which he contracted through the sin of pride, and that through the patent pollution of his body he may be proved to be impure, who did not formerly see that he had become unclean through the pride of his spirit.
Zechariah was son of high priest Jehoiada, a man who was likewise very holy. They stoned Zechariah between the temple and the altar, as the Lord himself bore witness when he made mention of the blessed martyrs in the Gospel.
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SUMMARY
2 Chronicles 24:21 vividly recounts the brutal and premeditated murder of Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest, orchestrated by King Joash himself, within the sacred confines of the Lord's temple court. This shocking act of violence represents a profound betrayal of the family that had saved Joash's life and secured his throne, marking a precipitous decline in his reign and serving as a stark illustration of the perilous cost of prophetic faithfulness in the face of royal apostasy and spiritual corruption.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse serves as the tragic climax of King Joash's spiritual apostasy, which began immediately after the death of his venerable mentor, the High Priest Jehoiada, as detailed in 2 Chronicles 24:15. Earlier in the chapter, 2 Chronicles 24:2 explicitly praises Joash for doing "that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest." However, with Jehoiada gone, Joash succumbed to the corrupting influence of the princes of Judah, abandoning the Lord and embracing idolatry (2 Chronicles 24:17-18). Despite God's merciful dispatch of prophets to call them back to repentance, the people stubbornly refused to listen. It is in this context of escalating rebellion that the Spirit of God powerfully came upon Zechariah, Jehoiada's son, who courageously confronted the king and the people with their sin and the dire consequences of forsaking the Lord (2 Chronicles 24:20). The stoning of Zechariah, therefore, is not an impulsive act but a deliberate, royally sanctioned execution in direct response to divine rebuke, immediately preceding the severe judgment that justly falls upon Joash and Judah (2 Chronicles 24:23-24).
Historical & Cultural Context: King Joash's reign (c. 835-796 BC) occurred during a period of significant political and religious flux in the Kingdom of Judah. Joash himself had a miraculous beginning, rescued as an infant from the murderous purge of Queen Athaliah and hidden in the temple for six years (2 Kings 11:1-3). His early years, under Jehoiada's guidance, saw a remarkable revival of true worship and the eradication of idolatrous practices. However, the deep-seated pagan influences prevalent in Judah's culture, often intertwined with political power structures, resurfaced powerfully after Jehoiada's death. Stoning was a prescribed method of capital punishment in Mosaic Law, reserved for severe offenses such as idolatry, blasphemy, or false prophecy (Deuteronomy 13:10; Leviticus 24:16). In this verse, it is perversely applied to an innocent prophet who faithfully delivered God's truth, highlighting the profound moral and spiritual corruption that had infected the king and his court. The specific location, "in the court of the house of the LORD," is profoundly significant, transforming a sacred space into a scene of sacrilege and demonstrating an overt contempt for God's holiness and presence.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully encapsulates several pivotal themes central to the book of Chronicles and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it starkly illustrates the theme of ingratitude and betrayal, as King Joash, whose life was miraculously preserved and whose throne was secured by Jehoiada, repays the family's unwavering loyalty by ordering the murder of Jehoiada's own son. Secondly, it underscores the severe consequences of apostasy and spiritual decline, demonstrating how a leader who begins his reign righteously can fall catastrophically when he abandons the Lord, leading to both personal and national calamity. Thirdly, the narrative exemplifies the recurring biblical theme of the persecution of prophets, where God's faithful messengers are consistently rejected and often martyred for fearlessly speaking unpopular divine truths, a pattern lamented by Jesus himself (Matthew 23:34-36). Finally, the act's location emphasizes the theme of sacrilege, the egregious desecration of holy space, which symbolizes the profound depth of Judah's spiritual depravity and their utter contempt for God's divine presence and authority.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The narrative of 2 Chronicles 24:21 is rich with literary devices that amplify its tragic impact and theological significance. Irony is powerfully present, as King Joash, whose very life was miraculously saved and whose throne was secured by Jehoiada, now orders the murder of Jehoiada's son, Zechariah. This profound betrayal of his benefactor's family, in response to a divine message, is a stark reversal of gratitude and a testament to Joash's spiritual decline. The setting itself employs potent symbolism: the murder occurring "in the court of the house of the LORD" transforms a sacred space—a place of worship and divine presence—into a scene of profanity and bloodshed. This symbolizes the complete spiritual corruption of the king and the nation's utter contempt for God's holiness and His covenant. This act of violence against a prophet also serves as chilling foreshadowing, anticipating the ongoing pattern of prophetic persecution throughout Israel's history, culminating tragically in the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus, the ultimate Prophet. Furthermore, Zechariah's dying words, recorded in the following verse, "The LORD look upon it, and require it" (2 Chronicles 24:22), function as a powerful prophetic curse or imprecation, foreshadowing the swift and severe divine judgment that would soon befall Joash and Judah.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The stoning of Zechariah in the temple court is a pivotal moment that encapsulates profound theological truths about human depravity, divine justice, and the enduring cost of prophetic witness. It reveals the dangerous trajectory of a heart hardened against God's truth, demonstrating that even those who begin well can fall into profound apostasy when they abandon righteous counsel and embrace ungodly influences. This event underscores God's unwavering commitment to sending His messengers, even when they are rejected, and His ultimate promise to hold individuals and nations accountable for their actions, especially the persecution of His faithful servants. Zechariah's martyrdom is thus a testament to the enduring conflict between God's truth and human rebellion, a conflict that reverberates throughout biblical history and points to a greater divine reckoning where all injustices will be addressed.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The tragic account of Zechariah's martyrdom in 2 Chronicles 24:21 serves as a profound and sobering warning for all believers across generations. It reminds us that spiritual vigilance is not a one-time decision but a lifelong commitment requiring continuous submission to God's Word. King Joash's initial righteousness, carefully guided by Jehoiada, highlights that even a good start does not guarantee a faithful finish if one neglects God's truth, succumbs to ungodly influences, and allows a hardened heart to take root. This narrative challenges us to critically examine the influences we permit into our lives and the counsel we choose to heed, urging us to remain deeply rooted in God's unchanging truth, even when it is unpopular, uncomfortable, or comes at a personal cost. Furthermore, Zechariah's unwavering courage in delivering God's uncomfortable message, even unto death, calls us to consider our own faithfulness in speaking truth to power and standing for righteousness in a world often hostile to divine revelation. His dying words, "The LORD look upon it, and require it," powerfully remind us that God is a God of perfect justice who sees every injustice, hears every cry, and will ultimately bring all things into account, offering profound comfort and assurance to those who suffer for His name and His truth.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Zechariah killed, and what was the significance of the location?
Answer: Zechariah was killed because, empowered by the Spirit of God, he boldly confronted King Joash and the people of Judah for their profound apostasy—their abandonment of the Lord and their turn to serving idols. His message was a direct rebuke and a solemn warning that their disobedience would inevitably lead to ruin, as explicitly stated in 2 Chronicles 24:20. Instead of repenting and returning to God, Joash, in an act of profound ingratitude and spiritual blindness, commanded Zechariah's execution. The significance of the location, "in the court of the house of the LORD," is immense and deeply symbolic. It transformed a sacred space, consecrated for worship and the manifestation of God's presence, into a scene of unholy murder. This act was not merely a crime against a man but a direct affront to God Himself, symbolizing the king's and the nation's utter contempt for divine authority and the egregious desecration of all that was holy. It underscored the depth of their spiritual rebellion and sacrilege, demonstrating their willingness to defile even the most sacred ground for their own wicked ends.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The tragic martyrdom of Zechariah in the temple court, a faithful prophet rejected and slain for fearlessly speaking God's truth, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate rejection and redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Like Zechariah, Jesus came as God's final and greatest Prophet, bringing a message of truth, repentance, and salvation to His own people, yet tragically, "He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him" (John 1:11). Jesus Himself lamented Jerusalem's consistent history of killing prophets, specifically mentioning "Zechariah the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar" (Matthew 23:35), thereby linking His own impending fate to the long and sorrowful line of persecuted divine messengers. While Zechariah's death was an act of profound injustice that cried out for vengeance, Jesus' death was the ultimate act of redemptive justice, the perfect, voluntary sacrifice of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!. He willingly endured rejection, false accusation, and a brutal execution outside the city gates, not for His own sin, but to bear the sins of humanity and reconcile us to God (Isaiah 53:5). Thus, Zechariah's tragic end points to the greater, saving work of Christ, who, though rejected and killed, was raised from the dead, fulfilling all prophecy, establishing a new covenant, and offering true justice and eternal life found in Him alone (Hebrews 12:2).