The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 5 · Section 19 · Concurrent kings · Judah · Jehoash
The 8th. that reigned in Judah was JOASH.AThaliah having uſurped the Crown and reigned about ſix years (during which time ſhe had much promoted the worſhip of Baal in Judah) at length Jehoiada the High Prieſt began to think of ſetling this young Joaſh in the Throne, to whom it did belong not only by natural right (being the former Kings Son) but by vertue of the promiſe made by God to David and his poſterity, 2 Sam. 7.13, 16. Having therefore imparted this ſecret to five Captains of the land in whoſe fidelity he had moſt confidence, and he and they having made a Covenant to do their utmoſt to depoſe Athaliah the Ʋſurper, and to ſet up Joaſh and to pull down Idolatry, and eſtabliſh the true Religion, afterwards by their means he drew in others of the principal men of the Kingdom (both Levites and others) procuring them to meet at Jeruſalem in order to the carrying on of the deſign. And accordingly they being met together in ſome Chamber of the Temple, and having taken an Oath of ſecreſie and fidelity, he ſhewed them the Kings Son. Then they reſolved how the buſineſs ſhould be manag'd the next Sabbath-day in every particular. The Levites were by an order long ſince eſtabliſhed among them by David divided in twenty four Companies, which did in their courſes (each company a week) perform the ſervice of the Temple, the reſt abiding in their private dwellings in the ſeveral Cities of Judah, and ſo every Sabbath-day they that ſerved the week before went out, and another company came in to ſerve in their rooms. In each company there were a great many of theſe Levites beſides Porters and Singers. Now becauſe Jehoiada and his Aſſociates were not able to bring together ſecretly ſo many truſty and ſerviceable hands of the Country as would be ſufficient to manage this great buſineſs, therefore he reſolv'd to arm the Levites for the work, having ſecretly laid in the Chambers of the Temple ſome arms and weapons for the purpoſe. And that the Levites whom he intended to employ in this buſineſs might be the ſtronger, he took in the new company (that were to come in on the Sabbath-day) and did not diſmiſs the old (that ſhould have gone out) but retained them ſtill, and ſo by that means without any noiſe, he made up ſuch a number as he thought would be able to deal with the Queens ordinary Guards if need ſhould be. All theſe Levites therefore he diſpoſes under the command of ſeveral Captains (either ſuch as were principal men among the Levites, or others whom he had ſworn his aſſociates in this deſign) in this manner. Thoſe that were to enter into the ſervice of the Temple that Sabbath-day, he divided into three Companies. One Company whereof he aſſigned to watch at the Gate of the outer Court, viz. the North-gate that led to the Kings Palace, where Athaliah now was. Another company he aſſign'd to the Eaſt *Call'd the Gate of Shur, or the Gate of the foundation, 2 King. 11.6.Gate that led into the City. A third company to the South-gate. Thoſe Levites that ſhould have gone out from the ſervice of the Temple he divided into two companies, and appointed them to be a Guard in the Temple unto the Kings perſon, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. Then he gave to the Captains for themſelves and their men, King David's Spears and Shields, See 1 Sam. 21.9. 2 Sam. 8.7.viz. ſuch weapons as were there reſerved as Trophies and monuments of David's victories, which weapons of war were ſome of thoſe things dedicated by David, and brought into the Temple by Solomon, 1 King. 7.51. Thus this Guard of Levites ſtood every man with his weapon in his hand, and Jehoiada charged them to look to it that their watches were not diſordered by the breaking in of any body, and that if any offered to break through their ranks by force, they ſhould ſlay them. Things being thus ordered, he brought forth the Kings Son to them, and ſet him on the Brazen Scaffold, and Jehoiadah and his Sons anointed him, and put the Crown upon his head, and gave into his hands the Teſtimony, that is, the Book wherein the Law of God was written, and wherein was teſtified what God required of his people, and what they might expect from him in caſe of obedience. Theſe things being done, all there preſent made a great acclamation, and cried out, God ſave the King. Then Jehoiada made a Covenant between the Lord and the King, and the people, viz. that the King ſhould ſerve the Lord, and maintain his pure worſhip, and root out Idolatry, and that the people ſhould join with him therein, and ſhould fear and ſerve the Lord, and him only, and every way carry themſelves as became his peopeople. Then he made a Covenant between the King and the people, viz. that the King ſhould govern them righteouſly, and that they ſhould yield due obedience unto him.
Athaliah being at the Palace (which was near the Temple) and hearing theſe great loud acclamations of the peopeople, and of ſuch as in the great Court ſtood about the King, ſhe with a few of her ſervants that were about her, ruſht into the Temple through the Guards, and when ſhe came to the great Court ſhe ſaw the King ſtanding by the Pillar on the Brazen Scaffold with the Crown on his head, and the Trumpeters about him blowing, and all the people there preſent wonderfully rejoicing; upon this, ſhe rent her clothes, and cried out, Treaſon, Treaſon. Jehoiada immediately commanded the Officers and Commanders to lay hold on her, and to have her out of the ranges, and and to kill any man that offered to reſcue her, and to carry her out of the Temple, and to ſlay her, which accordingly they did in the way that horſes came into the Kings Palace. Thus as ſhe was like her mother in ſin, ſo ſhe was not much unlike her in her death. See 2 King. 9.33.
Jehojada then appointed Officers for the watch of the Lords houſe, to prevent any danger that might happen upon this ſudden change, and the rites of Coronation being finiſhed, and the aforeſaid Covenants made, and Athaliah ſlain, Jehoiada and the Rulers and Officers brought the King down to his Royal Palace and ſet him upon his Throne, and no diſturbance followed thereupon, but the City was quiet, and the people rejoiced. Joaſh was ſeven years old when he was Crowned, and reigned forty years. Jehoiada now beſtirs himſelf to rectifie things that had been diſordered in Athaliah's reign, and firſt he reſtores the true worſhip of God, and takes care to have the ſervices of the Temple duly performed. Then the people went into the houſe of Baal, and brake it down with its Altars and Images (which by the encouragement of Athaliah had been ſet up) and they ſlew Mattan the Prieſt of Baal even before the Altars, to manifeſt their greater deteſtation of that Idolatry, and poſſibly in imitation of Jehu, who had with ſo much zeal ſuppreſſed that Idolatry in Iſrael.
Joaſh when he was grown up took two wives whom Jehoiada choſe for him, and he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada, who ceaſed not to inſtruct him in the ways of the Lord. But the high places (wherein they worſhipped the true God) were not taken away. For the people having been ſo long uſed to offer Sacrifices and burn incenſe on them, it ſeems Jehoiada durſt not adviſe the King to proceed to a reformation of this evil.
The Temple at this time was fallen into great decay, either by the negligence of former Kings, or through the wickneſs of Athaliah, whoſe Sons had broken up the houſe of God, and had beſtowed the dedicate things thereof upon Baalim, 2 Chron. 14.7. Joaſh therefore now takes order for the repair of it. And indeed it was fit he ſhould be very careful to uphold the Temple that had been the nurſery of his infancy, and the beſt means under God of ſecuring his life, and upholding his juſt title to the Crown. In order therefore hereunto he enjoined the Prieſts carefully to gather all the mony of the dedicated things, that is, all the money dedicated to the ſervice and repair of the Temple: Particularly, 1. The money of every one that paſſeth the account, that is, the half ſhekel that they were to pay when they were numbred from twenty years old and upwards, [Exod. 30.12, 13.] which is therefore called the collection of Moſes the ſervant of the Lord, and of the Congregation of Iſrael, for the Tabernacle of witneſs *So call'd in regard of the Ark, and the Tables of ſtone in it, which contain'd the Covenant between God and his people, and was a witneſs between them.laid upon the people when the Tabernacle was building. So in a like caſe 'twas thought reaſonable that a like courſe ſhould be taken for the Temple. 2ly, The money that every one is ſet at, that is, the money which any man ſhall by the Prieſt be appointed to pay for his redemption, when he hath vowed himſelf to God according to the Law, Levit. 27.2. 3ly, All the money that cometh into any mans heart to bring into the houſe of the Lord, that is, which any man ſhall voluntarily give for the repair of the Temple. This threefold collection Joaſh appointed the Prieſts to gather from year to year in the ſeveral Cities where they dwelt, and were well known among the people; and with this money he orders them to repair the breaches of the Temple as there was need, and to expedite it with all convenient ſpeed. But it ſeems the Prieſts were negligent herein; when therefore in the twenty third year of his reign he ſaw that nothing conſiderable was done, he ſuppoſed that either the Prieſts had been exceeding remiſs in gathering this money, or had not faithfully paid in what they had received, or at leaſt that the people ſuſpecting they did convert it to their own private uſe, did not pay it ſo willingly as otherwiſe they would have done. He thereupon took the work out of their hands, commanding them to pay in what they had received, and appointed another way for the gathering of it. And that was this, the King by the advice of Jehoiada made a great Cheſt, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and ſet it in the great Court, at the entrance of the Prieſts Court, and into this Cheſt (for preventing of all fraud in this buſineſs) he orders that all the money that was brought in for the repair of the houſe of the Lord ſhould be put. The Prieſts readily conſented to this courſe, being willing to be excuſed from the care and trouble of collecting this money. Whereupon a Proclamation was iſſued out through the whole Kingdom, that every man ſhould bring in to this Cheſt his appointed contribution, or voluntary offering, which accordingly was done with much alacrity and willingneſs, and they continued their contributions till all that needed repairing was finiſhed. And thus money came in in abundance. And when they perceived there was much money in the Cheſt, the Kings Secretary and the High-Prieſt came and took it out and told the money and put it up in bags, and gave it into the hands of the Maſter-workmen that therewith they might provide materials, and pay the inferiour workmen. And they had ſuch experience of the honeſty and fidelity of theſe Maſter-workmen (into whoſe hands they committed the money) that they expected no particular account of them how it was laid out. And till the Temple was fully repair'd they would not employ any of the money ſo collected to other uſes, but when it was fully done, and the houſe of God ſet into as good ſtate as it was before, then theſe overſeers of the work brought in the remaining money, and with it they made veſſels for the Temple ſuch as were made by Solomon, viz. Incenſe-cups, Spoons, Cenſers, and other utenſils of gold and ſilver. But though theſe contributions of the people before mentioned were brought into this Cheſt, yet the treſpaſs-mony *That is, the money which by the Law thoſe men were to pay by way of ſatisfaction (according to the eſtimation of the Prieſts) that had any way wronged the Lord in his holy things, Levit. 5.15. whether it were done ignorantly or wittingly. In both caſes ſatisfaction was to be made, and the one of theſe is call'd treſpaſs-money, and the other ſin-money.and ſin-money was not brought into it, it being properly the Prieſts. Thus when they had made the Temple fit for the ſervice of God, they daily performed ſuch worſhip therein as was required by the Law, and this they did continually all the days of Jehoiada. Jehoiada being now very old, and full of days, (having lived an hundred and thirty years) he died. He was about ten or eleven years old at Solomons death, and lived in the reigns of eight Kings of Judah. It was a great bleſſing to that Kingdom that he lived ſo long. And they buried him in the City of David among the Kings (which was an high honour to him) becauſe he had done good in Iſrael both towards God in reſtoring his worſhip, and towards his houſe in cauſing it to be repaired.
Now after the death of Jehoiada (that wiſe godly and zealous Governour) ſeveral of the Princes of Judah who (as it ſeems) had concealed their impious mind and hollow heartedneſs in Religion before, came now to Joaſh, and making a low obeiſance to him, and preſenting unto him a flattering addreſs, they petitioned him (as appears by what follows) that they might have leave to ſet up the Idolatry of Baal again in the land, and to worſhip God in the high places after the manner of their fathers, becauſe it was burdenſome to go up from all parts to the Temple. The King being prevailed upon by their flatteries *Multorum Principum aures nihil accipiunt niſi jucundum & l…ſurum. Tacitus., granted their requeſt, and ſo they left the Temple (the houſe of the God of their Fathers) and ſerved Idols in Groves, and thereby brought the wrath of the Lord upon Judah and Jeruſalem by this their great treſpaſs. For ſhortly after Hazael King of Syria [ſee 2 King. 12.17.] invaded the land, and took Gath (a)This City David recovered from the Philiſtines, 1 Chr. 18.1. and the Kings of Judah held it to this time. It was one of the Cities Rehoboam fortified, 2 Chr. 11.8., and was preparing to go againſt Jeruſalem. So formidable to Joaſh was this approach of Hazael that he was forc'd to purchaſe his peace with him by making him a preſent of all the hallowed things, and of all the gold that was found in the Treaſuries of the Temple, and in his own houſe (b)2 Chron. 24.27. The greatneſs of the burdens laid upon him, may hereby be meant which are mentioned in ſome Civil Records.. Sundry Prophets and extraordinary meſſengers God ſent to them one after another, to reclaim the King and his people from thoſe evil ways, and to bring them again to the Lord. And theſe Prophets (c)So the Lord dealt with the Ten Tribes, 2 King. 17.13. and with the men of Judah after this, 2 Chron. 36.15, 16.did faithfully declare their ſin to them, even to their very faces, and foretold them of the judgments God would bring upon them if they did not repent; however they would not hearken to them, but by an obſtinacy in ſin pull'd down vengeance on their own heads. At length Zachariah the Son of Jehoiada was by the Spirit of God ſtirred up to admoniſh them of their wickedneſs, who accordingly did it with great boldneſs and courage, and ſtanding up in an high place in the Court of the Temple, and ſpeaking to the King, his Nobles, and people, he told them, Thus ſaith the Lord, why do ye ſo tranſgreſs the commandments of the Lord that ye cannot proſper, becauſe ye have forſaken the Lord, he hath forſaken you, and given you over into the hands of the Syrians. Hereupon theſe Idolatrous Princes, and the people that were like them being enraged, immediately conſulted together to deſtroy him, and probably complained grievouſly to the King of him, repreſenting him (as the manner of ſuch perſons is) as a man highly diſaffected to the Kings perſon and government, and an enemy to the State. And having by this means inflam'd the King againſt him, they askt him if they ſhould preſently ſtone him, which he agreeing to, and commanding, they furiouſly ruſhed into the Prieſts Court whither Zachariah had betaken himſelf, and with moſt daring impiety ſtoned him between the Temple and the Altar *See Mat. 23.35.. But before he expired he ſaid, The Lord will look upon it and require it; that is, he will ſeverely avenge my blood upon you. Thus Joaſh remembred not the kindneſs which Jehoiada the Father of Zachariah had done for him, who had nouriſhed him in the Temple in his infancy, and with extream hazard to himſelf ſet him upon the Throne, and inſtructed him in the ways of God, and had been his moſt faithful counſellor, and a means of procuring many bleſſings to him; and yet notwithſtanding all this, he now cruelly conſents to the murdering of his Son, and that only for giving him faithful counſel. But though Joaſh was thus abominably ungrateful, yet the Lord would not let it ſo paſs. For before that year was expired the Syrians invaded the land again, and executed the judgment of God upon them with great ſeverity. For though they came only with a ſmall company of men (intending poſſibly to pillage rather than to perform any great action) and Joaſh went out againſt them with a very great army, yet this ſmall band of the Syrians overthrew that great hoſt of Judah, becauſe they had forſaken the Lord God of their fathers. The Syrians being highly encouraged with this victory, they went up againſt Jeruſalem, and deſtroyed all the Princes of the people (on whom they could lay their hands) who had been the great inſtruments to draw away their King from the worſhip of the true God to Idolatry; and they ſent the ſpoil of them to the King of Damaſcus. And when they departed they left Joaſh in ſore diſeaſes (perhaps by reaſon of ſome wounds he had received in the fight) which advantage two of his own ſervants laying hold upon ſlew him in his bed, and thereby avenged the blood of the Son *V. 25. For the blood of the Sons of Jehoiada, i. e. one of his Sons, the Plural num…er for the Singular.of Jehoiada the Prieſt, he was ſlain in the beginning of the fortieth year of his reign. And they buried him in the City of David, but not in the Sepulchres of the Kings. He reigned twenty two years with Jehu, the reſt in the time of Jehoahaz Jehu's Son, and Jehoaſh his Grandchild; and Amaziah his Son ſucceeded him.
1 King. 11. wh. Ch.
2 King. 12. wh. Ch.
2 Chron. 23. wh. Ch.
2 Chron. 24. wh. Ch.