The Wages of Wavering: The End of Joash
Introduction: The Danger of a Propped-Up Faith
We come this morning to the end of a story that began with such tremendous promise. It is a story of palace intrigue, of a hidden king, of a godly priest, and a glorious restoration of true worship. I am speaking, of course, of the reign of King Joash. Rescued as an infant from the murderous rampage of his grandmother Athaliah, hidden in the temple for six years, and then placed on the throne at the age of seven by the wise and faithful high priest Jehoiada. It is a story fit for a grand adventure.
For many years, Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He spearheaded the repairs of the temple, a project that had been neglected and had fallen into disrepair. Under the tutelage of Jehoiada, the kingdom of Judah experienced a season of reformation. But the text gives us a crucial, and ultimately tragic, qualifier. Joash did right in the eyes of the Lord "all the days that Jehoiada the priest instructed him" (2 Kings 12:2). This is what we might call a propped-up faith. It was a faith that was dependent on the presence and guidance of another man. And when the prop was removed, the structure collapsed.
After Jehoiada died at the ripe old age of 130, Joash began to listen to new counselors, the princes of Judah, who led him back into the idolatry his fathers had practiced. He went so far as to murder Zechariah, the son of his great benefactor Jehoiada, for daring to prophesy against him. This is the context for the verses before us today. They are not simply a dry, historical record of a palace coup. They are the final, bitter invoice for a life that started strong but finished in rebellion. They are a stark warning to every one of us about the absolute necessity of a faith that is rooted in God alone, and not in men, movements, or mentors.
The end of Joash's reign teaches us a hard but necessary lesson: God's covenant is steadfast, but His judgment on covenant-breakers is equally sure. A good beginning does not guarantee a good end. And the political machinations of men, the conspiracies and the coups, are all, ultimately, instruments in the hands of a sovereign God who will not be mocked.
The Text
Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
And his servants arose and made a conspiracy and struck down Joash at the house of Millo as he was going down to Silla.
Now Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Amaziah his son became king in his place.
(2 Kings 12:19-21 LSB)
The Unwritten Record (v. 19)
We begin with the historian's closing formula:
"Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?" (2 Kings 12:19)
This is a common refrain in the books of Kings. The inspired author is not attempting to give us an exhaustive biography of every king. He is a theologian, selecting the events that are pertinent to his central theme: the covenant faithfulness of God in the face of Israel's and Judah's covenant unfaithfulness. He points his readers to the official court records for the rest of the details, the political treaties, the building projects, the economic policies.
But there is an irony here. The Holy Spirit is telling us that the full account of Joash's life is recorded elsewhere. And what does that "full account" contain? As we know from the parallel account in 2 Chronicles 24, it contains the story of his great apostasy. It records his turn to idolatry after Jehoiada's death. It records his ingratitude and his murderous rage against Zechariah, the son of the man who saved his life and his kingdom. The "rest of the acts of Joash" are a testimony to his spectacular fall from grace.
This verse reminds us that God keeps the books, and the books will be opened. There is a divine record, an ultimate "Book of Chronicles," in which all our deeds are written. Nothing is hidden. The things we do when we think the props have been removed, when we think the mentors are gone and no one is watching, are all recorded. Joash had a public record of temple repairs and a private record of apostasy and murder. God saw both. This is a call to integrity, to a faith that is not dependent on who is watching, but is lived out before the face of God Himself.
The Divine Instrument of Judgment (v. 20)
Next, we see the outworking of God's judgment through the hands of sinful men.
"And his servants arose and made a conspiracy and struck down Joash at the house of Millo as he was going down to Silla." (2 Kings 12:20 LSB)
Here we have a palace conspiracy. This is not the first, nor will it be the last, in the bloody history of the kings. From a purely secular perspective, this is just politics as usual. Men jockeying for power, settling scores, acting out of ambition or revenge. The text doesn't even give us their explicit motive here, though 2 Chronicles 24:25 tells us it was because of the "blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest." They were avenging the murder of Zechariah.
But we must read this with theological eyes. This conspiracy is not an accident of history. It is not a random event that caught God by surprise. This is the ordained consequence of Joash's sin. God is the one who is ultimately behind this. He is sovereign over the sinful actions of men. Just as He would later use the pagan nations of Assyria and Babylon as a rod of judgment against His people, here He uses the treachery of Joash's own servants to bring about His righteous sentence.
This is a profound biblical truth that our modern sensibilities often struggle with. God ordains all that comes to pass, yet He is not the author of sin. The conspirators are fully culpable for their treason and murder. They acted out of their own wicked hearts. And yet, their wicked act served God's holy purpose. This is the doctrine of divine concurrence. God works in, with, and through the secondary causes, including the sinful choices of men, to accomplish His ultimate will. The cross is the ultimate example of this. The Roman soldiers and the Jewish leaders were fully responsible for crucifying the Lord of glory, yet it was all according to the "definite plan and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23).
Joash had shed innocent blood, the blood of a prophet, the blood of his benefactor's son. And now his own blood is shed. "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image" (Genesis 9:6). The conspiracy was the instrument, but the judgment was God's.
The Bitter End (v. 21)
The final verse gives us the grim details and the transition of power.
"Now Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Amaziah his son became king in his place." (2 Kings 12:21 LSB)
The names of the assassins are recorded. History remembers them for their treachery. They were "his servants," men who were supposed to be loyal to him, men who were part of his own court. This highlights the deep betrayal. The king who had been saved from a bloody massacre as a baby now dies in a bloody assassination at the hands of his own men. The one who forsook the covenant God of his fathers is now forsaken by his own inner circle.
He is buried "with his fathers in the city of David." This seems to afford him some honor in death. However, the Chronicler adds a crucial detail: "they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings" (2 Chronicles 24:25). He was denied the highest royal honor. His end was a disgrace. He was a king who started like David but did not finish like David, and so he was not laid to rest with David.
And then, life moves on. "Amaziah his son became king in his place." The Davidic line continues. This is a critical point. Despite the faithlessness of individual kings like Joash, God remains faithful to His covenant with David. He had promised David a lamp in Jerusalem, a descendant on the throne (2 Samuel 7:16). The wickedness of a king could bring judgment upon himself, but it could not derail the sovereign, covenant plan of God. The stream of the messianic line might run muddy at times, but it never runs dry. It flows on, through Amaziah, and all the subsequent kings, until it culminates in the birth of the ultimate King, Jesus Christ.
Conclusion: Finishing Well
The story of Joash is a tragedy in three acts. Act One: a miraculous rescue and a promising beginning under a godly mentor. Act Two: the mentor dies, and the king's faith collapses, leading to apostasy and murder. Act Three: a squalid end, assassinated by his own men and denied a place in the royal tombs.
The lesson for us is stark and unavoidable. It is not enough to start well. We must finish well. It is not enough to have a borrowed faith, a faith propped up by a godly parent, a dynamic pastor, or a strong Christian community. These things are blessings, but they are not the foundation. The foundation must be Christ Himself, apprehended by a personal, living faith.
When the props are inevitably removed, when you go off to college, when your mentor moves away, when you face trials alone, will your faith stand? Is it your own? Have you wrestled with God for yourself? Is your obedience rooted in a deep, personal love for Christ and a profound gratitude for His grace?
The end of Joash is a picture of the law's wages. He started with the external forms of righteousness, but when tested, his heart was found wanting. He broke the covenant and received the covenant curses. But we are not under law, but under grace. The story of Joash should drive us to the cross. It should make us cling to the one King who did not waver, the one King who was perfectly faithful from beginning to end, Jesus Christ.
His servants also conspired against Him. He was betrayed by one of His own. He was struck down and died. But unlike Joash, His death was not the wage for His own sin, but for ours. And unlike Joash, He did not remain in the tomb. He rose again, victorious over sin and death. Because of His perfect faithfulness, we who are in Him are secure. He is the prop that will never be removed. He is the foundation that can never be shaken. Let the tragic end of Joash be a warning to us, driving us away from self-reliance and propped-up religion, and into the strong arms of the only King who can enable us not just to start well, but to finish the race and receive the crown of life.