Opposing God Brings Certain Peril - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Chronicles 23:24b,

"Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash."

Joash was a good king in Judah, the eighth king following Solomon. At least he had a good start in his reign. In verse 2 we read, "Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest." He restored the temple of the Lord after Athaliah, his predecessor on the throne had continued the idolatry of kings Jehoram and Ahaziah before her.

However, when the priest Jehoiada passed away Joash went bad, abandoned the temple of the Lord and pursued the worship of idols. A good king gone bad when the good influence of the priest Jehoiada passed from him.

The Lord responded to Joash's fateful folly. As we see in our verse above, the Lord executed judgment on Joash when he turned against the Lord. Joash suffered a humiliating defeat by the Arameans and his own officials killed him in his bed. We are told it was because Joash had put to death Jehoiada's son, Zechariah, who had called out Joash for abandoning the Lord.

The messages of Israel's history contain so much we can learn of the Lord. One thing that stands out clearly is that when anyone opposes what the Lord is pursuing, they always do it to their own peril. Just ask Joash.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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