2 Chronicles 23 & 24: The Conspiracy
Verse of the Day: (24:25) And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.

1. Covenant (23:1-21)
And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD’s people. (23:16)

Jehoiada, the priest, strengthened his godly influence over the people as he rallied them to reinstate Joash as the king of Judah instead of Athaliah who had usurped the throne after the death of King Ahaziah, her son. When Athaliah discovered that the people had made Joash the king, she denounced the enthronement. Jehoiada then ordered the soldiers to kill her. Jehoiada also made a covenant with the new King Joash and Judah to return to the worship of their true God. Indeed, Jesus is our Mediator of the new covenant as He had reconciled us to God by the shedding of His blood upon His death. (Hebrews 12:24)

2. Chest (24:1-14)
And at the king’s commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD. (24:8)

Joash was a good king while Jehoiada, the priest, was alive, as he listened to his godly advice. Joash rallied Judah in worshipping God, and repairing His house as Athaliah had led the people into idolatry, and had not only neglected God’s house, but took all the dedicated items from it and brought them for the worship of their idols. Joash also commanded a chest to be built so that the people would give for the repair work. Indeed, let us give generously to God as He had given us His best, His Son, Jesus. (John 3:16)

3. Conspiracy (24:15-27)
And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD. (24:21)

After Jehoiada’s death, Joash strayed from God as he listened to the advice of his ungodly princes. Joash not only made the people worshipped idols but he also conspired with the princes by ordering his soldiers to stone Zechariah, who succeeded Jehoiada, his father, as the priest, to death, when the latter rebuked them for forsaking God. Subsequently, God punished Judah by sending the Syrians to defeat them. Joash was severely wounded from the battle, and while resting on his bed, his servants killed him. Though Joash was buried in the city of David, yet he was not buried among the kings, while Jehoiada, the priest, had the honour to be buried among the kings, because Joash had strayed from God. Indeed, let us obey God and flee from evil. (1 Timothy 6:11-12)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to follow Your Word and flee from conspiracy and evil.