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Joash - The Books of 2 Kings & 2 Chronicles · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. Yet he sent prophets to them, to
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  Speaker 1: bring them again unto the Lord, and they testified against them,
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  Speaker 1: but they would not give ear. 2 Chronicles 24 19 Today, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: I am making the conscious decision to forever be mindful
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  Speaker 1: of how I conduct myself, because I am a leader,
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  Speaker 1: and because you have entrusted me with influence. in the
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  Speaker 1: lives of others. I will not lower my standards to
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  Speaker 1: become comfortable with ungodliness. I will not lower my standards
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  Speaker 1: to cater to the hearts of those who desire to
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  Speaker 1: walk away from your goodness and your mercy, Lord. I
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  Speaker 1: decree and declare that I will stay the course and
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  Speaker 1: finish my race of faith with all diligence. Whether eyes
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  Speaker 1: are on me or whether I am alone, I will
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  Speaker 1: make sure that I represent Christ in all that I do.
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  Speaker 1: For I know that I do not have the luxury
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  Speaker 1: of living up to others' low expectations of my life. So,
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  Speaker 1: with 2 Kings before me and Joash's story heard by me,
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  Speaker 1: I will not be moved from my place of faith
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  Speaker 1: in you, God. In Jesus' name. Amen. Listening to these
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  Speaker 1: daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing from
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  Speaker 1: the Lord by listening to today's Bible in a Year.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Joash. In our last story, we learned about Queen Athaliah,
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  Speaker 2: Her foul heart turned the entire nation of Judah corrupt
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  Speaker 2: and oppressed. She ruled to serve herself and killed her
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  Speaker 2: grandchildren in attempts to secure her power. However, she overlooked
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  Speaker 2: one grandchild, Joash. The righteous leaders of Judah overthrew Athaliah
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  Speaker 2: and placed Joash as king over the land. Now we
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  Speaker 2: learn of Joash's time as king. His faith would be
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  Speaker 2: reliant on the high priest Jehoiada. However, would Joash's heart
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  Speaker 2: cling to righteousness even in his teacher's absence? Or would
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  Speaker 2: the darkness in his heart be too much for him
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  Speaker 2: to bear alone? Inspired by the book of 2 Kings
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  Speaker 2: and 2 Chronicles.
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  Speaker 3: This is Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous episode, we
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  Speaker 3: heard about Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab and Jezebel,
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  Speaker 3: who became the only woman to ever rule over God's people.
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  Speaker 3: Her evil heart and hunger for power caused her to
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  Speaker 3: carry out a slaughter of all of David's descendants in
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  Speaker 3: an attempt to secure her rule. But God's plan to
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  Speaker 3: save his people through David could not be stopped, and
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  Speaker 3: one child remained, Athaliah's grandson Joash. When Joash was just seven,
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  Speaker 3: the leaders of Judah overthrew Athaliah and installed him as king,
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  Speaker 3: with Jehodah the high priest as his counsel. Today we'll
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  Speaker 3: hear about Joash's righteous rule under the tutelage of his
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  Speaker 3: garden and discover that the young man stayed faithful to
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  Speaker 3: his teaching. Let's listen now to today's reading from God's Word.
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  Speaker 2: The daughter of the witch queen had fallen. The kingdom
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  Speaker 2: of Judah was rid of its villainous empress and now
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  Speaker 2: free to worship the Lord under its new king, Joash.
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  Speaker 2: The new king was only a boy when he took
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  Speaker 2: the throne. At the age of seven, Joash was given
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  Speaker 2: a terribly heavy burden to bear. He desired to play, explore,
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  Speaker 2: and learn like any other boy his age. However, he
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  Speaker 2: was now responsible for the well-being of an entire nation.
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  Speaker 2: Joash leaned on the guidance of Jehoiada, the high priest.
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  Speaker 2: He was a gentle servant of God, wise and full
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  Speaker 2: of God's Spirit. He raised Joash in the fear and
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  Speaker 2: wisdom of the Lord. Jehoiada gathered other elders, priests, and
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  Speaker 2: leaders to come alongside the young king to strengthen and
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  Speaker 2: counsel him. As Joash grew older, Jehoiada found two wives
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  Speaker 2: for him to settle alliances with other tribes. As Jehoiada
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  Speaker 2: grew stronger and more independent, the Lord blessed him with
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  Speaker 2: many children and a thriving kingdom. Joash was surveying his
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  Speaker 2: kingdom in the coolness of the morning. The sun was
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  Speaker 2: just beginning to peer over the hillside, and the new
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  Speaker 2: rays of light shone on the temple of God. The
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  Speaker 2: temple was brilliantly designed by Solomon. However, years of neglect
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  Speaker 2: had broken it down. The temple had lost much of
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  Speaker 2: its luster. Joash knew that the temple could not contain God. However,
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  Speaker 2: it was a symbol of Israel's relationship with him. He
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  Speaker 2: determined in his heart to repair the broken parts of
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  Speaker 2: the temple. So Joash set plans in place to restore
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  Speaker 2: the place of worship Enthusiastic about his new project, King
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  Speaker 2: Joash summoned all the priests and Levites to his home.
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  Speaker 2: They watched as the king laid out his plan. Now
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  Speaker 2: all we need is to collect the annual offerings from
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  Speaker 2: the people, Joash said with excitement. That will fund the
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  Speaker 2: temple repairs. Go quickly to collect from them. However, as
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  Speaker 2: Joash was speaking, his enthusiasm was not matched by the
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  Speaker 2: men in the room. They left the meeting but delayed
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  Speaker 2: in collecting the funds from the people. Joash was anxious
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  Speaker 2: that the priests and Levites did not reach out to
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  Speaker 2: the people for an offering. He did not understand why
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  Speaker 2: they would delay in such a noble project. Disturbed and hurt,
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  Speaker 2: he summoned Jehoiada to his home. The old priest sat down.
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  Speaker 2: Years had weighed heavily on Jehoiada, but he maintained his
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  Speaker 2: bright smile and positive glow.' Why haven't the priests and
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  Speaker 2: Levites collected the taxes yet?' Joash asked while pacing the room.
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  Speaker 2: Moses declared this tax in the community of Israel to
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  Speaker 2: maintain the tabernacle. It is an act of worship. I
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  Speaker 2: would have thought they would be excited to do so.
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  Speaker 2: Jehoiada smiled and nodded his head. He stood up and
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  Speaker 2: looked out the king's window towards the temple. He then
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  Speaker 2: began to tell Joash about the years before he was king.
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  Speaker 2: For six years, Queen Athaliah and her men would collect
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  Speaker 2: the temple tax and then raid it in the middle
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  Speaker 2: of the night to build altars to Baal. The people
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  Speaker 2: were oppressed with their own offering. They were choked out
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  Speaker 2: by their own acts of worship. Jehoiada looked at Joash
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  Speaker 2: and put his hands on his shoulders. He was still
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  Speaker 2: a young king, naive, but with a good heart. You
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  Speaker 2: must comfort the people that things have changed, he said.
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  Speaker 2: Joash nodded and left the room. He ordered for a
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  Speaker 2: large chest to be made and placed outside the temple gate.
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  Speaker 2: The chest was massive, immovable, and could be seen by all.
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  Speaker 2: He then explained that the chest would be a symbol
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  Speaker 2: of transparency. No one would take the money in secret
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  Speaker 2: or in the shadows. When money would be taken to
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  Speaker 2: repair the temple, all would be able to witness it.
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  Speaker 2: So the proclamation was sent throughout all of Judah and Jerusalem.
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  Speaker 2: People happily answered the call and brought their temple tax
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  Speaker 2: to the chest of the temple. The elders, priests, and
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  Speaker 2: Levites were pleased to partner with Joash, since he proved
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  Speaker 2: to be a leader of light. not of darkness. He
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  Speaker 2: would not hide in the shadows as his grandmother. Masons,
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  Speaker 2: metal workers, and carpenters were all hired to restore the temple.
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  Speaker 2: The beaten-up exterior of the temple began to be smoothed
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  Speaker 2: of its rough surface. The rotting beams were replaced with
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  Speaker 2: sturdy wood. The eroding metal was refurbished and polished. As
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  Speaker 2: the temple began to be cleaned, so did the hearts
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  Speaker 2: of the people. The temple was a symbol of their
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  Speaker 2: restored relationship to God after years of darkness. After the
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  Speaker 2: work was done, there was still money left over. The
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  Speaker 2: money was then used to make instruments for worship and sacrifice.
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  Speaker 2: All these things Joash did under the loving influence of
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  Speaker 2: Jehoiada the priest. However, time is the great thief. It
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  Speaker 2: takes even the best of men. After 130 years of
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  Speaker 2: faithfully guiding, loving, and serving the people of Judah, Jehoiada
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  Speaker 2: passed to be with his God. He was buried among
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  Speaker 2: the kings in the city of David, for Jehoiada was
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  Speaker 2: considered a king in his own right. Without him, Joash
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  Speaker 2: would have been lost. The trumpets sounded throughout the entire
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  Speaker 2: city of Jerusalem. The sun began its descent, and the
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  Speaker 2: sky was painted a deep red. The whole nation mourned
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  Speaker 2: as Jehoiada was buried into the ground. Joash soaked in
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  Speaker 2: the corner of his palace, He sat in silence, mourning
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  Speaker 2: over the death of his teacher, friend, and father. There
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  Speaker 2: was a dormant darkness in his heart that had been
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  Speaker 2: kept down by Jehoiada's kindness. He felt it creeping in slowly.
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  Speaker 1: He felt anger.
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  Speaker 2: He felt pride. The king had never been without the
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  Speaker 2: counsel of Jehoiada. Seeing this void as an opportunity, a
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  Speaker 2: few of Judah's elders came to him and bowed. They
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  Speaker 2: implored of the king to take their advice. They painted
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  Speaker 2: themselves as Jehoiada's replacements. They took advantage of Joash's vulnerable
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  Speaker 2: and malleable mind. Together they conspired to abandon the temple
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  Speaker 2: of God. They erected monuments and poles to the pagan god, Asherah.
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  Speaker 2: The depraved idol worship once eradicated had resurfaced, and the
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  Speaker 2: people of Judah suffered as a result. Selfishness replaced generosity.
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  Speaker 2: Lewdness replaced kindness. Anger replaced hope. All began to crumble.
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  Speaker 2: The Lord rumbled with divine anger against Joash and his leaders.
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  Speaker 2: He watched as all the progress established by Jehoiada blew
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  Speaker 2: away like sand in a storm. The Lord sent a
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  Speaker 2: messenger to Joash to counsel him back to holiness. To
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  Speaker 2: do this, he sent Jehoiada's son, Zechariah. Zechariah stood firm
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  Speaker 2: against Joash and his corrupt elders. He warned them of
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  Speaker 2: what would happen if they continued to muddy their minds
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  Speaker 2: with idolatry. Why do you stray from the Lord? he asked.
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  Speaker 2: Were you not prospering when under his guidance? Were you
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  Speaker 2: not loved and successful while worshiping him? Was Judah not
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  Speaker 2: better off? Zechariah's words were true, but fell on deaf ears.
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  Speaker 2: He saw Joash's eyes. They were full of hurt and pain.
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  Speaker 2: They were the eyes of a man who had given
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  Speaker 2: in to the corruption in his own heart. Zechariah sighed.
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  Speaker 2: He knew what was about to happen. However, the Lord
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  Speaker 2: gave him boldness to say one final thing. If you
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  Speaker 2: abandon the Lord, surely you will feel the consequences. With
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  Speaker 2: those words, Zechariah was struck on the jaw by the
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  Speaker 2: king's guard. He fell to the floor. Immediately, he felt
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  Speaker 2: a flurry of kicks on his ribs and stomach. Zechariah
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  Speaker 2: moaned in pain as he rose to his feet. He
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  Speaker 2: looked at Joash again. Resolute evil beamed from Joash's eyes.
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  Speaker 2: Stone him, the king said with a cold tone. Zechariah
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  Speaker 2: was dragged out into the courtyard. He was tied to
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  Speaker 2: a beam, facing an angry mob of Asherah worshippers. He
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  Speaker 2: watched their hands caress the stones that would be thrown
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  Speaker 2: at him. This was how the king repaid Jehoiada by
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  Speaker 2: killing his son. Zechariah sighed and lifted his eyes to heaven.
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  Speaker 2: May you see what they are doing, Lord. May you
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  Speaker 2: deal with them as you please. And with those final words,
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  Speaker 2: Zechariah felt the onslaught of stones crush his bones and face.
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  Speaker 2: Moments later, the bloodied corpse of the prophet was hanging
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  Speaker 2: from the beam. His lifeless and mangled body was an
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  Speaker 2: image of Judah's collective heart. Springtime came and the nation
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  Speaker 2: of Judah was vulnerable. The Aramean army marched in with
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  Speaker 2: a small army to plunder the outside towns. They invaded
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  Speaker 2: with force and killed every leader that rode out against them.
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  Speaker 2: Although their army was small, they were able to take
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  Speaker 2: large portions of land. The armies of Judah were uninspired
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  Speaker 2: and ill-prepared under their selfish king. Joash rode against the Arameans.
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  Speaker 2: He flew in with his horse and sword, expecting to
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  Speaker 2: save his nation from evil. However, he was delivered a
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  Speaker 2: harsh blow and brutally wounded. Before they could kill him,
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  Speaker 2: King Joash was taken back to Jerusalem to heal. Joash
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  Speaker 2: slept in his bed. He coughed and winced at his
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  Speaker 2: fresh wound. It was a moonless night, and now shadows
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  Speaker 2: were cast in Joash's room. Leaders that were loyal to
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  Speaker 2: God had crept in the middle of the night and
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  Speaker 2: killed the king in his sleep. Thus ended the forty-year
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  Speaker 2: reign of Joash. His life was a true tragedy. All
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  Speaker 2: the good he accomplished in his life was blotted out
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  Speaker 2: by a few years of corruption. Joash serves as an
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  Speaker 2: example that past good does not outweigh present failure. To
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  Speaker 2: be known and remembered as a true leader, one must
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  Speaker 2: cling to God in all seasons of life.
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  Speaker 3: As we begin today's reading, Judah has a new king,
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  Speaker 3: the young boy, Joash. At just seven, He was too
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  Speaker 3: young to bear the burden of leadership on his own.
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  Speaker 3: So Jehoiada, who had cared for him while he hid
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  Speaker 3: from his wicked grandmother Athaliah, served as the boy's teacher
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  Speaker 3: and counselor until he came of age. Jehoiada was an
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  Speaker 3: honorable man who sought God and served with godly wisdom.
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  Speaker 3: He instructed Joash in God's ways from an early age
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  Speaker 3: until the young king came of age. It's a reminder
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  Speaker 3: of us today that young people need godly leadership and
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  Speaker 3: spiritual mentors in their lives, someone whose example can provide
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  Speaker 3: wise counsel. This, of course, begins with parents and pastors
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  Speaker 3: and others who have the responsibility to teach the young.
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  Speaker 3: Because Jehoiada led the young king and taught him to
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  Speaker 3: fear the Lord, God blessed the reign of Joash as
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  Speaker 3: he matured. When Joash saw the temple in disrepair, he
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  Speaker 3: was moved to restore God's house. So he ordered the
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  Speaker 3: priest to take up the taxes and offerings from the
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  Speaker 3: people to fund the restoration of the temple. It was
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  Speaker 3: an act of worship, recognizing that God's house was assigned
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  Speaker 3: to the people of God's presence, and it was also
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  Speaker 3: assigned to God that his people's hearts were turned to him.
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  Speaker 3: The king was sure that the people would be eager
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  Speaker 3: to give their offerings to the Lord to accomplish this,
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  Speaker 3: but after years of Athaliah's rule and her dishonest dealings
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  Speaker 3: with money, the people were reluctant to contribute. They needed
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  Speaker 3: to learn to trust their leaders, both the king and
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  Speaker 3: the priest. It is almost impossible for a leader to
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  Speaker 3: inspire others and lead them when there is a lack
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  Speaker 3: of trust. So Joash had Jehoiada construct a chest with
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  Speaker 3: a hole in the top. And whenever money was removed
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  Speaker 3: from the chest, there was an open and transparent accounting
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  Speaker 3: of the funds. The people then gave freely and the
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  Speaker 3: temple was restored. This was not only a physical act
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  Speaker 3: of restoration and cleansing, but a symbolic act that demonstrated
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  Speaker 3: the changed hearts of God's people and their generosity. After
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  Speaker 3: years of faithful service, Jehoiada left his earthly life to
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  Speaker 3: be with his Heavenly Father. He served God and the
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  Speaker 3: King of Judah with honor, integrity, and wisdom. Joash had
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  Speaker 3: been given a strong example from this godly man. Sadly,
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  Speaker 3: what followed Jehoiada's death is an example of how quickly
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  Speaker 3: darkness can take over our hearts when we lose focus.
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  Speaker 3: In 2 Chronicles 24, 17, and 18, we read this. Now,
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  Speaker 3: after the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came
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  Speaker 3: and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened
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  Speaker 3: to them and abandoned the house of the Lord, the
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  Speaker 3: God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols.
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  Speaker 3: How sad that despite years under his wise mentor, Joash
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  Speaker 3: failed to remember the Lord. This serves as a vivid
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  Speaker 3: reminder of us today. that though we are secure in
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  Speaker 3: our salvation through Christ, it is possible to slip into
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  Speaker 3: sinful behavior and live as though we are not honoring God.
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  Speaker 3: When we fail to keep our eyes on the Lord
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  Speaker 3: and lean on His Spirit to enable us, when we
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  Speaker 3: begin listening to the wisdom of this world or to
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  Speaker 3: those who represent the world, darkness like a lion is
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  Speaker 3: waiting to devour us. God was angry with the king
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  Speaker 3: and sent a message through Zechariah, the son of Joash's
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  Speaker 3: mentor Jehoda. Because he had abandoned God, God would turn
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  Speaker 3: away from him. There was still time for repentance. If
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  Speaker 3: Joash had heard these words and turned from his ways,
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  Speaker 3: history would remember him differently. Instead, he closed his ears
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  Speaker 3: and his heart to God, and he had Zechariah the
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  Speaker 3: prophet stoned to death. The king's heart has now turned
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  Speaker 3: to darkness, and Judah was with him. The nation was
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  Speaker 3: attacked by the Arameans, and Joash suffered a devastating wound.
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  Speaker 3: He made it home only to be killed by a
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  Speaker 3: God-fearing man who desired to see Judah return to the Lord.
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  Speaker 3: And so ended the tragic life of a king who
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  Speaker 3: began so well but ended so poorly. May his life
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  Speaker 3: and his tragic death serve as a lesson to us today.
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  Speaker 3: Dear God, thank you for your word always. Thank you
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  Speaker 3: for the truth of it, even when it is hard truth. Lord,
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  Speaker 3: we pledge that we will be faithful to you. We're
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  Speaker 3: asking that your spirit would fill us and use us
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  Speaker 3: all the days of our lives, that you would guide
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  Speaker 3: us and guard us and protect us and provide everything
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  Speaker 3: that we need to live in the fear of the
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  Speaker 3: Lord always. And we pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app
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  Speaker 3: Graham God bless you.