DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links 2014 November 6
Cassone with Painted Front Panel (c. 1460)
Unknown Italian Cabinetmaker (fl., 15th Century)
Renaissance Style
National Gallery, London, England, United Kingdom
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
Explanation: 2 Chronicles 24 describes the life of Joash/Jehoash which began righteously and ended wickedly. It falls into three stages: His Reforms; His Lapse into Sin; and His Assassination. The cassone ("large chest") above symbolizes two key aspects of the account below: the chest, like that in the Temple, was for collecting precious things; the tournament (war games) depicted on the chest had their counterpoint in the real war which the Syrians waged against the Hebrews. [Traditional Patriarchal Timeline. Judges Period Chronology. Kings of Judah and Israel #1. Kings of Judah and Israel #2]. [Chronologically and Thematically Related Scriptures: 2 Kings 11:21; 2 Kings 12; 2 Kings 10:32-36; 2 Kings 13:1-4, 7-11, 14-20, 22; 2 Kings 14:1-2; 2 Chronicles 25:1].
Joash/Jehoash (835-796 B.C.), King of Judah, began his reign at the age of seven; and he reigned for forty years. He lived righteously while Jehoiada, the high priest lived. And he married two wives and had sons and daughters by them (1-3). He began a project to repair the Temple, which had been damaged and plundered by the sons of Athaliah. But the project was delayed until his 23rd year (2 Kings 12:6), when the king called Jehoiada, the High Priest, and told him to correct the situation (4-7). At the king's command they made a chest and put it near the gate of the Temple. They then made a proclamation throughout the land to contribute to the collection that Moses commanded in the wilderness. They emptied the chest periodically; and they brought in more than enough to do the repairs. And, with the money which was left-over, they made vessels and implements for the temple (8-14). When Jehoiada died he was buried among the kings in the city of David because of the good which he did for Israel, for God, and for the Temple (15-16). But the princes of Judah then came to the king and persuaded him to leave the house of God and serve the groves and idols. For this, wrath came upon them. The LORD sent prophets to try to turn them; but they would not listen (17-19). The Spirit of God then came upon Zechariah, Jehoiada's son; and he rebuked the king and the people and warned them that they would not prosper. Their response was to stone him to death. And, as he was dying, he said, "The LORD look upon it, and require it" (20-22). At the end of that year a small company of Syrians came to Judah and Jerusalem, defeated a much larger army, and destroyed the princes, and sent spoils to their king in Damascus (23-24). They left Joash/Jehoash sick from injuries; and his servants conspired against him and killed him. And, in contrast to the burial of Jehoiada, they did not bury the king with the other kings. And Amaziah (796-767 B.C.), the son of Joash/Jehoash succeeded his father (25-27).
The parallel to this chapter (which is explained and illustrated in the following DAWN page) is 2 Kings 12. The events of next chapter (see the DAWN page for 2 Kings 13) occurred in Israel at about the same time as those of 2 Kings 12, in Judah. In Israel, Jehoahaz (814-798 B.C.) reigned. His character and life are described in the DAWN link provided. And in the same chapter the death of Elisha is recorded; and the events surrounding it are described.
2 Chronicles 24
1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beersheba.
2 And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
3 And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters.
4 And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD.
5 And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.
6 And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?
7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.
8 And at the king's commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD.
9 And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.
10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.
11 Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.
12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the LORD.
13 So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it.
14 And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.
15 But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.
16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.
17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.
18 And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.
19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.
21 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.
22 Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.
23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.
24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.
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.
26 And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.
27 Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
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