II Chronicles 24: 15-17
Now when Jehoiada reached a ripe old age he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death. They buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done well in Israel and to God and His house.
Jehoiada was the priest who became a father to Joash when his wicked grandmother Athaliah murdered his whole family. And King Joash did well as long as Jehoida lived.
God granted Joash to have Jehoiada's counsel for many long years.
Verses 17-18
But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them.
They abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols ...
As soon as the old priest died, King Joash listened to the wrong people, and turned away from the Lord! How could he still not recognize right from wrong? How could he be so susceptible to the wiles of the enemy (Satan)? Grief?
Verse 19
Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the Lord; though they testified against them, they would not listen.
God even sent His prophets to turn them back to the Lord, but they refused to pay any attention to them.
Verses 20-21
The Spirit of God came on Zechariah the [grand]son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people and said to them, "Thus God has said ..."
So they conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the Lord.
Okay, God even sent Joash's beloved Jehoiada's own grandson to remind him of God's ways to return to Him, but King Joash had him murdered!
It looks like Joash never did learn to think for himself; he constantly needed someone to tell him what to do. While his adopted father, the priest, was around, he did what he told him to do. But as soon as he died, he turned to other people who lead him in the opposite direction. And he followed them.
Verse 25
... (King Joash's) own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the [grand]son of Jehoida the priest, and murdered him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.
Burial was very significant in those days. What the mourners did or didn't do reflected the character of the deceased.
The priest was buried with the kings, the king was not.
I want to be sure to continue to follow my God, and never stray from His path for me. When I die, I want to die strong in the Lord. If I don't die but am Raptured, then I want to have no regrets or misgivings when I go.
Death can come any time, without warning. And Jesus can return any day now. So I am seeking my Lord every day; I am reading and studying His written Word continually; and I am posting my blog every day, so others can also draw closer to Him. May my Lord strengthen me to be faithful to Him, even when my natural proclivities try to draw me into myself.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
