2 Kings 12:17-21
Hazael Takes Gath
Read the passage
17At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.
18So King Joash of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his fathers—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah—along with his own consecrated items and all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram. So Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.
19As for the rest of the acts of Joash, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
20And the servants of Joash rose up and formed a conspiracy and killed him at Beth-millo, on the road down to Silla.
21His servants Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer struck him down, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the City of David, and his son Amaziah reigned in his place.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Hazael captures Gath and turns toward Jerusalem. Joash gathers sacred objects dedicated by earlier kings and by himself, along with the gold in the temple and palace treasuries. He sends them to Hazael, who withdraws from Jerusalem.
The city receives relief, but the reign ends with another danger. Joash's servants form a conspiracy and kill him at Beth-millo, on the road down to Silla. Kings names the two men, Jozabad and Jehozabad, then records Joash's burial in the City of David and his son Amaziah's succession.
The brief account does not explain the conspiracy's motive. The parallel history in 2 Chronicles 24 does: after Jehoiada died, Joash abandoned the LORD and ordered the death of Jehoiada's son Zechariah, who warned the people to repent. Chronicles connects the servants' conspiracy with that bloodshed.
Joash had once repaired the temple under Jehoiada's guidance. Later he used his authority to silence the son of the man who had helped him. His early good work remains part of the record, but it cannot excuse this later refusal to hear God's word.
How We Know
Kings records that Joash's servants conspired and killed him, without explaining their motive. Chronicles connects the conspiracy with his responsibility for shedding the blood of Jehoiada's son. This specific parallel supplies the context for the lesson about rejecting correction; the murder itself should not be treated as permission for private retaliation.
Questions
1 What does Hazael capture?
AnswerHazael captures Gath and then marches toward Jerusalem with his attention fixed on Judah's capital.
2 What does Joash send to Hazael?
AnswerJoash sends sacred objects and the gold from the temple and palace treasuries to make Hazael withdraw.
3 Who kills Joash?
AnswerJoash is killed by his servants Jozabad and Jehozabad at the house of Millo in a conspiracy against him.
4 Why do we still need correction after doing something good?
AnswerEarlier obedience does not make every later choice right. Joash's temple repairs could not excuse his rejection of the LORD. We can thank God for past help while asking Him to keep us faithful now.
What This Means for Us
A good beginning does not remove our need to keep listening. Joash benefited from Jehoiada's guidance, then turned against the warning delivered by his son. God sent prophets to bring the people back, but the king rejected that help.
Be grateful for those who have taught you, and remain willing to receive truthful correction after their influence is less immediate. We can honor a person's past help by continuing to listen to God, rather than treating our earlier faithfulness as something we can live on indefinitely.
Prayer
LORD, thank You for people who have helped us hear Your word. Keep us teachable as circumstances and responsibilities change. When correction is unwelcome, give us humility to repent and gratitude for Your patience. Amen.