Everything was working as planned. Joash was to be crowned on a Sabbath. Second King 11:9-12 tell us how it all happened. Jehoiada and the captains of the guards swung into action. The captains each took their men, whether those who were going off duty or those who were coming for duty, and met with Jehoiada on the Sabbath. Jehoiada could so smoothly execute his plan showed how much the guards respected him.
When
they gathered at the temple, Jehoiada issued to them the hundreds of shields
and spears that had been stored in the temple since the time of
David. Carrying the weapons, everyone was well stationed. They all stood guard
wherever they were assigned. On the right and left, around the altar as well as
the entrance of the temple. With everyone in place, Jehoiada then brought Joash
forward and crowned him. He was also given a copy of the covenant. It could be
the part of the covenant that stipulated what a king should do.
Deuteronomy
17:14-20 has this to say, “When you enter the land which the Lord your
God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ‘I will set
a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’ you shall surely
set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses, one from
among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not
put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. Moreover,
he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to
return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the Lord has said to
you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’ He shall not multiply wives
for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly
increase silver and gold for himself. “Now it shall come about when he
sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this
law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It shall be
with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn
to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words
of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above
his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment,
to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his
kingdom in the midst of Israel.”
So
we see with the support of Jehoiada, Joash swept into power and was coronated.
Everyone present clapped their hands and proclaimed, “Long live the king!” This
coronation brought together a combination of the commitment to the house of
David, the covenant of Moses, and the people of God in Judah. In
this coronation, we have a combination of both the secular and the sacred.
What
a start it must have been for Joash! He had the protection of a godly aunt, the
influence of the godly priest, Jehoiada, and the loyalty of the guards. People
around him played a key part in his initial success. This account here
underscores for us the importance of having godly influence. If we are to make
it and end our spiritual journey on a high note, we must surround ourselves
with godly people who can influence us. However, we need to know that while it
is good to begin well, it will be far better to end well. A good start is an
advantage, how we continue to the end is equally important and must not be
overlooked. We must run the race to receive the crown at the end!
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