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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 16 December 2025:
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 was Zibiah of Beersheba.
Joash’s reign begins with promise and vulnerability. A child king is inherently dependent, shaped not by strength or wisdom but by those entrusted with his formation, particularly parents and church leaders:
- Malachi 2:15 — Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:19-24 — “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates…. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours.”
- Hebrews 13:17 — Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
The mention of his mother grounds his story in relational influence. Scripture subtly signals that leadership trajectories are forged early and are profoundly affected by who speaks into our lives. Joash’s beginning is a reminder that position does not equal maturity, and longevity does not guarantee faithfulness. Walking in faith requires great discipline, diligence, and daily course correction as we all have a tendency to drift if we are not paying attention – “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” (Hebrews 2:1)
2 Chronicles 24:2 — And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
Surround yourself with godly counsel. A seven-year-old leader guided by wise, godly counselors is far better than the most experienced secular politician. Often more important than the leader are the counsellors and advisors to the leader, those who are the real decision-makers. Particularly at seven years old, Joash was simply a figure head, and Jehoaida was the real power broker who lead the nation in a godly way. Likewise, our political leaders today will be guided by others behind the scenes, and knowing who they are and what they believe is of vital importance. Who gives you advice and counsel? Your counsellor and advisor should be very close to Jesus, but your eyes need to always remain on Jesus. Bad counsel and advice can be devastating in your life. Once again though, godly influencers can protect you from bad decisions, but when you are required to make your own decisions, you will decide based on who you have become.
Seek godly counsel, but don’t use others as a spiritual crutch. This verse is both commendation and warning. Joash’s obedience is real but borrowed. His righteousness is tethered to Jehoiada’s presence rather than rooted in personal conviction. External guidance can restrain evil and encourage good, but it cannot substitute for internalized faith and personal, costly commitment. Character is forged in fire. The tragedy of the chapter is already embedded here: Joash follows God faithfully as long as godly oversight remains. Faith that depends on another person’s walk will falter when that person is removed.
As soon as Jehoiada died, Joash abandoned God, turned to idolatry, led his people astray, and even murdered Zechariah the son of Jehoiada because Zechariah prophesied against Him. After leading the people into wickedness which resulted in God’s judgment and a Syrian invasion, Joash died a complete disgrace – “When they had departed from him, leaving him severely wounded, his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and killed 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.” (2 Chronicles 24:25)
Many people call themselves Christians because they grew up in Christian homes, went to church on Sundays, and generally live ‘good’ lives (from their own perspective); but salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, a personal encounter with God, resulting in a personal decision and a life commitment to follow Jesus and become one with Him, which, in turn, leads to transformation and godly character. Faith and salvation aren’t inherited and can’t be borrowed from another person. Without being born again in Christ, and without a genuine relationship with Christ, a person may appear godly when conditions are just right, but when the storms of life come, and they come for everyone, the truth of his/her heart will be exposed –
- Matthew 6:46-49 — “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
- 1 Corinthians 3:11 — For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Today, consider how you might be a Jehoiada and consider the integrity (soundness) of your foundation: Is it Christ and Christ alone? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XBKxqLBefg
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus name
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand
When darkness veils his lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
His oath, his covenant, his blood
Supports me in the ‘whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand…
Be a Christ-centered leader. Jehoiada was a faithful and courageous servant of God who had a great influence on the whole nation throughout his life. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth [and] …the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:13, 14)
Light reveals the truth and salt both improves the ‘flavor’ (conditions, culture, and climate) of things and also preserves. Throughout his life, Jehoiada served as salt and light in his nation, improving the society and protecting it from decay. As instruments of God’s common grace, we should have the same effect on our families, churches, communities and on society, all while proclaiming the Gospel as instruments of God’s special grace of salvation through Jesus Christ alone. How are you like Jehoiada?
2 Chronicles 24:3 — Jehoiada got for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters.
Jehoiada continues to manage Joash’s life, even arranging his household. The king’s personal agency remains underdeveloped. This verse reinforces the theme of dependence without ownership. God allows seasons of mentorship, but, again, maturity requires transition from guided obedience to personal responsibility before Him. Leadership that never learns to stand alone before God will collapse when the scaffolding is removed.
2 Chronicles 24:4-5 — After this Joash decided to restore the house of the LORD. He gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you act quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly.
Joash initiates reform, and his concern for the temple reflects genuine alignment with God’s priorities. Yet zeal meets resistance. Even good intentions encounter inertia. Spiritual renewal often stalls not because of opposition but because of delay. Joash’s leadership is tested: will he persist when obedience is inconvenient? Restoration requires follow-through, not just vision.
2 Chronicles 24:6-7 — So the king called Jehoiada the chief and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses…?” For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God and had used all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD for the Baals.
The damage to the temple is traced back to idolatry. Compromise always costs more than expected and destroys more than intended. Joash rightly identifies that neglect of worship is never neutral; it creates space for false gods. Spiritual decay is cumulative. When faith is not actively maintained, it is actively eroded.
2 Chronicles 24:8-10 — So the king commanded, and they made a chest… And they proclaimed through Judah and Jerusalem that the tax… should be brought to the LORD. And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it in the chest until it was full.
When leadership aligns with God’s purposes, the people respond with joy. Giving becomes worship, not obligation. The repair of the temple is not merely architectural; it is communal repentance and renewal. God’s people rejoice when obedience is clear and shared. Unity flows from restored priorities.
2 Chronicles 24:11-14 — And whenever the chest was brought… they emptied it…. And they gathered money in abundance…. So the workmen labored, and the repairing of the house of God was completed…. And they made utensils for the house of the LORD….
Faithfulness produces fruit. What was broken is restored. What was neglected is renewed. The house of God is not only repaired but strengthened. Obedience leads to abundance, not because God needs resources, but because His people are reoriented toward Him. Worship is rebuilt from the inside out.
2 Chronicles 24:15-16 — But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died…. And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house.
Jehoiada receives kingly honor because his faithfulness shaped a nation. His legacy is not position but impact. He served without being king, yet is buried among kings. God honors those who steward influence for His glory. Yet with Jehoiada’s death, the protective covering over Joash’s faith is removed, and the true test begins.
2 Chronicles 24:17-18 — Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the LORD… and served the Asherim and the idols.
The drift is swift and devastating. Joash listens to flattering voices instead of the Lord. Without Jehoiada, he has no internal anchor. Honor turns into manipulation. Influence replaces obedience. Apostasy begins not with rebellion but with misplaced listening. When leaders crave affirmation, they become vulnerable to deception.
The Bible further makes the point to you — “Bad company ruins good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) When Jehoaida’s counsel was replaced with the counsel of the princes, Joash turned from God and led the entire nation astray. Do not let anyone lead you astray simply because (s)he likes you, has a great personality, and is very kind to you. If your friends, relatives, and coworkers are not following Jesus as their top priority, they are adrift and will desire you to go with them to someplace other than where God wants you to go.
2 Chronicles 24:19 — Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.
God remains faithful even as His people drift. He sends warnings before judgment. Grace always precedes consequence. The refusal to listen is no longer ignorance but defiance. Rejection of God’s Word hardens the heart and accelerates collapse.
Church and State — The church is called to be the conscience of government and society whether they desire to listen or not. If the church remains silent in order to remain comfortable or agreeable, destruction is inevitable.
2 Chronicles 24:20 — Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah….
- Romans 13:14 — But put on the Lord Jesus Christ….
- 1 Corinthians 15:33 – For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality….
- Galatians 3:27 — For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.…
- Ephesians 4:24 — and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.…
- Ephesians 6:11 — Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.…
- Colossians 3:9-14 — …put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator…. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.….
- 1 Pet 3:3, 4 — Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.…
- Are you dressed for success? You cannot fulfill your purpose in life without first putting on Jesus and being wrapped filled with the Holy Spirit.
2 Chronicles 24:20-22 — … and he said… “Why do you break the commandments of the LORD…?” But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him…. Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada… had shown him, but killed his son.
This is the turning point of no return. Joash murders the son of the man who saved his life. Gratitude evaporates. Loyalty dies. Truth is silenced violently. Jesus later references this moment when speaking of the blood of the prophets, linking Joash’s crime to the long history of rejecting God’s messengers. When truth becomes intolerable, violence follows.
2 Chronicles 24:20 — Thus says God, “Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.”
You cannot prosper while continuing to disobey God in any area of your life. Yes, you will continue to sin, but you must have, as your heart’s desire, the intent not to sin, and you must pursue holiness with all of your might.
When political leaders stray from justice and righteousness, a faithful prophet is required to proclaim the truth. You can be that prophet in someone’s life. God has placed you, His ambassador, priest, saint, and servant, in relationships on purpose to proclaim the truth to those people.
2 Chronicles 24:21 — But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord.
A successful prophet is one who is faithful to God’s word, regardless of what people think. God might very well allow you to suffer and die for Him. Spoiler alert: we all die anyway. Dying for God is an honor, but truly living for God, in Christ, dead to self, is an even greater honor. Martin Luther King said, “A man who does not have something for which he is willing to die is not fit to live.”
2 Chronicles 24:23-24 — At the end of the year the army of the Syrians came up against him…. Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army….
God’s judgment does not require overwhelming force. When divine protection is withdrawn, strength collapses. Joash loses what he once had because he abandoned the One who gave it. Victory without God is illusion; defeat with God’s judgment is inevitable.
God Himself destroys wicked people and wicked nations, and He may use other wicked people to do it.
2 Chronicles 24:25 — When they departed from him… his servants conspired against him… and he died.
Joash dies betrayed, isolated, and dishonored. The king who was saved as a child, crowned in joy, and began with reform ends in shame. The chapter closes with the sobering reality that a good beginning cannot compensate for a faithless end – It’s not how you start which matters but how you finish….
2 Chronicles 24:26-27 — These are the men who conspired against him…. And his sons… and the rebuilding of the house of God are written….
Joash is remembered not for the temple he repaired but for the faith he abandoned. Scripture preserves both his achievements and his failure, but the failure defines the lesson. Legacy is determined not by what we build, but by whom we trust to the end.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 16 December 2025: Examine the foundations of your faith. Identify where your obedience depends on external accountability rather than internal conviction. Today, choose one deliberate act of obedience done solely out of love for God, not because someone else is watching. Move from borrowed faith to owned faith.
Pray: “Father, guard my heart from conditional obedience. Help me move beyond faith that depends on people and grow into faith that rests fully in You. Keep me teachable, grateful, and anchored in Your Word. When voices compete for my attention, tune my ears to Yours alone. Strengthen me to finish faithfully, not just start well. Amen.”
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 