Joash Of Israel

Joash of Israel (not to be confused with Joash Of Judah), was the son and successor of Jehoahaz Of Israel:

"^13:8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

^13:9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers [see also The Sleep Of Death]; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead." (2 Kings 13:8-9 KJV)

Joash is also recorded as "Jehoash," perhaps primarily to distinguish him from Joash of Judah who reigned part of the same time as Joash of Israel (see Kings of Israel and Judah to understand where the reigns of the two kings named Joash occurred).

"^13:10 In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah [see The Southern Kingdom of Judah] began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel [see The Northern Kingdom of Israel] in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. ^13:11 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein.

^13:12 And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ^13:13 And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel." (2 Kings 13:10-13 KJV)

"O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof"

Joash became king at a time when Israel was under attack by Syria. Although Joash fell short of full dedication to the LORD, he did have respect for Elisha, the prophet of the LORD (see The Prophets: Elisha). When Elisha was dying, Joash went to him, where he cried the same "O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof" that Elisha did when Elijah was departing (although Elijah's departure was not death, on that day - see Where Did Elijah Go? and The Prophets: Elijah). Elisha's response was a prophecy of the victory of Joash over the invaders.

"^13:14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died [see What Happens When You Die?]. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.

^13:15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. ^13:16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands.

^13:17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.

^13:18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. ^13:19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice." (2 Kings 13:14-19 KJV)

Exactly as prophesied, Joash defeated Hazael according to the measure of victory in the prophecy i.e. from "whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice" came "three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel."

"^13:22 But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. ^13:23 And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

^13:24 So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead. ^13:25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel." (2 Kings 13:22-25 KJV)

As also happened during the history of the two kingdoms of Israel after they divided (see The Division Of Israel), Israel was at war with Judah during the time of Joash of Israel and Amaziah of Judah (Amaziah had succeeded Joash of Judah).

"^25:17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one another in the face.

^25:18 And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. ^25:19 Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

^25:20 But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom. ^25:21 So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah. ^25:22 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. ^25:23 And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. ^25:24 And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obededom, and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria." (2 Chronicles 25:17-24 KJV)

Joash died not long after that victory. He was buried in Samaria.

"^14:15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ^14:16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead." (2 Kings 14:15-16 KJV)

Fact Finder: Who was the LORD that the people of Israel and Judah worshipped? What and Who is "Zion" about?
See Anti-Zion Is Anti-Christ

This Day In History, December 12

1479: Emperor Frederick III (see The Holy Roman Empire) expelled the Jews from Schlettstadt Alsace.

1753: George Washington, then the British adjutant of Virginia, delivered an ultimatum to the French forces at Fort Le Boeuf, south of Lake Erie, reiterating Britain's claim to the entire Ohio river valley.

1792: Ludwig van Beethoven, aged 22 and newly arrived in Vienna, noted in his diary he had 15 ducats - enough for his first music lesson with Franz Joseph Haydn.

1896: In London, Guglielmo Marconi gave the first public exhibition of "wireless" radio.

1911: King George V of Britain held a coronation durbar (the room in the palace of a native prince of India in which audiences and receptions occur) in Delhi; the Indian capital was moved there from Calcutta.

1913: The famous painting "Mona Lisa" was recovered 2 years after having been stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris.

1930: The Spanish Revolution began.

1931: While facing a growing communist challenge, Chiang Kai-shek resigned as president of the Nanking government but continued as leader of the Nationalist government which still held control of much of China.

1943: The German Army began "Operation Winter Tempest," the attempt to relieve the Sixth Army which was then trapped in Stalingrad.

1964: Kenya became a republic.

1969: Greece withdrew from the Council of Europe shortly before it was to have been expelled because of its military regime.

1979: The port of Tumaco, Colombia, was hit by an earthquake measuring 8.0; 600 died and 80,000 were made homeless.