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The Bible Teaching Commentary on Genesis: The Book of Foundations

Commentaries that specialize on training the teacher!

2 Kings 12:1-3

“12:1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 And Jehoash did right in the sight of the LORD all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places” (2 Kings 12:1-3).

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Basic Study Questions for
2 Kings 12:1-3

1. From 2 Kings 12:1-3, what can we note from Joash’s life?
   

2. What is the most significant observation from the list? Why?
   

3. Read the whole chapter of 2 Kings 12. How is it broken up?
   

4. How do verses 1-3 expanded by the following verses (12:4-21)?

2 Kings 12:1-3

Verses 12:4-16 depict some great things God did through Joash. This is not an in depth study of this passage, but enables us to pry it open.

1. What was this command of the king to the priests starting in 12:4?
   

2. Did they do it? How do you know?
   

3. What happened as a result (12:6)?
   

4. When did Joash issue the first command? How long of a time lapsed in between? Use 2 Chronicles 24:3-5 as reference.
   

5. What was new about the king’s new command (12:7-10)? Did it work this time?

6. What was the result?

2 Kings 12:17-18
The Tragedy of a Good Life

17 Then Hazael king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. 18 And Jehoash king of Judah took all the sacred things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own sacred things and all the gold that was found among the treasuries of the house of the LORD and of the king’s house, and sent them to Hazael king of Aram. Then he went away from Jerusalem.

Verses 12:17-18 hint at Joash’s tragic and mediocre life.

1. What threatened Jehoash (Joash) (17)?
   

2. How did he deal with it (18)?
   

3. What this way of handling the threat good or bad? Was it successful?
   

4. The record in 2 Chronicles 24:15-22 helps fill in some details of King Joah’s falling away from God. Identify these issues.
   

2 Kings 12:19-21 The Conclusion of Joah’s life

19 Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 And his servants arose and made a conspiracy, and struck down Joash at the house of Millo as he was going down to Silla. 21 For Jozacar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Amaziah his son became king in his place.

Verses 12:9-21 match verse 1 as it provides a conclusion to his life as verse 1 began it. This could also be included in the former section as his end is part of his tragic life.

1. Summarize King Joah’s life from the verses we have looked at.
   

2. How did he die (19-21)? Does his death match his life? How so?

Advanced Study Questions for
2 Kings 12

Joash started well but did not end well. The phrase ‘all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him’ in verse two points to Joash’s main problem.

1. What kind of pressures, people, institutions, cultures, etc. shape the way people live and conduct your life? Explain.
   

2. At heart here, is whether values of the godly ‘shapers’ around you become yours so that if that person, culture or group, such as a family or church, is taken away, you would still live a life pursuing God and His interests.
   

3. Which influence you the most? What values do they hold?
   

4. When we are growing up, our parents teach and influence us. Does that transference of values always happen? Why or why not?
   

5. What means can we enhance or perhaps even assure that the values of our spouses, pastors, godly friends, parents, etc. really become our own?
   

6. Have the best values become yours? How do you nurture them?
   

7. There are two kinds of mediocre lives.
   

(1) Those that just never really pursue a godly life. They tolerate sins within and without.

(2) Those that do well for a while. They are motivated, one way or the other, to excel in doing what is right and good. But when that influence is gone, like Jehoiada in Joash’s life, he was easily influenced by others.

• Are you living a mediocre life or a godly life? What evidence do you have to show that?
  

Bonus study:

When you get time, check out this great person, Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 24:14-16). He really left a legacy. His problem seemed to be that he could not deeply impact the vision of others. Others did not catch his godly desires. How can we pass on a legacy that reaches into the hearts of our children, spouses and others around us so that His truth is integrated into their lives?

Philippians 1:27-30 Resources

Book of Philippians Introduction
Consistency (Philippians 1:27-30) | High Standards (Philippians 1:27b) | Challenge of Relationships (1 Philippians 1:27c) |
Opposition (Philippians 1:28) | Challenge of Suffering (Philippians 1:29-30)
Video (Philippians 1:27-30) | Bible Study Questions (Philippians 1:27-30)

Other Book of Philippians BFF Resources

Philippians 1:9-11 Intro | Philippians 1:9a Practical love |
Philippians1:9b Discerning Love | Philippians 1:10 Righteous Love |
Philippians 1:11 Glorious Love | 1:9-11 Video

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Philippians 3:13 Biblical Perspective on Making Plans

Overview of Philippians 4:1-9
The Peace of God Philippians 4:1-7
The God of Peace Philippians 4:8-9

–––– Other Letters by Apostle Paul ––––

Chronology of Paul's Letters - Map

Romans | 1-2 Corinthians | Ephesians | Colossians | 1-2 Timothy | Titu

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