An ungrateful orphan king

Orphans usually arouse pity in our hearts. Joash was no exception. But this orphan turned out to be an ungrateful one.

King Ahab had a daughter called Athaliah who was married to Joram (Jehoram), king of Judah. She bore Joram a son called Ahaziah who would succeed Joram as the king of Judah (2 Kings 8:26). When Jehu wiped out the house of Ahab, he shot dead Joram, son of Ahab (2 Kings 9:24). At the same time, Ahaziah was mortally wounded by Jehu as well (2 Kings 9:27). After the death of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Athaliah killed all the king's son to become the queen of Judah. One boy managed to escape. It was Joash who was saved by his aunt.
But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons who were about to be slain, and she put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. Thus she hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain;
and he remained with her six years, hid in the house of the LORD, while Athaliah reigned over the land (2 Kings 11:2-3).
Joash was under the protection and coaching of Jehoiada the priest. In the seventh year, Jehoiada engineered a coup d'état to put Joash onto the throne. Athaliah was killed in the king's house (2 Kings 11:20).
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.
And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest (2 Chronicles 24:1-2).

Jehoiada grew old and died 130 years old (2 Chronicles 24:15). He was buried among the kings in the city of David (2 Chronicles 24:16).
Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and did obeisance to the king; then the king hearkened to them.
And they forsook the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt.
Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD; these testified against them, but they would not give heed (2 Chronicles 24:17-19).
What had happened to Joash? He had been doing well when Jehoiada was still alive. Why did he listen to the princes of Judah and make a U-turn after the death of his mentor? Hadn't Jehoiada's teaching been internalized? As an orphan, Joash was badly in need of a father figure. Jehoiada must have been the best candidate. But had Jehoiada been too strict and anxious in bringing him up so that when opportunity arose, Joash rebelled? We can never tell.

Jehoiada could not be harsh to Joash. Here is the evidence.
Then the Spirit of God took possession of Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said to them, "Thus says God, 'Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.'"
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.
Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, "May the LORD see and avenge!" (2 Chronicles 24:20-22)
Joash was ungrateful and was fully responsible for all the evils he had done. We cannot put any blame on Jehoiada.
The people conspired against Zechariah. Perhaps they bad-mouthed him in front of the king. Shouldn't Joash summon Zechariah to find out the truth before commanding him to be stoned to death? King Joash's decision was totally unacceptable.
Later, the Syrians defeated Judah with a small army, leaving Joash wounded.
When they (the Syrian army) 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 slew 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).
Joash, the ungrateful orphan king did not deserve a dignified burial in the tombs of the kings. Instead, Jehoiada was buried among the kings. History has passed judgment on Joash.

Dear Lord, to all our benefactors, let us be grateful. To all who treat us badly, let us be grateful too because they drive us closer to You. To You, let us sing with a grateful heart. Amen.