II Chronicles 24
Dear RTB’ers,
The priests and Levites, a mixed bag today. First we see them failing to collect the Moses tribute (II Chr. 24:5-6). Then they act more faithfully in doing what the king orders in verses 8-14. But then the story switches to “the princes of Judah” who came and paid homage to the king (II Chr. 24:17). Third-person pronouns (they, them) continue in the next four verses, so that it seems that it’s the “princes of Judah” along with “the people” (II Chr. 24:20) who are responsible for Zechariah’s stoning (II Chr. 24:21). And I wonder what has happened to the priests’ and Levites’ leadership?
So yes, I wonder what’s going on here? But the main story turns in verse 15: But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died. When Jehoiada died, Joash no longer had his wise counsel and Joash began listening to other voices (see II Chr. 24:17). It’s like Rehoboam all over again and John’s questions in his posts from years past, “To whom are we listening?” Thankfully at St. Andrew’s we have consistently had good voices from the pulpit. But beyond those 20-30 minute sermons, to whom are we listening? What are we reading? What movies are we watching? Which politicians have answers for us? Good questions that I need to consider!
One final item. I don’t have my Study Bible with me and I can’t find an answer online, but as I read today about Zechariah being stoned by the king’s order (II Chr. 24:21-22), I was remembering Jesus speaking similar words: You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. (Matthew 23:33-35) But here Jesus has Zechariah as the son of Barachiah, not the son of Jehoiada. The geography is also different – Jesus has the murder between the sanctuary and the altar while the Chronicler has it …in the court of the house of the LORD. (v. 21b) So it left me confused. John…?
Finally, one more time. To whom are we listening?
Blessings!
See also: June 1 (2023) / II Chronicles 22:10-24:27; II Kings 13.
Regarding any confusion over the identity of Zechariah, we actually had this conversation via email back in 2023. Let me point us all to Zechariah 1:1:
I trust that the “Berechiah” mentioned there is the same as the “Barachiah” of Matthew 22:35, which goes to say that the Zechariah to which Jesus referred lived and died after the Babylonian Exile (during the reign of Darius), about 250-300 years after the events recorded in today’s reading. Hence, we have two different guys named Zechariah, both murdered in the general vicinity of the Temple.