Wholehearted Faith: Finding Hope When Even Good Kings Fall

2 Kings 12–14 | 2 Chronicles 24–25

If you've ever wondered whether someone can begin well with God yet slowly drift away, today's Bible reading offers both a sobering warning and an incredible reminder of God's grace.

In this episode of The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries, Stephanie Hickox walks through 2 Kings 12–14 and 2 Chronicles 24–25, where we meet King Joash—a boy miraculously rescued to preserve the line of David. Under the faithful influence of the priest Jehoiada, Joash honors the Lord, restores the temple, and leads God's people well.

But after his mentor dies, everything changes.

As we watch Joash's divided heart lead him away from God, we're reminded that none of us ever outgrows our need for God's grace. Whether you're raising children, serving in ministry, or simply longing to remain faithful to Christ, this episode offers biblical encouragement to keep your eyes fixed on the only King who never fails.

We'll also explore:

• Why Joash's story is both inspiring and heartbreaking
• What faithful discipleship can accomplish in the next generation
• How God values cheerful generosity in restoring His house
• Why every believer should guard against spiritual drift
• The surprising mercy God shows even to imperfect kings
• Elisha's final miracle—and how it points forward to Jesus
• Amaziah's costly lesson about seeking wisdom from the wrong voices
• Why obedience is always worth the cost, even after we've made the wrong decision
• Encouragement for moms whose children have wandered or stumbled
• The incredible hope found in Christ's perfect righteousness instead of our own performance

If you've ever been discouraged by the failures of Christian leaders—or by your own shortcomings as a mom—this episode reminds us that our confidence has never been in human faithfulness. Our hope rests in Jesus alone.

Scripture in this episode

• 2 Kings 12–14
• 2 Chronicles 24–25
• Matthew 6:21
• Romans 8:1
• 2 Corinthians 5:21

Join us for the journey

The Dwelling Place is a daily Bible podcast from Entrusted Ministries, helping busy Christian moms understand Scripture, grow in their faith, and disciple the next generation—one chapter at a time.

If this podcast has encouraged your walk with Christ, please follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with another mom who wants to know God's Word more deeply.

Because when we dwell in God's Word, His Word begins to dwell in us.

Resources Mentioned

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary, Spurgeon's Treasury of David

This is The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Hickox, and good news, even

though it seems like we're covering five

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chapters of scripture today, there's a lot

of overlap, so it'll feel more like three.

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As we look at 2 Kings 12 through 14 and

2 Chronicles 24 and 25 may we keep in

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mind the potential for all of us to fall

into sin, and that Jesus alone is worthy

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of our utmost affection and attention.

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When we began studying the Northern

Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom, I had

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these lofty intentions of giving you

mnemonic devices and memory tricks so

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we could remember more of these kings.

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But you know what?

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As we continue to read about their

divided hearts and descents into

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sin, I think the fact that they're

difficult to remember is fitting.

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Many of these men aren't as worthy of

having a strong legacy, and instead

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of us being disappointed by that, may

it continually remind us how grateful

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we can be to have a savior that never

disappoints us, to have a God that is

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incredibly merciful And let it caution

us as we look to prominent pastors

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with platforms or dynamic influencers,

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you know, I've read these stories

but sometimes as I'm going back

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through, I'm thinking, "What?

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I don't remember this happening."

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And Joash's reign is one of those

that surprised me once again.

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He ruled in the southern kingdom of Judah.

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His grandmother was that awful Queen

Athaliah who killed all of his siblings.

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But Jehoshabeath and her husband,

the priest Jehoiada, rescued him and

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raised him in the temple he was crowned

king when he was seven years old.

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It's an amazing testimony of the Lord

preserving the Davidic Covenant despite

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an all-out attack on the throne.

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Let's read a little bit more about

the impact that Jehoida had on Joash

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Beginning in Second Chronicles

24:2, " Joash did what was right

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in the eyes of the Lord all the

days of Jehoiada the priest."

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Hmm, there's a little foreshadowing there.

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" Jehoiada got for him two wives,

and he had sons and daughters."

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Before you raise the alarm, it's

possible that Jehoiada got him one

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wife, and then after she passed

away, he was given a second wife.

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After this, Joash decided to restore

the house of the Lord, and he gathered

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the priests and the Levites and said to

them, ' Go out to the cities of Judah

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and gather from all Israel money to

repair the house of your God from year

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to year, and see that you act quickly.'

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But the Levites did not act quickly.

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So the king summoned Jehoiada the

chief and said to him, ' Why have

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you not required the Levites to

bring in from Judah and Jerusalem

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the tax levied by Moses, the servant

of the Lord, and the congregation of

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Israel for the tent of testimony?'"

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For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked

woman, had broken into the house of God

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and had also used all the dedicated things

of the house of the Lord for the Baals.

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So the king commanded, and they

made a chest and set it outside

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the gate of the house of the Lord.

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And proclamation was made throughout

Judah and Jerusalem to bring it in for the

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Lord, that tax that Moses, the servant

of God, laid on Israel in the wilderness.

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And all the princes and all

the people rejoiced and brought

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their tax and dropped it into the

chest until they had finished."

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I love that the people rejoiced

as they brought their tax.

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It's consistent with the New Testament

guideline that the Lord loves a

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cheerful giver, and this is how He

wants us to bring our offerings they

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kept collecting this money day after

day, and they had an abundance.

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And the king and Jehoiada gave it to

those who had charge of the work of the

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house of the Lord, and they hired masons

and carpenters to restore the house of

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the Lord, and also workers in iron and

bronze to repair the house of the Lord.

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So Those who were engaged in the

work labored, and the repairing

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went forward in their hands.

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And they restored the house of God to

its proper condition and strengthened it.

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And when they had finished, they

brought the rest of the money before

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the king and Jehoiada, and with it

were made utensils for the house of

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the Lord, both for the service and for

the burnt offerings, and dishes for

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incense and vessels of gold and silver.

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And they offered burnt offerings

in the house of the Lord regularly

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all the days of Jehoiada.

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This is about eight hundred BC,

which is a hundred and fifty years

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after Solomon built the temple.

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Due to the people's hearts going

astray, the repair was likely needed

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to restore it to its former glory.

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But Jehoiada grew old and

full of days and died.

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He was one hundred and thirty

years old at his death.

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And they buried him in the city of David

among the kings, because he had done good

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in Israel, and toward God and His house

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It's remarkable that the Lord

allowed him to live this long and to

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have this influence on the nation.

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And it was rare that a priest was

buried with the kings Now after the

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death of Jehoida, the princes of Judah

came and paid homage to the king.

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Then the king listened to them,

and they abandoned the house of the

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Lord, the God of their fathers, and

served the Asherim and the idols.

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And wrath came upon Judah and

Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

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Yet he sent prophets among them

to bring them back to the Lord.

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These testified against them, but they

would not pay attention after being

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faithfully discipled and attended to by

Jehoiada the priest And after diligently

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restoring the temple, as soon as Jehoiada

is out of the picture, Joash is quickly

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tempted to listen to other advisors

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God sends prophets to bring them

back, but he does not listen.

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then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah,

the son of Jehoiada the priest, and

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he stood above the people and said

to them, " Thus says God, ' Why do

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you break the commandments of the

Lord so that you cannot prosper?

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Because you have forsaken the

Lord, he has forsaken you.'"

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I would think that as soon as Joash

hears Jehoiada's son speaking, he

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would quickly repent and be ashamed.

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And it makes sense to me that he

would have known Zechariah well,

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and that perhaps they were raised

together under Jehoiada's tutelage

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But Joash's response to Zechariah is just

the opposite of what you'd hope But they

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conspired against him, and by command

of the king, they stoned him with stones

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in the court of the house of the Lord.

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Thus Joash the king did not remember

the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah's

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father, had shown him, but killed his son.

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And when he was dying, he said,

"May the Lord see and avenge."

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Do you feel the betrayal?

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Though Joash initially walked

in faithfulness, he did not

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endure well for the Lord.

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And this reminds me that there will never

be a point in my walk where I can coast.

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Every day, I desperately need the grace

of my Savior, and it's His strength I'm

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to look to, not my own as believers,

we can embrace a position of humility

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rather than assume we'll arrive.

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As we watch so many respected

Christians fall into sin, we

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don't need to be surprised.

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We can certainly be disappointed and

fervently pray for their repentance.

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But if we're students of

Scripture This shouldn't shock us.

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Temptation is always lurking, and the

devil is always seeking an opportunity.

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This also means that when our

kids fall into sin, we shouldn't

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be surprised by that either.

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but instead choose to be an instrument of

our redeeming Lord that encourages them to

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run to repentance rather than continuing

in defiance or hiding away in shame.

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After Joash's betrayal

and wickedness, the Lord

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gives him and the southern kingdom

into the hand of the Syrians.

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He's severely wounded, and his own

servants finish the job and kill him.

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But do you recall what I read

at the beginning of the chapter?

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Verse two told us Joash did what

was right in the eyes of the Lord

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all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

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Isn't that a gracious description of him?

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Instead of focusing on his fall at the

end, the Lord gave him credit for all

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those years that he walked with Jehoiada.

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And it seems that the Lord allowed

Jehoiada to live so, long because of

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his discipling influence on Joash.

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Much of this 40-year reign, he still did

what was right in the eyes of the Lord

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And that's why many still consider

him one of the good kings of

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the southern kingdom of Judah.

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Now we'll turn to 2 Kings 13 and to

the northern kingdom of Israel, and it

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doesn't matter what name I say, you know

that it'll be a wicked king who does

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what is evil in the sight of the Lord.

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This particular evildoer

is named Jehoahaz.

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He is the son of Jehu.

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Remember that zealous man who carried out

judgment on the line of Ahab and Jezebel?

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Chapter 13 tells us a cycle

regarding the Northern Kingdom that

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is much like what we saw in Judges

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Where the people do evil, God delivers

them over to their enemies The people

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are oppressed and cry out to the

Lord, and then God delivers them

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And the anger of the Lord was kindled

against Israel, and he gave them

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continually into the hand of Hazael

king of Syria, and into the hand

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of Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael.

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Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the

Lord, and the Lord listened to him.

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For he saw the oppression of Israel,

how the king of Syria oppressed them.

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Therefore the Lord gave Israel

a savior, so they escaped.

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But unfortunately, after God's salvation

and rescuing, they chose to walk in sin.

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They left up the Asherah

idols, who was one of the pagan

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goddesses and consorts of Baal

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Jehoahaz's son, Jehoash, who

was also known as Joash I know,

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this is getting so complicated.

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He'll follow in his father's

footsteps, doing wickedly.

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And if you're thinking, "Wait,

didn't we start out the episode

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talking about a king in the southern

kingdom of Judah named Joash?"

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You're right, we did, and

that's why this is so complex

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But during Jehoash king of

Israel's reign, Elisha becomes

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sick and is about to pass away.

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Jehoash is concerned because

he knows that God's favor for

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Israel has come through Elisha.

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They have a fascinating exchange

regarding arrows, which foretells how

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Israel's battles with Syria are going

to go And if you look at the timeline of

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Elisha's life, scripture really didn't

record anything for about 40 years.

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He's probably about 70 years old

when this final event takes place.

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And when he passes away, something

miraculous happens someone else is being

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buried and his bones are accidentally

thrown into the grave of Elisha.

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as soon as the dead man's body

touched the bones of Elisha, he

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resurrected and stood on his feet

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I'm struck by the fact that God allowed

Elisha to die, but He still used his

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bones to do a miracle of resurrection.

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And I love that it points to the power

of God being the source, and not Elisha.

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Many scholars believe that this

miracle is a foreshadowing of

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Jesus's life and resurrection to come

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And even after Elisha

dies, the Lord is faithful.

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In 2 Kings 13:23, we read, "But the Lord

was gracious to them and had compassion

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on them, and He turned toward them because

of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and

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Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has

He cast them from His presence until now."

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Even though the Lord allowed the

refining oppression of Syria,

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He did not abandon His people.

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Finally, let's turn back to the

southern kingdom with 2 Chronicles 25.

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And to Joash's son Amaziah

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25:2 tells us, "And he did what

was right in the eyes of the

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Lord, yet not with a whole heart."

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As soon as he places the crown on

his head, he kills the servants

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that took the life of his father.

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Next, he's ready to go out to

battle against the Edomites.

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He hires 100,000 mighty men from

Israel, and he pays them handsomely.

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My calculations estimate it would equate

to about 141 million of today's wages.

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But the Lord sends a man to tell him,

"Don't let the army of Israel go with

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you, for the Lord is not with Israel.

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But go, act, be strong for the battle."

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Amaziah responds understandably,

"But I already paid them."

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The man tells him, "The Lord is able

to give you much more than this."

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He obeys sacrificially

and sends them home.

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They're furious, but still, he

chooses obedience over finances.

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Would it have been better if he had obeyed

and consulted God from the beginning?

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Certainly.

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But even when obedience costs

us, it's always better to stop

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in a plan that you know is wrong.

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has this ever happened in your parenting?

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As it's summer, maybe you're

contemplating school decisions and you're

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realizing you need to make a change.

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Maybe you gave your child a

cellphone and figured out that they

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can't handle the temptation yet.

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You feel the Lord prompting

you to take it back

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But you've already committed.

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It could be so many decisions, but

God will bless us when we course

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correct and trust Him for the result.

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After this moment of obedience

and sacrifice, God gives Amaziah

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victory over the Edomites.

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But shockingly, he brings back some

of their pagan gods and worships them.

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Rightfully so, the Lord is angry with

him and sends a prophet to rebuke him.

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" Why have you sought the gods

of a people who did not deliver

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their own people from your hand?"

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Amaziah stubbornly tells him to stop

talking, and the prophet responds, " I

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know that God has determined to destroy

you because you have done this and

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have not listened to my counsel."

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the very next verse tells us that he

took counsel with the king of Israel,

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the exact king he was not supposed

to align with previously Gathering

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wisdom is not wise if we're looking

to the wrong place to get it.

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And again, I feel I need to caution

myself and every other mom living in this

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age to be aware of how much we're being

influenced by online sources over the

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word of God But in God's sovereignty,

he uses Amaziah's disobedience and

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brings defeat so that he falls into

the hands of the king of Israel.

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Israel breaks down a large section

of the wall of Jerusalem, taking

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much of their silver, gold,

and treasury from the temple.

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There's a conspiracy, and Amaziah is put

to death But if we go back to 25:2, " And

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he did what was right in the eyes of

the Lord, yet not with a whole heart."

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Once again, we can rejoice in a merciful

Savior that does not remember us by our

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worst sins, but when we've surrendered

to Him, He counts His Son's righteousness

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as credit to us Heavenly Father, we

are in awe of your mercy and grace.

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Though you righteously brought judgment

on these nations that walked in wickedness

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You were so patient to all

who would repent, and to

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those you made covenant with.

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We rejoice that we're part of a

better covenant through Jesus Christ.

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And Lord, as much as we want to

live righteous lives before you, we

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thank you that you already consider

us righteous because of His blood.

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Help us to rest in that peace.

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May it quiet all of our anxious thoughts

and silence our striving In our own walks,

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in our parenting, and in our marriages.

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We pray that this peace and joy from

being declared righteous before you

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That it would be evident to our families

and that we would be gracious with

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them when they fall into temptation.

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Give us patience to point them toward

your mercy and grace, and may we

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humbly walk with you, having little

confidence in our own flesh, but choose

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to completely trust in your character.

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It's in the perfection of our

Savior, Jesus Christ, that we pray.

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Amen.