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One-sentence summary: King Joash rebuilds the Lord's temple and does right as long as the priest Jehoiada is alive, but after he dies turns from the Lord and kills his son, so the Lord kills him; Elisha dies, and his bones resurrect a man.
Joash becomes king and reigns 40 years. He does what is right in God's sight as long as Jehoiada the priest instructs him. But the high places are still not taken away, and the people still sacrifice and burn incense on them. He tells the priests that all the money of the dedicated gifts, the census money, and whatever a man purposes to bring into the house of the Lord, for the priest to take it and repair the damages of the temple. By the 23rd year of his reign, the priests had still not repaired the damages, so he asks Jehoiada and the other priests why they have not repaired it. Jehoiada takes a chest with a hole in it lid and sets it by the door in the house of the Lord. It is emptied out every day, and used to pay the carpenters, builders, and other workers to repair the damages. Hazael king of Syria fights Gath and takes it. Then, he decides to go up against Jerusalem. Joash takes all the sacred things he and his fathers had dedicate, along with the gold in the treasury of God's house and the king's house and sends them to him. Then, he leaves Jerusalem. His servants form a conspiracy and kill him, and he is buried with his fathers. (The details of this are written in Chronicles.)
In the 23rd year of Joash, Jehoahaz son of Jehu becomes king of Israel over Samaria and reigns 17 years. He does evil like Jeroboam. The anger of the Lord is aroused against Israel, and he delivers them into the hands of Hazael king of Syria and Ben-haded his so all their days. Jehoahaz pleads with the Lord, and He listens to him. Then, the Lord gives them a deliverer so they escape from the Syrians, and they dwell in tents as before. Yet, they still follow Jeroboam's ways and keep the wooden image in Samaria. There is very little left of Jehoahaz's army after Syria destroys them. Then, he dies and is buried in Samaria. Jehoash, his son, reigns in his place in the 37th year of Joash of Judah. He reigns 16 years and does evil also. Then, he dies and is buried in Samaria , and Jeroboam sits on his throne. Elisha had become sick of the illness of which he would die. Jehoash king of Israel comes down and weeps, saying, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen." Elisha tells him to take bows and arrows and put his hand on the bow, and Elisha puts his hand on the king's hand and tells him to open the east window and shoot. He says it is the arrow of the Lord's deliverance from Syria, and he tells him to strike Syria. He also tells him strike to the ground, which he does three times. Elisha is angry at him for not striking five or six times, because now, he says he will strike Syria only three times but not completely destroy it. Then, Elisha dies and is buried. The raiding bands of Moab invade the land in spring. As a man is being buried, the men see the raiders and quickly put the dead man in the tomb of Elisha. When he touches Elisha's bones, he revives and stands on his feet. Hazael of Syria oppresses Israel all the days of Jehoahaz, but it says the Lord is gracious because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and doesn't destroy them or cast them from His presence. Hazael dies, and Ben-hadad his son reigns. And Jehoash recaptures from Ben-hadad the cities he had taken from Jehoahaz by war. He defeats him three times and recaptures the cities of Israel.
The story of Joash rebuilding the Lord's house is retold with differing details and also of his rebellion. He is seven when he becomes king and reigns 40 years. He has two wives and sons and daughters. It says he sets his heart on repairing God's house. The Levites drag their feet, and he inquires of Jehoiada as to why. The people and leaders rejoice as they put their collection in the chest as Moses had commanded. When the king's official see there is much money, they empty it day by day, and it is given to repair the Lord's house. The people offer burnt offerings continually all of Jehoiada's days. He grows old and full of days and dies at 130 years old and is buried among the kings in the city of David, because he did good to God and to His house. After his death, the leaders of Judah bow to the king, and he listens, and they leave the God of their fathers and serve wooden idols, and wrath comes on Judah and Jerusalem. Yet, the Lord sends prophets to them to bring them back to Him, and they testify against them, but they do not listen. Then, the spirit of God comes upon Zachariah the son of Jehoiada. The Lord asks whey they have transgressed His commands and says they will not prosper. Because they have forsaken the Lord, He has forsaken them. Then, they conspire against him and, at the command of the king, stone him in the house of the Lord. So Joash did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada had done to him but killed his son. As Zachariah is dying he says, "The Lord look on it and repay!" In the spring, Syria destroys all the leaders of Jerusalem and sends the spoil to the king of Damascus. The Lord delivers a great army into their hand, because Israel forsook the God of their fathers. They leave Joash severely wounded, and his own servants conspire against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and they kill him on his bed. They bury him in the city of David but not in the tombs of the kings. The conspirators names are written down. Amaziah his son reigns in his place.
Thoughts/discussion questions:
We have such short attention spans, but the Lord never forgets His promises!
Objects can definitely be anointed!