| THE GREAT REFORMERS |
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| fell short of the kind of courage that endures a national crisis. Jehoshaphat: The Organizer (chapters 17-20) Where Asa inspired the nation, Jehoshaphat organized it. He had an outstanding domestic policy: he educated his citizens in the Book of the Law and built up a national court system and large army. Curiously, Jehoshaphat's wise judgment failed to carry over into foreign policy, for he made foolish alliances with neighboring Israel's very worst king, Ahab. Joash: Refurbishing the Temple (chapters 23-24) Joash stepped onto the throne as a boy of seven. He reigned 40 years and accomplished much good. Second Chronicles focuses mainly on his repairs of the temple, which he tried to restore to former glory. Jehoiada: Strength Behind the Throne (chapters 23-24) King Joash hardly deserves a compliment without the mention of a priest named Jehoiada. He hid the boy Joash from a murderous queen and led the dramatic revolt against her. When he died at a very old age, the nation gave him the extraordinary honor of a burial place alongside kings. After Jehoiada's death, everything went downhill. The boy king who had shown such promise murdered Jehoiada's son, a deed that went down as one of the great crimes of Israelite history. It became clear that the real strength of the kingdom had come from the old priest, not the young king. Hezekiah: A Day to Remember (chapters 29-32) Second Chronicles gives more space to the reign of Hezekiah than to that of any other reformer. He sponsored a great religious festival, an idea that first met with scorn and ridicule. But the nation did come together in a remarkable scene of happiness and unity. "There was great joy in Jerusalem," the Bible says, "for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem" (30:26). |
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