They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem. – 2 Chronicles 24:18

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 14, 2016): 2 Chronicles 24

Adomnan of Iona was born in 624 C.E., and he would rise to become the Abbot of the Iona Abbey. It is through his writings that he would shape the way that the world would know him. In 697, he released his “Canons” or the “Law of Adomnan.” The “Laws” set out the way that we are to act in various situations. Among other things, it sets out to guarantee the safety and immunity of non-combatants in wartime, something that had never actually been promoted before Adomnan. Because of this, the “Laws” are often called the “Laws of the Innocent.”

But one of the other things that Adomnan is recognized for is for being the first Christian to write down the idea that a king is absolutely sovereign over the people. According to Adomnan, only God has the right and ability to decide whether a king is good or evil. It is by the power of God that the King is ordained, and it is by his power that the king is sustained. And only God knows when a King needs to be removed from the throne. Therefore, only God has the power to remove the King (or Queen) from the throne. There is simply no one else that possesses the authority to do that action. Because of that, every rebellion against the Sovereign is sin.

Of course, nothing is ever quite that simple.  Joash is remembered as a Good King. But, late in his reign, we begin to realize that the goodness of Joash may not have resided inside of Joash, but rather inside of the Priest Jehoiada. In the King’s defense, he became King at the age of eight. Even at that tender age, he realized that the people that he had to thank for his life were Jehoiada and the priests of the temple. They were the ones who had hidden him away during the purge committed by his paternal grandmother, Athalia. They had become his protectors. And being young, it would have been natural for Jehoiada to be the real power behind the throne during the early years of Joash’s reign. But after Jehoiada dies, it becomes apparent that Joash had placed his trust in Jehoiada, and not in God. As a result, Joash becomes a ship tossed by the waves and the wind. He is rudderless and incapable of steering his own course. And so, the reign of a good King becomes evil because his advisors are evil.

In the end, it is the evil that catches up with Joash. He is assassinated by his personal servants for his role in the killing of Zechariah the priest, the son of Joash’s mentor Jehoiada. And the reign of good King finishes with the evil done by the king, and by those who would oppose him.

(A note of interest:  Joash is one of the kings that is omitted in the genealogy in Matthew, along with Ahaziah, Amaziah and Jehoiakim. Exactly why these kings were eliminated we are not sure.)

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 12