2 Chronicles 24:

Joash became king at 7 years old and he ruled Judah for 40 years. He did what was right in God's eyes and married two wives.  He demanded that they used the tax money that Moses required to restore God's temple annually and hurriedly, but the priests and Levites where slow in doing so.  They soon found out that the sons of Athaliah, Israel's former bad queen, had entered God's temple and took the valuables for idol worship.  So Joash and Jehoiada, the Priest, put a chest by the temple entrance for all to put the required tax towards restoring the temple.  The people rejoiced and gave gladly.  God's temple was restored annually and then Jehoiada died.  Zachariah, son of Jehoiada, became priest.  The princes of Judah and the people rebelled against God and started serving idols.  Zachariah stood up and told the people that God had forsaken them because of their way and therefore Judah will no longer prosper.  The people then convinced Joash to stone Zachariah to death, which he did because he forgot how Jehoiada, Zachariah's father, fought to put him on the throne and made sure God had favor with him when he was alive.  Syria soon attacked Judah with a very small army but God gave them Judah for conquest, Joash was severely wounded, and his servants killed him to avenge Zachariah's death.  Joash was not buried in the tomb of the kings.

2 Chronicles 25:

Amaziah becomes king of Judah and did what was right in God's eyes, but not whole-heartedly.  As soon as the royal power was firmly his, he avenged his father's (Joash) death.  Amaziah gathered his army for war and paid Israel to join him at war. God then sent prophet to tell him that Israel should not be involved in the war and that God will give him more than he paid, so he sent Israel home.  Amaziah won the war and got lots of spoils, but the Israeli army he sent away came to raid parts of Judah because they felt rejected.  Be careful who you attract and ask to join you.  Do you really need them or they are actually an hindrance to your success?  After Amaziah had conquered Edom, he brought back their gods and started worshipping them.  When the prophet confronted him, he asked the prophet if he was made the royal counselor.  The prophet then told him that God was going to destroy him.  So he went to war against Israel for no reason because God wanted to give him to his enemy.  Israel conquered him, captured him, and took all the valuables out of Judah.  He was unable to return to Jerusalem because of conspiracy and was killed on foreign soil.  Why would a king take the idols of a people he had conquered and worship them even though they could not deliver the worshippers?  It is because idols have huge economic values.  It is because idols are usually made of precious metal, designed by highly skill people, it attracts people from distant lands, and those people bring money to worship it.  The owner of idols have money, influence and power.

2 Chronicles 26:

Uzziah, son of Amaziah, becomes king and did what was good in God's eyes, so God prospered him.  God also helped him to conquer the Philistines and Arabians.  He also took some of their lands.  He even farmed in distant lands, built water holes for his huge herds in the wilderness, and his fame spread beyond Egypt because he was strong.  He even built engines that could shoot arrows and stones from towers.  Uzziah got arrogant and proud.  He started entering God's temple as he liked and performing duties only for the Priests, Levites, and descendants of Aaron (Moses' brother).  The priest warned him against his action, but he ignored them and got angry.  So God struck him with leprosy right there by the altar of God in the presence of the priest.  He was a leper till he died and he lived in isolation.  Pride does come before a fall.  Learn to stay in your place even when you have become very successful.  Remember and respect those that made you successful.

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