King Joash was the youngest king in the Bible. His reign as the king of Judah began at the very young age of seven.
How Joash Became The Youngest King In The Bible
The story of how Joash became king begins in (2 Kings 11:1). When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son the king was dead, she began to destroy the rest of the royal family. When the late King Ahaziah’s sister Jehosheba learned of the mother’s evil deeds, she took Ahaziah’s infant son Joash away from the rest of the king’s children, who were about to be killed. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah so the infant would not be killed. Joash remained hidden in the Temple of the Lord for six years, during which time Athaliah ruled the land.
In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada the priest led a revolt against Athaliah. Jehoiada brought out Joash, placed the crown on his head, and anointed him king. Everyone clapped and shouted, “Long live the king!” Athaliah heard all of the noise made by the people and hurried to see what was happening. She arrived and saw that Joash had been crowned as the new king. Athaliah was seized, led away from the Temple, and put to death. (2 Kings 11:1-16)
King Joash Starts Out Good, But Ends In Tragedy
Joash reigned as king for forty years. The Bible says he did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. He saw to it that the Temple of the Lord was repaired and restored. (2 Kings 12:1-2)
After Jehoiada’s death, King Joash was unfortunately persuaded to listen to bad advice from the leaders of Judah. They abandoned the Temple of the Lord and began to worship idols. The Lord sent prophets to warn the people but they wouldn’t listen (2 Chronicles 24:17-19). King Joash even had Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, stoned to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s Temple. (2 Chronicles 24:21)
What started out great for the youngest king in the Bible ended in tragedy. Joash was assassinated in his own bed by his officials for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest.
