2 Chronicles 24:15-16 - Homilies By T. Whitelaw

The life, death, burial, and epitaph of a great man.

I. JEHOIADA 'S LIFE .

1 . Pious; i.e.

2 . Useful. "We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths," etc. (Bailey). Jehoiada's life was spent, not in indolence, but activity; this activity was directed, not by personal ambitions, but by considerations of public advantage, and ceased not until the close of his life. Besides discharging the multifarious duties devolving upon him as high priest of the nation, he practically became the nation's leader during the times of Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Athaliah; the nation's saviour, effecting the overthrow of Athaliah, the preservation of Joash, and in him the continuance of David's throne; and the nation's ruler, acting as regent during Joash's minority, and as prime minister of Joash until the end came. In particular, to him the nation owed the preservation of its king, its throne, its religion, its temple.

3 . Long. Nevertheless, the end came, though long delayed. He died "full of days," satisfied with living, like Abraham ( Genesis 25:8 ), Isaac ( Genesis 35:29 ), David ( 1 Chronicles 23:1 ), and Job ( Job 42:17 ), an old man of a hundred and thirty years, the longest recorded life of any Hebrew, the patriarchs excepted. "What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?" etc. ( Psalms 34:12-14 ).

II. JEHOIADA 'S DEATH .

1 . To himself a gain. ( Philippians 1:21 .)

2 . To Joash a loss. ( 2 Kings 2:3 .) Jehoiada's death the removal of

3 . To the nation a calamity. ( 2 Samuel 3:38 .) Born to be a king, Joash wanted the capacity to rule. The fittest man to have sat upon the throne was Jehoiada. Only Divine providence does not always assign men the posts for which they are best qualified. The incompetency of Joash would have earlier proved a curse to Judah had the statesman-priest not been at his elbow. So long as Jehoiada kept his hand upon the helm, the ship of state sailed over stormiest seas with safety; when death compelled his grasp to relax, the vessel's rocking amid the tumbling waves showed how capable a pilot he bad been.

III. JEHOIADA 'S BURIAL .

1 . National. The people paid him public obsequies. Not the king alone, but the entire realm lamented him, and joined in the sad ceremonial of consigning his lifeless body to the tomb. Public funerals are often gigantic hypocrisies. Not of such sort was this of the great priest of Jerusalem.

2 . Royal. The grandeur of his obsequies equalled that lavished on the funerals of kings. Of some kings, among whom Joash must be numbered (verse 25), it is recorded that the people declined to honour them with royal burial ( 2 Chronicles 21:19 , 2 Chronicles 21:20 ; 2 Chronicles 26:23 ; 2 Chronicles 28:27 ); of Jehoiada, though not a king, except in nobility of soul, it is written, his people "buried him in the city of David among the kings"—as it were recognizing in him a sovereign greater than many, and equal to the best.

IV. JEHOIADA 'S EPITAPH .

1 . Short. One sentence of three clauses: "He did good in Israel, both toward God, and towards his house." Nothing more offensive to good taste and refined feeling, not to say more untrue to fact, than the fulsome and extravagant paragraphs which often appear on tombstones.

2 . Simple. All who read might understand, and, understanding, might verify from their own experience, assisted (if need were) by the recollections of others. The last place at which to make a display of eloquence and rhetoric is the grave's month. What is here recorded of this uncrowned King of Judah stands in startling contrast with the magniloquence of Egyptian and Assyrian kings.

3 . Sufficient. What more or better could be testified of any man than that in his lifetime he had done good, lived a life of piety towards God and of philanthropy towards man, promoted God's glory and advanced man's good, furthered God's kingdom and increased man's happiness?

Learn:

1 . The possibility of combining statesmanship and piety.

2 . The commanding influence of religion when associated with talent and rank.

3 . The advisability of looking beyond man in both Church and state, since statesmen and priests are not suffered to continue by reason of death.

4 . The certainty that a life of philanthropy and piety will sooner or later find recognition.

5 . The fitness of rewarding with becoming honour in death those who sincerely and successfully serve their generation when in life.—W.