the Jigsaw of Joash

…an introduction

  Those of you who read Eden to Heaven, my last post, may have wondered about the partial fulfilment of God’s promises which occurred during the height of the Israeli monarchy. Israel is a great and powerful nation, under mighty and wise Kings, with a complex and uber-spiritual system of sacrifices. What possibly could go wrong?

“Under God’s command, the Israelites capture Canaan, a land of milk and honey. The Israelites seek a man to be their King, God allows them one…Israel has a King, a Royal City, a Temple, a High Priest with sacrifices and a Land (all God’s promises appear to have been fulfilled). While they continue to worship God, he protects them from their enemies.”

    And yet, only a few centuries later, we find Israel conquered, the Temple destroyed, Jerusalem burnt and the people scattered across the east.

    Had God’s promises backfired? Did the ‘Jewish-experiment’ fail? Or had God been using Israel as a picture of a greater truth- a greater fulfilment (King, City, Temple and Nation)- still to follow?

   I think you can guess the answer!

   Nevertheless, I want to tell the story of one particular Jewish King. I want to examine the life and rule of Joash. Joash’s story is a typical Disney-style underdog story…until the end. I’m hoping that by taking a closer look at the Kingship of men, we can better understand why King Jesus had to humble himself and become a man.

   I plan to tell the Jigsaw of Joash in three parts. 

   Part 1, shortly to follow, will set the scene. As we examine the Kings and Queens who preluded Joash, including his father and grandfather, we will better understand the ‘who’ and the ‘how’ of our subject.