Following on the heels of our discussion concerning the Torah instructions a king of Israel is to obey, did you know there is only one detailed narrative of a coronation of an Israelite King in the whole Bible?
It is in 2 Kings 11:1-16 and you can read it by clicking here.
Did you read it?
What we are witnessing in these verses is the coronation of an Israelite king named Yoash at the age of 7 years old when he became “ruler” over the southern kingdom of Judah.
When you read the about this coronation, you’ll notice several things.
FIRST, you’ll notice the Israelites had unfortunately become just like the surrounding heathen nations when it came to the attributes of a king and how he came into power.
We see secrecy, a power struggle, the death of rivals and personal agendas at war with each other.
SECOND, typical of the gentile nations, we see that instead of the king serving the people, the opposite occurred.
The king quickly turned to making the common citizens his servants.
THIRD, when you read the passages, did you notice that the military was under the control of the ruling family and it was the military’s primary job to keep the king and his family protected from the people?
FINALLY, take a look at verse 12.
“Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, ‘Long live the king!’”
What a super fleeting mention of the 7-year old king receiving a copy of the Torah scrolls, wouldn’t you say?
Now you’re probably wondering…
…what possible wisdom, strength and leadership could a mere 7-year-old child offer the nation of Israel?
If you’re thinking absolutely nothing, you’re right.
What we’re seeing here is a young boy being manipulated by his parents for their own personal power and gain.
Also, what in the hell is a 7-year old going to do with a Torah scroll?
The answer?
Again, absolutely nothing.
Copying out the Torah was NOT supposed to be mere symbolism but something the king was commanded to do in earnest after assuming the throne.
A child at that age neither had the ability to copy out a Torah scroll out nor carry out the justice it contained.
Again, what we’re being presented with here is a diabolical combination of crass pomp, superficial ceremony, and meaningless gesture.
None of this had any meaning.
The royal court did all this per tradition and had probably long forgotten why.
So how did this young boy Yoash turn out as a king when he became an adult?
The answer is so-so.
As he grew older, there are parts of Scripture that seem to show he did take the Torah seriously and turned to it for wisdom.
On the other hand, much of what he did was typical of a Middle Eastern King in those days.
There’s even a scene where he gave away some of the Temple’s sacred treasures in order to make “peace” with an Assyrian King.
And ironically, Yoash’s final days did NOT end in peace as he ended up being murdered by his own servants.
NEXT TIME WE BEGIN DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
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