And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.
So Jehoash, king of Judah, gathered all the sacred items that his ancestors—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah—had set apart for God, along with his own sacred treasures. He also took all the gold from the temple of the LORD and from the royal palace, and sent everything to Hazael, king of Syria. Then Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.
King Jehoash paid off the Syrian king with sacred temple treasures and gold to stop him from attacking Jerusalem.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred around 800 BC when Hazael of Syria was expanding his territory and threatening Jerusalem. Rather than trusting in God's protection, King Jehoash chose to buy peace by giving away the sacred items that previous godly kings had dedicated to the temple. This was seen as a failure of faith and leadership, as he essentially robbed God's house to pay off an enemy.
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