2 Chronicles 24:22

Thus Ioash the king remembred not the kindnesse which Iehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his sonne: and when he died, he said, The Lord looke vpon it, and require it. 2 Chronicles 24:22 (KJV)

King Joash (also called Jehoash) of Judah ascended to the throne at a very young age and reigned for forty years. In the early part of his reign he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord because he was guided by Jehoiada the priest, who acted as a father‑figure, mentor, and guardian. Jehoiada helped Joash restore the temple of the Lord and re‑establish proper worship practices, bringing a period of renewal to Judah.

After the death of Jehoiada, Joash allowed himself to be swayed by the officials of Judah. These leaders persuaded him to abandon the worship of the Lord and to turn to idolatry. The nation’s spiritual decline was marked by the prophetic warning of Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada. Filled with the Spirit of God, Zechariah confronted Joash and the people, denouncing their rebellion and idolatry.

Instead of heeding the prophet, Joash ordered Zechariah to be stoned to death in the courtyard of the temple. As Zechariah fell, he cried, “The LORD look upon it, and require it.” This violent act against a prophet and the son of his former mentor was a grave sin that demonstrated Joash’s ungratefulness and the shedding of innocent blood.

The passage records that the LORD struck Joash and his people with the sword as a result of their unfaithfulness. Soon after Zechariah’s death the Aramean army invaded Judah, defeated Joash, and left him severely wounded. The divine judgment culminated in Joash’s assassination by his own servants, bringing an end to a reign that began with promise but ended in tragedy.