提要
耶戶在以色列射殺亞哈謝，給猶大帶來一場危機。亞哈謝死後，他的母親亞他利雅，也就是亞哈之女，逮著機會篡奪王位及消滅大衛家族。要不是亞哈謝的幼子約阿施倖免於難，大衛的家族可能就此斷絕。然而那並非上帝的計畫，因為上帝應許要「永遠賜燈光」給大衛的子孫（8：19）。亞他利雅是被邪靈利用，企圖阻擋上帝的計畫──也就是彌賽亞將從大衛之家而出。
亞他利雅一點也不知道，在上帝的保守下，一歲多的小男孩約阿施被安全的藏在聖殿裡與大祭司同往。亞他利雅篡位後在耶路撒冷作王六年；期間她就像耶洗別一樣，在猶大助長敬拜巴力之風，任憑上帝的殿荒涼毀壞。
到約阿施七歲時，勇敢的大祭司耶何耶大公佈了約阿施的身分，並得到多人的支持。在嚴密的防守下，約阿施被大衛的武器（代表他是大衛的後裔）層層保護，便在聖殿裡被擁戴為王。約阿施從小住在大祭司家，受虔誠的氣氛薰陶，耶何耶大也灌輸他在上帝引導下做猶大王的責任。在加冕禮上，約阿施接受律法書，代表他將遵守摩西關於國王職責的指示。（11：12；申17：18~19）
聖殿裡的歡呼聲引來稀客亞他利雅。當她發現大衛的後裔中竟然有一條漏網之魚，她著實大吃一驚。亞他利雅的罪行使她遭受相同的報應，她被殺後，王國也歸向正統的人。
在國王加冕禮中，最重要的部分是由耶何耶大領導百姓重新確認他們與上帝之間的約、順服他們對上帝的義務，使他們真正作上帝的子民。甚至在約阿施正式入主王宮前，百姓就順服上帝，拆毀了耶路撒冷巴力的廟，將巴力崇拜從猶大掃地出門。這不只是一場政治革命，也是宗教上的復興，因為百姓恢復了對真神上帝的敬拜。
在約阿施長大成熟能治理政事以前，南國猶大的統治者實際上是大祭司耶何耶大。他對年輕的國王有許多積極的影響，約阿施渴望看到聖殿修復之工及早完成即為一例。不知什麼原因，聖殿修復工程的經費一直未達目標，約阿施乾脆親自出馬，他吩咐在聖殿祭壇旁擺一個奉獻櫃讓百姓自由奉獻，所得的錢就直接用在建築工程上。奉獻櫃很快的滿了銀子，修復聖殿之工也終於完成。
雖然約阿施改善了猶大的屬靈光景，但他像他的先祖亞撒一樣，沒有廢去偏佈猶大的邱壇，百姓仍在那裡獻祭給上帝。這樣作是違反了摩西的命令，因為所有獻給上帝的祭，都應帶到敬拜中心，即聖殿獻祭（申12：10~11）。
約阿施的另一個失敗是他對上帝缺少信心，當他遭受亞蘭王哈薛的威脅，他就把聖殿和王宮的財寶送給哈薛。或許就是因為這個弱點，才使他被他的臣僕謀殺（12：20~21）。
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Overview
Jehu's activities in Israel caused a crisis situation in Judah. When Ahaziah was killed (9:27), his mother Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab, saw an opportunity to take the throne and wipe out the line of David. If it had not been for the rescue of Joash, the infant son of Ahaziah, (also called "Jehoash", v.21) then the line of David would have indeed been cut off. However, this was not God's plan, for He had promised to give David "a lamp to him and his sons forever" (8:19; 1 Kings 15:4; 2 Samuel 7:13). Athaliah was used by evil spiritual forces to try to stop the plan of God, which was that the Messiah would come through the line of David.
Without Athaliah's knowledge, but in the providence of God, the boy (about one year old) was safely hidden and found refuge in the House of God with the high priest. Athaliah reigned as a usurper for six years in Jerusalem. During that time she, like Jezebel, promoted Baalism in Judah and let the Temple of God fall into disrepair.
When Joash was seven years old, the brave high priest Jehoiada revealed the boy's identity and gained much support. Under strict security, Joash, who was heavily guarded with David's weapons (representing his Davidic lineage), was proclaimed king in the Temple of the Lord. Joash had been raised in a godly atmosphere in the home of the high priest, who instilled in him the spiritual responsibility of a king under God. In the coronation ceremony, Joash held the testimony of the law, indicating his responsibility to follow Moses' instructions about a king (11:12; Deuteronomy 17:18-19).
The noise of the excitement in the Temple caused Athalia to make a rare appearance there. What a shock for her to find that one of David's descendants had escaped her plan of extermination. Her wickedness returned on her head and she was slain, thus giving the kingdom back to the rightful heir.
Jehoida led in the most important part of the coronation ceremony: the reaffirmation of the covenant to live in obedience to their covenant obligations to God and thereby truly be His people (key Verse, 11:17). Even before Joash was officially taken to the throne room, the people obeyed God by tearing down the temple of Baal in Jerusalem, thus abolishing Baal worship in Judah. There was not only a political reform, but a religious one as well, for it began a revival of the true worship of God.
Until Joash matured, the actual ruler of the southern kingdom was Jehoiada the priest. He had much positive influence on the young king, as is evident in Joash's desire to see the completion of the temple repairs. For some unstated reason, the money for the restoration project had not reached its goal; therefore, he took the leadership and assigned Jehoiada and himself to see to the matter. A collection chest was placed beside the altar for the people's free-will offerings designated toward the building project. When this was full, the money was used directly to pay the builders and the restoration was finally completed.
Although Joash did much good for the spiritual condition of Israel, he, like his godly forefather Asa (1 Kings 15:14), did not tear down the high places throughout Judah where the people would offer sacrifices and worship the God of Israel. This was wrong because it was in disobedience to Moses' command about only sacrificing to God at the central sanctuary (Deuteronomy 12:10-11).
Another failure of Joash was his lack of trust in the Lord, for when he was threatened by Hazael, he sent him the treasures of the temple and his palace. This weakness may have been the reason for the conspiracy against him and his eventual assassination (12:20-21).
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