Joash, King of Judah

A short play I wrote for my children some years ago.

Scene 1: Joash and Zechariah

Commotion offstage, and then two boys come on, arguing and tussling over a stick.

Joash: Give it back! Give it back!

Zechariah: No, it’s mine. You took it from me.

Joash: I didn’t. Yours was different. It had different bark on it. Mine had the golden bark. Give it back! ( Reaches for the stick ).

Zechariah: ( Pushing Joash away ) No. This one is mine. Go find yourself another one.

Joash: I’m going to tell Father.

Zechariah: He’s not your father. Your father’s dead!

They fall to fighting, until Jehoiada comes rushing onstage.

Jehoiada: Boys! Not again. Stop this at once. ( Pulls them apart ). Now, what is this one about?

Joash: Father, he took my stick and won’t give it back.

Zechariah: It’s mine.

Joash: And then he said you aren’t my father.

Jehoiada: Zechariah. How many times . . . . Go back inside, and I shall talk with you later about this. Go on, I need to talk with Joash.

Exit Zechariah.

Joash: What is it, father?

Jehoiada: Joash, you know that Zechariah is right. I am not your father.

Joash: I know. But it still hurts when he says it.

Jehoiada: He will be punished for his meanness. But we have something important to talk about. You remember, don’t you, what I told you about the queen and your brothers.

Joash: Yes. When I was a baby, the queen killed all my brothers and tried to kill me, but Mother rescued me and brought me here, to the house of Yahweh.

Jehoiada: And I told you that you would become king and return to the palace, didn’t I? It has been seven years. Seven years is long enough. It is time for you to become king.

Joash: What about Athaliah?

Jehoiada: I have spoken to the captain of her guards, and he is with us. I have only to say the word, and he will have three regiments at the ready.

Joash: I’m afraid, father. You won’t let Athaliah hurt me, will you?

Jehoiada: Joash, you are a son of Solomon, and have a Father far greater than I. Trust him, and what can 10,000 Athaliahs do to you?

Joash: What do I need to do?

Jehoiada: I have everything planned. This is what we will do . . . .

Exeunt.

Scene 2: Coronation

Guards moving back and forth in the temple, making secret gestures. Enter Jehoiada. A nod of his head and the guards form a semicircle around him.

Jehoiada: Seven years ago, Athaliah became queen. She is no daughter of David, but of Ahab and Jezebel, and has no right to this throne or this scepter. The years of her reign have been been years of death for the land: Seven years of slaughter and treachery, seven years’ worth of blood in the streets, seven years of Baal and his abominations. Today, the week of Athaliah comes to an end, and Judah will have rest from these horrors.

Guards: Cheers.

Jehoiada: When Athaliah took the throne, she killed all the royal sons, her own grandchildren. All but one. Jehosheba, my wife, stole one prince from the slaughterhouse, and we have raised him as our own son. But he is not our son; he is the king’s son, and the rightful king of this land. We are here to crown him.

Enter Joash, who kneels before Jehoiada. Jehoiada puts the crown on his head and anoints him.

Jehoiada: Joash, do you promise and covenant that you will be Yahweh’s king, and serve Him always?

Joash: I do. Amen and Amen.

Jehoiada: Do you, people of Jerusalem and Judah, promise and covenant that you will submit to this your king, as Yahweh’s own anointed?

Guards: We do. Amen and Amen.

Jehoiada: And do you, King and people, promise and covenant that you will be Yahweh’s people, to serve Him always?

Joash and Guards: We do. Amen and Amen.

Jehoiada ( handing him the scepter ): With this scepter, I witness that you are have covenanted before Yahweh to serve him, and are now King Joash, son of Ahaziah, son of Solomon, son of David.

Guards: ( Clapping and cheering ): Long live the King! Long live the King!

Enter Athaliah, first restrained by guards, but then breaking free into the center. She is face to face with Jehoiada.

Athaliah: Jehoiada! I should have known. What is this treachery? What is that boy doing wearing a crown and holding my scepter? Guards! This is treason! Seize them! I am the queen.

Jehoiada: Athaliah, you are the traitor, a traitor to Yahweh and to this people. Before you stands the true king, Joash, your grandson.

Athaliah: I am the queen. You will not succeed, you old priest. You will not succeed.

She turns to go.

Jehoiada: Seize her! And whoever follows her, take away with her, and put them all to death with the sword. But take them from Yahweh’s house. There will be no blood shed here this day.

A guard take Athaliah by the arm and drags her out of the temple.

Jehoiada: Guards and people: In the shadow of this house, in a green and pleasant grove, stands a house and altar to Baal. It is an abomination to Yahweh, and must be utterly destroyed, so that not one stone is left on another. Go, and I and the Levites will lead our king up to his throne.

People begin to sing Psalm 83. Exuent all.

Scene 3: Jehoiada dies

Zechariah sitting beside the bed where Jehoiada lies. Enter Joash.

Zechariah ( embracing him ): Joash, my brother. So good of you to come. Father has been asking to see you.

Joash: He is very ill?

Zechariah: He will not rise from this bed again.

Joash ( sitting ): Jehoiada? Father? Do you know who I am?

Jehoiada: Yes, my son. I wanted to see you again. I am old and advanced in years, and am going to my fathers. But I had to speak to you, once more.

Joash: What did you wish to say?

Jehoiada: Joash, you have listened to all that I have said to you, and done all that Yahweh instructed you to do. You have repaired His house, and He is well pleased.

Joash: I am glad to hear it from your lips. I have tried to do right in His sight.

Jehoiada: But, Joash, my son, you must not cease now.

Joash: What do you mean?

Jehoiada: By the time the smoke rises from the evening sacrifice, I will be dead, no longer able to instruct and guide you. But you must not cease to follow Yahweh and do His will.

Joash: Yes, Father.

Jehoiada: Joash, you must listen to Zechariah. He is a prophet of Yahweh, and he will tell you all that you are to do, as I have done from the first to this day. Zechariah, are you still here?

Zechariah: Yes, Father.

Jehoiada: Promise me that you will always speak the word of Yahweh to your king, your brother.

Zechariah: I promise.

Jehoiada: Then I am content. May Yahweh shine His face upon you always, Joash, son of Solomon.

Joash: Amen.

Jehoiada turns his face away. Joash sits for a moment, then gets up, embraces Zechariah, and leaves. Zechariah sits beside his father, holding his hand.

Scene 4: Joash and Zechariah

Many years later. Joash is sitting on his throne, holding his scepter, with an advisor whispering in his ear. There is a commotion outside, and Zechariah enters, followed by a guard.

Guard: O King, I tried to stop him. Shall I have him r
emoved?

Joash: No, no. Let him come in. He will not be denied, it seems. So, Zechariah, I hear you have been wanting to see me. It has been such a long time. What have you been doing with yourself?

Zechariah: Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem knows what you have been doing with yourself. And the stench of it has arisen to Yahweh’s nostrils.

Joash: Do tell? And what, exactly, have I done?

Zechariah: The house of Yahweh lies in ruins, as if you never had repaired it. And instead, you give gold and silver to set up poles to Asherim on every hill and altars to Baal under every tree.

Advisor: Zechariah, grow up. Your mind is so small, like a child’s. Of course, Yahweh is wonderful, but the world is so big, and there are so many gods, so many different ways.

Zechariah: Because of your sins, Yahweh has sent a plague on the city. And you must turn, or it will be much, much worse.

Joash: Oh, I am responsible for the plague, am I? ( To the advisor ): That sounds vaguely treasonous, don’t you think?

Zechariah: You are the traitor, O King. I have warned you again and again, for years. The course you have taken since my father’s death will lead to ruin. The blood you pour out upon altars to Baal will turn into blood on the streets of Jerusalem. Plague, famine, sword — you will not escape. You have forsaken Yahweh, and He will forsake you.

Joash ( rising and walking to Zechariah, holding scepter ): I am the traitor? O no, I am the King! Don’t you see this? Don’t you know what this means?

He raises it to hit Zechariah, but Zechariah grabs it.

Zechariah: This does not belong to you. ( Throwing it aside ).

Joash first glares at him, almost as if he’s going to attack. Then, he smiles.

Joash: Guard. I do want this man removed, after all. I’m beginning to find him tiresome. Take him out. Oh. And take him to the Horse Gate, where my grandmother was murdered, and have him stoned to death. He is a traitor, and has assaulted the king, Yahweh’s anointed, the son of Solomon.

Zechariah: Cain! Esau! My blood will not be silent! Yahweh will see this and avenge!

Exit Zechariah, dragged by a guard. Joash is left alone on stage.

Joash: He was right, as it turned out. That scepter was not mine, not for long. First, the Syrians attacked, and with such a puny army, but they came into Jerusalem and killed many of my advisors and members of my council. And then my own servants conspired against me, and murdered me on my bed. I died, and they buried me in the city of David, but they did not bury me in the tombs of the kings.