2 Kings 12:17

2 kings 12:17 says, Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.  Hazael, the king of Syria anointed by Elijah by God's direction, went to war with Judah, taking Gath and looking to take Jerusalem.  We are not told that he was acting under God's direction, but we do know that Jehoash had turned away from God by this time.  I personally don't believe that God ordains or causes anyone to do anything evil in the world, but Hazael was being used to punish Jehoash for his sins, even though he was not a part of the nation of Israel, so this really wasn't something evil.  If we as Christians turn away from God, He may allow lost people to defeat us in order to call us back to Him.  If we have really accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we will never be defeated forever spiritually though.  We are God's forever.  Verse eighteen adds, 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.  Jehoash took all the treasures of the temple, dedicated to God by Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah and himself and sent them to Hazael in order to keep him from attacking Jerusalem.  Of course, had he not turned away from God, he would have had His protection, but now he put no value on the things dedicated to God except as they helped him.  We should never use things that we have dedicated to God in an attempt to save ourselves, because only faith in Jesus Christ can save us.  Verse nineteen continues, And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?  We are told that the rest of the things that Joash did are recorded in the chronicles of the kings, this time before we are told that he died or was killed.  I do know that God will take note of all our actions in this life, but once we die, there is no changing our everlasting destination.  Verse twenty states, And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.  We are then told that Joash's own servants killed him.  He may have bought protection from Hazael, but this did not save him.  We may be able to buy our way out of some threatening situations, but if we have not accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we will never be safe spiritually.  Verse twenty-one adds, For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.  After his servants killed him, he was buried with his fathers in the city of David.  Then, Amaziah his son reigned in place of him.  As Christians, Jesus Christ is the only One Who can reign in our life if we are to be successful in following God.  Still, God will call people to positions of service, and if they stray away from him or die, He will call someone else to replace them.