2 Chronicles 24:20

20 And the Spirit of God clothed himself in Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, the priest, who being over the people, said unto them, Thus hath God said, Why do ye transgress the commandments of the LORD? Ye shall not prosper in this; for because ye have forsaken the LORD, he shall also forsake you.

2 Chronicles 24:20 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 24:20

And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Zechariah the son of
Jehoiada the priest
The spirit of prophecy, as the Targum; he was moved and influenced by it to speak what is after related:

which stood above the people;
in a desk, or sort of pulpit, in which the priests stood when they taught the people, that they might be the better heard, like that which Ezra used, ( Nehemiah 8:4 )

and said unto them, thus saith God;
being moved and directed by his Spirit, he spake in his name:

why transgress ye the command of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper?
by committing idolatry, than which nothing could more hinder prosperity, both in things spiritual and temporal, in soul and body:

because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you;
because they had forsaken the worship of God, as the Targum, God had forsaken them, and was about to give them up into the hand of their enemies.

2 Chronicles 24:20 In-Context

18 And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers and served groves and idols, and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for their guilt.

19 Yet he sent prophets to them to bring them again unto the LORD, and they testified against them, but they would not give ear.

20 And the Spirit of God clothed himself in Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, the priest, who being over the people, said unto them, Thus hath God said, Why do ye transgress the commandments of the LORD? Ye shall not prosper in this; for because ye have forsaken the LORD, he shall also forsake you.

21 And they conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.

22 Thus Joash, the king, did not remember the mercy which Jehoiada, his father, had done to him but slew his son; who said when he died, The LORD look upon it and require it.