SCRIPTURE:
“Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.”
2 Chronicles 24:2
“But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them.
They abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt.”
2 Chronicles 24:17-18
“Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which his father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as he died he said, “May the Lord see and avenge!””
2 Chronicles 24:22
OBSERVATION:
Joash was now in his rightful place as heir to the throne, he was ready, at SEVEN YEARS OLD, to take on the kingship a reign for the next 40 years.
Why? Joash had Jehoiada, a good and upright priest who kept Joash accountable and kept him on the up and up for accountability and staying passionate for God. His spiritual “bonus dad”, if you will.
The king instituted a collection and contract program to refurbish the temple, rebuked the Levites for not fulfilling their duties, and even had to entreat his spiritual dad Jehoiada, to get the ball rolling with the Levites.
The result was a reformed and restored Temple of God, and “as long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple.” In other words, they were faithful to serve the LORD.
But as time marches on, and people grow old, Jehoiada, after 130 years, closed his eyes for the last time, and was buried with the kings in the City of David, for all the good he did for God and His temple.
As soon as that happened, the officials of Judah—probably younger, raised under the blessings of the LORD under the king’s guidance from Jehoiada, maybe even ones booted from leadership when the reform took place, these “officials” surrounded King Joash.
They bowed to him—that is, paid homage to him, and in the process were able to persuade King Joash to undo all that Jehoiada had done. The main thing; ditch the worship of the LORD and go back to setting up Asherah poles and the idols that were removed.
It became so bad, that when the son of Jehoiada, Zechariah, tried to correct what was happening, King Joash chose not to listen, but to kill the son of his spiritual father. Zechariah’s last words? “May the LORD see, and avenge!”
It’s the end of the season.
One season of the LORD’s favor under a spiritual “bonus dad”.
One season cancelled by the persuasion of another set of leaders.
And so another season begins, and it will be Joash’s last. And it won’t end well for the king, and for all of the people of Judah.
APPLICATION:
I read this and screamed at the pages, “What is WRONG with you, King Joash?!”
But don’t we often say that to our own children sometimes? I know I do.
The imbedded lesson for me in this is that we can do our best, give our love, our guidance, our corrections and even our scoldings to those under us; children, subordinates, even co-leaders, and lead them in the ways of the LORD, by example and by our words.
Yet still, each of us must walk our paths set before them. It was so for ourselves, as I think of all the bonus dads in my life, as well as my own father, who left us at an early age but who I came full circle with at his death.
Did I listen to their advice? Sometimes. But often I chose my circles, my homies, paths of low resistance but far from God. And I reaped my consequences.
Jehoiada did good as a bonus dad to king Joash. His reward is his memory and to be buried among the kings of God’s people.
We can only love and guide and shepherd our kids—spiritual and biological—and let the LORD do what He does best.
PRAYER:
So LORD God, may I continue to lead, love, and shepherd the many “keeds” You have blessed me with each season, and grant me grace to not try to manipulate their lives, but simply to be like Jehoiada.
I can’t change anyone, but I know You can. Help me to remember that order. Amen!
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