June 18th
Influencers
2 Kings 12:2
Jehoash (Joash) do what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
Often our obedience to the Lord is affected by those who we surround ourselves by. Those who faithfully follow the Lord teach us to the truths of God’s word and how to do what is right in the sight of the Lord. They nurture us in the grace and admonition of the Lord. They direct us how to be a dynamic disciple. They walk with us that we might walk with Him. On the other hand, there are those who have a negative impact in our lives. Their passion is themselves. Their live for the pleasures of this life rather then how they might please the Lord. Those who surround themselves with them, become like them. As Paul admonishes us, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’ ” (1 Cor 15:33).
Our text tells a story of an infant who escaped the murderous tyrant of Athaliah. At the death of her son the king, she sought to secure the title of queen and take over the kingdom. To securely gain the crown, she sought to kill all the kings’ sons (her grandsons) who could claim the throne (2 Chron 22:10). For the most part she succeeded, but her daughter Jehoshabeath (Jehosheba), rescued Joash, the king’s infant son from her diabolical plot. Joash was taken and hidden in the house of the Lord for six years. Jehoiada the priest and the husband of Jehosheba, cared for him and taught him the ways of the Lord as if he was his own child.
Then in the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign as queen, a coup was formed to overthrown her and install Joash as the rightful king over Judah. So, they secretly anointed him as king (2 Kgs 11:12). The queen was murdered (2 Kgs 11:20) and Josah, at the age of seven, began his forty year reign as king (2 Chron 24:1). Unlike his grandmother, Joash began his rule by doing “what was right in the sight of the Lord’.
Joash’s faithfulness to the Lord was due in part to the continued instruction of Jehoiada the priest. This newly crown monarch literally grew up in the “house of the Lord’. Everything he knew was taught him at “church”. He was privileged to be surrounded by godly men. He not only heard the word of God read regularly, but he saw the word of God lived out in the daily lives of the godly men he was around. He knew what it meant to “do what was right in the sight of the Lord”. It was vividly portrayed before him daily. He learned how to live for God by men who were living for God.
Unfortunately, his passionate pursuit of God didn’t continue through out his long reign. Like many others today, when the godly influencers in our lives are removed, we run amuck. Notice the phrase in our text, “all the days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him.” Joash sought God and served God as long as he had the Godly influence and instruction of a Godly man in his life. His surrogate father and spiritual advisor helped him to stay on track. His counsel was received and highly regraded in the decisions and the daily life of the king. He helped Joash to “do what was right in the sight of the Lord”. We need someone like this in our life that has been there and don’t that to teach us how not to go there and do that. We need a Jehoiada who will walk with us that we might walk with Him.
Eventually Jehoiada dies. Joash decides to turn from the trusted counsel of the priests that he had grown up with to hear the advice of the leaders of Judah. But they lead him to leave the Lord “and serve wooden images and idols” (2 Chron 24:18) causing God to bring judgement upon him and the people of Judah. Joash sifted influencers in his life and it led him into iniquity. Who we hang with has a tremendous impact on how we act. Bad influencers can lead to bad behavior, whereas Godly influencers can produce Godly behavior. Joash choose to listen to companions that led him to compromise his commitment to the Lord and caused catastrophic consequences (2 Chron 24:24-25).
Today thank the Lord for Godly influencers in your life. Praise Him that he allowed them to walk with you that you might walk with Him. Ask him to help you be a Godly influencer to someone else.
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