“Standing on Your Own” (Joash’s Mixed Results)

Week 10
Main Point and Overview:   

The story of King Joash is the perfect “case study” for every Christian. When you make poor choices, there are always “ripple effects” into the lives of others. When the previous king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, aligned himself with the evil king of Israel, Ahab, it had serious ramifications. The alignment was the marriage of Jehoram, Jehoshapat’s son, to Athaliah, Ahab’s daughter. They would have a son named Ahaziah who would be assassinated after one year of reigning in Judah. It was then that Athaliah tried to seize control herself of the kingdom by killing even her own family. One of her daughters took her grandson, Joash, who was in line to be the next king and hid him. Through the risk-taking and sacrifices of a “no-name” daughter and a priest, Joash was protected and mentored for when the time would come for him to take leadership of the nation. Think about your life, and how there have been others who have sacrificed for you and have even taken “risks” so that you could get to where you are today. That should be an inspiration to us. The Bible described Joash as a leader who “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” for much of his leadership. When he realized that the Temple had been abandoned and neglected, he revitalized it. He made sure to “repair” the place where worship of Yahweh was to take place. His heart was to reject the false gods all around him, and he led Israel into a place of spiritual renewal during his reign. Unfortunately, the king depended on others too much. As long as his mentor Jehoiada was alive, the king followed his spiritual advice and example. Jehoiada acted as a source of accountability for the king. The fact is that we all need mentors, coaches, and teachers in our lives. These are the people who guide us and tell us the “hard things” for our own benefit. What cannot be stated enough is that THEY MUST NOT BE THE SOURCE OF STRENGTH in our lives! Why is that? It’s because from a spiritual perspective we must rely on God first. From a practical perspective, these mentors will not be in our lives forever in most cases. As soon as Jehoiada went to heaven, Joash began to struggle with his “decision making.” In the end, it cost him dearly. How determined are you to stay committed? Let’s “finish strong!”