Joash did what was
pleasing in the Lord’s sight throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest. (II Chronicles 24:2 NLT)
The affects of having just an outward
religion can be devastating. Joash
became king when he was seven years old and he had Jehoiada the priest at his
side as his mentor and confidant. Jehoiada was a righteous man and taught young
Joash many good things but the king's faith turned out to be only skin deep.
A chameleon is a lizard that whose
color changes with its habitat. Joash
accomplished many good things as long as he was under Jedoiada’s tutelage.
Jehoiada died as all flesh does and Joash came under the influence of other
counselors. They flattered him and told him what he wanted to hear and his
spiritual life took a one hundred and eighty degree redirection. Joash’s moral compass was based in what man
thought and not God. When the winds of change came, as they always
do, they were easily able to blow Joash off his righteous path.
What can we learn from the life of
Joash? First, true religion comes from the inside out, and not the outside
in. It is all about a heart change.
Second, it is possible to do many right things with all the wrong motivations. Joash obviously tried to please those closest
around him. When it was Jehoiada, it brought good actions. With his later counselors, it brought very
bad ones. The problem was that neither
the good nor the bad came from the right motivation, seeking to please God more
than man. A spiritual chameleon is
always ripe for apostasy and devastation.
The solution is to ...fear God, honor the king (I Peter 2:17 NASB), in
that order.
Ken
Barnes, the author of “The
Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places” YWAM Publishing
Email:
kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/
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