“Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.” (2 Chronicles 24:19 NIV)
King Joash’s mentor, the priest Jehoiada, had died; and now instead of serving the true God as he had done during the lifetime of the priest, the king was listening to other voices. He and the officials of Judah abandoned the temple of the Lord and turned to idol worship. So God sent prophets to Joash and to the people, because God is faithful to warn us regarding the error of our ways when we are going astray. But Joash wouldn’t listen.
Had God chosen Joash? Yes! God had preserved his life, and the only reason he was king was because he had been watched over by the Lord through the priest Jehoiada. Now Joash was going off, because his posse were off themselves. And guess what he did instead of turning from his folly? When Zechariah son of Jehoiada came to warn him, Joash had him killed! What kind of madness does it take to hurt the very people who have helped you? Ah, but you see, as long as the priest lived, Joash served the Lord; but when the props were taken away, he fell away.
God has to develop a people who will serve the Lord with all their hearts, and not just because of another human being’s influence. It shouldn’t be that as long as the godly influences are in the person’s life, they stay true to the Lord, but as soon as the props are removed—and it could be a praying mom or a beloved pastor—they’re gone! While God does send us people on whom we can lean, we have to have our own relationship with Jesus so that if those persons are taken away and there’s no one to replace them, we will still serve the Lord!
Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us stay true to the Lord all the days of our lives.
Read 2 Chronicles 24: 19-22.(Jim Cymbala)
