If We Were a Bible Character – Joash

If we were a Bible character; our life, men had read.

From the pages of Scripture, just what would be said?

If God were writing our profile today,

To record in His Word; just what would it say?

“And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.” II Chronicles 24:2

I am always saddened when I read this chapter of the young king, Joash. For, although he started out well, his real character was revealed after the death of Jehoida the priest, who had been a “spiritual father” to him. After Jehoida’s death, we see King Joash turning from God to idolatry. “Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.” II Chronicles 24:17,18  When confronted about how he had forsaken God, he even went so far as to have the new priest (Jehoida’s son) slain. Oh, how far his sin had taken him!

Although the above verses do not mention specific character traits of King Joash, one thing we can learn from this king is the sad fact that he never learned to spiritually “parent” himself.  We have the following quote on our computer desk, “Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else is watching.”  Did King Joash only do right because of Jehoiada’s presence? It certainly looks that way.  How vitally important it is that each of us, first of all, make sure of our salvation. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” II Corinthians 13:5  And then, after salvation, that we grow, grow, grow by feeding on and heeding to the Word of God, as well as talking to Him in prayer. A growing Christian will be one who is becoming less and less dependent upon others for their daily spiritual nourishment by learning to “feed” themselves through their own personal time with the Lord. I think a good question each of us should ask ourselves would be, “If ________ were “out of the picture” in my life, would I spiritually survive? That blank may be filled in with a parent’s name, a spouse’s name, a pastor’s name, a teacher’s name, etc.

Although all of us will have times of wavering and maybe falling, may our continual desire be to “get up and grow up” by taking on the responsibility of spiritually parenting ourselves. As those who may have been spiritual mentors in our life move out of the picture, may we continue on faithfully that we may one day be able to say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”  II Timothy 4:7,8

~ Rachel ~