“After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king (Joash), and he listened to them.”
Joash became king at 7 years old, and for about 30 years Jehoiada was his mentor. “Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest.” But when Jehoiada died, our verse this morning shares an ominous statement that changes the course of Joash’s life. Joash listened to flattery and it destroyed him. So, the lesson today is “Guard your heart”, and it applies to us in two ways:
The first application is obvious… Joash, was raised well. I was too, my parents and mentors gave me every opportunity to grow in the Lord. I was given a firm foundation. However, I can’t assume that because I had parents and mentors who gave me a good start, that the enemy won’t try to flatter me into finishing poorly… I must Guard my heart, especially against compliments… "Man is tested by the praise he receives" (Proverbs 27:21). When Jehoiada died, the officials that came to memorialize his life, flattered King Joash and he eagerly listened. Joash embraced their praises, and pride demolished his life. The original sin did what it always does… destroys.
The second application is more subtle…and applies to how we mentor others. As parents, teachers, and coaches, we must examine those we lead to make sure we don’t just change their conduct, without changing their hearts. Jehoiada was a godly priest… and Joash followed his instructions. But when Jehoiada died, Joash went completely off the rails… That indicates that Joash grew up doing the right things, but not for the right reasons. Surface obedience without heart change is dangerously misleading. Scripture says anything done in that condition is worthless.
The lesson is that while we mentor, we must influence actions, but we also must influence motives. This approach is more time-consuming, but it’s part of making true disciples. So, as we raise our children, and mentor those God puts in our lives, we must deal with the cause, not just the effect…. We must make sure we lead others to their own faith, not just train them to mimic ours. We are called to be heart doctors, not choreographers.
“The hypocrite’s concern is not how holy he is, but how holy he looks.”
– Richard Sibbes
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