Joash (Dependence)

Internal Struggle

Dependence

Joash became king of Judah at seven years old after surviving a palace coup that killed the rest of the royal family. He was hidden in the temple for six years, raised by the priest Jehoiada, and grew up to do significant good for the nation. Then Jehoiada died at one hundred and thirty years old, and within a short time Joash had abandoned everything he had built, killed Jehoiada’s son who rebuked him for it, and set the nation back toward idol worship. He had been faithfully following a man, not a God.

What Happened?

Joash was the only surviving son of King Ahaziah, hidden in the temple as an infant by his aunt when his grandmother Athaliah killed the rest of the royal children to seize the throne. The priest Jehoiada raised him, orchestrated his installation as king at seven, and guided his reign. Joash repaired the temple and sought God as long as Jehoiada lived. When Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah came to Joash and persuaded him to abandon the temple and return to Asherah poles. When Jehoiada’s son Zechariah prophesied against this, Joash ordered him stoned in the temple court. As Zechariah died he said, “May the Lord see this and avenge it.” Joash was later wounded in battle, and his own servants assassinated him in his bed (2 Chronicles 24).

How Did Dependence Affect Joash?

Joash’s entire spiritual life was built on the guidance of one man rather than on a personal relationship with God
The moment that man died, the officials only had to ask once and Joash changed direction entirely
He killed the son of the man who had saved his life and raised him when that son told him the truth
The dying words of the man he killed, asking God to avenge it, came true before the year was out
He had repaired the temple for God and within the same reign ordered the murder of a priest in its court
His dependence on Jehoiada had produced obedience without conviction, which is indistinguishable from faithfulness until the person providing the structure is gone

The Tragedy

Joash did not gradually drift. He turned sharply when the one person holding him in direction was no longer present. The officials came to him and he listened. He did not seek God, did not consult another priest, did not take time to consider. He simply followed whoever was in the room with authority. He had spent his life following Jehoiada’s authority, and when Jehoiada’s authority was replaced by the officials’, he followed theirs just as readily. He died in his bed, assassinated by his own servants, a victim of a reversal that his own choices had made possible.

The Pattern That Led to Destruction

Built a life of faithfulness around one person’s guidance rather than personal conviction
Lost that person and immediately became vulnerable to whoever next held authority around him
Changed direction entirely based on a single conversation with the wrong people
Rejected the correction that came from the right person because it was inconvenient
Died experiencing the consequence of the murder he had ordered in the place where he had once done his best work

Practical Steps for Facing Dependence

Build your faith on personal conviction rather than on the presence of the person who modeled it for you
Ask what you would do if the person guiding you were suddenly gone, and make sure the answer doesn’t depend entirely on them
Develop your own relationship with God rather than accessing Him through someone else’s
Notice who has the most influence over your decisions and ask whether that influence is building your convictions or replacing them
Receive correction from someone who is clearly on your side even when the correction is hard
Be suspicious of advice that comes from people whose interests are served by the direction they are recommending
Build accountability relationships with multiple people rather than one, so that the loss of any single one does not leave you without a compass