Faith of My Fathers
"Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years of Jehoiada the priest."
2 Chronicles 24:2
Observation:
I remember when I was younger my stepfather had a very keen insight into this verse that he shared with me. He said, "Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD as long as Jehoiada was there with him because Joash never developed his own faith. Joash was living off the faith of Jehoiada." As you read the account in 2 kings you would think it ended in treachery against a good king, but 2 Chronicles cast such a different light. Joash's assassins, Zabad and Jehozabad, come out looking like the Boondock Saints dispensing a type of justice against the wicked.
Application:
Looking back now I realized that I completely missed the point of what my stepfather was saying to me. Growing up the son of a pastor, watching and listening to my mom's narrative about serving God, had me partaking in the work of God. I saw God use me in many ways. But when I was in my early teens I left out from under my parents’ faith. I began to search for myself. I began to listen to other voices trying to lead me. These other voices led me into gangs, violence, drugs, and all sorts of other things that I know and even knew then did not honor God.
It is funny how easy people are swayed when they are just listening to other people. I have seen so many young people who stop listening to the voices of their parents’ faith and start listening to the destructive voices of the world. Joash's story is not unique; my story is not unique. It was not until my faith became my faith, and not the faith of my parents, that I began to listen for God's voice in my life. I find it interesting that Joash is never credited with listening to God for himself. Joash is only credited with following God as long as Jehoiada lived, and that is because he was following Jehoiada and not God.
Who are you following? Whose faith do you have? To what voice do you give audience? Questions that I have had to wrestle with and truthfully still wrestle with sometimes.
On another note the story of Joash makes me think about Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Did not Jehoiada tell Joash the way he should go? Did not my parents tell me the way that I should go? Did not the countless other parents of lost sons and daughters tell their children the way that they should go? If the answer is yes how did they stray away so far? Maybe in the midst of the busyness of life we forget to train and think telling will suffice. As an uncle, future parent, and pastor I need to heed this warning to not just tell but to train children. I need to help them cultivate their own faith and not just live off of mine.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to hear your voice. Help me to listen for you and you alone. Lord help me to pursue you. Lord, help me to train young men and women of God who cultivate their own faith in you. In the name of Jesus Amen...
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