All the Years

Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest. (2 Chronicles 24:1a, 2, NIV 1984).

My Musings – “All the years of Jehoida the priest.” There’s a warning there for all of us to heed. As long as Jehoiada was around “Joash did what was right.” But it was merely a performance. He did not own his faith. We must own our faith, not just experience it vicariously through another. When that person or persons are no longer around, the void that has always been there (because it was never filled personally) yearns to be filled.

Unfortunately, Satan is quick to provide a counterfeit filling. “After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king [Joash], and he listened to them. They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 24:17-19, NIV 1984). But it is a filling that is not filling. It might “taste great,” for a while, but it is much “less filling” and will not satisfy what God demands.

Sadly, once one buys into the counterfeit, it becomes harder to accept the real deal. “The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, ‘This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’ But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, ‘May the Lord see this and call you to account.'” (2 Chronicles 24:20-122, NIV 1984). Many, like Joash, never do accept the real deal.

So, God did call him to account. “At the turn of the year, the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash. When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed.” (2 Chronicles 24:23a, 24-25, NIV 1984). As He will call all into account who reject Him.

My Advice – A personal relationship with Christ is required in order to become a member of the family of God, not a vicarious relationship. The void that longs to be filled is a “God-shaped” whole that only Christ can fill. For “the Son [Jesus Christ] is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” (Hebrews 1:3, NIV 1984). Only this exact fit can fill the void. One cannot fill it with their parent’s, grandparent’s faith, or anyone else’s faith. Only Christ can fill the void and only you can invite Him in. But once He is in, the void will always be filled.