Who Are You Letting Influence You?

Think back to when you were seven years old. Would you have ever imagined being a king or queen at that age? In England Prince William just got married and people throughout the world have been watching his wedding. He is 28 and in time will become the King of England. Yet in the Bible a boy whose name was Joash became King of Judah at age seven.

Due to his father the king and others of his family being killed, Joash assumed the position of King of Judah at a very early age (2 Chronicles 24). Was he prepared to be the leader of a powerful country at age seven? We are told that he reigned for forty years and, did what was right in the eyes of Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest. In other words as long as Jehoiada was the head priest for the Jews, Joash was obedient to God.

During that time of Joashs reign, he restored the Temple and had the people give money to repair the Temple in Jerusalem, the key location for the Jews to worship God. Joash had the practices that the priests and the people perform reinstated. He listened closely to Jehoidas wisdom and direction, making him a wise and successful king with God and the people.

Then Jehiada died. Immediately Joash began to listen to other influential people of his country and Joash followed their advice. Their advice was to abandon the Temple and begin worshipping false idols. The results were Gods anger rose against the people of Judah because both the leadership and the ...