After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 24:17-18 NIV
Joash was a king of Judah during the time of the divided kingdom. During the early years of Joash’s reign, Jehoiada was the high priest and served as his spiritual advisor, leading him to serve the Lord. During this time, there was a return to the worship of YHWH, and the nation prospered. But when Jehoiada died, a different group of people claimed the king’s ear. And they led him into the worship of idols. And the nation suffered as a consequence.
I believe this illustrates the importance of those we gather around us and the influence that they can have. This is true of national leaders as well as those of us with little in the way of leadership roles. We are all impacted and influenced by those we are close to. So it is important that the people we hang around with are those who will provide a godly influence and encourage us in our faithfulness to the Lord. Like Jehoiada did for Joash. Be careful who you listen to.
