is it better to start well or end well? Today’s reading of God’s word in the book of Chronicles really hammered something deep within me. The importance of men of God within the influence of Kings.
There was a direct correlation between the King the man of God and Israel’s success.
When the King had an advisor who was loyal to God like King Jehoiada. Israel enjoyed peace and Israel enjoyed success. When we look at King Joash, who was almost killed by his evil grandmother as she tried to seize power for herself, we would be worried that King Joash would grow up to be as evil if not worse than his grandmother.
However, because of the presence of the Priest Jehoiada, King Joash grew and acted in obedience towards ensuring the temple of God was restored. He did what was pleasing to the people.
It was heart warming to see after so much bloodshed and carnage and evil, that finally a King who feared God emerged. The account of King Joash was quick to highlight that after Jehoaida died at 130 years of age, the King listened to evil advisors. And as a result, they convinced the King to abandon the Temple of the Lord. The king even stoned Jehoaida’s son who rebuked him.
How utterly tragic that King Joash who started brilliantly ended miserably and God enabled his enemies who were much smaller than Judah’s army to defeat him. Without wise advisors who follow the Lord, Israel floundered.
I would assume that King Joash would have been so used to success that he attributed his success to himself rather than God. And it is the great delusion of today that plagues everyone today. This delusion that our success is from our own intelligence and plans. How sobering a reminder. How we have to never forget that there is never a wicked man who can last before a Holy God.
May we never grow conceited in the success we have experienced, thinking we deserved it. However to be humble in every circumstance, is great gain for we in being humble, we will be certain that the Lord would fight our battles for us.