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Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Today I invite us to consider a global issue that has increasing significance in every society in the world, but especially in recent years, in American society.
The issue. . . FATHERLESSNESS.
This is not a new issue facing humanity, but as new leadership will transition in America, as a result of the elections, and much of the world continues to look to American leadership for help in the issues facing their nations, this issue of FATHERLESSNESS is one which contributes to many major destructive forces in societies around the world. As you look around your city, wherever you live in the world, what do you see in your society as the results of children and young people growing up without fathers?
I’ve done a little research: Did you know that in 2018, of 3,791,712 live births in America 40% of those babies were born to women without a husband or man to be ‘father’ to their baby? Recently there have been riots in America focusing on racial inequality. Consider this statistic: Of all the “Black” babies born in 2018, in America, 69.4% were born to single women. 51.8% of all the “Hispanic” babies, 28.2% of all the “White” babies, and 11.7% of all the “Asian” babies, were born to single women, in 2018. By God’s design children need a balanced influence of both a loving father and mother, and the frequent or total absence of either parent will naturally result in a skewed perspective on marriage, family, and almost everything else in life, right?
In our recent study of the leadership of Israel as recorded in the Bible, yesterday we saw the failed leadership of king Ahaziah who had an overbearing, wicked mother who actually “encouraged him in doing wrong.” (2 Chron. 22:3)
Today we have come to 2 Chronicles 23 and 24 which again highlight this issue of dysfunctional homes, especially fatherlessness. In fact, in the case of young king Joash, even though royalty, he was an orphan, raised by his aunt Jehosheba and her husband Jehoiada, who was a spiritual leader in Jerusalem, one of the chief priests. They had rescued baby Joash from a horrendous slaughter of the royal family, and hidden him in their home for 7 years, teaching and training him to be a God honoring boy. (2 Chron. 22:10-12)
2 Chronicles 23 is the coup d’etat in which the evil queen mother Athaliah was dethroned and killed, and the boy Joash was crowned the rightful king in Jerusalem, at age 7. That’s right, age 7! Here is a key moment in that historic day: “Jehoiada then made a covenant that he and the people and king Joash would be the LORD’s people. All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal…” (2 Chron. 23:16,17)
Not only was this day very significant in the change of leadership in Jerusalem, it was a historic spiritual day. 16 years of very wicked leadership had turned many of the people of Judah away from God and drawn them deeply into idol worship including Baal worship. But on this day chief priest Jehoiada and the boy king Joash began reversing horrible policies of two previous administrations and drawing the people back to Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews.
The early part of 2 Chronicles 24 gives us a wonderful example of the difference one God honoring, male mentor can make in the life of a fatherless young boy. This one statement says it all: “Joash was 7 years old when he became king and he reigned in Jerusalem 40 years. Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years of Jehoiada the priest...” (2 Chron. 24:1,2) Do you hear the inference of the significance of priest and father figure Jehoiada’s INFLUENCE in king Joash’s life?
While we don’t have great detail about the personal relationship between the boy Joash and the much older priest Jehoiada, we can imagine those first 7 years built a very strong relationship of love and respect. Put yourself in Jehoiada’s shoes and imagine what you would do if you and your wife were entrusted with a baby boy, your wife’s nephew, and you knew you had 7 years to take him from infancy to being a 7 year old boy king of a nation! What would be your priorities? What wisdom, what personal disciplines, what values would you work hard to instill in that child, preparing him to turn around a failing nation?
As you read through 2 Chronicles 24 you’ll see one of the priority projects for young king Joash, as mentored by chief priest Jehoiada, was restoring the great Temple of God which king Solomon had built 130 years before. It had fallen into disrepair primarily due to misuse and had been vandalized several times, even in recent years (2 Chron. 24:7). The record says: “The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it… As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually at the temple of the LORD. Now Jehoiada was old and full of years and he died at the age of 130. He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his people.” (2 Chron. 24:13-16)
Pause here for a moment my friends. How will you be remembered when your life comes to an end? No greater honor could have been paid to a ‘commoner’ than to be buried among the tombs of the kings. Do you see Jehoiada’s life is summed up in one phrase? He was honored in death “because of the good he had done in Israel and for God and his people.” It makes me think of Billy Graham or Hudson Taylor or Adoniran Judson or many less famous people but people I’ve seen dedicate their entire lives to making God famous and helping people become all God has designed them to be during their lifetime! They have left behind remarkable legacies of influenced lives. Can that be said of you and me my friends? Could there be any greater investment of your lifetime?
I wish the story ended right there, but sadly it doesn’t. The power of influence works both ways, good and bad. Just as Jehoiada has mentored young Joash from his infancy, when Jehoiada was gone, other men stepped in but their strong influence turned Joash to follow a very different path and “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. Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to God…they would not listen.” (2 Chron. 24:17-19)
The next verses give us one of the saddest moments in Israel’s history. The priest Jehoiada who had taken little Joash into his family and raised him as his own son, evidently already had a son, named Zechariah. That tells me that Joash and Zechariah grew up together under Jehoiada’s Godly fatherly influence. But alas, wicked men turned adult Joash’s heart away and when confronted by his friend, the God honoring man Zechariah, Joash rejected his counsel and actually had him killed!
Oh how far wicked influence can turn a good man! Watch this my friends, especially if you have been fortunate to have the influence of God honoring men and women in your life. You are a target of the dark kingdom, for if you can be influenced to turn your back on God and the good which has been instilled in you, in your rebellion you can bring great dishonor to the name of Jesus and the reputation of God! Do you know anyone who has followed this terrible path of shame and failure?
In the last few verses of 2 Chronicles 24 you’ll read the sad ending to the life of king Joash which began so wonderfully and had so many great highlights. And then this final statement: “King Joash’s officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried…but NOT in the tombs of the kings!” (2 Chron. 24:25) My friends, do you see the contrast between how the people responded to the life and death of Jehoiada the priest and king Joash? A priest honored with a tomb among the kings, and a king buried among the common people.
So I wonder what the Holy Spirit may be saying to you right now about the world around you, the dysfunction of fatherlessness and the power of influence and mentoring? Look at the people a generation or two younger than you, and ask God to show you someone who could greatly benefit from a friendship with and some influence from you, and all you’ve learned in your life journey from Jesus and the Word of God worked into your life by the Holy Spirit? What next step would Jesus want you to take in making a difference in your world?
Oh Lord Jesus, please help us see our world as you see it. Is there someone we each know, that could benefit from what You’ve taught us in life? Guide us to them please and give us the courage to build a relationship and share what we’ve learned from You, Jesus.
Click to read today’s chapter: 2 Chronicles 23; 2 Chronicles 24. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: 1 Peter 1:1,2; Acts 1:1-8. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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