The seed of wickedness may lie dormant for a long time, but that does not mean it is dead. The devil is patient. With only a little coaxing, that seed of wickedness may germinate into a noxious, poisonous, parasitic weed. Some people need the influence of good men and women in their lives to keep evil in check and to keep them in line. That kind of influence always helps. However, when that person is separated from the good influence in their lives, they quickly succumb to the incessant, enticing whispers of satan in their ear. That is a description of many people in the world. It is a description of Joash.

This Joash was the eighth king of Judah and is not to be confused with the twelth king of Israel. His name is shortened from Jehoash, meaning “God has bestowed.” He came from a troubled background, but then, almost all people from that era lived in troubled times. However, in this instance, his grandmother tried to kill him and did succeed in killing all others of the “seed royal” of the house of Judah (II Chron. 22:10). She was a very wicked woman, just as her son, who ruled but for only one year, was also very wicked man (II Chron. 22:4).

The wickedness of his parents and grandparents stemmed from their close association and alliance with the house of Ahab. Athaliah, Joash’s grandmother was the daughter of Omri, the wicked king of Israel who did worse than all the kings before him (II Chron. 22:2; I Kings 16:25). Joash’s father “also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly” (II Chronicles 22:3). We should never underestimate the influence of one wicked person which is why the Lord sternly warns us against alliances and associations with evil (Deut. 7:1-6; Rom. 16:17; I Cor. 5:9-11, 10:20-21; II Cor. 6:14-18; II Thess. 3:6, 14; I Tim. 6:5; etc).

We should never underestimate the influence of one good man, either. If it were not for the influence of one good man, Joash might not have been saved. Jehoiada was the priest. It was his wife, Jehoshabeath, who happened to be Ahaziah’s sister, who secreted Joash away to safety from among the king’s sons that were slain. For six years, she and Jehoiada hid Joash from Athaliah in the house of God (II Chron. 22:12). If you want to keep something secret from some brethren, hide it in their Bibles or in the church building. They will never find it!

For six years Athaliah had brasenly usurped the throne. But when the time was right, Jehoiada revealed Joash, placed a crown on his head, anointed him, gave him the Testimony and had him proclaimed king (II Kings 11:12). There was great joy and universal shouts of “God save the king!” (II Chron. 23:11,20). When Athalaih saw it, she cried “Treason! Treason!” but they led her away and silenced her voice with a lethal blow (II Kings 11:16).

While Jehoiada was priest and instructed Joash, Joash prospered as king of Judah. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord when Jahoiada’s influence was felt (II Kings 12:2). Under Jehoiada’s guidance, Joash was able to get the funds for the repair of the temple, which had been abused under Athaliah (II Chron. 24:7). It is also a testament to the people that they responded so well that there was a surplus of funds (II Chron. 24:14).

But when Jehoiada’s influence fell silent through death, the princes of Judah came to seduce Joash with flattery and succeeded in getting him to worship idols. This not only afflicted Joash, but the people, as well, who followed suit. When the Lord sent prophets to warn them, they ignored them (II Chron. 24:19). When Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah, spoke out against the sins of Joash, they conspired against him and stoned him (Chron. 24:21). Jesus mentions Zechariah’s blood being shed (Matt. 23:35).

So the nation had fallen from having a surplus of funds to repair the temple to killing the prophets God sent to them. Joash had fallen from doing that which was right in the sight of God to rejecting Him. The Lord sent the Syrians against him, which left him in a very weak and sickly condition and his own servants conspired to kill him on his own sick bed. But he was not buried in the sepulcher of the kings (II Chron. 24:25). Don’t listen to the devil!

Eric L. Padgett